Podcasts about Obsidian

#515 Motorworld. In the first of 2 special programmes from Munich, Bavaria; Gareth explores Motorworld and marvels at the exotica on display. Plus we talk to the Hyundai-backed student designer who created the Obsidian and the top people shaping GM cars.

As we announced last week, today we're diving headfirst into Knights of the Old Republic II, Obsidian's follow-up to the BioWare game that dug into the ancient history of our favorite galaxy far, far away. (Though before we dig into that, we talk more about that announcement from last week to try to share some of our thoughts and process about getting where we got.) Because KOTOR II is a pretty big meal, we took our time today to set the table. We dig into our characters, the state of the galaxy after KOTOR II, the mods we used, and the various technical fixes we had to adjust for. If you're playing along with us on a device that can run mods, well here's that mod list (along with additional instructions) for you. (That last sentence had a link in it. If your podcatcher doesn't see one, try going to our site directly.) Finally, another little announcement. We know that many folks don't have time to play through all of KOTOR II along with us. To help those of y'all who nevertheless want to get a sense of the game, Austin will be uploading an episode-by-episode Let's Play to the official AMCA YouTube Channel. Here's the first episode!  (That was also a link.) Next Time: Peragus Support the show by going to Patreon.com/civilized! Show Notes Our KOTOR II Mod List The First Episode of the KOTOR II LP Episode 01 of ReBoot Hosted by Rob Zacny (@RobZacny) Featuring Alicia Acampora (@ali_west), Austin Walker (@austin_walker), and Natalie Watson (@nataliewatson) Produced by Chia Contreras (@a_cado_appears) Music by Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal) Cover art by Xeecee (@xeeceevevo)  

Tue, 06 May 2025 20:30:00 GMT http://relay.fm/focused/229 http://relay.fm/focused/229 David Sparks and Mike Schmitz David & Mike revisit some old workflows (time blocking, weekly review, reading, and writing) and talk about what's changed. David & Mike revisit some old workflows (time blocking, weekly review, reading, and writing) and talk about what's changed. clean 3808 David & Mike revisit some old workflows (time blocking, weekly review, reading, and writing) and talk about what's changed. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED. Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan. Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. Mike's Practical PKM Hybrid Cohort David's newsletter Focused #228: Time Surfing, with Paul Loomans Focused #225: Tiny Experiments, with Anne-Laure Le Cunff Mike's Plus Minus Next video Mike's Plus Minus Next ShortcutRequires Actions for Obsidian to work. Actions For Obsidian Voicepal Whisper Memos Readwise Reader The Ultimate Jim Rohn Library Audiobook | Free with trial Mike's new website Walt Disney's Flywheel Shure MVX2u | Sweetwater Letters on Ethics: To Lucilius, Seneca, Graver, Long The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom Hollylan

Tue, 06 May 2025 20:30:00 GMT http://relay.fm/focused/229 http://relay.fm/focused/229 Workflow Check-In 229 David Sparks and Mike Schmitz David & Mike revisit some old workflows (time blocking, weekly review, reading, and writing) and talk about what's changed. David & Mike revisit some old workflows (time blocking, weekly review, reading, and writing) and talk about what's changed. clean 3808 David & Mike revisit some old workflows (time blocking, weekly review, reading, and writing) and talk about what's changed. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED. Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan. Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. Mike's Practical PKM Hybrid Cohort David's newsletter Focused #228: Time Surfing, with Paul Loomans Focused #225: Tiny Experiments, with Anne-Laure Le Cunff Mike's Plus Minus Next video Mike's Plus Minus Next ShortcutRequires Actions for Obsidian to work. Actions For Obsidian Voicepal Whisper Memos Readwise Reader The Ultimate Jim Rohn Library Audiobook | Free with trial Mike's new website Walt Disney's Flywheel Shure MVX2u | Sweetwater Letters on Ethics: To Lucilius, Seneca, Graver, Long The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom Hollyland Lark M

Send us a textSubscribe and unleash your inner science goblin. We see you. We respect it.In this third Volcano Minisode, Katy digs into one of the coolest things a volcano has ever made: obsidian—a rock so sharp it's been shaping human history for 30,000 years and is still used in modern surgery.

Cuórum mínimo? se graba! Ryckys y Chrono analizan Avowed: el último titulo de Obsidian, un juego de rol en primera persona con un planteamiento interesante. Y si hablamos de noticias discutimos sobre la subida de precios de PS5 Comentarios: https://t.me/comentariosindiepodcast

The ‘bone collector' caterpillar covers itself with body partsIt's like something from a horror movie. A creeping, carnivorous creature that in a macabre attempt at disguise and protection, covers itself with the dismembered remains of dead insects. This super-rare caterpillar is one of the strangest insects in the world. It lives on spider webs inside of trees and rock crevices in a 15 square kilometre radius on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu. Daniel Rubinoff, from the University of Hawaii Insect Museum, found about 62 of these caterpillars over the past 20 years. Their research was published in the journal Science. If a dolphin pees in the water, does anybody know it?Researchers observing river dolphins in Brazil were first surprised to see the animals turning on their backs and urinating into the air, and then further amazed to see other dolphins sampling the falling stream. The Canadian and Brazilian team, led by Claryana Araújo-Wang from the CetAsia Research Group, believe this aerial urination may be a way to communicate dominance among males. The research was published in the journal Behavioural Processes.How the snowball Earth made life bloom on our planet700 million years ago our planet was frozen from pole to pole during a period known as snowball Earth. Glaciers at that time scoured deep into the continents below like a giant bulldozer, grinding the rock into fine sediments. In a new study in the journal Geology, scientists found that as the glaciers melted, a lot of that loose material was injected very rapidly into the oceans. Branden Murphy, from St. Francis Xavier University, said this chemical cocktail fertilized the oceans, and set the stage for rise of multicellular complex life on Earth.  How a team of microbiologists use cars to sample air across the countryUnderstanding the distribution of bacteria that might be a concern for human or animal health across an entire country is a huge job. But a team from Laval used a very clever shortcut to gather their data. They collected car air filters from vehicles across the nation, and looked in them to see what they sucked up. They found regional differences in the antimicrobial resistance genes specific to the agricultural activities and environmental factors at each location. Paul George, from Laval University, was the lead researcher on the study published in the journal Environmental DNA.Albertan obsidian artifacts are the end point of a widespread Indigenous trade networkObsidian — volcanic glass used to make super-sharp tools — is found as artifacts from chips to blades to arrowheads at hundreds of sites across the Rockies of Alberta and B.C., dating back thousands of years. However, there are no volcanos in the area so archaeologists are using this volcanic glass to chart Indigenous trade routes through North America. New research, led by Timothy Allan of Ember Archeology, has traced the obsidian's point of origin to a site nearly 1,000 kilometres away, suggesting the material travelled over long distances and passed through many hands. The research was published in the Journal of Field Archaeology.Do his gills ring a bell? Fish can recognize humansScientists at a Mediterranean research station kept noticing that particular fish would follow them around whenever they would try and do experiments. To find out if the fish were actually capable of recognizing individual humans, a team from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany decided to turn this annoying behaviour into a scientific experiment. They found that the fish were indeed capable of remembering which humans had shared tasty treats in the past. The research was published in the journal Biology Letters.

Time Stamps:00:00:00 Community Guest Intros00:05:00 The Games Media/Community Are STILL Trying To Tell Us That Xbox Game Pass Is "Bad For The Industry" WHY Does This Keep Happening?00:40:00 Outer Worlds 2 Could Be Obsidian's Biggest RPG Of ALL TIME! HUGE Breakdown On The "Gunplay" For One Of 2025's MOST Anticipated RPG's!01:24:00 Panel Outros and Special Message to the Community!

AIでのコーディング補助を追加したエディタCursorを、文章のライティングに使う人が増えているようで、そのメリットや無料版の制限などについて話しました。Obsidianとの併用もおすすめです。＝＝＝ 目次 ＝＝＝00:00:00 コーディングでなく文章を書くためにCursorを00:01:51 文章の続きの候補が表示される補完機能00:03:46 Obsidianとの併用もおすすめ00:05:11 文書の整形を効率化できる00:06:42 無料版の制限と無料で使い続けるヒント00:08:22 ベースとなっているのはVisual Studio Code-------#アシカガCASTデジタル活用のヒントをスキマ時間で。話題のサービス、注目のソフトウェアの紹介、デジタルツールの活用術など、テック系情報をわかりやすくお届けします。月〜水 朝8時に更新■アシカガCAST文字起こし要約｜アシカガコウジ｜note https://note.com/ashikagacast/m/mbc989fbedb84■X（Twitter）アカウントhttps://twitter.com/ashikagacastApple Podcast、Spotify、Google Podcastなどでも配信しています。■アシカガCASTの聴き方http://typebot.io/ashikagacast ■アシカガノオトhttps://ashikaga.substack.com/

In my time cruising around Substack, one of the more interesting personalities I've come across is a fellow named Wez, aka Obsidian Blackbird. who writes “Memories of a Post Grunge Drifter”, a sort of ongoing autobiographical project that winds its way across the end of Generation X and the turn of the new millennium through the eyes of a vagabond Kiwi. Along the way, Wez shows us how the adversity of his family situation was dealt with, or not, via running away from home and leading a life not unlike that lived by another friend and former guest of this show, A.M. Hickman. A journey that spans the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean while straddling cultural shifts of rural living in the British Empire's furthest flung outpost to the streets of early 2000s Sydney and Toronto, and onward into the weirdness of post Covid America, Wez's life has been lived with both hands firmly gripping the short and curlies. This interview is as entertaining as his writings, often accompanied by his own illustrations, which you ought to check out here -https://obsidianblackbird.substack.com/A brief selection of titles -The Cruise Ship as a Spiritual ExperienceOperation Finnish PrincessI Was a Gypsy Roadside Rug SalesmanEscaping From Bad Men that look out for Teen RunawaysSnow White and The Seven Starving BogansWez is nothing if not prolific; those five titles barely scratch the surface of his output - if you've got the time and inclination, there is so much more.And after all of that, he's going back to New Zealand to start a ‘Right Wing Hippie Commune'. Almost as if his story is just getting started at the ripe old age of 47.Thanks for listening, and remember to not pass judgement on the hitch-hikers.Questions, comments, suggestions, corrections and Hate Mail are welcomed and strongly encouraged - gordilocks@protonmail.com

​​In dieser Folge spreche ich mit Sebastian Kamilli, Lernexperte, Unternehmer und absoluter KI-Enthusiast. Wir gehen der Frage nach, wie KI unser Lernen und unsere Produktivität verändern kann – besonders für Selbstständige und Unternehmer. Sebastian teilt mit uns: warum er KI nach dem Prinzip „AI first“ einsetzt, wie er Tools wie Obsidian, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Voicepal oder LangDoc kombiniert, wie er seine eigene Wissensdatenbank (Second Brain) zur Basis seiner Arbeit macht, und warum du nicht blind der KI vertrauen, sie aber auch nicht ignorieren solltest. Du erfährst, wie du mit ganz konkreten Schritten anfangen kannst – auch wenn du (noch) kein Technik-Profi bist – und warum KI für Selbstständige zu einem echten Wettbewerbsvorteil wird, wenn sie gezielt eingesetzt wird. Links: Sebastian Kamilli auf LinkedIn Voicepal  Langdock AI Breakfast Newsletter AI First Newsletter  Das Interview mit Sebastian Kamilli auf meinem YouTube-Kanal Zeitnutzer Club – Dein Zeitmanagement auf dem nächsten Level   Wenn du noch mehr von mir hören möchtest, dann abonniere jetzt meinen Zeitnutzer Premium Podcast für einen geringen Betrag pro Monat.   

