Podcasts about patting

Matching Day: Part 1To love risks more than just her heart.Based on a post by SmallTownPrincess, in 2 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Connected.Girls spend their entire lives looking forward to the fateful Matching Day - and whether or not they will admit it, boys, too, have at least a healthy curiosity. It's so reassuring, knowing that in your eighteenth year, you and your age-mates will be paired off, brought together with another from their own community or a surrounding one that match them perfectly. No song-and-dance dating rituals, like the ones in the books Livia liked to read, no old maids, no riotous bachelors; just simple, comforting compatibility."Have you heard?" The hushed, conspiratorial tones issued from the pink-lacquered lips of Livia's best friend, Mara."What?" Livia's low-pitched voice always made her sound disinterested, but she paid close attention to Mara when her friend sounded this urgent."There was a big accident over in Micrague. One guy died!""Oh, that's terrible," Livia murmured, letting her eyelashes drop and rise again to half-mast in a brief show of empathy. It was all she had time for, as Mara leaned suddenly, ever more urgently forward, gripping Livia's arm in both hands."That's not the worst thing," she rolled on. "The guy who was killed? He just turned eighteen. That makes the numbers for tomorrow's Matching uneven!"Two full breaths, painful to the impatient Mara, passed before Livia spoke in response. "So, what, someone won't be paired? A girl will be left without her match?""Whoever matched with him will have no pair on Matching Day," Mara proclaimed ominously. Her eyes were wide and glittering with morbid excitement."What do they do about that?" It was unheard of, as far as Livia knew; there were always even numbers, always a perfect match for everyone.Mara gave an exaggerated shrug. "Maybe she'll never be matched."Livia was surprised into laughter. "They can't leave her without a match forever," she said with certainty. "Maybe they'll search out another community for someone that fits even better than that poor boy who died."Her reassuring confidence sent Mara, humming, away to terrify someone else with proclamations of an eternity alone for some poor girl. The thought nagged at Livia for the rest of the afternoon, though. What if he was matched with me?"Verin Massada," the stern voice called from the central platform, and a stick-thin brunette drifted toward the three steps that lifted her above the circle of impatient teenagers."Philip Pressia." The broad-shouldered redhead that stepped up to take Verin's hand smirked and bowed at the polite smattering of applause that ushered the happy new couple off the stage. Livia smiled approvingly; Verin needed a little more humor in her life.Livia watched each girl she'd grown up with walk back into the circle, shyly clutching the hand of her new mate, and twisted her skirt nervously in her fingers. It seemed forever before the 'R's were called, and the wad of boys brought in from all the different communities steadily shrank. She met the clear grey eyes of one of the remaining boys as Clanley Ritchell was met by a generic-looking, dark-haired boy, and she thought fleetingly, I hope I'm matched with him. He seemed to be thinking the same thing; his face fell a little when he was called up to greet a willowy blond on the dais."Danica Soress," the voice demanded, and Livia stood a little straighter with a sharp intake of breath. Had she been skipped?All the vague, incoherent fears that had accompanied Mara's morbid pronouncement coursed through Livia, charged with shame as some girls recognized the omission and turned to look at her with expressions of varying pity. Livia felt on the edge of tears.She saw the blond - that wretched Salvia - pull the grey-eyed boy down to whisper cruelly in his ear and point in Livia's direction, and she contemplated melting into the dirt.With the blood roaring loudly in her ears, she heard no other names called, and stared fixedly at a nondescript blade of grass in front of her to avoid the glances that were flickering toward her. How can this be? she thought frantically. How can I not have a match?"Livia, what's going on?" Mara's face held ghoulish curiosity with only an edge of concern for her friend, and Livia couldn't deal with her. She turned without a word and marched to the fountain a good distance away from the platform. People were breaking off now, finding secluded spots to get to know this person with whom they'd be partnered forever. Livia, wrapping her arms tightly around her gut, had never felt so alone.How could she have lost a lifetime of companionship without ever tasting it? It was too, too cruel. What right did that boy have to take away everything in one fell swoop? How could he die? She wanted to shake her fist at the heavens, demand an explanation, but she just trailed her fingers through the rippling water in the fountain basin, swallowing hard against the wave of emotions that threatened to show itself grotesquely in her features."His name was Bracken, if that helps," said a voice behind her, and she jumped, throwing water onto her dress. She turned to see that grey-eyed boy approaching, and she prepared herself for the humiliation she was sure to experience at his hands; he had, after all, been matched like everyone else, and she was alone - possibly forever.He did not mock her, though; his eyes held the soft, cautious understanding of someone who pitied another, but was not sure whether that person desired sympathy or not. When she said nothing, he shrugged self-consciously. "Sorry, I realize you might not have wanted to know. I just, he was my best friend. I thought if you did want to know about him, I'd at least let you know who you could ask."A flood of gratitude made it temporarily impossible for her to speak, and then she forced a smile. "I think I'd like to know," she said hesitantly. She wasn't sure; would it be better to know nothing about what she'd never have, or to at least have pleasant thoughts about what could've been? "Can I ask you something now?""Absolutely.""Would I have liked him?"The boy nodded. "I think so. He was quiet at first, it took a while to get to know him. But once you did, there was no one you trusted more." He added, with the hesitation of an afterthought but the seriousness of something he'd intended to say all along, "Seeing you here, there's no doubt that he would have liked you."He gave Livia one last smile and lay his hand over hers for a moment, ignoring the water droplets that sat on it like dew. For a warm second, she felt a rush of what it might have been like to have someone get to know her intimately over a lifetime, to love and understand her and for her to love back, and then the grey-eyed boy was walking with wide strides back to Salvia, and nothing but a hollow sadness remained beneath her breastbone.Livia hated them. All of them.The girls with their softly rolling curls, teased and coached for hours in order to look casually delicate when the boys, their shirts tucked in and their shoes shined, arrived at their doorsteps carrying one or two or twenty flowers in one hand and a shining invitation in the other. They walked with springing steps the short distance to the gathering hall in the center of town, hand in hand or arm in arm, and Livia wanted to throw rocks at the whole lot of them.She had been invited, sort of, to join in on the festivities. The community officials, not sure what to do with the first single person over eighteen in a century, had hesitantly allowed for her participation in all the new couples' activities; so far, she had partaken in none of them.Desperately, she wanted to be a part of the revelry, but she could not force herself to walk into the rooms full of happy girls and their happy boys, and have nothing herself. Her mother, unable to comfort her, had begged her to go to the dance. It was the last night before all the boys would be returning to their own communities, taking their matches with them. It was the last night she would seek Mara, who had paired with a boy from Onek.And she'd tried: she'd gotten dressed, piled her hair up on top of her head and pulled her elbow-length gloves on, but nothing could motivate her to step outside her house as streams of giggling lovebirds trickled by on the way to the hall."Go, Livia," her mother said, coming up behind her with a basket of laundry on her hip. "You should at least go long enough to say goodbye to Mara.""I can't, Mama. Think of how they'll look at me!"Her mother bent Livia's head down to kiss her on the forehead. "It's not your fault, Neinei, and they know that. They feel bad for you. They all want to see you. The world didn't end when that poor boy died.""Bracken," Livia said defiantly. Her mother had refused to say his name, insisting that it was better for Livia to know nothing about what she had lost.Patting her daughter's shoulder, she adjusted her basket and turned to leave. "Go."Livia had retreated around the side of the gathering hall, standing just outside the golden pool of light that poured like honey from the windows. Sobs caught in her throat and were choked down, unvoiced, as she watched Mara and Verin and Danica and dozens of others receive chaste pecks from shy boys as they spun by in their brightly-colored dresses, waving fluted, bubbling glasses and laughing with abandon.And there, the grey-eyed boy, Bracken's best friend, was seated quietly with his hands folded in his lap, listening politely to an enthusiastic rendition of some trivial event or another by Salvia. It was always easy to tell when she was excited about something, as her arms pinwheeled and hands fluttered with no thought to how the gestures went along with the story.He glanced up, and his eyes met, for a moment, Livia's. He looked surprised to see her there, and then a bit sad, and then his gaze drifted back to Salvia, who had grabbed his knee in her earnestness.This infinitesimal rejection, the refusal to even meet her eyes for more than a moment, pushed Livia over the edge. Tears, burning like acid, washed over her face, and she stumbled away from the window, crying with pitiful lack of restraint.She staggered into the sparse forest, the trees providing scattered shelter from curious eyes, if any should choose to drift away from the golden party, and the darkness of the night fit her mood, a strangely soothing thought."Are you alright?" For the second time, the grey-eyed boy's voice jolted her out of her own misery. She would not face him; not now, when her eyes were puffy and irritated, her nose red and her face streaked with dirty tear tracks. He would see her and compare her to Salvia, and she would fall short; she could not handle right now seeing him weigh her that way and find her lacking.His hand on her back was another surprise, and then both his hands weighing down on her shoulders as he stepped closer behind her. "Hey," he said gently. "Everything will turn out fine. Maybe, maybe you'll find someone better than Bracken could have been for you."She forgot her resolution not to face him then, turning toward him with her eyes narrowed to angry slits. "How could I, when everyone is paired already? Besides, I had my chance - he just managed to get himself killed before I could even meet him!" The words came out much harsher than she intended, and the young man in front of her actually took a step back from her ferocity, hunching like she'd landed a blow to his gut. "I'm sorry," she said immediately, automatically. "I shouldn't have said that. He was your friend, ""It's alright," he said, giving her a ghost of a smile and waving his hand with a nonchalance that didn't show in his eyes. He had that gentle look of quiet appreciation of life that came to some people who lost loved ones, but knew that lost friend would be offended if they did not continue to smile. "I know it's probably really hard on you, seeing everyone so, happy." He trailed off, not looking happy in the least."Speaking of happy people, shouldn't you be in there with Salvia?"His face took on the contemplative expression of someone deciding how to phrase something delicately. "Salvia, she's not quite what I expected to find, on my Matching Day. She's, ""Lively?" Livia suggested. "Brazen? Exuberant?" obnoxious," the grey-eyed boy said decisively. "I don't like her at all."Livia smirked. "Well, you have to like her. She's your match. You love her."He shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "I don't.""But she's your perfect match," Livia insisted."But what if she's not?"Livia heard her heart beat twice before she asked, "What?""What if Salvia is not the perfect girl for me? What if the girl that I would love more than anyone else in the world couldn't be matched with me because, there was someone else our age who she would like a little bit better?""That doesn't even make sense," Livia said, shaking her head. "The matches have always been perfect: even numbers, complete compatibility;”"But this time they messed up, right? I mean, you should know. You're the person who's affected more than anyone else.""Well, yes, but;”"So why isn't it possible that they aren't right on everything else? What if they didn't match this girl with me because she would love this other guy more?""Well, so, maybe they did. But if you would love her so much, surely you would want to see her happy, with the man she was meant to be with, right?""Yes," he said, very seriously. "I would want to see her happy.""Then you should leave her in peace with the person she was matched with, and focus on learning to love the girl you were paired with."The interminable silence stretched between them as the grey-eyed boy stared down at the leafy ground and Livia watched the way his hair blew across his forehead in the breeze. At last he said, "What if she wasn't matched with anyone?"Livia's heart sped up, beating double time as she realized what he'd been saying all along, what she'd been too dim to put together until he'd spelled it out. "But you are matched," she said numbly. "Salvia has you."He leaned dangerously far forward, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered into it, "I don't want Salvia."Livia shrank back, confused. These were dangerous words he uttered, dangerous thoughts. People were matched with the people they were meant to be with. How could there be any other way? They couldn't be wrong; there'd been no divorce, no infidelity, no broken hearts in the decades people had been paired this way. Surely it was the right way. It had to be."I don't even know your name," Livia said resolutely, as though that settled the matter and proved him wrong. She pushed against his chest to force him back, feeling the blazing heat of his heart under her palm."It's Mason," he said quietly, and his words had the sound of discussion-ending power to them too. Livia was conscious of the fact that she had not moved her hand from his chest; her fingers curled slightly, enjoying the silky feeling of his shirt over his skin, and the warmth that radiated from his flesh."Go back to Salvia, Mason," she whispered. She realized she was shaking from head to toe, and not from cold. Here was everything she had ever wanted, everything she had imagined when she thought of her Matching Day, but he was not hers. "Please, go back to the party."With a sigh, Mason touched her cheek briefly, the lightest of butterfly wing contacts, and then he turned and vanished into the night, not toward the party, but deeper into the forest. Livia stood for a long time without moving, her mind racing and her heart pounding like a runner's feet, and then she walked, slowly, directly away from Mason."You didn't come to the party last night," Mara said, breaking the silence that stood like frosted glass between her and Livia."No." Livia had gotten no sleep the night before; lying in bed, replaying continually the frightening moments with Mason, her heart had never slowed."Well, I just wanted to say goodbye, " Mara twisted her hands for a moment before wrapping Livia up in a warm and desperate hug. "I'm sorry, Lenny. I'm going to miss you so much."The tension between them melted, and Livia returned the hug tightly, sighing. "It's hard to believe I'll never see any of you again - all the girls I've known all my life! Except for Maize and Crista, they're the only ones who matched with boys from here, right? And I don't really even know them.""Well, you'll see Salvia too, for a little while."Breathe in. Breathe out. "Why's that?""Oh, that fellow she paired with - Mason, isn't it? - his parents have some sort of huge wedding ceremony planned, and they've got a house mostly built for the two of them. They told him to stay here a while, get to know his partner's family for a bit, let her spend some more time with them, and then head back once the house and all the plans were done."Wedding were an extravagance, a luxury that most people went without, especially if they didn't have the means to make it a massive event. The fact that Mason's family was going to such lengths meant they must be well off indeed."So Mason, and Salvia, will be around for a while?""Yeah, at least a month, I'd say."A buzzing numbness in her extremities made it difficult for Livia to respond. She had thought Mason would be gone today, that she'd never have to see him and Salvia together again. But they would be here for a month,"Speak of the devil," Mara said cheerfully, skipping over to greet Salvia as she pranced up the path with Mason's hand gripped in her own vice-like claw. The dark circles under his eyes said that he, too, had had a night with little sleep.

Matching Day: Part 1To love risks more than just her heart.Based on a post by SmallTownPrincess, in 2 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Connected.Girls spend their entire lives looking forward to the fateful Matching Day - and whether or not they will admit it, boys, too, have at least a healthy curiosity. It's so reassuring, knowing that in your eighteenth year, you and your age-mates will be paired off, brought together with another from their own community or a surrounding one that match them perfectly. No song-and-dance dating rituals, like the ones in the books Livia liked to read, no old maids, no riotous bachelors; just simple, comforting compatibility."Have you heard?" The hushed, conspiratorial tones issued from the pink-lacquered lips of Livia's best friend, Mara."What?" Livia's low-pitched voice always made her sound disinterested, but she paid close attention to Mara when her friend sounded this urgent."There was a big accident over in Micrague. One guy died!""Oh, that's terrible," Livia murmured, letting her eyelashes drop and rise again to half-mast in a brief show of empathy. It was all she had time for, as Mara leaned suddenly, ever more urgently forward, gripping Livia's arm in both hands."That's not the worst thing," she rolled on. "The guy who was killed? He just turned eighteen. That makes the numbers for tomorrow's Matching uneven!"Two full breaths, painful to the impatient Mara, passed before Livia spoke in response. "So, what, someone won't be paired? A girl will be left without her match?""Whoever matched with him will have no pair on Matching Day," Mara proclaimed ominously. Her eyes were wide and glittering with morbid excitement."What do they do about that?" It was unheard of, as far as Livia knew; there were always even numbers, always a perfect match for everyone.Mara gave an exaggerated shrug. "Maybe she'll never be matched."Livia was surprised into laughter. "They can't leave her without a match forever," she said with certainty. "Maybe they'll search out another community for someone that fits even better than that poor boy who died."Her reassuring confidence sent Mara, humming, away to terrify someone else with proclamations of an eternity alone for some poor girl. The thought nagged at Livia for the rest of the afternoon, though. What if he was matched with me?"Verin Massada," the stern voice called from the central platform, and a stick-thin brunette drifted toward the three steps that lifted her above the circle of impatient teenagers."Philip Pressia." The broad-shouldered redhead that stepped up to take Verin's hand smirked and bowed at the polite smattering of applause that ushered the happy new couple off the stage. Livia smiled approvingly; Verin needed a little more humor in her life.Livia watched each girl she'd grown up with walk back into the circle, shyly clutching the hand of her new mate, and twisted her skirt nervously in her fingers. It seemed forever before the 'R's were called, and the wad of boys brought in from all the different communities steadily shrank. She met the clear grey eyes of one of the remaining boys as Clanley Ritchell was met by a generic-looking, dark-haired boy, and she thought fleetingly, I hope I'm matched with him. He seemed to be thinking the same thing; his face fell a little when he was called up to greet a willowy blond on the dais."Danica Soress," the voice demanded, and Livia stood a little straighter with a sharp intake of breath. Had she been skipped?All the vague, incoherent fears that had accompanied Mara's morbid pronouncement coursed through Livia, charged with shame as some girls recognized the omission and turned to look at her with expressions of varying pity. Livia felt on the edge of tears.She saw the blond - that wretched Salvia - pull the grey-eyed boy down to whisper cruelly in his ear and point in Livia's direction, and she contemplated melting into the dirt.With the blood roaring loudly in her ears, she heard no other names called, and stared fixedly at a nondescript blade of grass in front of her to avoid the glances that were flickering toward her. How can this be? she thought frantically. How can I not have a match?"Livia, what's going on?" Mara's face held ghoulish curiosity with only an edge of concern for her friend, and Livia couldn't deal with her. She turned without a word and marched to the fountain a good distance away from the platform. People were breaking off now, finding secluded spots to get to know this person with whom they'd be partnered forever. Livia, wrapping her arms tightly around her gut, had never felt so alone.How could she have lost a lifetime of companionship without ever tasting it? It was too, too cruel. What right did that boy have to take away everything in one fell swoop? How could he die? She wanted to shake her fist at the heavens, demand an explanation, but she just trailed her fingers through the rippling water in the fountain basin, swallowing hard against the wave of emotions that threatened to show itself grotesquely in her features."His name was Bracken, if that helps," said a voice behind her, and she jumped, throwing water onto her dress. She turned to see that grey-eyed boy approaching, and she prepared herself for the humiliation she was sure to experience at his hands; he had, after all, been matched like everyone else, and she was alone - possibly forever.He did not mock her, though; his eyes held the soft, cautious understanding of someone who pitied another, but was not sure whether that person desired sympathy or not. When she said nothing, he shrugged self-consciously. "Sorry, I realize you might not have wanted to know. I just, he was my best friend. I thought if you did want to know about him, I'd at least let you know who you could ask."A flood of gratitude made it temporarily impossible for her to speak, and then she forced a smile. "I think I'd like to know," she said hesitantly. She wasn't sure; would it be better to know nothing about what she'd never have, or to at least have pleasant thoughts about what could've been? "Can I ask you something now?""Absolutely.""Would I have liked him?"The boy nodded. "I think so. He was quiet at first, it took a while to get to know him. But once you did, there was no one you trusted more." He added, with the hesitation of an afterthought but the seriousness of something he'd intended to say all along, "Seeing you here, there's no doubt that he would have liked you."He gave Livia one last smile and lay his hand over hers for a moment, ignoring the water droplets that sat on it like dew. For a warm second, she felt a rush of what it might have been like to have someone get to know her intimately over a lifetime, to love and understand her and for her to love back, and then the grey-eyed boy was walking with wide strides back to Salvia, and nothing but a hollow sadness remained beneath her breastbone.Livia hated them. All of them.The girls with their softly rolling curls, teased and coached for hours in order to look casually delicate when the boys, their shirts tucked in and their shoes shined, arrived at their doorsteps carrying one or two or twenty flowers in one hand and a shining invitation in the other. They walked with springing steps the short distance to the gathering hall in the center of town, hand in hand or arm in arm, and Livia wanted to throw rocks at the whole lot of them.She had been invited, sort of, to join in on the festivities. The community officials, not sure what to do with the first single person over eighteen in a century, had hesitantly allowed for her participation in all the new couples' activities; so far, she had partaken in none of them.Desperately, she wanted to be a part of the revelry, but she could not force herself to walk into the rooms full of happy girls and their happy boys, and have nothing herself. Her mother, unable to comfort her, had begged her to go to the dance. It was the last night before all the boys would be returning to their own communities, taking their matches with them. It was the last night she would seek Mara, who had paired with a boy from Onek.And she'd tried: she'd gotten dressed, piled her hair up on top of her head and pulled her elbow-length gloves on, but nothing could motivate her to step outside her house as streams of giggling lovebirds trickled by on the way to the hall."Go, Livia," her mother said, coming up behind her with a basket of laundry on her hip. "You should at least go long enough to say goodbye to Mara.""I can't, Mama. Think of how they'll look at me!"Her mother bent Livia's head down to kiss her on the forehead. "It's not your fault, Neinei, and they know that. They feel bad for you. They all want to see you. The world didn't end when that poor boy died.""Bracken," Livia said defiantly. Her mother had refused to say his name, insisting that it was better for Livia to know nothing about what she had lost.Patting her daughter's shoulder, she adjusted her basket and turned to leave. "Go."Livia had retreated around the side of the gathering hall, standing just outside the golden pool of light that poured like honey from the windows. Sobs caught in her throat and were choked down, unvoiced, as she watched Mara and Verin and Danica and dozens of others receive chaste pecks from shy boys as they spun by in their brightly-colored dresses, waving fluted, bubbling glasses and laughing with abandon.And there, the grey-eyed boy, Bracken's best friend, was seated quietly with his hands folded in his lap, listening politely to an enthusiastic rendition of some trivial event or another by Salvia. It was always easy to tell when she was excited about something, as her arms pinwheeled and hands fluttered with no thought to how the gestures went along with the story.He glanced up, and his eyes met, for a moment, Livia's. He looked surprised to see her there, and then a bit sad, and then his gaze drifted back to Salvia, who had grabbed his knee in her earnestness.This infinitesimal rejection, the refusal to even meet her eyes for more than a moment, pushed Livia over the edge. Tears, burning like acid, washed over her face, and she stumbled away from the window, crying with pitiful lack of restraint.She staggered into the sparse forest, the trees providing scattered shelter from curious eyes, if any should choose to drift away from the golden party, and the darkness of the night fit her mood, a strangely soothing thought."Are you alright?" For the second time, the grey-eyed boy's voice jolted her out of her own misery. She would not face him; not now, when her eyes were puffy and irritated, her nose red and her face streaked with dirty tear tracks. He would see her and compare her to Salvia, and she would fall short; she could not handle right now seeing him weigh her that way and find her lacking.His hand on her back was another surprise, and then both his hands weighing down on her shoulders as he stepped closer behind her. "Hey," he said gently. "Everything will turn out fine. Maybe, maybe you'll find someone better than Bracken could have been for you."She forgot her resolution not to face him then, turning toward him with her eyes narrowed to angry slits. "How could I, when everyone is paired already? Besides, I had my chance - he just managed to get himself killed before I could even meet him!" The words came out much harsher than she intended, and the young man in front of her actually took a step back from her ferocity, hunching like she'd landed a blow to his gut. "I'm sorry," she said immediately, automatically. "I shouldn't have said that. He was your friend, ""It's alright," he said, giving her a ghost of a smile and waving his hand with a nonchalance that didn't show in his eyes. He had that gentle look of quiet appreciation of life that came to some people who lost loved ones, but knew that lost friend would be offended if they did not continue to smile. "I know it's probably really hard on you, seeing everyone so, happy." He trailed off, not looking happy in the least."Speaking of happy people, shouldn't you be in there with Salvia?"His face took on the contemplative expression of someone deciding how to phrase something delicately. "Salvia, she's not quite what I expected to find, on my Matching Day. She's, ""Lively?" Livia suggested. "Brazen? Exuberant?" obnoxious," the grey-eyed boy said decisively. "I don't like her at all."Livia smirked. "Well, you have to like her. She's your match. You love her."He shook his head. "No," he said quietly. "I don't.""But she's your perfect match," Livia insisted."But what if she's not?"Livia heard her heart beat twice before she asked, "What?""What if Salvia is not the perfect girl for me? What if the girl that I would love more than anyone else in the world couldn't be matched with me because, there was someone else our age who she would like a little bit better?""That doesn't even make sense," Livia said, shaking her head. "The matches have always been perfect: even numbers, complete compatibility;”"But this time they messed up, right? I mean, you should know. You're the person who's affected more than anyone else.""Well, yes, but;”"So why isn't it possible that they aren't right on everything else? What if they didn't match this girl with me because she would love this other guy more?""Well, so, maybe they did. But if you would love her so much, surely you would want to see her happy, with the man she was meant to be with, right?""Yes," he said, very seriously. "I would want to see her happy.""Then you should leave her in peace with the person she was matched with, and focus on learning to love the girl you were paired with."The interminable silence stretched between them as the grey-eyed boy stared down at the leafy ground and Livia watched the way his hair blew across his forehead in the breeze. At last he said, "What if she wasn't matched with anyone?"Livia's heart sped up, beating double time as she realized what he'd been saying all along, what she'd been too dim to put together until he'd spelled it out. "But you are matched," she said numbly. "Salvia has you."He leaned dangerously far forward, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered into it, "I don't want Salvia."Livia shrank back, confused. These were dangerous words he uttered, dangerous thoughts. People were matched with the people they were meant to be with. How could there be any other way? They couldn't be wrong; there'd been no divorce, no infidelity, no broken hearts in the decades people had been paired this way. Surely it was the right way. It had to be."I don't even know your name," Livia said resolutely, as though that settled the matter and proved him wrong. She pushed against his chest to force him back, feeling the blazing heat of his heart under her palm."It's Mason," he said quietly, and his words had the sound of discussion-ending power to them too. Livia was conscious of the fact that she had not moved her hand from his chest; her fingers curled slightly, enjoying the silky feeling of his shirt over his skin, and the warmth that radiated from his flesh."Go back to Salvia, Mason," she whispered. She realized she was shaking from head to toe, and not from cold. Here was everything she had ever wanted, everything she had imagined when she thought of her Matching Day, but he was not hers. "Please, go back to the party."With a sigh, Mason touched her cheek briefly, the lightest of butterfly wing contacts, and then he turned and vanished into the night, not toward the party, but deeper into the forest. Livia stood for a long time without moving, her mind racing and her heart pounding like a runner's feet, and then she walked, slowly, directly away from Mason."You didn't come to the party last night," Mara said, breaking the silence that stood like frosted glass between her and Livia."No." Livia had gotten no sleep the night before; lying in bed, replaying continually the frightening moments with Mason, her heart had never slowed."Well, I just wanted to say goodbye, " Mara twisted her hands for a moment before wrapping Livia up in a warm and desperate hug. "I'm sorry, Lenny. I'm going to miss you so much."The tension between them melted, and Livia returned the hug tightly, sighing. "It's hard to believe I'll never see any of you again - all the girls I've known all my life! Except for Maize and Crista, they're the only ones who matched with boys from here, right? And I don't really even know them.""Well, you'll see Salvia too, for a little while."Breathe in. Breathe out. "Why's that?""Oh, that fellow she paired with - Mason, isn't it? - his parents have some sort of huge wedding ceremony planned, and they've got a house mostly built for the two of them. They told him to stay here a while, get to know his partner's family for a bit, let her spend some more time with them, and then head back once the house and all the plans were done."Wedding were an extravagance, a luxury that most people went without, especially if they didn't have the means to make it a massive event. The fact that Mason's family was going to such lengths meant they must be well off indeed."So Mason, and Salvia, will be around for a while?""Yeah, at least a month, I'd say."A buzzing numbness in her extremities made it difficult for Livia to respond. She had thought Mason would be gone today, that she'd never have to see him and Salvia together again. But they would be here for a month,"Speak of the devil," Mara said cheerfully, skipping over to greet Salvia as she pranced up the path with Mason's hand gripped in her own vice-like claw. The dark circles under his eyes said that he, too, had had a night with little sleep.

