Podcasts about Hush

On this week's Talkhouse Podcast we've got a pair of guys who don't know each other well, but who've crossed paths a few times over the years—most recently at the Desert Daze festival, Nick Allbrook and Josh Conway. Allbrook is the frontman of the Australian psychedelic rock band Pond, which is sort of inextricably linked with another Australian band, Tame Impala. Allbrook was actually a member of Tame for years while also playing with Pond—which includes some current members of Tame Impala. But Pond, which has been around about as long, has built a sound of its own, much more hard charging than that other band, and released a whopping nine albums of frenetic, fun, fuzzy rock. If you've never heard the band, their album titles give a hint as to what they're all about, from Corridors of Blissterday to Man It Feels Like Space Again. Pond's latest album has a much simpler title, it's called 9, and among its fantastic tracks is this one, “Lights of Leeming.” Josh Conway is a huge fan of Pond, though his own band, The Marias, approaches music with a much gentler soul. Conway started the group with his significant other, the band's namesake Maria Zardoya. Their beginnings are kind of funny: They tried to write songs for film and TV placements, none of which—as you'll hear in this chat—were ever picked up. But, happy with what they'd written, Conway and Zardoya ended up releasing them anyway, and the Marias was born. Their alt-pop is miles from our other guest's on today's episode, with elements of jazz and even reggaeton sprinkled throughout a great debut album called Cinema. Check out “Hush” from that album right here. In this conversation, Allbrook and Conway talk about the work hours of Australians versus Catalonians, about how even a deliberate attempt to sell out can result in great creative work, and how taking a walk under the influence of molly and Outkast changed Conway's outlook. Also, they declare, cheekily, that God is dead, and art is too. Enjoy. Thanks for checking out the Talkhouse Podcast, and thanks to Nick Allbrook and Josh Conway for chatting. If you liked what you heard, please follow Talkhouse on your favorite podcast platform. This episode was produced by Keenan Kush, and the Talkhouse theme is composed and performed by The Range.

The only vice // www.Cointelpro2zero.com

Everything couldn't have fallen apart over a steak bomb sub right?

Nyheterna Radio 10:00

“On that day, when evening came, He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side.' Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Yeshua Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?' And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.' And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?' They became very much afraid and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?'” (Mark 4:35-41, NASU). “When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Yeshua Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing!' He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?' Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, ‘What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'” (Matthew 8:23-27, NASU). “Now on one of those days Yeshua and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side of the lake.' So they launched out. But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. They came to Yeshua and woke Him up, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!' And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. And He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?' They were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?'” (Luke 8:22-25, NASU).

HIP HOP en CIUDAD REAL (España) Episodio 55 · NOVIEMBRE 2022 HAN SONADO: · Carmina · Sutil Kármico y Pater Jacob (adelanto exclusivo) · Tribade y Jota Dee Z (Propaganda pel Fet) · Hammer y Ösel Hush · Rafa Carlavilla y CurroKush

Américo Fernández och Susanne Eliasson gör ett bokslut över det ekonomiska läget 2022 och blickar fram mot 2023. De diksuterar bland annat räntan, hur de ser på utvecklingen för bostadspriserna och var inflationen tar vägen.  Här kan du läsa fler aktuella analyser av den ekonomiska utvecklingen: https://seb.se/privat/ekonominyheter?icmp=sebsep_genother_rmb_x_dinprivatekonomi

Vi pratar om de vardagsnära maskinerna som vi har i våra kök. Hur fungerar micron, är hushållsassistenten en bra grej. Den typen av saker funderar vi kring denna torsdag. 

Mysterious beings take away everyone's voices, and Buffy and Riley are forced to reveal their secret identities in one of the creepiest and most iconic episodes ever. Join Sarah, Tabby, Leah, and guests Catherine and David as they discuss themes of communication, dread, and identity.

What's more peaceful than a quiet night in a cabin in the woods? This is a horror movie podcast…the answer is literally anything else. Join us as we get into our comfies, discuss Shay's crush on Kate Siegel, and revisit the infamous ding ding fwee in 2016's Hush. Follow us on Instagram at @thewhorrorspodcast Email us at thewhorrorspodcast@gmail.com Artwork by Gabrielle Fatula (gabrielle@gabriellefatula.com) Music: Epic Industrial Music Trailer by SeverMusicProd Standard Music License Works Referenced: How Deafness in Horror Evolved Beyond Damsels in Distress by Kristen Lopez: https://www.indiewire.com/2020/10/mike-flanagan-hush-deafness-in-horror-1234593748/ Hush IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5022702/ Hush Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hush_(2016_film) What a Movie Like Hush Means for Disabled Representation by Kristen Lopez: https://filmschoolrejects.com/how-hush-brings-disability-into-the-light-58b7b1447af7/

I'm often asked about our music. We have a band called PROJECT HAYSEED that records music for Patriots. In this episode I tell the story of the song "HUSH". Hush is a song about abortion. A sweet, tender song that was literally downloaded into my brain and that I got credit for writing. God wrote this song, not me.The meat and potatoes of this are in the podcast. So I'll just include the lyrics here and the links to PROJECT HAYSEED and the song itself.Share this song far and wide.Good luck America~jb~HUSH - Written by Joey BrunoHush little baby don't you cryThe sun will never touch your eyesThere's no need for bows in your hairThey won't need a rocking chairHush little baby don't you cryHush little baby there's no tears You'll never have to face our fearsLearn to crawl or to walkLearn to smile or to talkHush little baby don't you crySleep little baby, sleep through this stormSleep little Angel, until the pain is goneSleep little one I know it's trueLittle baby there's a better place for youHush little baby don't you cryYour Momma chose to say goodbyeYou'll never hear her call your nameShe'll go on with no shameHush little baby don't you crySleep little baby, sleep through this stormSleep little Angel, until the pain is goneSleep little one I know it's true Little baby there's a better place for youSleep little baby, sleep through this stormSleep little Angel, ‘til the pain is goneDon't open your eyes - until you've arrivedTo a place with open armsLittle baby, go back homeLINKS:PROJECT HAYSEED WEBSITEhttp://www.projecthayseed.comThe Song "HUSH"http://www.projecthayseed.com/hushBATES BROTHERS RECORDINGhttps://www.batesbrothersrecording.com HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW!! Wanna support the show? Buy me a coffee! MEMBERSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE!Support the showThanks for being a part of America's #1 (3rd Rate) Podcast!!Grab a coffee cup!!https://www.gives0.com/storeCheck out PROJECT HAYSEED!!Find me on TRUTH SOCIAL!!@joeybrunoIV

Hickory takes Mara and Hush out on more bounties while the rest of the party gets more acquainted with Valorfall, but things don't go exactly to plan...

Jim Durkin is flying solo on this podcast episode with the boys from Hunters United for Sunday Hunting (HUSH). Kevin Askew and Doug Lapp discuss antiquated blue laws in Pennsylvania that severely restrict Sunday hunting and how HUSH is fighting those outdated laws.

