Podcasts about granddad

In this super sized episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad talk about the news of GTA VI being delayed until November of 2026 and what that means for all involved. They also put us on to the upcoming Black Friday 2025 deals from Nintendo and what the other gaming companies may have in store for the holiday season. They also talk about PS5 officially outselling every Xbox console ever made and what Xbox can do to get back on track. They then end the episode with their live Q&A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Indulgence Gospel After Dark!We are Virginia Sole-Smith and Corinne Fay, and it's time for your November Extra Butter episode.Today we're talking about our problematic faves! These are shows, musicians, influencers and other pockets of culture that we want to enjoy without thinking much about them, even if there's discourse. We'll get into: Our favorite Bad Skinny Girl TV shows. The straight man who has Corinne's heart. Is Virginia a pick-me girl now? And so many more!!! To hear the whole thing, read the full transcript, and join us in the comments, you do need to be an Extra Butter subscriber. If you haven't joined us yet — we've extended your Burnt Toast gift access deadline! Check your email for "claim your free month by 11/20!" And do it TODAY! Join Extra Butter

Deep conversations with grandparents are critical for so many reasons. God used an avalanche that took Nick Stevens' daughter in 2008 to put him on a path to help dads and granddads fulfill their unique roles for their family. Building heritage is a God-given responsibility and opportunity. Nick is the author of a book coming out in early 2026 called "The Power of Granddad's Voice: Seven Blessings Your Family Needs from You." In episode 616 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out how his experience of loneliness on campus shaped his life's work, why loneliness is so pervasive in this generation, why he focuses on the relationship between grandfathers and grandchildren, what are some questions for deep conversations with grandparents, why young adults need these conversations, how reflecting on family heritage help them find direction during those uncertain times, what lessons from climbing mountains apply to college life and leadership, how fraternity and sorority members can apply these ideas about intergenerational wisdom within their own organizations, and how students can use the upcoming book as a tool for deeper connection in their own families.