Frank Schwab and Jori Epstein dive into the Colorado Showcase fallout and what it means for the NFL Draft. Plus, they discuss who could be the new Geno Smith and if the veteran QB is making a comeback.We are a few days removed from the Colorado Pro Day, "Showcase," that got everyone talking. Is Shedeur Sanders patting the ball really that big of a deal? Does Travis Hunter to the Cleveland Browns feel inevitable? Is playing both ways in the NFL realistic? Frank and Jori answer all of these questions and they give their thoughts on how the pre-draft process in the NFL might be changing with new trends in player workouts.They also discuss how the rise of veteran quarterbacks getting second (and third) chances in the NFL may have an impact on this year's NFL Draft. How long will the marriage between Geno Smith and the Las Vegas Raiders last? Someone thinks Tom Brady may have an impact to that answer. Last year there was Sam Darnold, Geno before him, who might be the new veteran quarterback to revitalize his career with a fresh start? So many questions, leading to so many more questions, and a few answers. Let's take a look at some Inside Coverage of the NFL today.(1:20) - Colorado Pro Day fallout: Shedeur Sanders (19:40) - Colorado Pro Day fallout: Travis Hunter (27:40) - Will Travis Hunter skipping testing matter? (39:20) - Predicting veterans who could have a Geno-like career revival

Jalen Milroe attending draft makes Ken nervous + Shedeur patting the ball a big deal? full 582 Tue, 08 Apr 2025 11:03:00 +0000 x7leyZdrxEB2vXJzwk85wMSM7iI47luK nfl,sports,football,cleveland browns The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima nfl,sports,football,cleveland browns Jalen Milroe attending draft makes Ken nervous + Shedeur patting the ball a big deal? The only place to talk about the Cleveland sports scene is with Ken Carman and Anthony Lima. The two guide listeners through the ups and downs of being a fan of the Browns, Cavaliers, Guardians and Ohio State Buckeyes in Northeast Ohio. They'll help you stay informed with breaking news, game coverage, and interviews with top personalities.Catch The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima live Monday through Friday (6 a.m. - 10 a.m ET) on 92.3 The Fan, the exclusive audio home of the Browns, or on the Audacy app. For more, follow the show on X @KenCarmanShow. 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Sports False https:/

Ed, Rob, and Jeremy took some time from the second hour of Tuesday's BBMS to debate if recent workouts have led to a decline in Shedeur Sanders' draft stock? Patting the ball before passes has some questioning if he can be successful at the next level. Is it a whole lot of nothing at the end of the day?

Monday on 2 Pros and a Cup of Joe, Duke chokes away the lead vs Houston. Alexander Ovechkin passes the Great One, Wayne Gretzky. Critics decide to overblow Shedeur Sanders “patting” the ball at his Pro Day. Plus, NIL thieves and much more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(12:08) Shedeur Sanders' habit of patting the ball debated by NFL players(37:23) Deion Sanders on Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter: “They are the two best players in this draft. . . . The surest bets in this draft are those two young men, and I didn't stutter or stammer when I said that.”(43:13) Trivia: How many times have the Top 2 picks been from the same school?(45:50) Titans, Shedeur Sanders mutually agree to cancel private workout(52:10) Giants HC Brian Daboll attended Colorado Pro Day

Shannon Sharpe, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson react to twitter reacting to Sheuder Sanders pro day, Julio Jones retires from the NFL & Ovechkin passes Gretzky’s NHL goal record! We also react to Mariah Carrey crashing her son’s twitch & much more!!05:00 - Ja Morant is ruining his career16:18 - Sheuder Sanders patting the ball33:46 - Coach Prime approaches NFL scout35:30 - Peyton Manning and Joe Thomas38:00 - Julio Jones retires40:45 - Alex Ovechkin passes Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal record44:10 - Mariah Carey crashes son’s Twitch live49:36 - Man files for divorce after Usher concert1:12:46 - Q&Ayyyyy(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.)#Volume #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's DNVR Buffs Podcast, the squad shares what you need to know about Coach Prime & Colorado's first spring scrimmage. How Colorado's quarterback competition between Julian “JuJu” Lewis and Kaidon Salter is progressing, who made plays and who stood out. After Colorado's pro day last Friday, the Tennessee Titans cancelled private workouts with Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter and social media's latest freakout with Shedeur Sanders patting the football. A recruiting update on Johnnie Jones, Breck Kolojay, Deacon Schmitt, and much more.0:00 Start3:55 Quarterback play from the scrimmage8:39 Other takeaways from the scrimmage17:40 Takeaways from the scrimmage part 222:12 Pro Day fallout32:45 Sheduer Sanders NFL Draft38:00 Patting the football45:45 Recruiting updates53:58 Questions: Trevor Woods, Coach Prime, and NFL Draft day. An ALLCITY Network ProductionPARTY WITH US: https://thednvr.com/eventsALL THINGS DNVR: https://linktr.ee/dnvrsportsMERCH: https://store.allcitynetwork.com/collections/dnvr-lockerSUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/DNVR_SportsRaising Cane's Rooftop Fridays:https://thednvr.com/event/friday-rooftop-club-at-coors-field-presented-by-raising-canes/ Monarch Money: Use Monarch Money to get control of your overall finances with 50% off your first year at https://www.monarchmoney.com/dnvrFanstake: Use code DNVR to stake your favorite athlete at https://fanstake.com/c/dnvrUC Health: Learn more about Living Like There's A Tomorrow at https://www.uchealth.org/tomorrow/?utm_source=DNVR&utm_medium=Audio&utm_campaign=Brand_LLTIAT_Null_JFMFY25_AW_NullElevations Credit Union: Sko Buffs With the Go Buffs® Visa® Signature Rewards Card, the only official credit card of CU athletics, only at Elevations Credit Union. Visit http://buffscreditcard.com to apply and see full card benefits and details.Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door with Instacart by going to https://coorslight.com/DNVR. Celebrate Responsibly. Coors Brewing Company, Golden, Colorado. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code BUFFS for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.bet365: Go to https://www.bet365.com/hub/en-us/app-hero-banner-1?utm_source=affiliate&utm_campaign=usapp&utm_medium=affiliate&affiliate=365_03485318 or use code DNVR365 when you sign up. Must be 21+ and physically located in CO. Please gamble responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help call or TEXT 1-800-GAMBLERGet 10 FREE meals at https://hellofresh.com/freebuffs. Applied across 7 boxes, new subscribers only, varies by plan.Rugged Road: Gear up for your next adventure with Rugged Road Coolers - Your ultimate outdoor companion! Head to http://ruggedroadoutdoors.pxf.io/ALLCITY and use code DNVR for 10% off!When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions.Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.

Nick and Jonathan continue to dicuss Jalen Milroe, before JP gives out his weekly 'Peterlin Pass' to Shedeur Sanders.

This time Bobby is joined by comedian and friend Dave Chawner who shares his amusing takes on sex, masculinity and being the little spoon… Please enjoy this rereleased episode as part of our Best of Dating Games series. You'll find the interview I did with Dave on my mental health podcast HERE Join our Subscription on Apple Podcasts for ad free episodes + bonus content Check out our award winning mental health podcast HERE Find more from Bobby HERE

check out the patreon for more bst. here is the link to the patreon: patreon.com/bigsofttittyTom tries to have a conversation with a nibling and Demi saves Christmas. Also, groundbreaking research on what people like being around! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a textTim Baker was living the dream. A best-selling and award-winning surf writer with a beautiful family, a lifetime of exotic travel and a home walking distance to quality waves. That all changed on July 7, 2015, when he was diagnosed, out of the blue, with stage 4, metastatic prostate cancer. So began a descent into the debilitating world of aggressive cancer treatments and Tim's ongoing relationship with cancer that began as a fight for a survival as brutal as any big wave hold down, that evolved into an inspiring mindset (inspired by his good mate former world surfing champion, Mick Fanning) of cancer collaboration, appreciation and “patting the cancer as opposed to punching/battling the cancer” - *see Mick Fanning at Jefferies Bay, South Africa with his shark encounter in 2015 where Mick famously punched a shark to defend himself.In this candid conversation with Joint Dynamics Podcast curator & host Andrew Cox | Joint Dynamics, Tim opens up about his journey—from the initial diagnosis to the transformative experiences that followed. He shares not only the physical hurdles but also the emotional resilience required to navigate this life-changing event. Through his engaging storytelling, Tim connects his love for surfing with the lessons learned during his health journey, reminding us all of the beauty and fragility of life. Whether you're a surfer, a health advocate, or someone seeking inspiration, this episode is packed with insights that resonate on many levels.Show sponsor is Muvitality Medicinal Mushrooms for modern day health and wellness | Mu …Go to muvitality.com and use the code JD10 to receive a 10% discount on your purchase of Mu Functional mushrooms such as Lions Mane, Cordyceps, Reishi, and Turkey tail functional mushroomsHere are some useful links for this podcastTim's website - https://www.bytimbaker.com/IG - bytimbakerLinked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-baker-809a1412/?originalSubdomain=au*Mick Fanning Shark attack 2015 Jefferies Bay - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrTYW4xSMlYRelevant episodesEpisode 109 - Myles Katz on Psilocybin, Psychedelics & Ancient healing with Confluence retreatshttps://podcasts.apple.com/hk/podcast/episode-109-myles-katz-on-psilocybin-psychedelics-ancient/id1527374894?i=1000669679338Episode 112 - Cancer Warrior Oscar Chalupsky No retreat, no surrender, the sequel!https://podcasts.apple.com/hk/podcast/episode-112-cancer-warrior-oscar-chalupsky-no-retreat/id1527374894?i=1000674688897JOINT DYNAMICS links:Joint Dynamics Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JointDynamicsHongKong/Joint Dynamics Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/jointdynamics/Joint Dynamics Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRQZplKxZMSvtc6LxM5WckwJoint Dynamics Website - www.jointdynamics.com.hk Host - Andrew Cox -

Lucy is the laughingstock of the neighborhood because Linus is patting birds on the head again. And that's not the only throwback, because Violet makes another brief return, as does the Davy Crockett cap. On the other hand, Schulz is experimenting with Zipatone and it's giving Peanuts a little of that good ol' 90's grunge. Plus: Puffer Jacket Snoopy  Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz Sumner. Music by Michael Cohen. Additional voiceover by Aziza Shukralla Clark.  For more from the show follow @unpackpeanuts on Instagram and Threads, and @unpackingpeanuts on Facebook, Blue Sky, and YouTube. For more about Jimmy, Michael, and Harold, visit unpackingpeanuts.com.   Thanks for listening.

The Magical Question: Unlocking Your Success How One Question Can Transform Your Outcomes Ever wondered how a simple question could change the way you approach your goals and interactions? This episode introduces you to a powerful question that Paul uses to set himself up for success in various aspects of his life. Get ready to dive into a world of imagination and visualization that will help you unlock your full potential. We'll explore: The concept of the magical question and how it prepares you for success. Why it's crucial to know your stuff and trust your skills. How to flip your fears and focus on how good things could be. You'll learn: How to use the magical question before meetings, coaching calls, and other important events. Why enjoying the process is key to achieving better results. Practical steps to integrate this question into your daily routine for enhanced performance and confidence. By the end of this episode, you'll have a new tool to help you approach challenges with a positive mindset and achieve outcomes beyond your expectations. Ready to discover the magic? Please share: https://personaldevelopmentunplugged.com/409-my-magical-question-for-success   Shine brightly Paul Please remember you can leave a comment or email me with questions, requests and feedback.  If you have enjoyed this or any other episode please share and subscribe. Just email me feedback@personaldevelopmentunplugged.com If you want to subscribe to the podcast (I know you do) click here to learn more Or simply click here to go straight to Apple Music / iTunes to subscribe OR leave a review Remember for my specially designed programs for developing Supreme Inner Confidence, Free Your Life of Anxiety and specialize Hypnosis tracks go to PaulCloughOnline.com   If you want to access my FREE HYPNOSIS tracks go to paulcloughonline.com/podcast Follow and inter-react on twitter @pcloughie  I'm a therapist but not your therapist The information with this website or online work, techniques and exercises provided within these free and paid products are for educational purposes only. Do not use the techniques or exercises contained within some of these free or paid products whilst driving or operating machinery, or if you suffer from epilepsy, clinical depression or any other nervous or psychiatric conditions. The information provided is not a substitute for proper medical advice. If in doubt, please consult your doctor or licensed medical practitioner. Any decision you make having received any of Paul Clough's free or paid products are your own and you remain wholly responsible for any decisions and actions you take. Why not look for me and the podcast on  SPOTIFY AND the app Castbox I'm also in iHeart radio YouTube - copy n paste UC3BlpN4voq8aAN7ePsIMt2Q into search bar The Libsyn podcast page http://personaldevelomentunplugged.libsyn.com tunein, learnoutloud, Google Play Music Music by Wataboi from Pixabay, Music by DreamHeaven from Pixabay, Music by ccjmusic from Pixabay, >, Music by freegroove pixabay seduction-jazz-112149 from Pixabay, Music by prazkhanal Pixaby ventura-117073 from Pixabay, And the transcript WARNING if you're a lover of the written word this may make you frustrated, or angry - you have been warned - is it an 'ism   Hey, your heads up to this longer, longer podcast. It's all, it's not a miracle question, it's not a magical question, but it is to me, it's a magical question that just produces magic and allows me to do all the things I want to do and be successful in it and enjoy those times. But you gotta come with me because there's some imagination to do, some visualization to do, which is great fun, imagining me doing something weird and then learning from it. Have a listen.     I ask myself a magical question before I see a client   Okay, okay. We're in the longer podcast, and I'm feeling good, I'm feeling really good today. So I wanted to share something with you, which is something quite special, but in order to share it with you, what I'm going to do is I want you to do some m imagination first. I, want you to imagine seeing me. You can see me now, but you can, well, if you're on the video, you can see me now, but I want you to imagine me over there, because I'm just about to see a client. And if you were to see me just before I saw a client, maybe ten minutes before, you would notice me standing there and I'd be like whispering to myself, you'd see my mouth. Mouth would be moving, but it would be like a magical incantation. But it's not, it's not an incantation. It is a magical question. And it's my own personal magical question, because I ask myself this one thing before I see a client, and I'll explain other areas too, where I use it. But the thing is, I ask that question, let it go. And then I see my client, and then you could see me again, if you could imagine this. Imagine seeing me after my client, walking around, patting myself on the back, because I've had such a good time, because it just works now, you might say, al Cloughie, you're weird. Magical incantations, which they aren't. Patting yourself on the back, being happy with yourself. But the thing is, I do this with every client, I do it before every podcast, I do it before every coaching call, I do every webinar, I do every training I do, and I've done it for bloody years. It's really strange to, and if you think about it, this is what I do. I just like to ask myself a question, a special question of what would it be like? What would it be like to do something special and then celebrate with yourself when it happens, because it just does. Just happens, by the way. And I don't know when I created this, if I did create it, I know I use it so many times because I just know it works. Because, you see, what generally happens is, you know, if we've got something to do, we're going to see somebody. We've got maybe a Zoom call, maybe a coaching call, maybe a meeting. Maybe you're just going to meet somebody that you're a little bit nervous about. And what happens is we scare the shit out of ourselves, don't we? Sometimes we make up all those wonderful pictures of all the things that could go wrong, the worst of the worst. And that's all b's, isn't it? It is B's because it's all up here. But we do it for a wonderful reason. Our, unconscious mind says, let's be safe. Let's go through all of the things that may go wrong and more, even the things that could even go wronger. Wronger. And then what happens to that? Well, it's overwhelm, it's fear, it's panic. Sometimes people even put themselves into a panic attack. And we're really good at it. We're really good at seeing, hearing and feeling the worst that could happen. And this is where this question absolutely annihilates that. You see the question. and I'll go through the question with you in a minute, because it's so simple and in simplicity, there is genius. We turn it on its head now you can just have a little think about maybe what is the worst that could happen, but no worse than it could be reality. What is the real worse? You know, I've seen a client, it might not go right. We might not get on. I might not get the result. But I know better than that. I do know better than that, because one thing about this little thing is I, know what I can do. And that's a, that's a great starting point. You've got to know your stuff. You see? You got to know your stuff. If you're going to ask a question, this particular question, you've got to know your stuff, and I know you do. So if you're going to a meeting, you know your stuff. You're going to be talking about you make sure. Just know your stuff again, not scaring yourself to bits, just getting comfortable with what you, what you're going to share, you know, if you're going to meet somebody, just be comfortable in yourself. But, the thing is, it's not how you don't want it to be. And that's, again, even looking at this, at the sort of worst it could happen, that. But how good could it be? Let's flip it really on its head. How good could it be? Because that's what you really want, isn't it? So, if you knew you were going to do something, could you just think of the skills you might need, the things, your intention, what you want to achieve, how you want to be, maybe even how long. in my question, I ask even how long and I'll go through it in a minute. But it's everything that you want to have happen in that particular event, the way you want it to be and the successful outcome. So that's why I say you need to know your stuff, because if you don't know your stuff, you probably won't get the outcome you want anyway because you can't fudge it. You can't fake it till you make fake it till you make it really gets on my. Well, it does, because the whole thing, we've talked about it so many times, fake it till you make it is faking it. And you can't fake it because there's one person you can't fake. Guess who? You. Of course it's you. So you have to know what you're going to do and do what you're going to know, and that's mastery, think mastery. So you're not going to go beyond your level of skills, but remember, whatever you think you are, you're more than that, because we're going to access all your skills with this question.     Ask yourself what would it be like to work with a client   Am I? Is it enticing you to know what it is yet? Are you curious? You see, you're going to have a specific context. You've got to know how you want to do, how you want to be, behave, connect in that context. So here's the type of question I would ask myself with a client. I'd ask, what would it be like? I always start with, what would it be like? What it'd be like to work with. And I named the client's name to use all my skills, all my hypnosis or my NLP, all and everything I've ever learned, timeline, theory, everything that could be needed will be at, ah, my fingertips and at my lips. My words, to connect, to get rapport and to get the greatest result way better than they could imagine to learn from it. So maybe something new and have that learning available to me whenever I need it. And to do all this within 1 hour 1 minute, and I change the time. I go 1 hour, five minutes, 57 minutes. And the amazing thing is, you see, you let it go. By the way, you might even say the immortal words, this or something better. What happens is you let it go. You see, I see my client, and the amazing thing is I just trust. I, know I've got some skills. I've, now asked my unconscious mind. That's where the question's going. Ask my unconscious mind to do and allow me to access all that I need and even more things I don't even know I know, but I just know I've got them. And what happens is those sessions go absolutely bloody brilliant. I astound myself sometimes. I will listen to the words I'm using and say to myself with an internal voice. Cluffy. That was brilliant. Where did that come from? Or a process will come to mind, one I hadn't thought of, and you go, this is it. Where did that come from? We do it, and the client is one. It gets a wonderful result. And then I, look at the clock, and it's always within minutes of the time I set. How does that happen? I don't know how it happens, by the way. All I know is it bloody happens 99.99% of the time. Sometimes there's that 1%. Or maybe I didn't quite ask the right question. I think I put it down to me, see if I'm doing a live q and a for my son's mind mastery call or mind mastery class, and I'm going to be talking just about a subject. Just before we press play or open the zoom lines, I'll just say to myself, what would it be like to just. To be charismatic, to be able to communicate, to be able to lead and change people's minds with something wonderful, to use all my skills, have them all available to me to learn more, have them available to me whenever I need them in the future, and to do it all within. And, we always do an hour, so I'll do an hour. And guess what? I have a few notes. Don't have a lot, but things come to mind as I'm talking. Things and little stories and little snippets come to mind to make it even, even richer. And I'm saying to myself as I'm talking these little things going, where are all these things coming from? But I do connect. I, do connect. And, I always, and I just remembered one thing I like to put at the end and where I started to, but I remember it now. Anyway, is the words. And enjoy the process. Because the one thing about this is if you're going to do something that you really want to do, you have to enjoy the process. You have to enjoy what you're going to do because it's bloody rubbish. Doing stuff to your best ability and not enjoying it. So always say this or something better and enjoy the process. This just works. Believe me, it just works. So maybe you might need to make some notes. Maybe you need to rewind it. Maybe I'll put some in the show notes. I don't know. We'll have to see. Maybe you'll remind me by email me. I'll say that more clearly, emailing me at feedbackersaldevelopmentunplug, um.com. and I'll send you a little note. And it's always, what will it be like?     The magical question, a miracle question. What would it be like to communicate effectively   The magical question, a miracle question. It's magical to me because of the results I get. I, know it's not magic, but I feel magical. I, pat myself on the back and these things just bloody work. And how simple is that? Easy steps. How do I want to feel? What skills do I. And I don't even mention the type of skills or the specific skills. I just want to be able to access everything I know with my hypnosis, my NLP, my timeline therapy, my communication skills, the words I use, the rapport. And it just, well, it blows my mind how simple and how powerful this is. And the thing is, sometimes when things with a client end up going quite the way I wanted, somehow just trusting in that I find a way. And sometimes it's even better. Cause I've learned something, but sometimes it stretches me and I have an even better time. Cause I do. Then enjoy the process. So you may think I'm absolutely mad to have this little question. And I have to say, when I first did this, I had it on like a six by three cardinal, all typed out with little dots in for the gaps that I wanted to fill in. And I would literally read it. And I'm reading, I feel some emotion, but I'd read it. And, now I, well, it's some 20 years now, and if something doesn't work, I'd have given it up by then, but it does work. So the. What will it mean? Magical question. No, not what will it mean at all. What would it be like? That's what you're asking your unconscious mind, what would you like to do? Be, have and enjoy the process. If you're going to a meeting, what would it be like? To be able to communicate all that, I need to communicate in such a charismatic way to get my words into such a good order, to be able to communicate so well and do it all succinctly within x amount of minutes and so people really get the gist of it. What would that be like? And for me to enjoy the process. There you go. I didn't have to read that. I just made that up as it goes on. And so can you. So do make some notes, do just jot them down. And even if you think it's silly, try it. Well, don't try it, do it. It's trying, you know, trying is failing or whatever, but do it. Do it for a few times. And you'll notice when you review what's just happened. Bloody hell. Cloughy. It, bloody works. There you go. And if you wanted to, you could share this with everyone because if everybody gets to, to enjoy their times of, you know, because this is sometimes in a stressful situation, for be able to go through stressful situations and really just enjoy those times because that's when you've got in a nice emotional state, you learn more and you share more because people, you'll be that example of how do they do that? And you'll shine. And, that's what I want for you. I want you to, to shoot a lot of tutors in there. I want you to shine. Shine in front of everybody and shine in front of yourself to give yourself, well, to realize the confidence that you have not given. Your confidence, not making you more confidence, but you're accessing the confidence that you have naturally in your abilities, competency. And this is how you're going to really crush it. Knock it out the park. And you start to then enjoy everything. You look forward to things like that. You look forward to the unknown because you're gonna, you set yourself up to succeed through the unknown because you didn't say how you want to be. So please do share that. Share the podcast, do everything you can if you could. It'll be great. And press the subscribe button. That's lovely if you could. And let's just make this a little bigger for everybody, if you would. Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it so, so much. Speak to me feedback@personaldevelopmentunplugged.com for all your needs. See if I can help. But until you do, email me. I'll, speak to you all and see you on the next one. It's time to fly, my friend. Have fun.   Warning you are now leaving the unplugged mind of Paul Clough. It's time to fly on your own. Be brave, my friend.   Personal development unplugged. Personal development [Unplugged] [podcast][NLP][Hypnosis][self development]self improvement][awareness]

Juggling. Patting your head and rubbing your tummy. Walking and chewing gum.  Coordination challenges come in all levels of difficulty. Playing hands together is another one, but it's one that we harpists eventually get comfortable with. Your right hand does one thing and your left hand does another. For the most part, everything works out, until we encounter polyrhythm, that is. What's polyrhythm? The technical definition of polyrhythm is one of those dictionary definitions that cause more confusion than it clears up. According to the New Harvard Dictionary of Music, polyrhythm is the simultaneous use of two or more rhythms that are not readily perceived as deriving from one another, or as simple manifestations of the same meter. I warned you. In terms that are probably more meaningful to you, 2 against 3 is an example of polyrhythm. In a general sense, it is two rhythms that don't normally go together and that, as a consequence, present a rhythmic coordination problem when you try to play them. A group of two notes, as in two eighth notes, played with your right hand at the same time as your left hand plays an eighth note triplet is a very common example of what I'm talking about. And these rhythmic challenges crop up everywhere from the music of Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms to Chopin and Debussy to folk music.  So today, I'm going to help lower the difficulty factor of these rhythms for you. We'll start with a perspective which may be a different one from the one you're used to. Hint: it's not all about the math. I'll show you the best ways to practice them and how I think you shouldn't practice them. If these rhythms always stop you in your tracks, we will try to clear the tracks and get you moving today.  Links to things I think you might be interested in that were mentioned in the podcast episode:  February Retreat registration is now open! Related resource Why Counting Counts and Why You Should Be Counting blog post Harpmastery.com Get involved in the show! Send your questions and suggestions for future podcast episodes to me at podcast@harpmastery.com  LINKS NOT WORKING FOR YOU? FInd all the show resources here: https://www.harpmastery.com/blog/Episode-169  