With all the fighting & sex, my work reviews should suck.By FinalStand. Listen and subscribe to the podcast at Steamy Stories.-Saving a life isn’t about worthiness. It is about instinct and guts.-(Friday)Since I liked to think that life encouraging me with bruises, punctures, cuts and concussions made me smarter, I had scheduled some eleven o'clock gym time most of the week so to avoid the whole lunch and after-work crowds. Aya and I went to the ‘Others’ gym, which was nice, but wasn’t as complete as the Full/Pure-blood one. Most notable was the lack of weapons.Aya’s and my trip to the 'Other’ gym on Friday hit a snag. Aya clued in on the fact that I was avoiding the Pure-blood facility. We talked about it. I explained I wasn’t a Pure-blood. Her counter-argument was she was and I should confront my fears. Yes, I lost an argument with a nine year old.I have talked a nineteen year old, promise ring virgin into nameless sex in an airport stall. Aya was an unassailable wall of resolve that dashed all of my ploys into so many useless words. I found myself entering the real 'No Man’s Land’ twice in less than a week. Not only was I hard-headed, I was also obviously soft-hearted.At the last moment, I imagined I had a reprieve. I didn’t have to tell Aya how I got in the first time - grabbing an open door. I could swipe my card, have it rejected and move on to safer pursuits. Sure enough, my card failed. Aya’s didn’t - mother-puss-bucket! Upon entering, the twenty, or so women in the place looked at me…and Aya.I recognized somebody. It was Constanza, Elsa’s chief evil henchwoman. Our eyes met. She smiled in a way that assured me she vividly recalled our last encounter. It should be of no surprise that I insulted her somewhere in the process. It’s how I roll. I smiled back at Constanza and gave her a nod before setting up Aya and me for our workout routine.Constanza was not mollified in the slightest. She was patiently waiting - for something. I decided that Aya would be my sole focus and banished the other women from my mind. The munchkin could tell the difference and relayed that to me with her happiness. After twenty minutes, she decided her time with the machines was done and her minutes were better spent resting against, or sitting on, me.My cock was reminding me that it was approaching 36 torturous hours without sex. It was also pointing out that there were thirty available, sexually inquisitive women achingly close. I reminded my penis that being relocated was probably as fun-less as it sounded. That bought me some time. We finished up our sojourn by walking the wall, going over the weapon racks.Mainly we went over the ones various members of her family were proficient with. Aya still had problems with even the most basic ones. The words 'let me help you’ spilled out of my mouth. There were two problems; Aya’s tiny size and the fact that all the weapons were very dangerous. Even the leaf-shaped short blade was too heavy for her so we ended up screwing around instead.I picked up two Iron Age style axes. The blades were more of a thick wedge than the broad axe heads of medieval fame. They were less effective in delivering damage, compensating somewhat in their reduced weight. I’ve convinced a Jewish girl to have sex in a synagogue despite me not being Jewish yet this child was twirling me around her pinkie finger.I was entertaining her with some exotic, flamboyant moves wielding two axes while Aya clapped her hands and giggled when I felt a stranger approach me on the sparring mat. I had been hopping around keeping all my weight on my right leg until that moment. I turned to face the woman, putting my left behind me yet while keeping it firmly on the ground.I also drew my axes up, crossing them over my chest, blades pointing past my shoulders.“I have never seen that technique before,” she addressed me. That and what followed was all in the Amazon tongue.“It is more of a fantasy creation. I had a love affair with pseudo-archaic movies that always do the crazy, two-weapon stuff so my mentor helped me create this method,” I explained.“Has it ever been tested?” she continued.“I am Cáel Nyilas,” I answered, “and yes, my mentor preferred using a poleaxe, or a mace/shield combo against me.”“Oneida,” she seemed amused. “We will see how well you have been tested.”“May I request a favor?” I tried to keep my cool. She pulled out one of those damn spears.“Yes,” she seemed intrigued.“Can you call someone over to sit with Aya? I don’t want her to accidently set foot on the mat,” I beseeched.“Drusilla, please aid me,” Oneida summoned an observer. The woman had heard my appeal and settled beside the nervous, kneeling Aya.“Cáel, please be careful,” Aya pleaded.“Who me?” I chuckled. “I’m impervious to all man-made contrivances.”“Every weapon in this room was crafted by women,” Oneida snorted.“That would certainly explain my full-body bruising and the hole in my leg,” I grinned back. I caught Oneida trying to sneak closer to me. My axes came to a ready position and I charged. I was sure some sort of medic would punish me for this later.She got off two jabs then I was all over her. I knew how to fight a two and a half meter spear. She had no clue how to plot out two incoming weapons with an extra meter of reach. The first time I drove her off the mat. The second time, I got inside her guard and clocked her in the temple with the back end of an axe head. I quickly hopped back three paces, knelt and put my axes on the mat.The rush to get me was stillborn. A few did come to stand over me while two others checked on Oneida who quickly came around.“What happened?” were Oneida’s first, shaky words.“He hit you,” one of her companions answered.“With what - the Moon?” Oneida mumbled as they helped her up. “My ears are still ringing.”“My turn,” Constanza announced. She went for a spear, blade, and round leather-covered, wicker shield.“Give Cáel a moment to rest,” Aya appealed. “He has been fighting longer.”No such luck. I was halfway to exhausted as well. Fighting with two weapons pretty much means just that - twice the fight. Kinetically speaking, I was burning around 80% more calories than my one weapon opponents. I was wielding axes, not fighting sticks after all. In my favor was a deep wellspring of stamina and my Will reinforced by my desire to not upset Aya.What little time I was given wasn’t out of charity. A second Amazon was joining the struggle. I could back off, but I felt Constanza would enforce an intense level of groveling solely to grind up Aya emotionally. She didn’t hate Aya. Aya was an avenue to really hurt me and we both knew it. For a second, when I hobbled off the mat, there were chuckles. I had fled.That ended as I began retrieving some select weapons from the wall racks. Sword harnesses came in two varieties; belted and shoulder slings. I took two shoulder slings and two more axes. I affixed my two 'spare’ axes with leather straps. As I turned to the mat, Constanza had decided to be clever. She and her buddy had closed to within three meters of the edge.They would box me in as soon as my second foot touched down on the mat.“Please back up,” I requested. Constanza smiled with supreme confidence. I smiled back. This was going to be dangerous, agonizing and unorthodox - totally me. I began backing up.“Cáel,” Aya murmured. “Don’t let them hurt you.”“Running away?” Constanza sneered.“Aya, wickedness is the expedience of the weak,” I nodded her way. “Do you think I can win?”“Of course,” Aya sighed happily. “I am by your side.” I laughed. I charged. The Amazons did the precisely wrong thing - the stepped up to meet me.You keep thrusting weapons, like spears, aimed at the central part of the body. This allows you to deviate your projection anywhere from the thighs to the face. This does imply you know where the central part of the enemy will be. This was not playschool. Real weapons - real damage - real death. They didn’t have to kill me. It didn’t mean they wouldn’t.I leapt. I didn’t leap at them, I leapt over them. Let’s not forget I’m pretty freaking strong. My left leg shot-gunned pain straight to the brain but held it together. I sailed over their thrusting spear points, flipped my axes down so that they would impact the mats first. The flat tops of the axe heads impacted the mat and my body rose up and then flipped over them.This gave me an extra meter and a half on my back flip. I turned that maneuver into summersault, giving three more meters of space. I rolled over to my side and rode the momentum to my feet, facing my adversaries. Now they were the ones in the corner of the mat with their enemy pinning them in and I wasn’t done yet.With all my might, I hurled my right-handed axe at Constanza’s companion. She did exactly what I thought she’d do. She saw the throw halfway in motion and raised her shield up - right where I wanted it. Amazon shields aren’t what most people think shields are today. They think medieval knights, or more appropriately, the shields of the Greek hoplites.The Amazons date back 700 years before those Greeks and they weren’t heavy infantry anyway. Amazons moved light and fast. Consequently, their shields were light - wicker constructs with layers of leather stretched over the frame. Great for deflecting light weapons; not so great for what I was about to do.The steel axe head shattered the top half of the wicker frame. It saved her life, but now she had this useless object strapped to her arm. It also had the added bonus of knocking her back while Constanza engaged me alone. Her first jab forced me to jump back, but I still was able to draw my first spare axe.My luck with women held up a little longer. The other Amazon hesitated just long enough to remove her shattered shield. Alone with Constanza, I attacked. She thrust, I captured her spear head between my axe handles and yanked her forward. We kicked out simultaneously. Her off-balanced strike brushed past my abused left leg. My right kick hit her shield and knocked her down.Her grip on the spear slipped and I propelled it somewhere behind me. Constanza pulled off a reverse summersaulted while drawing her short blade. A really nice move. Unfortunately, it moved her away from the chick with the spear, who hesitated again. This time she took the thrown axe straight to the head - back end impacting. I didn’t want to kill her.Constanza anticipated my next action. It came down to position, distance, and stride length and they all favored me. We raced to the downed companion. My left-handed axes flat side slammed into her forehead, rendering her unconscious, and I kicked her spear off the mat - out of bounds. I slowly backed away from Constanza and readied my second spare axe.“Retire from the field,” I panted. I was physically failing fast.“Why should I?” Constanza glared. “You are about to fall over.”“Aya won’t let me fall,” I stared her down. “You couldn’t beat me with a companion and a spear, Constanza. Do you really think a shield and sword will work any better.”“Let’s find out,” she charged. I really needed the short breather to recover somewhat.The short Amazon blade was an excellent close-in weapon. I never let her get close enough to use it. Tandem axes allowed me to shred her shield while keeping her at arm’s length. My axe bit into her upper left arm right above the elbow. Constanza hissed instead of screaming. She did stagger back. I hopped back three steps, knelt and placed my axes on the mat at my side.“No!” Constanza howled. She came at me while I remained still. Her hand drew back for a killing thrust. I waited. Sparing my life didn’t stop her. The looks of her fellow Amazons held back her wrath. They wouldn’t stop her from slaughtering me, but that was exactly what it was - a butchery.Two things occurred to me: Aya was showing remarkably better control today than on Saturday, and I figured out a way to sleep with Buffy tonight. Being killed? Nah, worry about the things you have control over.“Constanza, he was instructing me,” Oneida stood up.She took up Constanza’s discarded spear and stepped toward us. What disturbed the gathering was how Oneida held it - sidewise, not ready for combat.“You do not intimidate me, Oneida,” Constanza growled.“You misunderstand,” Oneida intoned. “I would do this out of shame and despair.”“I will shear my hair, burn it and take myself to the cliffs to die childless,” she continued. “I leave whatever contempt you might possess for me to be conveyed to my House when they learn your actions have killed one of their last breeding females. The death of some male will not concern them. My death will. The shame I bear for killing a teacher will certainly interest many of our people.”“You wouldn’t dare,” Constanza scoffed. The spear dropped. Fuck that noise. I snatched the last quarter of the shaft before it hit the ground. No one seemed to understand what to do about that. Apparently my reaction was unique.“Yay!” Aya cheered. “He’s the best Daddy ever,” she loudly announced to the crowd.“Oneida, my apology, but Katrina has put her faith in me and the New Directive,” I adlibbed. “I am here to aid the recovery of your people, not diminish them. For the sake of Katrina’s honor, please reconsider.”“Cáel Nyilas,” Oneida smiled sadly, “this is not a pledge that can be retracted.”“Ah…doesn’t it only take effect when the weapon hits the ground?” I struggled. “I mean, otherwise dropping the weapon would be pointless - right?” I repeat, apparently this had never come up before. “This is kind of awkward. Can someone take this?” I meant the spear. I was worn to the bone and holding a long spear from one end, with one hand.Quickly calls went out to Hayden as well as a few department heads.“Constanza,” one of the Amazons spoke up, “if you attack the male, you will be actively sealing Oneida’s Death Pledge. Far fewer of us will understand that.”“How is it that you are so damn lucky?” Constanza growled at me.“You are asking this of a man, on his knees before you with your sword at his throat?” I countered. “Lucky isn’t you sparing my life. Lucky is me never having heard of this place - Except for Aya. She makes the rest of this hellish experience worthwhile.”“Best Daddy ever,” Aya chirped.“Hayden is on her way,” a different Amazon called out. Already a passel of newcomers were swarming the scene. Truly curious was the group looking mournfully at Oneida. One stepped forward.“Male, do you need something? Water?” she asked. I gave it some thought.“Could you sing?” I requested. “A nice soothing song of hope would be nice.” Blink. Like all panicked moments, nothing came to mind for several seconds. Oneida’s people rapidly bantered about some names then the questioner began singing. By the third song I was crying and shaking like a leaf. Constanza had fallen back enough to get her arm tended to.Twice Aya had tried to get me, lending me the tiniest bit more strength. Wisely, her minder kept her away from the possible conflict. There was a whole different level of commotion when Hayden arrived this time.“To bear a weapon in my presence is Death, Cáel,” Hayden stated.“I apologize for being a disappointing Male,” I grunted. “Pass on my regrets to Katrina.”“Drop the weapon and you will be spared. You will only be beaten,” Hayden gave a hint of a smile.“If I drop it, she dies,” I hissed. The ache in my right arm was exceeding that in my left leg.“I’m afraid I will have to decline,” I concluded.“If I kill you, the spear will drop and she’ll die anyway,” Hayden pointed out.“Sucks to be both of us, I guess,” I gasped.“Oneida, step on the spear. Push it down,” Hayden ordered. Hush. Oneida raised her foot.“You are stepping in the wrong place,” I huffed. She looked at me. My eyes flashed to the short side between my grip and my side.“Do you really think you can hold it up?” she questioned.“I know I’ll fail if you step anywhere else,” I tried to grin.“No matter what happens, you will die,” she murmured.“Not my chief concern right now,” I grunted. “Hurry.” Oneida put her foot on the short end.“It will help your balance if you place a hand on his shoulder,” Hayden noted. We both flashed Hayden a shocked look.Oneida stepped on the spear. It trembled and sunk down, barely millimeters off the mat. Her hand came to rest on the crux of my neck and shoulder. I felt my body about to tip over. I was at my limit. I almost missed the gasps whispering around the assembly. Oneida had her body off the ground. Hayden lowered herself so that she could witness there was a distance between the spear and the earth.“The spirits have not heard your pledge, Oneida,” Hayden declared as she regained her regal posture. “I suggest you weigh your words with greater care in the future. Retrieve your spear.” She turned and started to leave the gym. Oneida dismounted and snatched up her spear.“What of the male?” one of the spectators inquired. I didn’t care. I had fallen on my back.“At a moment of such great spiritual significance - the ancestral rejection of a Death Pledge, the action of any one male does not concern me,” Hayden remarked coldly. It wasn’t praise. It was a 'don’t fuck with him’. Around me a cultural conundrum was taking place. Not only could Oneida’s house not thank me because I was a male, they couldn’t thank me because, by Hayden’s decree, there was no life to be saved.Oneida bent over me on one knee.“You really shouldn’t be so eager to toss your life away, Cáel,” she smiled warmly. I was essentially immobile.“You have the most gorgeous blue-grey eyes,” I moaned.“You are thinking about that at a time like this?” she snorted. Her relatives were shockingly amused as well.“No time like the present. Besides, in 75 days you can all go out to some nature preserve and hunt me down with non-lethal weapons. Great way to spend a weekend.”I heard an authoritative cough. I looked up from my still prone position to see Katrina.“Cancel that Oneida. I’m about to get relocated to Antarctica where I’ll be tasked with teaching penguins how to arm wrestle,” I sighed.“Cáel, why do you think I’d be so nice to you after all the hell you cause me on a daily basis?” Katrina looked all menacing.“You recall how much I like winter sports?” I pleaded. “Hey - wait. I was good on Friday. Wasn’t I good on Friday?”“I don’t recall you having a good day yet, but I may double check. Can you stand?” Katrina asked.“Is that a question, or veiled order?” I muttered. “If the former - no. If that latter, I’ll die trying.” Using a combination of my right leg and left arm, I managed to struggle my way upright. By that time, Aya had circled the practice mat and was at Katrina’s side.“He was very brave,” Aya insisted. One of Oneida’s senior women coughed.“Nothing happened so nothing has changed,” Katrina stated. It was a lie and both sides knew it. It was the whole loyalty/martial valor thing. Inside their closed little minds a balancing act had taken place - my worthlessness as a male against Oneida’s value to her people. Aya was easy to discount as she was of Katrina’s house.I had no clue who Oneida was yet still rallied to her when she desperately needed help - Hayden’s obfuscation be damned. Yeah, Oneida had been young and foolish. Her challenge had been given to make Constanza back off. When Constanza called her bluff, pride took over. Oneida had been foolhardy and overly status conscious. Constanza had played Russian roulette with their House’s future and almost 'won’.She’d be wise to avoid darkened corridors for the next few weeks too. There was not only Oneida’s house but the houses allied to it to worry about despite Hayden’s expunging of the official record. For me, it was time to be dragged over to my cute doctor friend. I had been slashed twice by the spears during my jump and not noticed it - adrenaline no doubt.“Congratulations, you and Aya are forbidden to work. I thought keeping you in the building would be safer. I’m mature enough to admit I was wrong,” Katrina conceded. “No place is safe for you, or from you. I’m sending you home, under guard.”“Can I choose Buffy?” I perked up. Katrina arched an eyebrow.“I also need something,” I kept slaloming down toward Hell. “I need a six hour dispensation from you on the whole sex thing with employees.”“Oh Goddess,” Katrina laughed. “What part of me wanting you to stay alive have you missed?”“Are you going to sleep with my Mommy now?” Aya grinned.“No,” Katrina answered for me, “he’s going to play with Buffy.” Right on the money. One scary-smart woman without a doubt. “Best of all, I’ll let you assign Buffy to be your security for the night and you can tell her the good news when you get home. Aya, that means Cáel does, not you.”“Yes Aunt Katrina,” Aya moaped.She wanted me to be banging Caitlyn; her Momma. We would make love, Caitlyn would take me as her mate and I’d be Aya’s Daddy for real. She’d kill me a month later for my twelfth indiscretion. I’m not a fortuneteller. I’m a bookie and I knew the odds of me staying faithful were a sucker’s bet.The only questions were how many and with which one Caitlyn would kill me with. I wasn’t sure how to break that reality to Aya. After getting bandaged/tortured my doctor, cleaned up and redressed, I managed to survive the rest of the day without catastrophe.(Later)“Cáel, do you realize that you’ve been wounded more than most Security Detail recruits do during their basic training?” Violet teased me.Buffy was too furious for coherent speech.“It isn’t his fault, Buffy,” Aya pleaded. “He wasn’t seducing a woman, or anything like that. Oneida tried to sex him up all on her own.” Huh? “Constanza’s nipples were very aroused and we all know what she wanted.”I really was worrying about the twisted sexual education Aya was getting. She knew the terms, but was missing out on the complete meaning of what she was saying.“Oneida? Who the hell is Oneida?” Buffy growled.“She’s one of the new hires with Acquisitions,” Violet answered. Brian Fung’s group.“What were you making eyes at her for?” Buffy snarled possessively.“He didn’t,” Katrina swept into the office. “She made a Death Pledge and Cáel, acting as a vessel for our Ancestors, refused it - so the youngest breeding female in House Arinniti gets to keep living.” I grunted because I knew who Arinniti was, or had been.“Vessels for the Ancestors?” Violet gasped.“Arinniti - that name rings a bell,” Buffy mumbled.“She’s one of the twenty founding bloodlines,” Aya gladly provided. Katrina took her seat behind her desk and regarded me with something between amusement, annoyance, and pride. Oh, and sex.“Violet, Cáel held a weapon in the presence of Hayden - the spear that Oneida had dropped to seal her pledge. If he was a male acting alone, he would have to be killed. Is that the course of action you wish to recommend to the High Priestess?” Katrina suggested.“Ancestors work for me,” Violet gulped.“You can’t take back a Death Pledge,” Buffy turned to Katrina. “It is a Death Pledge.”“It appears you can if Cáel is in the room,” Katrina smirked.“Best Daddy ever!” Aya yipped. “He caught the spear before it hit the ground and held it until Hayden came by and read the signs from the Ancestors that Cáel was supposed to retract Oneida’s words. Hayden even had Oneida stand on the spear, but Da - Cáel didn’t let it fall.”“Maybe the Ancestors think Cáel is sexy too,” Aya added. Groan.“They had better not,” Buffy spun back to me threateningly. Fine, if some undead man-haters thought I was hot…sigh…that might entail there would be no rest for me even in the afterlife.“Buffy, do you have plans for this weekend?” I glared.“Why?” she snapped.“Great. Katrina, I want Buffy to be my bodyguard for this weekend,” I looked to my boss. Aya almost slipped up, but bit her lip to hold herself back.“Fine,” Katrina grumbled. “I promised you that you could choose your guardian. I was truly hoping you would pick among the candidates from SD I suggested, but so be it.”“I have to be around him all weekend?” Buffy howled.“Yeah,” I exhaled happily, “and I plan to have sex all weekend long.” From the look on Buffy’s face, she knew she was going to die. She was going to see me having sex with someone else, snap, kill me then kill herself out of shame and grief. Yep, she was going to die.It turned out Aya was off to Amazon Summer Camp for Squirts. We quickly arranged a series of smoke signals she could use to send for me if she was in danger. Desiree rolled her eyes, hefted Aya’s luggage and left with my tiny boon companion. I sobbed.