This ain't the Moran commission anymore: The Sarasota County commissioners yesterday voted to strip builders of funding for an education program.Next: Homeowners in a posh subdivision near North Port are learning the hard way that developers wield a lot of power - even after they sold you the home they built. Suncoast Searchlight brings us this story.Then: How did New College hire a politically connected figure after he appeared in three local police reports? Suncoast Searchlight is trying to find out.Next: Four hundred people crowded into a town hall organized by opponents of a takeover of the Ringling Museum of Art by New College. Farah Vallecillo was there.Next: It took Venice city councilmembers barely five minutes to decide how to fill the seat abandoned by Joan Farrell two weeks ago. Ramon Lopez reports.Finally: A decision on a controversial skyscraper project has been delayed - because of a missing green-yellow sign. Gretchen Cochran explains.

Start taking notes in this episode as Joël and Valerie discuss the different ways in which they structure their note taking systems to improve their workflows. Together they cover the best ways to get started with serious note taking, how to best map out your thoughts so they make the most sense when you come back round to them, as well as examining the different use cases they have for them both over the course of a working day. — The Sponsor for this episode has been Judoscale - Autoscale the Right Way (https://judoscale.com/bikeshed). Check out the link for your free gift! Take notes like a pro with Obsidian (https://obsidian.md/) and then read what Joël has to say on his own note taking (https://thoughtbot.com/blog/my-note-taking-system-gives-me-constant-content-ideas). Your guest this week has been Valerie Burzynski, (https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerieburzynski/) and your host for this episode has been thoughtbot's own Joël Quenneville (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-quenneville-96b18b58/). If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page (https://github.com/sponsors/thoughtbot), or check out our website (https://bikeshed.thoughtbot.com). Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: hosts@bikeshed.fm This has been a thoughtbot (https://thoughtbot.com/) podcast. Stay up to date by following us on social media - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@thoughtbot/streams) - LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/) - Mastodon (https://thoughtbot.social/@thoughtbot) - BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/thoughtbot.com) © 2025 thoughtbot, inc. — Credit: Ad-read music by joystock.org

Nos acercamos al mes de mayo y eso equivale a estar a las puertas del conocido Pre-E3 -o Pre-E3n't actualmente- y seguramente los próximos programas sean enfocados en rumorcitos y fechas de eventos... pero hay espacio para hablar de los melocotonazos que quedan por salir en esta primera mitad de año. PlayStation por ejemplo tiene un total de 0 videojuegos propios antes del mes de junio. Rarete, pero más raro es subir por segunda vez consecutiva en la generación el precio de una de sus consolas y del PlayStation Plus en algunos países. No sabemos si Xbox seguirá esa senda, pero lo que si ha anunciado es su evento veraniego anual; el cual tiene como protagonista principal a The Other Worlds 2. El videojuego de Obsidian sustituye a Black Ops 6 y Starfield en años anteriores para ese vistazo extendido del videojuego ¿Eso es bueno o es malo? Lo hablamos, lo hablamos un buen rato. También hablamos de South of Midnight. Mientras sigue el debate de los 90 euros por él, Mario Kart World no ha derrapado del todo mal en su Direct, el cual probablemente os haya dejado igual. Lo importante, que siga ese #DropThePrice que acompaña de buena manera la comunidad de fans de la marca japonesa.

This week: Could a new find solve the mystery of the Sutton Hoo helmet? We explore the surprising journeys of ancient obsidian tools across Canada. Plus, a mind-blowing claim: a huge underground city beneath the Giza pyramids? Join us for the latest digs and discoveries from around the world!LinksSegment 1Mysterious origin of iconic Sutton Hoo helmet possibly revealed in new researchObsidian artifacts unearthed in Alberta offer new clues on prehistoric trade routesThere's a ‘vast underground city' below Egypt's Giza pyramids, scientists' wild theory claims — but experts debunk it as ‘fake news'Giza Pyramid Mystery Addressed by former Egyptian OfficialContactChris Websterchris@archaeologypodcastnetwork.comRachel Rodenrachel@unraveleddesigns.comRachelUnraveled (Instagram)ArchPodNetAPN Website: https://www.archpodnet.comAPN Discord: https://discord.com/invite/CWBhb2T2edAPN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnetAPN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnetAPN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnetAPN ShopAffiliatesMotion

Electric Mullet Ep #49: Superman #45 & #46, Adventures of Superman #468 Welcome back to Electric Mullet: The Superman Podcast! This time Phil flys solo to review Superman #45, Adventures of Superman #468, Action Comics #655 (July 1990), Superman #46 (August 1990) and Captain Atom #46 (October 1990) featuring Superman's battles with Firewolf, terrorists, and Terra-Man, Hank Henshaw leaves Earth, and a team up with Captain Atom vs an alien jailer. Tune in today and don't forget to review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and anywhere else you can!    Electric Mullet's Links  → Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/capesnetwork.bsky.social → Twitter https://twitter.com/MulletElectric → Instagram https://www.instagram.com/clsidekicks → Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ElectricMullet → YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/CapesandLunatics ==================

This week: Could a new find solve the mystery of the Sutton Hoo helmet? We explore the surprising journeys of ancient obsidian tools across Canada. Plus, a mind-blowing claim: a huge underground city beneath the Giza pyramids? Join us for the latest digs and discoveries from around the world!LinksSegment 1Mysterious origin of iconic Sutton Hoo helmet possibly revealed in new researchObsidian artifacts unearthed in Alberta offer new clues on prehistoric trade routesThere's a ‘vast underground city' below Egypt's Giza pyramids, scientists' wild theory claims — but experts debunk it as ‘fake news'Giza Pyramid Mystery Addressed by former Egyptian OfficialContactChris Websterchris@archaeologypodcastnetwork.comRachel Rodenrachel@unraveleddesigns.comRachelUnraveled (Instagram)ArchPodNetAPN Website: https://www.archpodnet.comAPN Discord: https://discord.com/invite/CWBhb2T2edAPN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnetAPN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnetAPN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnetAPN ShopAffiliatesMotion

Welcome to the latest episode of Sorcery & Shenanigans. Having Escaped the dreaded Nightmare Beast and its brood of offspring, our intrepid adventurers need to get the Silver Spear back in ship shape condition. Then its time to plot a course, but not before some foreboding visions and some uncovering of secrets. Character Art by @_ixcato Check out their ETSY Store here https://www.etsy.com/ie/shop/ixCato Sorcery & Shenanigans Theme song by Sprinter. Check them out on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6nKHt... Dungeon Master - Wayne Talbot Gray Pipstrell - Kim Brosnan Z'ilzara Mizzruin - Gillian Dempsey #dungeonsanddragons #TTRPG #Spelljammer #DnD5e #dnd5e

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 19:00:00 GMT http://relay.fm/focused/227 http://relay.fm/focused/227 David Sparks and Mike Schmitz David & Mike discuss their quarterly planning processes and share their intentions for the next quarter. David & Mike discuss their quarterly planning processes and share their intentions for the next quarter. clean 3761 David & Mike discuss their quarterly planning processes and share their intentions for the next quarter. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED. Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. The Focused Calendar How to Do a Personal Retreat in Obsidian Webinar Replay Postcard Cabins Whisper Memos The Library | A private PKM community for curious sensmakers The People Note: The Key to Rolling Up Tasks & Project in Obsidian | YouTube An Honest Review of Obsidian in 2025 | YouTube Thumbnail Masterclass Skylight | Smart Family Calendar Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: 50th An

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 19:00:00 GMT http://relay.fm/focused/227 http://relay.fm/focused/227 Quarterly Planning 227 David Sparks and Mike Schmitz David & Mike discuss their quarterly planning processes and share their intentions for the next quarter. David & Mike discuss their quarterly planning processes and share their intentions for the next quarter. clean 3761 David & Mike discuss their quarterly planning processes and share their intentions for the next quarter. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED. Links and Show Notes: Deep Focus: Extended ad-free episodes with bonus deep dive content. The Focused Calendar How to Do a Personal Retreat in Obsidian Webinar Replay Postcard Cabins Whisper Memos The Library | A private PKM community for curious sensmakers The People Note: The Key to Rolling Up Tasks & Project in Obsidian | YouTube An Honest Review of Obsidian in 2025 | YouTube Thumbnail Masterclass Skylight | Smart Family Calendar Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy The 5 Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: 50th Anniversar

Matt has built an Obsidian plugin with a fun name, Niléane is keeping the scrobbling dream alive, and everyone tries to find a great new Raycast extension. We want to hear from you! How would you have done our challenges? How would you answer the question at the end of the show? Let us know on Mastodon or Bluesky! Weekly Topics Ghosty Posty Last.fm Other Things Discussed The “meh key” Nintendo Today is Chris's new “calendar” Ulysses Sleeve Quanta Doppler Obsidian Raycast extension Menubar Weather Parcel PopClip Lutron Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer Switch Follow the Hosts Chris on YouTube Matt on Birchtree Niléane on Mastodon Comfort Zone on Mastodon Comfort Zone on Bluesky

Hoy es jueves 3 de abril de 2025, estamos en el episodio 1374 y vamos a hablar de la trampa del “segundo cerebro”. Si alguna vez sentiste que Notion, Obsidian o cualquier herramienta de productividad más que ayudarte te hace perder tiempo, este episodio te va a interesar.