Hake vs white "Christians" caught up in the UK stabbing, supporting the riots! Wisdom from Christopher Hitchens and Booker T. Washington The Hake Report, Thursday, August 8, 2024 AD TIME STAMPS * (0:00:00) Start / Riots, right-left fakeness, anger * (0:03:10) Space(.com) is fake (news) they're * (0:04:26) Hey, guys * (0:06:16) "Rise up"? I disavow! * (0:12:15) Story of a white dismembering a black gal * (0:23:30) Clip: Christopher Hitchens, Keir Starmer, Muslim mayor * (0:32:56) Cast down buckets where you are: Booker T, Jesus, JLP, Trump * (0:40:17) JOSH, GA: Do I believe in God? Feels like I'm lying * (0:47:01) JOSH: Important philosophical Q? Into stuff. Women… * (0:54:19) AMAN, India: J-names * (0:57:50) Supers: Well-handled calls * (1:00:28) MARK, CA: Communists supported your pacifism * (1:12:04) MARK: Vengeance is God's, attacking our brothers * (1:15:12) MARK: Imam, Lincoln R. we almost won, fave blacks, lynchings * (1:22:01) Coffee: Nastiness * (1:27:47) Meme: Thank you for being weak * (1:30:09) OF AIR N' SEA, UT: I support riots * (1:49:43) Stephen Wiley - Colorblind - 1990, Rhythm and Poetry LINKS BLOG  https://www.thehakereport.com/blog/2024/8/8/the-hake-report-thu-8-8-24 PODCAST / Substack  HAKE NEWS from JLP  https://www.thehakereport.com/jlp-news/2024/8/8/hake-news-thu-8-8-24 Hake is live M-F 9-11a PT (11-1CT/12-2ET) Call-in 1-888-775-3773 https://www.thehakereport.com/show VIDEO  YouTube  -  Rumble*  -  Facebook  -  X  -  BitChute  -  Odysee*  PODCAST  Substack  -  Apple  -  Spotify  -  Castbox  -  Podcast Addict  *SUPER CHAT on platforms* above or  BuyMeACoffee, etc.  SHOP  Spring  -  Cameo  |  All My Links  JLP Network:  JLP  -  Church  -  TFS  -  Nick  -  Joel   Get full access to HAKE at thehakereport.substack.com/subscribe

For Pete's Sake 07.27.24 - Three of the Most Important Stories of the week -The Chinese releasing stress by patting a sheep's butt-"Oomf! is the newest Gen Z term-Note to self: If you're wanted, don't sell anything on Facebook Marketplace To subscribe to The Pete McMurray Show Podcast just click here

Don's bargain with a seductive vampire. By BradentonLarry - Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Lady Primrose The long, wood-paneled ballroom was largely what Don would have expected. There were a pair of tables near the entrance heavily laden with bowls and platters of fruit, as well as a fountain jetting clear, cold water surrounded by crystal glasses. There were doors at intervals down the length of the two side walls that seemed to open into the gardens, and illuminating the entire room were three very large candle chandeliers sparkling with golden light. In what seemed to be entirely appropriate décor, any would-be empty wall space of any considerable size was hung with high quality paintings. However, the paintings all had a decidedly erotic bent, as if someone had decided to redo the illustrations from the Kama Sutra in the style of the Dutch and English masters of the 18th and 19th centuries. There were some portraits too, but they were all showing much more skin than normal. The life-sized painting of a reclining pale young man with a rather generous erection was not exactly what one expected to see in a respectable Victorian mansion. Or, at least, not displayed prominently in the grand ballroom. The guests who had been admitted through the main doors, along with Don, gathered about the tables for some fruit and water, and then gradually began to disperse along the length of the ballroom, where they mingled with a number of people who seem to have been admitted to the room earlier, or who had come in through the garden. While Don, Jerome, Bian, Rodney, and Marilyn, seemed fairly representative of the former crowd of guests and of Erosians in general, the latter set seemed quite different. Each of these others moved with an unusually feline grace and unmistakable confidence. To paraphrase an astute (though fictional) observer of human nature, they walked as if the place belonged to them. They were all of them exceptionally good looking and possessed of an undeniable sex appeal, even for Eros. Don wasn't really surprised to note that these attendees were a bit paler than the other guests. Music began to play. It was unobtrusive instrumental music, ideal for slow dancing, but modern enough that no one felt compelled to waltz or anything like that. Don watched as the paler partiers moved among the others, smiling and batting their eyes, selecting, and engaging. Most led their chosen partners toward the open end of the ballroom where they danced together, but some slipped off through the open doors into the garden. Don felt a cool hand slip into his and turned to see the lovely Cessily next to him. She was now wearing a dark red evening gown with a plunging neckline that showed off most of her pale breasts to very nice advantage. Her blue eyes twinkled up at him and her lips, now crimson to match her gown, were smiling in a rather inviting way. “Good evening,” Cessily purred. “‘Don,' wasn't it?” “It was, and still is,” Don nodded, unable to resist smiling back at the charming woman. “Would you like to dance, Don?” she smiled. “Is dancing all you have in mind, my dear?” he managed. “Oh, well, there's always more than dancing on my mind,” she laughed. “In that at least we're kindred spirits,” admitted Don. “If you enjoy our dance, perhaps we could retire to someplace a bit more private…” “Something a bit more shadowy, say?” She smiled again, “If you like, though I don't mind an audience.” “Once more, we have that in common.” “I could tell I liked you right from the start, Don.” “You seem to have excellent taste, fair Cessily.” She leaned in closer, so Don could feel her lips very lightly brushing his neck, as she said, “I would love to see if your taste is so fine.” Don swallowed hard, and then managed to say, “I must say I find the thought very tempting, but…” She placed her hand on his chest and looked up into his eyes with another of her fetching smiles and said, “Would you like Lucien to join us?” Laughing a little, Don said, “No, that's quite alright. It's just that I'm afraid I really must save myself for Lady Primrose.” “Oh,” she actually pouted a bit. “However, if she has no use for me…” Cessily rolled her eyes a bit, “No, she'll just eat you up, the greedy bitch.” Don was a bit taken aback, and a bit put off by her phrasing, despite his pre-existing suspicions. “Oh, don't mind me, sweet thing,” Cessily laughed. “I just had my heart set on you for the night.” “That is very flattering! In other circumstances…” She leaned in and rose up on her toes a bit to kiss him on the cheek, then said, “If you get tired of waiting for her ladyship, don't hesitate to come find me.” Then, flashing him a bright smile and a quick wink, Cessily slipped off to find another quarry. “I've never seen anyone turn Cessily down before,” said a familiar voice from over Don's shoulder. Don turned to see Lucien regarding him with a slight, diffident smile. “It wasn't easy,” Don admitted, “but I think it's best if I wait until I get the chance to talk to Lady Primrose.” “Interesting,” shrugged Lucien. “She generally likes to make a late entrance. Normally I'd wish you luck resisting the charms of the other women, and men, here, but if you can say ‘no' to Cessily, I suspect you don't need any help in that regard.” Don laughed, “Again, it wasn't easy.” Lucien nodded and left Don to fend off the advances of several other extremely attractive women who seemed quite eager to slip off to a darkened corner with him. Two of them actually suggested they share him. “Do you mean, I can enjoy you both?” “Oh, yes, of course,” said the redhead, as her raven-haired companion licked her lips while admiring Don's neck. Don smiled and proffered his now customary response. The two women didn't seem to mind too much, and Don soon saw them dancing with a very cheerful Rodney, as nearby Marilyn seemed to swoon in the embrace of a tall, dark stranger. When the two women led Rodney off into the garden, Don thought he should follow. He doubted that anyone was in serious danger here, but he wanted to confirm his suspicions and perhaps see something erotic along the way. Before he could make it to the garden though, he found himself drawn up short as a gorgeous woman slipped up next to him and took his arm. “I understand you have been waiting for me, sir,” she said in a low, sensuous voice steeped in a cultured English accent. She was only a little shorter than Don, wearing a black dress that clung lovingly to her body, accentuating her curves and emphasizing her generous breasts with impressive décolletage. Her skin was fair in the way the aristocracy used to find a necessary part of beauty. She had thick chestnut hair pulled back and then falling over her bare shoulders, dark red lips smiling at Don, and emerald green eyes dancing with candlelight and echoing the little glints of her earrings. She was, to put it entirely too simply, staggeringly beautiful. “Lady Primrose, I presume?” “Indeed,” she nodded. “I'm very pleased to meet you,” Don took her hand and raised it briefly to his lips. He said, “My name is Don and I am at your service.” She smiled a bit coolly and said, “Well, we shall see about that, Don. Are you enjoying the party?” “I am,” Don nodded. “I've been enjoying the artwork, and the company is quite interesting, though now I see that it was all but a light appetizer.” She cocked her eyebrow at him and gave him half a smile, and then said, “I should 'make the rounds,' so to speak; would you be so kind as to accompany me?” Don bowed a bit, “Of course, milady.” Patting his hand with her cool fingers, she said, “You may call me Clarissa, Don.” Arm-in-arm they moved through the guests still in the ballroom. The guests who had come in with Don seemed largely entranced by their paler companions, but those last all smiled and greeted Lady Clarissa Primrose as she passed. As they started toward the gardens, she again addressed Don directly, saying, “You have questions.” “I usually do, yes,” Don smiled. “Curiosity is a nearly insatiable thirst, isn't it?” “Quite.” “Indulge yourself, Don; drink deep,” she smiled as she watched his face. “Lucien called Cessily his sister, but that isn't literally true, is it?” “Of all the questions you must have, that's the first?” she chuckled. Don shrugged, “It's the one I'm most likely to forget and regret not asking.” “There are several ways to be siblings,” she said. “They share the same mother, but not a womb. They share not genes but blood.” “And you are their mother, I take it?” “One of them, yes.” “So, 'Lady' is a bit of an understatement.” “What would you have me called?” “Queen seems more appropriate,” Don decided. “You flatter me, Don,” she laughed. “At least this is more interesting than the usual sort. One grows a bit tired of the usual compliments.” They had already passed a couple on a shadowy bench. The woman was straddling the man's lap and had her head buried in the crook of his neck. In another corner, a woman leaned back against a wall as a dark-haired man who might have been Lucien had his mouth fixed on her exposed breast. When they came to Rodney, who seemed to be getting a rather extreme hickey from the redhead and an enthusiastic blowjob from the darker woman, Don asked, “Are they in danger?” “Only if they want to be,” Clarissa smiled. “Does that happen often?” “More often than one might expect, but not what I would call 'often.'” “And how does one become … your child? That doesn't sound right,” Don frowned. “Perhaps it's best not to strain that metaphor,” she patted his hand again and turned him back to the house. “One has to drink in turn.” “Yes, of course,” Don nodded. “Is that why you wanted to see me, Don?” He smiled at her, “No, I'm here on other business.” “Interesting,” she mused as they came back into the ballroom. “You saved yourself for me, and I see that you understand what that would mean, at least normally, but you don't seem to have come for the usual reason at all, though I sense that you find the thought appealing. This would make sense if you were here to join my family.” She had led him through the ballroom and back to the entry hall, and they were now climbing the stairs. “Moreover, there's something different about you, Don.” She raised his wrist and inhaled deeply. “You have … layers – complexity.” She pressed her lips to his wrist and let her tongue play lightly over his flesh. He thought for a moment that he could feel her teeth against his skin. For a moment he thought she would bite him, and he wanted her to. “Uh, yes, there is a depth of flavor to you, Don. It's quite unusual.” She looked up at him without raising her mouth from his wrist. She smiled, “Will you give me a taste?” Don suddenly realized that they had climbed all the way to the top floor and had come into a large candle-lit bedroom with a large canopy bed in the center of it. It reminded him of the bedroom Toshia and he had found themselves in so long ago. It also struck him as a much darker, more sinister reflection of the Lady's bedroom in that distant Manor. With a tremendous effort of will, Don remembered that he had a mission to accomplish. “Perhaps,” he finally managed, as he moved his hand to cup Lady Clarissa Primrose's chin in his hand and draw her to him. He leaned in a bit, kissing her full lips lightly. Don just meant to put her off for a moment with that kiss, but she wasn't having any light kisses. She slipped her arms around him, one slipping up so that she could hold the back of his head, and kissed him passionately, hungrily. Her lips were cool, but her enthusiasm was heat enough. Her tongue slipped into his mouth insistently, as Don's hands moved up over her back until his fingers found the little zipper handle between her lower shoulder blades. When he'd opened the back of her gown, she stepped back a little and shimmied out of her black sheath. She gave Don a moment to admire her beautiful alabaster body, before she stepped to him again, raising her cool fingers to caress his face. “We could share the sweetest of ecstasies, Don,” she purred as her fingers dexterously unbuttoned his shirt in what seemed both slow motion and extremely quickly. She leaned in to kiss the side of his neck as his jacket and then his shirt fell to the floor. He felt the tip of her tongue brushing his skin. She pulled back and looked him in the eye with a confident smile on her dark lips, and said, “You have some power in this world, I can taste it on your flesh, but you've never known the power I can share with you, if you'll but give me a taste of yourself. You aren't afraid, I can tell. You want to give me what I want.” Letting his hands move over her body, caressing her curves, lingering over her perfect, full breasts, Don smiled and repeated, “Perhaps.” Somehow, she had undone his belt and opened his slacks. She was up against him again now with her hand in his pants, squeezing and pulling on his cock in a grip that was exquisitely tight, but still on the side of pain that counts as pleasure. Her nose was brushing against his, and he could feel her breath on his lips as she said, “You want to be inside me, Don. You can't deny it. You could have given yourself to Cessily or any of the others, but you saved yourself for me. Surrender yourself to me, Don.” Don forced himself to tear his hands away from touching her long enough to push his pants down, and then kicked his shoes and pants to the side. He licked his lips, swallowed, and said, again, “Perhaps.” Her eyes, so close to his now, narrowed and she growled a bit. Letting go of his sex, she placed her hand flat on his chest and shoved him backward, throwing him easily back on the silken coverings of the bed. Before Don could do more than land on his back splayed out helplessly, she was on top of him, crouched over him and looking down into his face. There was a fire in her eyes and for the first time, it was clear her canines were longer and sharper than normal. She smiled again, but now with a hint of malice, and said, “It's pointless to resist. You know you will give me what I desire.” Don couldn't resist touching her, and his hands moved up over her again, now reveling in the feeling of her tense muscles. He felt her hand between them, taking hold of his extremely hard prick and getting it into position. He felt his glans slipping into her smooth, moist sheath and was surprised at how intensely warm it was. He wanted to push up into her, but she resisted. She chuckled low in her throat. “Why fight it, Don? You know I can just take what I want.” Don smiled again, but this time broadly as if he were himself again, and said, “Perhaps.” Calling upon everything he had learned about Eros and using the strength he had found so helpful in his fight with the Sisterhood, Don abruptly pushed up and over, flipping Lady Primrose over onto her back underneath him. Startled, she snarled and snapped up at him with her deadly teeth, but Don's hand was on her lovely throat and he pushed her back into the bed. “Now, now,” he smiled. “We could fight, and maybe you'd take what you want by force, but where's the fun in that?” She managed a cold smile and said, “It sounds like it would be a great deal of fun, actually.” It was Don's turn to chuckle, and he again recalled that day with the Sisterhood, and haughty Daphne. He smiled and said, “Maybe we can try that next time. I was thinking this time we could come to a more mutually pleasurable solution.” To emphasize his point, he pushed himself deeper into her, quietly amazed at how wonderfully warm her pussy was. It felt like she was both opening to the pressure he was exerting and pulling him in. Her muscles squeezed and drew on him in a wonderfully unusual way, as if her pussy had preternatural abilities. He felt her hands squeezing his ass and pulling him in to her and her long legs wrapping around his. Don worked himself in and out of her a few times, eliciting a smile and a happy groan from her, and then said, “What I have in mind is a trade.” “Oh?” she was looking back up at him calmly, as if she were completely disinterested, though her body was flexing and grinding back against him rather enthusiastically. Don realized some of that enthusiasm was being exhibited by those exceptionally talented muscles of her vagina. Don was intent on fucking her now, but managed to remember his mission and said, “I will give you what you want, though not all of it, of course, but in exchange for something.” “Something more than what you're enjoying now?” she smiled. Don couldn't resist and lowered his face to hers to kiss her again. In the heat of passion, he didn't care that one of her fangs cut his lower lip, giving her the briefest taste of what she craved. When he pulled away again, he said, “If you can restrain yourself, I'm sure we can both enjoy this quite thoroughly.” She rocked her pelvis beneath him, smiled, and said, “You might be right about that.” Don paused a moment, both to enjoy the feeling of being inside this gorgeous, sexy creature, and to reconsider his plan, but then forged ahead with, “I'll let you drink, but I want something in exchange…” “Yes?” “Your earrings.” She laughed then, and said, “Is that all?” “Well, they do look expensive, and…” “Done!” she smiled. “Now shut up and fuck me, Don.” Don was all too happy to do so, bending his back and shoving up into her vigorously as her arms and legs wrapped around him, holding his body tight against her. He was fucking her hard and fast, using short, fast strokes when he felt her mouth on his neck. Her hand held the back of his head in place and then he felt her fangs sink into him. It hurt, but not as much as he had expected, and what followed was a strange kind of bliss. As she hungrily sucked on his blood, Don felt a deep connection with her that transcended the sexual union that was already so very intense. While she drank from him, their bodies became one organism, joined in one glorious pumping, flowing, orgasmic circuit. Then she was coming, her body suffused with his blood and squeezing and pulling at his sex, and Don gave her his cum as well, filling her with a gushing flood. As they ground together… Don shoving up into her, his arms pulling her down on his spasming cock, his legs shoving against the bed to push himself as deep as he could into her… Clarissa pulling him into herself, strong arms and legs wrapped around his muscular body, her pussy squeezing and sucking on his hard, thick sex… they rolled over together on the bed so that she was on top of him, shuddering and groaning with exquisite pleasure. Though to him it felt as if she had consumed a great deal of his blood, she held back so that he could give her more before the night was through. After their long, extremely intense orgasm finally faded away, Clarissa pushed back and up, straddling him and smiling down at him with her lips dark with his blood and thin dark red rivulets running down her chin and splattering a bit on the tops of her perfect breasts. Don smiled and hoped she would honor their agreement. If she didn't though, he couldn't help but think it was quite a way to go! Then she was moving on him, grinding herself against his body, riding his still very hard cock. Her hands moved up over her body to her full tits and squeezed them, smearing some of Don's blood over her fair skin. Don ran his own hands over her strong thighs up to her narrow waist. Then he was reaching up to help her squeeze those luscious breasts, getting some of that blood on his fingers. She bent down a bit and Don's hands reached her throat and then her face, and then she was licking and sucking the blood off his fingers. Without for a moment resisting the urge to move her pussy and clit against him, she leaned down to kiss him passionately. She hadn't put her fangs away – if she could even do that – so Don's tongue and lips felt those sharp teeth brushing against them in the heat of passion. There was also the taste of his own blood, which was somehow sweeter than the coppery taste he expected. Then she was climaxing again, moaning into Don's mouth as her body trembled and her pussy again milked at his cock in that weird and wonderful way. Later, after a long session of vigorous fucking, Don was sitting up on the bed and Clarissa was on his lap, his cock still inside her and her arms and legs wrapped around him. They had been moving against each other for some time since her last orgasm. She looked deeply into his eyes, and asked, “Why do you want my earrings?” Don told her, but as briefly as possible. “Ah,” she smiled. “I take it that means you would not like to join my little family.” He smiled and said, “I am very flattered, milady, but I must continue my quest.” She nodded, “Of course.” “That's not to say that I'm not very tempted, though,” Don added. “Would you mind if I came back to visit you, if I can?” She smiled and kissed him again. Don felt her pussy working its magic again, pulling him closer and closer to another orgasm. Clarissa rode up and down on him a bit more vigorously, and she said, “Please, feel free to visit any time. Now, give yourself to me one last time tonight.” As she drew him into ecstasy, she worked her body against him, bringing herself to her own shuddering climax. When Don's body responded in kind, pumping a fountain of hot cum up into her, she again dropped her mouth to his neck, and he felt the sharp pain of her fangs piercing his flesh. His hot blood filled her mouth as his seed filled her pussy and womb. Don felt as if she was swallowing him up whole as his life force flooded into her. She let him fall slowly back onto the bed, and he saw her over him, a disheveled and bloody creature of chaos and death, and thought it was one of the sexiest images he had ever seen. Then everything went black. When he woke, Don found himself in the bedroom where he and Gretchen had had so much fun the day before. He sat up and looked around a bit unsteadily, just as none other than Gretchen came into the room bearing a silver platter with a pitcher of water and some fruit. “Good afternoon, sir,” she smiled. She set the platter on a table by the bed and set about propping Don up with some pillows. “You should drink lots of water, and eat something, sir.” Then she disappeared into the bathroom to run a bath. When Don was reaching for his second apple, he noticed an envelope with his name on it. Inside were a pair of emerald earrings and a note that said, “Thank you for a wonderful evening. Please come again soon. – C.” Don was smiling as he finally got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. He caught his reflection in a mirror on the way. He was a bloody mess, literally, but it looked like the wounds on his neck were already healing. After his bath, which was a bit restrained compared to their time together the day before, Don pushed a cheerfully cooperative Gretchen back on the bed so he could lick her to a few squealing and shaking orgasms. Then, back in his khaki's and polo with the envelope and earrings in his pocket, Don went downstairs, collected his staff and headed out for Shagbottom. “Damn, Don,” Toshia breathed. “That was crazy!” “Yeah,” he chuckled, “it really was intense.” “But she could have killed you.” He shrugged, “I mean, maybe, but everyone seemed so polite and well-mannered. Cessily and the others just took 'no' for an answer. I had the distinct impression Clarissa could be trusted to not get carried away.” Toshia shook her head disapprovingly. “Plus, like I said to Evelyn, I was getting the impression I wasn't really in any serious danger.” “Why is that, though?” “I'm getting to that,” he chuckled. “Fine, but how did you find your way back to the Hall of the Whatever King?” “Oh, that was the easy part,” Don laughed. “As soon as I left Heolfor House, I abruptly found myself in the courtyard with all the naughty statues. I just had to go in, strip down, shower, take the earrings and my staff, and ride the sofa back up again. I handed over the earrings and got my next mission. Easy peasy.” Dear readers, this chapter features quite a few references to people, events, and places in the Lost in Eros series. If you've read that,  perhaps you'll enjoy these callbacks. If you haven't, please consider this an invitation to read this story from the beginning. In any case, you'll enjoy this story either way. Chapter 8. The Tribal Queen, the New Sheriff, & Storytime “The next mission was a bit more straightforward, though there was a bit of a twist along the way,” Don smiled. “Oh?” Toshia prompted. “It turns out there's this whole area that's set aside for people who are into less civilized things.” “I can understand that,” she nodded. “Some of these are organized into rather male dominated tribes that engage in all kinds of war games and treat their women mostly as commodities. I get the impression the women must be into that whole thing. It had a rather cave-man sound to it when it was explained to me.” “Yeah, there are women who like that whole 'throw me over your shoulder and take me to your cave' idea,” Toshia said. “It's not my thing, obviously, but yeah.” “There are at least a couple of female-led tribes – kind of like Amazons.” Toshia added, “Or like the Sisters.” “Yeah, I guess so,” Don nodded. Task Three: “Anyway, my next mission was to win a tribal chieftain's queen. It wasn't the queen of the tribe, but the chieftain's queen. Apparently, she didn't have any tribal authority, but as queen she was the boss of the other women of the tribe, and she couldn't be traded away.” “Traded away?” “For, like, horses or other women,” shrugged Don. “I had to win the queen of the Grey Wolves. The watcher's council teleported me to the area, which they called 'the Wilds.' I found a village on the edge of the tribal area, got some more appropriate clothing – moccasins and a loin cloth…” “I'd like to see that,” Toshia grinned. “Maybe later,” Don laughed. “Over a couple of weeks, I was able to find out more about the tribal 'culture.' Apparently, there were just two ways I could 'win' a tribal queen: defeat the chieftain in one-on-one combat or sneak into the tribe's camp and spirit her away. I also found out that the chieftain of the Grey Wolves was a massive guy with a serious reputation as a badass warrior.” “So, stealth-time?” “Stealth-time,” Don nodded.Don Becomes the Sheriff of the Resort Center. By BradentonLarry - Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. Don moved through the forest as quietly as he could. He was devoting all his attention to creeping stealthily toward the Grey Wolves' camp. For the hundredth time that night he wished he had Shelonda's skills in the woods. He was trying to bend Eros to his will, as he had done in the Manor and against the Sisters, but he was definitely out of his element here. All his time playing stealth characters in videogames hardly prepared him for actually moving quietly through a forest at night.He hoped that the Grey Wolves had grown complacent in their long period of being the strongest tribe in the Wilds. The villagers Don had befriended had assured him that no one would be crazy enough to try to sneak into the Grey Wolves' camp. Hearing that had actually cemented his plan to try the sneaky approach. Now, as he approached the camp, he could see the many tents and the darkly glowing pits where their fires had burned low. The chieftain, who he had been told was called Omar War Eagle, was supposed to have the biggest tent, and his queen would have the much smaller tent between his and the wooden lodge, next to which was the large tent shared by the other women of the chieftain. From the low rise outside the camp, Don thought he could make out the tent he wanted. His whole plan depended on War Eagle spending the night with one of his other women, and Don thought he could see a light glowing through the fabric of the queen's tent. Don crept slowly through the camp, suddenly grateful that there didn't seem to be any dogs in Eros. He stopped next to the backside of what he thought must be the right tent and listened. Somewhere in the camp there were at least three couples having sex, but most of the tribe seemed to have gone to sleep. Shifting his staff over to his left hand, Don drew the sharp knife he'd procured in the village and quickly cut a long slit in the tent. In another moment, he had slipped inside. Sure enough, there was only one person in this tent, and it was clearly a woman. Don could see a very feminine hip and the full swell of a beautiful bare breast in the reddish glow of the little fire that kept the tent warm. Don crept slowly toward the woman on her bed of furs, as he admired her sleeping form. He resisted the urge to run his hands over her legs while he decided how exactly he should manage the next part of this caper. He moved in closer to try to get a better look at the queen. Her long dark hair obscured her face, but he could tell she was beautiful. He thought the usual thing to do in a situation like this was to clamp his hand over her mouth when he woke her, to keep her from crying out, but Don wanted to make sure he did it swiftly and gently. Hurting this woman was completely out of the question, as far as Don was concerned. It was bad enough that he was about to frighten her. When his hand slipped over her mouth, though, her eyes opened and regarded him calmly. She made no effort to struggle or even start away. Don suddenly realized there was something very familiar about this woman. When Don raised a finger to his lips in what he hoped was a universal-enough sign to be quiet, she nodded as if she understood him, and Don drew his hand back. “Hello again,” she smiled. “It was Don, wasn't it?” Her accent and the way she pronounced his name, as ‘Dohn,' immediately refreshed his memory. “India?” he asked in utter surprise. “It is good to see you again, Don,” she smiled, “but what are you doing here? It is very dangerous for you here.” “I'm here to ‘win' you – to steal you away,” he explained. “Oh, that's sweet,” she smiled. “But wait, how did you know where to find me?” “I was sent by the watchers council, on a quest to earn one of those rings.” “One of these?” she laughed and held up her left hand, showing the black ring Don remembered. “Exactly,” he smiled. “I was looking for you after that one night in the Jungle Room, and here they've sent me to you.” “I am sure it was not an accident,” she smiled at him. She brushed her long black hair out of her eyes. Finding her lips irresistible, Don leaned in to give her a kiss, but she stopped him with her fingers on his mouth. “I am the queen, Don. You cannot just do what you want with me.” “Unless I steal you away, right,” Don nodded. “Yes. There are rules,” she smiled warmly. “Ah, very good,” Don rose a bit and offered her his hand. “We can slip out through the back of the tent.” “Oh, Don, that is not how we play this game,” she chuckled. Then she was yelling, “Help! Help! Someone has come into my tent! Help!” Toshia laughed a bit and then gaped at Don, before she said, “What the hell, Don?” “That was pretty much my reaction, too,” he chuckled. “You'd be amazed how quickly a bunch of naked guys woke up and swarmed to protect their chief's queen. They dragged me out and brought me right up to the chieftain himself, Omar War Eagle. He was huge, Toshia. Huge! He was at least a foot taller than me and built like, well, like Sven from the Maidenhead, but on steroids. He didn't look at all happy to be woken up or that I'd tried to make off with his most prized possession.” “How did you manage to get out of that?” Toshia asked. “Well, I did the only thing I could,” Don shrugged. “I challenged him to a fight for her.” “I have to admit, that's a bit anti-climactic,” Don said to himself. Omar War Eagle lay stretched out the ground in front of him, knocked out by a single strike from Don's staff. Rather than wait until morning, Omar had laughingly demanded the duel commence immediately. He apparently thought the skinny little intruder would be so little trouble that he could finish him off and get back to bed in short order. He called for a heavy cudgel to correspond, barely, to the twig he saw Don carrying. The rest of the tribe gathered around, and Don had a moment to notice that they bore very little resemblance to one another, as one might have expected from a more traditional tribe or clan. When Omar moved in, a bit recklessly, and swung that big cudgel in an admittedly brutally fast arc aimed at Don's head, it felt to Don as if the large man was almost moving in slow motion. It was hardly even an effort for him to duck under the swing, extend his leg out to the side as he crouched low, slipping to Omar's momentarily unexposed right side. Springing up on Omar's flank, Don leapt into the air and brought his staff down on the big man's shaved head with a loud crack. As Omar dropped the cudgel and fell to his knees, Don was glad to see that he hadn't caved in the man's skull. Before Omar had finished falling forward face down in the dirt, his tribe was gaping at Don and each other in shock and confusion. Then, Don caught India's eye and saw that she was shaking her head and trying to suppress a smile. He smiled at her, held out his hand, and said, “Milady…?” With her by his side, Don began to make his way through the crowd of Grey Wolves, when someone thought to ask, “Shouldn't one of us challenge him?” Don turned sharply in the direction of the questioner and said quite loudly, with an imperious gleam in his eyes, “Look, I don't want any trouble with the rest of you. I got what I came for. Maybe you all need to think about some changes around here, but do you really want to mess with me right now?” This seemed to be both confusing and threatening enough to distract the tribe from Don and India's exit. Now that he wasn't trying to be sneaky, Don could make better time, just keeping his eye on the ground to avoid tripping in the darkness. India now seemed fine with following along. Once they were well into the forest, she let herself laugh and say, “I think that was 'cheating,' Don.” He chuckled and said, “I don't see how. I'm pretty sure anybody can move that fast if they really want to, at least here in Eros.” “And your weapon?” “Well, that is special, but I don't think that was important this time.” “Don, wait,” she said, tugging on his arm. He drew up short and turned to her. She slipped into his arms and gave him a kiss, and then said, “You did your tarefa, your assignment; but before they take you away, let us have some time alone.” “Okay,” Don smiled and leaned down to kiss her again. Then he realized he was in a very different place. There was a jungle on his right, and a moonlit beach on his left. Behind India was a good-sized bungalow, and there was a campfire burning brightly on the beach. “Whoa!” Don breathed. “How did you do that?” “Is one of my special powers,” she winked at him. Then she was leading him out toward the water, saying over her brown shoulder, “This is my special place, my 'hideaway.' They won't bother us here.” “Is this something you can do with your ring?” “Yes,” she smiled, “and you will be able to build things like this too.” Then she dove into the water, leaving Don on the beach to kick off his moccasins and take off his loin cloth, before diving in after her. Like Toshia would later, Don had many questions, but for the time being he devoted himself to enjoying the playful, sensual company of this wonderful, enchanting woman. From the warm water and surf, to a big blanket by the fire, to a large, surprisingly cooperative hammock, they made love until they found themselves spent – drowsy in each other's arms as the sky began to lighten. “I looked for you at the Jungle Room,” Don said, his lips brushing the top of her head. “Jaden said you had been redecorating. Is that something you do with the ring too?” “Uh hum,” she murmured, “the Jungle is my place.” “How is all of this possible?” She chuckled a little, kissed his chest, and said, “I can't tell you, but you will see.” “I would like to see you again,” Don admitted. “You will be able to,” she said as she caressed his belly. “And you will be able to come back here, but you should always ask, first.” “Of course!” Don smiled. “How will I ask, though?” “Shhh, Don, let's sleep for a little while.” “You're into her too!” Toshia laughed. “How did I not notice that before?” “I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about,” Don shook his head. “How many women are you in love with, Don?” “Jealous?” “Ha! No! I know you love me,” she grinned. “How does Sage…I mean, Evelyn, feel about this kind of thing, though?” “She seems to share your attitude, actually, though she is a bit more possessive. It's kind of a strange dynamic, actually. You could call my relationship with her my primary, if you want to use the polyamory lingo, I guess. Anyway, it's an exaggeration to say I'm in love with India. It's more like kind of passing infatuation. Other than being into sex, I don't even know if we have anything in common.” Toshia regarded him with a cocked eyebrow, then said, “Okay, if you say so. Now, if I ask you about those things you asked India, you're just going to say, 'I'm getting to that,' aren't you?” “Yeah, I'm afraid so,” Don nodded. “Sure enough, right after she took us back to the forest, I found myself teleported back to that crazy courtyard of the Crimson Mountain King. After the usual bathing ritual and taking the time to look around a bit for Evelyn, Nicole, and Stephanie, just in case, I was back in the office to get my next assignment.” “You're doing quite well so far, Don,” Pamela said from the other end of the table. “Three down and four to go.” “Thank you,” Don smiled. Knowing that he was almost halfway to being done definitely put him in a better mood about jumping through these hoops. Task Four: “What's next?” “Something different in a familiar setting, I think,” Pamela said with a smile. “We want you to take over the role of sheriff in the Resort.” “Okay, but what about the current sheriff?” “The position is currently vacant, I'm afraid.” “Okay, well, it seems like an easy enough job, I can take it on until someone else comes along.” “You misunderstand,” Pamela said with a smile of a different sort. “You're to take over the role of sheriff in the Resort for a year.” “A year?” Don gaped down the table at the council. “Moreover, you are not to have any sex for that year.” “Wait, what?” “Be the sheriff for one year without having sex,” Pamela repeated. “A year, fine, but… wait, what counts as sex?” “You're clearly familiar with the concept, Don.” “Yes, but what's the exact thing I'm supposed to be avoiding?” With the slightest expression of exasperation, Pamela looked to the witnesses to either side, but if they gave her any feedback Don couldn't see or hear it. Finally, she looked back at him and said, “No physical contact with another person for the purposes of sexual titillation or gratification either for yourself or the other person, or persons.” “So, masturbation…” “Yes, that's fine,” she cut him off a bit impatiently, “but you should be careful not to try to test the boundaries of our rules. We will not tell you if you have failed the task until the end of a year.” “So, I probably shouldn't try touching someone with a sex toy, I take it,” Don frowned. “Do I have to keep track of the time?” “No,” Pamela said. “Stay in the Resort, and we will let you know when your term of service is done.” “Okay,” Don shrugged. “Any other conditions to be met?” “No, that's it.” “Okay, I guess I'm ready, then.” Then, Don found himself standing in the sheriff's office in the Resort. He was wearing boots, jeans, a light white shirt and a denim vest with a star on it. His trusty staff was still in his hand. With a deep sigh of resignation, Don began his year as Sheriff. “A year?! That's crazy,” Toshia shook her head. “Plus, no sex, damn!” Don laughed, “Oh, I agree completely.” “What does the sheriff even do, really?” “Not an awful lot, it turns out,” Don smiled. “I mostly wandered around making sure people didn't 'disturb the peace'—you know, running around playing tag when people are trying to fuck, that kind of thing. Apparently, maturity and consideration aren't required for getting into Eros. Our crashing into the pool on our flying carpet definitely counted as disturbing the peace, by the way. Sometimes people get confused and lost, and it was nice to help them out. Of course, they often wanted to 'thank me' for my troubles, but I was a rock and politely declined.” “It must have been very hard,” Toshia winked and gave him a little nudge. Laughing, Don said, “Well, I've gone longer than that without sex out here, but the XYZ certainly made things … difficult.” “A year in the Resort… all that hot sex going on and you couldn't have any, damn!” “Well, I could, and did, masturbate – a lot – but it was supposed to be a challenge, so… I did amuse myself by wearing increasingly outlandish outfits from the Wardrobery, which was fun. And there were occasional breaks in the monotony. One of the things all of us agreed to before going for these rings was to check in with the sheriff any time we passed through the Resort. So, I was in a good spot for finding out how the others were doing. And, as it turned out, it was only about a week and a half into it when Evelyn turned up.” “Oh, that's good! How was she doing?” “She was doing well and had some stories to tell.” “Well, what do we have here?” said the familiar voice from the doorway. Don jolted upright in his chair behind the desk, where he had just been dozing a bit in preparation for his mid-afternoon nap. Then, when he saw the woman framed in the entrance to his jail, Don bolted to his feet, circled his desk quickly, and wrapped her in his arms. Then they were kissing passionately, in an embrace that lasted several minutes. Only when their lips finally parted did he say, “Sage… I mean, Evelyn! It's so good to see you!” “Right back at ya, stud!” she grinned. “Shouldn't you be in Gotham City?” Don stepped back to show off the Batman costume he had found in the Wardrobery, then tapped the sheriff's star on his chest, and said, “It seemed appropriate to the job.” “No mask, or … cowl, right?” “They had one but, it was seriously uncomfortable, and nobody was getting the joke anyway,” he shrugged. “Come on in and have a seat! Where have you been? How are things going?” She laughed, “That's what you want to do first?” “Ah, well, you see, 'want' isn't the right word here,” Don frowned as he sat on the edge of his desk. He quickly outlined the details of his current task. “Oh wow!” Evelyn said. “That really sucks. Which one of your seven is this, then?” “Four,” he said as he watched her move into the room. She was wearing a green tank top that fit her snuggly, a brown skirt, and a pair of hiking boots – in short, the same outfit she'd been wearing when they had gone together to the Crimson Mountain weeks ago. She propped her staff against the wall before she took her seat. Don was deeply distracted by her bare legs as she crossed them. “Ah, so we each have things to tell each other about,” she smiled. “You go first.” Don related his story about Shagbottom and Lady Primrose, which Evelyn pronounced, “Extremely hot!” While he was telling the story of his quest to 'win' India, Evelyn asked a number of questions about India, ultimately concluding, “She sounds like fun. I want to meet her!” “We can go look for her at the Jungle Room,” Don smiled, “but it's your turn.” “I don't know, lover,” she smirked. “Your stories have got me a bit hot and bothered…” “Well, I can't help you with that,” Don said wryly. “We could go find you someone to play with…” “What if I kill two birds with one stone?” she smiled as she uncrossed her legs and hiked her skirt up a bit. She ran her hands over her thighs, smiled over at the lust-filled expression on Don's face, and then began, “Well, my first assignment was right here in fact. I had to spend a week 'wearing the red' in the Temple of Venus and Aphrodite.” “Ah yes, we did that our first day here at the Resort, but just for one shift.” Don laughed a bit, “You definitely weren't the captain there; that must have been a challenge for you.” “I think that was the idea,” she chuckled. “Those 'watchers' do seem to know a lot about us, don't they?” “Yeah they do,” he nodded. “We had to do six hours. How long was your day?” “Ten hours, with three breaks in there, for refreshment and rest. That left me time each night to explore the Resort a bit before sleeping.” She was idly toying with her lips, pulling and stroking on them. Don forced himself to look up at Evelyn's eyes and asked, “Where did you sleep?” “Here and there,” she shrugged. “There's no shortage of beds and comfy loungers here, and nobody messes with you when you're asleep.” “They better not!” Don grinned. “The sheriff won't stand for that kind of nonsense.” “Good man,” she smiled. “Any particular things stand out from that week?” “Well, it took me a while to get used to just letting anyone who wanted to paw me and boss me around. By the way, women are just as bad as men about that. My butt seems to be some kind of grope magnet.” “It is particularly tempting, I must admit,” Don smiled. “'Sure you don't want to start your year over?” she winked. With a frown, Don shook his head and said, “It doesn't work like that. They'll just tell me at the end of a year if I pass or fail.” “Boo!” she said with an exaggerated pout. “Well, after I got used to the situation it got pretty easy to just go with the flow.” “Any favorite jobs?” “Well, one woman wanted a gangbang and they needed a fluffer.” “That's a bit surprising, to be honest, I mean here in Eros,” Don mused. “I thought so too, but there I was, giving head to like 30 guys.” “Damn! I'd like to have seen that!” Don adjusted the rising bulge in his Batman trunks. “It was hot,” she nodded as she slipped one of her fingers up between her lips. “On the other hand, having all those hard cocks to play with but no cum for me was a bit frustrating, and, after a while my jaw started to hurt.” Don frowned in sympathy. “Oh, one day they asked me if I could dance. 'Turns out there's a little club in there. “Yeah, the Temple's a bit more Vegas than Aphrodisia's.” “You're really such a nerd, aren't you?” She laughed. “Anyway, they wanted some novitiates to dance on tables and the bar. That was fun. At first it seemed like it was just going to be a chance to enjoy some music and dance, which was a nice break, but yeah, things got a bit… heated.” Evelyn had her own little stage about two meters across where she danced barefoot and naked to the very sexy pulsing music. For this assignment, she and the other dancers weren't wearing their usual red tunics, but had long red ribbons tied around their wrists, biceps and waists. The table on which she was dancing glowed white under her feet, and there were red and blue spotlights above focused on her. There were four of these tables, each with a dancer, two of them men and two women. At either end of the bar was another dancer, again one man and one woman. With the lighting as it was, it was a bit hard to see people who weren't dancing or over at the fairly well-lit bar. Evelyn could make out the people right at her feet, but the other 'patrons' of the club were just indistinct shapes in the shadows. At first, Evelyn was content to sway to the music, letting her body move along to the beat as if she were dancing just for herself. It had been a long time since she'd danced at all, and she'd forgotten how much she enjoyed it. Of course, the fact that she was naked in a spotlight, with XYZ coursing through her veins, made her very conscious that she was putting on a show, whether she was trying or not. Soon, her hands were moving over her body as she danced, gliding over her hips, cupping her breasts, caressing her neck and her face. Now and then her fingertips reached down to brush lightly over her lower lips, which were getting increasingly dewy. To be continued. By BradentonLarry for Literotica