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 20 Zane s Assembly In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             Running into a wall is bad, having it fall on you is worse but not being missed is the worst         Since I had mastered the moment so successfully with conversation I shut the hell up and took the crowd toward my room. Halfway up the stairs I expected Jill to call out but it didn't happen. I counted myself lucky, handed out fresh t-shirts to Paris and Leigh, only to have Paige regale them for fifteen minutes about all the female swag I had in my dorm room, from female silk robes in a variety of lengths and colors to thongs and dog collars. Girls should not look at me and lick their lips; it is scary because I thought that men went to college to chase women, not the other way around. Back at the start of the year, I knew that I was such a Man-Stud that I'd pick up more than my fair share too. I now have multiple women in my life and one day soon I hope to chase one down and call her my own, provided the other women let me. "We will see you later," Leigh gave me a sexy nudge with her hip. I nodded and promptly made sure my windows were locked. They had the annoying habit of being unlocked with glowing neon signs outside that said "Kappa Sigmas enter here". This time I was ready for them. I was also on the ball enough to know that when none of the Kappa Sigmas were upset by my action, that indicated there was something going on that I was clueless about. I was hardly convinced to let my guard down by the limited conversation the three sorority sisters and I had as I escorted them out of the house and kissed them goodnight. I diverged to the dryer to warm up Paris and Leigh's shirts. I kissed Aunt Jill goodnight as well. She gave me a bemused, maternal look as I headed back to my room before my 'bed time'. I must have looked like I felt, pretty exhausted. I joined Iona and Paige in the bathroom where we went through the nightly routine before heading for bed. They stripped slowly; I crawled into bed fully clothed and was feeling rather clever with myself. "No, you don't," Paige insisted. "Zane," Iona gave an angelic smile, "you have to do what you feel comfortable with but this is a matter of trust between us." Was Iona beating me up with a variation on the argument I'd used on Vivian a few hours ago? I was definitely undecided so Iona brushed my lips with hers. "It's okay." The only thing worse than being manipulated is being manipulated with sincerity. I shucked my clothes and shot them to the foot of the bed. I took in the view of Paige and Iona stripped out of their bras, then panties. Paige even made a little game of it, shooting her panties at my head. She missed so I snatched them as they sailed past. Paige flashed me a wicked grin as I did so. "Hey, Zane," she purred. Paige put her knee on the bed, followed by the other, so that she was standing on her knees. "Hey," Iona mimicked from the other side. Together, they sensually flowed toward me and each other. When they were settled against my hip they looked down and smiled. "You both look lovely," I sighed dreamily at my slightly-built beauties. They graced me with a smile once more before looking into one another's eyes. Then they kissed, and after that they really kissed, and several steamy seconds later the girls extended their right hands to their opposite's breast. They rolled their tits beneath their palms. I would have wept at this point but it would have been unmanly. When their left hands joined in the fun I nearly lost it. Did I mention they hadn't stopped kissing yet? It was hard enough that I was intimately familiar with their bodies, head to toe. I was the first man either of them had put lips to lust with (discarding Paige's grade school fiascoes). I had licked, teased, and plucked those nipples they were now so readily fondling. I had placed them naked in bed with other women and beheld their first steps into a far more sexually dynamic life than a strict fundamental Christian life would have deposited them in. I would have continued to wax poetic on the vision above me but the horror of my decision to sleep with both their naked bodies without sex was grinding my happiness into despair. "Oh, wow," Paige giggled, "it's throbbing on his stomach." She was referring to my cock. If it had something larger than a series of nerve clusters, my cock would have been screaming at me, questioning my sanity and demanding a passionate reason I wasn't mounting them both, drilling them hard, and going back for seconds, and thirds. They both leaned down onto one arm before reclining to their sides. "Good night, Zane," Iona whispered. She kissed me on the lips, rather chastely, then rolled over so that her back was to me. She wiggled her ass tight against my thigh because, you know, I have a thing for asses. "Sweet dreams of me," Paige gave a sultry roll of the voice. She rested her head on my shoulder and languidly placed her right arm on my chest and her right leg on my groin. Her hand came to rest on the top of my sternum while her knee covered my balls and the base of my cock. My sexual organ gave her limb a sympathetic throb. Paige sighed pleasurably, enjoying the torture she was putting me through. My right arm cradled Paige and drew her tighter. She kissed my chest with a feather-light touch. My left arm draped around Iona with my wrist being poked by her left nipple (it was still aroused by Paige's attentions) while my fingers coasted along her stomach. I drummed my hand on her abdomen; Iona snuggled in deeper and gave me a delightful little murmuring noise. That was enough to send me off to sleep and I was grateful. If I hadn't been asleep I knew I was going to stick my cock into something, even if it was an electric outlet. I couldn't screw Iona and wouldn't sex up Paige because she would never let me get over having broken down and nailed her in defiance of my own word. What woman doesn't want to think her body can drive a man to forgo his honor? Again, she would never, ever let me forget it. I wasn't sure how long I'd been asleep when I heard my bedroom door open. I wasn't sure what Jill would want this late but that wasn't a problem. The first one through the door was Leigh but Paris and Ricky Frasier snuck in right behind her. I need to invest in some home defense apparatus, things like pit-traps, trip-wires, and nests of feral Chihuahuas. "Don't worry, Zane," Leigh whispered. "We are here for Paige." "Ah," I grunted. Paige stirred next to me, rolled onto her back, and smiled at the newcomers. "We won't need you tonight," Paige assured me. "This is all-girl." "I see; I need to go back to campus and spank Barbie Lynn, Opal, and Brandi's bottoms until they glow red," I growled. They had turned Paige onto the whole lesbian orgy theme. "Hold on," I begged the girls as they began stripping. I rapidly moved to the closet, pulled down two comforters and two pillows for Iona and I to use as a bed. I set things out and Iona gave me one of those sleepy, sweet, innocent smiles and joined me on the floor, a comforter as a mattress and the other as a cover. I quickly became obvious to me that the object of Leigh, Paris, Ricky's and Paige's fun wasn't to have intercourse with one another but to drive me nuts. It wasn't ego talking here; statistically, an ass, calf, or grinning head pops over the same side of bed you are on only so many times before it becomes enemy action. It was working too; I was rock hard and sleep was escaping me. Sadly, fate intervened, to my detriment. In movies you often see couples roll out of bed, say 'ow,' then go back to passionate love-making. Paris came off the bed with a squeak; me, I felt a stomach-churning pain and a soundless scream escaped my lips. Paris' knee had come straight down on my nuts and impacted them into the hardwood floor with only a thin quilt providing any absorption. Paris' playful grin and giggle turned into fear as she saw my face. "Zane?" she whispered, "Sorry?" "Zane, are you okay?" Iona inquired at my side. Paris backed off me, allowing me to wheeze and roll over in a ball facing Iona. Iona cradled me in her arms. "Zane, what's wrong?" she worried. I wasn't articulate at the moment but Paris was. "Oh, God," she gasped. "I landed on his nuts." Paige and Leigh immediately poked their heads over the bed, appearing in my peripheral vision. I heard Ricky padding around from the other side of the bed. "Damn it," Leigh moaned. "Now what are we going to do?" "How about show a little sympathy?" Iona grumped at the others. I know her heart was in the right place but pulling me tight to her bosom with a nipple resting on my upper lip didn't do my damaged genitalia any good. There was a light, coastal breeze off Madagascar calling for my cock to get hard once again and damn me if it wasn't answering. The resulting pain was describable, similar to having my testicles used by an 800 pound gorilla to sink the cue ball on a Carom billiards table. And damn if that bastard wasn't determined to get it done no matter how many attempts it took. Next time some psychopath stares me dead in the eyes and asks if I've ever prayed for death, I can match his gaze and say 'Hell yes.' "Leigh, get some ice," Paige whispered. "Paris, go to the bathroom down the hall and get some ibuprofen and salve. Iona, help me get him back on the bed." The girls hurried off quietly, for which I was thankful. I was equally thankful that Iona and Paige were so gentle in moving me off the floor and onto the bed, and yes, I hammed it up a bit. Once the rush of taking charge of events passed, Paige began to flash me guilty looks. This was definitely her plan and she'd miscalculated the body motion dynamics of three women playing sex games on a queen-sized bed. "I, I apologize," Paige admitted. "This was my fault." I was somewhat more than stunned. "Okay," I gasped. "Flesh heals but memories are forever." "That means you are going to get me for this," Paige realized. "I'd buy a seat cushion if I were you, Ms. Spanky-bottoms," I tried to joke, but the pain got in the way of my laughter. Paris padded back in with a pill bottle, a foil tube, and a glass of water. She handed the pill bottle to Paige and the water to Iona. When Paris started unscrewing the top to the salve, things became difficult. "Paris," Iona grumbled, "why do you get to put the cream on his balls? It was your knee that caused his pain." "I know," Paris whimpered, "and I want to make it up to him." Paige popped the pill cap and handed me two ibuprofen; Iona propped me up. I took the pills and she put the water to my lips. "I'll take care of it," Iona insisted. "My plan, my fault, I'll take care of it," Paige countered. "Take care of what?" Leigh panted as she slipped into my bedroom with a bowl of ice. "Massaging Zane's poor crushed nuts," Ricky murmured. "If I've hurt him permanently, I'll never forgive myself," Paris moaned piteously. Was she more afraid of my promise to get her back or the other ladies' retaliation for the maiming I'd gone through? "I said I would take care of it," Paige insisted. "No, I think I will take care of it, if no one minds," I ground out. The implication was that if they didn't let me medicate my massive melons of masculine might, I'd come after them all, in thirty or so minutes when I could freely move once again. It took me a second to realize that no one was arguing with me. "Ricky, could you please get a damp hand-towel from the bathroom," Iona requested. Ricky looked confused so Iona added, "We can't put the ice cubes directly on his scrotum unless we really do want to take him to the emergency room." "Oops, sorry," Ricky sounded embarrassed. "That makes sense. I'll be right back." When Ricky left, Paige and Iona reclined on either side of me. "Hold on," I requested. "I'd like to give Paris a hug." Iona scooted first, letting Paris crawl on all fours over my body. I gave her a kiss with as much strength as I could exert. "I," she mumbled. "We were playing a game and it was an accident. I already feel somewhat better," I assured her. "Besides, I'm pretty sure I have yet to fuck you to orgasm and that's not a challenge my cock takes lightly." Paris wept and collapsed onto my chest. I lay back, head on a pillow, so I could stroke Paris' hair. When Ricky returned I struggled around Paris to kiss her and Leigh as well. I also took the opportunity to coat my scrotum with the salve, which instantly cooled my pain, then started heating damaged parts up. Leigh applied the towel holding the ice gently to balance out the sensations. We hugged, confirmed our date for Saturday night, and parted ways. Iona, Paige, and I returned to the bed and tried to get back to sleep. This time we kept our limbs to ourselves, though we remained close. I waited a while before surrendering to my dreams. A decision was reached internally that the next time I took Iona out for a quiet weekend, I would have to make it somewhere off the beaten path, somewhere in Appalachia no doubt. Iona gave me a precious, sleepy smile as I climbed out of bed in the morning. I looked at her heavy eyes, questioning her intent, when she pulled my pillow into her chest and drifted off into slumber once more. Paige was dead to the world, undoubtedly wrapped up in the remorseless rest of the Damned. I was able to dress uninterrupted and glide downstairs to find Jill already up and puttering around. I was about to find out what she had heard last night. "Good morning, Zane. Are you feeling better?" Jill asked. "Feeling better?" I questioned. "Your, you know, down there, are you feeling better?" she clarified somewhat. I imagine my jaw dropped because she looked at me with an obvious amusement. "How did you know?" I finally responded. "Oh, Iona came to my room last night and explained the situation as well as apologizing for the disruption," Aunt Jill explained. "She's a very forthright and honest young lady, and she doesn't currently have a fianc either." "What, whoa, wait a second, Jill," I stammered. Things were going way too fast for me. "How is it you are okay with two girls sleeping in my bedroom and three more coming over when three months ago we couldn't even discuss sex at all and its only place was in the marriage bed? What happened that I missed?" "Zane," Jill sighed patiently, "when God closes one door he opens another. I had to accept that my life with Tim was over and I had to move forward with my life with you. That means I am going to get more mileage out of counseling you as opposed to dictating abstinence." "And you have this epiphany after you burn all the stuff I brought back from Thailand," I groaned. "We both did things we probably regret," she reasoned. "You've been talking to Iona, or more likely, Iona's been calling you," I began piecing it together. "After you told me about what those girls were making you do, like crawl around on your knees, I tried to get some of your classmates to tell me what was really going on," Jill related. "Iona was the only one who would talk to me and she and I have communicated pretty regularly since then," Jill finished. "She's a truly sweet girl and I think you two make a cute couple." In case you are wondering, there is no good response to that statement. "She tells me you are interested in that 'Christina' girl. She's, elegant," which was Jill's way of saying Christina wasn't a 'humble Christian girl' like Iona. Something in that train of thought made me put a few other faces to the descriptor 'elegant'. "Is that why you didn't like Mom, Dad, and, well, was Uncle Tim snobby as well, elegant?" I mused. Jill stopped looking in the fridge were she was figuring out what we'd be having for breakfast. "Yes," Jill said quietly. Tim hadn't wanted to marry Jill; he'd wanted to marry Jill's older sister, Kathryn. Jill matched herself against Mom, the free spirit, and Dad, the joker, who were both sophisticated Devil-May-Care people born of wealth and privilege. In a way, Tim was from the same background, except that he ended up arrogant and emotionally distant. Of course, Tim had to grow up with Granddad, who was a real peach, and my Dad, who was always larger than life, always doing whatever task their father put before him and always going one step beyond. Worse, Dad always had the courage to be himself. Dad was the brilliant rebel, the Prodigal Son who was always welcomed back home; Tim was the plodding workhorse. The best example of this was the first time each of them ran away from home. Tim ran away to the tree house in the backyard at the house in Wyoming. The first time Dad ran away, he ended up in Hawaii. When the FBI caught him, he was working in a Japanese restaurant, stock-piling Australian dollars, and had a map of the Great Barrier Reef. Now that I think of it, I must get my nuttiness from Dad. "Jill, I'm sorry Tim wasn't the husband you deserved," I told her softly. I rested a hand on her shoulder and she backed into me. I wrapped my arms around her from behind. "Thank you, Zane," she told me in a soft voice. She looked out of the window over the sink for a few seconds. "Do you think we should get a pool?" Jill broke the silence. Huh? "Who are you and what have you done with my Aunt Jill?" I teased her. It took a second for Jill to get it but when she did, she laughed. "Wait," she teased back, "would I be a clone, an alien, or, what were those things I heard about, oh, pod-people?" "I think you are the Pink Power Ranger," Paige snickered from my elbow where she had materialized mysteriously from the ether. Jill squeaked and spun around while I was busy putting my heart back in my chest. Jill struggled out of my arms, blushed, and went back to the fridge. "Did I interrupt something?" "Yes; my desire to live a longer life," I coughed. "Now that we have the useless pleasantries out of the way, what I really want to know is if all the equipment is in working order," Paige smirked. I thought of a smarmy reply, an angry reply, and even ignoring her, but another idea won out. "Hey, Babe," I whispered in a husky voice to Paige as I stepped into body contact with her, "it hurts a little right now but thanks for asking. I'm glad you are watching out for me." I drew a line with right hand along her collarbone and shoulder to her neck and finally circling her ear. "Oh," Paige gulped. Her eyes grew wide. "Of course, Zane. I want to watch out for you, I care." I let my arms drape around her and linked them up at the small of her back, pulling her tight to me. Paige slipped her arms beneath me and did likewise, with the added gesture of placing her ear to my chest. Iona slipped into the kitchen as she did so. She gave me a cute wave, side-stepped us, and went to help Jill. I figured from Iona's actions that she was going to keep Jill busy getting the four of us breakfast, so I took Paige's right hand in my left and led her out into the hall. As I headed for the porch in the back, someone came through the front door, attempting to be stealthy. It was Leigh; I'd clearly caught her doing something wrong. "Yes?" I questioned. She looked to Paige then back to me. "I forgot to return your keys," Leigh evaded. "What are you doing with my keys?" I sounded a bit cross. Paige squeezed my hand tightly, expressing her own tension. "Paige gave them to me to use last night," Leigh gulped. "You are hopeless as a conspirator," Paige growled at Leigh. I took a deep breath instead. I was going to have as little stress in my morning as possible. "Please give them to Iona in the kitchen, Leigh," I sighed. A quick look to Paige showed her that I wasn't angry so she didn't resist as I resumed our journey. Out on the porch I took a large, cushioned, low-swung wooden chair and sat down. "It's cold out here," Paige shivered. I responded by pulling her into my lap. It took her a moment to figure out what to do with herself. She settled on sitting sideways with her left arm over my shoulder and her head laying on top of it. It took twenty-five minutes for Iona to come out and get us. "Breakfast," Iona said. I looked at her curiously, trying to judge how she was taking the loss of the time promised to her this weekend. She winked and went back inside so I guessed everything was okay and our weekend postponed. "Do you want to go inside?" I gently inquired of Paige. "Two more minutes," she whispered. I kissed her on the head and listened to the breeze in the leaves, the birds chatting in the trees, and her breath on my neck. Slowly her head rose after the two minutes had passed and she was staring at me, or rather at the side of my head. "Yes?" I asked, as I turned and looked into her eyes. "You are so dumb," she whispered. Paige kissed me with a tenderness that bespoke a depth of passion that I had not fully realized. "I wouldn't trade this moment for anything in the world," I breathed back. "I would have been better off if I had turned away that very first day I saw you," she got around to responding. I knew she was saying that she could come up with no quick strategy for getting Christina out of the way and that perplexed her. I had to do something. "Don't forget to get that seat cushion," I joked. She seemed a bit cross, then grinned. "If I let you do something else to my bottom will you forgive me?" she teased me with a sensual ass wiggle. "Really?" I perked up. Paige wouldn't consider anal sex before now, though I was all for it. "No!" she giggled. Paige leapt off my lap and raced inside. I made a grab for Paige with no intent of ensnaring her, she was having too much fun being pursued, and pursue I did. "Help me!" Paige squealed. "Help me; he's trying to get my bottom!" So much for any sense of decorum, I sighed. Paige made it to the dining room and quickly was using Leigh as a shield. Jill looked at me quizzically while Iona gave a weary sigh and looked heavenward for guidance. "So, Leigh, are you joining us for breakfast?" I obfuscated the crisis. "Yes," Leigh hesitated. "Your Aunt Jill is thanking me for finding your keys." "If that is okay with you, Zane?" Jill demurred. Huh, and by that I mean, since when has my opinion in this household been sought or even obeyed? "If it pleases you, Jill, I wouldn't mind eating Leigh", I had a slip of the tongue, "I mean eating with Leigh." Leigh's eyes sparkled and Jill totally missed the implication (I assumed because 'eat' a girl made no sense to her sexually repressed mind.) Iona gave my arm a light slap. "Have a seat, Leigh," Jill smiled in a way I wasn't familiar with; it was almost like she was content. The resulting meal of country ham, grits, and cantaloupe was simple but satisfying. We were all hot, sweaty, and laboring for breath. Had we been in bed and undressed, the situation would have been perfect. Instead, we were in my workout room, working out. I had allowed an hour to digest our meal but now we were finishing my daily physical regimen. Paige and Leigh were on their backs, staring at the ceiling and cursing the fact that I was finishing up my final exercise. Iona was on her stomach on the mat next to me, moaning softly. I seriously considered insisting that Paige and Iona take up a sport. Leigh was another story, but I'm sure I could get Tawny, her sorority president, to get her to do something strenuous, that didn't involve me and sex. "I have given up any hope of ever fucking you to death, Leigh panted as she looked my way. "Thanks," I grinned back. "Without the help of several sisters," Leigh gasped as Paige lazily smacked her on the stomach, "to wear you down first. I don't know how Barbie Lynn can walk after those marathon sessions with you." "It usually involves screaming out to God multiple times and a long nap afterwards," Iona groaned. "So," Leigh sat up, "have either of you," "Hammered me through the sheets, and I swear I blacked out as I came," Paige boasted wearily. "Umm," Leigh purred, "good memories." Have I left the room? Should I hand out customer satisfaction surveys? "That night was fantastic, wasn't it?" Iona sighed. "Three damn orgasms I'll never forget, and then there was Rio and her devilish fingers," Leigh murmured happily. "Wait! Iona, you and Zane, Rio too?" Paige propped herself up. "He was a very gentle gentleman," Iona declared. "Oh," taunted Leigh to Iona, "I recall you doing quite a savage dance on the tip of his tongue." Iona blushed and Paige gawked. "So that three-way with you and Barbie Lynn wasn't your first time, well, what do you know?" Paige mused. "All this physical stress has me thirsty," Leigh stated. "Yes, I think a protein drink is in order," Paige agreed, and winked at me. "Oh, hell no!" I defended myself. "Me, no sex weekend, remember?" "But, Zane," Iona rolled over and batted her eyelashes at me, "it was so sweet and salty." "Iona," I nearly wept. "I apologize, Zane," Iona pouted. "I was only teasing." "I can always hope to soak up some of that sexual energy at 12:01 Sunday night," Paige sighed. "Nope, sorry, going out with Heaven Sunday night," I informed them. "Oh, pooh," Iona grumped. "She'll drain him alright." "Is Heaven really that good?" Leigh seemed curious. "Let's not have this discussion," I stood up. I was ignored of course. "Oh, he goes at her five, six, seven times a night," Iona stated. "She walks funny the next day too." "How come there is never any footage of them together?" Leigh persisted. "You would think with that much sexuality and the howling she made from our towel closet at the party that there would be something on his site." "I am not going to be part of this discussion," I repeated as I made for the door. "Now I'm taking a shower." For a group of girls who couldn't stand a minute ago, they clearly were capable of nearly killing me as they stampeded for the shower, women. Before Iona and I got in, I held her back by the arm. "Five, six, seven times, walks funny the next morning, I'm sure Heaven will like that," I whispered. "I thought a little embellishment couldn't hurt," Iona smiled with an earnestly pure face. She knew Heaven's nature and would help conceal it until Heaven decided it was no longer necessary; Iona was that kind of best friend. "Do you ever get tired picking up after my shipwrecks?" I had to ask. "Come on, Zane," Paige called from inside the shower as the water cascaded down on her and Leigh. I decided that keeping them occupied was my best bet to keep the volume down. As I pulled the curtain aside, I caught a glimpse of Iona behind me, shaking her head 'No'. Undercover  Underage Willa was waiting for Valarie and I when we arrived. She had strategically placed her bike at a break between the groups of hotel units so she could quickly duck out of sight. I had no desire to do anything stupid like get in a fight. She rested on the seat of her ride. I was following Val's advice so I pulled up some distance away and kept to the middle of the parking lot because you never knew what could come popping out a door. I approached alone, again, I didn't want to freak Willa out any more than she already was. "I've got a line on those IDs," she greeted me. I'd asked her for some fake IDs so me and some of the girls could get into clubs. "Yeah," I said deadpan, "I'm sure you did." She keyed on my mood but didn't outwardly react. How should I handle this? "Willa, you are an undercover cop," I sighed. "I don't know who you are with and I don't care. I don't want to cause you trouble, I simply want a favor." Willa rocked off her ride and took a few steps toward me. "Asshole," she growled, "that isn't funny. I ought to fucking slap you like the punk-ass bitch you are." "You won't, you are a cop and that's still assault because I'm not threatening you or threatening to blow your cover so that your life would be at risk," I related. Seeing Willa's consternation, I explained. "Valarie has been through this a time or two." "Zane, I'm not a cop and I'm not kicking your ass because you are a cute guy, but stop screwing with me," Willa changed up her defense. "Fine," I shrugged. "I'm going to have a talk with Belle. I'm sure she will believe me. I felt I owed you a chance because you are a law enforcement officer and you are risking your life for me, the general public." "Don't go to Belle," Willa reached out and put an arm on my bicep. "It doesn't matter that your idea is a load of crap; Belle will tell Deacon and then I'm screwed." "Willa, you can walk away from this situation whenever you want," I told her. "Belle can't. This is her life and I'd prefer she not die living it." "Zane, you hadn't even met her before Thursday night." she groused. "That's pretty much what I said," Valarie finally chimed in. "I'm only here because Zane doesn't know anyone else who could be relied on to keep their mouth shut." "You don't believe this crap about me being a Fed, do you?" Willa joked. "Absolutely," Valarie said without hesitation. "Zane is crazy but he's spot-on when dealing with women. Case in point: Zane took that little fluff with him to the bathroom while peeling off Rio's girlfriend, a black belt in Karate, to guard me. He knew he would get you bitches to give Rio up, though he didn't have a plan going in. If he tells me you are a cop, you are a cop." I clearly had Willa flummoxed. After a minute in silence I shook off Willa's hand and turned for my car. I stopped when I had the door open. "I'm going to see Belle at the Fallout Shelter tonight," I said. "If you do something to stop me, I'll make sure Tara knows, and while she and Belle have problems, they are twins and she won't let her sister do serious time." "I'm not confessing to anything but I think there is something you should know. Deacon Baker served with Belle's husband and brother-in-law. Her brother-in-law ran the Warlords chapter but he and his brother got caught up in an ATF sting. They wrapped up Belle's husband but before they could grab the brother, who could tie up the whole criminal enterprise, he vanished. He was last seen with Deacon," Willa explained. "Deacon didn't wait around to see if the guy would stay loyal; he removed the threat," Willa added. "If he thinks I'm a threat, he'll have me removed too." "Cry me a river," Valarie rolled her eyes. "You are sticking your nose where it doesn't belong." "I'm not a damn cop," Willa snarled. "Where are you from?" I asked Willa. I caught her off-guard but she snapped back soon enough. "Tampa Bay, Florida," she shot off. "Nope. I think you are from Wisconsin or Minnesota, it's your skin complexion and the way you roll some of your consonants off your tongue and lips," I said. Willa's eyes narrowed. Now she was pissed. "Are you going to shoot us with the 9mm at your back or help Zane out'?" Valarie sounded bored. "This is totally wrong," Willa persisted. She tried to stare me down but I could see something inside give way. "I'm not saying I am an undercover cop but if I was, what would you want?" "Give Belle as much shelter as you can. Hopefully she ends up with probation," I offered. "What is in it for me?" Willa sighed. "What can I do for you?" I answered. "Do you know who took out Deacon?" Willa inquired. "Yes," I replied. I could feel Valarie's head snap behind me and her eyes bore into the back of my head. "Who was it?" Willa increased her intensity. "I would tell you but I like living without the benefit of life support," I joked. "I'd cry bullshit, damn you, except I saw the beating they took and that scares the crap out of me," Willa grumbled. "Okay, Zane, if you ever get the chance to tell me, do so." "Deal," I agreed. "Great; we are all friends," Valarie stated sarcastically. "Now fuck his face, suck his cock, and we can get going; I have to eat dinner with my sister, Dad, and the cunt he married." "What?" I glared at Valarie. "No way!" Willa declared. "Listen, bitch, you are going to need to describe what it feels like on your tongue from the ball-sack to the tip of his cock," Valarie lectured. "I've seen a video," Willa countered. "And you are such a bang-up storyteller that the 18-year old boy genius ID'd you in two minutes, or have you missed the last ten minutes of your life?" Valarie mocked her. "He seems to be the exception," Willa noted. "The average girl that attracts Zane's attention can do calculus in her head, and the one who can't is his family," Valarie responded. "Now consider his interest in Belle; she's probably a poor girl raised in a college town. That means she could have gone to college but was already soured on the whole establishment idea by a string of college fuck wads. Her sister went on to become a Law-dog that busts UV assholes all day long; Belle became an ass-kicker who flaunts her body at a bar frequented by the very higher education types that screwed with her in high school," Valarie continued. I wasn't sure how much of this Val was fabricating but it didn't matter. "Now she dangles her forbidden fruit in front of them, yet none ever get a taste, am I wrong?" Valarie queried. "You see an outlaw biker and think they are too lazy or stupid to get a real job. I see someone who wants to do their own damn thing, you don't fuck with us and we don't fuck with you." "Belle is smarter than you think she is, Willa, or whoever you are. If you don't think you are fucked yet, consider this: When was the last time Belle gave a college guy the time of day, much less walked one out of a beat-down dictated by her chapter president?" Valarie smirked. "Zane had me fighting side-by-side with him against half of the FFU faculty and students so I can attest to his peculiar form of magic." "Fuck," Willa growled. "Now, get on your knees and blow him so we can all go about our business," Valarie rumbled back. "I'm still in the midst of a no-sex weekend so I'm going to say 'No'," I intervened. "Can't we just shake and part as friends?" Willa tried. "At least kiss him," Valarie suggested. "Val, stop it. We have some level of understanding and that's good enough for now," I told her. I was checking on Valarie's okay so I only saw Willa's closure at the last moment. One look into her eyes told me she was deceiving herself that this was going to be a quick kiss to get it over with. Our lips met and my hands found their way to her hips. I pulled her to me without trapping her. A few seconds later she broke the kiss. I could read the confusion in her eyes. Her plan was to do it and be done but her impulse was to come back again. She kissed me again but his time, her tongue caressed my lips and I let it slip in. After that, I really couldn't stop myself from kissing her back intensely. Soon my lips wandered to her cheeks, chin, and neck before nibbling on an ear until she moaned and thrust up against my body. "Ugh, ah, fuck," Willa moaned. "It has been too damn long." I rotated us around, pressing Willa's back against my car. I lowered my body down Willa's, nibbling and tickling with my tongue as I did so until I was chewing on the top of her low-cut t-shirt. "You are not happily married, are you?" I inquired between a tongue stroke and some suction. "Umm, ah, no." she replied. "Why do you ask?" "I don't want you to do something you'll regret," I answered before working my way back up her throat. Willa lolled her head back, extending her throat for my attention. "Nope," she gulped with sexual tension, "no one at all." That was my cue to work with both hands to pull her shirt out of her jeans. That done, I let my fingers roam under the shirt and caress the flesh of her stomach. "Oh, stop that, no, wait, don't stop, yessss," Willa moaned. When her shirt was high enough, I began working over her tender flesh. She was clearly getting into it but I wanted more from her. I popped the button on her jeans and unzipped them. Willa's underwear was appropriately lacy. I pulled the panties down as I peeled the jeans open until I could make out her finely trimmed landing strip. I kissed along the line from her cunt fur to her hip bringing forth a hearty moan of pleasurable release. My fingers made small circles back to her ass, squeezing both cheeks and rubbing them together. Willa was stroking the top of my head and lightly yanking on my hair. I took that to be a positive endorsement of my efforts so far. When I started back up her body, Willa spread her legs wide apart and coaxed me along. I got to the base of her bra; I could sense her nervousness so I stopped pushing up her shirt there and went back to her shoulder. I had just made it back to Willa's lips when Valarie cleared her throat. "Excuse me, but I do have somewhere else to be," Valarie teased us. Willa had to reorient herself. The look she gave me was somewhat accusatory but happily, it transformed into some level of understanding. "Damn, you are sexy," she purred. She rested her elbows on my shoulders and looked me over with sensuality on her lips. "I mean, you really are sexy and I want to do this again, and we didn't even have sex yet," Willa grinned. "What makes you think we are going to have sex? Don't we have a professional relationship?" I mused. Willa reacted by putting more pressure on my shoulders, then hopping up so she could put her legs around my waist. "I kinda-sorta owe you," she gave me a wicked look. "Besides, you might like it." I had to dissuade her somehow; my life had far too many complications to get this close to the Warlords right now. "I don't know, Willa. I like lots and lots of anal sex," I cautioned her. I figured that would buy me some space. "Oh," she grunted, "I love it. A big cock like yours would feel fantastic in my ass," she added with a deep pant. Wow, that backfired spectacularly. Maybe I should inform her that I've been called needle cock by women who know me well. To add insult to injury, Valarie broke out in uproarious laughter. "There you go, Tiger," Val chuckled. "That will keep her in her place. It just so happens her place is face down and ass up with you riding roundup." Willa took a deep breath, then dismounted me. She patted me on the chest and gave me one final kiss. "We need to be going," she sighed. "I'll make sure to stay in touch." Valarie and I waited behind as Willa got on her ride and drove away. Only then did Valarie give me one last jibe herself. "Dude, I swear your lips are dusted with cocaine because I've never seen women act so nuts around a normal guy," she teased. "Are you saying I'm abnormal?" I shot back. "Ha," she laughed. "I'm calling it like I see it. I'd caution you about a girl and handcuffs but you have six sets that I know of so all I can advise is dodging when they shoot at you and lawyer up the moment they read you your rights, and I'm gone." Her bike roared to life and she peeled out, leaving me to contemplate what further screw-ups I'd added to my life. Girls, all I can say in any of our defenses is that none of us had been to a college block party except Rio, and we were dumb enough to listen to her advice on what to wear and what it would be like. We didn't even know how screwed we were until we arrived at the party destination and by then, it was too late. My only excuse was that Vivian had sworn Rio and Mercy had behaved themselves last night. Of course, first we had to get the clothes we were going to wear. The salesgirls eyed us with a devilish curiosity when we filed into the chic women's boutique, the only one in town. I was getting away with jeans and a red t-shirt from a local band called "Confetti". According to Rio, girls had to dress 'rough and ready', which translated to tight leather pants, shot boots, and either halter tops or sleeveless shirts. In retrospect, I should have known that when the salesgirls began regarding me as a pimp, I'd fucked up royally. "What do you think?" Barbie Lynn came flouncing over to where I was sitting, showing off her bright yellow halter top (that wasn't much into halting anything) and buckskin pants with the prerequisite frills along the outside of each leg. "Don't those things come with a bra?" I gulped. On the grave of my Viking ancestors, I swear those two orbs were just, right there, free and mouth-wateringly delicious. "What?" Barbie pouted. "Don't you like them?" she leaned forward, pressed her boobs together, and wiggled them in front of me. "Best ever," I panted. Barbie Lynn glowed at that declaration, then turned around and presented her ass mere inches from my face. "Better than this?" she taunted. "Ah!" I cried out; my pledge was in immoral danger. I tried to get out of my chair by brushing by her tush but only managed to flip the chair over on its side with me still in it. Eyes tracked me as I struggled to stand. "It has the Zane seal of approval," Barbie Lynn addressed the room. "I'll take it." "Wait! Zane? The Zane?" One of the salesgirls inquired. Multiple girls nodded. "That would make you the girl in the shower," she directed to Barbie Lynn. "Sure thing," Barbie Lynn boasted. "You've got, stamina," the other girl blushed, "both of you." "That's where I've seen all of you before," the first girl said as she put it all together. "Except you," she pointed at Vivian. "Honestly, I was suspicious it was a porn hoax. I mean, what kind of guy scores that many hot babes?" "Umm," Rio patted Mercy's bottom, "we're hot babes." "Are you two really, actually, the second girl stammered to Rio. "You do those things?" "Do you mean is she my bitch toy? Then yes, she is," Rio answered smugly. "Mercy, lift your top." Mercy paled, gulped, but did as requested. Rio put her arms around Mercy's midsection and pulled her close, latching onto a nipple as they came together. "No!" Vivian shouted. "There will be no public displays of pornography." Rio made a lip-smacking noise as her lips released Mercy's breast. Mercy kept her shirt raised as Rio looked back to the salesgirl. "Satisfied?" Rio gloated. The girl nodded in stunned amazement and Vivian coughed as a reminder. "Mercy, you can lower your shirt now," Rio added without even looking at Mercy. "Wow, this is so weird." The first girl shook her head, then that light came on and she looked at me with amazement and amusement. "You are trying for your 'No Sex' weekend? Well, if we can't get you laid before this weekend, we aren't selling you the right clothes." "I'm counting on it," Paige smirked. Her choice was a slick black bustier and leather pants that laced up on the side. In fact, they were more lacing on the sides and less leather. I'm not saying she looked bad; I merely vowed to get a few pictures of her in the outfit for my spank bank collection, not that I have any realistic hope of spanking the monkey anytime soon. Whoa, are women I don't even know now ganging up on me? What the hell? Adelaide and Ginger, our two salesgirls, went all out to get the ladies the skimpiest outfits allowed by law. I didn't mention the occasion because that would make me feel bad about not inviting them. "So, what are you getting all dressed up, or down for?" Ginger asked innocently enough. "Oh, there is a college-student-only bloc party tonight. Zane got an invite and he's sneaking us in with him," Iona responded with the naivet of a girl who had nil knowledge of social networking or class distinction. "Oh," Ginger muttered, and cast a sideways glance to Adelaide before looking at me. "Well, Addie's husband doesn't like doing that kind of stuff," she said lamely, "and Finn, my boyfriend, has to work late anyway." She was giving me an out and I wanted to take it. Somehow this seemed to be one too many times sticking out my neck foolishly. I'd already bent my invitation by inviting my FFU crowd. I then told myself that I'd double back and invite them, on the sly. I recalled the little discussion Valarie had with Willa only a few hours ago. Yes, I could act like your standard college cock and tell the townies it was okay to come in the back door. If I did that, I could only pray Rio punched me in the face. I'd say 'kick me in the nuts' but I clearly didn't have any. "Ginger and Adelaide, we are gathering by the water tower around 9:45 before we head to the spot," I told her. "You and your guys join us there and we'll go in as a group. It is the warehouse on Hammond Street and the word is 'Comet', in case you show up later." "Oh, I'm not sure we can make it," Adelaide responded. What she was also saying was 'are you sure you know what you are doing?' "There is one condition," I added. Now the two salesgirls were suspicious. "You have to dress like the rest of them do," I motioned to my girls. "You sold these ladies these clothes so it is only fair you dress similarly." Now the two exhaled, then smiled and groaned playfully. They could hardly say no after the money they'd taken from me, my credit card, actually. If I carried that much cash and a cop searched me, I'd mistake me for a drug dealer too. "We'll see what we can do," Ginger evaded. "Oh, that won't be a problem," Opal chimed in. "Go around the store and pick out what you want; Zane will pay for it." "For the love of God, would you stop spending my money? You are as bad as Rio," I griped. "Who is trying to be worse to you than I am?" Rio sounded both offended and up to the challenge of making me even more miserable than I was. "Oh, come on, Zane," Brandi complained. "You are a gazillionaire." "You've been listening to Rio," I shot back and glared Rio's way. "It was Mercy who told me that," Brandi corrected me. I shifted my gaze to Mercy, as did Rio. "We'll talk when we get outside," Rio cautioned Mercy, who seemed decidedly uneasy. I had to hand it to Ginger and Adelaide; for ten minutes they showed constraint, and then they went bonkers. I really don't think a woman can wear a pink gossamer scarf wrapped around her chest and call it clothing but Ginger was giving it a shot. Ginger had a small chest - 32A, but her nipples were works of art. I couldn't keep quiet about them. "Ginger, if your boyfriend lets you walk around in your domicile with a top on, he's committing crimes against the male and female, worship of the female form," I blathered. Ginger blinked, and then blushed before grinning at me wickedly. "Yes?" she prodded me. I took that as an invitation to walk up, bend at the waist until I was at eye level with her chest. Her nipples swelled under my scrutiny. "Zane, if you lick or bite them, I will stomp on your foot and break some toes," Vivian warned me. I was, in my estimation, good. I leaned forward a few more inches until I could blow forcefully upon each nipple. Ginger rolled forward on the tip of her toes, thrusting her chest forward, but I retreated just in time. She fell back and I pursued with long, continuous breaths this time. Her nipples didn't come out and say 'Hi', they launched rescue flares and lit bonfires on the beaches of my desire. Ginger was moaning and whimpering as she kept trying to force physical contact while I kept frustrating her. Her thighs were working back and forth as her cunt began burning her up. "Ginger," Adelaide worried, "what about Finn?" "I know," pleaded Ginger, "but you've seen the cock on this guy and he's driving me crazy-horny, and he hasn't even touched me yet." "Friends," Adelaide insistently reminded Ginger. "All his friends are here and watching." "I'll be her friend," Brandi volunteered, though Opal hooked her waist before she could show everyone how much of a friend she wanted to be. "Oh, we don't mind," Rio remarked. "Most nights with Zane are a learning experience for all of us." "I mind," grumbled Paige. "Paige, honey, he always comes home to us," Barbie Lynn reassured Paige. "Besides, we know where he's sleeping tonight and who will be with him," Iona added. "Fine, okay," Paige decided. "Zane," she beckoned me with a 'come hither' finger curl. "Sorry, Paige," I quickly responded between puffs of air on Ginger's nipples, "I'm busy." "Zane," Paige warned me. "Paige, not now," I grumped. "Zane!" Paige became more insistent. I didn't respond so what she said next was inevitable. "Zane, bouncy, bouncy." My groan was fueled by stymied lust; I stood up and walked over to Paige. Once I was in front of her, I used both hands to brush Paige's hair off her shoulder blades. I brought my hands together at the back of her head, wrapping my left hand in her ponytail while dropping my right down her side before snaking it to the small of her back. I pulled the hair back gently, tilting her head up as I pressed my hand on the small of her back until we were rubbing against one another. I leaned in for a slow, intensive kiss which Paige intercepted by standing on her toes. Our kiss was a see-saw affair that saw our tongues roll together and our lips shifting from lingering touch to gentle caress that lasted over a minute. "What are they doing? Or more like it, what is she doing to him to make him do that?" Adelaide quizzed the ladies. "Oh, that's a game they play," Rio explained. "He pretends she's a witch who has put a spell on him and she pretends she's going to be the first Mrs. Zane Braxton." "Say those words and Zane will perform any sexual act on you that you desire," Barbie Lynn teased. "No, it doesn't work like that," Iona got out right before Ginger interrupted. "Zane, bouncy, bouncy," Ginger demanded. That earned a round of chuckles. "Sorry, I tried that too," Brandi admitted. "Apparently each girl has to find her own command phrase." "Are you okay now?" I whispered to Paige. I really had to deal with these girls going wacky around me; we had things to do before the party started. "You are worth every gold doubloon I've spent on you," she smiled back. "Um, I'm the one spending money on you," I corrected her. Paige turned half-way around, bumped me with her hip, and wiggled her ass. "As I said, you are worth every coin," she winked. Hardy-har-har. "Okay, friends and acquaintances, let's finish with our purchases," I commanded. "We've still got some ground to cover before tonight." "What else do we have to do?" groaned Vivian. "I'm getting Mercy tattooed," Rio grinned with a dire mirth. "I want a design right above the ass, both subtle and understated; I don't know if I'm going with '1-800-HoT-SLuT' or 'Nothing Under 6 inches Allowed." "No, you are not!" growled Vivian. "No way, no how. Zane?" "Vivian, Rio is yanking your chain," I calmed my guardian. "You have to understand that Rio wouldn't put anything on Mercy that she wouldn't wear herself. She definitely wouldn't put something on Mercy that Mercy couldn't live with; trust me on that." "That's right, Viv," Rio chortled. "I can't tell you how many times I've regretted having 'Eat at the Clam Shack' tattooed right below the beltway." "You don't have a tattoo there!" Vivian countered. "Someone's been peeking," Rio skewered Vivian with a shark-like grin. Iona shook her head and walked up to Vivian, presenting her phone. "Here is the design they've chosen," Iona explained. It was an intricate weaving of lines and shadows I'd been shown once before. "See, in this end is Songs of Solomon 2:16 and on the other end is a Chi Rho woven into the greater design. It clearly has Christian imagery," Iona explained. "It's" Vivian sounded surprised, "actually rather, nice looking." "What's Songs of Solomon 2:16?" Ginger inquired. "'My lover is mine and I am', it should say 'his' but I think in this case it is 'hers'," I answered. "That's sweet," Adelaide said. "You can bet it was Mercy's choice, then," Opal smirked. "No, it was Rio's idea,&quo