Supplication offers a path.Christianity, heteronormativity, they promise a program. Follow us, do not question, and you will be rewarded. What happens when you stray?That's a core question behind Baths. Will Wiesenfeld's electronic project has asked it again and again, especially on 2013's brilliant Obsidian. And the uncertainty has come roaring back on his newest Gut. Gut refers to Wiesenfeld's promise to act instinctually while crafting the album, allowing impulses to direct the music. And that's clear from the throbbing beat on “Eden” (which is about having sex with an angel) or the cheery vocals yelling “that's that!” after Wiesenfeld asserts that “carnal is a normal mode.” Wiesenfeld thrives in juxtapositions and situations that, at first, appear to be contradictions. Gut catalogues sex both as an annihilating, freedom giving act, destroying the anxieties of the body, but also views fucking as a normal, even inane. Wiesenfeld's exploration of queerness refuses any path, spiritually, physically, sexually. And we're all the better for it.

Graduation Day.  Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels."You know nothing of what you speak of, Ishara, yet you now feel free to insult us," she simmered."Don't know, don't care. It was all before my time. I care about the 'here-and-now' as well as what we do in the future. What I am asking you is what concrete item or 'thing' can be provided to House Zorja to put this blood feud behind you. Name it and House Ishara will endeavor to procure it for you.""We are not merchants," Jana's eyes narrowed."No. I didn't imply you were. If you want new sandals for everyone in your House, I'll find you new sandals. If you want 100,000 acres of ranchland, I'll find you the land. Name it," I persisted."Our prestige cannot be bought," she 'explained'."No, but a blood feud with House Ishara can be avoided by making a request of us in the same way as expressing your desire to harm my daughter can be expressed by denying my offer," I hardened. "And 'fuck you very much' if you think I won't use every son, daughter, mother, aunt, and uncle of Ishara when I come gunning for House Zorja too.""You wouldn't dare bring outsiders into this," Klavdiya interjected."Why not? The offices of Ishara handed House Zorja the coup of the century ~ the capture of the People's Liberation Army Navy nuclear carrier. A member of House Zorja commanded that task, yet they did so by leading forces marshalled by House Ishara, outsider forces. You may wish to keep playing by old rules concerning who is and isn't part of a House, but I am not so constrained, sisters.""So Klavdiya, if House Meenakshi pursues its blood feud with House Zorja, House Ishara will gleefully join them in the pummeling. And we have Isharans in the 9 Clans, the Khanate and the Illuminati who will gladly help us out in slapping them around like the old-fashion curmudgeons they are showing themselves to be, or, House Zorja may request a gift from House Ishara and we will happily clear accounts between them and House Meenakshi in the name of our daughter, Parvati. Their choice.""You are still on the mats," Elsa reminded me. Sikia coiled protectively next to us."And you said something about a lesson being long overdue," Pamela smirked, "Kitten.""Cáel Ishara," Shawnee said in a soft voice, "perhaps it is germane to the argument: the fault of the blood feud rests with House Zorja, not House Meenakshi."I fell on my back, carrying Tad fi with me. She gasped out in surprise while remaining closely cuddled with me. Her right hand never left my lips."Why does no one tell me this shit?" I moaned."You are hard," Tad fi announced. "Are you ready to have more sex?" She was sounding upbeat about our prospects. She was also ignorant of our surroundings being deaf and blind to the mortal realm."Gossamer Wing," I created a pet name for the augur, "we are lying on the sparring mats of a large combat arena in the central Full-blooded training center for Havenstone with roughly 500 sisters in attendance (the audience had grown). While I am enticed by your scent, words, proximity and sweet memories of what we've shared, I'm probably going to be badly beaten up really soon for a terrific diplomatic snafu.""But then we can have sex?""Yeah. I'm totally up for having sex with you after they release me from Medical," I assured her. I looked around her to a very unhappy Mahdi."Can you find it in your heart to forgive House Zorja? Anything I can,""Yes," she abruptly cut me off.What the fuck?"At this time, my hatred of House Ishara, and you in particular, make any grievance I have with House Zorja pale in comparison. You have bewitched my only daughter. She bares your child, and it will be a wonderful child if the soiled augur you've stuck your cock in is to be believed," she ground out bitterly. "I want to go home. I want to find enemies to kill. And when I do, Cáel Ishara, know each and every one of them will carry your face in my mind."She turned to Jana. "Do you agree that we both hate Ishara enough to put aside our current differences?"Jana studied Mahdi, me, then Mahdi again and agreed. She stood. Mahdi stood. They clasped arms like Amazons, then hugged like sisters."Agreed. He is much worse."My thoughts on the matter. Woot! I was having sex! Oh, and I was making Aya happy by ending a blood feud."My admiration of you continues to increase," Krasimira looked at me. "This diplomacy stuff is harder than it looks yet you pull it off so effortlessly.""Yay me!" I muttered."Keeper, are we done?" Sikia asked Krasimira."I believe so," the older Amazon rose to her feet. Sikia was far faster in rising."Mahdi of Meenakshi, you have insulted me and my augur. Defend yourself," she snarled. If Tad fi hadn't been immediately present, Mahdi wouldn't have even warranted a warning no doubt."Had you done your job," Mahdi flowed into her fighting stance, "you both wouldn't be pregnant.""Whoa now," I struggled to rise while keeping Tad fi close and my body between her and the Meenakshi/Zorja side of the mat. "Sikia, I can't let you fight. You're pregnant too.""Don't be stupid, Cáel Ishara," Sikia retreated off the mat, so she could shed her jacket and footwear. "Amazons have fought pregnant for thousands of years.""Hold on now," NYPD Sgt. Larisa Kutuzov said in English as she moved forward. I was a millisecond too late. Larisa's foot touched down on the mat and Marlene Zorja popped her one, a hand chop to the larynx. The senior cop stumbled forward."Mom!" shouted Nikita. Marlene followed up with a leg sweep, putting Larisa face first on the mats, then a fist strike to the back of the head, knocking her out. Neat and tidy in less than two seconds.Nikita was about to charge in when Chaz stopped her."Footwear," he advised in the tone of voice I had learned to associate with him and imminent violence. The moment he stopped her, he was quickly removing his own socks and shoes. Virginia and Pamela were doing the same. I was allowed freedom of movement because I was holding Tad fi. Krasimira exited because of her unique status. The rest were already barefoot."Gale, could you please stay with Tad fi," I tried to hand her off."No," Gale looked me over. "I will fight." No hint on whose side she would be fighting on. Krasimira came to my rescue."I'll take her.""Tad fi," I told the augur, "I have to go get beaten up now, but I promise I will be back for you directly.""This is not your fight," Krasimira said. "The words and deeds are Sikia's.""A, she carries my child and B, the deeds being called into question are my fault.""You told me once they were the Will of Ishara," Krasimira mused."We are one in the same," I gave a lopsided grin."Be careful," Tad fi pleaded. "Your future is a chaotic jumble, I cannot see,""Eh, I've been very bad. We'll talk about it later. Gotta go," I headed onto the mats.Pamela was giving the ground rules to the 'normals': No 'fair warnings'. No 'fair play'. No 'time outs'. You fought until unconscious, or you surrendered."This is going to suck," Virginia assessed our odds. Two Amazons had removed Larisa from the mats and were tending to her. Nikita was kneeling by her side until she heard Virginia, then came our way.Besides Sikia, we had Pamela, Chaz, Virginia, myself and Nikita. Oneida stepping up was nice. She wasn't a great combatant, but we dearly needed the help. Gale joining us was, unsettling. Amazons don't play fair, so this could be a ruse.Against us were all three Zorja and both Meenakshi ~ I imagined Rhada felt she had something to prove to her mother. They'd picked up ten other Amazons and Rhonwenn Nemain. Klavdiya joined them to counterbalance her baby sister. Eight to seventeen ~ ouch."Damn," a familiar voice from my first days on the job spoke up from behind me, "we almost missed this." I didn't dare look over my shoulder. Desiree stepped between Chaz and Virginia. Rachel came up on my left and Tiger Lily on my right. At the tail end of our line was Mona, Meridian, Brielle and Wiesława. Fifteen to seventeen was looking much better, especially considering Desiree had brought five Security Detail warriors with her, all of whom were moving to further bolster our numbers."Rachel," Elsa looked to her underling, "you have no idea why you are fighting.""It is for Cáel. So it must be for a better tomorrow," Rachel laughed."Very well," Elsa smirked."You!" Mahdi pointed at me, and we both charged. It was a jumbled nightmare of clashing bodies, war cries and flashes of movement all around. Our side had two main advantages -While Chaz was by no means the best hand-to-hand combatant present, he knew the basic Amazon style and most Amazons didn't know his. Added to his overall height and bulk advantages, he bought us time.Of greater importance, Rachel, Tiger Lily and Mona had extensive training working as a team, which none of the opponents had.Elsa was the most dangerous individual on the mat. Pamela was the second most dangerous, so Elsa grabbed a couple of partners and ganged up on her to drive her off the mats. Chaz went next, out-Elsa'ed and beaten unconscious. The issue was, it took her too long to accomplish those two feats. By the time she rounded on me, Rachel and Tiger Lily, our half of the field had wiped out theirs. It was six of us (me, Rachel, Tiger Lily, Gale, Wiesława and Desiree) versus four of them (Elsa, Marlene, Klavdiya and Rhonwenn).Still, I was facing Elsa, so a judicious bit of treachery was required."Gale," I huffed and puffed, "please retire. I don't want you to fight your sister.""What?" Gale snapped. She'd taken a beating, yet remained feisty."No, fighting her sister is okay with me," Desiree scowled. "We are still facing fucking Elsa.""All the other women you have mated with have failed. I remain," Gale trumpeted."Oh, you are right," I half-turned. "All the reason you are more precious to me.""Really?""Of course," I deepened my introspective appreciation of her."Oh," and Klavdiya punched Rhonwenn. That was an 'oh, Cáel Ishara must actually care for my baby sister and not be just a Playa' on Klavdiya's part. Yeah. I'm a horrible fucking person at times.Rachel, Tiger Lily and I rushed Elsa. Marlene pivoted to ward against Klavdiya while Gale and Wiesława stormed in against her. Desiree helped Klavdiya finish drubbing Rhonwenn before they combined to force Marlene off the mats. Elsa chose to go down swinging in a dogpile of bodies. I took an ear-ringing blow to the head which allowed Rachel to apply a chokehold and it was lights out for the Head of SD.After some water bottles went around and those concussed returned to wakefulness, the resolution of the brawl was decided. Mahdi apologized to Sikia. It was short, terse and sparing of any empathy, yet was within the bounds of Amazon etiquette. She departed with Rhada, which left me to pick up the pieces, starting with Nikita's mom."Oh," the older woman moaned then, "Ms. Fredrickson? What are you doing here?""Avenging you, Mother," Nikita fluffed up the truth. "She, Cáel and the others cleaned house on the woman who jumped you and her allies.""Desk Sergeant," Desiree gave a curt nod."This isn't over," Larisa winced as she moved to a sitting position."Mrs. Kutuzov, it is over," I headed off a colossal waste of time. "This is my daily life and part of your daughter's life with JIKIT. You will find scant witnesses and no tape recordings of these events. This craziness is just another day in the life here at Havenstone. You stepped on the mat and thus became fair game to any physical confrontation an opponent cared to mete out. Consider this sovereign soil of an independent nation-state.""We," she looked around. "You kicked their asses?""Definitely," Pamela gave a feral snarl."This is plain nuts," she shook her head, winced in cranial pain, then put her aching head in her hands."One of the reasons we've put our dating in hiatus," Nikita comforted her mother while looking at me, and smiling affectionately.Ah, for fuck sakes! I was engaged to someone else and having a dozen kids by ten different women. How could I still possibly be considered viable dating material? Oh yeah, martial valor, laughing at death, I hung out with truly exceptional cool people and I would always be in need of saving, a plus for a crusader like Nikita.I had so many allies to tend to, but only one who seemed to be making an exit. I swooped down on Tad fi long enough to place her fingers to my lips."I'll be right back, friend of a friend in need," and off I went. I caught Tavi of House Stolgos just outside the door. She wasn't avoiding me. She'd been observing Chaz and he had been otherwise occupied.My British companion had played a pivotal role in the combat and taken his beating like a man. He'd been rendered unconscious. So had many others, so no stigma was attached to his loss. Post-battle, he had chosen to sit on his haunches, knees up, talking to several of the Amazons, both kneeling and standing. A few had been bystanders and a few others foes.He stayed on his ass to reduce his height advantage. Letting Amazons make eye contact while not having to look up at you created definite benefits. His good natured approach to his role in the fight and pummeling earned him positive vibes as well. He made it clear the tussle to him was not macho-personal. He was my 'brother / sister / sibling' spiritually-speaking via Pamela adopting us both as her 'grandsons', so my fights were his fights. Sikia had my (Cáel's) child, so that bond extended to her as well ~ family.Pamela and I had schooled him on Amazon psychology and those lessons were now paying serious dividends. 