Girls just wanna get tall...so they're having their femurs broken & getting extendable nails inserted into their legs. A man found more than one snake in his boxer shorts as he slept. Some Chinese find patting sheep butts very relaxing...and the sheep love it, too. My Insane FL Nephew, "Pancho Guero" is back for more stupidity!

Are you feeding, patting or rocking you little one to sleep for naps, at bedtime or overnight? Are you finding they will only do 30 mins in the cot so you have to extend naps on you?Feeling frustrated, overwhelmed and exhausted! You are not alone! Today's episode explores why these interventions stop working, specific ages that these methods become harder and problematic and the impact of this exhaustive cycle on your emotional health and how it affects logistics in the home. This bonus ep will also give you the answer to getting longer stretches of sleep in the day for your child as well as overnight. As well as the answer to moving towards more independent sleep so your child is more refreshed and so are you! Listen here! RESOURCES:"Strategies to transition away from feeding, rocking, patting to sleep and mastering independent sleep for your child" MasterclassBook Here:https://www.theholisticsleepproject.com/transitions-masterclassOur Sleep Collective Membership (you will also receive 1 free months access to this when you join the Masterclass ⬆️)https://www.theholisticsleepproject.com/the-sleep-collectiveWant to learn more about The Holistic Sleep Approach and watch the recent International Awards journey? Check out our Instagram at: www.instagram.com/theholisticsleepproject

Kids Bible Minute with Landon Rowell Ep311 - Patting the Pizza

With special guest: Tim Baker… in conversation with Bill Kable Patting the shark? This does not seem to be a good life lesson but when we hear Tim Baker explain the title it all makes sense. Surfers such as Mick Fanning have had to confront their mortality. Mick is an old friend of Tim’s and he faced a shark in front of the world’s cameras. Many of us saw him swimming next to a man eating shark in the shark’s own territory. Tim Baker has had to face a different type of mortal threat, namely a diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer. We do not know how we would react if confronted with this situation but Tim’s new book Patting the Shark takes us right into that world and he gives us a no holds barred account of what it is really like. Podcast (mp3)

Patting myself on the back, recapping the Covid/vaccines/masks/idiots and nitwits Trumps trial being Convicted