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 19 It Doesn t Matter, and I Don t Understand. In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             Being dead is wonderful; you never get tired and you have all the time in the world to regret how you ended up this way      "You are so good to me, Zane, and I appreciate it," Barbie Lynn murmured. "You never give me less than 100% and I've never felt like you take me for granted." "It is you and only you, Sarah, Cindy, Eve, umm, help me out here," I grinned. Barbie Lynn lilted in the voice of an angel while she pressed off the glass with her upper body and leveraged down onto my cock. I shifted one hand off an ass cheek to move it to the back of her neck and pull her face in and up to mine. She also constricted her anal muscles around my shaft, concentrating on my cockhead. "Does this make my body more familiar to you?" she panted, our lips only inches away. "Not as much as these eyes, these eyes of my own beautiful seraph," I whispered. Barbie Lynn completed the kiss. Her hips rotated up slightly and mine shifted lower and under so that my penetration reached deep inside. For thirty seconds we kept the tender kiss going before she had to break free. "Oh, Jesus, Zane, this feels so good, I can't, oh, Lord Jesus," she gasped out as I shifted out, then back in rhythmically. "More time, I want more time with you, Zane," Barbie Lynn panted with a heavy breath. "We have tests this afternoon and Vivian is waiting," I shook my head in disappointment. Fierce passion engulfed both of us. Clearly, I got my money's worth from the contractor who had installed the shower because the glass wall didn't give way despite our enthusiasm. "Lord Jesus loves, ," Barbie Lynn screamed across campus. Her arms locked my head and shoulders in place, her face grinding into my chest. Her torso desperately tried to impale her hole deeper onto my rod. Her scream degenerated to an uncontrolled growling against me while I kept her back to the glass and up against my body. "Zane, I know I've been really needy today but you've been so kind and understanding, and I appreciate you putting up with me the kind way you have," Barbie Lynn snuggled into me. "You are the best." That's what I wanted to talk to Barbie Lynn about, taking me for granted and using me like a sex toy. Boy, I just saved myself from acting like a total ass! "Babe, you are better than I deserve." I kissed her neck as I lowered her legs down to the tiled floor. "If I ever take you for granted, promise me you'll kiss me, rub your body against me front and back, and then walk away. I guarantee you I'll fall on my knees and beg for forgiveness." "I like it when you beg," she said with a glimmer in her eye. "Why am I being nice to you again?" I teased. Barbie Lynn simply let her eyes go wide and innocent with a cute little smile on her face. "Oh, yeah," I whistled, "you give me hope, happiness, and warmth in good times and bad." "My body has nothing to do with it?" she questioned in a coquettish fashion. "It's passable," I shrugged as I cut the water off, "but I hope you will fill out one day, you know, quit the training bra and become a little more womanly." Mind you, Barbie Lynn hadn't seen a training bra in ten years. Hourglasses went to Barbie for lessons on how they should be shaped and her ass was the perfect balance between fantasy cheerleader and soccer girl. "Thank you for spending time with someone as poorly endowed as me," she purred. "I admit that I'm holding out for Doctor Burns. He's got it going on," I struggled to say convincingly. Barbie Lynn fought valiantly to hold back her reaction to the thought of seeing our over-70-year-old male Biology teacher in any sexual manner. "Burns without his clothes on is an image I could have forever gone without," she shuddered. "Gosh, I value you more than my own personal desires so I guess I'm stuck with you, Barbie Lynn," I sighed playfully. "Would you two get out of the shower!" barked Vivian. She was sitting in a chair in the main room. We stepped out of the shower, grabbed the waiting towels, and began drying each other off. Vivian surprised me by keeping a somewhat detached eye on the two of us. Maybe she wanted to make sure Barbie Lynn and I didn't turn drying into fondling, thus ending up with us rolling on the tiled floor. The floor would be uncomfortable but having hot, sweaty Barbie Lynn flesh pressing into me, I put this on my 'to do' list. We quickly got dressed and moved to where Vivian was standing and waiting. It wasn't until we were making our way to the elevator that Vivian spoke. "Barbie Lynn, would you take the elevator? Zane and I need to take the stairs," she said. "Sure thing, Vivian," Barbie Lynn smiled. She stepped up to me and kissed me on the lips. "I'll see ya Sunday night, slugger." "I kinda, sorta have a standing date with Heaven," I cautioned her, "so if you come by, be careful." I didn't miss Vivian rolling her eyes in exasperation. The elevator came and took Barbie Lynn away. I waved Vivian to the stairwell, held the door for her, and together we went down. "What are we going to do?" I broke the insufferable silence. "What do you mean?" Vivian evaded. "Damn it!" I snapped. Since I stopped moving, Vivian decided to stop too. "Yes?" she looked to me with what I was learning to read was a disarming friendliness. "I want to make you happy but I don't want to change, Vivian," I grumbled. "So, what are we going to do?" "How much of your time and energy are you willing to devote to Christ?" she countered. I had to think that over. Monday was no good; it was Recovery night. Tuesday was 'make it up to the girls' night. Wednesday was Specialty Night, Thursday, that was no good; it was Orgy Night. Friday was first date night, Saturday was SYFY/Party night and Sunday was second-date night. "I am on a committee at Church on Wednesday nights and I go to both Sunday school and Church service on Sundays," I offered. "Isn't that enough religious stuff?" "Zane, do you have sex at Church?" Vivian pierced me with her eyes. I was so boned because while I was preparing some sort of verbal obfuscation, Vivian sighed and looked down at the stairs. "Why do I even bother?" she moaned with despair. She looked up at me, clearly in pain, "It is a Church, Zane. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Because it definitely means something to me." "Vivian, it is a building, made of stained glass, brick, stone, and lumber," I responded heatedly, "and I don't need any of those to be in God's presence." "It was sex in a church," Vivian nearly screamed. "Come on, now, do you respect anything at all?" "You are right, I don't respect a building simply because someone declares it to be holy. I don't recall my vote being consulted. I don't respect people who bully with scripture but won't study the original Greek and Latin texts it was written in to learn what was really said. I don't respect anyone who refuses to think for themselves and listens to some two-bit liar like Pastor William." "He is your pastor," Vivian growled back. "He deserves, " "Nothing," I snapped. "He's an adulterer, and I've seen it with my own two eyes so don't you dare lecture me on him. If you defend him, it is only because you don't know shit about him." Vivian glared at me but I could see she was trying to see if I was making stuff up. "I respect you, Vivian, and that's no lie," I continued. "Since our fight I haven't a clue what to do with you but I have respected you. You believe in give and take; you believe in consequences and redemption. The only other person I've met like you is Iona. I trust Iona with more than my life; I trust her with Rio's." "Right now you are pissing the hell out of me, but that doesn't change the fact that I trust you and respect you," I added. "I don't need someone with spiritual authority to tell me what to do; my heart does that for me." "Zane, it is the constant sex," Vivian groaned. "I thought I could take it but it never seems to slow down with you." I had to think that over. "Vivian, you can't confuse love and sex," I insisted. "You are in love with your boyfriend and you two have been through some rough patches and survived. Sex without passion is masturbation, Vivian. If you are ever tempted, fall back on your love for that man because when you love something, there is nothing you will let stand in your way." I could see the turn in the argument defused some of Vivian's wrath and sent her mind down different pathways. "Okay, then why is it okay for you to have sex without love?" Vivian said as we resumed our progress downstairs. "I love in different ways, Vivian. I love Iona and Rio as best friends, there is nothing I wouldn't do for them. I love Heaven and Paige because they do for me things that make me want to do for them right back. I love Brandi and Opal because they are fun and they give me the space to be me. I love Barbie Lynn, well, just because it feels natural and right. Christina, Christina, I will always love without cause or reason. I love her," I related. "If Christina asked you to stop seeing all those other women, would you?" Vivian asked with a glimmer of hope. "I don't know. Our pseudo-agreement lets me have my college years to go wild before I give it all up to be a good husband and father," I replied. "Are you thinking of going to Christina and asking for her help with me?" "Yes. Yes, I am," Vivian told me. "The only problem with that plan is that it requires Christina to declare her feelings toward me and make a commitment about what she wants to do with me," I pointed out. "Good luck with that." We hit the bottom of the stairs at a run and raced through the halls and doors on our way to the Dining Hall. We found Christina and company waiting outside for us when we got there. Christian handed a thick envelope over, my bribe to Deacon of the Warlord's motorcycle gang. "Heaven, date night Sunday? I've found a theater playing Hugo," I asked my fox-faced girl. "What? You think you can ask me out on Friday for a date on Sunday? What kind of girl do you think I am?" she growled. "Heaven, you weren't here for most of the week, and you have to admit the world had gone crazy. Come on, Babe," I pleaded. "I'll have to think about it," Heaven grumbled. Behind her back all her other friends were stifling their grins. All those grins fell behind impassive masks when Heaven turned around facing them and stomped back and forth. "What's the problem, Heaven?" Hope asked. "Barbie Lynn comes skipping across the yard from her dorm with a smile that outshines the Sun, Heaven began. "She said she's been doing intensive physical therapy," Christina interrupted. Yay! I've graduated to being considered exercise equipment. "Harrumph," Heaven grunted. "How come his hair is wet? Besides, he's taking another girl home for the weekend." "It's Iona," Chastity explained. "Think about how wound up he's going to be by Sunday evening, because you know he's not going to do anything Iona's uncomfortable with." "Yes," added Faith, "he'll be ready to knock 'em out of the ballpark after a whole weekend of physical denial. Maybe you shouldn't go out with him; he's probably going to be pretty fierce." Heaven glared at all her friends before turning on me. "Fine, I'll go out with you, but if I can still walk by curfew, you had better know I'm going to make next week hell for you. Are we clear?" Heaven threatened. "Is that all Zane is to you, a sexual release valve?" Vivian gasped before I could answer Heaven. "You are making light of a serious moral struggle for him." "Vivian, Zane was the first man to tell me he loved me and I've believed," Christina said. "He saved me from a fight and academic troubles by putting his body on the line," Chastity added. "Me too," continued Hope. "He pretty much saved my life," Faith chimed in, which oddly twisted back to ruining her life with Christina and company when I exposed her as the Chancellor's spy. Maybe the girls had made up somehow. "He's put up with more of my crap than I care to get into. He loves me for who I am, and he's my lover and boyfriend," Heaven clarified. "If you spent one night with Zane making love, you would know I'm more of an addict than anything else. It is just that I get, grumpy when he's not around every minute of every day." Everyone's eyes sort of gravitated toward me. "You are all great women but I have to go to class," I grinned, then took off. Vivian raced to catch up with me. "Do you have commitment issues?" she panted beside me. "No. I was getting hard. All that feminine compassion directed my way was getting me sexually aroused and they were all staring at my crotch," I explained. "I figured running away was the best resolution for what was coming down the pipeline." "Have you ever considered chemical castration?" Vivian asked. WHAT? The last quarter of the school day went rather well, considering I had to juggle balls once between classs. (Apparently I resemble a dancing bear or something.) My second chore required me to bounce a soccer ball on my knees for a trip to the soccer field. Considering some of the crap I've had to do here, I almost volunteered to do it walking backwards. Karate started out so surprisingly normal (not my normal, but normal-normal), I should have known better. We had barely finished warming up and stretching when Gabrielle Black walked into the room. She stood against the far wall poised for our dispersal into teams. When first team knelt and waited for Coach Gorman's instructions for today, Gabrielle made her approach. "Coach Gorman, we seem to have had some difficulty connecting so I decided this would be the best place to meet," Gabrielle said in a deceptively upbeat manner. "I'm teaching a class," Gorman replied deadpan. "I teach several classes. I guess that makes me a teacher. In fact, I'm teaching right now, get lost." "I'd rather not." Gabrielle gave her deadliest smile. "Care to make me?" They really need to start psychological testing of the staff at FFU, or at least stop giving them daily doses of testosterone. "Since reason and rationality have clearly avoided you like the plague," Gorman growled, "why don't you tell me what you have in mind?" "A little sparing match," Gabrielle suggested. "So you really need to see if you can kick my ass, or is it just that you have to be Alpha bitch?" Gorman countered. Several of the more religious-minded students gasped, but they didn't realize this wasn't a game. Someone needed to do something, and of course it had to be me. I didn't very well have the time to overdose Rio with caffeine and throw her at Gabrielle. Besides, I am sure that's a war crime. "Me first!" I declared as I broke free of my second-team circle and walked toward the two adults. This was the point where I expected one or both of the women to tell me to ass out, mind my own business, I'm stupid, or something. Gabrielle stepped back and stripped off her jacket and slipped off each boot. I figured that since I was about to die, I'd best get rid of my gi; that way they'd have something to drape over my lifeless eyes. "Zane, what are you doing?" Cappadocia belatedly hissed at me. "Eh, you know, sometimes a woman has to be put in her place," I joked. It wasn't like Gabrielle was going to take it easy on me in the first place. Several girls laughed at what they were sure was levity on my part. You see, I was about to become a legend. Unfortunately, it was the legend of Don Quixote, damn fucking windmills dressed in tight black form-fitting outfits. To the credit of my limited intellect, I approached this fight with a totally different philosophy than any I'd faced before. I discarded every tenet of Thai kick-boxing (except the one that says never do anything that will make the lady-boys mock you). I went completely defensive, abandoning any hope of striking Gabrielle. I figured if such an opportunity presented itself, it would only be a trap. It took Gabrielle about two seconds to unravel my master plan, then she was on me like a fart in an airplane bathroom, choking the life out of you with nowhere to run. Because I am such a badass, it took Gabrielle eight more seconds to land a telling blow. I staggered back but instead of coming at me, she shifted to my side. Since I had my arms up to defend my head, she was slipping out of my field of vision. There was an added bonus; I discovered I couldn't hear her move over the mats. I somersaulted in the other direction which bought me a few more seconds, but I never regained my feet. Once more she opted to shift to my flank than come head-on. A man on his knees cannot out-turn a woman on her feet. I caught her knee in my shoulder, propelling me face-first into the mat. I tried to turn with the blow so I could keep eyes on her. Gabrielle slammed into my shoulder blade and I slapped the mat hard. I pressed up with my arms but Gabrielle was on my back so fast I might as well have been standing still. For a second our legs struggled as she tried to put me into a leg lock. Then her body rolled over on me and drove three fingers into my spine right above the coccyx. Blinding pain exploded over my body and I screamed. I wasn't paralyzed but I didn't need to be; I was in too much God-damn pain. Gabrielle's body was tight against my back. One hand cupped my chin and the other was placed on the back of my skull. She gave my head a quarter-twist. "You are dead," she whispered. Technically, she would have merely snapped my spine at the base of my skull. My cells would have struggled on for a few more minutes but that hardly seemed to be the point. Gabrielle stood up within inches of me and gave me an emotionless, pitiless stare. "Did you get what you wanted?" she asked softly. "We'll see," I grunted, then rolled onto my back. "Did you put me in my place?" she queried next. I had to chuckle, then I had to choke back on the pain. "Oh, yeah, we are perfectly placed." Seeing her brows crowd together in displeasure, I added with a pained gasp, "You've clearly never stood on a mirror and looked up at your cleavage the way I am now." Gabrielle reached down and touched my wrist before letting her fingers work up to my elbow. She pulled me up quite rapidly and gave me a soulless, piercing gaze. "You are insane," Gabrielle noted. That wasn't said as a joke or a condemnation. She said it as if she was recognizing a kindred spirit. When you are ten years old, being best friends with an assassin sounds pretty cool. Most of us grow out of that. After all, being buddies with a person who has a casual disregard for human life might come back to haunt you if they ever decide you are an encumbrance they can do without. "When I beat you, can I draw a smiley face on your forehead?" I blurted out. Why did I say those things? Maybe it was a brain tumor, or maybe Gabrielle was right and I am insane. Maybe my buddy Don Quixote was telling me the windmill is still standing. "What do I get when I beat you, again?" she inquired. "I've developed an inside track on some authentic saltwater taffy," I shrugged. Gabrielle didn't seem very impressed. "I could feel honor-bound to jump on the next grenade thrown your way?" "I'll think of something when the time comes," Gabrielle informed me. Turning to Gorman, she said, "Are you ready?" "I'd like a, Wilhelmina started to say as she stood. Dana put a hand on Willy's shoulder and shook her head. "I've got this," Coach said. She stood up and discarded her gi, depending on your point of view, she was fortunately/unfortunately wearing a white sports bra. Wait! Am I in chest-to-chest proximity with Gabrielle while scoping out Dana? Was I dropped on my head repeatedly as a child? Maybe I should hunt down my former nanny and ask her. "Let's make Zane's idiocy, Dana continued telling Captain Willy, ", worth more than the beating he took." Gorman stripped off her pants, revealing white biker shorts. It was very cinematic; Gorman in white and Black in black. Sadly, I believed White needed some serious Divine intervention to win this showdown. "Zane," Gabrielle requested my attention with that deathly quiet voice of hers. I must have looked pretty scared because she almost smiled at me. "You can let go of my hand now." Jumping back felt like a surefire way to test her killer instinct so I let go of her hand and backed away slowly and carefully. Only after I gave us some space did I contemplate the trust she'd put in me, allowing anyone to be that close outside of combat. I was walking past Dana when she grabbed my shoulder, stopping my progress. She pointed me to the spot on the floor she had just vacated. Wow, I had my ass kicked and still made First Team. I moved over to my new place in the hierarchy and thanked Dana in the only way I knew how. "Does this mean you are going to sit on my lap when you get back?" I said with a voice as sincere as I was serious. "Zane," Coach Gorman said over her shoulder. She was keeping her eyes on Gabrielle, "when I get back, I am giving grave consideration to having a general melee, and I'm placing a bounty on your head if we do. You will have all weekend to recover." A general melee sounded a whole lot like a 'beat up the new guy' kind of thing, and I had planned on devoting my weekend to Iona. Further banter was ended by Black and Gorman facing off. Willie gave the 'Go' and things went John Wu-crazy. My bright shining moment was delivered right off the bat. Gorman went fullout, denying Gabrielle the ability to control the maneuvering in the fight the way she'd controlled me. My beating hadn't been in vain; Gabrielle undoubtedly knew Gorman's fighting style but Dana knew nothing of hers. My body had bought Dana what little insight Gabrielle had been willing to give up. After all, Gabrielle knew my game from the moment I'd thrown out my challenge. Still, she had to beat me up to get at Dana. I could take on most members of the first team and, as Dana constantly reminds the world, I can take a beating, which meant I was the body for the job. I've fought Gorman on several occasions and she's damn impressive. Gabrielle was doing crap I'd never seen before and I wasn't even sure was humanly possible. I swear, if she'd turned into a Terminator, I couldn't have been more surprised. Dana's fighting prowess only went up in my estimation because she wasn't impaled on Gabrielle's fist in the first thirty seconds. It wasn't a misstep that screwed up Dana's game plan; her mistake was predictability. One second she was pushing Gabrielle back and the next she was on the floor, struggling to keep Gabrielle from establishing a chokehold. For a second I contemplated grabbing up Cappy and Willy, then rushing Gabrielle. After all, it would have been a shame for Dana to die alone. It would also seriously curtail my desire for an open-casket funeral but hey, Dana is almost a friend. Dana wasn't finished yet. Unknown to me, she has the ability to dislocate and relocate her shoulder. No one in the class wanted to consider how painful that had to be. The loud popping noise was enough to make us decide to miss dinner. Dana got an elbow and fist in before they separated. They went at it again, but this time, it was harder on Dana. I could feel that her confidence was shaken now that she had a clearer measure of Gabrielle's strengths and weaknesses. Gabrielle remained a steadfast cypher. If Dana was turning out to be a tougher opponent to crack than she'd expected, Gabrielle wasn't showing it. What she was doing was exhibiting the iron stamina of a triathlete. Dana wasn't fighting for air but I didn't see Gabrielle even breaking a sweat yet. Had I been Dana, this would have been the time I started crying out to a vengeful God for forgiveness. Dana didn't do that. Instead, digging down to her dogged determination and fighting on, her game, her gamble, was for Gabrielle to screw up somehow and take advantage of it. She had to hope that something came up before her endurance failed. And in the fourth minute of the fight, it happened. Of course it was a trap. I couldn't blame Dana for risking it because fighting hard, non-stop, for over four minutes is its own form of torture. Gabrielle caught Dana's leg, swept the other one out from under our Coach, then finished up with driving an elbow into her hip as they hit the mat. There is fast, unbelievably fast, a weasel on speed, and then Gabrielle, and if you gave a weasel enough speed to keep up with Gabby, the weasel would explode first. Dana is fast, but I'm faster and I know I didn't have a prayer of blocking Gabrielle at this point in their fight. The blow to Gorman's hip seemed to have temporarily paralyzed that leg. Without the leg, her torso below the ribcage was fatally exposed. Getting repeatedly punched in the stomach sucked. Sadly, Dana thought the same thing and totally missed Gabrielle flipping her over onto her stomach. Gabrielle came down with a palm to the center of Dana's spine. It had to hurt, but I had little doubt that if Gabby had used her fist, the spine would have been broken. "We are done here," Gabrielle announced calmly as she rose to her feet. No one said a word until Dana stirred on the ground. With varying degrees of speed, the first team swarmed over Dana. I alone approached Gabrielle. After she finished dressing and stood, she acknowledged my presence. "Did you learn what you wanted to know?" I asked. "Yes," she stated, once more into her emotionless mode. "Then you asked the wrong question." I drilled her with a combination of bravery and anger. Gabrielle walked away without acknowledging my statement. She got to the door and stopped before exiting through the door. "What do you think I should have asked?" she said with a vapor of condescension. "You should have asked us if we can help," I told her. Maybe I'm na ve, but I'm sure she's facing her past alone. Purity is a paradox; we are awed by it yet