'The Male' hadn't wanted to fight them ~ 'Amazons are tough' he'd confessed, he knew this because he worked with several every day on JIKIT~ but family was on the line, so he fought. Mahdi had apologized, so the matter was settled. The other Amazons he'd fought? They had fought for their reasons and he was okay with not questioning them about it.Why? He was conscious of his conspicuous status as a 'guest', knew he was in no way an Amazon, and was not privy to what motivated them. He didn't want to be an Amazon. He had his own, much younger, martial tradition he was proud of, yet was eager to learn from the vastly greater Amazon war lore because 'winners' didn't have a gender-bias and no other tradition could compete with the Amazons' 3,000 years.Under normal circumstances, the women around him wouldn't have given credence to his praise. He was a male after all. Through the tiny tear I'd created in their insulating social fabric, Chaz was building upon his own exploits. In the after-battle analysis, the Amazons reflected on the realization Elsa had concentrated on him as her number two objective, second only to Pamela who scared everyone who knew anything about her. That bolstered Chaz's appeal.For the Amazons who thought a male would get all pouty and cry over being beaten up by a girl/girls, Chaz was breaking the mold. He wasn't angry. He was amused. The fight had been a learning experience and he'd felt honored to watch, no matter how briefly, a warrior of Elsa's caliber fight. He'd explained 'I', Cáel Wakko Ishara, considered Elsa one of the top 5 combatants I'd ever seen, which included Ajax the Unconquered. The others were Sakuniyas, reborn Amazon and former Queen of Assyria, Saint Marie, the Golden Mare, and Pamela, the Cliff-walker.More happy Amazons because the list's only non-Amazon was a dead Hero from the Trojan Wars and it was well known I 'got around' (aka dealt with violent outsiders.) Chaz was telling the truth, almost. The 'fifth' person on the list was Alal, but explaining him would be difficult, so Chaz edited him for this particular audience. Good man.In the hallway, "Tavi, a moment," I called out. She slowed down, took a few more steps allowing me to catch up."Yes Ishara?" she gave me her best neutral look. Yep. She was jealous."I beg two favors from you," I quickly went down to one knee in her path. That caught her off guard and left her in the awkward position of me being terribly close and staring up at her."I, I will listen," she muttered."I would like to know if you are pregnant," I asked very softly. Yes, she was, but she didn't want to tell me. She contemplated pushing past me. It would be very easy. "I know I am stepping beyond the boundaries between warriors. Please. My destiny has brought you two together. I am at fault here." 'Fault' was the key word."If I have a son, he will be given to the Queen," Tavi's face was stern and unforgiving. "He will live.""That's not what he's worried about," I shook my head. "He wants to be a father to your daughter, Tavi. He wants to introduce you to his mother and grandmothers, maybe his sisters too, if that can be arranged.""Huh?""He is not like me, Tavi. There is no other in his life, but you.""I, I will not leave my House for him," she protested angrily."He would never ask you. That doesn't mean he doesn't want to remain at your side for years to come. He can be a father to your child and not be a part of House Stolgos in the same way you can be a mother to your child and not be a part of Clan Tomorrow.""Oh," she furrowed her brow. "How would this possibly work?""I have an 'in' with the Queen," I winked. "I'll work out something.""He knows I will never stop being an Amazon," she elucidated intensely."Absolutely. He is an intelligence operative after all. He's figured a few things out for himself.""Why doesn't he tell me these things?""Tavi, he threw his body on top of me to shield me from a bomb blast, so he's undoubtedly brave, but telling you what is in his heart is scary for him. As his brother, I see behind his silence,""Oh, what should I do?" she was vexed."Go back in there, demand to speak with him and tell him the truth," I stood up."The truth?""That you are going to have a little StolgosTomorrow-ite running around sometime next year," I exuded confidential friendliness."Cáel Ishara," she tilted her head slightly, "you don't know much about infants, do you?""Nope," I pseudo-confessed. I actually did know something about newborns. I'd studied up so I could make a move on a cute girl whose free time was eaten up by babysitting, so I 'helped out'. Oink."They aren't 'running around'," she turned to head back into the gym, "until the ninth month at the earliest. Normally, running doesn't happen until the eighteenth month.""My fiancée has a three-year old, so she should be able to help me through some of the hardest parts," I babbled along. Tavi didn't give a crap.In we went. Tavi stormed straight toward the bevy of Amazon babes concentrating on 'her' Chaz."Color Sergeant Tomorrow," she abruptly interrupted. "A moment of your time.""Ladies," Chaz uncoiled himself from the surrounding women. The Amazons were either mildly put off, they thought they were about to get laid, or pissed off, they were sure they were about to get laid, and Tavi was stomping on their happy."Yes, Ms. Gentry," Chaz linked his hands behind his back in a 'rest easy' stance. 'Gentry' was the fake last name Tavi used in the outside world. She motioned toward the windows with her head. Off they went. I couldn't hear what was being said, but my lip reading skills were up to the task.T: (I am pregnant)C: (I love you)T: (Oh) ~ stunned. Go Chaz!C: (Well, I don't imagine the Amazons have a marriage ceremony and an Anglican service would be inappropriate, so perhaps we could research a Scythian ritual which could make both families happy) ~ delivered in the patented smooth Chaz style.T: (Marriage? To you?)C: (I will not submit to being anyone's slave nor would I ever ask you to submit to me. Outside of that, will you be my partner and my partner alone until the cliffs separate us?)T: (Amazons are not monogamous)C: (I am)T: (I will, I mean, can I think about this?)C: (I am not going anywhere, Tavi){Pause}T: (Did you put Ishara, Cáel Ishara up to this?)C: (Yes)T: (Why?)C: (I imagine he explained what I am feeling better than I could)T: (Oh, do you want me to meet your mother and grandmothers?)C: (Absolutely)T: (Okay)C: (Okay ~ you would like to meet my Mother and Grandmothers?)T: (No, yes, I mean, yes I would like to meet them and I am okay with you being with no other woman until the cliffs separate us, and I will do the same, no other males)C: (If I pick you up, hug you and kiss you, will your sisters freak out?)T: (I don't know)So Chaz swept Tavi up until her head was higher than his (a feat, considering their 8" height differential) and kissed her deeply. Mumbled words followed. Tavi wrapped her legs around Chaz's waist and out they went. Around me were angry murmurings of the 'did that Amazon just run off with our man' variety. Not my problem. I had plenty of different Amazons wanting my attention. Hallelujah!{8:00 pmDon't try this at home.I covered my face with a pillow and pressed down hard. I'd already tried breathing exercises, meditation and even contemplated more cranial trauma before thinking up this particular crazy idea. It took some mental effort and accessing some of my Alal-'pain sorting' skills to accomplish, but in the end, I felt myself 'let go'.I sat up."Hello," Tad fi beamed."Hey," I took a deep breath. Since we were talking, I must have passed out. Her eyes wandered over the room."Is this the world as you see it?" she wondered. Oh yeah, I had to be creating the environment for her to enjoy.Sikia was kneeling on the bed a foot away, her gaze moving between the two of us. The 'grayness' of her form suggested she was wholly in reality and not in the 'Ishara-space' the goddess had shown me and I was now sharing with my augur."This is how you see me?" she examined her fingers, her wrists, then some long locks of her hair."You are more beautiful," I answered. The impact of my words crossing over drew her eyes back to me. It was the magic of hearing for the normally deaf girl. I concentrated, peeled back some fantasy and attached a realistic form to Sikia. Tad fi followed my gaze."Your hair," she addressed her guardian, "It is lighter than I imagined."Sikia said something I couldn't understand, muffled as it was by my dreaming."I cannot hear you, but I see you through his eyes," the augur carried on her conversation. They touched. It had to be somewhat bizarre for Sikia. As she reached for Tad fi's hand, her friend intercepted the extended member. Their fingers intertwined before completing the journey to the guardian's lips."Don't cry, no, we couldn't have, no, we shouldn't have knocked him out sooner. I don't think he was aware of this discipline when we first met. Were you, Cáel?""No. Perhaps if I had understood more about the consequences of seeing ghosts, I might have," I tapered off. "Now that we know. I can try this more often.""Your health?" Tad fi worried."I might be immortal," I confessed. I was confessing because I was desperately seeking a way to share some of my genetic quirkiness with her ~ some strength to carry her through this pregnancy and spare her life, Dot Ishara be damned."And you would seek a way to spare me," she graced me with her gentle presence. Lying in the 'spirit' world was a whole lot tougher than in the flesh."Yeah. I've got some arcane lore rattling around in my head, plus I have a few outside sources I can ask for help. I'm not giving up on you.""I have foreseen my death.""Well, un-foresee it," I scolded her. "Dot Ishara told me we see what might happen, though nothing is guaranteed. So even your death isn't an absolute. Since it hasn't happened, I see no reason to let it happen. You are going to live to hold our daughter. If not, my immortality is worthless.""You can never save everyone. Sometimes you must let a few go to save the rest," she advised."If I find someone I'm not attached to, I'll let them go. I promise. Until then, I'm, ugh, I'm fading, and I'm keeping you.""We shall see," she murmured. I fell back into my body and into wakefulness."Now we have sex," Tad fi announced in a melodic voice."He is ready to perform," Sikia agreed. She was fondling my balls with one hand while her breath played across my rod. I sat up to see the augur climbing up the bed between my thighs. She kissed my glans, licked across its top, then kissed it again."I've got it from here," she told Sikia."What?" Sikia was confused. Tad fi's lips began to engulf my sceptre."Sikia, come here," I gently pulled on her arm. She was conflicted yet up some came.We started out with tender kisses on the lips. I kept drawing her toward me. My lips and tongue migrated down her chin and throat to her breasts. When she thought my target was her breasts, she was all onboard. That was a mere stop-off point on my journey, though I played around for a while.At the same time, I had to use subtle movements with my hips and clenches with my gluts to school Tad fi on her fellatio. Thankfully, I was doubly-blessed. This wasn't my first time schooling two girls at once and Tad fi could determine more from such minimal reactions due to her heightened sense of my muscle contractions through her touch than any other woman I'd ever met.When I began running my tongue in large lashes underneath her breasts, I confused Sikia once more. She was resistant as my hands on her hips pulled her higher so that my lips and teeth could tease her taut stomach while I twirled my tongue in her belly button. She giggled.I had been slowly wiggling down the bed, backing Tad fi up, so when it came time to mount Sikia on my face, I had the headboard room. I kept her muscular thighs securely in hand because the moment I had her happy, I pushed her up. She looked down, seeking guidance and I motioned her to turn around. She did the eye-ball math, realized she'd be facing her augur, and hastily obeyed. Of course, her movement on the bed alerted Tad fi through mattress vibrations.Sikia was sitting on my face, leaning down so she could run her hands through Tad fi's hair and along her face and lips (and my phallus). I kept my hands pressed between our bodies. My right made the sojourn to my pubic area to play around and give them both something else to suck on, my fingers. My left loitered around between Sikia's breasts and her clitoris when my lips were otherwise occupied.I could cup her clit with my tongue in a U-shape, rubbing it along my taste buds. Most of my time was taken up with my tongue broad lashing her vulva or tightly-twisted and delving into her cunt and my nose pushing against her brown hole. I could tilt myself up so I could make tongue-intrusions into her back passage as well. The first time, she squealed.Before she could decide if she wanted to make me stop (she did, virtually all first timers always default to asking their partner to stop, so you have to distract them), Tad fi wanted to know what had brought her reaction on. Then came Sikia's troubled revelation of what I was doing, how the augur shouldn't suffer through it, despite the increasing pleasure she was receiving, only to finally be unable to supply the answer as to why Tad fi shouldn't experience it too.Sikia shot me a treasured look of bewilderment. I'd brought her to orgasm with my tongue alone. I was a guy after all."Switch?" I suggested. Tad fi was still administering one of the slowest, most considerate blowjobs I'd ever experienced. She wasn't rushing toward anything. Sure, she was unschooled, but was devoting her incredible sensitivities to my pleasure and taking pleasure in her ability to bring me to such excitement."Change places?" she mused. "Okay." Tad fi's lips slid off me with one final, loud 'pop', then she used her spider-like fingers to climb up my body while Sikia traveled south. She lavished butterfly kisses on my face ~ childish, yet so very appropriate between us ~ and I mirrored the gesture.With some reluctance, she mounted me, facing Sikia. My tongue flicking across her clit on its first exploration brought out a joyous gasp. It only got better from there.The Long Slide Into Domestic Life:"Twins?" Hana snuggled into my arms. We were at her place, naked in bed together after a late late-night unscheduled meeting with some