“Katrina, can I go see her when she’s at camp?” I turned to my boss.“Cáel Nyilas, this is a place where we send our greatest treasure - our children,” Katrina smirked. “We will not discuss the abuse of power it would be for me to reveal the location to you.”“Cool…Daphne, where is it?” I turned to my closest female new hire.“I won’t tell you and it changes every year,” Daphne smiled.“But you know where it is this year,” I persisted.“I didn’t say I didn’t,” Daphne beamed.“Fine. Come home with me. While my ogress henchwoman holds you down, I’ll tickle the truth out of you,” I menaced.“Buffy don’t!” Tigger shouted. Buffy was about to brain me with my reading lamp. I was fearless.“Okay, Bubbles,” I beamed vindictively. “Go get us a car and make it snappy.” There was a hush. “What? Did I use any words that were too big for you to understand?”Buffy’s screamed caused people to reach for their sidearm three floors away. She stormed out, thankfully not running over anyone.“Do you want to die?” Violet tugged my sleeve.“Let the 'Lost Blood’ (Old Kingdom Hittite) deal with him,” Fabiola sneered. “They are both annoyances.”I took a deep breath.“Fabiola, your laws regulate what I can and can’t say to you,” I stared at her. “Instead, I beseech you to never insult a 'Runner’ (Old Kingdom Hittite) in my presence again.”“Buffy is a 'Lost Blood’ (Old Kingdom Hittite),” Fabiola defied me. I took another deep breath then hobbled over to Katrina’s desk, retrieved a pen, piece of paper and a nice, soapstone-encased lighter.By the time I got back to my desk, I certainly had the new hires’ attention. Since Fabiola was a Latin name, I had to guess at what it would look like in the Amazon alphabet.“Daphne, is this right?” I asked. She shook her head. She wouldn’t give me the answer. I got it on the third try. I showed Fabiola her name on the paper then burned it. I rubbed the ashes between my palms then showed Fabiola my blackened palms.“What does that mean?” Paula inquired. She was worried. I was both flamboyant and hardcore at the same time.“Who cares?” Fabiola mocked me.“'Ghost’” I said in Old Kingdom Hittite. It took them a few seconds to realize it had a second definition - invisible.I had no doubt Katrina fully understood the implications of my actions.“Cáel, I will have to consult with Hayden over this,” Katrina mused. I gave a nod, collected my stuff and headed for the elevator.“Katrina, what did he do?” Dora chimed in.“He murdered Fabiola,” Katrina enlightened them. “In his mind, she no longer exists.”“Can he do that?” Violet wondered. Fabiola took after me.“Cáel,” she called out. I ignored her. She caught up. “Cael.” Ignored. Then she shoved me from behind in the shoulder. I kept walking.“Don’t you ignore me!” she seethed. Daphne was coming up fast.“Leave him alone,” Daphne insisted. Fabiola shoved me again. I was almost at the elevator.“Don’t,” Helena came up. She was aiming for Daphne because Daphne was about to kick Fabiola.“She’s insulting you!” Daphne reacted to Helena while pointing at Fabiola.“He is a man,” Helena explained. “We don’t fight over men.” Meaning that couldn’t be the primary excuse, not that it never happened.“Katrina, make me Cáel’s boss,” Fabiola shouted.Well, I would never dare shout at Katrina unless her life was on the line. Also, technically Fabiola couldn’t be my boss, being a 'new hire’ and all.“Cáel Nyilas, Fabiola is your boss for the next five minutes,” Katrina intoned. Oh fuck.“Cáel, to my side,” Fabiola gloated. I looked past her to Katrina, sighed and punched the elevator button.“Don’t turn your back on me,” Fabiola snarled. A tug of war developed. She kept trying to turn me away from the elevator doors and I refused to be budged. Fabiola drew her blade. Shit.“You cannot run far enough away that I will let you get away with that,” Daphne seethed in Old Kingdom Hittite. Fabiola was about to meet that challenge.“What are you doing?” Katrina had been coming out of her office when she caught the exchange.“I…” Daphne stammered. She’d screwed up.“Apologize,” Katrina commanded. Daphne apologized grudgingly. The doors opened. “Cáel, hold the door.” I did.“Cáel, to my side,” Fabiola repeated. She thought she was about to win. I stayed where I was.“Fabiola, he can’t hear you,” Katrina pointed out.“Of course he can hear me,” Fabiola rebutted.“No - no he can’t,” Katrina remained calm. “You have rendered yourself dead to him. Since he is not a priestess, or augur, he cannot hear the voices of the dead.”“He cannot willfully decide he can’t hear me,” Fabiola demanded.“Oh, I agree. That would be wrong for him to willfully ignore any Havenstone female. Conversely, he can’t allow any of our women to be harmed either,” Katrina explained patiently. “So, when he witnessed an assault on the spirit of our women, he attempted to address it.”“He approached the perpetrator and politely asked them to refrain from that activity. He was rebuffed. It wasn’t like he could physically resolve the issue. To resolve that internal conflict - to defend his sisters but not attack a sister, he symbolically killed the problem. This allowed him to constantly and continuously forget the cause of this disruption.”“He can’t do that,” Fabiola persisted.“Actually, it is pure Cáel,” Katrina smirked. “I personally unaware of any scripture, bylaw, or statute that forbids him from doing this. I have given you a reasonable argument that explains his actions. He is essentially working through two conflicting orders.”“Now Fabiola, as a perspective leader, what do you suggest he do? Let you force him to be relocated when he breaks your jaw? Let you insult half of Havenstone’s staff until one day, one of them snaps and you end up in a Newark landfill? That would be wrong of him to do as he is supposed to lay his life down for us,” Katrina kept at it. “What do you suggest?”“How do you resolve the crisis? Before you answer that, consider the fate of Leona,” Katrina gave a predatory twist of the lips that would make a Momma T-Rex proud.“This male is making us fight amongst ourselves,” Fabiola complained.“I’m not fighting just for the male,” Daphne growled. “I’m fighting to have offspring that are strong in both body and mind.”“Hey,” Helena snorted, “can you imagine how much tougher the women in Acquisitions and Business Management have it? We get to talk about the New Directive without fear of weirding Cáel out.”“Please believe me,” I chuckled. “I’m still weirded out. There is simply nothing I can do about it so I get on with my day.”“I don’t understand any of you,” Fabiola protested.“Fabiola, will Aya die?” Katrina asked.“Yes.”“Why?” Katrina continued.“She is small, weak and hyperactive,” Fabiola explained.“Cáel, will Aya die?”“No.”“Why?” Katrina gazed at me. “Isn’t she small, weak and hyperactive?”“Sure, she’s small now, but she’s only nine. Look at the size of all the other women in her house. None of them are super-tall either,” I answered. “She’s not hyperactive. She is very bright with a very active imagination. Once she finds her 'stillness’ - her center - she’ll do fine. If anything, she’s too smart. She figures out that her guardians are worried, why they are worried and has to fight against their disappointment every time she does anything.”Fabiola snorted, proving yet again she was clueless to her surroundings.“After all, Katrina, she’s related to you and you are one of the scariest-smart people I’ve ever had the pleasure to know,” I smiled. I could reply to Fabiola while not replying.“Cáel, go. You are unlikely to survive Buffy as it is,” Katrina directed.Buffy was indeed apoplectic. She did manage to let me retrieve my bike before driving me home. Since I was dragging both all my business clothes, toiletries and my bike upstairs with crutches, it was painfully comical. A furious Buffy relented and took a few of my things. We had barely made it in the door when my phone rang.Buffy dumped my belongings in the center of the living room.“Hey,” I answered the phone.“Hey, it’s Odette,” she greeted me happily. “Are you still in the HQ?”“Nope Odette,” I grinned at Buffy. “I’m home. Do you want to come over?”“Sure…it’s not going to be a problem, is it?” she asked.“I have a good friend over, but if you can stand my illicit behavior, you are more than welcome,” I informed her.“Cool,” she chirped. “I’ll be over in about an hour.”“See you soon. Until then Odette,” I said.“Now I have to watch you fuck a whore?” Buffy stared at the ground. I wasn’t going to go after for the 'whore’ thing. She was at the end of her endurance. I knew that. I limped in front of her and pulled out her phone. She was too angry to look up at me so I knelt down.“Buffy,” I showed her the text from Katrina about my six hour sexual exemption. She looked up and read it.“So? What does this mean?” Buffy looked ready to explode in tears and fists.“It means that when Constanza had her sword aimed at my throat I figured out a way to ease some of your fears,” I stated. She blinked.“You worried that I’d be dead by the end of the month, and I did promise to try and make you the first Havenstone woman I made love to,” I explained.“Constanza was about to kill you and you were thinking of me?” is what Buffy got out of all that.“Yeah. I also realized that Aya was far calmer than she was last Saturday, but the major thing was how to ask Katrina for the exemption and lure you here for the weekend,” I told her.“Weekend?” Buffy studied me intently.“Yeah,” I grinned seductively.“See, I figure we time everything. When we start something naughty, we cut on the timer and the moment we are done, we cut it off,” I met her gaze. “That way me squeeze as much out of the six hours as possible - if that’s what you want to do?” Buffy hugged me suddenly.“You were about to die and I was the one you were thinking about,” Buffy wept.By that, I meant she fell apart emotionally. I had always seen Buffy so fierce that I was caught off-guard by this open vulnerability. I hugged her back and snuggled her close. She sniffled for several seconds.“This doesn’t count, does it?” she hiccupped.“This is purely platonic. I’m bonding with my supervisor - team-building,” I stated firmly.“Oh Goddess, you are crazy, you are crazy, you are crazy,” she murmured into my shoulder.“Okay, I’m crazy. I also really want to have sex with you,” I pushed her back so we could look eye to eye. “Or, are you going to make me beg like a big baby?”“I really want to have sex with you too,” Buffy smiled…romantically. The fiery freakiness was gone to be replaced by a deeply sensual, gentle spirit. What the hell?“Let’s go to the bedroom,” I suggested. “We can try out the sofa later.”“Is your leg going to be okay?” she suddenly worried.“Which one? Two of the three are working fine,” I teased. No anger.“I love your sense of humor,” Buffy snickered. I repeat - Huh? We stripped down then crawled under the sheets. Buffy was demure, calm and at peace.“Buffy, I don’t want to ruin the mood,” I said as I pulled her close.“But you are not acting normal and I don’t know what to make of it,” I completed.“I won,” Buffy stroked my cheek lovingly. “I beat out everyone else for you. I gave it everything I had, you recognized that and came to me. This is me being happy, Cáel. Would you prefer me to be combative?”“I prefer you,” I teased. The 'thank you’ hovered right on the other side of unspoken. It wasn’t in her. She was starting to get amorous. I pulled away to Buffy’s momentary confusion then the condom came out, I ripped open the packet, slipped on the prophylactic and returned to my lover. I was about to slip into Buffy, missionary style.“Wait!” she stopped me. She hit two buttons on her wrist watch. “Timer,” she explained. In I went. Buffy gasped slightly then began moving her legs up along my thighs. Years of experience made this a slow, gentle screw. This wasn’t me wasting time; Buffy wanted savagery later. For her triumphal moment, she wanted to savor every second of this first time with her prize - me.Tender kissing and nuzzling were the signs of our affection. She ran her hands over my shoulders, back and buttock. I would balance on my right arm while I coaxed delightful hums from Buffy. This was not Buffy’s first time. By the level of stimulation she was giving me, this was unlikely to even be her 100th time. She knew her stuff.She had mentioned me physically and cerebrally engaging her being a reason she was so desperate to 'have’ me. I had misinterpreted that. Buffy wanted a sex partner that could keep up in a way that went far beyond stamina - she hungered for matching skill and maturity. She could give me subtle clues with her body and I’d pick up on them, folding them back into my own actions and signals.There aren’t too many that can meet me orgasm for orgasm. Buffy did. She crested to her climax first, but I was only seconds behind her. Before my final ejaculations, I rolled us over so that she was on top. I tried wiggle my cock out of her vagina. Buffy resisted.“Don’t pull out yet,” Buffy requested.“If I pull out, we can stop the clock,” I insisted.“Oh,” she giggled, “me lying naked on top of you in your bed isn’t 'inappropriate behavior’?”“I won’t tell if you won’t,” I snickered. Buffy cut of the timer on her wristwatch. Buffy was bringing her breathing under control and getting comfortable with our sweatiness.“If you hadn’t been as good as your hype,” Buffy whispered after a minute, “I think I would have fallen apart…and killed you…then probably myself.”“Whoa,” I reacted. “Explain that. Girls wanting to kill me is fine. Girls killing themselves for anything remotely involving me isn’t.” She mulled that over. She wasn’t going to apologize yet felt a need to share something. I had to be patient.I’ve been with a lot of girls and a few guys who didn’t take rejection well. That rarely had anything to do with the actual rejection. It was some festering wound much deeper and older than their encounter with me.“In high school I discovered the wonders of sex. I loved it. Not the lover, but the carnal act. I’d screw anyone, as long as it was something new and different,” Buffy confided.“After a few bad incidents, my parents - my stepfather and my mother - threw me out because they thought I was a bad influence for my two younger sisters. I went to a city and did the only thing I was good at. I met this guy - you know the story. He would protect me, love me, blah, blah, blah,” Buffy recalled painfully.“Slowly the sex stopped being fun. It was money and not my money at that. One night I got sick of it. 'He’ wanted me to perform, I told him I was leaving so he and two buddies raped me. They raped me a lot over the next two days while they smoked meth and drank,” she continued. “Finally, when they all passed out, I went to the place where he had his gun.”“That wasn’t going to be good enough for me,” she tilted her head up to study my eyes. “I got his baseball bat instead and knocked them all out real good. I found a few garbage bag twist ties, tied their hands behind their backs and went at all three with a knife. I gutted them a bit so they were awake and in a shitload of pain…then I hacked their cocks and balls off.”I was less revolted than I thought I’d be. I still felt my dick shrivel and my balls trying to retract into my bodies. I certainly wasn’t going to joke about it; this was a serious sensitive moment for her. I stroked her hair. I could live with this revelation. I wasn’t sure why I could, but my heart and mind weren’t freaking out, so I went with my instincts.“I had barely finished up when the cops came bursting in. I had taken far longer torturing them than I imagined and their screams had been heard all over the housing complex. They Tasered me, I went to jail and finally to trial. My defense attorney argued an 'Insanity’ Plea and I ended up in a mental facility,” she was clearly relieved that I wasn’t terrified.“A few months later, Katrina showed up,” Buffy continued. “She wasn’t where she is today. We talked a great deal, but there were only two crucial questions for her. 'Do you regret killing those men?’ and 'Can you have sex again?’ I answered 'no’ and 'yes’ after some thought. Two weeks later, I was transferred to a Havenstone facility, they cleaned me up, trained me, and I was stationed here.”“What is with you and Elsa?” I prodded a handful of minutes later.“Don’t go there, Cáel,” Buffy muttered.“Do you seriously want me to confront her not knowing the whole score?” I countered.“She is a complete and total racist Bitch,” she grumbled.“Please don’t tell me it was a sex contest,” I groaned. “If she is better than you, I’m going to die.” Her grumbling lack of an explanation allowed me to crack a joke. Buffy 'punished’ me by kissing my chin.“No, it wasn’t a pussy-thing. If she can fuck you better than me, you have my permission to die,” she smiled playfully.Scary. I was so used to her being scary, Buffy not being scary was scaring me. Push?“Well, the only thing I can do then is a Buffy-Elsa-Cáel three-way,” I sighed.“Okay,” Buffy murmured.“Stop it!” I shouted. “You are freaking me out.”Buffy giggled. I was howling off into madness on the inside.“I think you have company coming soon. We should get clean and put some clothes on,” she exhaled joyously. By dressed, Buffy meant putting on my dress shirt - unbuttoned. She was like that, cross-legged on the sofa, eating Cheese Puffs and watching 'Real Housewives of Mumbai’ when Odette arrived.It took Odette a second to realize this Buffy was the same firecracker from the last time they met.“Hi - um,” Odette started.“We are fine. He fucked me. I’m in a state of grace,” Buffy explained pleasantly…without a hint of menace, or fury.“Buffy - Odette Sievert,” I made introductions. “Odette - Buffy Dubois.” Odette strode right over to the sofa and plopped down beside Buffy. I had to struggle to not flinch.“He gives an incredible dicking, doesn’t he?” Odette bubbled.“Yes,” Buffy purred, “Yes, he does that and more. You are new to this whole 'love-making thing, aren’t you?”“Pretty much,” Odette openly admitted. “He gave me my first orgasm. I didn’t realize how good sex was until I met Cáel.”“I didn’t realize how good sex was until I met me either,” I joked.“Trust me,” Buffy patted Odette’s thigh, “I know a great deal about sex and I can assure you he’s really, really good.”“You are not wearing underwear,” Odette noted. Life only got more bizarre.“Why don’t you go into the bedroom, get one of his used dress shirts and put it on - and nothing else,” Buffy advised. “It is a wonderful experience.”“Oh God, don’t I know it,” Odette exulted. She jumped up and skipped into my bedroom.“Don’t play with her,” I cautioned Buffy. Buffy studied me then gave me a glowing look.“I’m trying to be a better companion Cáel,” she told me. “I know I’ve put you through hell. I’m not going to apologize. I like the look of fear in your eyes. It is only matched by that look that says 'I’ll get you for this’,” she chuckled.“Just for that, its reverse cowgirl for you the next time we make love,” I threatened.“How is that a threat?” Buffy teased. “I am absolutely positive you like my butt.”“I bet he likes all of you,” Odette sang out as she came out twirling in another one of my dressed shirts and nothing else.Odette had change really quick. I knew she came over bra-less. I was suspecting no underwear, or socks too. She sat down tightly next to Buffy.“So, how is this 'sharing’ thing going to work?” Odette looked back and forth between us.“Have you ever been with a woman?” Buffy asked. “Don’t be embarrassed about curiosity.”“Aaahhh…well, a little,” Odette stammered.“Here is how it works,” Buffy patted Odette’s nervous hand. “I can only have sex with Cáel for five and a half more hours for the entire weekend. Since I like sex and you are here, I’m certainly interested in you.”“Odette,” she reassured my bed-buddy, “there is no pressure. I have gotten the most important thing - quality time with Cáel. Everything else is a bonus.”“Oh - I’m okay with that,” Odette nodded. Then she leaned in to kiss Buffy…maybe I should create a 'Sex for Beginners’ CD. I was working gangbusters on expanding Odette’s sexual horizons.Buffy wrapped a hand in Odette’s hair and drew her into a steamer kiss. I settled in behind Odette, switching kisses between the back of Odette’s head and Buffy’s hand.“Wow,” Odette panted. “You taste different than any guy I’ve kissed. I like it, but I like Cáel better.”Before anyone thinks this never happens, or 'only in Hollywood (West Hollywood, that is), please understand I went to a rural college with a 70% female student enrollment. Convincing a girl to engage in a little girl-on-girl action to 'get me extra aroused’ is insanely easy. The few times a lady has asked if I’d kiss a guy to get her 'extra aroused’, I said 'for her and only for her’.Works every time. I’ve kissed a few guys, but only for charity. Fine…I’ve kissed a few guys in gay bars because Timothy intimated that we’d get our butts kicked if I didn’t. He may have been playing me, but for all the shit I put him through, I can live with that. Back to the story: we had Odette in my bed in no time.I was on the bottom, Odette was lying on me, back to my chest and I was using my hips to piston into her while she moaned on top of me. Buffy was alternating between tantalizing Odette’s clit and teasing her nipples. Using a very liberal definition for 'touching me’, we decided that this wasn’t consuming any of our 'exemption’ time.Three orgasms later, Buffy poured an uber-contented Odette into her/my shirt and I carried her to the sofa. I put Odette’s head in Buffy’s lap, Buffy twirling Odette’s forelock and Odette humming a happy tune. I was getting some apple and orange juice when Timothy’s keys jangled in the door. He walked into the apartment and soaked up the scene.I took in that it was barely 8:30 and Timothy was in his date clothes. A seriously not-good situation. I diverted to him, drinks in hand, and hugged him.“Sorry Bro,” I murmured. He hugged me back. “Buffy DuBois, this is Timothy.”“Buffy? The crazy chick who wanted a hug?” Timothy chuckled.“She’s not…” Odette mumbled.“Yes, that would be me,” Buffy grinned sedately. Timothy looked down and shook his head.“That is some dick,” he groused. “Damn Bro, "Timothy regarded me with some amusement, "did you bother to get her panties off, or was the mere thought of sex with you enough to cause a complete personality reversal?”“Cáel,” Odette raised a shake arm and commanded loftily, “put the drinks down and get us some ice cream. It is Bonding Time.” She meant commiserating with Timothy over his dating failure. Timothy trundled off to his bedroom muttering something about 'getting into something more comfortable’ and I delivered the drinks then doubled back for the ice cream and four spoons.Timothy ended up on the floor with his head resting against Odette’s stomach. I offered to take the bottom spot. Timothy accepted the gesture then pointed out I was the guy with the bum leg. I ended up with Odette’s feet in my lap. The flavor of the night was Cherry Vanilla and we were all making inroads into the supply quickly.Timothy dialed up Ninja Assassin on Netflix. Ten minutes in I realized why. There was this Asian actor who was really hot and extremely physically fit. Odette agreed.“You two can’t believe any of this is real,” Buffy commented shortly after. “This is absurd. Nothing and no one kills like that.” She had professional pride after all.It hadn’t taken me three days to figure out that the Executive Service babes’ main purpose in life was not laundry delivery. They went everywhere and saw everything - just like a secret police force. Odd, huh?“Speaking of absurd and unreal,” Timothy snickered.“Cáel, two ladies screaming Extreme High Maintenance showed up this morning. Apparently you weren’t answering your phone, work said you were out of the office, and some spooky chicks at Havenstone showed them the door with something akin to a threat of lethal violence,” he continued. “From long experience as your roommate, I could tell you’d fucked them to Nirvana and they wanted more.”“From long experience’?” Buffy wondered. “You haven’t known him two months yet.”“Lady, this happens at least once a week with this guy. You are playing with the hair of one of those women right now,&rdqu