we are repulsed by it as well. Vivian was terribly subdued as she walked me back to the dorm. It was the two of us because my Handmaiden mistress was Erica, a second-team Karate classmate. She'd given me a rain check due to the trauma we had all just been through during class. "You can use my room this weekend if you like," I broached the silence. "I'll ask Rio and Mercy to be somewhere else and Barbie Lynn can stay with you." "I don't want to sleep with Barbie Lynn, Zane," Vivian replied. "I want to sleep in my own bed." "That's bull- , I decided saying "shit", while a minor infraction, wouldn't do my argument any good. "You know Barbie Lynn to be kind-hearted and decent. She's not going to molest you. You two will be totally platonic." "I don't know what to think," she replied. "I never thought Barbie Lynn would be the one to have sex outside of marriage." "I knew she was flirty but that was it," she continued. "Now, now she's moved into your room and is having sex with you as if you were a married couple." She sighed. "Fine, not like a 'normal' married couple so we don't need to go there." Ah, no mention of anal sex I see. "Vivian, I don't like to talk about my relationships with other women but I think Barbie Lynn would understand," I tried to explain. "There was no seduction between us, we collided. I showed up at FFU pretty depressed. I'd spent a long month with my Aunt trying to adjust to America and a place and lifestyle I didn't know." "My Aunt and I fought a lot and that Sunday Pastor Bill and his buddies tried to shake me down for my inheritance. I had the feeling that is why they wanted Aunt Jill in their church, and after all the crap Jill had been through, I felt that sucked," I said. "I'm in my room, sad and pissed off, then Barbie Lynn Masters comes soaring into my life." "She thought I was 'Glenda's' brother, I told her my name was Zane, and next thing I knew we were all over one another. She gave me a blowjob and I gave her multiple orgasms and we parted ways. She thought she might see me once a month and I had no idea this was a girl's college. You are aware of the humiliation that followed," I concluded. "Zane, that explains nothing," Vivian observed. "Okay, I could have been clearer," I admitted. "What I was trying to say is that Barbie Lynn didn't change. I allowed her to do what she wanted to do with a guy all along. She is still the same woman who goes after life full of enthusiasm, who likes to work with kids, teaching Sunday school and going to church." "And you want me to sleep with her when I've avoided the pleasure for the past three years?" Vivian refused to give in. "I'd want you to sleep with Iona if she wasn't already heading out with me. I have a few others I could ask but that would be awkward. I like Opal and Brandi but I also know they'd hit on you if given half a chance," I outlined. "I can sleep alone, Zane," Vivian stated. "I know that, but do you want to?" I asked. Vivian didn't immediately reply. "You climbed into bed with me and some of the ladies, Vivian. There is a certain quality provided by a sleeping companion that you enjoy. You wanted it enough to put some faith in me and Barbie Lynn last night," I added. "Zane, why are you making a big deal about this?" Vivian inquired. "Your happiness matters to me," I answered. Vivian and I walked into the dorm and into the elevator before she spoke. "Coach Gorman warned me about this," Vivian groaned. "Do you realize how much easier my life would be if you grabbed my breast or something like that?" "Is that an invitation?" I perked up. "No," she stated decisively. Her glare emphasized the point. "I mean my job keeping the Devil in line would be easier if he wasn't constantly giving me my favorite cupcakes." "What's your favorite cupcake?" I grinned. "Behave yourself," she sighed, somewhat amused and somewhat exasperated. "Yes, ma'am," I nodded. "That's a good boy," Vivian acknowledged. "When I'm a good boy Heaven gives me a ginger cookie," I prodded. "We are Not going to go there," Vivian declared authoritatively, and that was that. I thought I would have to stop by and pick up Iona Beckett on my way out. I was obviously forgetting I was dealing with the most organized person I'd ever met. I know Iona looks after all her own affairs and most of mine, plus I suspect she keeps an eye out for Rio as well. She was waiting in the main area of my 'room' when Vivian and I arrived, her overnight bag beside her. I gave her a kiss and hurried to my room, where someone had already packed a weekend worth of stuff for me. I do not deserve one tenth of the affection aimed my way. Being hung by my toes from a ceiling fan is a small price to pay for what I receive. Still, I make a note to avoid girls with bizarre foot fetishes while in close proximity to ceiling fans, my life is pretty freaking weird enough already. I gathered my stuff, gathered up Iona, and made my good-byes. Brandi was kind enough to snuggle up to my back, reach around and pinch my nipples. It was playful, not painful, so I didn't mind too much. Besides, I had bigger fish to fry. When I told Rio that she'd need to share another bed with Mercy for the weekend she nodded. "No problem, Bro," Rio told me. She then stepped up under the guise of hugging me good-bye and tried to nut me. She's a dangerous friend to have but since I can count her public displays of affection for me on one hand, I was ready for her. "Damn it," Rio snarled, "you can't give my room to that Jesus-freak!" By 'my room' she really meant my (Zane's) room and 'Jesus-freak' was Vivian, who was eight feet away looking at her. "It isn't going to kill you two to behave for two days, Rio," I stated. Mercy, standing right behind Rio, remained unfortunately silent on the subject. "Rio, if you two would agree to abstain until I got back, I'd be willing to let you stay, but you are the King Kong of bedroom antics and Vivian needs the space," I explained. "Fine, we'll crash at Aunt Jill's," Rio smirked. "I'm sure she can't shut the door before I get a foot in. She's far too nice to break it or kick me out." Oh yeah, I cannot begin to describe what Jill's reaction to a Mercy-Rio lesbian love-fest at 2:00 in the morning would be like. It would probably involve paramedics and a defibrillator. "Okay," I shrugged. I fished out my keys and tossed them to Rio. "Sweet!" Rio trumpeted. "We'll meet you at the car." "We are not going," I corrected Rio. "Iona and I will stay here, camp out on a sleeper-sofa, and take in some Pay-per-View. Come by and pick us up for the party around nine tomorrow night." "Your loss, Princess," Rio mocked me and walked away. Mercy loyally padded along. "I'm sorry, Iona," I said to my petite friend. "I promise I'll make it up to you." "I'm not looking for any particular place but a particular man," she smiled serenely. "Sadly, I still have a piece of business to attend to and I see the person I need to see," I said as I spotted Valerie playing a competitive game of pool versus Raven of all people. When Valerie had taken her shot I stepped up to her side. "Can I catch a ride to the Dixie Roadhouse in the next few minutes?" I whispered. "Sure. Wait,  are you expecting me to hang around when you go inside?" Val smirked. "I've already gone a round with Gabrielle Black today so I don't feel I deserve a second ass-whooping. I'd appreciate you sticking around at least until the gunfire starts," I chuckled. "Fine, I'll stay, but you'll owe me one," Valerie smiled. "By the way, how tough is Gabrielle?" "I'll let you know when my concussion fades," I responded. "That good, huh?" Valerie persisted. "In less than thirty seconds she snapped my neck. It took her less than five minutes to break Dana's back after that, and right there at the end I swore I saw a lone bead of sweat on Gabrielle's brow," I related. "Just so we are clear; if I ever see her chasing your ass down like Gorman did that day, you are on your own," Valerie snorted. "I thought you were a bad-ass," I taunted her. I really didn't want her fighting Ms. Black on my behalf. "Granddad is a bad-ass; I'm a teenage girl who is good with bikes and can handle myself in a brawl but I'm not a true bad-ass. What I am is smart enough to not attempt the craziness that is your life," she huffed. "Being smarter than me is hardly an accomplishment to be proud of," I jibbed back. Raven, who had been pretending to not be eavesdropping, made this choking sound at that comment. "Let me finish Raven off and I'll take you there," Valerie said. "Valerie, she's killing you," I noted. "I like a challenge," Valerie countered. She must because Raven only had one ball left to sink while Valerie had four. Less than a minute later Raven sent Valerie and I heading for the stairs. Iona gave me a slight nod and grin. Rio came storming up at us half-way down. "You motherfucker," she snarled. "Problems?" I replied cautiously. "Mercy said she wasn't going with me," Rio growled. "What did you do?" I asked. "I slapped the bitch," Rio retorted. I could tell that pissed Valerie off; I wasn't too happy either. "You put her up to this, didn't you?" "I certainly did. I told her that she was going to have to step up instead of taking advantage of you all the time," I explained. "Did it hurt?" Rio knew I wasn't talking about Mercy's pain. "Yes," she rumbled. "If I can't trust her, I can't use her." "Whatever you decide to do, I'll live with," I shrugged. "I hope you know how hard it was for her to do what she did." Thankfully, Valerie was far more controlled than Rio and judged the conversation to be too delicate for her input. "Mercy is my deal, Zane. She's my responsibility and I'll take care of her without your interference," Rio stated aggressively. "It doesn't work that way. People aren't one dimensional and you can't expect to help people and not have them change," I countered. "You changed Mercy, for the better, and that includes her desire to take up some of the responsibility you've borne onto her shoulders. And the only reason for her to do that is, you annoy her so much." "Yeah," Rio finally deflated, "she was looking pretty miserable." "Buddies take your pizza; friends take your pain, Rio. Get used to the fact that there are three of us standing beside you when you need us," I reminded her. "I wasn't asking for anyone's help," Rio insisted. "In that case, get in Zane's car and take a trip. When the cops finally pull you over you will have three years friend-free in prison," Valerie now interjected. "Ha!" Rio snorted. "That's no good. Zane already promised to break me out if I get sent away." "Zane," groaned Valerie, "do you have even a passing acquaintance with common sense?" "I get a lot of that," I answered. "What now, Rio?" "I go back to my room," she sighed, "apologize to Mercy, then come back upstairs and work out a deal with Vivian for use of your room." "No tying them up and gagging Vivian and Barbie Lynn in their sleep," I cautioned Rio. "Fuck you," Rio muttered darkly. "Fuck you and your mind-reading ability. Fine, I'll be good, okay, I'll be as good as I can be." With that, Rio tossed me back my keys and then bounded downstairs and out the door. "I swear to God I would have tossed her out a window by now, if I were you," Valerie snorted. "Umm, she grows on you, kind of like a tapeworm," I chuckled. "I think my invitation to catch a bullet has been voided now that you have your keys back," Valerie noted. "I'll catch you tomorrow night." "Sure thing, but I may need you for that 'thing' if I can set up a meeting," I replied. That thing was meeting up with a possible undercover officer which held the possibility of being a real disaster. Valerie was being kind enough to ignore her instincts, and her advice to me, by helping me out. Valerie shook her head in skeptical amusement at my poor decision-making before we walked back upstairs. That bit of drama over, I swooped in, picked up Iona (figuratively) and escaped my room before anyone else could intervene. I thought we were doing quite well until I spotted someone sitting on the hood of my car, with a suitcase. "Hey, Paige, what's up?" I inquired with a good deal of exasperation. It was kind of stupid, actually. I knew exactly what she was doing here; I hadn't invited her and I didn't want her coming along on Iona's weekend. "I thought I'd let you spend the weekend with me," Paige smiled smugly. A light breeze tossed her alabaster hair across her translucent albino features. "You are late, by the way." "No, Paige, this is Iona's, I started to say. "It would be wonderful spending the weekend with you, Paige," Iona stepped up and hugged her. "It will be so great; their house is huge, Aunt Jill is so kind, and there is the sorority right next door." "Okay, Paige, you can come along, but this is a no sex weekend. Are we clear?" I warned her. "We'll see," Paige smirked. "I plan to sleep both nights in his bed, completely naked and rubbing against him," Iona beamed. "He'll crack," Paige wagered. "No, he won't. I trust him," Iona pledged. Paige appraised me for a second. "Okay, I'm game. We'll see if we can break him," Paige allowed. I once joked with some Kappa Sigmas about joining a monastery. I'm being driven to reconsider that option. After that exchange I was happy enough to make it to my home in one piece. I'd have been happier if there wasn't a police car in the driveway. I was walking onto the porch when my ladies spoke up. "Zane, why would the police be here?" Iona worried. "Zane, if they arrest you and I then attack them, will they let us share a cell?" Paige mused. "Iona, I have a few ideas and none of them are good," I responded. "Paige, they don't house men and women together, but I can probably smuggle a message to your side and tell all the lesbians what a screamer you are." Iona didn't get to question and Paige didn't get pick on me before I opened the door and went inside. "Hey, Aunt Jill," I called out, "I'm home and I've brought Iona Beckett and Paige Zeller with me." We had already talked over Iona's stay with Jill; Paige would be a whole new series of complicated hurdles. "Zane," Aunt Jill greeted me heartily. She was coming off her lounger while Officer Danica Campbell rose from the sofa and gave me a measured look. "This is Officer Campbell of the Lancaster Police and she has an official criminal matter to discuss with you," Jill finished in a worried tone. "Mr. Braxton, if I could have a word with you on the porch," Danica put forth the question that wasn't really a request. "Of course, officer," I responded. "Ladies, could you please hang out here with Aunt Jill for a few minutes and I should be back as soon as possible." I walked back to the porch. When Danica passed me, I shut the door and we turned to face one another. "Zane," Danica smiled. "Hey, it is good to see you, Officer Danica Campbell, but I have a feeling this isn't a social call," I sighed. "You are correct. There was an incident at the Dixie Roadhouse last night and your name came up during the inquiry. The Sheriff's Department contacted the PD and I decided that it would be more discrete that I meet you at your home as opposed to on campus," Danica related. "What can you tell me about the Dixie Roadhouse?" "I went there with a few buddies, got into a fight, and beat a Warlord named Big Ted into unconsciousness," I informed Danica. "What do you know about a guy named Peter 'Deacon' Baker?" Danica asked. "He's like a big deal with the local chapter but I don't actually know the guy," I replied. She studied me for a moment then appeared to accept me at my word. "This is a different crop of girls," she said with smirk. "Yes, they are friends of mine. Iona is a best bud and Paige is, Paige. She's very smart but very hard to get along with at times too," I explained. "How is your other friend?" She tried to sound casual. "I was curious if she'd be here tonight." "I'll tell her that," I grinned. "It will make her week when she hears you've asked about her. She still thinks you are very special." "She's quite a handful," she grinned back. "Not that I'm complaining. I can hardly get over the sensation of her nipples on my back as she drove into me." Heaven was going to love that, I was sure. Her eyes wandered northward to the adjoining property. "More girls?" I followed her gaze to see three Kappa Sigmas coming through the tree-line. "Those are some Kappa Sigma sorority sisters, friends of mine. They are cool," I told her. "Uh-huh," she sounded skeptical. "There has to be a story behind that that statement, I'm willing to bet." She pulled out a business card from her breast pocket. "Here's my card, in case something regarding the case occurs to you, or whatever." The girls were almost on us so I had to whisper. "You aren't, like, married, or divorced from somebody with violent tendencies, are you?" I inquired softly. "No," she chuckled, "and cause for you asking that question has to be yet another interesting story, I'll bet. Maybe you can tell me about it if we get together." "Mr. Braxton," she said a bit louder as she took a half-step back from me, "have a good weekend and try to stay out of trouble." "I'll do my best, Officer Campbell," I responded. "Ladies," she made a passing recognition of the Kappa Sigs as she left the porch and headed for the car. Only when Danica's cruiser pulled onto the road did the Kappas speak. "Hey, Zane," Leigh spoke up first, "isn't that the speed trap lady?" "Yeah, she's nailed me before," I admitted, and immediately regretted my choice of words. "Really?" Paris prodded me. "Isn't she a bit old for you?" "No, speed trap, she pulled me over but I got off with a warning ticket," I back-pedaled. "So, she got you off," Ferrara skewered me. "Which of her orifices was required for that?" "Aarrrggh," I cried heavenward. "Fine, Iona and Paige Keller are inside. Together with Jill, they will be making dinner for those of us who care to share our table. I have to go a bar and pay off a biker gang chieftain before he hunts me down and kills me." "Can we come along?" Leigh smiled. "We don't want to fight or anything like that, but I'd like to get some video of it, in case something fun happens." "That's right," Ferrara joked. "Something like him being beaten up, shot, stabbed, or killed. Leigh, Zane has sustained two beatings on our behalf. Let's not go for a third time before the month's out." "He didn't take a beating in the second fight," Paris corrected her sister. She was right; in the fight at the mall my opponents hadn't landed a blow. "I heard he was pretty roughly abused when he went to jail over that," Ferrara gave me a knowing smile. "All that conjecture is fascinating, ladies, but I do have a guy to pay off so go inside, make yourself at home, and I'll be back soon," I announced. I kissed each sister; Ferrara on the cheek, Paris on the lips, and Leigh with a tonsillectomy. I double-timed it to my car and didn't look back. The Fading Light And The Lord Mafia. I made it to the Dixie Roadhouse five minutes late. There were only fifteen bikes parked out front so I figured that if something went wrong I'd only be kinda dead, as opposed to the totally dead, killed in five or more fashions. There were three biker babes outside the door, drinking beers and talking; one was thankfully Willa. I made sure I had the money before disembarking from my car and heading in. "Hi there, Zane," Willa greeted me. I recalled that Belle would be working at the bar near UV campus tonight and tomorrow. "Hey, Willa, Katt, and Janet," I grinned. "Willa, if I get out of this, can I have a moment of your time when I get back?" "Sure," Willa seemed curious. "I would like to talk to you too." That was a bit odd but okay. When I entered the Dixie Roadhouse it took me a moment for my eyes to adjust but I knew where Deacon's table was from my last visit. Deacon was there with two of his associates, all in similar states of disrepair. My first thought was: What in the hell happened to them? The second was: Wow, they let someone in a half-body cast out of the hospital rather quickly these days. It looked like a herd of water buffalo had worked out the dance routine from that prison scene in the play Chicago, he had it coming, all over their bodies. None of his infirmities kept Deacon from glaring with horrible malevolence at me as I approached. "Here is your five thousand dollars," I stated as I lay the envelope on the table. None of them made a move on the money and I began to worry. Then I took in the full effects of their injuries and I figured out that not one of the three could reach over and get it. I opted to push the money across the table to the closest cripple. One of the guys managed, with some pain, to pick up the envelope and count the money. "It is all here," the guy mumbled to Deacon. I could see in Deacon's eyes that his hate for me was far from quenched but I didn't know why. It wasn't like I came back and kicked his ass, oh fuck, maybe I had. "I'll be going, then," I said as I backed up four steps. "I hope you feel better next time we meet." With that, I rapidly evacuated myself from the building. I found myself de-stressing next to Willa outside. "So, who in the hell fucked up Deacon and his buddies that bad?" I inquired. "Some people were hoping you could tell us," Willa prodded. "It wasn't me if that is what you are worried about," I assured her. "Tell me what happened." "From what little we've been told or been able to figure out, Deacon and his two senior officers stepped out to their rides around 11:30 last night when they got jumped," Willa related. "Then it gets weird, weirder," Katt continued. "Their attackers dragged them thirty yards over to the electrical shed," she pointed. That way no one could see them from the bar. "Then they proceeded to beat the ever-living hell out of them," Janet concluded, then took a swig of beer. I had to think about that for a moment. "Didn't they see who did it?" I questioned. "Blackbeard and Booth (who I assumed were the other two broken bikers) were knocked out before they saw anything and Deacon hasn't related what he saw, his jaw is wired shut because it's been broken in four places," Willa tried and failed to hide her grin. I had to think about that for a second; Deacon's jaw looked like it was carved out of granite. "Ladies (an affectation they found amusing), if Deacon and his two buddies had gotten into a fight outside the Roadhouse, wouldn't the rest of you come running, and wouldn't they have called out if they saw a gang of guys they didn't know coming toward them?" I ruminated. "That makes sense," Katt confirmed, "but what does that mean?" "One person," I muttered; "one really, really skilled person." "No way," Janet shook her head. "I can and have one-punched a person and I'm only so good," I countered. "I would have figured out which bike was Deacon's, picked the third one closer to the door to hide behind. After that, when he passed by me, I would come around the bike at a crouch-run and kick the closest target where the ear and jaw meet. If I do it right his brain beats around inside his skull a few times and it's lights out," I explained. "It looks like you've given this some thought," Willa observed. "No; the move is standard kick-boxing and the tactics are the usual for ambushing a dangerous animal. If you come at it head-on, you might still win but the price is much higher. Deacon and the other two talking in a place they felt safe was the 'distraction' for the ambush," I explained. "Oh," Willa contemplated the scenario. I could see her eyes walk over the parking lot as she considered the events playing out. "Of course, that still leaves you facing two opponents, right around six feet and 220 to 240 who are adept at violence," I pointed out. "If you could hit the second guy the same way fast enough and somehow render the last one incapable of speech, Willa concluded. "You would have to be insanely fast and if someone was that good, what would they be doing at a biker bar in Lancaster, Virginia?" "Don't you know? This is the destination of choice for all international assassins on the run?" I joked. "Willa, can I have that moment now?" She shrugged, grinned, and walked with me to my car. It was refreshing to be side-by-side with a woman not interested in jumping my bones. If she'd been a lesbian instead of what she was, it would have been perfect. "You are too young for me, Zane," Willa headed me off. "Cool," I answered, which was not what she expected. "I need to talk with you a bit but not here. I don't want to risk anyone else listening in." Now Willa appeared to be curious. "Okay. The abandoned roadside motel on Chandler Road, 2:00 pm tomorrow," she responded. "Thanks, Willa. And also, do you know where I can get some fake ID's?" I asked as I got into my car. "I'll see what I can dig up," Willa smirked. She rejoined her buddies on the porch and was chatting away as I took off for home. I knew that my ordeal for this evening was far from over. There still was the hurdle of finding a place for Paige to sleep and making sure she stayed in the room Jill and I agreed on. The struggle with Jill over Rio had been epic enough; I certainly didn't expect the sounds of women's laughter and modern music to be the first thing I heard when I stepped out of my ride. Mind you, Jill thought Rio still had moral fiber. If I told Rio she had even a single moral fiber left she'd span Heaven and Earth hunting the mythical beast down a la King Pellinore. On the plus side, Aunt Jill knew nothing of Paige so I could play up that angle. I walked indoors to a chorus of 'hey' and 'Zane' coming from the kitchen. I strode into a flurry of dinner-prep activity. Apparently we were attempting Italian sausage ravioli, broccoli & carrots, mashed potatoes, salad, and gazpacho. Okay, I was pretty sure Jill thought ravioli was the invention of Chef Boyardee and