The Peddler & the Fairy: Part 10 A night of drinking at a most unorthdox establishment. In 10 parts, by Scholarly Mori. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. The temperature rapidly fell as the sun set behind the horizon. A light snow had begun to fall, muting the steady click-clack of the carriage as it meandered under garlands of holly leaves and colored lanterns. "Why's it look so festive, Herd-mate?" Asked Reina, poking her head in the window. [[MORE]] "Hard to say. Depends on who's celebrating what. There are holidays the whole city engages in around the winter solstice, but it's not uncommon to see communities enjoy time amongst themselves to honor the end of a productive year with family and friends." Humans and demi-humans alike were huddled in warm clothes, their breath mixing with the steaming mugs they held in mittened hands. Not dressed in her warm winter clothes, Suvi crossed her arms. Jeni, wanting to be helpful, wrapped her wing around the shivering ratgirl. "This one has body heat to share. Friend Suvi should feel free to request it whenever she needs." Suvi snuggled into the warm owl girl's feathers, surprised by how small she felt underneath all the fluff. "That's, uh, nice of you. I'm not used to being so close to people, but I'll try." Devin smiled at the two girls' growing friendship. He was especially happy to see Jeni opening up to someone besides himself and, more recently, Azalea and Reina. Since her return from the academy years ago, he had seen her interact with customers, but it was always curt and brief. Azalea popped her head out from Jeni's other wing. "What's your favorite time of year, Suvi?" "Hmm, other than the cold, this is my favorite time of year because all the warm drinks are free." "Agreed! Warm drinks are wonderful," the fairy voiced as she made eyes at Devin, "especially when it's freshly made and enjoyed with loved ones." "You'll specifically enjoy tonight then," hinted Sable. "Not the one you're probably alluding to, but our girls are skilled in a wonderful assortment of beverages." Reina trotted up next to the driver's seat. "How long have you worked at Whitegold, Miss Sable?" "This is my tenth year." "What do you do there?" "I fulfill all the managerial work: finances, menu coordination, and act as scout and recruiter for potential new hires. Our turnover rate is rather low, though. The boss used to be more involved, but now she takes a very hands-off approach, but you are in luck tonight. She is gracing us with her presence this evening." "I look forward to meeting her." Sable hid a smile as she turned down a side street tucked away from the more festive pockets of people. She pulled back the reins, stopping in front of a three-story building made of dark walnut. Below a balcony jutting from the second story hung a giant cast iron sign embossed with two pitchers pouring intertwining liquids. The building was wider than it was long, and several brick stairways ascended to a tall set of double doors in the middle. Sitting on the bottom step stood a familiar figure. Azalea darted out of the cab window and into an open embrace. "Mama Sanna!" "Hello again, little Azalea." "What are you doing here?!" "I run the bakery during the day and work here part-time at night." Sable slid down from the driver's seat and opened the cab door. "She's security. Also does a bit of the heavy lifting when we get shipments in." "So you knew you were gonna see us tonight!" the fairy exclaimed. "I hoped so. I didn't know when you were coming, so I wanted a chance to at least say hi before I go about my duties tonight. You are in for a lot of surprises tonight." Azalea jumped up and down in the grizzly woman's large, clawed hand. "I love surprises!" Sanna laughed. "Some of them, I'm sure you will, others; might be a bit harder to swallow at first, and a few," she commented while looking specifically at Devin, "might take some getting used to." Before Devin could ask what she meant, she was already leading the carriage away and offered, "You folks have a good evening." With a wave, she and the carriage disappeared behind the far side of the building. Sable climbed the stairs and held the doors open. "Now, since we are here," she cleared her throat to continue, "welcome to 'Whitegold,' a finer dining experience than you'll find anywhere in the western half of the kingdom." The group entered the lobby, led by Devin, who stopped in front of a 'please wait to be seated' sign. "This is quite the opulent waiting room." A five-tiered chandelier made of old antlers, with pine-scented candles hung from the arched ceiling entryway, the light reflecting off a gold and alabaster stained-glass wall. Somewhere behind it were moving, shadowy figures holding lutes, pipes, and a tambourine and playing a relaxed and light-hearted melody. Sable moved in front to address them. "We are a somewhat exclusive establishment with many noteworthy individuals, influential business folk, and city administration as members. While the general public can make an unsubscribed reservation, the wait time can be rather long." "We wanted to create a relaxed but classy atmosphere and provide uncommon services to those willing to spend for it. While it's more common amongst smaller businesses, we do house most of our employees on the third floor." "Looks like you've done well for yourself," Devin suggested. "Our success is due to the accumulated effort of all our girls. This way, please." She led them through the left of two arched passages. "We have twin wings on each side, allowing us to seat around forty individuals. We designed the main dining room to be circular. To that end, we've positioned the tables for larger or more uniquely shaped demi-humans around the outside and smaller ones toward the middle. We've found it makes diners feel like they belong. It also gives an unobstructed view of one of our centerpieces." She motioned to the middle of the room. A tawny fountain with five sandstone likenesses of two satyresses and a human girl were arrayed in a circle. In the center, taller then the rest, posed a rarely-seen holstaur. Each statue stood naked, poised with chest thrust out and nipples spraying wispy streams of water into the collecting basin below. "Makes quite the first impression," Azalea mused. "It was an impromptu addition." Sable waved toward a pair in topless uniforms. "The flirty saytresses are Eija and Hija. They mainly serve tables. Our holstaur, Janina, runs the milkbar. As far as I'm aware, she's one of only three in the city. A real sweetheart." The two goat girls were laughing and bantering jovially as they served customer-filled tables. At the bar against the wall, a huge-breasted cowgirl busily mixed her breast milk into customers' drinks. Sable produced a small set of chimes from her pocket and flicked one of the metal tubes causing a sudden squeak from Suvi. Simultaneously, a human girl standing next to Janina and draining her own milk into a pitcher jumped. She looked up from her work and searched the crowd until she spotted Sable. Whispering to the other two, she trotted over with a big smile, her perky boobs bouncing. "Hello, Mistress Sable. You called? Shall I prepare a large group table?" "Not this time, Kirsi. We are headed upstairs." "The private room, eh? Too bad; they looked like a fun group to serve." Addressing Suvi, "Are you ok, miss? You look a little flustered." "Y, ya, I'm fine." Suvi flashed a suspicious look at Azalea, to which the little fairy held up her hands innocently. Devin caught the exchange between the two. "Did something happen?" "Our toys activated for a second, life-mate. Perhaps Miss Sable's device?" "Toys?" Sable looked at the chime. "Wait, did you girls feel that?" "We did." "Maybe they know Eitri," Kirsi suggested. "Yes, we know her, and her cousin!" Azalea proclaimed. "We went to their store during our shopping earlier today." "I see. She must use a set number of sounds for her merchandise. All the tables are given a bell to call a serving girl to their table if they need anything." Sable held up a small tablet of twenty tubular pipes split into top and bottom. "This is the master set. I can call each girl using it should I need to get their attention. Depending on how I hit it, I can relay instructions." Kirsi turned around and pulled up her dress, revealing an assplug decked with a five-petaled white flower with a yellow center firmly nestled in her apple-shaped bottom. Azalea swooped down to get a closer look. "Oh! How cute! A plumeria?" "Oh, is that what kind of flower it is?" "Yes! They grew all over the fields near my home," Azalea divulged before flashing her own. "We got one too!" "How lovely, like a little cut gem. It does a good job of catching the light. I've never had anything in my ass before, so I'm still getting used to it." "You and me both," mumbled Suvi. Sable patted the peppy girl's head. "Kirsi is our newest full-time employee." "That's me! This is my third week. I'm mostly waiting tables and providing supplemental milk when needed." She pinched her nipple, letting a few droplets fall onto her finger to show everyone before sucking it clean. Kirsi felt a tug on her sleeve. "This one couldn't help but notice the uniqueness of your uniform, especially the way it draws the eye to your mammary glands." "You like it? It's woven of high-quality sheep girl wool." She raised her arms and performed a little spin. "Designing it together was such fun, but we had a hard time deciding because we all wanted different things. The sisters like to flirt and flaunt their bodies, so they wanted a lot of cleavage showing, but Janina wanted it functional -- also, her boobs are enormous -- so no tight clothing. We opted for a full cutout to let our boobies hang free." "Since all our customers love our milk, I thought we should represent that?' I suggested the boob window be heart-shaped and framed with lacey bows." Stable straightened one of the ribbons. "The proprietress and I wanted to make sure they felt they had a say in how they presented themselves. The girls comprised three groups, so each was responsible for their group's base design. After two weeks tossing around ideas back and forth to the manufacturer, this is what was settled on." "Do you normally not wear the same uniform, Miss Sable?" Asked Reina. "Only when we are at full capacity and need more hands helping out." "Which is almost never because she thinks customers don't want to see a woman with small boobs. She's only one size smaller than me, and I keep telling her size doesn't affect how much milk she produces," Kirsi explained with a giggle. "You girls produce more than enough." "You're making your customers sad! She has a small handful of regulars who love how she tastes," retorted Kirsi. "They don't miss me that much." "Yes, they do!" Azalea peeked behind Sable. "If Sable also has a uniform, does she have a plug, too?" Caught off guard by the question, Sable stammered, "I, er, yes, all employees wear one." "She has a special one only the boss has a bell for," Kirsi snickered. Sable coughed. "We've spent enough time gabbing. Don't you have tables to attend to?" "Yes, I just got buzzed! Enjoy your evening, everyone!" She bowed before trotting to a far table. Sable led the company around the room's edge and to the base of a broad, curving stairway that led up to the second floor. "The balcony seating is for overflow or reserved for special guests and events." Jeni placed her wing on Devin's arms to steady herself as she hopped up the steps. He lauded the owl girl, "I haven't had a chance to see you really interact with anyone outside your shop. You've come a long way." She flapped her wings slightly at the compliment. "This one has been most appreciative of big sister Mavis' tutelage before going to the academy and of her fellow students for allowing the social interaction needed to communicate more effectively." Reaching the top of the carpeted stairs, Sable pushed open a small set of double doors and ushered everyone inside. A long, carpeted room stretching the length of the tavern formed a semi-circle at the far end. In the center, underneath, and behind the stained glass they had seen at the entrance, was a parrtly-curtained-off stage. Half-obscured in the dim light sat a woman in a white and blue gown, legs crossed and her talons idly clicking. She gracefully stood up and bowed. "Welcome, eagerly-awaited guests, to an evening you won't soon forget." Devin squinted. "Mavis?!" Sable crossed the room and lit the sconces on the wall. "Hello, little brother!" The smirking raven harpy crossed the room in three strides, embraced him in a light hug, and kissed him on the cheek. He hugged her back, glad she wasn't going for the mouth. "What are you doing here?" "I maybe should have mentioned I'm a major investor in your negotiations tonight." Devin frowned, "You are?" "I am. I have a lot riding on this, actually." "That's worrying." She looked serious for a moment. "Yes, but not entirely in a monetary way." Devin looked at her, puzzled. Mavis glanced over Devin's shoulder, "Jeni! Is that you?" Jeni peaked out from behind Reina. "Greetings, older sister Mavis." She pushed Devin aside, grabbed the fluffy owl, and spun her around, squeezing her tightly. "It's been too long! I'm so happy to see you!" Jeni hooted happily. "This one is also joyous at our much-delayed reunion." "You live in the same city. You should go see her more than once a year," Devin muttered. "But that's what you're for when I'm too busy, silly." "You know she loves you just as much as me." "Not entirely accurate, little brother. Look at this face." She held Jeni out in front of her, "This is the face of a girl who wants to join your harem." "Since when do I have a harem?" Devin challenged. "You have three girls with you. Surely, you have room for your childhood friend." "Um, " Suvi raised her hand. "I'm not really part of their, er, family." "You're not?" Mavis asked, surprised. "She was a guide I hired for the girls," Devin corrected. "And then she became a friend!" piped in Azalea. "Well, a friend is just a wife you haven't gotten together with yet." Devin blinked several times, trying to unravel her logic. "In any case, since you only have two, now you have no excuse," Mavis declared while leering at him. Jeni, still being displayed like an auctioned item, spun her head backward to look at Mavis. "This one is currently involved in a joint venture with Young Patron in the hopes he will see the benefits one day of being this one's nestmate." "See Devin? Don't let all this girl's effort go to waste." Devin sighed. "Can we shelve this for the moment? Don't we have important business to conduct tonight? Speaking of, where is the other party?" "Everyone's here." "Eh?" "I am the other party." Devin stared at the smug harpy. "I'm also the owner of this restaurant." Devin's expression changed to dumbfounded. "Oh dear, Reina, you should help Devin to his seat. He's looking a little unsteady. Come, come, please be seated while Devin comes to terms about my little surprise! I'll sit here on the far left, Jeni can sit next to me, and you, my dear, ?" "Suvi." "Suvi can sit in the middle with Devin. Reina should sit on the far right, and Azalea can sit anywhere." Suvi sat down. "Are we going to watch a play while we eat?" "Not exactly, but it is what makes our little establishment unique, as you'll see shortly." Devin, finally collecting his thoughts, thanked Reina for her momentary care. He took a deep breath, "Mavis, can you please answer a few questions plainly and simply?" "I will," she said, amused. "Just to make sure I didn't mishear, you're the mysterious person who arranged this meeting so you could negotiate with me to be a long-distance liaison with an unknown person that I need to find?" "Yes." "And you just so happen to be the owner of this expensive-looking restaurant for I don't know how many years." "Correct. Mine in every sense of the word: originator of the idea, negotiator for the land, designer, and purchaser of the building materials. The only thing I didn't do was actually build it, though I did lay the first brick and hammer the first nail as symbolic gestures." Devin looked at Sable. "What Miss Mavis says is all correct," she verified Devin slumped back in his chair. "Why do you enjoy shocking me with stuff like this?" "Precisely because you're the type of person who likes to know everything beforehand, and that's no fun! I was planning on telling you someday. I was waiting for the right opportunity." The harpy justified. Suvi put a hand on Devin's shoulder. "Given the rumors I've heard, it could have been a worse surprise." Mavis, in an overly-dramatic gesture, raised her wings, "ah yes, the rumors, given shape by overactive imaginations and our exclusivity. Orgies? Debauchery? Rich old men bathing in breast milk while virgins feed them grapes and lick honey off their bodies? Or are you referring to a place where mothers and daughters of the affluent come to get gangbanged by well-endowed demi-humans?" "Uh, I guess they were along those lines," Suvi tentatively spoke. Mavis snorted. "I can assure you, nothing even remotely like that has or ever will occur here." "I want honey licked off my body," whispered Azalea. Devin shushed her with a glance. "Although, as I hinted to Suvi about, this is what we are best known for, " Sable rang her master chime. The curtain parted. On the platform were three similarly-clothed barmaids. Their dresses had been replaced with short skirts hugging and barely covering their hips. Tiny white aprons did their best to cover their fronts. They were each lined up in front of their matching statuary counterpart in front of another fountain. The most eye-catching of the three was a wolf girl with attentive ears, a bushy tail, and a little fang sticking out of her mouth. The chiseled facsimile behind her was squatting with knees splayed, a smug smile upon her lips, daring all to watch her pee into the pool below. "Didn't imagine they could get more outlandish than the fountain downstairs," Suvi murmured to Azalea. The wolf girl stepped forward, "Good ev'en, honored guests. Your host would like ta thank'ya for accepting her invitation to dine with us. This evening, we have been asked to be your exclusive servers to provide you with an experience of such quality you won't find anywhere else in the northern realm! Allow me to introduce your hostess', starting with myself." The wolf girl took another step forward. "My name is Eeva -- eager to serve and ready to please my alphas, that being you folk, and I'm supposed to tell you something about myself. Well, I suppose I like to wrestle with this pint-sized goblin here." She motioned to the green woman seated to her right." The she-goblin uncrossed her legs and stood up. "And by wrestle, she means having me pin her down and bully her." "She exaggerates! She couldn't pin clothes to a line," Eeva retorted. "Said the girl who denies getting turned on when her face ends up underneath this thick goblin ass!" The she-goblin jumped up, pulled Eeva back and took her place. "Hey, all! Name's Truulté Gress, or shortstuff, or sexy, or cutie. I'll respond to most anything. I'm the resident shortstack. Second-oldest employee after the housepet here. I love to serve people; in all kinds of ways. Especially when it comes to cuddling our cute, little snowshoe hare, " "Hallie!" interrupted Azalea. "Oh, you know each other?" Truulté asked, surprised. "Yes, we met earlier today at Mama Sanna's bakery for lunch." Hallie took a small step forward and bowed. "H, hello Azalea, everyone! I look forward to servicing you; I mean, serving you again!" "Oh ho?" Truulté sidled up to the taller girl. "What kind of service did you provide?" Did it involve bouncing with these strong bunny thighs or handling things with these squishy pawed feet?" She pushed Truulté away. "Not that kind!" "She did flash us," disclosed Azalea. "Ah, typical Hallie things." Truulté put an arm around the bunny girl's slim waist. "We treat her as the little sister in our cozy work family. She is so soft and warm and we often take work breaks to fluff her fur and stroke her ears. Hey, wanna hear a secret? If you feed her her favorite food, her ass twitches." "Truulté! That was a secret!" Hallie cried. "If you tell a secret, it's not a secret anymore," the goblin cackled. She flashed a sharp smile, her eyes lively at Hallie's embarrassment. "Maybe I should go get a carrot and show you." "Noooo!" "Relax! You know I only bully those I love. I wouldn't dream of making my fluffy bed cuddler sad." Eeva joined Truulté in hugging Hallie from behind. "And there you have it. That's all of us. Though, I should also introduce our girl-in-training." Sable reappeared from the kitchen with a disinterested deer girl adorned with a gaudy amount of jewelry. She approached and placed two small buckets of ice on the stage, seemingly more preoccupied with checking the state of her nails than introducing herself. Noticing all eyes on her, she rolled her eyes. "Name's Tuuli. Eighteen. I'm only here because my herd wants me to learn manners or work ethic or somethin'." "She's very bratty," snickered Truulté. "M'not a brat; and you're one to speak; walking around with lewd drawings all over your body!" "These are decorative displays of my marsh goblin heritage. My social status, skillset, and availability. It's common amongst all the tribes." "Hmph! Looks like a display board for a broth, " "Now, now," Eeva abruptly interjected. "Tuuli is staying with us for a time to gain valuable life experience. And hopefully a little maturity. She'll be assisting Hallie this evening if she runs dry." "Whatever. Can I assist her sooner? I'm about to burst," she sassed. Suvi regarded the deer-girls chest. Her meager sized breasts didn't look particularly full, or even lactating. After thinking a moment she swiftly glanced at the fountain again, and back to Tuuli's belly. With a hint of trepidation, "So, you don't only serve milk here?" "We were originally called 'The Thirsty Maiden,' Sable responded, 'but we changed it. Now it has a dual meaning. Most people think it stands for the gold-quality milk we offer, which you already saw we do serve. The girls' milk is rich and sweet and is our number one ordered thing. The second most ordered item would be the golden liquid these lovely young ladies are going to share with you tonight." Mavis smiled amidst the sudden silence. "We are going to drink their pee?" Azalea queried. Devin rubbed his forehead. "I should have guessed with you in charge there was bound to be something outlandish about this place. Dare I ask why, and what led to you coming up with, " Devin waved his hand toward the fountain. ", what these girls are offering?" "Of course you may. It's a bit of a funny story. It originally started as a joke. But maybe I should start at the beginning? Shortly after Jeni left for the academy and you became a full-time merchant, I felt a bit listless with you two gone. One day, during a walk through town, I overheard a group of girls complaining their milk bar wasn't giving them enough hours and their chests were sore with all the excess. It inspired me to try my own attempt at it since the city was offering incentives to start new businesses." Mavis placed her wing on Sable's arm. "Sable was my first hire." The weasel woman crossed her arms. "You kinda manipulated me into it." "'Manipulated' is such a strong word. I delicately tantalized her into saying yes."Mavis uncrossed and recrossed her legs. "You see, after I made the decision, I was headed to the administration building when I spotted Sable in an alley. Poor thing was a horny mess." "I could have handled myself." she huffed. "I believe you, but wasn't it so much easier getting to the sex shop with a supportive shoulder to lean on?" Mavis turned her attention back to Devin. "You might have heard before, but when weasel girls go into heat, it can actually be life-threatening if they don't mate after a period of time. Or at least make their body think they did. So, one dildo and thirty minutes of orgasm denial later, I was rewarded with a yes and she received an orgasm she has yet to forget." "What was I supposed to say in my condition?" "Mavis, I'm disappointed in you," Devin chastised. "It's alright, Mr. Ebonplume. What's done is done and I'm not actually mad. I wasn't in immediate danger, yet." "Still, " Mavis stroked Sable's hand affectionately. "I know I have many attributes that could use ; self-improvement, and I can be pushy at times. I hope I've gotten a little better?" She fluttered her eyes at her co-worker. "Your teasing nature could be toned down." "It's how I show my affection to those I care about. Just making sure you know I'm always available if you need my special touch. I don't want you to end up so needy, again. You are my closest friend, after all." Sable exhaled and squeezed Mavis' wing affectionately. "Anyway," Mavis continued, "we recruited Eeva shortly thereafter, and since then, the business took off, but it's hard to reach the top when you're like every other tavern. It was during our third year. We had two regulars who had come from another pub who were tipsy. I was drying glasses while they gushed to me about how pretty Sable and Eeva were, how much they enjoyed their milk, and the warm welcome they always received, etc., etc." "Lady Mavis, your placsh alwaysh provide the bwst milk and servish than anywhere else in the sshity." Mavis bowed her head. "You know we are just a humble establishment like any other. Though I'm happy we are able to please you." "No, iisssh true, other placises drinks taste like piss compared. In factsh, gives piss a bad name. I bet your girl's piss would taste better then what they offer." "It was meant to be a joke, obviously, but for an unknown reason that night, I kept thinking about what they said. I know a lot of demi-humans use urine for displaying their physical and social status -- basically advertising. So I thought, in the right situation, perhaps we could use it to advertise and enhance what no one has ever offered before. For humans, well, we probably wouldn't get many of them ordering unless they had a certain kink for it. But I don't mind a challenge, so we presented the idea to Eeva." Eeva rocked back and forth on her heels. "I thought the boss's idea was crazy, but if she wanted me to pee in a mug for customers, I didn't have a problem with it." Sable passed out utensils as she commented, "We wanted to keep our new drink category low-key, so we didn't display it on the front page of the menu. Several days passed before anyone even asked about it. We were sure the first customers to order it were going to be demi-humans. Imagine our surprise when it turned out to be two young human lads with too much bravado." "After explained what it was, they dared each other to try it. Coincidently, that just so happened to be a time when Eeva was in heat," Mavis chortled. "Mistake number one," laughed the wolfgirl. "While they themselves didn't notice, others did. Word quickly spread, and I had to swat down overtures all week. It was great for business, but with the wrong kind of advertising. Soon after, we hired Sanna to impose if the people got too pushy." Sable handed out white linen napkins. "It gained popularity, but Eeva's bladder can only hold so much, so Truulté was hired to meet demand." "I'm wondering, Mavis," Devin interrupted, "if this place was doing so well, why did you take the delivery job?" "Simple. I wasn't satisfied. I believed we had the potential to grow, and I wanted to push us into serving more upscale clients. I called a meeting after we closed one night, and together we hatched a two-step plan: form a partnership with import merchants and appeal to a new demographic of customers who might have an interest in more exotic fare. Clientele with too much money, willing to spend for the rare oddity or novelty." "The delivery business was only to establish the second part of the plan. I worked my way up to my current position to gain access to the upper echelons of society. You'd be surprised how far a little hint here or a little suggestion there to the right person will go when they are grateful to you for delivering their important things. "Once we had a wide selection of drinks on the menu and the clientele to support it, we introduced memberships and used the funds to renovate, allow the girls to live here, and reinvest into the business you see today." Devin looked down at the customers having a good time on the bottom floor. Typical Mavis -- capable and ambitious but with a tinge of reckless brazenness. She was the type of person who worked hard in the beginning so that later she could leave it in others' hands. "Well, dear brother? What do you think?" Devin looked up. "I'm still a bit overwhelmed by all of this. I don't know what to say." Eeva eyed Devin and Reina. She smiled predatorily and crouched down. "How about looking at the menu and telling me what you want to order for starters?" She flapped the poor excuse for an apron alluringly. "I'm sure you'll like at least one of our drinks. My bladder is full, and you have exclusive access to all of it tonight." Before Devin could make up his mind, Reina timidly raised her hand. "I, I would like to give it a try." "Excellent." She leaned back and stretched the apron taut. Pinned to the fabric was a small paper menu. "Depending on what drink you order, we have a categorized list of appetizers designed to match." Without missing a beat, she flipped the apron up, revealing her lack of undergarments. "On the back, we have the drinks available from me specifically. Of course, you're free to order from any of us. They come in three grades: grade one: light, grade two: middling, and grade three: strong." "If you just want to dip your toes in, I recommend grade one. Hallie's drinks tend to be sweeter. If you're feeling a little daring, you should go with grade two. Truulté has a pretty unique earthy flavor and is a bit more potent, but If you want the full experience, I suggest three. A deep, rich taste with plenty of me mixed in." "What determines the difference?" "Time. Grade one is easy, chug a bunch of water and wait about thirty minutes. Middling maybe an hour or two. Truulté and myself are usually the only ones who supply grade three because we can hold it for a long time. "I think I want to try the strongest." "Going all in! My kind of girl. And how bout you, sir? Dare to follow in her hoofsteps?" Devin looked at Reina. "She did offer to let me try her own once." "Oh? And didja?" "No, but; I guess it might be a bit rude, given all the work you put into setting this up. I'll try yours as well." "Perfect. So which one would ya like me to make ya's? Or do you want it straight and pure in a glass?" Devin ran his eyes down the menu. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dark 'n' Uriney grade 3 ginger beer Golden Honey Rye grade 3 rye honey syrup tangerine juice dash of bitters "Piss" co Sour grade 3 lime juice sugar syrup dash of bitters harpy egg white ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He tried focusing on the list of drinks but the closeness of her cunt and the smell of her musk was too distracting. She pushed her hips forward a little. "I don't mind you staring. It's part of the enjoyment. Unique, isn't it? Quite a bit different than most other demi-humans. Looks like a little triangular cookie, huh?" Devin looked to Reina. She was staring as much as he was. "It is quite a peculiar shape," agreed Devin. "Isn't it hard to not make a mess?" Asked Reina. "It was at first, but I've managed to make it work." "This 'Piss'co Sour looks interesting. I will try that. What about you, herd-mate?" "I'll have the same." Eeva wagged her tail. "And how would you like for me to pour'em?" Reina looked up questioningly. "What do you mean?" "Probably easier to demonstrate," suggested Sable. "Why don't you show your most requested way?" "Alright." Eeva took the tray Sable handed her and set it to the side. "Oh, I should probably add, these are nonalcoholic since many demi-humans have a hard time handling it." "I don't mind. I prefer my head to be clear during business negotiations." Devin confided as she set out two crystal glasses. She crushed ice into each glass and set them aside to chill. Then she unscrewed a metal mixer and separated the halves. Holding up a green fruit, she said, "Betcha never seen one of these!" Devin thought for a moment. "I can't say I have." Reina shook her head. "It's called a lime and comes all the way from the southern continent." She picked up a knife and gave it a spin. "Slice it in half, place it in a vice, and squeeze one ounce of juice out. Then we add half an ounce of simple syrup. Next, a harpy egg, laid just this morning." Devin glanced at Mavis. "No, it's not mine, but maybe it should have been," she smirked. "We place the yolk in a strainer and separate the egg white into the mix." Eeva dug out ice from a bucket and scooped it into the mixer. "I like using bigger chunks, so it whips up the egg well." "And lastly, the main ingredient." She got down on all fours, turned sideways, and lifted her leg. "Before, I used to make drinks in the kitchen, but customers requested to watch the whole process often enough I considered making it more exciting, experimenting with different positions to make a show of it." Running her fingers around the edge of her oddly-defined, plump lips, she splayed them, making sure everyone could see. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed her bladder. Her pee hole quivered as a steady stream arched into the glass. Eeva carefully crooked her finger, stroking a small protruding nub near the bottom; panting as the pressure in her bladder lessoned while the pleasure increased. With the two glasses nearly full, she clenched the stream, put her leg down, and wiped her fingers clean. After screwing on the mixer top, she shook the contents vigorously. "Then we pour it through another strainer into each glass and add a few drops of bitter. Kirsi suggested I drag the drops together to form small hearts, saying it looked cuter. And for the final touch," She slid her fingers between her folds and traced the rim of the glass with her arousal before serving it. "I usually only do this when I'm in heat -- when my pheromones are strongest. Drives the demi-boys crazy. I hope you don't mind." "Not at all." Reina seemed to be more into this than Devin felt, but in the spirit of the moment, they clinked their classes and took a sip. Reina nodded her approval. "I am quite taken by the silky tartness of it. I am inclined to try one in every grade now." Eeva's tail wagged happily. "Told ya you'd like it!" "I have to admit, it's surprisingly good." Devin agreed. "Never tasted these combinations of; flavors before." "I'm proud of our girls and their mixology skills," Mavis effused. "Would you like to try one, Jeni?" "This one's curiosity is piqued, older sister Mavis. This one would like to try Truulté's." "Of course, little bird." The she-goblin flipped up her apron. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wee Sting grade 2 spoon of runny honey pressed apple juice splash of ginger ale lime or apple garnish ice Cosmo"pee"litan grade 2 lemonade cranberry juice syrup squeezed lemon ice Mo"wee"to grade 2 sugar syrup soda mint leaves ice ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jeni bobbed her head as she read her options. "This one would like to try the cosmo'pee'litan." "Exquisite choice, and I have a fun way to 'pour' it! Let's move things out of the way so I don't knock them over, and roll over onto my back. Place this here, and; up we go." She raised her hips pulling her short legs over her head. Running a finger across her pee hole, she pressed down on her bladder with her thumbs. With her satisfied exhale, her golden stream arced up, landing in the container perched between her breasts." Jeni clapped her wings. "This one is impressed with your flexibility and coordination. Would it be impolite to compliment the orderliness of your genitals?" Truulté laughed. "Not a compliment I've received before but thank you. You must not have seen too many naked girls. This snatch aint dainty, but I've been told many times I'm fun to eat, and to that end, I keep myself as smooth as can be." Patting herself dry, she righted herself, arranged the tray before Jeni, and held up an orange and yellow fruit. Jeni thought for a moment. "This one would guess they are limes but different colors?" "Close. They are all within the same family of sour-flavored fruits. This yellow one is a lemon, and this is an orange. Not the most original name but tastier to eat alone." She squeezed the fruits' juices into the cocktail. "The lemon is used in many of our other drinks. The orange brings more sweetness." Adding premade cranberry juice with lime juice, she shook the contents before finishing with crushed ice. Pouring the mixture into a shallow glass, she garnished the edge with a wedge of lime and served it. "Here you are! A refreshingly tangy, sweet drink with a delightful pink color." Jeni brought the drink to her lips. Her face scrunched at the un-used to acidity. "It has exceeded this one's estimation and this one is pleased. Thank you." Truulté placed her hand over her bladder. "Plenty left if you want more." Azalea poked Suvi. "Are you going to try one?" "I'm not, er, that adventurous. I think I'll just order milk if that's ok." Looking at Mavis. "Of course it is." Mavie assured. "Ask Hallie for her milk," encouraged Azalea. Suvi eyed Hallie's perky chest. "You certainly enjoyed it at the bakery. I suppose I should give it a try?" Hallie knelt down, gingerly squeezed her milk into a glass, and served it. "I hope you enjoy." "Well?" queried Azalea. "Creamy and warm." Hallie fidgeted. "I'm glad you like it." "And which drink would you like, Azalea?" the bunny girl asked, raising her apron. The thirsty fairy took a moment to admire the well defined and neatly closed, pink bunny puss for the second time that day. She made a mental note to sketch it in her notebook and wished it was on the menu. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pee Daiquiri grade 1 lemon/lime soda lemon juice pinch of sugar Ice cubes "Pee"na Colada grade 1 coconut juice pineapple juice pineapple wedges crushed ice Urineade grade 1 lemonade ice ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "This is a kink i've never dabbled in and and I don't know what most of these ingredients are, but let's give the 'pee'na colada a try." "Good choice. It's my personal favorite. It especially tastes good in summer. Unfortunately, I don't have a special pouring method. I'm not good at controlling it." "No need to feel bad. I'm not either." "Then, if you'll allow me," Hallie faced away and squatted in front of the expectant fae. Running her hands down her sides, they met between her legs where she spread herself. "Ca, can you see?" "Every part! Your cunt's so cute. Hallie's puff-ball tail twitched as she filled the mixer. Azalea unconsciously licked her lips as she watched the clear and water-like stream. "I'm curious, Hallie. You seem so shy, what made you take up this job?" "I, I like to be helpful, even if it is embarrassing." The flow abated with a few final drops. Wiping her hands, she turned around and took two of the strangest fruits Azalea had ever seen. "What are those? Are they edible?" "Of course they are. This one's a coconut. It's a pain to open, but the milky sap inside is worth it." She took an awl, placed it against the eye hole at one end and tapped the other end with a mallet. Then she poured the contents into the mix. "Can you do what Eeva did at the end?" Hallie blushed hard. "I, I, no one has ever asked me before. I, I'm not wet enough, so I don't think, " "Sure she can," said Eeva, volunteering Hallie. "The customer gets what the customer wants if it's reasonable. Come on, lass, you can do it. Just like all those nights we cuddle together." The taller wolf girl embraced her friend from behind and stroked the fluff around her neck as her other hand wound down between her legs. "Super easy for her. Eeva's fingers worked to coax the slippery sweetness from the panting bunny girl. Just have to stir up her little bunny pot. See what I did there? No. Ok, bad puns aside, want to hear another little secret about Hallie? Careful when putting your head between her thighs. When she climaxes, it's like a vice. Nearly took my head off." Hallie flushed a deeper shade of red. Between having her embarrassing idiosyncrasies exposed and Hallie's skilled digits burrowing through her crotch, she leaned into Eeva's body and resigned herself to the pleasure. With the squelching sounds getting louder, Eeva removed her hand. "That should be enough." She pulled her hand away from Hallie, feeling her thighs clenching around her hand, reluctant at the absence. "I'll finish you off later tonight if you want." She whispered. She held up the viscid lubricant clinging between her fingers, tracing it around the rim of the glass. "Here you are Azalea. Sorry, we don't have a smaller glass. You are our first fairy customer ever." "I am? I'm honored, and it's alright. I can tilt it." She brought her head down, inhaling Hallie's scent as she took a sip. Another drink followed, and then another. Her wings fluttered as she swallowed the syrupy fruit drink. "This is delicious! You should try it, life-mate! Reina!" Devin took her glass and tried it before handing it to Reina. "It definitely seems like your type of drink." ------- The rest of the meal passed with several more drinks complimented by decoratively arranged plates of hors d'oeuvres and finger foods. Sufficiently full, Devin leaned back in his chair. "Thank you for dinner, Mavis." "Yes, thank you," came several other voices. "And for the girls making tonight lots of fun," Azalea added. "You are most welcome. It was our pleasure," answered Eeva. "If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to buzz us." The barmaids gathered the empty dishes and left the room. "Now, let's hear what commission my older sister went to so much work to set up." Suvi stood up. "I'm going to take this opportunity to leave early. This doesn't concern me, and there is someone I need to check on to make sure they are ok. Before I go, Miss Ebonplume, are you perchance hiring any more girls?" "Are you wanting to work here?" "I need a more stable job." "I'm sure Sable can find something for you to do, although we have no rooms available." "I don't mind commuting." "Come on in the day after tomorrow, and Sable will set you up." "Thank you, I'll be here! And thank you for the, interesting evening!" With a wave of her tail, she left. Mavis began to preen her feathers pretending not to see Devin awaiting her reply, "Instead of telling you what this job entails, it'll be more fun to let you experience what I need you to find." Mavis rang her private bell, summoning Sable with a singular drink on a tray. She placed it in front of Devin and took her position behind Mavis. A profoundly floral scent emanated from a golden liquid. "It's not one of the girls' drinks; in case you're wondering." Devin held the warm mug to his lips and took a sip. He was instantly surprised by the explosion of sweet, mellow flavor. "Can you name the ingredient?" "Honey?" "Yes! But not just any honey; bee girl honey." "Impossible. No one's seen a bee-girl in the north for generations." "Precisely. Because of its scarcity and cost, we could only offer it to customers at a very high price. A little goes a long way, but you are drinking the last of it. I've had several individuals attest to its authenticity, and they are offering a significant amount of vol to acquire more." "You know I mainly transport goods already available. I have no experience with searching out new markets. If you're asking me, then I'm guessing you have an idea where to get more." "Yes, but the only lead we have is that it was bought from another merchant, who bought it from a different merchant, outside the country." Devin passed it for the girls to try. "I've never been outside our borders before. I've always wanted to visit the southern kingdom." "Unfortunately our contact is not there." He sat up. "I hope you're not suggesting I sneak across the border to the middle kingdom. "You wouldn't be sneaking." "his mind sifting through all the information he knew about their neighbor. "Method aside, you want me to find a nearly impossible commodity in a country that is not, to mockingly put it, on amicable terms with ours?" "Relations are a bit icy, yes." "And for good reason. Raiding your neighbor's population doesn't help make friends. Frankly, I'm a little disturbed you would even consider this given their treatment of demi-humans." "Yes, I am fully aware their society runs on conscripted labor." "Slave labor you mean. What about Reina and Azalea's safety?" "No one would bother them. With the right paperwork anyone would just think they were your slaves." "I refuse to even pretend they are my slaves." "I think you should take the offer, herd-mate." "Reina, you should know as much as I do, maybe even more, considering your first hand experience. Even after the trauma you suffered, you still want to go? She gave an ernest look. "I will ultimately abide by your wishes, but yes, I do." Devin frowned. He ventured a guess what Reina's motivation was. She was probably hoping she might run into her sister. He'd ask her later to make certain. "And how do you feel about all this, Azalea?" "She kissed the back of his hand. "I'm already a slave to your love life-mate. I'll go where you go. I trust your judgment." "I don't think you understand what we'd be getting ourselves into." "Reina wants to go and that's good enough for me." Devin looked down and ticked off different ideas on his fingers as he thought of them. Personal reasons aside, there are numerous logistical concerns. We'd need to convert all the money we'd use. Do we even know the exchange rate of the Zingar? Not to mention enough provisions for a five week trip, one way, and assemble spare parts in case the wagon breaks down. Will we even make it through the mountains before the snow gets too deep? I was planning to convert my wagon into a sleigh for snow travel but I'm skeptical it'd survive such a brutal trip over the pass?" "I wouldn't be sending you three alone." Said Mavis, interrupting his calculations. "You'd be going with an experienced group of individuals who've made the journey before. They'll assemble the bulk of provisions you'll need. They also have a friend halfway between here and the capital you'll be stopping at. We'll dispatch someone to inquire as to the conditions. And your guild membership should offer you some immunity. There's a branch office in the capital, isn't there? You'll just need to acquire visas and the proper documentation. We are not at war and technically, you are not doing anything illegal. It's not a lawless country. You're just going to inquire of information, discreetly." "Our milk money can go to help buy or build a new wagon life-mate. I'm sure we can find someone who'd pay a lot for a rare and delicious delicacy as these two lovelies will be producing." She pushed her breasts together. All eyes were on him as he processed all the information. Even Sable was peeking out from the door to the downstairs kitchen curious what'd he decide. "I won't believe you're doing it just for the money or merely fulfilling your patrons desire for a rare ingredient, Mavis. Are there other reasons? Mavis tensed, hoping he wouldn't guide the conversation back to her. "Aside from some personal reasons. I'd hoped if you found the producer, you could buy her freedom. Or if she's hiding out, entice her to come back with you." "I'll make a note of it. And what are your personal reasons?" "They aren't important. Just trivial feelings." He folded his arms. "Devin wasn't going to agree to anything till he knew every single detail. She locked eyes with Reina, hoping she would pick up on her hesitation to speak plainly." Reina, guessing she wanted some privacy alone with Devin, abruptly stood up. "We've drunk a lot tonight. If you would excuse us, Jeni, Azalea, and I need to visit the outhouse. We'll be right back." "But I don't need to pee." "Yes, you do." Reina plucked Azalea from the table and took Jeni's wing. Jeni, quicker on the uptake but slow on the reason, stumbled to her feet., "Is this the bonding ritual girls engage in when visiting the lavatory?" "I'll tell you later," she whispered as they left Devin and Mavis alone. Devin watched them exit. He didn't need his merchant sense to pick up on what just happened. Whatever reasons Mavis was hiding was obviously for his ears only. "Alright, just us dear sister. Let's hear it. Based on the expression you let slip in your office, I'm guessing it's something you didn't want me to know about in the first place." "No. I told you it's just silly feelings that shouldn't interfere with business." "So it's about me? Not to sound self-centered but a lot of stronger feelings you have are usually about me." Mavis stopped preening. The soft murmur of voices and muffle of clinking glasses became audible as Mavis held the silence. I'm just scared you won't come back." "That's it? That's your big reason." "Pretty much." "I was torn between offering you a lucrative adventure and feeling responsible for you." "You know I'm an adult right?" Devin relaxed. "For crying out loud Mavis. Why must you be so melodramatic? Why didn't you just say that. You had me concerned it was some big thing." "I don't like anyone, especially you seeing me unsure of myself and vulnerable." "I don't know how you got it in your head but i would never think less of you." When you first moved in with us, I told myself I needed to be the big dependable older sister who you'd look up to and help you take flight." "So the real reason you check in with me all the time flying your routes, ?" "To make sure you're safe and checking if you need anything."I'm sorry I'm such a clingy, flirty big sister." "Why don't you find some male harpy." "Don't you even dare suggest such a thing. You're all I need." She fluttered her eyes at him and laughed. Devin wasn't sure if she was teasing him again or not. Either way, she was providing him with a chance at breaking well out of his norm. "If I'm successful, I'll have quite the tale to tell when I return." "Does that mean you'll say yes?!" "A tentative yes. There is still the issue about a new wagon. "We're back!" announced Azalea. "Are we interrupting?" "No, I only needed to clear up a few misconceptions. Where's Jeni?" replied Mavis. Reina placed two drinks in front of Devin. "She's downstairs filling out a membership form." "What's this? Two drinks we haven't tried yet?" Devin inquired while reaching for one of the glasses. "Yes! Compliments from us, life-mate!" "You and Reina, ?" "Uh-huh!" One was light, almost like water, with a wedge of lemon on the rim. The other was darker in color. Azlea had her hands together in barely suppressed, excited expectation. "Tart with a familiar sugariness. You made this, didn't you?" Devin asked Azalea after taking a sip. "I did. Do you like it? I actually did have to pee shortly after we left. Eeva suggested I try making the urineade as a surprise." "So this must be Reina's then." "Dark 'n' Uriney. I know you declined my first offer, maybe with some added ingredients you'll be more inclined to try it." Reina offered. "It's made from ginger beer and myself." "That aspect of your culture is important to you isn't it?" "It makes me happy to do all I can to share myself with you, in every way." "I thank you for thinking of me," he praised. He sipped to bitter draught. "It's flavorful. I still don't know if I could handle it raw." "I understand. Reina returned to her seat. "Have you finished making plans for our trip?" Azalea landed on the table and sipped Reina's drink. "Yes, are we going life-mate? To satisfy our craving for adventure and profit?" "Profit is only valuable if you're free and able to use it, and you, Reina; you hope to find your sister, don't you?" "Yes." "Mavis, this group we are going with, how many times have they, " "Spy? Sneak? Clandestinely infiltrate? This will be their fourth. They are made up of a mix of humans and demi-humans. I can't disclose which of their group is going till the day they leave." "So I guess we are all in agreement?" Devin questioned his ladies. "I would have tried to persuade you if you had said no, herd-mate." "Well, regardless, before any of that, we have to make a run to Merport to fulfill that order for Jeni. We should be ready in a week or two." Mavis stood up and responded to Devin, "That works! They need time to prepare, as do you, I'm sure. Since you are doing this in winter, it will be harder to get there, but since you have Reina, it should be doable. When you return from Merport, I'd like for you to come back and meet them." "I'll send a notice when we do." Mavis embraced both girls and Devin. "Thank you for doing this. Let's just hope this venture proves successful." Mavis led them down the stairs and toward the front entrance. At the doors, Jeni placed her stamp on a document and handed it to Sable. "This one has found the older sister Mavis' establishment's services to be conducive to relaxation and useful in social improvement and wishes to frequent this place." He lightly ruffled the feathers on her head. "I will be comforted to see you getting out of your lab more frequently." She happily pushed her head into his hand. Mavis held the door open. "We'll see you in two weeks then!" "I'll bring the coach around," offered Sable. Devin shook his foot, which had fallen asleep while they were seated. "Actually, if you don't mi