VIPs. Despite the late/early hour, she was alert, tense even. It had been a mentally stimulating late night encounter which had brought me to her bed."Yes. That is what Tad fi predicted," I inserted between raining kisses down on her forehead. Hana liked non-distracting attention when she was in this kind of mood. She was exhausting herself mentally as she was building up to being amorous."Ana-Călina and  rp d?" she worked over the names on her tongue. "They have a special meaning?""Only if you are Hungarian and Romanian," I teased her. She elbowed me slightly. " rp d was the semi-mystical pagan warlord who led the Ten Tribes who became known as the Hungarians ~ the Magyar peoples ~ into the Carpathian Basin, present day Hungary. Ana-Călina was born a Byzantine princess of the storied House of Basarab; she married Radu Negru, thus becoming the first Princess of a free Wallachia ~ the foundation for a free Romania. She was also the great-grandmother of Dracula.""So they are famous names with regional historical significance, did they live long, happy lives?"" Árpád, no one knows for sure. His kids were quarrelsome, but they did manage to found a dynasty at the start of the second millennia which ruled for three centuries.""Ana-Călina, yeah. I think so," I continued. "She lived into her seventies and her eldest son left his country stronger, richer and safer than when he received it. She did out live her husband by over fifty years, and got to see her youngest grandson bury most of his rivals, the kids from her husband's first marriage.""Ah, what?" Hana rose up until we were eye to eye. Since she was naked, her boobs swayed slightly as she did so. My eye flickered. "Eyes forward, Mister," she playfully barked. "What happened to all her other grandsons?""Wallachia in the 15th century was a tad rough and tumble," I evaded."They killed one another?""Mostly they were killed by conspiracies amongst their boyars, nobles of the time.""Why does, Tad fi want to dredge up these names again?" she kept eye contact."Not a clue," I pleaded."But you think it is important?""No. I think you are important. Screw Fate. It can name its own kids. We can chose whatever names make you happy, except 'Up'. Up's been taken.""You've named another of your offspring 'Up'? That's cruel, or does that mean something in another language I'm unaware of?" she shifted her shoulders so her boobs wobbled again. Of course, I broke eye contact. I hadn't had sex in hours and her boobies were right there, damn it!"Actually, Pamela and I named this secret agent in Hungary that, just to fuck with his head," I divulged."Oh. Pamela. I should have known," she slowly smiled. "You are being very well behaved," she added. Woot! She noticed I wasn't throwing her down and pawing her delectable flesh. "One more thing before the nookie.""Name them. Their dead," I pledged."Not necessary," her sigh turned into a giggle. "If I'm going to be having twins, I'm going to be rather big come late March. We need an earlier wedding date."Oh, fuck me!"What do you have in mind?" I tried to keep the creeping dread out of my voice."New Year's Day?" she suggested. I did a quick calculation. That was annihilating 78 days out of what remained of my bachelor life. In 114 days my life would cease having any meaning whatsoever. I'd be a Mr. to someone's Mrs. The end"Sure, I can arrange to be killed before then," stumbled out of my mouth."What was that?" Hana pouted."Nothing Dear. Cosmic psychic intersection with an Al -demon; don't know what came over me," I fibbed."Man up," Hana bit my nose. "Our marriage won't be that bad if we both work at it. It isn't like I'm demanding celibacy from you." Then she mouthed 'yet'."Wait. Did you mean celibacy, as in no fun at all, or monogamy, as in only 'happy time' with you?" I desperately sought clarification."Oh," she pursed her lips. "I meant monogamy. I didn't mean to scare you.""Oh, thank goodness," I sighed."Here," her gaze turned tender. "Let me make it up to you." Hana placed one hand on my shoulder and rose up my body until my face was gently nestled in her bosom. Then she wiggled back and forth, basically because I'm a big baby and easy to please. I was alternating which nipple I was kissing in no time."Mmm," she murmured. "I've missed you." Her other hand's fingernails coasted down my abdomen and found 'Mr. Happy' had risen to attention. Okay, he'd been hopping up and down on my groin since she'd said we were 'going to bed' 30 minutes ago. Hana decided wrap up my shaft with her hand, then applied a few tender strokes. I reciprocated by cupping her left tit in one hand, forming a mound with her areola at the center, and began to twirl from the outside inward to her hardened nipple with just the tip of my tongue.It was 4 a.m. Why was I taking it slow when I had my final work review with Katrina in three hours? Hana deserved this and more. Why was Hana doing it? She was her own boss, plus her life was careening wildly outside of anything she'd imagined before she'd first laid eyes on me. Half of the financial empire she shared with her father was suddenly in the hands of a military dictatorship, her beloved father was dealing with the murder of her hated step-brother and she was marrying a Prince in a European cathedral which required someone high in the Vatican's approval process to use.Yeah, her life had gone nuts. Worse, she loved me. And I wasn't the kind of man she ever thought she'd love. She'd thought she'd never love anyone again after her life with her asshole of an ex-husband and their bitter, contentious divorce. I was barely someone she could classify, and Hana was a terribly ordered and organized person. Saying my life was messy was being generous. I was some mysterious warrior-diplomat-playboy-aristocrat who hung out with people more bizarre than me.Hana picked up her tempo. I switched breasts. Her motor was really starting to hum. Any other night, I could have moved straight to revving her up to an orgasm. I had the time to make it two without any problems. A good one and Hana would be happy and drift off to sleep. Instead, I intuited she wanted more, so we developed our own game of cat and mouse with her climax, and its suspension, being our ultimate goal.My left hand danced down the back of her ribcage like playing keys on a piano. It was a light, teasing gesture. Her hair the color of tarnished gold cascaded down as she began placing her own kisses upon my crown. Each move by one partner evoked a response by the other. Hana ran my glans over her glistening labia, getting it nice and slick. I worked down her waist, cupped her ass, and then glided over her thigh to the back of her knee where I started tickling her. She snickered."You are distracting me," she murmured. I wasn't. I knew these things."I like to get the feel of every inch of your flesh," I responded. More mirthful noises from her. Slowly, her gooey vestibule rubbed against and over the top, until I felt myself entering. There, she hesitated. I propelled my hips an inch up, twisted right then left before falling back down, a micro-fuck."Ah," she emoted her approval. "My turn." Hana's knees spread to the side, making a memorable sound on the silk sheets as she impaled herself. This time she rolled her hips forward, back, then did a slow 360 with me  inside her, letting the slow progress over her spark memories for her to savor. "I never believed sex could be like this," Hana hiccupped."How so?" I knew the answer, but wanted her to put her chaotic passions to words. It would make her happier."Experimenting, silly. Stopping in the middle and doing, this," she reversed her hip rotations this time. "I never imagined a lover having such patience, or,""Yourself as being so openly sexually adventurous?" I finished."Yeah," she huffed. "I really, really owe your college professor, plus you and all your diligence, for this," at the last moment, she encountered the gateway to her G-spot. I knew precisely where that gem was. Previously, Hana had gained a vague idea where it was from the perspective of masturbation and our prior lovemaking. Now I had let Hana rediscover that joy with my cock as her tool to utilize as she wished."You realize pregnant women want even more sex," she hummed. She was vigorously working my cock now. Hana had bridged a huge gap, sexually. Normally, a woman of Hana's quality tried to please her man first with the hope her orgasm would soon follow. I was different. My greatest sexual gratification came from her ecstasy. She was confident in that now. By bringing herself to climax, she was making me excited for what would come next."That's okay," I propped myself up on one elbow now that Hana was riding me cowgirl-style. "I dig big chicks." The open-palm slap to the chest was a given."Hercege, you, you are horrible," she growled around a feral smile. The lip-biting, tongue-sucking kiss was equally vicious, primal and leading Hana to the end of her tether. Not only was Hana's sexual trust in me/us expanding, she was putting extra effort into her physical workout regime too. She might still have a ways to go to compete with an Amazon, but it was still going to be a great night."Hercegn , I am nothing but a twisted shadow of masculine lust whose every contour is cast by your muliebrous glow," I teased. Her eyes twinkled. Yes, definitely still going to be a great night."Okay," Hana yawned, "I give up. What does 'muliebrous' mean?" She'd been holding on to that for an hour and a half. It was five-thirty and I was dressing in my biking clothes before heading into work."From the Latin 'muliebri' which means 'womanly'," I answered. Her sleepy eyes drank in both my response and my physique. I had discovered another thing Hana liked and that was to expand her academic/linguistic frontiers. She was enchanted with the idea that I liked to engage her mind along with her body, sparking on all cylinders.She'd crawled over to my side of the bed, her head resting on my pillow, soaking up my scent as she watched me. I knelt down, kissed her on her ear, cheek and finally the side of her lips. Hana was beat."Have a good day and be careful," she mumbled. Her eyes closed. Her chest rose with one last, waking breath before her sleep rhythms took her."Ditto," I whispered. I snuck into  Annela's room and planted a kiss on her head as well. The craziness of my life had a way of cascading over to the ones I loved. Loved? Oh boy,7:00 am Monday, September 8th, Graduation Day!Brielle and her buddy were humming along as the elevator doors closed. Once more, my 'hellish' schedule demanded I change in the elevator. I'd gone to gun practice with my bike clothes on, so I absolutely had to change into business attire in the magic box, in front of them.Juanita adjusting my tie was a less than subtle attempt to strangle me. I was about to be late to my final 'start of day' meeting as an intern in Executive Services, so her chastisement would have to wait. Who would have thunk it? Juanita would have to wait outside for this ceremony. Paula raced with me to be the last one in, only to have Daphne grace us with the 'news':"The meeting won't start for another fifteen minutes," she grinned. "Katrina is bringing up the 'new hires' for the fall program."I finger-flicked my head. The 84 days as an intern was merely the 'training wheels' period. To really be a member of ES was at least a two year training process. The Amazons around me had started their training for this gig when they were fifteen and were eighteen and nineteen now, their ID's said they were older for legal purposes.In theory, my four years in college was counted as 'preliminary' training and provided things such as acclimation to outsider culture ~ aka 'acting normal'. Logically, I would train under someone like Desiree or Buffy for a year before being a full-fledged member of the service."How many this time?" I asked Daphne since she seemed to be in the know."Twenty," she grinned. "We are getting two."I noticed there was still only my tiny desk in Katrina's office. That meant the new guys would be out in the office pool with everyone else. Probably for the best. The ladies were now used to having a male around, so would be careful in what they did and didn't say. I yawned."Tired," Fabiola smirked."Oh yeah," I stifled another yawn. "Met an emissary from the Pope." Fabiola glowered. "No. Seriously. I met an emissary from Holy See. I let Hana know I wanted to get married in a highly improbable place, a ruined cathedral, so she contacted the Catholic Church and one of their guys wanted to meet with me.""That had to be fun," Tigger grinned. "What does the Cult of the Nazarene think of you and the Goddess Ishara?""We actually discussed polytheism and the place of an omnipotent, omnipresent being in the scope of things," I placed my hands behind my back and rocked back and forth. "It was quite interesting. The guy knew his shit."By that, I meant he was probably with the Pope's Secret Service as well as a Brainiac with a PhD in something. He'd promised to be in touch as soon as he heard back from his superiors. He had this hot chick with him who I suspected was a nun. And if his driver wasn't ex-military, it was because he was still in the service. On the plus side, Hana had been beaming when we left, which assured me the meeting had gone well, so we had sex from 4 AM until 5:30, thus my current fatigued state."Are you going to abandon your faith?" Fabiola taunted me."I don't have faith, Fabiola of Minerva. Faith would imply I don't know there are supernatural entities screwing with our lives. I know they do exist, I've met a few. To satisfy your disingenuous curiosity, we discussed the nature of the Weave and it being the possible manifestation of God's Will.""How did that go?" Paula appeared interested."He strongly suggested I should 'revisit my Catholic roots' soon. By that, I think he meant I'm supposed to start attending church regularly," I shrugged. "The Pope is sending an envoy to the Great Khan too, so odds are good I'm getting married," I pronounced the last bit as the doom-laden prediction it was."Oh, yes," Fabiola reached passed Paula and smacked me in the chest with the back of her hand. "That is for insinuating you and I had intercourse to my Mother and the Council.""Was that chastising me for lying, or for not making it so?" I winked."Ah, no!" she pouted. "Stop lying about me."I looked down at my phone."We've got twelve minutes," I double-pumped my eyebrows. "Want to go to Katrina's bathroom?""What! No!" Fabiola