Brad and Bob dive deep into the cultural phenomenon that is 1977's Star Wars, exploring its impact on cinema, character dynamics, and the direction of George Lucas. They also discuss the film's pacing, performances, and the influence of Akira Kurosawa. The conversation includes a whiskey review of Old Granddad and comparisons to Raiders of the Lost Ark, culminating in their final thoughts and ratings for both the film and the whiskey.(0:00) Intro (06:49) Brad Explains (11:43) Performances, Themes (36:18) Old Grand Dad bourbon review (46:14) Two Facts and a Falsehood (51:23) Final Analysis (1:06:29) Let's Make it a Double and Final ScoresFilm & Whiskey ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Film & Whiskey ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Film & Whiskey ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our Discord server!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For more episodes and engaging content, visit Film & Whiskey's website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.filmwhiskey.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Biesinger, Gabi www.deutschlandfunk.de, @mediasres

This week, Thom Francis introduces us to poet Nancy Byrne Iannucci. Nancy was one of the featured readers at the Eight Poets event at The Fish Market on Saturday, October 11, 2025. That day, Nancy was joined by poets from the Hudson Valley Writers Guild, online zines Trailer Park Quarterly and Hobo Camp Review, and Paper Moon. ——— The Hudson Valley Writers Guild, Paper Moon, and online zines Trailer Park Quarterly and Hobo Camp Review joined forces to present Eight Poets, an afternoon of poetry and spoken word at the Fish Market in Troy, NY on Saturday, October 11, 2025. One of the poets who shared their work on that beautiful fall afternoon was poet Nancy Byrne Iannucci. Nancy read her poems “Freedom,” “Granddad's Garden,” Just as They Were About to Bloom,” “Taking Back Eden,” and “We Tried to Fly” and discussed the inspiration behind them. Nancy Byrne Iannucci is a poet and librarian living with her cats, Nash and Emily Dickinson. Her work appears in journals such as THRUSH, Hobo Camp Review, San Pedro River Review, and Hole in the Head Review. She's the author of four chapbooks and is currently working on two new collections of poetry. Hobo Camp Review editor James H Duncan introduced Nancy to the audience.

In this week's Bible Storytime with Caroline, we continue the story of Little Noah and Granddad Noah as they prepare to leave the Arc. How granddad Noah sends out the dove, and how Noah and his Granddad eventually say goodbye to the Arc. L'articolo E7 | Bible Storytime With Caroline – Final story of little Noah and the Arc proviene da Radio Maria.