The Peddler & the Fairy: Part 6 Azalea helps with milking. In 10 parts, by Scholarly Mori. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. After dinner, Devin retired for the night. His footsteps faded up the stairs and left the girls alone with Ellyn and her father. Ellyn sat down after having finished cleaning up dinner, sewing kit in hand, and set to work mending some shirts. Without pausing, she asked Devin's ladies, "So, how'd you two enjoy your day on the farm?" "It was so much fun! I'm sad we can't stay longer," Azalea replied as she unbraided her hair for the night. [[MORE]] Reina sipped her after-dinner tea. "It was a most enjoyable experience. Thank you for your hospitality." "Glad you two enjoyed yourselves. Aside from Jyora's little show, things are normally quite boring around here." "She looked like she had a lot of fun," Azalea observed. Ellyn looked up at her comment, "I hope she did. I'm a bit concerned that maybe I teased her too much. I'll talk to her tomorrow and apologize if I got too familiar with her." "I'm sure she'll be fine. Maybe just the intuition of an old man, but I think she especially enjoyed the attention from you, Ellyn," Gylan countered. "You think she has feelings for me?" The husky farmer put his feet up on the table. After pulling out a knife and a block of wood, he started carving. "I believe she admires you, or at least looks up to you, though she might be experiencing more complicated feelings now." The candles flickered in their sconces as Ellyn mulled over her father's words. "What are you carving, grandpa Gylan?" inquired Azalea, snuggling against Reina. Gylan smiled at his new title. "A gift for you two." Suddenly sitting up, "Presents for us?!" Thank you!" What is it?" "I'll answer that before you leave tomorrow," he uttered, then went back to work. Azalea tried to pout, but traces of a smile kept leaking through. Gylan flicked some shavings off the table. "So, how's it been traveling with young Devin?" "Well, we actually haven't been with herd-mate very long. I've only been with him two days, and Azalea's been with him three," Reina offered. "Only that long? I got the impression you were together much longer. So you essentially just met?" "Yes. It's been so much fun! Both life-mate and Reina have been wonderful! I love them both very much!" gushed Azalea. "I'm glad to hear. He's very conscientious, though -- and this isn't meant to be an insult to either of you -- we are just a little surprised he has two companions," Gylan revealed. "What do you mean?" Reina quizzed. "Devin does very well for himself, but being a merchant means always chasing after profit, and sometimes profit is elusive. You might have noticed your meals have been fairly basic. Or how worn his wagon and personal belongings are?" Gylan pointed out. "I hadn't really paid attention to herd-mate's lifestyle," replied Reina with contemplation. "Neither have I," admitted Azalea. Ellyn put down her sewing and interjected, "We tell you this not to make you feel bad but to make you aware of the situation he's in. The life of a merchant is hard. Business is good while the weather stays amicable, but come winter unless you are desperate or reckless, money gets tight. We were Devin's first customers when he started out. He's become somewhat of an extended family member to everyone. Every time he visits, we try to give him a little extra in the way of food or other things he might need or be able to sell." "Do you have any suggestions on how we can help herd-mate?" "Unfortunately, no, but just doing little things and emotional support never hurts. I was glad to see you were pulling the wagon, Reina. I don't have any spare horses to lend, and the current one doesn't look like she'd last through the winter if he kept her working that hard," advanced Gylan. Ellyn leaned over the table and took both of the girl's hands. "I'm so very glad he met you two. We can worry less about him knowing he's not alone out on the road." The girls squeezed Ellyn's hand in return. "Reina and I are dedicated life-mates. I swear upon my love crest we'll look after him." "Seeing how you three interact together, I have no doubt." Ellyn yawned suddenly. "It's getting late, and I have to be up early. We should probably head to bed." ---- That night, amidst the chittering of crickets and creaking of the barn, Jyora laid on her cot, thinking back on the events of the day.'I can't believe I did that. To think I was aroused enough to let, no, want Ellyn to do those things to me, and in front of people, no less.' The thought of Ellyn's eyes and fingers roaming over her body caused a small tingle in her belly. Her fingers drifted down between her legs.'I wonder if she'd do it again? She sighed.'I never used to be interested in this sort of thing when I lived at home or during my time at the academy.' Jyora had grown up far to the north of the capital in a patch of forest considered ancient, even by old growth standards. She was never very outgoing and preferred to have her nose in a book. Some of her peers would have described her as unsocial, but she didn't mind. At the time, learning was more interesting than anything. When she was old enough to attend the academy, all her previous book learning had borne fruit as she excelled in all her classes. She bit her lip as she inserted a finger, stirring her insides to make room for a second.'If I hadn't checked the job listings board on the school grounds a year ago and saw that request for a small farm near Iceford looking for a mage to test their demi-humans for magic affinity and possibly some basic training; I probably would have been mentoring a senior crestologist right now.' It had looked like an easy enough job, and it was. Mr. Kiveläson's farm wasn't a bad place for her first internship. Gylan and his daughter had been quite happy at the revelation of several of their farmhands possessing affinity and that crests existed to boost milk and wool production. She curled her fingers, searching for her favorite spot. Her time on the farm had let her observe many things: particularly how the farmhands interacted and flirted. This stirred a small corner of her heart to wonder what it was like to be desired. She considered herself very average. She didn't have the energetic vibrancy of an athletic body or the soft sensual curves of natural beauty. Did others find her attractive? That particular night, before Gylan had asked her to start testing the farmhands for affinity, a thought popped into her head. As she reviewed her notes, she flipped through to the sheet she used as a reference for infrequently-used, miscellaneous crests. Her finger meandered through her listed definitions, stopping at the gaze crest. She didn't know much about it, except it was a crest with very little practical application. The only info she had written was that it made the user tingle when someone looked lustfully at them. She had weighed the pros and cons of using it on herself. Its effects wouldn't be a permanent thing, and her curiosity grew the more she wondered if anyone ever looked at her in that way. Throwing caution to the wind, she drew it. It had been simple enough and had barely taken any time, but it was tricky drawing upside down. It was the first time she had applied a crest for personal use, and the novelty was exciting. She'd infused a bit of magic to put it into the 'active' state. That night, she almost didn't sleep, wondering what would happen the next day. Eventually, sleep did find her, and she drifted off. That next morning, she had forgotten about the crest, dressed, and went to search for Gylan. "When she was halfway across the yard, an unexpected vibration startled her. Remembering the crest, she thought it was going to be a slight tingle, but the significant buzz was making her legs weak. It was impossible to tell who triggered the magic effect. It could have been any of the demi-humans who were busy going about their tasks outside. A simple stare or quick glance from anyone was all it took. She never figured out who it was, but from then on, she ventured further into exploring this new hobby. Jyora went so far as to forgo undergarments since she often ended up soaking them. Her intense orgasm brought her back to the present. Her back arched as it washed over her. Her vagina quivered as she fingered the last pleasant waves from her tired body. 'When did I become such a licentious girl?' was her last thought as she fell asleep. ------- Azalea shifted uncomfortably in her bed. Contrary to her wishes, her body was demanding immediate attention for her full bladder. Begrudgingly, she got up and left the warmth of Devin's nethers. Throwing her clothes on, she wondered how she would get to the outhouse behind the lodge. As she exited the bedroom, she spied Ellyn walking out onto the porch. She zipped to the door and exited just before it slammed closed. Azalea was curious where Ellyn was going so early in the morning. Through the chill mist she saw the redhead approach two figures leaning against the milking barn wall opposite the outhouse. Finding a way to kill two birds with one stone, she dove into a nearby bush and listened in while she watered the plant. "Good morning Ailean, Erinnah!" "Mornin," mumbled the sleepy sheepman. "Good morning, Ellyn." Erinnah yawned. "Sorry to call you two out so early." "It's no problem. We're always happy to help. Though, some are more eager to help than others." Erinnah pulled her hand out of her brother's pants, "see?" Sticky strands of precum glinted between her fingers. "I edged him last night to activate his glyph, but I might have overdone it. He couldn't fall asleep, but after some of my milk, he finally relaxed." Gingerly massaging her milk-laden breasts, Erinnah added, "I can't wait to relieve some of this pressure. Also, it's freezing!" She wrapped her cloak closer about her and motioned to the barn door. "Shall we?" Ellyn opened the barn door and ushered the two inside. Azalea, having thoroughly drenched the plant, poked her head out of the bush, doubly curious about what was going on. "Good morning, Ellyn!" Ellyn turned to see Azalea hovering right outside the door. "Oh, good morning, Azalea. Everything alright?" "Everything's fine, I had to pee, and I saw you three and was curious what was going on." "We are going to milk Ailean for Devin's customer's order." "You are? Can I watch?" Ellyn ducked her head in the door. "Ailean, do you mind if Azalea joins us?" Upon Ailean's assent, Ellyn invited Azalea, and the four entered the barn, headed to the two middle stalls Cyna & Ryna had occupied yesterday. Ailean started to undress while Erinnah hung her cloak by the door and went to choose her toy. "Hey, Ellyn, what size do you think Devin is?" Erinnah called from across the room. "I know!" Azalea raised her hand as she flew over. Examining the selection, she compared a few next to her body. "He's about this big," she claimed, handing Erinnah a medium-sized toy. "Thank you, Azalea. I was curious what a human his size felt like. I met Priscilla in the hallway last night and she said it was a tight fit." "Maybe you'd like to try the real thing. I can ask him. I'm sure life-mate wouldn't say no to such a beautiful cunt as yours. Even if he did, I can be pretty persuasive," she aired with a wink. "That's very sweet, but we agreed next time he visited." "Can I be there when you two do it?" "If you want." Erinnah crossed the barn and entered the stall next to where Ailean was standing naked. "Oh, Azalea, I should introduce you. This is Ailean, my younger brother." "Nice to meet you! Thank you for letting me watch!" Ailean nodded. Erinnah brushed her hair behind her ear. "He's not much of a talker, and he gets a bit timid during milking." "That's alright. Oh! And since you're letting me see yours, I'll show you mine!" Azalea stated giddily, then lifted her dress and made a little pose. Erinnah asserted, "Well, aren't you lucky, Ailean! Not every day a fairy offers a view of her intimates. Look how smooth her tummy is; and luscious thighs! They look delicious, don't they?" Azalea floated over, stopping right in front of Ailean's face. She put her fingers together in a heart shape around her vulva. "Give my life-mate lots and lots of cum, and maybe I'll reward you with a sweet treat, ok?" she teased, smiling innocently. "Do your best little brother. Sounds like a win-win!" She encouraged as she climbed aboard the table. Ellyn set up the machine and lifted Erinnah's tail out of the way as the sheeplady scooted back. With a jerk and shudder, the machine came to life, introducing the foreign shape to Erinnah's depths. Erinnah sucked in her breath.'Definitely a snug fit.'. Tiny thrills coursed through her body, kickstarting her crest. Beginning with slow, steady pulses, the glow brightened until it glimmered strongly beneath her. Lowering her breasts through the holes in the table, she guided them into the glass cups, feeling the seal form. Then she hummed in pleasure as the first couple of tugs caused small beads of milk to appear. Each tug teased out a micro orgasm as the liquid was forcefully drawn from her dark nipples. Droplets turned to spurts, and before long, rich, frothy milk splashed into the container below. Once Erinnah was settled and moaning softly, Ellyn threw a blanket over her woolless body. "Aight, time for a different kind of milkin'. You can be my assistant this morning, Azalea." "I can?!" "Yes, I'll need you to help me carry some things." Ellyn led the way to a workbench. "Ok, Azalea, grab that bar of soap and that vial of lube next to it.; oh, and some of those rags over there." While Azalea flew off to accomplish her task, Ellyn filled a pail with water from a nearby barrel and grabbed several phials of varying sizes. Together, they entered Ailean's stall. Azalea had never seen a naked sheepman before. He stood slightly hunched over. Long bangs covered his eyes, and a bell clanged softly around his neck. Similar to his sister, he had two fuzzy ears below a pair of curled but grander set of horns adorning the sides of his head. His wool was soft and dense, having had the summer and autumn to grow thick and warm for the winter. It made him look more cuddly than the sinewy and more muscular satyrs. Most noticeable, though, and of much interest to the curious fairy, was the bright purplish-red glyph below his belly button. She had seen pictures of them in books, but this was her first time seeing one like this in person. As Ellyn laid out the equipment, Ailean climbed atop the table, his large balls swinging heavily as he aimed his sheath through the small hole. Erinnah saw Azalea gawking. "Big, aren't they? He's the only male in the valley to have magic affinity," she boasted. "Nothing looks little about them! Is that the glyph's doing?" "Yes, this process increases their size, marginally," interrupted a familiar voice. Their morning activity had disturbed Jyora. She was standing at the banister, looking down groggily from the loft, her hair unkempt. Alighting on the floor, she adjusted her glasses. "How is he, Erinnah?" "Extremely horny and probably feeling very full. He wanted to raise the glyph's potency to the highest level, but I argued against it. After some debate, we settled on stage three." "I think even that was too much. It's only been half a year, and his body isn't used to that level of demand just yet." Jyora scolded, squeezing his tender balls and eliciting a groan from Ailean. Azalea listened intently but appeared oblivious. Jyora sighed and started caressing the oversized sheep testicles as if in apology. "We are talking about his glyph, Azalea. You are already aware that modifying the substructure of a crest or glyph changes what it does, correct?" "Yes." "This is the hyperspermia glyph. It was designed specifically to aid the body to rapidly produce pre-ejaculate and increase quantities of semen in a short amount of time by enhancing the testicles, prostate, seminal vesicles, and cowper's gland." Azalea joined Jyora. She hefted Ailean's swollen sack, which appeared even larger in her tiny hands. "They sure are heavy. Must be a lot inside." An intricate pattern ran vertically from the main body of the glyph down to the underside of his scrotum. She traced her thumbs over the patterns, memorizing every detail. "His body is working hard to produce three times the ejaculation he'd normally have." Azalea's heart fluttered. She salivated at the thought of so much yummy cum.'I wonder what he tastes like!' She nuzzled her cheek against a prominent vein. His heartbeat, working hard to supply the extra blood to create all the tasty cream inside, felt strong.'I wonder if Ellyn will let me try some?' Jyora stepped back and leaned against the wall. "All crests and glyphs have some kind of cost or side effects, as I'm sure you well know given the very interesting crests you flashed me yesterday." "And I intend to add more in the future," Azalea exclaimed proudly. Jyora cocked an eyebrow. "The hyperspermia glyph, in particular, is complex and has varying side effects. It's a four-tier glyph, meaning the amount of affinity, up to four times normally used, will yield greater results. In simpler terms: more affinity, more semen." Azalea wrapped her arms around the enlarged orbs. Her cunt moistened as she inhaled his musky male scent. Ellyn pulled Jyora to her, almost knocking her off balance. She rested her substantial chest on top of the reserved squirrel mage's head. Jyora cleared her throat. "Tier one generates slightly above normal semen volumes, with the expenditure being akin to a vigorous sex session. Tier two will produce double the amount, and the user will feel exhausted. At tier three, he feels faint and might pass out. Tier four; well, I have not seen it used personally, but I heard it's used only with those of exceptional stamina and abnormally high libido. For everyone else, it's too much strain on the body and starts yielding diminishing returns." Azalea protectively hugged his balls. "You said his body isn't used to it. Is he going to be ok?" "He'll be fine. Most males wake up after a few hours, but he might feel a bit 'hollowed-out' afterward. At least, that's how some describe it. There is one additional cost I didn't mention. Each tier increases replenishment time by a week." "So; since he's using tier three, he won't be able to cum for three weeks?!" "Correct. He'll be able to orgasm, but they will all be dry." Erinnah held her brother's hand. "It's not bad. He'll be able to safely have fun with any of the girls when they are not being milked. Isn't that right? Oh, but wait, you only have eyes for a particular girl, don't you? One who you think has no clue she knows how you look at her. Or that you like to stealthily rub your penis between her thighs at night." Erinnah brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why do you think I sleep naked most of the time, little brother? You don't have to be so shy. I'm well aware of you sneaking some fun time when I'm being milked, and you think I might be too horny to notice the feel of my brother's penis. You should properly come out and say it. 'Big sister, I want to bend you over, grab your horns, and plow you hard and fast for hours till your legs give out.'" Ellyn laughed. "Erinnah, rubbing your clit so frantically is making me think you should have taken the initiative instead." "I was giving him the honor, but I don't mind taking the reins," Errinah retorted. "Azalea, when you're done cuddling his balls, can you get him fully erect for me, please?" "Yes, Ellyn!" She saluted eagerly, then zipped underneath the table where Ellyn had placed a tall stool for her to stand on. With experienced hands, she peeled back a bit of his sheath, coaxing the tip out of hiding with a few flirtatious licks. With her fingers encircling the tapered head, she planted kisses around the crown before feeding a generous amount into her mouth. 'The tip oddly reminds me of a scorpion girl's tail.' She swirled her tongue a few times against it. 'Or maybe more similar to a wolfman's penis, except not as blunt.' Azalea noisily slurped the growing member. 'Oh? What's this? Precum already? I haven't even gotten started!' She sucked a bit onto her tongue. 'I can never get enough of this texture. So smooth and syrupy!' She tilted her head back and pushed the tip to the back of her throat. Taking a deep breath, she pushed forward, triumphantly ignoring her gag reflex. She swallowed both to help ease more in as well as to massage his shaft. Her body shivered as she reveled in her throat's fullness. It was so rare to find someone she could deepthroat. The last time was a male fairy many years ago, but his size was nothing compared to this. Out of all of Azalea's kinks, being used like a sex toy was highest on her list. This was second only to maybe being used as a cumdump -- a vessel for males to deposit their seed until she was stuffed and oozing from every hole. She wanted nothing more than to have her belly pumped full of thick morning cream, but she was quickly running out of oxygen, and Ailean's cream was already claimed by another. Reluctantly, she sloppily extracted his manhood, and long, gooey strands of saliva and precum spanned the gap before she pulled them into her mouth. "Ellyn, he's rea, " Her voice trailed off as she saw Errinah, Ellyn, and even Jyora looking at her wide-eyed. "What? Did I do something wrong?" "Not at all! I think we were just a little surprised and impressed at how much penis someone your size could take." "It's been a long time since I've done that. One day, I'll be stretchy enough for my life-mate to fill me up!" she announced proudly. "I'm sure that will feel wonderful for both of you," Ellyn assured. Crouching down beside Azalea, she explained, "Now, we clean him a bit with some soapy water to make sure we collect a clean product." Soon after, she handed Azalea two glass vials. "I want you to fill these with precum." "Will do!" With glee, Azalea set to work mashing out the clear, slippery liquid until the first vial was full. After handing it to Ellyn, she worked the shaft until the second vial was half full. "Looks like he's about dry, Ellyn." "Let's see. I'd guess about twelve milliliters." "What's normal?" asked Azalea, sucking some off her fingers. "About four." Azalea looked away, trying to avoid the temptation of the erotic liquid. "Now what?" Jyora placed a vial on the stool. "Now for the actual milking. Ellyn, " "Yes, Jyora?" "I would suggest a slow, manual milking at first. His seminal vesicles will be very full, and I'm concerned his body isn't trained enough to suddenly release so much, right away, through a normal orgasm," Jyora clarified. "Sure thing." She scratched Ailean's ears as she whispered to him, "This will be a bit different than what you're used to, but you might end up liking it." She trailed her fingers seductively down his side while moving behind him. A large dollop of lube was applied to Ailean's puckered hole, causing it to clench nervously. "Don't worry! Some guys really like it when I do this." She gently massaged her way inside. Ailean grunted as her middle finger glided over her target, a telltale bump on the front wall of his rectum. Her slender digit circled the bulge several times. She purred, "This spot right here is going to get my extra special attention today." Azalea peeked from under the table. "Can I feel?" "Sure you can." Ellyn held out her hand for Azalea to land on so she'd have some leverage. While holding out a wooden bowl, she pointed out, "This is a special lube we order, made from the secretions of the kelp-girls in the coastal city of Merport." "That explains why it smells a little fishy." Her much smaller hand coated, Azalea wiggled it inside. "What am I feeling for? "It's a large bump toward the bottom with a slight groove down the center." Ailean stifled a moan as his anus quivered around Azalea's wrist. "It's very delicate, so please be gentle." "I think I found it!" Azalea giggled, prodding the squishy gland. "Try reaching farther in and press downward as you pull your hand back." Azalea did as Ellyn told her, pressing and kneading until the sheepman was squirming and panting for relief. After several minutes of that, she withdrew her hand. "This is more tiring than it looks." "It's probably a bit more effort for someone your size. You want to go back to holding the jar?" "Yes, please," Azalea acknowledged. She took an offered washcloth to wash her hand and then reclaimed her place on the stool. "Alright, Azalea. Don't be surprised if he loses his erection. You might also see a bit more precum before the milkier fluids." Ellyn reapplied lube to her fingers and inserted her index fingers into Ailean's loosened tailhole. Crooking her fingers, she pushed down and pulled back, spreading and loosening her fingers in a steady rhythm around the edges of his prostate. Azalea re-adjusted her grip several times as Ailean's erection diminished. An idea flashed through her mind. She flew to a table against the wall, grabbed a small stack of clean rags, and folded them several times. Once back at her stool, she placed the rags behind her. Like that, she could lean back and grip his fully-flaccid penis in a body hug, nestling his shaft between her breasts and on top of her belly, placing her directly under the slick cock. Wrapping her legs around the jar, she pulled it snug against her ass. Azalea wasn't sure if this reverse boobjob would feel good, but she was going to do her; breast! She smiled at her own cleverness. 'Life-mate would definitely groan at such a bad pun. I'll have to be sure to use it in the future.' For nearly an hour, sister and brother filled the barn with their duet of pleasure as they were milked. Erinnah was working toward filling her third jar. The pressure in her breasts had greatly diminished, but in its place was a constant tingle that kept her aroused. Those and the painfully delicious slowness of the dildo kept her just on the edge. Coating her fingers in her juices, she sucked on them naughtily as she watched her brother. His penis was cradled against Azalea's cuddly fairy body. "Look's like you coaxed enough out of him to cover the bottom of the phial. Ellyn?" Ellyn paused her efforts. "How's that, Jyora?" Jyora looked underneath the table. "That should be adequate. He can cum if he wishes." "Are you ready for some relief, Ailean?" Ellyn asked. She cupped his aching balls and massaged them with her free hand, tugging them in a steady rhythm. "He should be about ready, Azalea." Ailean wasn't so sure. He suddenly had a strong urge to pee. Since the source of his pleasure was so close to his bladder, he mistook the sensation for his impending orgasm. He cried out in surprise as his body jerked stiffly. Being used to penile pleasure, he was unprepared for the full-body spasm that radiated out through his torso, arms, legs, and of course his penis. Each pulse made his vision blur. Azalea steadied her grip as the sheepman shuddered, expecting cum to spurt out like usual. Instead, she frowned in disappointment with the result. "Jyora, is this normal? It's coming out really slowly." Jyora peeked under the table. "Yes. Some guys don't even ejaculate with this type of orgasm since it's focused on a different pleasure center. I suggest you assist him if you want to get it all out." Azalea grasped his shaft with both hands, doing her best to milk between each spasm. While the intensity was underwhelming, Ailean's volume was not. Azalea's disappointment turned to delight when he showed no sign of stopping. Minutes passed with the sheepman trapped in a loop of euphoria. He laid there gasping for air between each convulsion as the two girls drained him for more than he was normally worth. The phial was just nearly overfull when his balls were finally spent. Exhausted more than he'd ever felt, he lingered just on the verge of fainting. Azalea carefully removed his penis from the glass and licked the ejaculate-smeared tip clean. Handing it to Jyora, she corked the top and inspected their results. "Good, thick consistency; a healthy white coloring; adequate amount, i'd guess around twenty milliliters -- a successful milking." Ellyn patted Ailean for a job well done and set about cleaning up. Azalea, hoping for another taste, managed to suckle a small mouthful as she licked his glans clean. She hadn't forgotten her promise of rewarding Ailean for his effort and had an idea. "Can you roll him over, Ellyn?" With some effort, Ellyn and Jyora managed to get the limp sheepman onto his back. "Jyora, can you catch me if I fall?" "Ya; what are you going to, " Azalea dropped her dress, flew up, and sat on Ailean's mouth. Parting his lips with her hands, she masturbated, activating her crest. Stunned, Jyora asked, "Is that the siphon crest? Are you going to do what I think you are?" "Yep! He's earned something yummy, and I want to make him feel a little better." Azalea, thoroughly wet from having rubbed her cunt on the glass during the milking, wasted no time digging her fingers into her honey pot. Sweet drops fell onto Ailean's tongue, prompting him to start lapping directly from the source. Azalea was used to being played with by a certain life-mate's tongue, so she greedily humped her hips as he lapped the delicious liquid. Jyora moved closer. "Have you done this before?" "Yes!" She passionately shouted. "Sorry, I mean, yes, once, but I learned my lesson not to overdo it." Jyora bent down to get a closer view. "I've never seen someone actually use this crest, so I'm quite intrigued to see it in action." Azalea looked back over her shoulder at the barely conscious sheepman. "Open wide! Here's your reward!" With a few impassioned flicks of her clit, she went over the edge while her crest pulsed erratically. A light in her abdomen grew rapidly as her belly expanded slightly. Biting her lip, she doubled over as she came. She clutched her stomach as the light in her abdomen lessened. Where their skin met, the light flowed from her body to Ailean's, infusing energy into his weakened form. At the same time, a gush of highly-concentrated fairy cum squirted into Ailean's mouth. Azalea reached out for something to steady herself, finding Jyora's hand already there, just in case. Jyora scooped Azalea into her hands. "Are you ok?" "Yes, I needed that. Just a little lightheaded." "Fascinating. It looked like a direct transfer of energy -- not from your ejaculate, but directly from your core." "If you say so. I don't know how it works. Just, when I cum, my physical energy transfers to whoever I'm touching when I orgasm. I hope it helped Ailean a little." Feeling somewhat rejuvenated, Ailean sat up. He took Azalea from Jyora, cradling her while patting her head. "I'll be right back," Jyora suddenly announced, excusing herself out of the barn. "Well, little brother, quite the eventful morning, eh?" Erinnah got down off the milking table and stretched. "I feel three-and-a-half jars lighter. Ellyn, I know you have things to do this morning. Let me finish cleaning up." "Alright. Thanks, Erinnah." Ellyn placed the siblings' milk in a basket and exited the barn. The sun was just peeking above the mountains, burning off the the lingering mist. It was still cold but less bone-chilling. Stopping in front of the well, she removed her shirt and let the sun's rays splash across her body. Then she hauled up a bucket of water and gave her face a quick splash. Droplets trickled down to her nipples, causing them to stiffen. Nearby, a door closed, followed by the sound of boots on wood. Devin descended the lodge stairs, pausing midstep to notice Ellyn's topless state. "Uh, good morning, Ellyn." "Mornin Devin." Devin averted his eyes. "Don't need to act so shy. You can look all you want. They aren't good for much else if there's no milk in 'em. We just finished milkin'. Here's your order." She held up the basket. "Thank you for all your hard work." "We had a good milking session. Ailean put in a lot more effort today, so your alchemist friend should be quite happy." "I'm sure she will. Have you seen the girls this morning?" "I haven't seen Reina, but Azalea was help'n us with the milking." "I bet she had fun." "She did. She's resting up with Ailean and Erinnah." Ellyn replied while pointing to the barn. "I'm gonna go find your father and help him load up the wagon." "Sounds good, but before you do, might I suggest you peek around the side of the storage shed? I think I heard something interesting going on." With that, she ascended the stairs and into the lodge. Devin watched her go. Turning his attention to the smaller storage shed, he seemed to hear the sound of heavy breathing. He quietly walked over and peered around the corner. On a stack of old burlap sacks sat Jyora, eyes closed, legs splayed. From her profile and her wings, he couldn't see what she was doing but had a very good idea. His gaze lingered over her body. Forgetting that certain intentions, imagined or otherwise, would activate her crest, his thoughts of what her cunt would feel like awakened her mark. That caused familiar but sudden vibrations to ripple through her already sensitive vagina. She squeeked and clenched her knees together; her eyes flying open to search for the cause. When her gaze alit on Devin, they both stared motionless at one another. "Uh, Jyora, hi." He paused. "Ellyn said I should take a look at something back here and, " Her eyes narrowed. Thinking she was mad, he was about to apologize when, instead of scolding him or trying to hide herself, she twisted her body, offering a full frontal view. Her cunt was indeed drippy and swollen. It was stuffed with some kind of whitish-tan phallic-shaped object. "Since you activated my crest, I take it you wish to watch, Mr. Ebonplume?" "Sorry, it was kinda unintentional. Are you comfortable with me being here?" "You've already seen me naked, and after yesterday, I noticed I become more aroused when someone is watching, so you may stay." As she resumed her masturbation, wet squelches and labored panting seemed all the louder in the still air. Devin walked forward and squatted down, enjoying how the cute mage's self-pleasuring caused her perky breasts to bounce. She groaned, clutching her belly. "Your proximity; crest; very strong; cramping," she stammered. "Oh? Sorry." Devin took a few steps back. Relaxing, Jyora pulled the sodden object out and held it up. It appeared to be a very large mushroom with a smooth shaft, thin head, and two bulbous protrusions at the base. "The strength of the vibrations usually isn't a problem, but," she squeezed the spongy shaft, demonstrating it wasn't as rigid as it looked, "I'm not used to the thickness of this Matango spore just yet, " "I think I've heard the word Matango before. They are a plant demi-human if I recall." "A common belief, but an incorrect one: they are fungi demi-humans. Unlike plant demi-humans who receive their nutrients from the sun, Matango receive theirs from a fibrous underground network. They live in colonies in the more shaded and damp parts of the forest. When they are ready to reproduce, they mate via their mycelium network, resulting in this mushroom." "I should correct myself in that this isn't the spore itself; they are stored in these pouches at the base." She fondled the ball-like protuberances. "My kind has a long history of mutual co-dependence with them. In exchange for cultivated edible mushrooms, we assist in spreading their spores to new locations or other colonies since they are unable to move. They germinate optimally in dark, warm, wet environments." Jyora emphasized. She caressed her tummy thoughtfully, staring hard at Devin's pants as if trying to see through them. "Do you find me attractive, Mr. Ebonplume?" she asked suddenly. Devin had a strong sense of deja vu. "I think you're a lovely young woman." He said neutrally, unsure where this line of inquiry was headed. "Lately, whenever a girl asked me that, they propositioned me shortly thereafter." Jyora smirked, looking him up and down. "You seem like a dependable person, and your girls seem quite attached to you, but you're not my type. The reason I ask is I'm curious if you are needing release. Also, you might be aware my profession involves; handling a lot of male demi-humans, but I rarely have the opportunity to see a human up close." Devin dropped his pants, his penis saluting her cuteness. "You are certainly eager. Just a moment." She squatted, placing the base of the mushroom on the ground. Her folds dripped hungrily as she worked it back into her cunt. "Come here," she commanded. Not one to argue, he stepped forward. She whimpered as her vagina was once again inundated with pleasure and some cramping. Massaging her belly with one to lessen the effects, she gripped Devin's penis with the other and gave a few test pumps. "I'm always amused how a human penis looks similar to a mushroom." She gave a long, slow lick from base to tip. "Does your semen taste like one, I wonder?" Swirling her tongue around his glans once, she suckled the tip. Devin looked for a place to put his hands. "Do you mind if I touch your ears?" Jyora shook her head. "They are so cute," he mused, tenderly caressing and scratching them. Despite her flushed face, she blushed. Replying with mews and melting further into his hand, she felt the need to justify it, "What? A lot of demi-humans can't help it when you touch our ears like that." She pushed the end of his penis against the silky smoothness of her inner cheek. Unfortunately, she did not possess the chubby cheeks you'd expect in a squirrel-girl, but that didn't stop her from making full use of what she did have. She bobbed up and down; her calm, serene, almost-bored, brown eyes fixated upon him. She let him guide her head where he wanted as she fully seated herself, once more, on the mushroom. Her orgasm had been nearly there before Devin interrupted. Increasing her pace, she slammed her hips harder and faster. Before long, she smashed down one final time, impaling herself literally balls deep. She clenched and squeezed the base, manually ejaculating the Matango seed deep into her womb as she silently shuddered her climax. Pulling off Devin, she squeezed out any remnant and then collapsed onto her back. There, rubbing her belly and looking satisfied with herself, she grunted, "I don't normally orgasm that hard when I do this." Jyora took a moment to collect herself, then tossed the now-spent mushroom away. She shakily got up and knelt in front of Devin and admired his penis glistening with her saliva. She wasted no time picking up where she left off, stuffing him back into her mouth. Bending over her head, he thrust rapidly into her small mouth until he felt the pressure building. "I'm going to cum" he announced, then gripped her head and filled her mouth. She coughed once but managed to retain it all, carefully opening her mouth to show him. "You don't have to swall, " She gulped it down, mulling over the flavor. "An acceptable taste and it does vaguely remind me of the bitterness of mushrooms. Thank you for letting me taste your seed. I hope you also received satisfaction." "I did, you were too cute not too." Jyora looked away, trying to hide her happiness from the compliment. "So, um, how many times have you spread spores?" "This is my fifth time -- twice before joining the academy and three times since my internship here. It was about four months ago that I caught the scent of mushrooms. I followed it to a small colony." She waved her hand in an easterly direction. "A satisfactory mutual exchange was reached." She held up a basket of mushrooms near her that Devin failed to notice earlier. "How long before you; plant them?" She rubbed her belly, feeling the last of the crest vibrations fade away. "About three or four days. I'll find a suitable environment some distance away where they can put down their mycelium." "Do you, I don't know, form some kind of attachment to them; like a mother?" "No. They are already fertilized by their parents. I'm just an incubator." "That's very generous of you." She grabbed a mushroom from her basket and nibbled on it. "I like all mushrooms," she stated matter of factly. With a coy smile, she added, "Though, I might have found an especially flavorful one." "I noticed you don't have a glyph and are sharing a crest with Azalea." "I am." "So you don't possess affinity?" "Azalea says I do, but I don't know how to use it." "Would you like to learn?" "Do you have time to teach me?" he asked curiously. "Not anything in depth and I don't have my measuring tools to test your volume. I'll just tell you the quick basics and write you some additional notes for you before you leave. Females have larger affinity pools, and without outside assistance, take roughly a full twenty-four hours to replenish. Males have a smaller pool and take roughly half the time. It was originally thought that after you depleted your supply, you'd have to wait the full time span to regain it, but impatience and industrious minds found an alternative." "As a merchant, I'm sure you're well aware of the different products that mages buy to get around the time restraint." "I do. If you're talking about six grades of tinctures. The lesser graded ones are hard to find and don't sell very well." "That's because the higher grade ones are the most effective. Grade one contains affinity collected from filtered sweat. Because it contains the least affinity, it's mostly ignored unless there's an emergency or extreme poverty. There are some who have a fetish for the unfiltered variety, though. Grade two is from saliva -- not much better due to low volume, though there are exceptions if collected from lamia or bee girls. Urine is grade three. It's readily available in large quantities, easily filtered, leaving a more concentrated form, but still, it's not the best since it only contains residual affinity." "Male precum and female lubricant are grade four. They're very concentrated compared to the others. At grade five -- milk, and maybe not so oddly, honey, also from bee-girls, as well as pollen and nectar from plant-girls contain the second-highest density. Lastly, the most popular and containing the highest density is male semen and female ejaculate. Its processed form has become a staple used by nearly all mages. ----- Several hours later. Gylan was just about finished loading crates and securing them with rope in the back of the wagon. Devin had finished switching out the old mare's tack and harness for one that fit Reina and remarked, "She'll have a wonderful retirement here." Gylan took the lead. "That she will, m'boy." Patting the old horse's muzzle. Azalea was sitting on the edge of the driver's seat, kicking her legs. "Hey, everyone! Come to see us off?" The three satyr sisters -- Cyna, Ryna, Iryna -- along with Ellyn, Jyora, and surprisingly, Priscilla walked up. "We did." Iryna wrapped her arms over Devin's shoulders and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "This is from the four of us. Something to drink on your trip." She placed a basket of four bottles of milk in his arms. Next to say goodbye was Cyna. She pounced on him, giving him a tight squeeze. "Don't forget our promise!" She grabbed his hand and placed it on her bare mound. "I'll be wet and waiting, so let's play next time you visit! You too, Azalea!" "We most definitely will!" Ryna, more calmly than her sister, embraced Devin from behind, squishing her large chest against him. "I wouldn't mind some play time, as well, or a personal milking session," she whispered. While the sisters were giving good-bye hugs to Reina & Azalea Jyora shuffled up and handed Devon a few scraps of paper. "Some instructions to get you started. You are one of the more agreeable humans I've come to know. I don't know if we'll ever meet again, but if you are ever in the capital, you can find me at the academy's research department." "We'll be sure to stop by and say hi." "Also, here!" She pushed a small covered basket of mushrooms into Devin's hands. "Oh! Thank you. I'll cook these up tonight." Priscilla stepped up next, arms folded. No longer the pleasure drunk girl she was in the barn. She came across a bit prissy. "Your mating performance was adequate. Here." She shoved a pink handkerchief into his hands. "For you, and a flower band for each of your girls." Ellyn grabbed her from behind. Locking her in a hug, kissing the top of her head. "That's her way of saying she likes you. You made her feel really good, and she'd probably like to experience it again." Priscilla turned several shades of red at being read so accurately and looked away. "That's not what I'm saying at all!" She pouted. "But, but I wouldn't say no if you wanted to -- only because it helps when I get sheared and not because I like it, you understand!" Devin smiled knowingly. "I understand. It was nice to meet you." She folded her arms and turned her nose up haughtily. Despite herself, a brief smile crossed her lips before she caught herself and resumed her prideful visage. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here is my present for you girls." Gylan handed Reina and Azalea two carvings. Only the barest hint of a likeness was seen in each. "They are you. I know it doesn't look like much. We have a small superstition -- no, maybe it's more accurate to say custom: give a partially-done carving to someone to make sure they come back safe, and upon their next visit, I'll carve more detail into it." Reina bowed her head. "That's very sweet. We'll definitely bring them back to be worked on." Azalea flew over and hugged the old farmer. "Thank you, grandpa Gylan!" The last to say goodbye was Ellyn. She hugged each of them in turn. "We enjoyed having you all stay with us! We love you! Safe travels." Devin climbed aboard the wagon. "Take care, all." With a jerk and a shudder, the wagon began to move. Imparting a final wave goodbye, the trio set off to the grand manufacturing city of Iceford. To be continued in part 7, by Scholarly Mori for Literotica.