With all the fighting & sex, my work reviews should suck.By FinalStand. Listen and subscribe to the podcast at Steamy Stories.-Saving a life isn’t about worthiness. It is about instinct and guts.-(Friday)Since I liked to think that life encouraging me with bruises, punctures, cuts and concussions made me smarter, I had scheduled some eleven o'clock gym time most of the week so to avoid the whole lunch and after-work crowds. Aya and I went to the ‘Others’ gym, which was nice, but wasn’t as complete as the Full/Pure-blood one. Most notable was the lack of weapons.Aya’s and my trip to the 'Other’ gym on Friday hit a snag. Aya clued in on the fact that I was avoiding the Pure-blood facility. We talked about it. I explained I wasn’t a Pure-blood. Her counter-argument was she was and I should confront my fears. Yes, I lost an argument with a nine year old.I have talked a nineteen year old, promise ring virgin into nameless sex in an airport stall. Aya was an unassailable wall of resolve that dashed all of my ploys into so many useless words. I found myself entering the real 'No Man’s Land’ twice in less than a week. Not only was I hard-headed, I was also obviously soft-hearted.At the last moment, I imagined I had a reprieve. I didn’t have to tell Aya how I got in the first time - grabbing an open door. I could swipe my card, have it rejected and move on to safer pursuits. Sure enough, my card failed. Aya’s didn’t - mother-puss-bucket! Upon entering, the twenty, or so women in the place looked at me…and Aya.I recognized somebody. It was Constanza, Elsa’s chief evil henchwoman. Our eyes met. She smiled in a way that assured me she vividly recalled our last encounter. It should be of no surprise that I insulted her somewhere in the process. It’s how I roll. I smiled back at Constanza and gave her a nod before setting up Aya and me for our workout routine.Constanza was not mollified in the slightest. She was patiently waiting - for something. I decided that Aya would be my sole focus and banished the other women from my mind. The munchkin could tell the difference and relayed that to me with her happiness. After twenty minutes, she decided her time with the machines was done and her minutes were better spent resting against, or sitting on, me.My cock was reminding me that it was approaching 36 torturous hours without sex. It was also pointing out that there were thirty available, sexually inquisitive women achingly close. I reminded my penis that being relocated was probably as fun-less as it sounded. That bought me some time. We finished up our sojourn by walking the wall, going over the weapon racks.Mainly we went over the ones various members of her family were proficient with. Aya still had problems with even the most basic ones. The words 'let me help you’ spilled out of my mouth. There were two problems; Aya’s tiny size and the fact that all the weapons were very dangerous. Even the leaf-shaped short blade was too heavy for her so we ended up screwing around instead.I picked up two Iron Age style axes. The blades were more of a thick wedge than the broad axe heads of medieval fame. They were less effective in delivering damage, compensating somewhat in their reduced weight. I’ve convinced a Jewish girl to have sex in a synagogue despite me not being Jewish yet this child was twirling me around her pinkie finger.I was entertaining her with some exotic, flamboyant moves wielding two axes while Aya clapped her hands and giggled when I felt a stranger approach me on the sparring mat. I had been hopping around keeping all my weight on my right leg until that moment. I turned to face the woman, putting my left behind me yet while keeping it firmly on the ground.I also drew my axes up, crossing them over my chest, blades pointing past my shoulders.“I have never seen that technique before,” she addressed me. That and what followed was all in the Amazon tongue.“It is more of a fantasy creation. I had a love affair with pseudo-archaic movies that always do the crazy, two-weapon stuff so my mentor helped me create this method,” I explained.“Has it ever been tested?” she continued.“I am Cáel Nyilas,” I answered, “and yes, my mentor preferred using a poleaxe, or a mace/shield combo against me.”“Oneida,” she seemed amused. “We will see how well you have been tested.”“May I request a favor?” I tried to keep my cool. She pulled out one of those damn spears.“Yes,” she seemed intrigued.“Can you call someone over to sit with Aya? I don’t want her to accidently set foot on the mat,” I beseeched.“Drusilla, please aid me,” Oneida summoned an observer. The woman had heard my appeal and settled beside the nervous, kneeling Aya.“Cáel, please be careful,” Aya pleaded.“Who me?” I chuckled. “I’m impervious to all man-made contrivances.”“Every weapon in this room was crafted by women,” Oneida snorted.“That would certainly explain my full-body bruising and the hole in my leg,” I grinned back. I caught Oneida trying to sneak closer to me. My axes came to a ready position and I charged. I was sure some sort of medic would punish me for this later.She got off two jabs then I was all over her. I knew how to fight a two and a half meter spear. She had no clue how to plot out two incoming weapons with an extra meter of reach. The first time I drove her off the mat. The second time, I got inside her guard and clocked her in the temple with the back end of an axe head. I quickly hopped back three paces, knelt and put my axes on the mat.The rush to get me was stillborn. A few did come to stand over me while two others checked on Oneida who quickly came around.“What happened?” were Oneida’s first, shaky words.“He hit you,” one of her companions answered.“With what - the Moon?” Oneida mumbled as they helped her up. “My ears are still ringing.”“My turn,” Constanza announced. She went for a spear, blade, and round leather-covered, wicker shield.“Give Cáel a moment to rest,” Aya appealed. “He has been fighting longer.”No such luck. I was halfway to exhausted as well. Fighting with two weapons pretty much means just that - twice the fight. Kinetically speaking, I was burning around 80% more calories than my one weapon opponents. I was wielding axes, not fighting sticks after all. In my favor was a deep wellspring of stamina and my Will reinforced by my desire to not upset Aya.What little time I was given wasn’t out of charity. A second Amazon was joining the struggle. I could back off, but I felt Constanza would enforce an intense level of groveling solely to grind up Aya emotionally. She didn’t hate Aya. Aya was an avenue to really hurt me and we both knew it. For a second, when I hobbled off the mat, there were chuckles. I had fled.That ended as I began retrieving some select weapons from the wall racks. Sword harnesses came in two varieties; belted and shoulder slings. I took two shoulder slings and two more axes. I affixed my two 'spare’ axes with leather straps. As I turned to the mat, Constanza had decided to be clever. She and her buddy had closed to within three meters of the edge.They would box me in as soon as my second foot touched down on the mat.“Please back up,” I requested. Constanza smiled with supreme confidence. I smiled back. This was going to be dangerous, agonizing and unorthodox - totally me. I began backing up.“Cáel,” Aya murmured. “Don’t let them hurt you.”“Running away?” Constanza sneered.“Aya, wickedness is the expedience of the weak,” I nodded her way. “Do you think I can win?”“Of course,” Aya sighed happily. “I am by your side.” I laughed. I charged. The Amazons did the precisely wrong thing - the stepped up to meet me.You keep thrusting weapons, like spears, aimed at the central part of the body. This allows you to deviate your projection anywhere from the thighs to the face. This does imply you know where the central part of the enemy will be. This was not playschool. Real weapons - real damage - real death. They didn’t have to kill me. It didn’t mean they wouldn’t.I leapt. I didn’t leap at them, I leapt over them. Let’s not forget I’m pretty freaking strong. My left leg shot-gunned pain straight to the brain but held it together. I sailed over their thrusting spear points, flipped my axes down so that they would impact the mats first. The flat tops of the axe heads impacted the mat and my body rose up and then flipped over them.This gave me an extra meter and a half on my back flip. I turned that maneuver into summersault, giving three more meters of space. I rolled over to my side and rode the momentum to my feet, facing my adversaries. Now they were the ones in the corner of the mat with their enemy pinning them in and I wasn’t done yet.With all my might, I hurled my right-handed axe at Constanza’s companion. She did exactly what I thought she’d do. She saw the throw halfway in motion and raised her shield up - right where I wanted it. Amazon shields aren’t what most people think shields are today. They think medieval knights, or more appropriately, the shields of the Greek hoplites.The Amazons date back 700 years before those Greeks and they weren’t heavy infantry anyway. Amazons moved light and fast. Consequently, their shields were light - wicker constructs with layers of leather stretched over the frame. Great for deflecting light weapons; not so great for what I was about to do.The steel axe head shattered the top half of the wicker frame. It saved her life, but now she had this useless object strapped to her arm. It also had the added bonus of knocking her back while Constanza engaged me alone. Her first jab forced me to jump back, but I still was able to draw my first spare axe.My luck with women held up a little longer. The other Amazon hesitated just long enough to remove her shattered shield. Alone with Constanza, I attacked. She thrust, I captured her spear head between my axe handles and yanked her forward. We kicked out simultaneously. Her off-balanced strike brushed past my abused left leg. My right kick hit her shield and knocked her down.Her grip on the spear slipped and I propelled it somewhere behind me. Constanza pulled off a reverse summersaulted while drawing her short blade. A really nice move. Unfortunately, it moved her away from the chick with the spear, who hesitated again. This time she took the thrown axe straight to the head - back end impacting. I didn’t want to kill her.Constanza anticipated my next action. It came down to position, distance, and stride length and they all favored me. We raced to the downed companion. My left-handed axes flat side slammed into her forehead, rendering her unconscious, and I kicked her spear off the mat - out of bounds. I slowly backed away from Constanza and readied my second spare axe.“Retire from the field,” I panted. I was physically failing fast.“Why should I?” Constanza glared. “You are about to fall over.”“Aya won’t let me fall,” I stared her down. “You couldn’t beat me with a companion and a spear, Constanza. Do you really think a shield and sword will work any better.”“Let’s find out,” she charged. I really needed the short breather to recover somewhat.The short Amazon blade was an excellent close-in weapon. I never let her get close enough to use it. Tandem axes allowed me to shred her shield while keeping her at arm’s length. My axe bit into her upper left arm right above the elbow. Constanza hissed instead of screaming. She did stagger back. I hopped back three steps, knelt and placed my axes on the mat at my side.“No!” Constanza howled. She came at me while I remained still. Her hand drew back for a killing thrust. I waited. Sparing my life didn’t stop her. The looks of her fellow Amazons held back her wrath. They wouldn’t stop her from slaughtering me, but that was exactly what it was - a butchery.Two things occurred to me: Aya was showing remarkably better control today than on Saturday, and I figured out a way to sleep with Buffy tonight. Being killed? Nah, worry about the things you have control over.“Constanza, he was instructing me,” Oneida stood up.She took up Constanza’s discarded spear and stepped toward us. What disturbed the gathering was how Oneida held it - sidewise, not ready for combat.“You do not intimidate me, Oneida,” Constanza growled.“You misunderstand,” Oneida intoned. “I would do this out of shame and despair.”“I will shear my hair, burn it and take myself to the cliffs to die childless,” she continued. “I leave whatever contempt you might possess for me to be conveyed to my House when they learn your actions have killed one of their last breeding females. The death of some male will not concern them. My death will. The shame I bear for killing a teacher will certainly interest many of our people.”“You wouldn’t dare,” Constanza scoffed. The spear dropped. Fuck that noise. I snatched the last quarter of the shaft before it hit the ground. No one seemed to understand what to do about that. Apparently my reaction was unique.“Yay!” Aya cheered. “He’s the best Daddy ever,” she loudly announced to the crowd.“Oneida, my apology, but Katrina has put her faith in me and the New Directive,” I adlibbed. “I am here to aid the recovery of your people, not diminish them. For the sake of Katrina’s honor, please reconsider.”“Cáel Nyilas,” Oneida smiled sadly, “this is not a pledge that can be retracted.”“Ah…doesn’t it only take effect when the weapon hits the ground?” I struggled. “I mean, otherwise dropping the weapon would be pointless - right?” I repeat, apparently this had never come up before. “This is kind of awkward. Can someone take this?” I meant the spear. I was worn to the bone and holding a long spear from one end, with one hand.Quickly calls went out to Hayden as well as a few department heads.“Constanza,” one of the Amazons spoke up, “if you attack the male, you will be actively sealing Oneida’s Death Pledge. Far fewer of us will understand that.”“How is it that you are so damn lucky?” Constanza growled at me.“You are asking this of a man, on his knees before you with your sword at his throat?” I countered. “Lucky isn’t you sparing my life. Lucky is me never having heard of this place - Except for Aya. She makes the rest of this hellish experience worthwhile.”“Best Daddy ever,” Aya chirped.“Hayden is on her way,” a different Amazon called out. Already a passel of newcomers were swarming the scene. Truly curious was the group looking mournfully at Oneida. One stepped forward.“Male, do you need something? Water?” she asked. I gave it some thought.“Could you sing?” I requested. “A nice soothing song of hope would be nice.” Blink. Like all panicked moments, nothing came to mind for several seconds. Oneida’s people rapidly bantered about some names then the questioner began singing. By the third song I was crying and shaking like a leaf. Constanza had fallen back enough to get her arm tended to.Twice Aya had tried to get me, lending me the tiniest bit more strength. Wisely, her minder kept her away from the possible conflict. There was a whole different level of commotion when Hayden arrived this time.“To bear a weapon in my presence is Death, Cáel,” Hayden stated.“I apologize for being a disappointing Male,” I grunted. “Pass on my regrets to Katrina.”“Drop the weapon and you will be spared. You will only be beaten,” Hayden gave a hint of a smile.“If I drop it, she dies,” I hissed. The ache in my right arm was exceeding that in my left leg.“I’m afraid I will have to decline,” I concluded.“If I kill you, the spear will drop and she’ll die anyway,” Hayden pointed out.“Sucks to be both of us, I guess,” I gasped.“Oneida, step on the spear. Push it down,” Hayden ordered. Hush. Oneida raised her foot.“You are stepping in the wrong place,” I huffed. She looked at me. My eyes flashed to the short side between my grip and my side.“Do you really think you can hold it up?” she questioned.“I know I’ll fail if you step anywhere else,” I tried to grin.“No matter what happens, you will die,” she murmured.“Not my chief concern right now,” I grunted. “Hurry.” Oneida put her foot on the short end.