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 11 Weekend Drama In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             We make the friends we have, not the ones we want, because they are people, not tools                       "Hi, I'm Rio," my buddy muttered darkly as she followed me inside, "I'm the girl standing next to the guy you just mugged." Allison went pounding up the stairs and I was left to a chorus of 'Hi, Zane', and we even got a few 'Hey, Metal Girl' greetings (Rio had all fourteen of her piercings back in). Right as Leigh, dressed in super-tight jeans and a pink bra, and Allison came down the stairs, Tawny came from the direction of the kitchen. "Zane," Leigh and Tawny said one right after the other, but Tawny's carried the greater weight. "Zane, we need to talk," Tawny demanded. Rio growled menacingly. "I apologize. Hello, Rio." There was a hush in the room and even Leigh looked contrite. "Zane, Kappa Sigma does not condone violence of any kind. If you ever thought we wanted you fighting our battles for us, you were sorely mistaken," Tawny explained. "Are we clear?" "Okay, I understand, but, how did you know? I didn't tell anyone anything about what was said," I wondered. "You should have never put your neck out for these Sorority bitches," Rio snapped. "Hang on, Rio. I did what I did for my own reasons, not for them," I calmed my friend. Rio was clearly not making friends but Tawny held up her hands for peace. "You didn't even tell her, your best friend, did you?" Tawny smiled with surprised satisfaction. "Christina knows, but that is understandable and she's told no one except me." I looked at her for some explanation. "It seems two co-eds from the University thought you might be in trouble and followed you. They covered your exit from the building, the argument, and the fight that followed," Tawny grinned. "They posted it on their site. By 10:00 this morning, everyone knew." "Except for us idiots with limited internet access," groaned Rio. "My fellow Kappa Sigma presidents wanted to make sure everyone knew that we had nothing to do with your actions," she completed. "That being said," she stepped up and hugged me, "Thank you." I received a round of applause from the gathered sisters. "Fine. Would someone tell me what my idiot friend did?" Rio griped. "Rio," Leigh snickered as she snuck to my side and wrapped an arm around me, "those three assholes called the Kappa Sigma House a bunch of whores and then told him they were going to rape Chastity and Hope, then come and rape Paris and me when they were done." And that's when Rio hit me. "Moron, why couldn't you tell the police this? They don't put you in jail for defending women under imminent threat," Rio snapped. "I think that was the point," Tawny sighed at Rio. "He didn't want to drag us into what was essentially his choice; just like he kept Chastity and Hope out of things." "Because he's a dumb-shit," Rio declared. "Rio," Tawny groaned, "be happy Zane has personality to spare, because you work really hard at having no other friends. I put up with your crap because Zane thinks the world of you and he's not been wrong about a person yet." "Wow, Tawny, I'm so touched," Rio sneered sarcastically. Before anything else could happen I grabbed Rio by her nipple chain and elevated it rapidly. "Ow, ow, ow, whimpered Rio. "That hurts!" "It supposed to," I glowered. "You are acting crazy. The Kappa Sigs are being nice and all you are doing is burning through the weekend time I've devoted to you." I let go and her hands flew up to her offended flesh. "You had better kiss them and make them better," Rio glared at me while cupping her nipples. "I promise," I pledged. "Fine. Tawny, all you Kappa Sigs, I apologize for being, unfriendly," Rio ground out. "Okay," Tawny allowed. "Now, Zane, what brings you here tonight?" "Zane came here to see me," Leigh grinned, as she started tugging me toward the stairs. "Leigh," Paris questioned, "don't you have a date tonight?" Leigh looked guilty. "Zane, why are you here?" Tawny asked again. "Actually, I need help with my English term paper. I'm doing it on Edmund Burke and I was hoping to use the UV library," I told her. "Of course," Tawny nodded. "I'll get the pledges to figure what books and archival material we have on Burke and I'm sure we can find a few volunteers to check out what you need." "Thanks, Tawny. And on that note, I do really have to get going. I promised Aunt Jill we'd help with dinner," I smiled. Tawny grinned in response and waved me away. A series of 'bye's followed, after which Rio and I made our way back home. "So, are you upset that I didn't tell you what happened?" I inquired. "Nah," Rio shrugged. "I imagine you were trying to avoid the beating I would have given you had I found out this morning." "Thank you for understanding," I commented. "No problem; you are my bro," she snorted. "Do you still want me to work over your nipples?" I asked. "Is the Pope Catholic?" Rio smirked. Passing the Night in Confusion I sat at one end of the sofa, Rio stretched out with her head in my lap as we digested our dinners. Jill sat on the chair closest to me, watching TV but stealing an overprotective glance my way from time to time. My aunt and I had a serious argument earlier about where Rio would sleep. She had insisted that Rio sleep in the guest room Barbie Lynn had used last weekend. I had held adamant to the fact that it didn't matter where we put her, Rio would end up in bed with me. I swore on the Bible that I wouldn't have sex with her if Jill relented and let Rio stay in my bed over the weekend instead. I won out through persistence and because I went down on my knees and begged. To add to the weirdness, Rio was downright affectionate. No, she was not feeling me up or attempting to arouse me; she snuggled against me and would occasionally rub my knee while I stroked her hair, ear, and jawline gently. At 10:00 we agreed to call it a day. Rio was kind enough to only shed her jeans once we were in my room. Rio draped an arm over my stomach and her thigh over my thigh as we drifted off to sleep. It was wonderful contact because the sexual elements were submerged to keep the moment uncomplicated. It was so special that I was disappointed when I woke up hours later with Rio lying on top of my body and my cock had, of course, responded. Damn it. "Zane, there is someone at the window," she whispered to me. It then occurred to me that Rio had been crawling over me to get to my window, which was over a trellis. It was the route Leigh had used last week too. We both scooted off the bed and went to the window. It was Paris, not Leigh. "Zane, Leigh needs you," Paris pleaded softly once we opened the window for her to get in. "Let me get dressed," I responded quietly, this being necessary because I sleep in the nude. "I'm coming too," Rio hissed. We quickly got on some jeans and I put on a shirt before we snuck through the house and out the front door. Bare-footed, we crossed over to the Kappa Sigma house and up to Leigh and Paris' room. Leigh was curled up on her bed, a pillow hugged to her chest and her back to the door. Paris stepped aside and let me in. I padded up to Leigh's bed and sat beside her. Paris and Rio fidgeted by the door a bit before migrating toward Paris' bed where they could keep an eye on us. "You don't need to be here," Leigh mumbled. She'd been crying. "I heard a rumor that you needed someone to talk to," I teased her. She didn't comment for a bit. "Zane, I'm sorry," she sobbed. "About what?" I asked as I moved her so she was facing me on her side. "The video; I didn't think about how badly it could impact your life, what people would think of you," she muttered. "Don't worry about it; I'll cope," I assured her. "I'm not sure I can," she simpered. "Tell me what happened," I encouraged. "There was this guy on campus I knew since last semester. Tuesday he asked me out. We went out on a date but he forgot his wallet so I paid for dinner, and we went back to his apartment to get it before heading out to a club," she told me. "The thing was, he had two friends over and while he went to his room to get his wallet, they began talking about me, about you and me. I wanted to bolt but he convinced me to stay and have a drink. When I tried to leave they got physical, and only when I started screaming did they let me get out of there," she related. "Who is he?" I asked calmly. "No," Leigh sighed, "I don't want you to hurt him. It is my fault for not thinking that everyone would see me as a slut." "You are not a slut and anyone who thinks so is an insecure ass and not worth your time. That video was a single snapshot of your life; it doesn't define you," I stated. "But all those girls now treat you, she murmured. "If they treat me like crap, I move on. Listen Leigh, don't let a few people who could never look past your cup size ruin what was a good time for you, Paris, and I. We don't need them because we still have each other; right?" I insisted. Leigh snuggled into me and sighed away some of her tension. "Can you stay awhile?" Leigh asked softly. "You have to ask Rio; this is her weekend after all," I reminded Leigh. "Sure, he can stay," grumbled Rio playfully, "but scoot over; I'm joining you two." I was on the outside, Leigh was tight up against me, her head pressed into my neck, and Rio was against the wall, her front pressed into Leigh's back and her arm over both of us. "Zane, what am I going to do on Monday? What are they going to say now?" Leigh whispered. "Laugh; laugh against the darkness, because while we can laugh, we cannot be defeated," I told her. "When someone asks about it, tell them he was such a disappointment you left." "I was going to say, call him a psycho-rapist scumbag," Rio snarled, "but if you feel nice, listen to what Zane said." Leigh gave a weary snicker. "Thanks, Paris," she called over to her roommate. "You are welcome, Sister," Paris responded. I set Leigh's alarm for four in the morning and settled in for a short night's rest. When the buzzing woke the three of us up, I rolled out of bed, Rio climbed out over Leigh, and we kissed Leigh goodbye. On the way down the stairs we stumbled across Tawny sitting by the pool. "Hey, Zane, Rio," she said. "Good morning, Tawny," I responded. Rio was silent. "Zane, if she had given you his name, would you have gone and kicked his ass?" she questioned. "No; that wouldn't have done Leigh any good. I'd have found another way to get at him, but I'd have taken my time," I replied. "I'd like to think I occasionally learn something." "Thank you, Zane, for the answer and coming to help Leigh; you too, Rio," Tawny smirked. "You know me," Rio chuckled, "I'll never pass up a chance to grab some of that cheap Sorority tail." "Rio, you have a good friend in Zane; don't lose him," Tawny advised her. "I know; I'm getting a dog collar and leash for Christmas so I can keep him in line," Rio beamed to Tawny. Tawny chuckled and shook her head in amusement. "Just for that, you get to sleep on the floor for the rest of the morning," I grumbled to Rio. "You try that, Jungle-Boy," Rio snapped playfully as we made our way to the property line. "I'm going to staple-gun your bra to the floor," I explained. "I'm not wearing a bra," Rio snorted. "Yeah, wrestling you into one is going to be half the fun," I teased her. Rio laughed and took off running. We were still snickering over events when we snuck back into my room. Aunt Jill was curled up on my side of the bed asleep in her nightgown. Rio looked at me questioningly and all I could do was shrug. I walked over to the bell and knelt beside Jill. "Zane, I came in to check on you and you two were gone," she yawned. "Leigh had a bad date and Paris asked me to go over and have a talk with her," I related. "Did you, have sex with her?" Jill asked as he propped herself up on one elbow. Her breasts nearly spilled out of the partially buttoned top. I tried not to ogle. "No," Rio interjected. "He held her hand and let her rest her head on his shoulder until she fell asleep. Trust me; I kept an eye on them the entire time." "Yes," I confirmed Rio's statement, "she had been treated shabbily and needed to talk to a guy." "Zane, do you really want to be sneaking into young women's bedrooms well past midnight?" Jill inquired, somewhat exasperated. My initial answer would be 'Yes', but that certainly wouldn't be the correct one for right now. "Jill, it would have been unchristian to have ignored a neighbor's request for aid," I suggested. "After all, it was Leigh that saw to it that I didn't totally screw up your new clothes collection." Jill digested that bit of news with conflicted emotions. "Let's go to bed," I yawned. Jill stared at me, so I stepped over her and collapsed on the bed. Rio winked at me and walked around to the far side of the bed, wiggled out of her jeans and climbed in on her side of the bed. I was still in my jeans mainly because I didn't have underwear on. "Night, Aunt Jill," I muttered before dropping off. It was inevitable that bedroom dynamics would push me to the edge of the bed. Rio has the habit of wrapping herself around her bed partner while she sleeps, it is a body-heat issue. It seems that Jill does the same thing, so as the skyline went from night to grey, the heat of their combined bodies woke me up. For a moment I thought I was the only one awake but I felt Rio's hand run along my thigh to my crotch. She moved her hand up and down over it for a few moments when I felt her head tilt and her look at me. Our eyes locked and a wicked glint came into her eyes. Her hand wandered over my hip to Jill's thigh that was resting there. I incrementally shook my head but Rio flexed her eyebrows in amusement, refusing my warning. Instead, she inched Jill's gown up and began tracing a finger along its length. Jill stirred but fell silent in a moment. "Don't!" I hissed. Rio gave me a toothy grin in response. I couldn't move my arm that was pinned by Jill but I could maneuver the one next to Rio. I wiggled my arm between her legs and she ground against me, trying to press me too tight to get free. Upping her game, Rio reached up and scooped up Jill's right breast. Jill stirred and we both froze. "Stop it!" I hissed. "Her nipple is so hard in my hand," she taunted me. Jill shifted, causing her gown to shift up to her hips when her leg moved, and dropping her hand on my abdomen while pressing her groin against my wrist. When she went still, Rio went back to massaging her breast. First came the moans, then Jill's hips gently pumped against me, and finally her eyes sleepily opened. Rio and I had shut our eyes barely a second ago but it seemed enough to make her believe we were still asleep. It took her another second to figure out where Rio's hand was, then another to figure out that pressure between her legs was my wrist and hand. She stiffened and held her breath. Slowly she started to untangle herself but I felt Rio's hand flex. "Ah," Jill gasped. Her hand flattened against my stomach and her body trembled. Jill kept very still for several moments and I figured she'd take the opportunity to slip out of bed and let me settle down for some more sleep. She did move; her head rose and I'm sure she was looking over me and Rio for signs of life. She slowly put her head back down and moved her hand around in slow circles on my stomach. Jill kissed my shoulder softly but I elected to stir anyway, causing her to feign sleep as well. Rio couldn't let things go, though. She gave Jill's breast a squeeze, then another, followed by a low moan on my friend's part. I really needed to kick Rio. Jill began to rub her crotch along my arm while flitting her hand down to the zipper on my jeans. Reflexively my hand stroked her thigh just below the panty line. For over a minute Jill kept her tempo against me slow but steady. "Zane?" groaned Rio, pretending to just be awakened. Jill slowly withdrew. Rio gave Jill's breast one last feel. "That's not Zane," Rio whispered for dramatic effect, then louder, "Jill?" "Oh, what? Huh?" Jill stammered. "Umm, is that your hand?" "Oh," Rio mused, then gave yet another squeeze, "Whoops; that would be me. Sorry." "I, what are you doing?" Jill whispered. "I was having this sweet dream," Rio grinned back. "I, you, my," Jill questioned. I took that moment to stir and open my eyes. "What's going on?" I yawned. "Nothing," Jill declared abruptly. "I should get up and make breakfast." "Jill, it is still dark outside," I smiled. "Let's go back to bed." "I'll go to my bed, Zane. You get back to sleep and I'll wake you at 7:00," Jill assured me. She backed out of bed and quickly made for the door. "You are going to pay for this," I grumbled to Rio. She rolled onto her stomach. "That's right, Big Daddy, spank my bottom and call me a bad girl," she giggled. "Oh, God!" I groaned to the ceiling. "You are incorrigible." "If it is any consolation, I wuv you," Rio batted her eyelashes. I swatted her panty-covered bottom; she giggled and I willed myself back to sleep. Saturday with Rio and so much more. The First Game The first soccer game of the season was against Braydon College in Maryland. They were a very exclusive private co-ed college but were large enough to have both a women's and men's team. Today was Christina's second match-up against Braydon. Last year they had beaten her and she was holding a grudge, or so the scuttleass said. As the half-time break rolled around, the teams had managed a 1-1 tie. Three Braydon players in their black shirts and burgundy shorts crossed the field and were intercepted by Christina, in white and gold, on the sidelines. A brief discussion ensued, then Christina looked over her shoulder and up into the stands close to where I was sitting with Rio. Iona was at my dorm, taking care of things. Faith came up the stands to me with a quizzical look and motioned me to come with her. "What's up, Faith?" I asked, as I stood up and followed her to the field. Rio followed along. "Some of the Braydon players wanted to see you," Faith explained. "Who do you know at Braydon?" "Not a clue," I shrugged. "I'd never even heard of the place until I saw the team's schedule." As we walked up, several more FFU players had gathered around the Braydon trio. "I am Kinu Yamada, Captain of the Braydon Women's Soccer team and Kappa Sigma President," the leader turned and greeted me. "You, look better in other attire." "They field test this stuff to be the ultimate in female repellent," I grinned, referring to my school uniform. "Now, is there something I can do for you? I'm afraid I don't know who you are." "Well, Braydon's Kappa Sigmas are in a contest with several other houses for that Spring Break weekend with you and I wanted to see what we were getting into," Kinu grinned. "Weekend?" Christina and I said simultaneously. "I recall the original offer being one night and Brianna Kincaid of Colorado State being the one I was pledged to," I added. "We decided to up the ante for the purpose of a contest," Kinu stated. "What contest, Ms. Yamada?" Christina inquired with a guarded tone. "The House with the best G P A and athletic record gets to send three sisters to share the weekend with Zane Braxton," Kinu explained. "He agreed to this?" Christina questioned. "He did not," I corrected. "Unless Briana releases me from my obligation, I can't do any of that stuff. She is the one I'm indebted to." "She has done so for the sake of her sisterhood," Kinu informed me. "Are you still up for the challenge?" "I'll do it for the sake of Lancaster's Kappa Sigma House, but I'll leave the final decision up to Christina, leader of our faction here at Freedom Fellowship," I declared. Christina appeared to think it over a bit before finally nodding her head. "FFU owes Tawny Flores and the rest of the local house a debt and if Zane is willing to pay it off for us, we'll support your contest and his decision, though it will take place at FFU's Spring Break location." "I'll let everyone know," Kinu grinned before turning and crossing back to their side of the field. "Christina, where is our Spring Break location?" I whispered to her. "I haven't a clue, Zane. Christian school girls don't do Spring Break," she replied. "I'll come up with something." I wished her luck and headed up into the stands. "Barely a B-cup, but did you catch the ass on that sweet slice of Asian cuisine?" Rio panted. "I wouldn't know; those were the most intense brown eyes I've ever seen. That's a woman who knows what she wants and will cut a bloody swath to get it," I observed. "So, you didn't notice her breast size?" Rio teased. "I didn't say that, she's a 32 B, but she has large areoles and nipples as thick as my pinkie," I told her. "How do you know that shit?" Rio gawked. "Mom took me lingerie shopping when I was younger and I picked up on how the saleswomen did their jobs," I replied. "Your Mom took you lingerie shopping? My Mom could barely tell me how to use a tampon," Rio griped. "Mom told me that the only thing worse than buying a woman lingerie for her birthday was buying it in the wrong size," I related. "You buy those things on your birthday for your lady to look sexy in, for you to enjoy." "Your Mom sounds pretty neat," Rio mused. "Mom had a way of tricking you into thinking she was your friend, not your Mother, then she'd sneak this lesson in on you; like lingerie shopping, or not getting a pet you couldn't devote the time to," I told her. "She'd have loved you." "Hardy, har, har," Rio snorted. "Seriously, you're similar enough to have gotten along, but not so much that it would be creepy," I explained. "She didn't take crap from anyone; not my Dad, my Granddad, or even her old man. She'd never abandon a friend either." "I'm not like that, Zane," Rio muttered sadly. "If you've left someone, it was because they weren't your friend, Rio," I assured her. "You are such an idiot," she grumbled, but she did put her hand in mine. "Let's fuck tonight." "Nope; we promised Jill we wouldn't, and besides, next time I nail you I want you on all fours, with me pounding your cunt raw while yanking your head back with a big handful of your hair," I envisioned for us. "Would you like that?" "Damn straight," Rio licked her lips. "Well, tough, next time we get together I'm going to make long, passionate love to you," I grinned. "I prefer option A," she prodded me. "I know, but that's only because you've never had option B," I countered. "Zane, sometimes a girl wants to be treated like a cheap slut," Rio instructed. "Has someone ever spent a whole night devoted to nothing less than having sex with you?" I asked. "Yes, of course," Rio grumbled. "I'm freaking Cleopatra. I've got guys lining up the block." "Well, damn; I guess we are back to bending you over and slamming you like a cheap slut," I teased. "I see I'm too much of a woman for you," she sneered with amusement. "That's a challenge I'm willing to take up, Rio. If you think you can stand up to whatever I can think up for you, I'm willing to prove you wrong," I grinned. "I'll make it fun; I'll bring Mercy and have her be a piece of furniture," Rio suggested. "I still don't know how that happened," I said, in reference to Rio's relationship to Mercy. "I'm not sure either," Rio confessed. "Maybe being such a pervert myself, I bring out perversions in those around me. Only Iona seems immune." "Oh, it looks like Rhaine, Joy, Mercy, and I are going to have a round two," I remembered. "Oh, I want part of that," Rio brightened up, "I am going to fuck Rhaine so hard she won't walk straight for a week. You let her off too easy last time." "No," I shook my finger. "I'm not sure how this is going to play out so if you want Rhaine, you are going to have to seduce her all on your own." "Crapola," Rio bitched. "I'll have to settle for corrupting Felicity first but I'll get Rhaine one day, mark my words." Our attention was drawn back to the game when Opal scored our second goal of the day, propelling us to the lead. Apparently, the battle had become quite brutal while Rio and I had been talking. There was nothing like woman-on-woman combat to keep Rio's attention and for the rest of the second half we watched the game with interest. In the end, FFU pulled it out 4-3, but that was only because both goalies put in heroic performances. No one charged the field after the final seconds slipped away because apparently they frown on that in the United States, but I still made my way down to congratulate my fellow students. In the gentle press of bodies I came across Opal who spun on me, jumped into my arms and took my breath away with a kiss. Since this was not the norm for FFU student interaction, I did my best to look embarrassed while keeping Opal pressed up against me. "Congrats on the win," I smiled. "We get to keep you," Opal exulted. Huh? "Christina told us that if we lost, we had to give you to Braydon for the rest of the day and night, but we showed them, didn't we?" "Yes, right, you sure did," I stuttered. A few more teammates stopped by and gave me a slap on the back, or ass, while I hung onto Opal, but I had to disentangle myself because I still wanted to have a word with Christina. I hadn't traveled ten more feet when Kinu appeared before me. "Sorry," she told me with a smile. "Sorry, for losing?" I questioned. Her ponytail had become ragged during the game so I pushed some strands out of her face and hooked them behind her ear, which only made her smile broader. "No. I'm sorry we won't have another chance at you until Regionals," she grinned lasciviously. "There is something I don't get; you are a co-ed school. I'm the only guy on this campus, which explains some of my charm, but you look like you could have any guy on your campus you want, so what's up with this contest?" I inquired. "I don't know," she chuckled, "but it could be that you fuck like a stallion and a girl feels like a million bucks when you are done. You know, something like that." She reached out and ran her fingers down my chest to the top of my pants. "One thing; get a fake ID because I know any girl who gets you is going to want to take you to a few clubs, you need to look 21." "Yeah," Rio snorted, "because Zane doesn't have enough problems with the law already." "Excuse me," Christina said right after that, putting her hand on Kinu's. "I believe any confusion concerning Zane has been rectified." "For now," Kinu allowed, looking from my eyes to Christina's. "See you at Regionals." Kinu turned and with a flip of her long ponytail made her way to the far side of the field. "You wagered Zane!" Rio squawked to Christina, "After all the crap you give him?" "We won so we don't have to worry about what Kinu would have made him do," the Queen answered. "Shower up," I saluted Christina, "and congratulations on the win. I know you were looking forward to it." "We look forward to winning every game," Christina grinned. "So do I; maybe we can celebrate later at the Solarium," I suggested. "We have to take the Braydon team out to a late lunch, then the post-game meeting with the Coach, but maybe later," Christina allowed. She turned and sauntered away and I was more than willing to watch that ass move beneath those shorts. "She is so going to kill you when she finds out," Rio whispered in my ear. "She'll forgive me, but it may take some time," I explained. "When she sided with me, she accepted a certain degree of ruthlessness on my part." "You think you are being ruthless?" Rio sneered. "When you have everything else in life, what you value most is trust, Rio," I stated. "Now let's go see how my room is getting along." Dana Gorman was righteously pissed when she came storming up to my dorm 'room'. A dozen students rapidly made themselves scarce as word of her imminent arrival was made known. "I don't know how you did this, Zane, but I'm putting a stop to this right now," she snapped. "What? Everything I'm doing, I have permission for," I grinned, and I was pretty happy she didn't knock my teeth out of my head when she rounded on me. "That's bullshit! You forged my signature on those entry permits," she snarled. "Nope. You signed them, though it is most likely you thought you were signing something else at the time," I confessed. "This isn't some kind of game," she countered. "All of this stuff is going back to wherever you bought it from." "Hauling things away will be on your dime," I said. "You and the Chancellor did give me permission to fix my place up and that is what I've done. You will note that all my contractors are women, per school regulations." "And all this furniture? When did we give permission to have all of this put in?" Gorman countered. "You may not like it but I'm not doing anything illegal," I pointed out. "It doesn't mean I can't tear it all down," she growled. "Dana, you and the other facility promised me this space. Go ahead and tear it all down. I'll just find another way to do it," I promised. "You are an insufferable little prick," she hissed. "Yeah, I can be," I agreed, "but at least I haven't done all of this for my sole benefit. I made it for the whole freshman class." Dana looked around the room. "It is not like I need the whole floor for myself, after all." "What have you done?" she grumbled. "I've made a place for the freshman class to hang out. Since it is my dorm room, they are safe from upper classmen," I reminded her. Gorman glared at me, then went back to soaking up the surroundings. "Wide-Screen TVs, drink dispensers, what is that?" Dana observed. "Umm, our hot tub," I grinned nervously. "And that, the coach continued. "Those would be the showers and the sauna," I answered. "Zane, have you lost your God-damn mind?" Dana seethed. "We are not going to let you keep any of that stuff." "Well, it is 4:00 o'clock now and the installers are either finished or almost finished, so I guess you can try to find someone willing to take it down tomorrow but that's going to cost an arm and a leg," I mused. Dana rounded on me and stuck her finger in my face. "Zane, I, gurr," she growled. "Aargh!" she howled, then stormed off back downstairs. Iona came skulking up to my side. "Did we pull it off?" she whispered. "Yeah, yeah, I think we did," I responded. Cordelia and Paige came right up behind her. "So, can we hook up the satellite dishes now?" Cordelia asked. "I don't think she'll be back tonight so I'd appreciate it if you got it done before dark," I told her. "One thousand channels coming up," Cordelia smirked, "and I have to say, this is going to be my second favorite place to hang out." "I don't know, Cordelia," Paige said in a considerate tone, "what can help you deal better with a hard day of coding than a sauna and a V-8?" "Was that all you are interested in?" Iona questioned. "I was curious why I found you crawling under the covers of Zane's bed." The albino Paige blushed furiously. "The sensation is far superior when you do it naked, Paige," I stated with a gleam in my eye. "Feel free to come by sometime and try it out." Instead of responding, Paige stalked off to fix up the telecommunications gear. Cordelia snickered and followed after her. "Where is Rio?" Iona wondered. "She went hunting for Mercy, but she needs to get back in the next half hour if I'm going to make it back to Jill's by five," I informed her. The plan had been one part deception and one part splitting of resources. We had let the powers that be know the move was being made Sunday when it was really happening today. With the first game of the season, we had campus security looking at the game and not at us. We had the proper forms for what we were accomplishing that baffled the few security types we had to deal with. By the time Coach Gorman broke free from the team, it was essentially too late to stop us. Monday would bring what Monday would bring, but today we had our victory. Besides, we had the new door in place and that would make any operations by the administration against my digs much harder. My contractors informed me they would have everything up and running by 9:00 tonight. Rio was the first to arrive but Christina and company arrived with the three Kappa Sigmas from Braydon, almost all of them expecting to see a single room. Christina was once more pissed with me and I knew that attitude would get worse before it got better. "Christina, and ladies, please come with me to my room. I have an important situation to discuss," I pleaded. Catching sight of Brandi, I flagged her over. "Brandi, could you show our guests from Braydon around while I take care of a piece of personal business?" "Kinu, Kappa Sigmas from Braydon, I'll be with you in a minute and apologize for the delay," I told them with a nod of the head before heading off to my room and activating the rooms 'cut off' switch. Rio and Iona came with me, along with Christina, Hope, Chastity, Heaven, and Faith. "You told the Seniors that you were doing this on Sunday and I made plans for us to help you, Zane," Christina rounded on me. "I apologize for the deception, but it was necessary to finding out something important; namely, who was spying on you," I informed everyone in the room but Rio. I hadn't even told Iona the whole truth. "What was the purpose of this deception, Zane, this lie?" Christina questioned me harshly. "Someone in this room betrayed Heaven's secret and a few other pieces of information that have been floating around a very small circle of people, things like me moving in today," I began. "Oh, and Iona doesn't know the secret, so Iona, I hope you understand that certain things are not for me to share with you, but I trust you enough to have you here with me now." "So that's why you told Hope and I your little secret about today," Chastity stated coldly. "You were testing us. I'm not sure I like that." Hope looked even less pleased. "Yes and no; I actually was only testing Hope. I already knew you weren't the one," I replied to Chastity. Again, Hope didn't seem all that happy. "But I didn't get raided today so it wasn't either of you. For obvious reasons, Christina isn't spying on herself, and it would be a cold day in Hell before Heaven would betray Christina, so, Faith, you have been working with the Chancellor against us," I laid it out. Faith gasped fearfully. "Faith has been with me since sophomore year," Christina defended her friend, "which is a sight longer than I've known you." "Two things: it had to be someone who knew that secret, and only the people in this room, one police officer, and the Chancellor know. The cop didn't betray us and Rio didn't know until after the threat," I clarified. "If you have another explanation of the facts, please let me know," I confronted Christina. "Face it, the Chancellor knew you would be a force at this University late in your freshmen year, so she chose someone to get close to you, to keep an eye on you so she could manipulate you when the time came." Christina refused to believe me but I noted Heaven, Hope, and Chastity were all staring at Faith. "It's not so," Faith declared. "Oh, I guess you want to see all the logs of your communications with the Chancellor, then, eh, Faith?" I goaded her. "You weren't as careful as you thought." "Oh, God," Faith whispered. "No, " "Damn it, Faith," Christina rumbled, "that was the most obvious trick in the book. He had no other evidence against you. He fooled you. After all, he didn't even know it was you until late this morning." She placed a hand on Heaven's shoulder because Heaven was about to lose it. "I'd thank you, Zane," Christina said in a suddenly weary voice, "but what I really want to do is punch your lights out." "What do we do about Faith?" Chastity questioned. "Nothing," I butted in. "This doesn't involve you," Hope grumbled. "I beg to differ," I said, "I like all of you and it pisses me off that you are suffering, but this isn't Faith's fault; it is the Chancellor's. If you dump on Faith, she will know we've discovered Faith's role. If we do nothing, we can now feed information to her, but only what we want her to know." "Butt out, Zane," Heaven responded coldly. "No. If you fight yesterday's battles, we get our asses kicked. There is no profit in it for us," I kept hammering away. "She was our friend and she betrayed us," Chastity fired away. "You wouldn't understand." "What? Oh, hell no!" I snapped. "I had to sit there and take her threats about Heaven with a smile on my face, and then I had to crack a joke about it when I knew she was capable of breaking Heaven's heart. Don't you dare tell me I am not invested in this fight. She comes after me, that's fine, but when she comes after my friend, she must pay." "I may not have been with you for the past three years but don't you dare tell me I'm not invested in this fight; that's insulting," I growled. "Zane is right," Christina declared decisively. "We will act normal the rest of the day and tonight, we five will decide what to do next. Yes, Faith, I'm including you. We were once friends, after all." That last bit stung Faith a bitter blow. Christina took Heaven by the hand and led her out of my room with Faith trailing along. Hope regarded me with narrowed eyes and an icy anger. "Hope," Chastity intervened, "he trusted you with the right answer. He trusted you with his plans." "He had us set up Christina ,  and Faith," Hope seethed back. "And if he didn't? Would one of us have hunted Faith down, revealed the traitor? Hope," Chastity explained, "we couldn't do this, turn on one of our own, so we kind of left that burden on Zane, so I don't feel right hating him for trying to keep us safe, again." Hope stormed out of the room. Chastity gave me a helpless shrug then followed. "I'm stunned," muttered Iona once they were gone. "We had a traitor in our midst?" "Zane's not a total idiot," Rio joked. "I'm stunned too," I stated. "By what?" Iona asked. "Didn't this go according to your plan, whatever that was?" "No, I am stunned Rio kept her mouth shut the entire time," I grinned. Rio punched me in the arm. For me, that helped break the unbearable tension I was feeling right then. "I see your point," Iona smiled shyly. "Ow," Iona peeped, as Rio punched her too. There was still work to be done and Rio and I only had an hour to spare before heading back to Jill's. It was still wonderful to see freshmen take a look around and seeing 'their' space coming together. I even caught Kinu and company taking pictures of the place. "This will look nice on your web page," Kinu told me. "Web page?" I questioned, then pinned Iona in place with a glance. "Please, tell me about my web page." "It has all your background information, plus tons of photographs and videos of you here on campus as well as you back at your house, or the Kappa Sigma House," "Yay me," I cheered sarcastically. "There's this really nice one of you out in the woods," Kinu gave me a sly grin. "It was really, intriguing how you picked out each sister despite their masks. I can appreciate a man with an eye for detail." "Thanks, but a little more privacy in my life wouldn't suck," I groaned. "Cheer up, Zane," Kinu tipped my chin down close to her lips, "you have a fan club." "I don't pursue women to create a fan base; I do it because women are the best thing in the world, bar none," I told her. "That is why it is going to be such a pleasure owning you this spring," Kinu smiled. "Now, don't forget that ID." With that, she turned and walked away. Both of the women with her ran their hands across my stomach before following Kinu away. "Zane, I don't like the sound of that," Iona mumbled. "They treat you like a piece of meat." "It is his piece of meat they are interested in, those Sorority sluts," Rio snickered. "Well, I wish I could go to Spring Break so I could look after you," Iona sighed. "Of course, you and Rio are going with me," I looked amused. "Who else is going to protect me from doing something stupid?" "Certainly not me," chirped Rio. "Doing-Stupid-Shit is my middle name." "That explains so much about you," Iona quipped to Rio. "I don't think my parents will let me go anyway." "Lie to them," Rio responded. "No, tell them it is a learning experience and that about a dozen girls, and me, will be watching over you," I told her, "Your parents trust you and for good reason." "Will I be able to spend some time with you while I'm there?" Iona asked me. "Sure. Let me know what you want to do," I hugged her. "I hope it is Florida," Iona smiled. "I want to go to Disney World again. It was so much fun the other three times my family went." "For the love of God!" gasped Rio, "Tranquilize me first." I chuckled, Rio scowled, and we set off to do a little more work before the day was done. Breaking Down Walls, Mending Fences It was five minutes until 8:00 in the evening when the doorbell rang. Jill virtually catapulted herself from the chair she'd been fidgeting in and raced to answer it. "Hunting time," Rio grinned with predatory glee, and I found myself praying that Felicity left wearing something more than a confused, yet dreamy, smile on her face. Jill welcomed Mrs. Rochelle Wellington, the Mayor's wife, and Felicity Tolliver, fianc to Rochelle's youngest son, into our house. Rio and I stood as they entered the room. Felicity had an open and friendly expression on her face while Rochelle was much more guarded and unsure. "Hey ladies, thank you for coming by tonight," I greeted them. "Mrs. Wellington, I've been making extra notes on last meetings discussions I'd like to go over with you," I said with my most disarming smile. "Felicity, we've done this incredible renovation project at school, we students, and I'd like to show you all we've accomplished so you can, ya know, give us some pointers as to what to do next," Rio beamed with a frivolity that I found personally terrifying. "Okay," Felicity grinned back at Rio. "Let's see what you have." I kind of felt sorry for Felicity; she wasn't taking Rio too seriously and had no idea of the carnivore that lurked just beneath the younger woman's exterior. Rochelle Wellington was far more cautious. "Greetings, Zane. I am happy to help the newest member of my committee adjust," Rochelle told me. I quickly cracked open my laptop and moved aside so that Rochelle could join me as I went over this and that from the last meeting. "Felicity and Jill, why don't we go check out some of the rooms Jill's already done and see what we can come up with," Rio suggested. Jill seemed a little nervous so Felicity stepped in. "I'd love to see what Ms. Braxton has done with her home. I always admired this old house, but Lance wanted something on the north side of town," Felicity sighed. "I tried to make things very homey," Jill informed them. "I didn't have much to work with. My late husband and I didn't have many possessions." "I think you did a fine job, Jill," Rio poured it on. "Zane considers this his home and looks forward to coming here on the weekends." That seemed to perk things up. "But why are you here, Rio? Are you Zane's, girlfriend?" Felicity wondered. "Oh, no," Rio laughed. "My family is in Arizona and Zane knows I'm alone here, so he and Jill have taken me under their wing and made me feel like a daughter, and a sister." How Jill stopped herself from choking at the, exaggeration was putting it kindly, was beyond me. It did show me that Rio could be personable and manipulative if she so desired. The three women headed off to the dining room, leaving me with Rochelle. "Why don't we move to the kitchen?" I suggested to her. "Working over the coffee table isn't good for our backs." "Oh," she clearly studied me, "okay, if you think that's best." We moved to the bar in the kitchen and I behaved myself for all of five minutes. I started bringing up her ideas that had been somewhat ill-received and showed her what work I had done on them. "I'm not sure how much of this matters," she sighed. "I don't think I have the votes." "Don't give up. After all, I have the tie-breaking vote now," I reminded her. "Oh, I hadn't considered you a voting member but I suppose you are right. I admit, I didn't see you hanging around all that long, being a young man and all," she explained. "Why would I not want to stay? I had fun," I countered. "I would imagine a young man would have better things to do than hang out with a bunch of old ladies," she said. "If I find a bunch of old ladies, I'll let you know," I grinned. "Besides, I had some friends go over some of the suggestions you put forth and they created some 3-D images for you to present next Wednesday," I related, as I began opening the first program. "Oh, my," Rochelle murmured. As she got the hang of things, she maneuvered through the presentations and rotated the pictures. "Are you hot?" I inquired. "Can I get you something to drink?" "That would be nice," she agreed. "Do you have tomato or orange juice?" "We have that, and we have beer and Scotch too," I grinned. "Oh, please," she moaned, "I could use a good Scotch. It has been a long week." While I prepared a double Scotch for her and a beer for myself, Rochelle took off her jacket and laid it on the bar. I handed her the glass when I returned. "That's smooth," she commented after a sip. "I don't like this," she pointed to a feature on the screen. "How do I alter it?" I reached around her, pressing my body onto her side and back gently. "Here you go, do this and this." I highlighted the keys she needed to use to get the desired effects. I could tell she was distracted, both physically and intellectually. Rochelle hesitantly moved some features around for a few seconds so I chose to back off for a minute. "I want to do this," she requested, "without changing, " "Oh, okay. Let's try this," I answered, while wrapping her in my arms once more. This time I held the embrace longer, and when I withdrew, my hand rested on her far shoulder. "This is really good work, Zane," Rochelle turned her head to complement me only to find my face a few inches away. She gulped and looked at me with a certain level of confliction. "Really, it was this small group of girls at school who did the real work. Isn't that always the case, women doing all the real work so some guy can get the credit?" I teased her. "Why, why did they do this for you?" she stammered. "They go to our church, of course," I smiled. "What did you think I did, seduce them?" "I, no, definitely not," Rochelle blushed, and turned back to the screen. "You are such a nice boy." "I wouldn't go that far, Mrs. Wellington. I am afraid I'm begging forgiveness most Sunday mornings," I joked. "Oh, come on now," she mused, "what do you have to talk to Jesus about?" "Impure thoughts," I confessed. "Well, you go to an all-girls school," she said. "I'm sure that gives you ample opportunity." "What makes you think I'm not being tempted right now?" I suggested. "Oh, I guess you could be," she replied quietly. "I'm glad we got that out of the way," I sighed. "What? Got what out of the way?" she asked. "It's hard to tell a lady that she's attractive without it being taken the wrong way," I lied. I had every intention of her taking this the 'wrong' way. "It is that I've always found you very beautiful but was unsure how you would take it." "I'm a married woman," she declared, but severely lacked conviction. "Absolutely, and we both understand the limitations of our relationship because of that," I continued. "Limitations?" she questioned. "Well, I can do this," I kissed her on the neck below the ear, "and we both know that it is only something between friends." "Ah, good," she moaned. "I mean, it is good we understand our boundaries." I went back to kissing her neck, then went up to her ear. Rochelle remained patiently still under my passion for a long time. "I want to take another look at this diagram," she suddenly said. She didn't pull away, though, instead, working away steadily on the keyboard while I let my lips play along her exposed flesh and my hands roamed her shoulders. She kept a steady patter of conversation going as I deviated farther and farther from her shoulders, around her back, to the sides of her breasts. "Your top button," I whispered to her. "Button, she murmured. She looked to my eyes, then followed them down to her cleavage. I saw the mental struggle going on inside her, lust versus a loveless marriage. I imagine she convinced herself this was all harmless fun because her trembling hands undid not only the first button, but the second one as well. "Beautiful," I complimented her quietly. "You are very beautiful, Rochelle." She didn't say anything but she sat up straighter and stuck out her chest with more confidence. My left hand edged around the side of her breast and took that orb into my hand and began massaging it, exciting her nipple through her satin blouse and silk bra. My right hand followed a similar path, but at the base of the breast I roamed down along the fleshy roll of her stomach to her belt, rubbing along and kneading the pliant tissue. She was slightly embarrassed