Morning Glory Host Matty Johns joins the Run Home with Joel and Missile to talk his podcast, the week in NRL, American Idol and more! 00:00 Patting his parrot at the podcast 01:30 Shannon Noll on the Backstage Podcast 03:00 Guy Sebastian winning American Idol 06:00 Mark Burnett on Survivor 07:00 Trish Johns injury update 07:40 Storm vs Broncos tonight 09:30 Kevin Walters on playing without Payne Haas 10:30 Panthers losing the number 7 14:15 Pressure on Brad Arthur 16:30 Penrtih fatiguing the opposition 18:00 Ricky lighting fire at Raiders 19:30 Thoughts on DCE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, — Galatians 4:16-18 CALL OUT: I want to give a shout-out to Alan Cox from Napa, CA. Thanks for supporting the ministry, brother! If you have a friend who is about to make a mistake, and you know a truth that could help them avoid it, do you typically intervene? Some will and some won't. It all depends on two factors: the depth of the relationship and how much damage it might do. If you have a deep relationship with them, you will probably intervene. If their decision could do a lot of damage, you will also be more inclined to intervene. Ultimately, the decision depends on how much you know and care about this person's future. Telling them the truth is hard when you know it might sting. It's uncomfortable and scary, but it's often the most caring thing to do. By telling the truth, you demonstrate how much you care about their future well-being, even if it means having a difficult conversation. In the end, the decision is theirs. They may heed your advice, or they may not. Some might take offense and perceive you as an enemy because you told them the truth. This is precisely what Paul is concerned about here. But this is where faith comes in. All you can do is speak up, share the truth in love, and let God own the outcome. If you do this, you have done your part. Then get out of the way of God and let God work, even if you feel like, for a season, the relationship is in disrepair. Remember, the truth always wins because God's good purposes always prevail. #TruthInLove #SpeakUpWithCourage #FaithfulFriendship #NavigatingRelationships #GodsGoodPurposes ASK THIS: Reflecting on your own experiences, can you recall a time when someone spoke a difficult truth to you out of love? How did you respond, and what did you learn from the experience? In your current relationships, is there someone you feel compelled to share the truth with, even though it might be uncomfortable? What steps can you take to approach this conversation with love and humility? DO THIS: Share the truth in love. PRAY THIS: Lord, grant me the courage and wisdom to speak the truth in love, even when it's difficult or uncomfortable. Help me trust in Your good purposes and surrender the outcome to Your hands, knowing that Your truth always prevails. Amen. PLAY THIS: The Truth.

A listener sent a tweet to Gio. It's from Al back in 2011 referencing wanting to have toilet paper near the urinal to pat your penis after urinating.