“It will help your balance if you place a hand on his shoulder,” Hayden noted. We both flashed Hayden a shocked look.Oneida stepped on the spear. It trembled and sunk down, barely millimeters off the mat. Her hand came to rest on the crux of my neck and shoulder. I felt my body about to tip over. I was at my limit. I almost missed the gasps whispering around the assembly. Oneida had her body off the ground. Hayden lowered herself so that she could witness there was a distance between the spear and the earth.“The spirits have not heard your pledge, Oneida,” Hayden declared as she regained her regal posture. “I suggest you weigh your words with greater care in the future. Retrieve your spear.” She turned and started to leave the gym. Oneida dismounted and snatched up her spear.“What of the male?” one of the spectators inquired. I didn’t care. I had fallen on my back.“At a moment of such great spiritual significance - the ancestral rejection of a Death Pledge, the action of any one male does not concern me,” Hayden remarked coldly. It wasn’t praise. It was a 'don’t fuck with him’. Around me a cultural conundrum was taking place. Not only could Oneida’s house not thank me because I was a male, they couldn’t thank me because, by Hayden’s decree, there was no life to be saved.Oneida bent over me on one knee.“You really shouldn’t be so eager to toss your life away, Cáel,” she smiled warmly. I was essentially immobile.“You have the most gorgeous blue-grey eyes,” I moaned.“You are thinking about that at a time like this?” she snorted. Her relatives were shockingly amused as well.“No time like the present. Besides, in 75 days you can all go out to some nature preserve and hunt me down with non-lethal weapons. Great way to spend a weekend.”I heard an authoritative cough. I looked up from my still prone position to see Katrina.“Cancel that Oneida. I’m about to get relocated to Antarctica where I’ll be tasked with teaching penguins how to arm wrestle,” I sighed.“Cáel, why do you think I’d be so nice to you after all the hell you cause me on a daily basis?” Katrina looked all menacing.“You recall how much I like winter sports?” I pleaded. “Hey - wait. I was good on Friday. Wasn’t I good on Friday?”“I don’t recall you having a good day yet, but I may double check. Can you stand?” Katrina asked.“Is that a question, or veiled order?” I muttered. “If the former - no. If that latter, I’ll die trying.” Using a combination of my right leg and left arm, I managed to struggle my way upright. By that time, Aya had circled the practice mat and was at Katrina’s side.“He was very brave,” Aya insisted. One of Oneida’s senior women coughed.“Nothing happened so nothing has changed,” Katrina stated. It was a lie and both sides knew it. It was the whole loyalty/martial valor thing. Inside their closed little minds a balancing act had taken place - my worthlessness as a male against Oneida’s value to her people. Aya was easy to discount as she was of Katrina’s house.I had no clue who Oneida was yet still rallied to her when she desperately needed help - Hayden’s obfuscation be damned. Yeah, Oneida had been young and foolish. Her challenge had been given to make Constanza back off. When Constanza called her bluff, pride took over. Oneida had been foolhardy and overly status conscious. Constanza had played Russian roulette with their House’s future and almost 'won’.She’d be wise to avoid darkened corridors for the next few weeks too. There was not only Oneida’s house but the houses allied to it to worry about despite Hayden’s expunging of the official record. For me, it was time to be dragged over to my cute doctor friend. I had been slashed twice by the spears during my jump and not noticed it - adrenaline no doubt.“Congratulations, you and Aya are forbidden to work. I thought keeping you in the building would be safer. I’m mature enough to admit I was wrong,” Katrina conceded. “No place is safe for you, or from you. I’m sending you home, under guard.”“Can I choose Buffy?” I perked up. Katrina arched an eyebrow.“I also need something,” I kept slaloming down toward Hell. “I need a six hour dispensation from you on the whole sex thing with employees.”“Oh Goddess,” Katrina laughed. “What part of me wanting you to stay alive have you missed?”“Are you going to sleep with my Mommy now?” Aya grinned.“No,” Katrina answered for me, “he’s going to play with Buffy.” Right on the money. One scary-smart woman without a doubt. “Best of all, I’ll let you assign Buffy to be your security for the night and you can tell her the good news when you get home. Aya, that means Cáel does, not you.”“Yes Aunt Katrina,” Aya moaped.She wanted me to be banging Caitlyn; her Momma. We would make love, Caitlyn would take me as her mate and I’d be Aya’s Daddy for real. She’d kill me a month later for my twelfth indiscretion. I’m not a fortuneteller. I’m a bookie and I knew the odds of me staying faithful were a sucker’s bet.The only questions were how many and with which one Caitlyn would kill me with. I wasn’t sure how to break that reality to Aya. After getting bandaged/tortured my doctor, cleaned up and redressed, I managed to survive the rest of the day without catastrophe.(Later)“Cáel, do you realize that you’ve been wounded more than most Security Detail recruits do during their basic training?” Violet teased me.Buffy was too furious for coherent speech.“It isn’t his fault, Buffy,” Aya pleaded. “He wasn’t seducing a woman, or anything like that. Oneida tried to sex him up all on her own.” Huh? “Constanza’s nipples were very aroused and we all know what she wanted.”I really was worrying about the twisted sexual education Aya was getting. She knew the terms, but was missing out on the complete meaning of what she was saying.“Oneida? Who the hell is Oneida?” Buffy growled.“She’s one of the new hires with Acquisitions,” Violet answered. Brian Fung’s group.“What were you making eyes at her for?” Buffy snarled possessively.“He didn’t,” Katrina swept into the office. “She made a Death Pledge and Cáel, acting as a vessel for our Ancestors, refused it - so the youngest breeding female in House Arinniti gets to keep living.” I grunted because I knew who Arinniti was, or had been.“Vessels for the Ancestors?” Violet gasped.“Arinniti - that name rings a bell,” Buffy mumbled.“She’s one of the twenty founding bloodlines,” Aya gladly provided. Katrina took her seat behind her desk and regarded me with something between amusement, annoyance, and pride. Oh, and sex.“Violet, Cáel held a weapon in the presence of Hayden - the spear that Oneida had dropped to seal her pledge. If he was a male acting alone, he would have to be killed. Is that the course of action you wish to recommend to the High Priestess?” Katrina suggested.“Ancestors work for me,” Violet gulped.“You can’t take back a Death Pledge,” Buffy turned to Katrina. “It is a Death Pledge.”“It appears you can if Cáel is in the room,” Katrina smirked.“Best Daddy ever!” Aya yipped. “He caught the spear before it hit the ground and held it until Hayden came by and read the signs from the Ancestors that Cáel was supposed to retract Oneida’s words. Hayden even had Oneida stand on the spear, but Da - Cáel didn’t let it fall.”“Maybe the Ancestors think Cáel is sexy too,” Aya added. Groan.“They had better not,” Buffy spun back to me threateningly. Fine, if some undead man-haters thought I was hot…sigh…that might entail there would be no rest for me even in the afterlife.“Buffy, do you have plans for this weekend?” I glared.“Why?” she snapped.“Great. Katrina, I want Buffy to be my bodyguard for this weekend,” I looked to my boss. Aya almost slipped up, but bit her lip to hold herself back.“Fine,” Katrina grumbled. “I promised you that you could choose your guardian. I was truly hoping you would pick among the candidates from SD I suggested, but so be it.”“I have to be around him all weekend?” Buffy howled.“Yeah,” I exhaled happily, “and I plan to have sex all weekend long.” From the look on Buffy’s face, she knew she was going to die. She was going to see me having sex with someone else, snap, kill me then kill herself out of shame and grief. Yep, she was going to die.It turned out Aya was off to Amazon Summer Camp for Squirts. We quickly arranged a series of smoke signals she could use to send for me if she was in danger. Desiree rolled her eyes, hefted Aya’s luggage and left with my tiny boon companion. I sobbed.“Katrina, can I go see her when she’s at camp?” I turned to my boss.“Cáel Nyilas, this is a place where we send our greatest treasure - our children,” Katrina smirked. “We will not discuss the abuse of power it would be for me to reveal the location to you.”“Cool…Daphne, where is it?” I turned to my closest female new hire.“I won’t tell you and it changes every year,” Daphne smiled.“But you know where it is this year,” I persisted.“I didn’t say I didn’t,” Daphne beamed.“Fine. Come home with me. While my ogress henchwoman holds you down, I’ll tickle the truth out of you,” I menaced.“Buffy don’t!” Tigger shouted. Buffy was about to brain me with my reading lamp. I was fearless.“Okay, Bubbles,” I beamed vindictively. “Go get us a car and make it snappy.” There was a hush. “What? Did I use any words that were too big for you to understand?”Buffy’s screamed caused people to reach for their sidearm three floors away. She stormed out, thankfully not running over anyone.“Do you want to die?” Violet tugged my sleeve.“Let the 'Lost Blood’ (Old Kingdom Hittite) deal with him,” Fabiola sneered. “They are both annoyances.”I took a deep breath.“Fabiola, your laws regulate what I can and can’t say to you,” I stared at her. “Instead, I beseech you to never insult a 'Runner’ (Old Kingdom Hittite) in my presence again.”“Buffy is a 'Lost Blood’ (Old Kingdom Hittite),” Fabiola defied me. I took another deep breath then hobbled over to Katrina’s desk, retrieved a pen, piece of paper and a nice, soapstone-encased lighter.By the time I got back to my desk, I certainly had the new hires’ attention. Since Fabiola was a Latin name, I had to guess at what it would look like in the Amazon alphabet.“Daphne, is this right?” I asked. She shook her head. She wouldn’t give me the answer. I got it on the third try. I showed Fabiola her name on the paper then burned it. I rubbed the ashes between my palms then showed Fabiola my blackened palms.“What does that mean?” Paula inquired. She was worried. I was both flamboyant and hardcore at the same time.“Who cares?” Fabiola mocked me.“'Ghost’” I said in Old Kingdom Hittite. It took them a few seconds to realize it had a second definition - invisible.I had no doubt Katrina fully understood the implications of my actions.“Cáel, I will have to consult with Hayden over this,” Katrina mused. I gave a nod, collected my stuff and headed for the elevator.“Katrina, what did he do?” Dora chimed in.“He murdered Fabiola,” Katrina enlightened them. “In his mind, she no longer exists.”“Can he do that?” Violet wondered. Fabiola took after me.“Cáel,” she called out. I ignored her. She caught up. “Cael.” Ignored. Then she shoved me from behind in the shoulder. I kept walking.“Don’t you ignore me!” she seethed. Daphne was coming up fast.“Leave him alone,” Daphne insisted. Fabiola shoved me again. I was almost at the elevator.“Don’t,” Helena came up. She was aiming for Daphne because Daphne was about to kick Fabiola.“She’s insulting you!” Daphne reacted to Helena while pointing at Fabiola.“He is a man,” Helena explained. “We don’t fight over men.” Meaning that couldn’t be the primary excuse, not that it never happened.“Katrina, make me Cáel’s boss,” Fabiola shouted.Well, I would never dare shout at Katrina unless her life was on the line. Also, technically Fabiola couldn’t be my boss, being a 'new hire’ and all.“Cáel Nyilas, Fabiola is your boss for the next five minutes,” Katrina intoned. Oh fuck.“Cáel, to my side,” Fabiola gloated. I looked past her to Katrina, sighed and punched the elevator button.“Don’t turn your back on me,” Fabiola snarled. A tug of war developed. She kept trying to turn me away from the elevator doors and I refused to be budged. Fabiola drew her blade. Shit.“You cannot run far enough away that I will let you get away with that,” Daphne seethed in Old Kingdom Hittite. Fabiola was about to meet that challenge.“What are you doing?” Katrina had been coming out of her office when she caught the exchange.“I…” Daphne stammered. She’d screwed up.“Apologize,” Katrina commanded. Daphne apologized grudgingly. The doors opened. “Cáel, hold the door.” I did.“Cáel, to my side,” Fabiola repeated. She thought she was about to win. I stayed where I was.“Fabiola, he can’t hear you,” Katrina pointed out.“Of course he can hear me,” Fabiola rebutted.“No - no he can’t,” Katrina remained calm. “You have rendered yourself dead to him. Since he is not a priestess, or augur, he cannot hear the voices of the dead.”“He cannot willfully decide he can’t hear me,” Fabiola demanded.“Oh, I agree. That would be wrong for him to willfully ignore any Havenstone female. Conversely, he can’t allow any of our women to be harmed either,” Katrina explained patiently. “So, when he witnessed an assault on the spirit of our women, he attempted to address it.”“He approached the perpetrator and politely asked them to refrain from that activity. He was rebuffed. It wasn’t like he could physically resolve the issue. To resolve that internal conflict - to defend his sisters but not attack a sister, he symbolically killed the problem. This allowed him to constantly and continuously forget the cause of this disruption.”“He can’t do that,” Fabiola persisted.“Actually, it is pure Cáel,” Katrina smirked. “I personally unaware of any scripture, bylaw, or statute that forbids him from doing this. I have given you a reasonable argument that explains his actions. He is essentially working through two conflicting orders.”“Now Fabiola, as a perspective leader, what do you suggest he do? Let you force him to be relocated when he breaks your jaw? Let you insult half of Havenstone’s staff until one day, one of them snaps and you end up in a Newark landfill? That would be wrong of him to do as he is supposed to lay his life down for us,” Katrina kept at it. “What do you suggest?”“How do you resolve the crisis? Before you answer that, consider the fate of Leona,” Katrina gave a predatory twist of the lips that would make a Momma T-Rex proud.“This male is making us fight amongst ourselves,” Fabiola complained.“I’m not fighting just for the male,” Daphne growled. “I’m fighting to have offspring that are strong in both body and mind.”“Hey,” Helena snorted, “can you imagine how much tougher the women in Acquisitions and Business Management have it? We get to talk about the New Directive without fear of weirding Cáel out.”“Please believe me,” I chuckled. “I’m still weirded out. There is simply nothing I can do about it so I get on with my day.”“I don’t understand any of you,” Fabiola protested.“Fabiola, will Aya die?” Katrina asked.“Yes.”“Why?” Katrina continued.“She is small, weak and hyperactive,” Fabiola explained.“Cáel, will Aya die?”“No.”“Why?” Katrina gazed at me. “Isn’t she small, weak and hyperactive?”“Sure, she’s small now, but she’s only nine. Look at the size of all the other women in her house. None of them are super-tall either,” I answered. “She’s not hyperactive. She is very bright with a very active imagination. Once she finds her 'stillness’ - her center - she’ll do fine. If anything, she’s too smart. She figures out that her guardians are worried, why they are worried and has to fight against their disappointment every time she does anything.”Fabiola snorted, proving yet again she was clueless to her surroundings.“After all, Katrina, she’s related to you and you are one of the scariest-smart people I’ve ever had the pleasure to know,” I smiled. I could reply to Fabiola while not replying.“Cáel, go. You are unlikely to survive Buffy as it is,” Katrina directed.Buffy was indeed apoplectic. She did manage to let me retrieve my bike before driving me home. Since I was dragging both all my business clothes, toiletries and my bike upstairs with crutches, it was painfully comical. A furious Buffy relented and took a few of my things. We had barely made it in the door when my phone rang.Buffy dumped my belongings in the center of the living room.“Hey,” I answered the phone.“Hey, it’s Odette,” she greeted me happily. “Are you still in the HQ?”