In Season 3, Episode 9 of the augustwenty podcast, the team dives into James Clear's bestselling book, Atomic Habits, exploring how small, consistent changes can lead to massive personal and professional growth.New team member Eric Juang kicks off the discussion, sharing how his brother's annual habit of re-reading the book inspired him to adopt it as a toolkit for self-improvement. Co-hosts DJ Daugherty, Mary Kaufmann, and Beth Shaheen reflect on their own experiences with building and maintaining habits, from morning routines to productivity hacks.The group unpacks key themes from the book, such as: •Focusing on identity over goals (e.g., “Be a runner,” not just “Run a marathon”) •The importance of systems over outcomes •The power of being just 1% better every day •Making habits obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying •How even micro-changes—like charging headphones or prepping a pan—can reduce friction and support momentumReal-life examples range from fitness routines and journaling practices to using tools like Obsidian for digital note-taking and visual habit trackers for accountability. Mary shares how Atomic Habits has influenced workshops with top-level executives, and DJ reflects on how misinterpretations of the “1% better” principle have impacted team dynamics.The episode wraps with the idea that inspiration, not just discipline, is the key to sustaining meaningful change—both for individuals and organizations.https://jamesclear.com/marginal-gains

Welcome back, Journal enthusiasts! We're back at it once again with a new RPG from Obsidian. We make some guys, we fight some assorted island fauna, we collect color coded loot from slightly-hidden treasure chests. It's Avowed! We had a lot to say about this game, and more to mull over in our heads. Also we talk about Pokemon too much.

  Welcome to the KE Report Weekend Show!    With commodities continuing to run higher, on this weekend's show we focus on where the best opportunities are for investors.     If you enjoy the show, be sure to explore our website (kereport.com), podcast feed (KER Podcast), YouTube channel, and follow us on X for more market commentary and company interviews. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review!   Segment 1 & 2 - Sean Brodrick, editor of Wealth Megatrends and Resource Trader kicks off the show highlighting the strength in gold producers, with names like Agnico Eagle, Equinox, and Calibre delivering outsized returns and earnings leverage. He also sees opportunity in silver and copper equities catching up to commodity price moves, while remaining cautious on uranium due to geopolitical uncertainty. Sean notes growing interest in traditional energy stocks like Chevron, EQT, and Schlumberger, pointing to potential upside on any pullbacks. Click here to learn more about Sean's Resource Trader newsletter.    Segment 3 & 4 - Josef Schachter, Founder and Editor of the Schachter Energy Report outlines his outlook for stable-to-rising natural gas prices driven by cold weather, storage deficits, and record LNG exports, while forecasting a potential $10 oil price spike due to geopolitical tensions. He highlights investor preference for shareholder returns over production growth, names top dividend-paying Canadian energy stocks, and discusses emerging M&A deals and transformative transactions like Inplay Oil's acquisition of Obsidian assets. Click here to learn more about The Schachter Energy Report  

Send us a textWelcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! On today's episode, we talk with Sierra Taliaferro, founder of The Green Obsidian about Community Engagement, the Green Obsidian, and Fostering Kittens.   Read her full bio below.Help us continue to create great content! If you'd like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form Showtimes: Time - NAEP Member ShoutoutsTime - Nic and Laura dive into marketing yourselfTime - Interview startsTime - Time - Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Sierra Taliaferro at www.linkedin.com/in/sierratGuest Bio:Sierra Taliaferro is known in her network as a motivated outdoor educator, bird nerd enthusiast and Sustainability influencer with intentions to promote diversity in urban conservation, social justice and community advocacy. Over the years she has gained extensive experience in strategic planning, community engagement, urban agriculture, water conservation, and land management practices, in addition to working with various community-centered entities, focused on implementing outdoor education and outreach, ranging from county parks and green spaces to non-profit organizations and commons. Sierra is also the founder of The Green Obsidian, a social media platform designed to bring awareness of diversity within the environmental conservation field. And as a professional millennial and climate change maker, she hopes to continue to make herself an advocate for diversity in conservation and to emphasize the importance of our natural resources surrounding our urban environments that inspires people to view ourselves as part of nature, and not separate from it.Music CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs MullerSupport the showThanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.