In Part 2 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad give us their respective Top 5 Rougelike/Rougelite games thus far. Though they are both fairly new to the genre, they might just know ball. They then end the show with their live Q&A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reddit rSlash Storytime r prorevenge where Coworker tried to get me fired over breast implants, so I pulled a reverse uno card. Don't announce your engagement at someone else's wedding, or this might just happen to you... I froze my psycho neighbor out of her apartment Scammers want access to my PC, I turn the tables and start wiping their computer They tore up my grandfather's garden. He tore up their car. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part 1 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad recap the latest Sony State of Play that seems to have finally answered their prayers and given us a huge update on a game they've been waiting years for. They also discuss the recent price increase of Xbox's Gamepass service and the backlash it's getting. They then also talk about the original plans for Xbox to release their own handheld console before scrapping the idea due to sales concerns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TBM. Hello Hot Granddad In My Underclothes.Welcome back to our Riordanverse readalong and analysis podcast!! Here's SZN20 Episode 5, where we discuss chapters 17-21 of The Burning Maze! We're talking about wangs in the wind and the confidence (read:delusion/insanity/stupidity) it takes to pull that off; we re-rank the Barbie cinematic universe (what do you mean? That's totally relevant to the Riordanverse…); oh and white bread Jason is back ugh. We hope you'll join us next week with Chapters (22-25) of The Burning Maze.xx Kate & Jo ::SOCIALS:: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damsnackbarpod/ (@damsnackbarpod) Send us an IrisMessage to join our community. Email us at damsnackbarpod@outlook.com Personals: Insta: @katiemackk @katiemackwrites @joey.mcd33 TikTok: @katie.damsnackbarpod Episode Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ias3T7SOBIJe-_RDgau-po_7BQqJYS0aZbZ096BKk4g/edit?usp=sharing

In Part 2 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad are running it back with their game called "Back & Forth". This time not only to they venture into gaming but also music and movies for some intense moments and a lot of cheating allegations. They then end the show with their live Q&A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 1 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad are back after a few weeks and catchup by giving their thoughts on September's Nintendo Direct showcase. They also talk about the Xbox raising the prices of their consoles for a 2nd time this year and what it could mean for the future cost of gaming going into the next generation. They also talk about the rebranding of the Game Developers Conference into the GDC Festival of Gaming that will debut in March of 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Find Kyle's work here:Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/kyle_anderson/Laser Focus (Nerdist podcast): https://nerdist.com/listen/Doctor Who: Five Years Rapid podcast: https://fiveyearsrapid.libsyn.com/ Listen to Ben Paddon's other projects:Jump Leads: https://audio.jumpleads.zone/Good Chaotic: https://goodchaotic.com/The Game of Rassilon: https://thegameofrassilon.com/ ==============Stitches in Time website and socials available here: https://linktr.ee/whostitchedEditing and music by Becca McGlynn.Art by Mandy Oquendo.Logo by Ben Paddon.Produced by Becca McGlynn and Ben Paddon.

Celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month with a special Bottled-in-Bond showdown! In this episode, Jake and Scott sit down to compare two 7 Year Bottled-in-Bond Bourbons: Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year and Old Grand-Dad 7 Year Bonded Bourbon from the James B. Beam Distilling Co. The discussion highlights the return of age statements, the value and history of the Bottled-in-Bond designation, and what these expressions mean for today's bourbon drinker. Along the way, Jake and Scott dive into the significance of Bourbon Heritage Month and discuss exciting events like the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown. If you're curious about how these two bottled-in-bond bourbons stack up—or if you just love celebrating all things bourbon in September—this episode is a must-listen. Stream this episode on your favorite podcast platform, and if you enjoy what you hear, we'd love for you to leave us a review. We're incredibly grateful for your continued support over the past six years. A special thank you goes out to our amazing community of Patreon supporters—your support helps keep Bourbon Lens going strong! If you're enjoying the podcast, consider leaving a 5-star rating, writing a quick review, and sharing the show with a fellow bourbon enthusiast. You can follow us @BourbonLens on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X. Want to go a step further? Support us on Patreon for exclusive behind-the-scenes content, Bourbon Lens swag, access to our Tasting Club, and more. Have questions, feedback, or guest suggestions? Drop us a line at Info@BourbonLens.com. Explore BourbonLens.com for blog posts, the latest whiskey news, our full podcast archive, and detailed whiskey reviews. Cheers, Scott & Jake Bourbon Lens Image Credit: Heaven Hill Brands

Steve, Jeremy and Renee talk about the new offerings for bourbon fans. The Bourbon Show music (Whiskey on the Mississippi) is by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Important Links: ABV Network Shop: https://shop.abvnetwork.com/ YouTube: https://bit.ly/3kAJZQz Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theabvnetwork Check us out at: abvnetwork.com. Join the revolution by adding #ABVNetworkCrew to your profile on social media.

In Part 2 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad give us their Top 5 games they are looking forward to that were shown at this years Gamescom 2025 with some honorable mentions added in as well. They then end the show with their live Q&A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This podcast description was blatantly written by AI... Welcome to another unfiltered, hilarious, and heartwarming episode of the Clint, Meg, & Dan Podcast with Ash London! This week, the crew dives headfirst into the chaos of daily life, sharing everything from health fads and parenting fails to wild listener stories and emotional tributes. Plus, enjoy special guest appearances, a side hustle spotlight, and a Father’s Day segment that might just bring a tear to your eye. Settle in for a rollercoaster of banter, real talk, and the kind of radio magic you can’t find anywhere else. 00:00 – Show Intro & Early Banter06:06 – Tanning Mishaps, Parenting Stories & Sky Tower Adventures17:56 – Tarot, Lost Rings & the “Mother-in-Law’s Box” Story21:11 – Listener Calls: First Dates, Buffet Analogies & Relationship Advice25:46 – Two Dudes Skincare, Family Roasts & Product Names Gone Wrong29:11 – Granddad’s Kindy Pickup Fail & Childcare Mishaps33:23 – Spa Stars Game: Celebrity Guesses & On-Air Antics38:11 – Side Hustle Spotlight: Poor Pals with a “Snoop Dogg” Endorsement44:14 – Special Guest: Boris Talks Tomorrowland, Touring, and New Music49:00 – Father’s Day Tributes, Emotional Messages & Parenting Reflections54:10 – Technology Fails: Parents, Grandparents & Social Media Blunders1:00:00 – Meet-Cute Stories: Listeners Share Their Unlikely Love Stories1:07:00 – Chandler’s ATM Vestibule, TV Nostalgia & Sitcom Recommendations1:12:00 – More Listener Stories, Animal Tales & Show Wrap-Up

On this episode, Brian brought us an Old Fitzgerald set and Old Grand Dad Bottled in Bond set, today's pour vs some older ones from a few years back and we blinded them. The Old Fitz was the new 7yr and one from 2013. and the OGD BiB was the new 7yr vs one from 2018. While all of them were solid pours, I think we were all a bit surprised which was which. 

In Part 1 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad talk about the recent price increase of the PS5 and what it could mean for gaming in the future. They also give their thoughts on the ROG Xbox Ally handheld system due to release this year, the Sakurai presentation of "Kirby Air Riders" and the biggest reveals of this years Gamescom event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Francis interviews his own father about grandpa Horton, a man smote by God more than once but still managed to live 90+ years. From working the pipe lines to farming to warehouse work, Grandpa Horton raised seven kids through some of the toughest times in America and still managed to keep going. If you like this and are craving more, Subscribe to our Patreon and get access to more than eight years of bonus content. Three new episodes a month- https://www.patreon.com/Hellofawaytodie  Check out the store, new updates every week - https://whatahellofawaytodad.com/  

Episode 200 of The Hitstreak, a podcast where we talk about anything and everything!  This week we are joined by our very own HitLab Office Manager, Executive Assistant & Booking Manager to Nick Hiter, Dale “The SuperMale” Hiter!Episode in a Glance:In this milestone 200th episode of The Hitstreak, I get to sit down with our very own Dale “the SuperMale” and reflect on the journey of the podcast, discussing the evolution of the show, memorable guests, and the behind-the-scenes processes that have contributed to its success. We share insights into the guest selection process, statistics, and personal anecdotes that highlight the growth and impact of the podcast over the years. In this episode, we discuss the importance of building relationships with guests and the impact of their experiences on the podcast's growth. Dale and I also highlight inspiring guests, the art of preparation, and the lessons learned along the way, culminating in excitement for future episodes and continued growth.Key Points:- The Hitstreak has reached a seven-figure audience.- The podcast serves as a platform for underdogs and dreamers.- Over 500 hours of footage have been recorded in four years.- Guest selection is a meticulous process involving a prospect list.- The podcast has featured 219 different guests over its run.- Statistics show a growing interest from potential guests and PR firms.- Personal stories from guests often resonate deeply with the audience.- The booking process involves managing expectations and communication.- Building relationships with guests is a key benefit of podcasting.- Preparation is crucial for a successful podcast episode.- Memorable guests include Lester McLean and Charlie Monk.- Protecting the podcast's brand has become increasingly important.- The hosts are excited about future guests and episodes. About our guest: Dale Hiter was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a proud graduate of Antioch High School in Middle Tennessee. He spent 39 years with AT&T—though he'll tell you his best days were with BellSouth—earning a reputation for dedication, professionalism, and reliability before retiring in 2017. Since 2019, Dale has served as Office Manager at HitLab and Booking Manager to Nick Hiter, playing a vital role in managing schedules, logistics, and day-to-day operations with precision and consistency. His calm presence, sharp attention to detail, and decades of experience make him a cornerstone of the team. A cousin to Nick, Dale brings a deep sense of loyalty, faith, and family to everything he does. He's a devoted fan of Vanderbilt football, the Tennessee Titans, and the Boston Red Sox—but his favorite title by far is “Granddad” to his two-year-old granddaughter, who he often says is “what it's all about.” Outside the office, Dale enjoys quiet time with family and staying rooted in the community he's always called home.Follow and contact:Instagram: @dalehiterhitlabstudio.comSubscribe to Nick's top-rated podcast The Hitstreak on Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/NickHite⁠rFollow and Rate us on Spotify: ⁠https://spotify.com/NickHiter⁠Follow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiter⁠Follow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: ⁠https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

Stacey Copeland has represented England at the highest levels in both football and boxing. These day, Stacey is a professional boxer, having gained her professional licence earlier this year.Stacey began training in the boxing gym run by her Granddad when she was 6 or 7. But she was too young to realise that, at the time, boxing was banned as a sport for women. So when the boys in her training squad turned 11 and were allowed to compete, Stacey was left on the sidelines outside the ring, watching.An incredible football career followed. And by the time Stacey retired from football, the ban on women's boxing had been lifted so she returned to the sport she loved.In this episode, we don't discuss boxing so much as Stacey's experience of being a girl and woman involved in two sports that are traditionally seen as “male sports”.Stacey talks openly about how she's struggled with the perceptions and labels given to her by others who think that boxing isn't suitable for women and how that lack of recognition fed a longstanding struggle with the Imposter Complex.We also talk about what it was like growing up in a boxing gym, the impact that having no female role models in her sport had on her, why role models are so critical, the power of language and why it's so important to be aware of the words we use and the labels we give others.Postscript: this interview was recorded in 2017. The following year, Stacey went on to win the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and become the first ever British woman to win the Super Welterweight Commonwealth title.