“Nope Odette,” I grinned at Buffy. “I’m home. Do you want to come over?”“Sure…it’s not going to be a problem, is it?” she asked.“I have a good friend over, but if you can stand my illicit behavior, you are more than welcome,” I informed her.“Cool,” she chirped. “I’ll be over in about an hour.”“See you soon. Until then Odette,” I said.“Now I have to watch you fuck a whore?” Buffy stared at the ground. I wasn’t going to go after for the 'whore’ thing. She was at the end of her endurance. I knew that. I limped in front of her and pulled out her phone. She was too angry to look up at me so I knelt down.“Buffy,” I showed her the text from Katrina about my six hour sexual exemption. She looked up and read it.“So? What does this mean?” Buffy looked ready to explode in tears and fists.“It means that when Constanza had her sword aimed at my throat I figured out a way to ease some of your fears,” I stated. She blinked.“You worried that I’d be dead by the end of the month, and I did promise to try and make you the first Havenstone woman I made love to,” I explained.“Constanza was about to kill you and you were thinking of me?” is what Buffy got out of all that.“Yeah. I also realized that Aya was far calmer than she was last Saturday, but the major thing was how to ask Katrina for the exemption and lure you here for the weekend,” I told her.“Weekend?” Buffy studied me intently.“Yeah,” I grinned seductively.“See, I figure we time everything. When we start something naughty, we cut on the timer and the moment we are done, we cut it off,” I met her gaze. “That way me squeeze as much out of the six hours as possible - if that’s what you want to do?” Buffy hugged me suddenly.“You were about to die and I was the one you were thinking about,” Buffy wept.By that, I meant she fell apart emotionally. I had always seen Buffy so fierce that I was caught off-guard by this open vulnerability. I hugged her back and snuggled her close. She sniffled for several seconds.“This doesn’t count, does it?” she hiccupped.“This is purely platonic. I’m bonding with my supervisor - team-building,” I stated firmly.“Oh Goddess, you are crazy, you are crazy, you are crazy,” she murmured into my shoulder.“Okay, I’m crazy. I also really want to have sex with you,” I pushed her back so we could look eye to eye. “Or, are you going to make me beg like a big baby?”“I really want to have sex with you too,” Buffy smiled…romantically. The fiery freakiness was gone to be replaced by a deeply sensual, gentle spirit. What the hell?“Let’s go to the bedroom,” I suggested. “We can try out the sofa later.”“Is your leg going to be okay?” she suddenly worried.“Which one? Two of the three are working fine,” I teased. No anger.“I love your sense of humor,” Buffy snickered. I repeat - Huh? We stripped down then crawled under the sheets. Buffy was demure, calm and at peace.“Buffy, I don’t want to ruin the mood,” I said as I pulled her close.“But you are not acting normal and I don’t know what to make of it,” I completed.“I won,” Buffy stroked my cheek lovingly. “I beat out everyone else for you. I gave it everything I had, you recognized that and came to me. This is me being happy, Cáel. Would you prefer me to be combative?”“I prefer you,” I teased. The 'thank you’ hovered right on the other side of unspoken. It wasn’t in her. She was starting to get amorous. I pulled away to Buffy’s momentary confusion then the condom came out, I ripped open the packet, slipped on the prophylactic and returned to my lover. I was about to slip into Buffy, missionary style.“Wait!” she stopped me. She hit two buttons on her wrist watch. “Timer,” she explained. In I went. Buffy gasped slightly then began moving her legs up along my thighs. Years of experience made this a slow, gentle screw. This wasn’t me wasting time; Buffy wanted savagery later. For her triumphal moment, she wanted to savor every second of this first time with her prize - me.Tender kissing and nuzzling were the signs of our affection. She ran her hands over my shoulders, back and buttock. I would balance on my right arm while I coaxed delightful hums from Buffy. This was not Buffy’s first time. By the level of stimulation she was giving me, this was unlikely to even be her 100th time. She knew her stuff.She had mentioned me physically and cerebrally engaging her being a reason she was so desperate to 'have’ me. I had misinterpreted that. Buffy wanted a sex partner that could keep up in a way that went far beyond stamina - she hungered for matching skill and maturity. She could give me subtle clues with her body and I’d pick up on them, folding them back into my own actions and signals.There aren’t too many that can meet me orgasm for orgasm. Buffy did. She crested to her climax first, but I was only seconds behind her. Before my final ejaculations, I rolled us over so that she was on top. I tried wiggle my cock out of her vagina. Buffy resisted.“Don’t pull out yet,” Buffy requested.“If I pull out, we can stop the clock,” I insisted.“Oh,” she giggled, “me lying naked on top of you in your bed isn’t 'inappropriate behavior’?”“I won’t tell if you won’t,” I snickered. Buffy cut of the timer on her wristwatch. Buffy was bringing her breathing under control and getting comfortable with our sweatiness.“If you hadn’t been as good as your hype,” Buffy whispered after a minute, “I think I would have fallen apart…and killed you…then probably myself.”“Whoa,” I reacted. “Explain that. Girls wanting to kill me is fine. Girls killing themselves for anything remotely involving me isn’t.” She mulled that over. She wasn’t going to apologize yet felt a need to share something. I had to be patient.I’ve been with a lot of girls and a few guys who didn’t take rejection well. That rarely had anything to do with the actual rejection. It was some festering wound much deeper and older than their encounter with me.“In high school I discovered the wonders of sex. I loved it. Not the lover, but the carnal act. I’d screw anyone, as long as it was something new and different,” Buffy confided.“After a few bad incidents, my parents - my stepfather and my mother - threw me out because they thought I was a bad influence for my two younger sisters. I went to a city and did the only thing I was good at. I met this guy - you know the story. He would protect me, love me, blah, blah, blah,” Buffy recalled painfully.“Slowly the sex stopped being fun. It was money and not my money at that. One night I got sick of it. 'He’ wanted me to perform, I told him I was leaving so he and two buddies raped me. They raped me a lot over the next two days while they smoked meth and drank,” she continued. “Finally, when they all passed out, I went to the place where he had his gun.”“That wasn’t going to be good enough for me,” she tilted her head up to study my eyes. “I got his baseball bat instead and knocked them all out real good. I found a few garbage bag twist ties, tied their hands behind their backs and went at all three with a knife. I gutted them a bit so they were awake and in a shitload of pain…then I hacked their cocks and balls off.”I was less revolted than I thought I’d be. I still felt my dick shrivel and my balls trying to retract into my bodies. I certainly wasn’t going to joke about it; this was a serious sensitive moment for her. I stroked her hair. I could live with this revelation. I wasn’t sure why I could, but my heart and mind weren’t freaking out, so I went with my instincts.“I had barely finished up when the cops came bursting in. I had taken far longer torturing them than I imagined and their screams had been heard all over the housing complex. They Tasered me, I went to jail and finally to trial. My defense attorney argued an 'Insanity’ Plea and I ended up in a mental facility,” she was clearly relieved that I wasn’t terrified.“A few months later, Katrina showed up,” Buffy continued. “She wasn’t where she is today. We talked a great deal, but there were only two crucial questions for her. 'Do you regret killing those men?’ and 'Can you have sex again?’ I answered 'no’ and 'yes’ after some thought. Two weeks later, I was transferred to a Havenstone facility, they cleaned me up, trained me, and I was stationed here.”“What is with you and Elsa?” I prodded a handful of minutes later.“Don’t go there, Cáel,” Buffy muttered.“Do you seriously want me to confront her not knowing the whole score?” I countered.“She is a complete and total racist Bitch,” she grumbled.“Please don’t tell me it was a sex contest,” I groaned. “If she is better than you, I’m going to die.” Her grumbling lack of an explanation allowed me to crack a joke. Buffy 'punished’ me by kissing my chin.“No, it wasn’t a pussy-thing. If she can fuck you better than me, you have my permission to die,” she smiled playfully.Scary. I was so used to her being scary, Buffy not being scary was scaring me. Push?“Well, the only thing I can do then is a Buffy-Elsa-Cáel three-way,” I sighed.“Okay,” Buffy murmured.“Stop it!” I shouted. “You are freaking me out.”Buffy giggled. I was howling off into madness on the inside.“I think you have company coming soon. We should get clean and put some clothes on,” she exhaled joyously. By dressed, Buffy meant putting on my dress shirt - unbuttoned. She was like that, cross-legged on the sofa, eating Cheese Puffs and watching 'Real Housewives of Mumbai’ when Odette arrived.It took Odette a second to realize this Buffy was the same firecracker from the last time they met.“Hi - um,” Odette started.“We are fine. He fucked me. I’m in a state of grace,” Buffy explained pleasantly…without a hint of menace, or fury.“Buffy - Odette Sievert,” I made introductions. “Odette - Buffy Dubois.” Odette strode right over to the sofa and plopped down beside Buffy. I had to struggle to not flinch.“He gives an incredible dicking, doesn’t he?” Odette bubbled.“Yes,” Buffy purred, “Yes, he does that and more. You are new to this whole 'love-making thing, aren’t you?”“Pretty much,” Odette openly admitted. “He gave me my first orgasm. I didn’t realize how good sex was until I met Cáel.”“I didn’t realize how good sex was until I met me either,” I joked.“Trust me,” Buffy patted Odette’s thigh, “I know a great deal about sex and I can assure you he’s really, really good.”“You are not wearing underwear,” Odette noted. Life only got more bizarre.“Why don’t you go into the bedroom, get one of his used dress shirts and put it on - and nothing else,” Buffy advised. “It is a wonderful experience.”“Oh God, don’t I know it,” Odette exulted. She jumped up and skipped into my bedroom.“Don’t play with her,” I cautioned Buffy. Buffy studied me then gave me a glowing look.“I’m trying to be a better companion Cáel,” she told me. “I know I’ve put you through hell. I’m not going to apologize. I like the look of fear in your eyes. It is only matched by that look that says 'I’ll get you for this’,” she chuckled.“Just for that, its reverse cowgirl for you the next time we make love,” I threatened.“How is that a threat?” Buffy teased. “I am absolutely positive you like my butt.”“I bet he likes all of you,” Odette sang out as she came out twirling in another one of my dressed shirts and nothing else.Odette had change really quick. I knew she came over bra-less. I was suspecting no underwear, or socks too. She sat down tightly next to Buffy.“So, how is this 'sharing’ thing going to work?” Odette looked back and forth between us.“Have you ever been with a woman?” Buffy asked. “Don’t be embarrassed about curiosity.”“Aaahhh…well, a little,” Odette stammered.“Here is how it works,” Buffy patted Odette’s nervous hand. “I can only have sex with Cáel for five and a half more hours for the entire weekend. Since I like sex and you are here, I’m certainly interested in you.”“Odette,” she reassured my bed-buddy, “there is no pressure. I have gotten the most important thing - quality time with Cáel. Everything else is a bonus.”“Oh - I’m okay with that,” Odette nodded. Then she leaned in to kiss Buffy…maybe I should create a 'Sex for Beginners’ CD. I was working gangbusters on expanding Odette’s sexual horizons.Buffy wrapped a hand in Odette’s hair and drew her into a steamer kiss. I settled in behind Odette, switching kisses between the back of Odette’s head and Buffy’s hand.“Wow,” Odette panted. “You taste different than any guy I’ve kissed. I like it, but I like Cáel better.”Before anyone thinks this never happens, or 'only in Hollywood (West Hollywood, that is), please understand I went to a rural college with a 70% female student enrollment. Convincing a girl to engage in a little girl-on-girl action to 'get me extra aroused’ is insanely easy. The few times a lady has asked if I’d kiss a guy to get her 'extra aroused’, I said 'for her and only for her’.Works every time. I’ve kissed a few guys, but only for charity. Fine…I’ve kissed a few guys in gay bars because Timothy intimated that we’d get our butts kicked if I didn’t. He may have been playing me, but for all the shit I put him through, I can live with that. Back to the story: we had Odette in my bed in no time.I was on the bottom, Odette was lying on me, back to my chest and I was using my hips to piston into her while she moaned on top of me. Buffy was alternating between tantalizing Odette’s clit and teasing her nipples. Using a very liberal definition for 'touching me’, we decided that this wasn’t consuming any of our 'exemption’ time.Three orgasms later, Buffy poured an uber-contented Odette into her/my shirt and I carried her to the sofa. I put Odette’s head in Buffy’s lap, Buffy twirling Odette’s forelock and Odette humming a happy tune. I was getting some apple and orange juice when Timothy’s keys jangled in the door. He walked into the apartment and soaked up the scene.I took in that it was barely 8:30 and Timothy was in his date clothes. A seriously not-good situation. I diverted to him, drinks in hand, and hugged him.“Sorry Bro,” I murmured. He hugged me back. “Buffy DuBois, this is Timothy.”“Buffy? The crazy chick who wanted a hug?” Timothy chuckled.“She’s not…” Odette mumbled.“Yes, that would be me,” Buffy grinned sedately. Timothy looked down and shook his head.“That is some dick,” he groused. “Damn Bro, "Timothy regarded me with some amusement, "did you bother to get her panties off, or was the mere thought of sex with you enough to cause a complete personality reversal?”“Cáel,” Odette raised a shake arm and commanded loftily, “put the drinks down and get us some ice cream. It is Bonding Time.” She meant commiserating with Timothy over his dating failure. Timothy trundled off to his bedroom muttering something about 'getting into something more comfortable’ and I delivered the drinks then doubled back for the ice cream and four spoons.Timothy ended up on the floor with his head resting against Odette’s stomach. I offered to take the bottom spot. Timothy accepted the gesture then pointed out I was the guy with the bum leg. I ended up with Odette’s feet in my lap. The flavor of the night was Cherry Vanilla and we were all making inroads into the supply quickly.Timothy dialed up Ninja Assassin on Netflix. Ten minutes in I realized why. There was this Asian actor who was really hot and extremely physically fit. Odette agreed.“You two can’t believe any of this is real,” Buffy commented shortly after. “This is absurd. Nothing and no one kills like that.” She had professional pride after all.It hadn’t taken me three days to figure out that the Executive Service babes’ main purpose in life was not laundry delivery. They went everywhere and saw everything - just like a secret police force. Odd, huh?“Speaking of absurd and unreal,” Timothy snickered.“Cáel, two ladies screaming Extreme High Maintenance showed up this morning. Apparently you weren’t answering your phone, work said you were out of the office, and some spooky chicks at Havenstone showed them the door with something akin to a threat of lethal violence,” he continued. “From long experience as your roommate, I could tell you’d fucked them to Nirvana and they wanted more.”“From long experience’?” Buffy wondered. “You haven’t known him two months yet.”“Lady, this happens at least once a week with this guy. You are playing with the hair of one of those women right now,&rdqu