Warner Bros. continues to chip away at its infrastructure and consumer confidence with the closure of three more studios. Also: Circana reports for Jan and Feb, a recap of GDC and developers' feelings about the industry, a curious period for investments, a new union looks to cover the entire industry, and more. You can support Virtual Economy's growth via our Ko-Fi and also purchase Virtual Economy merchandise! TIME STAMPS [00:03:00] - Circana Report on U.S. Video Game Spending for January 2025 [00:11:59] - Circana Report on U.S. Video Game Spending for February 2025 [00:21:39] - GDC 2025 Recap [00:54:29] - Investment Interlude [01:14:23] - Quick Hits [01:22:11] - Labor Report SOURCES Warner Bros. Shuts Down Three Game Studios, Cancels Wonder Woman Title | Bloomberg (Paywall) Studio Fizbin's Last Magic Trick: “Reignbreaker” | Studio Fizbin Layoffs at Wizards of the Coast's Skeleton Key Studio | Nassim Ait-Kaci on LinkedIn PlayStation Hit With More Layoffs Following Recent Game Cancellations | Kotaku Mountaintop is Shutting Down | Spectre Divide on Twitter Respawn lays off staff, cancels another unannounced game | Game Developer Free Range Games has Undergone Layoffs | Free Range Games on LinkedIn Fallout and Obsidian veterans ditch open-world game plans as team shrinks to a "skeleton crew" | Eurogamer Wizards of the Coast winds down Sigil VTT team | Andy Collins on LinkedIn Sunsetting Seekers of Skyveil | Elodie on Steam UVW-CWA unveiled at GDC 2025 | UVW-CWA INVESTMENT INTERLUDE Emona Capital completes acquisition of UK publisher Secret Mode | Secret Mode Emona Capital makes investment in Blackbird Interactive | Blackbird Interactive on LinkedIn GTA developer Rockstar acquires Video Games Deluxe to expand into Australia | Game Developer Former NetEase director self-funds new studio to ensure "management protects creators" | GamesIndustry Tencent acquires additional shares in FromSoftware parent company, Kadokawa | GamesIndustry PlayStation has formed new studio Dark Outlaw Games with Call of Duty Zombies lead Jason Blundell | VGC Niantic's Next Chapter | Niantic Jam City Sells Ludia to Canadian Investors | Joshua Yguado on LinkedIn

Obsidian released their long-awaited RPG avowed. Upon first impressions DC seems to like it even though it doesn't necessarily push the boundaries of RPG genre forward with new innovative gameplay. Now with that being said it's still a solid game and we're here to talk about it.Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/SuperWeaponPod/https://twitter.com/_1ldc_/https://instagram.com/_1ldc_/https://twitter.com/DariusTh3Artist/https://instagram.com/dariusth3artist/https://tiktok.com/@superweaponmedia/https://www.twitch.tv/dariustheartist (Live Podcast Sat 11am EST) COME JOIN US Check out the community discord: https://discord.gg/knJDbT6Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/superweaponpod/support

Real Life Devon has been diving into The Electric State, and the discussion turns to the unique blend of kid-friendly aesthetics and eerie, unsettling imagery. The upcoming movie adaptation ( IMDB link ) raises the question: who is this really for? Meanwhile, Steven is excited about the group finally playing City of Mist with Greg—expect some noir-drenched, super-powered storytelling soon. Also, Windows 11 users, rejoice (or at least breathe a little easier): Microsoft is making moves to remove ads from its interface. Progress? We hope so. Ben bids farewell to Clawed, a beloved companion. Losing a pet is never easy. As a result, he's rethinking his relationship with social media. When you're grieving, the internet can be both a comfort and a drain. Is it time to step back and reevaluate our online spaces? Future or Now Ben introduces us to SEN, a project aiming to revolutionize desktop environments with a data-centric approach. Unlike existing knowledge management systems, SEN prioritizes local storage and metadata integrity over cloud-based solutions. If you're into Obsidian, Haiku OS, or just wish your computer worked with your thoughts instead of against them, check it out ( SEN introduction ). And for those interested in the philosophy behind it, the Data-Centric Manifesto lays out the foundation of this approach. Devon takes us way, way back—to LUCA, the Last Universal Common Ancestor. New research suggests all life on Earth traces back to this single organism that existed only 400 million years after Earth formed. Even more fascinating? LUCA likely had an early immune system, meaning it was already fending off viruses. ( Read more ) Life finds a way, indeed. Book Club Next week, we're reading To Be Taught, If Fortunate: Votum by Becky Chambers. If you're following along, now's the time to grab a copy! This week, we covered To Be Taught, If Fortunate: Opera. One of the standout moments: “It was not a cozy storm, a curl-up-with-a-book-and-a-blanket storm. This was weather that resented us.” That kind of atmospheric writing is why we love Becky Chambers. In other media news, Steven and Ben wrapped up Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and were blown away. A season-long What If? style arc that absolutely delivered. Meanwhile, Devon and Steven have jumped into Daredevil: Born Again. How does it hold up to expectations? You'll have to listen to find out. That's it for this week! If you're enjoying the podcast, let us know what you think about the books, games, and tech we're covering. And if you have a take on LUCA, Windows 11, or The Electric State, we'd love to hear it.

TIME STAMPS:00:00:00 Community Guest Intros00:08:00 WHY WE should be HYPED for South of Midnight00:35:00 Obsidian's Newest RPG, Avowed Is Set To Receive A POST-LAUNCH ROADMAP01:24:00 Panel Outros and Special Message to the Community!

This week we find Doctor Vlarg a new Steamer and Master Torgo makes good on Clockwork Torgo: Tommy Boy. We also talk about cataloging 1,200 minis, Monarch, Foundation, Multiverse of Mystery, Ishy, the French Connection, Crimson Tide, Kingdom 2 Crowns, Obsidian's Avowed, This Movie Exists, The Lost Empire, Fortress, Delicious in Dungeon, Uncle from Another World, Rising of Shield Hero, Anime and Manga, our first Arcade Games, House of the Dead, and obscure arcade cabinets. So don't pull that plug it's time for a Gee...

This week, Susan discusses her time with Avowed, Obsidian's latest action RPG, and how Skyrim's long shadow seems to be[...]

You know him, you love him; The one and only Dave Gilbert is on the show this week to talk about our relationships to gaming as we all get older. Is nostalgia inherently good or bad? Is ET for Atari as artistic a feat as Perfect Tides? We get really really deep into it.Also, Roses and Matt each played a few Next Fext demos (maybe more to come next week?) and Dave Gilbert played Obsidian's answer to Unavowed, Avowed!Email us! mattandroses@gmail.comGames Mentioned: Old Skies Avowed Unavowed Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping Do No Harm The Alpinist Getting Over It w/ Bennett Foddy Deck of Haunts Kathy Rain 2: Soothsayer Horizon Zero Dawn Assassin's Creed: Oddysey/Valhalla Sonic the Hedgehog Curse of Monkey Island Blackwell series Perfect Tides Dragon's Dogma II Citizen Sleeper Cloudpunk Quest for Glory series Knights of the Old Republic Hypnospace Outlaw Crow Country SanitariumCommunal Actions: Amazon Boycott March 7-14. Nestle Boycott March 21-28. Walmart Boycott April 7-14

Obsidian's latest action RPG is coming for Bethesda's crown with its open format, streamlined design, and rewarding player choice! Do Shane and Matt think it hits the mark? Watch and find out in crispy 4K/60!

Between dramatic dips in internet, discord instability, and Nick's unprecedented noobism when it comes to podcast production, this week's live recording was about as messy as it gets... but the show must go on! Regardless, we've got some big games to talk about including the long awaited release of Avowed from Obsidian and the obligatory Yakuza release for the year titled, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza! Nick played a Yakuza game, finally finished Metaphor Refantazio, AND he talks briefly about his time with Spirit of the Samurai; The game he was tasked with trying after coming in last place during our 2024 Fantasy Critic competition! Impressions - Metaphor Refantazio (17:07) Impressions -  Avowed (23:30) Impressions - Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (47:15) Impressions - Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza (56:20) Impressions - Spirit of the Samurai (1:12:40) 4Player Minute (1:27:50)

This week, Xbox unveiled MUSE, a generative AI model aimed at boosting creativity and possibilities for gameplay. Published in the journal Nature as well as announced by Microsoft Research, the Xbox team shared findings alongside Ninja Theory on what this new AI model that was trained on Bleeding Edge could accomplish. In the extensive write-ups, we learn about the principles of this AI model, what Xbox's mandate is for it across their first party studios, and even get teased a bit on what it could mean for backwards compatibility. However, is it all sunshine and roses here for Xbox's new approach to game development? The push for AI is on more than ever and it's no longer a matter of "if" but rather "when." Like any tool, its public perception will be dictated by how responsibly it is handled. Joining Matty this week is Brad, to clean up the AI mess, and dive into a whole bunch of other Xbox news. We follow up our last episode's conversation on Avowed, dig into the future of Obsidian, mull over yet another Phil Spencer interview, and plenty more in what is bound to be divisive subject for many listeners. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro/Avowed follow-up 0:22:33 - How will Obsidian scale after Avowed? 0:27:42 - Bobby Kotick interview 0:37:53 - Another Tony Hawk Pro Skater on the way? 0:45:09 - Jez Corden on Xbox's next console 0:56:28 - Machine Games grows 0:59:35 - Updates on the leaked Final Fantasy remakes 1:09:14 - Stalker 2 is getting its biggest update yet 1:11:49 - Lost Soul Aside is getting a physical copy! 1:12:44 - Fairgame$ has been pushed to 2026 1:15:07 - System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is getting a release date soon 1:18:47 - Kingdom Come Deliverance passes 2 million copies sold 1:19:57 - Funko Fusion developer 10:10 has reportedly been hit with layoffs 1:22:22 - Visionary art director Viktor Antonov passed away at age 52 1:24:39 - What We're Playing 2:00:13 - Xbox introduces MUSE 2:35:24 - Phil Spencer interview 2:41:28 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass 2:43:30 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some mysteries are best left unsolved. Some objects are best left untouched. And some places… should not be found. This week on Stories Fables Ghostly Tales, we dive into The Obsidian Pendants—a story of eldritch horror, lost knowledge, and a researcher who should have definitely ignored his mail. Support the Podcast and help it grow!