Discover Lafayette welcomes Marcelle Bienvenu, cookbook author and food writer who has been preparing Cajun and Creole dishes since the 1960s. A St. Martinville native, she still lives there with her husband, Rock Lasserre. Marcelle has written about Creole and Cajun cooking for The Times-Picayune, Time-Life Books, and has been featured in Garden & Gun, Food & Wine, Saveur, Southern Living, Redbook, The New York Times, Louisiana Life, and Acadiana Profile. She authored Who's Your Mama? Are You Catholic and Can You Make a Roux?, as well as Who's Your Mama? The Sequel, and Cajun Cooking for Beginners. She co-edited Cooking Up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, which was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2009. Marcelle worked with Emeril Lagasse for 15 years and coauthored several cookbooks with him, including Louisiana Real & Rustic, Emeril's Creole Christmas, Emeril's TV Dinners, and Every Day's a Party. She also owned and operated the beloved restaurant Chez Marcelle in Broussard, at the former Billeaud Family Plantation site. She has worked at legendary restaurants including Commander's Palace and K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen in New Orleans, and taught for 11 years at the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University. Growing Up in St. Martinville “When I was a youngster, it was idyllic. You could ride your bike anywhere. Nobody cared where you were going. We could go around the block and ask all the ladies, ‘What do you have for supper tonight?' If I liked hers better than mine, I could stay with her. Everybody on our block was related.” Her father's family owned The Teche News, and she grew up folding papers and helping with printing: “Besides the newspaper, Daddy did wedding invitations, football programs. I used to hate it because my hands were always full of ink… Mama would fix the sandwiches at the newspaper office because we never went home on paper day until late. The ink was all over your bread.” She credits her early love of cooking to meals at family camps on Vermilion Bay: "My father was a Boy Scout leader, and we had a camp at Granddad's on Vermilion Bay, at Sycamore Point, and we had one in the Basin. A lot of our meals were cooked on an open fire wood bar. And I thought that was absolutely fabulous. So I would sit at my daddy's elbow with his beer. I was beer holder. I would say, shouldn't you go medium low? You don't have a dial, you'd have to move it. I became infatuated with that. I thought that was just marvelous. “We were laughing the other day about when we were little, nobody said, oh, we're going to have Cajun food. Are we going to New Orleans? Can we have Creole food? We never would. Nobody ever said that." An interesting side note: Marcelle is the aunt of Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry. His mother and Marcelle's sister, Edna Bienvenu Landry, died in 2019. Our governor also unfortunately recently lost his father, architect and business owner, Al James Landry, on July 30, 2025. The Start of a Culinary Career In 1971, while working at The Times-Picayune, Marcelle met the Time-Life Books crew. “They were thinking of doing a book on Acadian Creole cooking… We were supposed to be only a chapter in the Southern book, but we ended up with a whole book.” Working with the Brennans and legendary chef Paul Prudhomme shaped her approach: “He really brought Cajun cooking up to another level… It was absolutely wonderful to see them marrying those two cuisines to see what they came up with." Before Prudhomme joined Commander's Palace, no one in New Orleans was serving chicken and andouille sausage gumbo. Chez Marcelle Marcelle's uncle offered to finance a restaurant in Broussard, and they transformed the old Billeaud Plantation home: “We did fabulously for almost four years and then the whole business… the oil industry crashed. It happened so fast my CPA called to ask if we had closed.

  Your Story Is Their Inheritance Why documenting your life may be the most powerful gift you leave behind “When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground.” – African proverb We spend our lives accumulating experiences, lessons, values, and insights — but how much of it do we pass on? Not the stuff — the stories. The moments. The decisions. The wisdom. Your story is your legacy. And your family needs it more than you think. Why Your Story Matters We all come from a long line of stories, but too often they fade with time. Maybe your grandfather was a hard worker. Maybe your mother overcame something quietly heroic. Perhaps you have survived things your family doesn't even know about. When you document your story — even in bits and pieces — you create a bridge. A bridge between your past and their future. Between who you are and who they're becoming. And no, it doesn't have to be perfect. Or polished. It just has to be yours. What Your Family Will Miss If You Don't Without your voice, future generations may only have fragments: A photo with no context. A family name with no meaning. A vague sense that “Granddad was a good guy.” But what if they could hear your words? Understand your decisions? Learn how you navigated heartbreak, failure, laughter, and faith? What if they could know the real you? That's the kind of inheritance that lasts longer than money ever will. How to Start Documenting Your Story (Without Getting Overwhelmed) You don't have to write a memoir or produce a documentary. Start simple: Record 10-minute voice memos, sharing key moments Write short stories from your life in a journal Use prompts like: “What's the hardest decision I ever made?” or “What do I want my grandchildren to know about love, work, or faith?” Create a timeline of your life's major turning points The key is to start. Perfection is not required. But your presence is. This Isn't Just About You — It's About Them Somebody in your family will face something you've already faced. They'll need wisdom. They'll crave connection. And when they find your words — your story — it will be like finding a flashlight in the dark. And maybe, just maybe, your voice will speak into a moment you'll never live to see… but your wisdom will. That's legacy. And that's leaning toward wisdom. Please tell a friend about the podcast! • Join our private Facebook group • Email me

In Part 2 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad bring a new segment called "Ultimate Sacrifice". This is where one of them has to say a game or franchise that has been gone for years that they really want to come back but in order for that to happen they must sacrifice another game or franchise that they love. Some choices end of being easier than others. They then end the show with their live Q&A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 1 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad breakdown the insane gameplay video for Phantom Blade Zero and make early predictions of how the game will be received when it finally releases. They also talk about the latest update for the God of War series set to released on Amazon and what they hope to see. They then give their thoughts on the rough launch for Wu Chang Fallen Feathers, the new Fight Stick from PlayStation and the latest PS Plus Free Games for the month of August. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Jim Beam distillery recently resurrected a legend and released Old Grand Dad Bottled in Bond with a 7 year age statement. This return of age statements to bonded products is a recent trend that we have seen from many legacy distillers. Even though OGD used to carry an 8 year age statement, the return of the product to the shelf with an 7 year age statement and with an MSRP of $40 has been met with a lot of excitement. But how does the bourbon taste? More importantly, how does it stack up to some of it's recently released counter parts from other distilleries? Give us a listen this week to find out. It is worth noting that Kenny and Cam from Drums & Drams already did this blind and recorded it. We are working to get that video out ASAP, but the results in this episode did not match what Kenny & Cam did previously. Ohh boy. Cheers. --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPVisit https://woodworkcollective.shop and enter code MASHUP for a 15% discount on your orderCome hang with us at the the Hoochenanny Whiskey and Music Festival (Aug. 8-10) - https://hoochenanny.com/Music: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

H3 Segment 2 - Tue July 29 2025 - Charlie talks to Chico in Gendale " I appreciate your show and so Inspired about your Granddad"

In Part 2 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad breakdown a hypothetical situation based on rumors that Las Vegas casinos were going to start having Uno tables at their establishments. They drive the point home that it would be a very bad idea because Uno can get real serious, real fast. They then end the episode with their live Q&A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode #92Anything Bondian Rob: Rob talks about listening to the La La Land OHMSS CD. He also talks to his mate who tells me his Granddad was Michael Craig who was suggested to be Bond by Saltzman before Connery.Anything Bondian Pete: I speak about binge listening to Music of Bond podcast and diving into the Ian Fleming tape on Desert Island Discs.MINS 121 & 122 of Casino Royale.Bond has baggy clothes in the love making scene and Rob is not a fan. I spot a trope that Craig does when he kisses. Let me know if you agree.Shownotes and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ can be found on the blog:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fromtailorswithlove.co.uk/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bless your hearts.Show is brought to you byWilde&Harte⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wildeandharte.co.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Discount code Tailors20&Propstore⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.propstore.com⁠⁠⁠⁠Also we recorded ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠a Patreon show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Please follow the THERE WILL BE MORE BOND page and get early access to the free pod and all videos.https://www.patreon.com/c/ThereWillBeMoreBond

In Part 1 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad breakdown the Ghost of Yotei showcase from the most recent State of Play. They also talk about Xbox laying off 200 employees with plans to replace them with AI, a possible upcoming Nintendo Direct, the current fighter showcases for Invincible VS and the full trailer for Sagat in Street Fighter 6. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 2 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad give their Mid-Year Top 5 Games for 2025. Granddad's list however is has Beezy scratching his head not because of the games but the way Granddad decided on them. They also give their games that they are looking forward to dropping in the second half of 2025. They then end the show with their live Q&A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watch on YouTube I've officially completed my journey through all 25 Eon-produced James Bond films, and now it's time to rank them all from worst to best! From Sean Connery's iconic debut in Dr. No, to Daniel Craig's emotional finale in No Time To Die, I break down my personal rankings of every official 007 film. This video is a companion piece to my Drinks and a Movie Podcast, where I recently finished a full James Bond series—watching all the Eon films for the first time and discussing them in-depth. Along the way, I paired the experience with some classic spirits, including a pour of Old Grand-Dad 16-Year-Old Bourbon, a nod to the Ian Fleming novels, where Bond occasionally sips this lesser-known American whiskey.Whether you're a lifelong Bond fan or new to the franchise, I invite you to join me as I rank all the James Bond movies, share my thoughts on each Bond actor, and reflect on the franchise's evolution over six decades. 

In Part 1 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad play catch up and recap some of their favorite announcements from all the big showcases that happened in June. They also, continue their discussion on the SAG-AFTRA strike with news that it may be over. They also talk about the huge critical acclaim that Hideo Kojima is getting with the release of Death Stranding 2, EA bringing back college basketball and the disastrous release of Mindseye. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a text2025 continues to be the year of age statements seemingly making a return and Jim Beam is making another wave with the introduction of their Old Grand-Dad 7 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon. Utilizing their high rye mashbill and the traditional bottled in bond confines of at least 4 years old and no more of less than 100 proof, this bourbon certainly will have something for the discerning palate, right? Only time will tell! I'm also comparing it to the Jim Beam 7 Year Bourbon and Old Grand-Dad 114 to see how it stacks up to some readily available products in the Beam lineup. It's a fun one and I hope you enjoy.Become a patron of the show at http://www.patreon.com/mybourbonpodcastLeave us a 5 star rating and review on your podcast app of choice!Send us an email with questions or comments to thisismybourbonshop@gmail.comSend us mail to PO Box 22609, Lexington, KY 40522Check out all of our merch and apparel: http://bourbonshop.threadless.com/Leave us a message for Barrel Rings at 859.428.8253Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mybourbonpod/Twitter: https://twitter.com/mybourbonpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mybourbonpod/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisismybourbonpodcastPayPal, if you feel so inclined: PayPal.me/pritter1492Link to our Barrell Rye Armagnac Finished Pick: https://shop.whiskeyinmyweddingring.com/products/barrell-private-release-rye-1a03Support the show

Jim Beam recently launched Old Grand Dad Bottled in Bond with a 7 year age statement. This product joins the trend that we've seen recently with legacy distillers returning higher age statements to bonded products. Old Grand Dad used to carry an 8 year age statement, but enthusiasts and newbies alike were happy to see the return of the age statement at an MSRP of $40. But how does this taste? More importantly, how does it stack up against other legacy distillers recent age stated releases? You'll have to give us a listen to find out. It is worth noting that Kenny had already done a similar blind with Cam from Drums & Drams. Even though we haven't put that video out yet, the results from this blind differ from that one. Ohhhh boy. Cheers.--------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPVisit https://woodworkcollective.shop and enter code MASHUP for a 15% discount on your orderCome hang with us at the the Hoochenanny Whiskey and Music Festival (Aug. 8-10) - https://hoochenanny.com/Music: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

In Part 2 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad bring something new with their version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" and brings in 2 contestants from the DEG community to answer a series of questions curated by the hosts to see which contestant does the best. Lifelines, wild guesses and crazy decisions are all here. They then end the episode with their live Q&A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Noel Massie, former UPS Executive, father of two, celebrates Father's Day with us. He is extremely proud of his two sons, first and foremost because of their integrity and character as men. Noel and Amanda did a remarkable job developing their characters molding their passion and work ethic, whatever they were to pursue. What's Truly Significant about the opportunity to be a Dad or Granddad? Teach kindness and inspire your children to contribute to society.Learn about how Noel's upbringing positively influenced from his Grandparents.  What a powerful impact his Barbershop Granddad had. Consider what is your "barbershop" today to share life lessons.Consider your legacy as a Dad and GrandDad. Celebrate your day in grand style. Buy Noel's wonderful book-  Congrats- You've Been Promoted. And join our local movement out of Austin to recognize the most truly significant people in your life. Visit www.trulysignificant.com today.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.

In Part 1 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad talk about the State of Unreal presentation that dives deeper into the newest version of Unreal Engine and give their thoughts. They also preview several other showcases which they will follow up with on the next episode. They also discuss the cancellation of the Black Panther game by EA, Xbox putting there standalone handheld on hold, the promising leaks on the next 3 games from the Resident Evil series and the current PS Plus games for the month of June. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this DEG Special, the Dead End Gaming crew is back again to give their spoiler-filled review of the second season of The Last of Us series. Beezy, Granddad, and Majestic Madness go in depth with their discussion and critiques of each episode of the season as well as give their predictions on what we can expect for season 3. The Last of Us Season 1 & 2 is streaming now on HBO MAX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 2 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad bring back an oldie but goodie in the form of "One Gotta Go". They take it though the gauntlet with 3 separate scenarios for music, movies and video games. They then end the episode with their live Q&A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this DEG Special, the Last of Us crew are back once again to give their spoiler filled review of the second season of The Last of Us series. Beezy, Granddad and Majestic Madness go in depth with their discussion and critiques of each episode of the season as well as give their predictions on what we can expect for season 3. The Last of Us Season 1 & 2 is streaming now on HBO MAX. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 1 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad talk about Nintendo being more than serious about it's user agreements with the Switch 2 in regards to modders and the potential repercussions that could follow. They also give their thoughts on the announcement of Stellar Blade 2 and the Overwatch 2 x Street Fighter 6 crossover. Also they speak on SAG-AFTRA's response to Fortnite's use of A.I. for voicing one of their characters and Gearbox owner Randy Pitchford calling out "real fans" when it comes to a possible $80 price tag for Borderlands 4. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 2 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad give their rankings of all the mainline games from the Grand Theft Auto franchise. They then end the episode with their live Q&A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 1 of this episode of the Dead End Gaming Podcast Beezy and Granddad talk about the 1 year delay of GTA VI as well as look at the official 2nd trailer that released after. They also talk about the frenzy that is preordering the Nintendo Switch 2 and how to possibly get your hands on one at launch. They then discuss the PS Plus Monthly games for May, Gears of War being remastered and released on the PS5 and the release date trailer/reveal for Ghost of Yotei. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rick writes "When I was younger I lived in Mississippi in a very little town called Poplar Creek. Its very remote and there is nothing there but open farm land. I now live in Asheville, NC I sometimes go back to MS to see family from time to time. When I do go back I always drive past where I use to live and where I first saw a creature. My family had about 80 acres of land most of it was woodland and swamp area. I never saw the creature until I was older at the age of 15. All of my life my Grandfather use to tell me and my brothers about a wild man and woman that lived in the area and was known to have been living in the area many years. I do know that land we had was very old my Grandfathers Grandparents owned the land and it was passed on over the years. If there were any activity going on over the years when I was younger I had no knowledge of any happenings. Everything changed the summer I turned 13. It was late June and summer vacation was in full effect. Living in this area everyone has a garden of some type. My family's garden was kind of big because we grew most of our food along with hunting. My Mom and Dad went out of town for a the weekend to visit some of my Dads family. During this time I staid at my Uncles house who also lived on the land we had. That Monday afternoon when my Dad came back home he took a walk in the garden and some plants were torn out of the ground and watermelons were busted open and just left in place but were eaten. Other veggies were also picked and parts were on the ground not fully eaten also. My Dad was pissed! He called me and my Cousins over to the garden and questioned us about it. We told him no it was not us and that we did not do any of this. My Grandfather saw my Dad getting on to us about this so he came over and saw everything that had happen. I will never forget my Granddaddy face as he said " It was not the kids. I know who did this". My Granddaddy told us kids to go play as he explained to my Dad about what had happen. My mom and Uncle grew up on the land so I believe they knew but refused to say anything. Come to find out years before my Granddaddy had problems with the wild man and wild woman getting into his chicken coop until it got to the point he quit raising chickens. My Mom and Dad got married when i was 4 or 5 so he missed out on that time and had no idea that even happened. After my Dad heard the story he was in shock but did not believe it until the next morning when more watermelons and other fruits were completely gone. Our two apple trees were picked bare and branches were broken along with our peach trees with peaches that were half eaten or were stepped on. My Dad noticed that our black-eyed peas were being picked and eaten as he would find half eaten hulls or just the hulls on the ground. That night my Dad called his 3 brothers and they came to our house along with my Granddaddy and uncle and they had a meeting in our Livingroom and we the kids had to go play in our rooms. Wes I'm not joking with this my Uncles were locked and loaded Mississippi rednecks were in full effect. LOL.. My Granddad and uncle ( his son) were in the loft of our barn. Two of my Dads brothers got on top of my Dads work shop and my Dad and his other brother were posted up in the field in the back of his old truck. I do not know what time it was but it was late and guns were going off. I jumped up out of bed and ran to a window to see what was going on. After a bit my Mom was pacing back and forth wondering what had happen. The family walked in and each one was shook up. I think because they saw IT.. They told me to go to bed and don't come back out. I could hear them talking and one of my Uncles saying This is not true There is no way that is real I cant believe it .. They staid the night and in the morning everyone went into the woods looking for what they may have seen the night before. around 11 am the men came back with a lot of questions on their face. None of them talked about it and I was told to not talk about this ever to no one. From then on there were no more encounters until the spring of 1993. I was riding the school bus home and was sitting at the back of the bus on the right hand side and my friend Joe was sitting across from me on the left hand side. We passed a bridge that had a small open field on the side of it. This field met the edge of the land my family owned . There it was squatted down drinking water from his hand and in the split 3 seconds Joe and I saw the creature we both turned to each other asking DID YOU SEE THAT! I said what the Hell was that and Joe straight out said Bigfoot!!! a few moments later i was off the bus and was running into tell my Mom. At this time my Dad and Grand Dad had both passed so now this news really shook up my Mom. It was not until a few months later my mother sold the land and we moved away." We will wrap up with Timothy Renner to discuss his new book, I Have Never Minded the Loneliness: Hermits and Their Stories. What compels a person to leave behind society, forsaking family, friends, and the comforts of modern life to live in solitude? The hermits of the 19th and early 20th Centuries are as fascinating as they are mysterious. These enigmatic figures often became the focus of public interest, with newspaper stories turning them into local legends, folk heroes, and symbols of a life apart. Within these pages, you'll discover the extraordinary lives of hermits who defied convention: John Stink, rumored to have died and risen again–more than once; William Woodruff, whose long vow of silence followed a broken heart; Brusher Mills, the serpent-hunter who sold his own snake-oil remedies; and Truman "Commodore" Downs, who claimed Mars as his homeland. Meet Adolphe-Julian Fouré, the reclusive priest who carved strange tales into Brittany's coastal rocks, and Alice Grace, who made her home in an old bacon box, telling fortunes. From William Pester, the desert-dweller who may have inspired Nat King Cole's Nature Boy, to the Old Leather Man, a wandering enigma clad in patchwork leather, and O.B. Joyful, the hermit some call America's first hippie–these stories, and many more, reveal the complex lives of individuals who chose to live apart from the world. Link to: I Have Never Minded the Loneliness: Hermits and Their Stories