This week we talk about Galaxy's Edge, the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, Mysterium, Little Bird comic, Oculus, Hush, Doctor Sleep, The Void, Lords of Waterdeep, the Tron video game, Hardspace Shipbreaker, Iger is back at Disney, Has-bro, FTX, and more. Put off number one, It's time for a Geek Shock!

This episode of The Big Scoop with Coop I have actress from BET sitcom Let's Stay Together & the new show HUSH Joyful Drake.  Joyful will speak about her career, her new show HUSH, and more!

This episode of The Big Scoop with Coop I have actress from BET sitcom Let's Stay Together & the new show HUSH Joyful Drake.  Joyful will speak about her career, her new show HUSH, and more!

This week, Joe and Matt come together in Unity as they review Hush Pale Ale by Unity Brewing Co. In the Hop topic, Joe takes us through a new beer trends piece by Lewis Moberly, "New Brew: What's New and Next in Beer", and Barber tries to guess whats coming next in the world of beer!Be sure to follow Unity Brewing Co

This show is going green, as we cover POISON IVY with the help of licensed therapist Sara Boyadjis! Intro Sara - give us your background Background (2:54) Poison Ivy, Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley, created by Robert Kanigher & Carmine Infantino in Batman #181 (June 1966) Originally a botanist who was poisoned to prevent her from implicating a colleague in a theft, she survived and learned she was immune to toxins - attacked Gotham to prove she was the greatest female super villain ever Reimagined post-Crisis by Neil Gaiman, Pamela Isley was mentored in biochemistry by Dr. Jason Woodrue (Floronic Man), and was colleagues with Alec Holland (Swamp Thing) Woodrue seduces her and injects her with toxins as an experiment - she is hospitalized, and when she recovers she vacillates quickly between kindness and rage The experiments also give her the ability to manipulate plants, and her touch can transfer a fungus that gives her a control over people She becomes obsessed with Batman, as he is one of the only people she cannot control due to his strong will, although she has overcome him on occasion Woodrue breaks Ivy out of Arkham to help him create mind-controlling hemp to take over Gotham, but she sides with Batman, who decapitates Woodrue, as she takes the money and runs away - whole storyline was Very Special Episode about drugs In “No Man's Land”, after Gotham is hit by an earthquake and isolated from the rest of the US, Ivy takes over Robinson Park, and turns it into an Eden-esque paradise - she also takes several orphans under her wing - she strikes a deal with Batman to maintain control over the area, as long as she grows food for the rest of the population This is when she first meets Harley Quinn, left for dead by the Joker - Ivy nurses Harley back to health, and the two become close friends After thinking her powers were poisoning the children in her care, she asks Bruce Wayne to help reverse her powers and make her human - she later regains her powers thanks to Hush, although the procedure temporarily kills her (she gets better) #BecauseComics New 52 reboots her origin - she was born with a skin condition that kept her isolated, her father murdered her mother, and in college she sold pheromone pills that mind controlled users - she later joined Wayne Enterprises to study biochemistry, but was the victim of an accidental chemical spill that gave her the ability to control plant matter Creates plant-human hybrid children that grow at an accelerated rate - the children leave Ivy and go off on their own Eventually settles in as antihero, focusing on environmental activism Establishes a relationship with Harley Quinn, but the two break it off after Ivy reveals she loves the planet more than any one person on it Issues - Opportunities for natural growth The greener she gets, the more misanthropic she gets Two specific carve outs: first Bruce, based more as an obsession (18:02) Harley relationship humanizes them both, and is the healthiest one either of them has (27:12) Break (40:42) Plugs for Grief Burrito, Frigay the 13th, and Phillip Kennedy Johnson Treatment (42:14) In-universe - Have Ivy create an area by herself, where she can be alone with plants, and slowly integrate other people Out of universe (49:00) - Address individual with god complex Skit (54:05) DOC: Hello Dr. Isley, I'm Dr. Issues IVY: Thanks for remembering I have a doctorate.  DOC: My experience tells me that no matter what has happened to a person, their training sticks with them. Credentials come and go. IVY: Sounds like the seasons. Spring and fall, winter and summer. They tend to pair up that way, don't you think? I know it's common to think of the full cycle, but that's not how nature works for things to grow. DOC: Some things offset, sure. Now, what can I do for you?  IVY: As a person, probably little. But as fertilizer, maybe you're up to snuff. DOC: *sarcastic* And there are those famous thorny barbs I've heard so much about.  IVY: Force of habit.  DOC: I heard the opposite; you wait for someone to put their guard down, and then you manipulate them or trap them. IVY: You're bringing up ancient history. Those roots have withered. I'm in this world for much bigger purposes. DOC: Well, maybe I can help with your mindset and goals. Keep you emotionally focused, right? IVY: Emotion doesn't matter when you have a world to save. Your experience with…others should have taught you that. DOC: Too many to name IVY: You only need one. You KNOW who I'm talking about. DOC: *pause* There's an easy answer, and there's a hard answer. Which do you want first? IVY: *irritable* I'm not a child waiting for guessing games *calms down*…but if you must know, always handle the thorns first so the delicate petals bloom. DOC: Hard first then. *sigh* I'm not talking about Harley. IVY: *surprised* But she sent me here! She said you put up with all sorts of…nonsense that drives the Arkham therapists bonkers. And she doesn't trust people…EVER. Neither do I. So…who? DOC: I can't give their name, because it's not mine to give. IVY: I knew it. You're a stooge! You don't care about her, or me, or the planet, do you? You just want to be another one of his…lapdog Bat children that miss the forest AND the trees. It was a mistake coming here. DOC: WAIT! Wait…you didn't hear the easy part. IVY: *sigh, clearly angry* make it quick DOC: I agree that you can be a part of saving the world, with the right tools. IVY: You realize you put me through unnecessary anguish by getting your priorities mixed up, right? DOC: *gulp* I apologize, okay? I want this to work, but I'm not going to shy away from your blindspots. What would it take for you to trust me on this? IVY: Tell me about these tools of yours.  DOC: Well…this may not be what you want to hear, but there are some medications that- IVY: *interrupting* I'm immune to toxins, control pheromones, and learned the essence of life itself, and you want to talk about medication?!!! Do you know the harm that Big Pharma has done to humankind, let alone the plant kingdom? How dare you! DOC: Please! It's not what you think! *stuttering due to fear* e-e-e-ever heard of St John's Wort? IVY: Of course. It's a common natural supplement for those with depression. DOC: And psilocybin?  IVY: Good old “magic mushrooms.” Had to keep Harley from trying to bury herself into the ground…she called herself “mother earth.”  Not something to play with. DOC: How about kratom IVY: Are you insane?! Nobody should touch that stuff without knowing the psychological effects even if there's anecdotal evidence for pain…where are you going with this? DOC: That plants are the essence of all medicine, and we know it. YOU know it. I wouldn't dare prescribe any of the things mentioned without more study because it's too dangerous without more information. But that doesn't mean people who care…I mean REALLY care, aren't trying to find out.  IVY: After everything I've done in my life, you think a review board would allow me to participate in any such research? I'm banned for life! DOC: …and when has that mattered before?  IVY: You'd be risking your license on someone who is a lost cause. DOC: No, I'm not saying you should DO the research, I'm saying you should be a PART of the research. IVY: You want me to be a guinea pig. You're evil, you know that? You are no better than any of the fossil industry moguls that strip the planet bare. You would have me die on the vine rather than produce fruit for the world! DOC: No, no, no…you don't get it…I'm trusting you with your gift. You're IMMUNE. IVY: *pause* My body can process things that others can't…filter out the danger…and only leave what's left if there's a way to…extract it without turning me into a green slurry in a food processor. DOC: Ewww…but yes. You could be the source of a natural treatment process that eliminates the stigma of medication management, improves the safety, AND helps with your…let's just say, mood lability. IVY: And you could do all of that…for me? DOC: actually…no. IVY: *angry* WHAT??? DOC: WAIT! Again! My point is that your own version of the world can include those types of goals in the long run, but we can't do that yet. And we sure can't do it alone. You have an opportunity to prove me wrong, but we have to meet somewhere in the middle. I have approved safe treatments that help. You have a grand scheme for how the planet should be. Can we meet somewhere in the middle? IVY: *calmer* You're weird, you know that? DOC: Compared to… IVY: True…perhaps we can work on crossbreeding pollinators with aerosolized melatonin. The possibilities are endless. DOC: An apple a day could truly keep the doctor away. Well, most of them. ***dream sequence sounds***  IVY: Doctor? Doctor?  DOC: *snoring* IVY: Oh dear, I forgot to tell him to use a filtration system for his office. Those pheromones will give him some incredibly odd dreams. I'll have to keep a note of that since most people just become mindless drones. Perhaps there's something unique in his genetic makeup or blood chemistry… DOC: *whispering while sleeping* Lithium in lilacs, who could say no? IVY: Hoo boy... And I STILL didn't get the easy or hard answers out of him. On the bright side, these ramblings make for fascinating research. I will say these sessions are worth my time, at least a little bit.  Ending (60:54) Recommended reading: Fruit of the Earth, part of No Man's Land Next episodes: Moira McTaggert, Gladiator, Raven Plugs for social Transcript References: Anthony Extra Life fundraiser Tee Franklin episode - Anthony (10:04) Harley Quinn episode - Anthony (27:20) Apple Podcasts: here Google Play: here Stitcher: here TuneIn: here iHeartRadio: here Twitter Facebook TikTok  Patreon TeePublic Discord

On this episode the boys return from the 99 cent store to record a random episode in the great outdoors. it.gordis909 909BigDawg and 0250_Hush get it in . no hemo

The RMR Podcast: Music, Cannabis, and Marketing On episode 58 of the RMR Podcast, Mitch and Joey join each other for a special live podcast at the HUSH House Las Vegas 2022 MJ Biz Con after-party. Joey and Mitch chat about Weed Week in Las Vegas along with their main takeaways from the 2022 MJ Biz Con show. We break down what booths stood out, how companies separate themselves, and the dos and don'ts of tradeshow marketing. More at www.respectmyregion.com

On this episode, Juice and Clay discuss the death of BATMAN, Keving Conroy, Zaslav "No 4 Batmen in the DCU" comment, James Gunn teases future DCU characters Like Bat-Mite and the DCU Bible, along with The Batman 2 rumors of HUSH being the villain. Plus viewer comments and comic reviews. #batman --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/batfromthebox/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/batfromthebox/support

On this Podcast Miguel and Nate discuss the "Leaving the Toilet Seat up" debate, Miguel is getting a new dog! And we discuss puppy prices and our thoughts on adopting. We also reminisce on a CD from our childhood lost in time, from a Hawaiian comedian Greg Hammer. If you know you know!!! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/panana-st/support

Kia and Hush go through the teams with the best and worst vibes in the league, talk about Minnesota's future, the surging Kings, and other unexpected teams

Piper speaks with top hunter trainer and National Show Hunter Hall of Fame member Tom Wright. Brought to you by Taylor, Harris Insurance Services.Hosts: Piper Klemm, publisher of The Plaid HorseGuest: Tom Wright is one of the winningest  hunter trainers and also a 2020 National Show Hunter Hall of Fame inductee. Tom is based out of Nashville, Tennessee, and Wellington, Florida and has a list of tri-color wins in the pony hunter, junior hunter, and amateur hunter divisions that speaks for itself. The horses that Tom has discovered and coached up to national and international superstardom includes names like Private Practice, Cuba, Strapless, and Hush.Title Sponsor: Taylor, Harris Insurance ServicesSubscribe To: The Plaid Horse MagazineSponsors: Purina Animal Nutrition, America Cryo, Lauracea, American Stalls, BoneKare, Show Strides Book Series, Online Equestrian College Courses,  With Purpose: The Balmoral Standard, and American Equestrian School

Reasons to direct movies, thing you might need if your going to live in the woods, Kate vs Sheri Moon, home invasion fails, conference championships and Hush

I'm not going to go on and on about the busyness of the season or why our culture has set up this way. You know what it's like. You know the pressure you feel. You also know that one of the things we miss out on when we're caught up in the holiday hustle is that it leaves us with little room to pay attention—to what we're doing, to the people we're with, and to what God is doing in our lives. Are you willing to give that up? Imagine replacing hurry and anxiety with peace and joy. Imagine having the space to recognize what is stirring within you instead of feeling like you have to shove it back down again because you've got to get on to the next thing. Imagine actually experiencing God's presence as you celebrate Christmas, Emmanuel, God with us. What might that be like for you? The truth is, you don't have to subscribe to the idea of the holiday hustle. You can practice the holy hush, instead. Kari   RESOURCES: Episode 91: When God is Silent: Experiencing His Presence in New Ways Holy Silence, by J. Brent Bill ______ >> Free Journaling Workshop: 3 Ways to Encounter God on the Pages of Your Journal http://lovedoesthat.org/journalingworkshop >> Journal Gently: An 8-week program designed to help you process grief and trauma with God (Save $30 with seasonal code LDT30.) http://lovedoesthat.org/journalgently >> Written Spiritual Direction: Recognize God's presence in your pain http://lovedoesthat.org/spiritualdirection

This week Alex and Ryan continue their talk with actor, writer, & producer Grace Patterson. Grace caught the acting bug at 9 years old after being cast in a school theater production. She subsequently trained with the Children's Theater of Dallas appearing in several stage productions before developing what would later become a passion for on-screen acting. In 2010, Grace was cast in the UTA production, Unloved, in which she played an emotionally-challenged foster child. Grace is committed to her development as an actor and has trained with Cathryn Hartt, Del Shores, Sharron Garrison, and now studies with Ice Mrozek. Grace is also an accomplished dancer (including jazz, ballet, and hip hop) making her a double threat. The film we will discuss is Hush (2016), directed by Mike Flanagan. Grace Patterson IMDB IG Alex Keledjian Alex Keledjian is the creator of Project Greenlight, a documentary television series where executive producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck gave first-time filmmakers a chance to direct their first feature film. In 2018, Alex wrote and directed the film High Voltage starring David Arquette and Luke Wilson. Ryan Gibson Ryan Gibson is an Emmy-award winning producer of such films as the critically acclaimed Woe and the upcoming film Slotherhouse. He has worked for over twenty years in all aspects of film development and production. HBO Max will stream the latest season of the Emmy-nominated TV series Project Greenlight from executive producer Issa Rae and Miramax Television in January 2023. How I Got Greenlit Instagram Twitter Podlink Credits Alex Keledjian, Host Ryan Gibson, Host Edgar Camey, Audio Editor Pete Musto, Editor Robert Cappadona, Producer Jeremiah Tittle, Producer Experience more of How I Got Greenlit via ncpodcasts.com For guest inquiries, sponsorships, and all other magnificent concerns, please reach How I Got Greenlit via howIgotgreenlit@gmail.com For inquiries and more information on Next Chapter Podcasts info@ncpodcasts.com New episodes go live every Tuesday. Please subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, wherever you listen to podcasts.

Hush and Kia decide it's time to talk about their favorite team - the surging Washington Wizards. Will they keep up their good play? Are they better without Bradley Beal? Is Kristaps Porzingis an All-Star? Is Jordan Goodwin the best point guard in the league? Is Jordan Goodwin a point guard at all? All those questions plus tons more are answered in this podcast.

Pastor Jared Kemmis

Pastor Jared Kemmis

In this episode 39 of Streets and Scholars with Frank "FG" Thornton and Alex Alonso they discuss:  1.Cain Velasquez was granted bail but it wasn't from the original judge Shelayna Brown. During the hearing this week it was Judge Arthur Bocanegra that granted bail.  2. Former Instagram influencer and “entrepreneur” that was arrested in 2020 in Dubai was sentenced to 130 months in US Federal prison for doing scams and flaunting his "wealth" on Instagram.   3. An entire segment of internet sleuths are trying to solve the Takeoff murder, inspired by DJ Akademics.  4. If YSL has members like Gunna a Crip, and like Young Thug a Bllood.    * Watch Cinemills interview of Alex Alonso: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=301zkTi7GDs If you want to advertise on Streets & Scholars contact [STEF (@) streetgangs . com ] to receive our media packet.  FIND us on INSTAGRAM * Streets & Scholars: http://www.instagram.com/streets.and.scholars  * Alex Alonso: http://www.instagram.com/alexalonso101  * FG: https://www.instagram.com/fgeneral1/ FIND us on Youtube: * Street TV: http://www.youtube.com/streetgangs * Street TV Flix: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwof1NALLNj3owdHJTM4YVw * FG Unleashed: https://www.youtube.com/c/FGUNLEASHED * Alex Alonso: https://www.youtube.com/c/AlexAlonso101 ----- * StreetGangs website: http://www.streetgangs.com

Comic Reviews: DC Batman and the Joker: The Deadly Duo 1 by Marc Silvestri, Arif Prianto Marvel Deadpool 1 by Alyssa Wong, Martin Coccolo, Neerag Menon Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind 1 by Kevin Shinick, Gerardo Sandoval, Victor Nava, Israel Silva Secret Invasion 1 by Ryan North, Francesco Mobili, Jordie Bellaire Tiger Division 1 by Emily Kim, Creees Lee, Yen Nitro Infinity Comics Avengers Electric Rain by Go Yeong-Hun, Black Monkey, Amy Chu Strange Tales Wakanda by Jason Holtham, Ramon Bachs, Javier Tartaglia It's Jeff by Kelly Thompson, GuriHiru Miles Morales Stranger Tides OGN by Justin Reynolds, Pablo Leon Dark Horse Ones 1 by Brian Michael Bendis, Jacob Edgar, K.J. Diaz Quick Stops 1 by Kevin Smith, Jeremy Simser Image Hell to Pay 1 by Charles Soule, Will Sliney, Rachelle Rosenberg Dynamite Cherish 1 by Katana Collins, Gabriel Caitano, Omi Remalante Vampirella vs. Red Sonja 1 by Dan Abnett, Alessandro Ranaldi, Ellie Wright Boom Behold Behemoth 1 by Tate Brombal, Nick Robles OGN Avatar: The High Ground Vol 1 by Sherri Smith, Guilherme Balbi, Michael Atiyeh, Wes Dzioba The Wondrous Wonders by Camille Jourdy Ray's OGN Corner: Other Ever Afters - New Queer Fairy Tales by Melanie Gillman Additional Reviews: JLA - Tower of Babel, Just One More Thing, Owl House s2, Wendell and Wild, Andor ep9, Low Low Woods, Sex Criminals HC 1 News: Stargirl ending after s3, next two Bone Orchard stories announced, Wonder Man casting, Agatha casting, Friday the 13th prequel show, IT prequel show (Welcome to Derry), Omni news, new Conan creative team, live action Hercules movie from the Russos inspired by TikTok, Sandman renewed, new OGN line from Vault called Headshell, Westworld canceled, something odd about the Hush deluxe edition Ray pitches the next Flanaganverse project Podcast recommendation: True Crime and Cocktails Trailer: Avatar Comics Countdown: Friday 6 by Ed Brubaker, Marcos Martin, Muntsa Vicente Wondrous Wonders by Camille Jourdy Gotham City: Year One 2 by Tom King, Phil Hester, Eric Gapstur, Jordie Bellaire Behold, Behemoth 1 by Tate Brombal, Nick Robles Barnstormers 3 by Scott Snyder, Tula Lotay, Dee Cunniffe Punisher 7 by Jason Aaron, Paul Azaceta, Jesus Saiz, Dave Stewart Dark Knights of Steel 8 by Tom Taylor, Yasmine Putri, Arif Prianto Batman 129 by Chip Zdarsky, Leonardo Romero, Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey, Jordie Bellaire That Texas Blood 19 by Chris Condon, Jacob Phillips, Pop Martin Little Monsters 7 by Jeff Lemire, Dustin Nguyen

This week Alex and Ryan talk with actor, writer, & producer Grace Patterson. Grace caught the acting bug at 9 years old after being cast in a school theater production. She subsequently trained with the Children's Theater of Dallas appearing in several stage productions before developing what would later become a passion for on-screen acting. In 2010, Grace was cast in the UTA production, Unloved, in which she played an emotionally-challenged foster child. Grace is committed to her development as an actor and has trained with Cathryn Hartt, Del Shores, Sharron Garrison, and now studies with Ice Mrozek. Grace is also an accomplished dancer (including jazz, ballet, and hip hop) making her a double threat. The film we will discuss is Hush (2016), directed by Mike Flanagan. Grace Patterson IMDB IG Alex Keledjian Alex Keledjian is the creator of Project Greenlight, a documentary television series where executive producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck gave first-time filmmakers a chance to direct their first feature film. In 2018, Alex wrote and directed the film High Voltage starring David Arquette and Luke Wilson. Ryan Gibson Ryan Gibson is an Emmy-award winning producer of such films as the critically acclaimed Woe and the upcoming film Slotherhouse. He has worked for over twenty years in all aspects of film development and production. HBO Max will stream the latest season of the Emmy-nominated TV series Project Greenlight from executive producer Issa Rae and Miramax Television in January 2023. How I Got Greenlit Instagram Twitter Podlink Credits Alex Keledjian, Host Ryan Gibson, Host Edgar Camey, Audio Editor Pete Musto, Editor Robert Cappadona, Producer Jeremiah Tittle, Producer Experience more of How I Got Greenlit via ncpodcasts.com For guest inquiries, sponsorships, and all other magnificent concerns, please reach How I Got Greenlit via howIgotgreenlit@gmail.com For inquiries and more information on Next Chapter Podcasts info@ncpodcasts.com New episodes go live every Tuesday. Please subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, wherever you listen to podcasts.