Ahoy, besties! This week, the crew sets sails with Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, a video game that's as silly as its name suggests. Unlike its predecessor — our best game of 2024 — this entry features a new(ish) protagonist, old-school action combat, and a potpourri of new min-games that borrow from a wide range of Besties favorites, including Cooking Mama and Assassin's Creed: Black Flag.Note from Plante: Last week's description said Obsidian, the developer of Avowed, had previously made Fallout 76. It should have said Fallout: New Vegas. Sometimes I only have a chance to write the description/newsletter late, late, late in the night before we publish an episode — not an excuse, just an explanation. Needless to say, the mistake was human error and not the result of my co-hosts replacing me with a Content Bot. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

With Avowed's launch casting a spotlight on Obsidian this week, we got to thinking about the studio's unique trajectory, and so Trone Dowd — who reviewed Avowed for Inverse — joins us to talk about about studios who got nudged off series they created (for whatever reason), and used their ideas to make something new (but familiar). We'll also get into Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza Pirate in Hawaii, the Street Fighter movie's new director, Nintendo discontinuing the Gold Points program, and the obscure games you'd like to see return via a streaming service. Question of the Week: Zelda did it. Assassin's Creed did it. Yakuza did it. What game series should take to the high seas for a pirate adventure next? Break song is Fly Me To The Moon (∞ Climax Mix) by Bart Howard and Helena Noguerra. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The long wait for Avowed is finally over and the crew share their thoughts on this new first-person RPG from Obsidian, Jesse previews the tea at Wanderstop, and Frank goes all-in on achievement hunting in modern fighting games! Avowed: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2457220/Avowed/ Wanderstop: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1299460/Wanderstop/ Mortal Kombat 1 Conan the Barbarian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQDU9KN2qQU&rco=1 Mitch Murder - Frantic Aerobics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8hiZvxLRHY iTunes Page: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/noclip/id1385062988 RSS Feed: http://noclippodcast.libsyn.com/rss Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5XYk92ubrXpvPVk1lin4VB?si=JRAcPnlvQ0-YJWU9XiW9pg Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/noclippodcast Watch our docs: https://youtube.com/noclipvideo Crewcast channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/noclippodcast Learn About Noclip: https://www.noclip.video Become a Patron and get early access to new episodes: https://www.patreon.com/noclip Follow @noclipvideo on Twitter Chapters: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:03:39 - Thanking our Patreon supporters! 0:07:32 - Early Impressions of Avowed 0:50:38 - Fighting Game Achievement Hunting 1:06:59 - Architects are Secretly Game Developers 1:24:43 - Wanderstop (Preview) 1:39:24 - Mitch Murder's Music 1:49:33 - Noclip Updates

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media. MinnMax's Ben Hanson is joined by Jeff Marchiafava, Janet Garcia, and Kyle Hilliard to look back at our predictions from last year and make bold, new predictions about games in 2025. From GTA 6 to the Nintendo Switch 2, we predict it all. Game Over. Then Leo Vader joins the show to talk Keep Driving, Aloft, A Game About Digging A Hole, Rift of the NecroDancer, and then we return to Obsidian's Avowed to get Janet's full thoughts. Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by the community and award the iam8bit question of the week! You can win a prize and help make the show better by supporting us on Patreon and submitting a question! https://www.patreon.com/minnmax Watch and share the video version - https://youtu.be/MgrwJUElKIo Subscribe to our new podcast Pew Pew Bang - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pew-pew-bang/id1796213059 Help support MinnMax's supporters! https://www.iam8bit.com - 10% off with Promo Code: BEMYPLAYERTWO https://www.hellofresh.com/hellofreshpodcast - Up to 10 free meals https://www.meundies.com/minnmax - 20% off first order with MINNMAX To jump to a particular discussion, check out the timestamps below...  00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:43 - Subscribe to Pew Pew Bang 00:03:58 - Our 2024 Predictions 00:15:09 - hellofresh.com/hellofreshpodcast 00:16:56 - 2025 Predictions 00:35:09 - Rapid-fire 2025 Predictions 00:44:13 - Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii 00:48:18 - meundies.com/minnmax 00:50:52 - Keep Driving 01:10:53 - A Game About Digging A Hole 01:14:44 - Aloft 01:19:30 - Avowed 01:31:02 - Rift of the NecroDancer 01:35:34 - Thanking iam8bit - https://www.iam8bit.com/ 01:39:02 - Community questions 02:16:50 - Get A Load Of This Leo's GALOT - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNty2y0DQN8 JeffM's GALOT - https://danielben.itch.io/dragonsweeper Hanson's GALOT - https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Scenes-PlayStation-Former-Creation/dp/B0D98655C7 Janet's GALOT - https://consolevariations.com/collectibles/nintendo-3ds-club-nintendo-peach-console-jp Community GALOT - https://bsky.app/profile/consolevariations.bsky.social/post/3lifaltkizk2n Disclosure - Games discussed on MinnMax content are most often provided for free by the publisher or developer. Follow us on Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/minnmaxshow Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/minnmax Subscribe to our solo stream channel - MinnMax Stream Archives - YouTube Support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/minnmax Catch up on the best of MinnMax - https://bit.ly/4gAc6eq Buy MinnMax merch here - https://minnmax.com/merch Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/minnmaxshow Go behind the scenes on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/minnmaxshow This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

The gang takes a deep dive into Obsidian's latest roleplaying game, Avowed. They talk about the crunchy combat, the ramifications of story decisions, and why the exploration works so well. Plus: SNL turns 50!One More Thing:Kirk: Ladies and Gentlemen…. 50 Years of SNL Music (Peacock)Maddy: Priscilla (2023)Jason: Lisa JewellLINKS:Featuring “Avowed” by Venus Theory and Justin E. BellHbomberguy's “Fallout New Vegas is Genuis, Here's Why”: ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzF7aHxk4Y4Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinBuy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

Last week we visited a shady figure on the outskirts of town and re-specced ourselves as podcasters and so here we are: two fellas on the mics talking about the forty thousand dollar Switch 2 that's on sale on the dark web, the massive failure of whatever that Funko Pop game was, the Donkey Kong Nike Air Max, and reviews of Obsidian's new fantasy action RPG Avowed, plus the Metal Slug inspired Metroidvania Guns of Fury!Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code FILTHY at checkout. Download the Saily app or go to https://saily.com/filthy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Obsidian's new covert entry in the Pillars of Eternity world is out now; but is it just a Skyrim-like? I don't mind telling you upfront; no. But what IS it, I hear you screaming? Kat, Nadia, Eric, and special guest John Carson are here to tell you! Tune in to live recordings of the show every Saturday morning at https://www.twitch.tv/bloodgodpod and subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod Also in this episode: The February Cornucopia of RPGs Pokemon TCG Pocket update! The State of Magic: The Gathering *hacker voice* I'm in Timestamps: 05:04 - Main Topic - Avowed 43:02 - Random Encounters 1:00:48 - Magic: The Gathering 1:12:46 - Nadia's Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] South Town Guitarist ~ Summer - [Tokimeki Memorial 2] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Besties discuss Avowed, the new game from Fallout 76 developer Obsidian. It is extremely our shit. Perhaps… too much so? What does that even mean? Listen to find out! Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

https://www.patreon.com/c/minnmax Subscribe to MinnMax's channel or unlock the podcast version and we'll DM you a Steam code for Cryptmaster if you support MinnMax on Patreon before 2/17/25, we're out of codes when we hit 5,700 paid supporters. MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jeff Marchiafava, Leo Vader, Kyle Hilliard, and Haley MacLean rave about Obsidian's new RPG Avowed and Leo checks back in on the overlooked RPG Eternal Strands with JeffM. Then Janet Garcia joins the fun as we break down the best reveals and trailers from PlayStation's State of Play featuring the reveal of Housemarque's Returnal follow-up Saros, the first gameplay for Onimusha: Way of the Sword, a new Shinobi, and more. Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by the community and award the iam8bit question of the week! You can win a prize and help make the show better by supporting us on Patreon and submitting a question! https://www.patreon.com/minnmax Watch and share the video version - https://youtu.be/bmMCeRB3evk Help support MinnMax's supporters! https://www.iam8bit.com - 10% off with Promo Code: BEMYPLAYERTWO To jump to a particular discussion, check out the timestamps below...  00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:59 - Get a Steam code for Cryptmaster 00:03:50 - Avowed 00:37:48 - Eternal Strands 00:48:34 - PlayStation State of Play highlights 00:49:34 - Saros from Housemarque 00:53:24 - MindsEye 00:55:54 - Dreams of Another 00:58:28 - Onimusha: Way of the Sword 01:02:38 - Digimon Story: Time Stranger 01:04:25 - Metal Gear Solid Delta 01:06:51 - Directive 8020 01:11:41 - Shinobi: Art of Vengeance 01:12:59 - Darwin's Paradox 01:14:09 - Warriors: Abyss 01:16:12 - Thanking iam8bit - https://www.iam8bit.com/ 01:19:00 - Community questions 01:45:56 - South of Midnight 01:48:30 - Community questions 02:11:55 - Get A Load Of This Janet's GALOT - https://www.reddit.com/r/knolling/ Haley's GALOT - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf5dPQ7YeE8&ab_channel=PlayOverwatch Hanson's GALOT - https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2024/01/05/arizona-trail-camera-captures-8th-jaguar-seen-1996/72120413007/ Kyle's GALOT - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzh7kMcuDYY Community GALOT - https://bsky.app/profile/landfall.se/post/3lhvs232jjk2y Disclosure - Games discussed on MinnMax content are most often provided for free by the publisher or developer. Follow us on Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/minnmaxshow Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/minnmax Subscribe to our solo stream channel - MinnMax Stream Archives - YouTube Support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/minnmax Catch up on the best of MinnMax - https://bit.ly/4gAc6eq Buy MinnMax merch here - https://minnmax.com/merch Follow us on Twitter - https://twitter.com/minnmaxshow Go behind the scenes on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/minnmaxshow This podcast is powered by Pinecast.