In today's episode we look at the origins of one of the most well known nursery rhymes in America, Rock-a-bye Baby. ► Want more? » Messed Up Origins: https://bit.ly/MessedUpOrgins » Nursery Rhymes Explained: https://bit.ly/MotherGoosePlaylist » Mythology Explained: https://bit.ly/MythologyExplained » Disney Explained: https://bit.ly/DisneyExplained » Fables Explained: https://bit.ly/FablesExplained » Messed Up Murders: https://bit.ly/MurderPlaylist ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ► Social Media: » Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonSolo » Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/JonSolo » Facebook Fan Page: https://facebook.com/TheRealJonSolo » Official Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/jonsolo ► Join the Official Channel Discord: » https://www.patreon.com/JonSolo ► Send Fan Mail to: » SoloFamMail@gmail.com ► Business: » biz@messeduporigins.com (Business Inquiries ONLY) ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▼ Resources ▼ » The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes: https://messeduporigins.com/books » Hush-a-Bye Bye (1791): https://archive.org/details/mothergoo... » https://historydaily.org/rock-a-bye-b... » Gerald Malley's Book: https://www.theosophy.world/sites/def... » Minstrel Article 1: https://www.fold3.com/image/296281492 » Minstrel Article 2: https://www.fold3.com/image/293801373 » Charles Dupree Blake Obituary: https://nyti.ms/33EsarX » Effie Canning Obituary: https://nyti.ms/37xKZ16 » Effie Canning IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1709558/?...

It's the second show of a possible trilogy of terror, so get ready for some suitably subtle songs from The Short Fuses, Bad Decisions, The Cutthroat Brothers And Mike Watt, Black Heroin Gallery, Limozine, London Plane, Eddie And The Subtitles, Krooked Tongue and King Khan Unlimited.Zombie shit, Voice of Jeff, Comedy Suburbs, Tony has your Facebook comments, Elon Musk. everyone has a price, last week, the newish Halloween, horse stuff, Sumac, Rites of Hadda, LimoDean, From the Vaults, Tony's International Gig Guide, this week, work shafting, Forest, no Izzatwat this week, buy us a pint, trick or treat and a reminder of the ways you can listen.Song 1: The Short Fuses – Livin' DeadSong 2: Bad Decisions – Weekend BloodbathSong 3: The Cutthroat Brothers And Mike Watt – Like A ZombieSong 4: Black Heroin Gallery - Hush, Hush, Hush, Here Comes The BogeymanSong 5: Limozine – Killer Inside YouSong 6: London Plane – Watch That Madman GoSong 7: Eddie And The Subtitles – Zombie Drug KillersSong 8: Krooked Tongue - VampyreSong 9: King Khan Unlimited – Modern Frankenstein

Hush and Kia determine whether 3 players with cold starts and 3 players with hot starts are for real or bound to regress. Then, the same exercise with 3 hot teams and 3 cold teams. Lauri Markkanen o/u 1.5 career All-Star appearances? Brought to you by The Dyspatch

Welcome to our Annual Halloween Special! If this is your first time, we talk about Halloween plans then discuss a horror movie! I'm drinking Stone's Hazy IPA, Neil has Big Dog's Red Hydrant Brown Ale, and we're both drinking Dubliner Irish Whiskey. Neil prepared this time!!!! And we recorded for 4 hours lol. So we're gonna split this up and cut things out, but this one covers a couple cool Halloween songs and specials, then we jump into Halloween 2018! Gratuitous Sound Clips: * The Haunted Mansion Complete Instrumental Soundtrack (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtYwpv9umx0) * Halloween Resurrection - Busta Rhymes vs Michael Myers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpnKDOs582A) * Hush, Hush, Hush, Here Comes the Bogeyman (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FDnPb0Iocg&t=40s) * Halloween Kills (2021) - Big John Singing Scene (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e9YTzRXbXs) * The Headless Horseman (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUm6duVb_Wg&list=PLfw-6gcyFMbMWZc-yR7VolXHNvx5PXq28&index=32) * Trick Or Treat (For Halloween) - The Mellomen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cMmpgvGc1Y) * Halloween (2018) - Killing The Babysitter Scene (4/10) | Movieclips (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p2Oyd040pg) * Speed - Shoot the Hostage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuNqh2AOItM) * Halloween (2018) - The Mask of Michael Myers Scene (1/10) | Movieclips (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qhNVDPZ-0I)

Margaret travels with her father to meet a distant relative to determine if she will be deemed worthy of the family inheritance. If chosen, Margaret will be permitted to attend the party.CONTENT WARNINGS: Themes involving grief, murder, revenge, goreABOUT: The Storage Papers is distributed and marketed by Rusty Quill and produced by Grinner Media LLC. It's a fictional horror audio drama with episodes published every two weeks. Some topics may be sensitive for younger viewers. Transcripts and content warnings can be found on our website. For additional details, visit:Website: https://www.thestoragepapers.com/Transcripts, content warnings, and more: https://www.thestoragepapers.com/episodesPatreon Bonus Content: https://patreon.com/grinnermediaMerch: https://merch.thestoragepapers.com/Review Us: https://www.thestoragepapers.com/reviewJoin our community on Discord: https://www.thestoragepapers.com/discordGrinner Media: https://grinnermedia.com/Rusty Quill: https://rustyquill.com/CREDITS:This bonus Halloween episode was written by Jeremy Enfinger, with: Nathan Lunsford as Father Alexandra Paige Levine as Margaret Jeremy Enfinger as LuciusSo Long Oo-Long by Frank Crumit is licensed under a Public Domain / Sound Recording Common Law Protection License. https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Frank_Crumit/Antique_Phonograph_Music_Program_01052010/Frank_Crumit_-_So_Long_Oo_Long/Sound effects and music by ZapsplatAdditional Episode Music, “Decay”, Ossuary 6”, and "Hush" by Kevin MacLeod (incomptech.com), licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/SOCIAL:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/storagepapersTwitter - https://www.twitter.com/storagepapersFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestoragepapers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, ThinkLab interviews David Schwarz, founding partner at HUSH, about the design firm's innovative approach to sustainability, and Rebecca Best, head of sustainability at Material Bank, on how the world's largest material aggregator is helping designers make more sustainable decisions.   Our first guest is David Schwarz, founding partner at HUSH, an experience design firm. Schwarz shares forward-thinking ways HUSH is leveraging design to connect the occupants of a space to how their own daily microdecisions affect the sustainability of a building. To that end, he describes an award-winning project, designed in partnership with United Therapeutics, which sought to make a building's cutting-edge engineering visible and able to be appreciated by workers and visitors.   Our next guest, Rebecca Best, is vice president of sustainability at Material Bank. She explains that sustainability is so complex — requiring designers to balance climate, human health, and social justice concerns — that it can't really be simplified. She counsels design firms to focus on making the decision-making process more efficient and shares strategies for how to empower clients.     In this episode:  [4:12] David details the two-part mission behind HUSH's memorable project with United Therapeutics.  [15:55] “We don't want to require that our clients become sustainability and energy experts.”  [24:17] Rebecca describes the most pressing sustainability concerns by sector.  [28:56] Rebecca speaks to the importance of celebrating small wins as a way to encourage collective action.  Connect with our interviewees on LinkedIn:  David Schwarz   Rebecca Best    This season of Design Nerds Anonymous is brought to you by Mannington Commercial, theMART, and NeoCon, companies doing big things to move the design industry forward.    Download our leading-edge playbook: 5 Personas and 50 Ways to Design Their Phygital Journey.    Design Nerds Anonymous is a proud member of the SURROUND Podcast Network. Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com. This episode of Design Nerds Anonymous was produced and edited by SANDOW Design Group, with music from Blue Dot Sessions. Special thanks to the podcast production team: Hannah Viti, Wize Grazette, and Samantha Sager. 

This episode is all about our son, James. He came into the world for 40 short hours but left the biggest impact on mine and my family's lives. This is his story told from my perspective. It's about love, loss, heartache, community, growth, strength and of course, music. There was a TON of emotion while I was recording and while I was editing! Grab your tissues because I'd love to share this story with you!The album "Hush, Little Baby" is onhttps://music.apple.com/us/album/sing-me-a-song-a-cappella-from-around-the-world-for-kids/588052762On spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/album/3oD7ONUZicuILHBVfTfJUdThe Hymns album I talked about, "One Savior, One Voice"https://www.onesavioronevoice.com/15% off of foot creamhttps://nskn.co/rU59a215% off the Lumi Spahttps://nskn.co/E0OR4XFollow Jammie on Instagram & Tiktok@jammiehampton Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/jammie.hamptonYouTubehttps://youtube.com/user/JammieHampton

The Royal Children's Hospital certainly isn't a place anyone wants to land, though it's unfortunately an inevitable reality for some families. But when that time comes, they can be certain that due to people like Professor Catherine Crock the journeys and the outcomes are having the needle moved in the right direction. Sure, we're super lucky to have such advanced medicine at our fingertips, but along the way it's fair to say we've lost touch and appreciation for the very real healing power of the somewhat unseen stuff. The healing power of sights, sounds, ambience and culture... of kindness.  Professor Catherine Crock is a medical pioneer, producer of music and theatrics, humanitarian, mother and advocate for change.  A Physician at The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Catherine has successfully implemented a raft of positive changes to healthcare in organisational culture, services and patient/family support. She is a Professor in the Faculty of Health, Deakin University. She is Chair and Founder of The Hush Foundation, a charity working to transform healthcare by improving partnerships, culture and the environment to support health and wellbeing. Hush, in collaboration with some of Australia's finest musical talent, has commissioned nineteen albums of music specifically for application within healthcare. Plonk yourself down amidst some nice scenery and let this powerful conversation flood your cells. PROFESSOR CATHERINE CROCK (AM) Website: www.hush.org.au  TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  https://linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches/ Website: www.rollwiththepunches.com.au LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/tiffaneecook/ Facebook:  www.facebook.com/rollwiththepunchespodcast/ Instagram:  www.instagram.com/rollwiththepunches_podcast/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/tiffaneeandco  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chef Neill Howell was born in England. His father's career in the army moved the family quite often, taking them not only to Northern Ireland (his mother's native country), but also Hong Kong and Brunei. After catering college, Neill worked to refine his chef skills through his employment in London, New York City, Los Angeles and now Baltimore. Neill's vast London experience in restaurants such as Langan's Brasserie, Asia De Cuba, Hush, Home House and The Grove Hotel earned him a job in the United States. ​Prior to his Executive Chef role here in Baltimore at Bond Street Social, he served as Executive Chef for 4 years at one of New York City's most popular dining establishments of it's time  - The Stanton Social in the Lower East Side. It was the exclusive Soho House New York that orginally brought him stateside. There he catered to a celebrity clientele at the New York location and in Los Angeles during Oscar Events. It his also where he met his wife and co-owner, Emily.  Since opening The Corner Pantry, Neill has been able to truly discover who he is as a chef - utilizing fresh, local ingredients while pulling inspiration from his life, work and travels around the globe.  He is a proud father of Annabelle (8) and Clive (4) and spends his time outside of the kitchen training in the pool or on the road for his other passion, triathalon competitions. The Truth In This ArtThe Truth In This Art is a podcast interview series supporting vibrancy and development of Baltimore & beyond's arts and culture. Mentioned in this episode:The Corner Pantry To find more amazing stories from the artist and entrepreneurial scenes in & around Baltimore, check out my episode directory. Stay in TouchNewsletter sign-upSupport my podcastShareable link to episode ★ Support this podcast ★

Welcome to the fourth episode of Season Seven of the Bagley Wright Lecture Series on Poetry podcast. Season Seven of the podcast includes lectures written and delivered by Douglas Kearney during his tenure as a Bagley Wright Lecturer. Today we'll hear “You Better Hush: Blacktracking A Visual Poetics.” This talk was originally given March 31, 2021, at Seattle Arts & Lectures, via Zoom. Aretha and the Iceman, J-Dilla, Susan Howe, and a bird that becomes a fish only to become a bird, flower, then a bird again meet up in this lecture about visuality/visibility (Evie Shockley) and the textual/textural. Poet Douglas Kearney will discuss what draws him to visual poetry, the disruptive pleasure of collage's cut, recognition as a strategy that places reading in tension with looking, and the genealogy of a threat from a spiritual to 1990s gangsta rap. Visit us at our website, www.bagleywrightlectures.org, for more information about Bagley Wright lecturers, as well as links to supplementary materials on each lecturer's archive page, including selected writings. Douglas Kearney's book based on his BWLS lectures, Optic Subwoof (Wave Books, 2022) is forthcoming, and is available for purchase here. Music: "I Recall" by Blue Dot Sessions from the Free Music Archive CC BY NC

We have an entire month's worth of movies for you to Enjoy as Jovial Jay runs down his entire lineup of 31 Days of Horror! Join us for some spooky classics both old and modern on Enjoy Stuff: A TechnoRetro Podcast   Jovial Jay's annual October tradition of a scary movie a day returns on RetroZap.com. Join us as we discuss each of his articles that you can pair up with the movies and how to Enjoy your October with plenty of chills!   News Sydney Sweeney is set to star in a new Barbarella film  Got some time on your hands? Then you can start putting together the largest Marvel set ever with the new Hulkbuster set  Spirited is a new Christmas movie with Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell A sweet, Original NES ornament is available at a pretty sweet price   The sequel you didn't know you needed is on its way! Twister 2!  Hope Jabba isn't gluten intolerant, because Han Solo has been turned into a giant loaf of bread  Make sure you check out our TeePublic store to get ready for the holidays and all the latest fashion trends What we're Enjoying Jay recently visited the Luray Caverns in Virginia, the largest caverns in the eastern United States. It's wide variety of stalactites and stalagmites is a beautiful example of how nature still remains the most amazing features on our planet. Shua has been listening to the classic suite of music from Gustav Holst called The Planets. This music has inspired many composers, including John Williams when he wrote the soundtrack to Star Wars.    Sci-Fi Saturdays/MCU Location Scout   Enjoy Movies! 31 Days of Horror is Jovial Jay's annual analysis of some great scary movies. This week we look at the 2022 collection.    [SFS] Night of the Creeps (1986) The Final Girls (2015) Trick ‘r Treat (2007) Elizabeth Harvest (2018) Hush (2016) Malignant (2021) The Babadook (2014) [SFS] Critters (1986) Nosferatu (1922)  Frenzy (1972) Visiting Hours (1982) Army of Darkness (1993) Ju-On: The Grudge (2003) American Mary (2012) The Blob (1988) Out of the Dark (1988) The Descent (2005)  Last House on the Left (1972) Hostel (2005) Fear No Evil (1969) Wrong Turn (2003) [SFS] Flatliners (1990) Tomb of Ligeia (1964) Happy Birthday to Me (1981) ← ”TODAY” 30 Days of Night (2007) Happy Death Day (2017) I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) Friday The 13th Part II (1981) [SFS] Event Horizon (1997) Misery (1990) Halloween Kills (2021) Check back in to RetroZap every day this month to see what creepy movie Jay will give us next. And don't forget his articles on MCULocationScout.com for some great, interactive maps of filming locations.    Which movies on the list have you seen? What were your favorite articles? First person that emails me with the subject line, “31 Days Rock!” will get a special mention on the show.  Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to EnjoyStuff@RetroZap.com