A pair of letters from life down under.Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Story 1:  Can I Hold Your HandThe guy who had something extra, gives it to her.By BaztrachianMy name is Dennis. Growing up on our ranch in Western Australia, I lived a pretty isolated life. Starting at around age twelve, I was bussed into town, and had to adjust to big classrooms, and girls. Some of them were already well developed by the time I hit my, shall we call it, ‘growth spurt'?  I noticed I had a weird effect on girls but more so on women. If they touched my hands they’d act weird and sometimes just get quiet and stare at me. It was weird so I didn’t tell my parents but by the time I was thirteen I wore gloves all the time. That way I could do all the normal things everyone else did like shake hands and stuff like that without causing a problem. At first, Folks assumed I had an injury or skin rash.Soon folks thought I had some OCD about germs. Yes, as hard as it was to wear gloves all the time it was even harder not to wear them. You never know how much people touch each other with their hands until you can’t do it. Try refusing to shake someone’s hands sometime. You’ll see. Fortunately for me the hand thing had no effect on my own household members, including my mother & sister. Perhaps it's a pheromone thing, I don't know? At a family reunion when I was 14, my female cousins went numb like the girls at school, so after that, I always wore gloves around them. Unless I wanted them to shut up, then it was kind of handy!As I transitioned from middle school to high school, the female reactions to my touch brought on more immediate & expressive sexual attraction. The younger girls were confused by their feelings, the older and sexually active girls weren't confused at all. They knew they were horny.Granted, I took off the gloves like when I was out with my Boy Scout troop, playing sports at school, and some other social events where there were no women around.Avoiding girls as a practice, made some people think I was gay; so it was a relief when I went off to Perth for Curtin University, where being weird was much more acceptable.But more to the point here, is I wasn’t gay. I really did want a girlfriend.In my speech class I met a cute girl named Melody. She was perky, a little offbeat, average in size, and she wore her dark hair in very feminine pixie cut that showed off her sexy neck.Taking a chance, I started to hang out more with Melody and her group of friends from Bunbury, a city further south on Australia's west coast. One night she came to a rugby game I was in. Afterward, she came down on the field & impulsively leaned in and kissed me on the lips, before going home with her gals. I discovered that I could kiss her and she was just fine, with no odd side effects.A month later, a few of us were in her off-campus apartment after class, for lunch. After eating, the others suddenly left for class, leaving just the two of us. Mel was looking at my gloved hands. She asked why I wore gloves around campus, but not in always? She even saw me at Rugby practice last week without gloves on. I tried brushing it off with a witty joke. I had several rehearsed one-liners ready, for such inquiries. She laughed, then added; “But seriously; why?I tried a tall-tale far-fetched narrative for my next come back. That didn't deter her persistency either.I paused, then decided to risk it and just explain to her about the gloves and the true impact of my hands, but I think she thought the truth was just an even crazier tale to cover for some Obsessive Cumpulsive thing on my part.“Dennis, do you think it would be okay for me to touch your hands without the gloves? Do you trust me?”It had been a few years since the last time I’d deliberately touched a woman, and that was in another place, hours away from college. Maybe here & now it would be okay? Besides, I was longing to touch her and feel her lovely skin.“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t tell you what might happen.” With that I removed my gloves.“Your hands look so soft! I’ve never seen a guy with hands as soft as yours…” and that’s where her sentence ended. Mel had her hand on mine and now she had that glazed-over look, which I remembered so well. As she sat there staring at me, I took the chance to gently touch her face and then steal a caress of her gorgeous neck. That stirred her up a bit.“Oh, my God; that’s amazing!” she finally said. Then her face turned a little red.“What’s it like?” I asked her. Hate to admit but I was really curious about it.“It’s like riding a roller coaster and getting that feeling you get when it goes over a hill!” She squirmed in her seat. “Oh, that’s doing things for me!”Then she got up and strided over to her bathroom. I got up and cleared the table, grabbed my gloves, then sat on the couch. A couple minutes later she came back out, looking calmer. She sat down by me and said; “I thought I might have peed my panties. False alarm; sort of.”She sat back down at the table & looked at me in wonder as the effect started to wear off. “Fuck, Dennis! You weren’t lying were you? Oh my God, that must have been a bitch to grow up with that. You poor thing.”Her hands impulsively went to mine again, and she touched me before I had a chance to react. Her head dropped back against the backrest, & her jaw went slack. She just seemed to melt into the couch. I let go of her hands and her recovery was a little faster this time. She was definitely experiencing it pretty intensely. She was looking at me like she was starving and I was a bacon cheeseburger.(Yeah, virgin Dennis was stupid enough not to realize that she was sexually aroused.)“Oh, my. I think we need to explore this a little more…” she said as she reached for me again. This time I pulled my hands back and slipped on my gloves.“Mel, I think I’m gonna to the library, and maybe let you get yourself together, okay?”I stood up and left her on her couch. She looked a little confused so I left, to let her recover in private.It was maybe twenty minutes later when she texted me, asking me to come back to her place. I sighed and texted back that I was on my way. I figured if she was okay enough to text me then she was okay, right?  I guess I had some responsibility to make sure she was okay. It was twenty minutes for me to walk back to her place.When she opened the door for me, I caught my breath. The object of my desire was standing before me in a long t-shirt. I immediately noticed her stiff nipples, and concluded that the t-shirt was perhaps the only thing she was wearing. She still had that craving hungry look.She managed to compose herself & politely invite me in, and had me sit on her couch.“I think we need to talk.” she said, as she sat down next to me and let her soft boob lean against my horny arm.“Okay,” I said. “About what?”Then she looked me in the eyes and boldly said; “I think you need to fuck me so we can find out what this does.” She said this with an impish smile while reaching for down my cock, which was hard. To be honest, I'd been very smitten by Mel since we first met on campus. Hence, it was usually hard when I was around Mel, so this wasn’t all that remarkable.What was remarkable was my virgin cock getting its first female attention. I immediately decided that I liked this. Loved this. Quite a lot.“Mel, this is probably going to be a very bad idea. Are you sure you want to do this, because I know I do.”She bit her lip and in a very exaggerated nod, said; “God, yes.”Leading me to her bedroom, she unbuttoned my shirt and pushed it off my shoulders. My shorts came next and I let them drop as I stepped out of my sandals. I was almost naked except for my gloves.Mel pulled her t-shirt over her head, and there she was. In all her feminine glory! She smiled at me and then kissed me lightly on the lips. Her hands went to my gloves.“Mel, I have to tell you something…”She looked a little surprised and she smiled. “Okay, the hand thing wasn’t enough? What else? And please don't tell me you have herpes.”“I’m a virgin.”She giggled and smiled as she held her hands against her chest, “So am I! Isn’t this crazy? I was planning to wait, but now all I can think about is you!”She yanked my arm and tugged me to the bedroom. Then she pulled back the blankets and climbed onto the middle of the waterbed. Patting on the bed she meant for me to join her.My cock jutted out from my body like a diving board. I briefly had an ethical discussion with myself about what I was doing and if it was fair to Mel. I quickly realized that I loved her, I wanted to be with her, and sooner or later we were going to have sex so why not now? Besides, she liked me, right?I went to get on the bed and had one knee on the blankets when she held up her hand.“Gloves. Off. Now.”I drew in a breath for the moment of truth and took off my gloves. Being careful not to touch her too soon I got onto the bed next to her and laid on my side. She rolled over to face me, we rocked a bit from the waves.“Touch me.” she said.“Where?”She smiled. “Any damn where you want. But do it now.”I slowly moved my hand to her breast and then gently palmed it. Her reaction was instant. She sighed as a feeling of arousal and euphoria swept over her. I may have been a virgin but I knew what serious arousal looked like and this was it! Her face was flush, again.The glassy look in her eyes returned, but she held it together better. We kissed and started making out. Her hands were all over me and my hands were all over her. I noticed that her pelvis was rhythmically rocking. I don't think she knew.It wasn’t maybe even two or three minutes when she rolled onto her back and pulled me on top of her. I had no idea what I was doing but my cock certainly knew where it wanted to be and I started pushing and prodding.“Here.” she said, as she reached between us and firmly grabbed my rod and guided me until my sensitive tip felt her warm cunt. She moved my cock across her furrow a few times and then suddenly I felt the silky smooth wetness of her treasures.I hesitated and looked into her eyes.“Please.” she lusted.I slipped into her glorious heaven. It was snug and tight and shallow, but with a twerk of her hips, she burst open her depths. “Ah, ahah!” she groaned for a moment, her eyes expressing some pain.And then she rocked her hips up and swallowed my full length. It was wet, warm, & snug. And it blew my mind to finally have my cock inside the girl of my dreams.“Oh, Jesus…fuck…” she uttered as I started to fuck her. Her eyes rolled back and then she closed them, panting heavily. She fell limp as my hips rose and fell on hers. I’d love to tell you it went on and on but, you know…virgin. I was new to this, and too soon I felt my cum rising. I think my last wet dream last longer than this.The college health class came back to me at that moment. I briefly thought about stopping. Then looking at Mel, my desire took over and I pressed deep into her and let loose! It felt so great to cum in her. We laid there embracing for a few more minutes as her breathing relaxed.“Look at me, Dennis,” she said. As I looked at her, she started twitching and moaning. Her hips moved to meet mine and I shot out another few squirts of cum. We did this routine again, until my cock and balls were starting to feel a little sore from the effort.When I was done, Mel lay there senseless. She was still twitching and moaning, and now her hands felt her own body. It was amazingly erotic. This thing she was doing went on and on, but then tapered off for several minutes at which point she fell soundly asleep.I got up and turned around to look at the lovely woman who gave herself to me. I looked down at my spent dick. It had a bit of a blood stain at the base. I guess this is what's referred to as ‘popping her cherry?'I grabbed my clothes and took a quick rinse in her shower, then got dressed enough to be presentable. Sitting down in her living room I fiddled with my hands and eventually turned on the TV. The sun set in the west. Right around eight o'clock  I heard her stirring.When she came out of the bedroom she had this silly smile on her face. And the t-shirt. Just the t-shirt. I could tell she was still aroused. Anyone would have seen that.“Lover, that was absolutely fucking ah, mazing!”“You’re okay?” Really I was concerned for her. I loved her after all.She sat down on the couch next to me and kissed me. “I’m fine. I had no idea that was what sex was supposed to be like. Fuck.”Her hand went to my chest.“Dennis, you’re like the best psych drug ever invented!”“You’ve done drugs?” I asked.“Only when I had my wisdom teeth pulled. And this was way the fuck better than that! When your dick touched me it was like the whole world felt at peace and everything was going to be wonderful and then you started fucking me. Damn, that was intense! When you came in me it was like getting injected with a rainbow!”She went on and on about the experience, and as she did it was pretty clear she wanted more. I touched her face and she flushed with arousal; and this time we didn’t even make it back to the bed. I fucked her right there on the couch.I lasted a little longer before I felt the unstoppable urge to cum in her. This time she gave a little cry and then fell limp.It took me a little time to calm down and when I did, I picked up Mel and carried her to the bedroom. She was totally passed out and I figured to let her sleep it off so after covering her up I got dressed and headed to my dorm.She called me late the next morning, explaining how she’d slept in and missed her morning classes. She didn’t seem to care about it too much, and told me she would make her afternoon classes. But she also insisted I had to come over for dinner.Naturally I spent my time in class thinking about Mel. By the time I made it to her place I was getting hard before I got to her door; with the near certainty that I was going to get laid.When she opened her door for me she radiated sexiness. Her movements were different and she simply appeared more beautiful than before. It harkened to me some classic literature references to ‘the power of a woman's glamour', her charms, as another author phrased it. She was a new woman. A viral woman, a woman awakened to seduction and seducing. There was also a resoluteness to her now, and she made clear that she desired me.I knew that most of this was from my condition, the potent effect of my bare hands upon a female prospect. Still, it was getting me laid, right?We made it through dinner and then we managed to talk for a short time. Mel was amazed at herself for what she was doing with me. She said it was totally against her nature and upbringing to have given up her virginity, and to keep risking pregnancy with me; but she couldn’t help herself.Twenty minutes later she passed out after I’d filled her cunt again.As she lay there sleeping it off I realized that when she got a dose of my cum it was sedating her, so the little swimmers in my semen would have time to travel upstream into her womb. I looked at the sleeping girl and realized that my cum was doing double duty trying to get her pregnant.When she woke up, she wanted to go again and so did my cock.In due time, she quit school because she didn’t care about it anymore. And then the day she told me she was pregnant, the tears were flowing and she was crying…right until I took off my gloves and touched her face. I took her to visit my parents that next weekend; apprehensive of my parents' reaction.My father spoke first; “Son, this is a huge relief. My health issues require that I stop ranching, or get a lot of help. I was hoping to delay the matter until you finish college, but I was going to ask you to come home and take over the business. If the two of you could settle down here with us, I'll get the home builders out here, next week. We'd just gotten our first royalty check from the new natural gas wells that were drilled last year. Dad needed a way to reinvest it in the ranch, or he'd have to pay some very high taxes on the windfall.We got married the following month in Mel's home town. Then my parents threw a big reception at the family ranch a few weeks later.As the baby grew Mel became very calm and tranquil. She definitely had a ‘baby glow'. We’d still fuck and it still had the same effect on her; but even when we weren’t fucking she’d still be very Zen-like.I understood it, when the baby was born; and Mel would get a sedated, glazed-over expression whenever little Gary (named after my father), put his hands on her tits and latched on to suckle them. It didn't sexually arouse her, but it still sent her into a trance-like condition.My boy was going to be a chip off the old block! I nicknamed him ‘Chip'.By Baztrachian for LiteroticaStory 2: New Step Siblings In Aussie LockdownTeens meet in Melbourne for their parents' wedding, then get left together in locked-down Australia.By Baztrachian – Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.When my father told me that he was getting married again I accepted it as good news. He’d been alone and depressed since the divorce and when he met Debbie she clearly brought back his smile and his joy. So of course I was happy for him.It was just after Thanksgiving in 2019 when they decided on getting married the following June. The plan was for four of us to take a family trip together instead of doing the traditional honeymoon vacation. The four of us included my father, Debbie, myself, and my new step-sister, Taylor. The June date was set to coincide with Taylor graduating high school.Taylor was pretty happy about the plan to take a trip to Australia because their drinking laws would allow even a freshly minted eighteen year old to enjoy a visit to a bar.Over the ensuing months I got to know Taylor fairly well and we ended up getting along despite some serious differences. Where I was a devoted outdoorsman who loved hiking, off-road sports, climbing, and working out Taylor was your typical ginger. She was alabaster white and would get sunburned if she was in the sun for much more than a few minutes. She was also nearsighted and she had to wear glasses to see past her arm. She was cute in a dorky sort of way and I had no problem enjoying her company.The news of COVID started up in January but most everyone I knew dismissed it as being an overhyped flu. Granted, we took it more seriously as time went on but we still had plans to visit Australia and we kept to them.The wedding took place the weekend after Taylor’s graduation. The next morning was a flurry of activity as we headed off to the airport. There had been a lockdown in Melbourne that May but it ended soon enough that our plans were not affected. It wasn’t easy to get into Australia but we did and when we arrived we headed off to the house we’d rented for the vacation. We’d be there three weeks and we’d head home on July 9th just as planned. One thing we quickly discovered is that July is in the depths of winter, for the Aussies.The rental house was pretty amazing. It was in the town of Port Campbell situated on the ocean and that meant I had quite a lot to do every day. I quickly found myself a kayak and spent several of my days exploring the coast and getting in some decent fishing. My father and Debbie had a good time, of course, and Taylor made the best of it staying in the shade and catching up on her books.You know how when you go on vacation you allow yourself to detach from the world and not have much care for the news? Yep, that was our mistake. Living in our little vacation bubble we had no idea that not only had COVID not blown over but it was getting worse.We only got an idea that things were getting serious when my father got a toothache and decided to cut the honeymoon short by a couple days and go home. Turned out that a lot of Americans were trying to get out of Australia at that point, so airline seats were at a premium. The best my father could pull off were two seats for himself and Debbie. Taylor and I would have to wait for our flight on July 9th before we’d get home.Where we’d only be waiting a couple days for the flight my father paid for me and Taylor to stay in a decent enough Melbourne apartment with a view of the beach and the cruise pier. It was a great location and even though we’d just be there a couple days I was looking forward to making the most of the winter-time beach.The airport situation was a little crazy so we ended up saying our goodbyes at the apartment and then Taylor and I watched as the taxi took our parents away.That afternoon we went to a local store to get a few things and noticed that the other shoppers were all stocking up. Something about their faces alarmed me.“What’re you doing?” asked Taylor as I put down our handbasket and instead took a ‘trolley’ as they call grocery carts down under.“I’m just being cautious is all. Look at these people, they’re all freaked out and getting ready to hunker down. I don’t know what’s really happening but I want to make sure we’ve got everything we might need just in case.”Taylor was a little irritated as I started picking up sundries, snacks, toiletries, and enough food for a couple weeks. I told her that if nothing happened then I’d just leave the stuff out for someone else. She made a remark about how I was wasting my money and I ignored her.On the way back to our apartment I slipped into a liquor store and picked up two cases of beer, six liters of vodka, six liters of whisky, and assorted mixers. Just in case, of course.The news that evening confirmed my fears. Melbourne was going into six weeks of lockdown. We were going to be shut into our apartment and only allowed outside for two hours of exercise and one hour to go visit a store. I made a few frantic calls to the airline and it was the seventh time I tried that I got through to find out our flight was cancelled. A few more calls followed and I confirmed we weren’t going to be allowed to leave for at least the entirety of the six weeks.That led to calling my father back at home in the US. He handled the news with aplomb as if this was no big deal. I appreciated his confidence and doubly appreciated his promise to drop enough money in my account to see me and Taylor through the six weeks of lockdown. I felt better when I got off the phone and shared this news with Taylor.The next day was the start of the lockdown and it was immediately apparent that the police were in no mood to play with anyone. We looked over the balcony of the apartment and saw people on the beach getting chased away or even arrested by the aggressive police. At one point one of the cops even yelled at us to go inside or get arrested!It was really shocking to see the city become a big prison. You just don’t expect that kind of thing to happen in a Western country and in this case it had happened so fast that there wasn’t even time for anyone to protest.Although we were supposedly allowed to go out to exercise I convinced Taylor to stay in due to wanting to avoid a problem with the police. Where we were set on food for a while I also decided against going shopping until we absolutely had to.When we’d arranged for the apartment I was sleeping on the couch and Taylor had the bed. But a couple days into the lockdown Taylor had me switch because the bed was going to be more comfortable for me. Hate to say, but I didn’t argue with her about that.We passed our time talking a lot. I got to hear about her high school experience, her debate club victories, her attempts at art, and her plans to study higher mathematics in college. Taylor got to hear about my hiking trip to Nepal, my fishing adventure in the Red Sea, my close encounter with a bear in Alaska, and etc.We even made it six days before I opened a case of beer.Despite the cold weather we made a point of sitting out on the balcony at night. We would sit and chat and sip a drink and enjoy breaking one of the oppressive rules. Naturally we stayed out of sight because even though we were rebels we didn’t want to push our luck.An odd thing took place during our confinement as we tacitly agreed on some domestic practices. We never had to discuss it as we started doing laundry, cleaning dishes, and doing all of the normal things you do when you live together. For whatever reason we got along well as roommates and one day we both acknowledged this fact and each considered ourselves fortunate to have family we could like.I don’t recall precisely which day it was but a day came along where we didn’t need to leave the apartment and neither of us bothered to get dressed. I spent the day in a t-shirt and boxers, and Taylor spent the day in her night-time chemise and panties. That started a habit with us of being rather casual around the apartment.I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to giving her body serious consideration. I did my best to play it off but when I was in the shower by myself I found her to be the object of my fantasies as I’d relieve my pent-up needs.July 31st was a Friday, and that particular day stood out to me. Taylor and I had been into drinking a bit more than usual and when it came time for bed she followed me into the bedroom.It was cold and cloudy outside and the apartment had a bit of a chill to it so Taylor’s explanation made sense.“It’s too fucking cold to sleep on the couch,” she slurred, “hope you don’t mind but I’m in here tonight.”It was the first time I’d heard her swear. Myself, I didn’t mind the prospect of her company so I held up the blanket and let her slide in. Then I cuddled up behind her and my prescription from Doctor Johnny Walker put me to sleep.In the morning I woke to feeling Taylor’s warm ass pressing against my body. It was a couple moments before I realized that my cock was out of my boxers and snugly gripped by Taylor’s panty-protected thigh gap. I really had to fight back the urge to try to fuck her but at the same time it just wasn’t right.She gently moved against me as I withdrew my cock. I swore she was wanting me, but I had to tell my ego to calm down.I got up from the warm bed and headed out to the kitchen to make some much needed coffee. As the coffee was brewing I went out on the balcony to get some cold air. That helped me wake up and it also settled down the spike jutting out from between my legs.The day that followed was more or less normal. I was quietly relieved when Taylor didn’t speak of what my cock had been up to during the night and I was quite set on making sure there were no repeat performances. At the same time the thought that my cock had been separated from Taylor’s cunt by just a flimsy bit of fabric had me somewhat aroused all day.Around noon there was a knock on the door from one of our neighbors. I opened the door after putting on the requisite mask and the cheerful fellow mentioned how he’d overheard us on the balcony talking about vodka. He needed some and we had it. A trade was completed and now we had a bottle of gin and a couple bottles of tonic water.That night Taylor and myself sat down watching Sky News mostly because they were the only channel with news from the USA. At a certain point Taylor got up and made two pint glasses full of gin and tonic.Needless to say by bedtime we were both toasted and the two drinks were just a bit more than half gone. I made my move getting up to go to bed while Taylor put the two leftover drinks in the fridge.When she joined me in bed she had me spoon up behind her and then she snuggled into me. I have to admit that it was really nice. When I put my arm around her she didn’t mind that my hand ended up holding her tit. Sleep overtook me before anything else happened and at the moment I was grateful.Sometime during the night I woke to feeling Taylor’s ass pushing back at me. It was a very gentle motion but it was enough that my cock was responding. I couldn’t help myself but to pull her tight against myself and strain to push my crotch at hers.She pulled away just enough to get her hand between us. She went right to my cock and rubbed it under my shorts. Again, she was very gentle but she was also making clear what she wanted. Fishing around my shorts she found the opening and I sighed as her soft hand wrapped around my pole and pulled it out of my shorts.Her hand exited the space between us and I felt her ass push up against me again. My cock rubbed between her ass cheeks. They felt silky and smooth.She moved again and this time lifted a leg to allow my cock to fit between us. The tip of my cock rubbed against something warm and moist. I woke up a bit more and did an exploratory thrust and realized that she wasn’t wearing panties.“Taylor?” I asked.“Yeah?” she huskily replied.“Do you want me to stop?”She didn’t hesitate. “No.”She pressed her ass at me and I couldn’t help myself but to thrust. We bumped a few times and then we both caught our breath as my cock found the right place. My cock was just pressed into the mouth of her cunt. I took a moment to savor the feeling and then felt her press back. I didn’t move and instead felt her body open up for me as the first inch or so of my cock entered her. My instincts took over at this point.“Uh, ah!” she exclaimed as I started to drive myself into her. I felt her body twitch as I tried to get deeper.“Oh, God.” she uttered as she moved her hips allowing me to plunge all the way inside of her.Between the effects of the alcohol and my need I wasn’t the least bit interested in being gentle. All I knew was my cock was in her cunt and it was absolute Heaven!I started fucking her hard and my hands wrapped around her. I mashed one of her tits while she grunted from getting her cunt slammed.She put a hand on my hip to try to push me back a little and all I did was fuck harder.Taylor cried out as I drove deep and started spewing my load into her. She tried to move away from me and I held her tight until I was done shooting my cum into her.She was silent in the aftermath of our coupling. When my cock finally relaxed and slipped from her body she moved away from me just enough to get some space.As I started to feel the embrace of sleep I swore I could hear her quietly sobbing.It was a bit before sunrise when I awoke. The memory of the evening flooded in on me and I had that brief moment of disbelief where I thought it could have been a dream. During the night Taylor had moved to where she was sleeping a little away from me. I explored her body with a hand and felt her bare thigh. Moving up I found her bare hip and the fact that she was naked below the waist made me hard again.I brushed her hair with my hand and then caressed her cheek.“Taylor? You awake?” I asked. Her snoozing continued informing me she was deep in sleep. My hand moved down her body. I undid the ties on her chemise and treated myself to feeling the soft skin of her breasts. She gave a pleasant little purr as my fingers played over her nipples. I removed my hand and let her go back to snoozing.Taking her hip with my hand I gently pulled her against me. As her body moved against me my cock neatly fit into her thigh gap again. She lay quietly as I gently rutted against her. When I poked her in the right place she moaned and moved her leg.I stopped for a moment and then started gently moving again as I heard her moan in approval. When she’d moved her leg she exposed her cunt to me and it wasn’t long before I felt her moisture on my cock.As gently as I could I changed my angle and pushed. Her cunt opened for me and I stifled a moan as I slipped into her again. I was determined to be gentle and took my time getting myself fully embedded in her. Taking a little time just to savor the moment I started a very slow and deliberate rhythm.Somewhere along the line Taylor stirred. She reached between us to where our bodies met and explored. Then she just relaxed and let me keep going.Soon enough I felt her hips moving in response to mine and then I felt her tense.“Fuck…” she whispered as she came. I felt her cunt clench around my cock and that did it for me as I unloaded my cum into her again.We had a moment where I just held her but then she was up and off to the shower. When she was done she excused herself to the kitchen and it was my turn to clean up. I needed it. And after I was dressed decently I went out to talk to her.“Good morning.” I said, wondering what her response would be.She smiled at me. “It is.”Naturally we had to talk about our new relationship. And that’s what we did for a while before deciding to take a walk together. It was eerie to be in a big city and have it so quiet. We got over to the beach but between signs saying the beach was closed and glares from the police we decided to stay close to the apartment.Lunch was a simple affair of bread and cheese. While we ate I asked Taylor why she’d wanted to be more to me than just a step-sister.“I guess I never would have known you if our parents didn’t get married. You’re like the total opposite of me. But being around you I got to know you and then there’s the thing where you’re not so hard to look at, Mister.”I smiled at her. “You’re not so hard to look at yourself.”When I asked her about the possibility of pregnancy she just shrugged.“I can go to the store if you want me to.” I offered.“What if I didn’t want you to?” she asked.“You mean you don’t want to have sex anymore? I can understand that.”She shook her head, “No, what if I just want us to keep doing this; whatever it is. Would you be okay with that?”I looked in her pale green eyes and realized that I was looking at the woman I’d marry.“Of course I would.”And that, my friends, was the closest we ever came to a marriage proposal. After that it was just a given that we would marry and have a family. Naturally, it was no surprise that when we were finally allowed to return to the USA, Taylor was sporting a very modest bulge.I guess my biggest surprise in all of this was when we got home and broke the news to our parents. They looked at each other, smiled, and then my new step-mom says, “Yeah, we kind of figured you two would find a way to pass the time.”By Baztrachian for Literotica

The gang celebrates Boxing Day by reviewing A Christmas Story 2, a movie that is of use to fucking nobody. Bah humbug! Let's get into it. Gratuitous garish gags and gobbledygook! Scummy and salacious Santa! Patting a perfumed pair of puppies! Heavyset high-top hilarity! Sneaking subtle Drusilla sniffs! Regrettable recasting and resetting! Facepalm slapstick! Loose lip service, and much, much more on this week's episode of The Worst Movie Ever Made! www.theworstmovieevermade.com 

We dive straight into the bond market as it comes off its best month in the last 40 years. We'll then discuss how interest rates are affecting residential & commercial real estate markets differently, what the Fed's next move can/should be, the life of Charlie Munger, and the crazy spending on Holiday travel and shopping. Key Takeaways [00:13] - Patting ourselves on the back (momentarily) for our bond market takes [03:41] - Differences in the residential & commercial real estate markets [05:29] - Odds and prognostications for the Fed's next move [12:55] - The life and impact of Charlie Munger [18:45] - What Thanksgiving & Black Friday mean for the economy [25:08] - The S&P's strong run continues + US vs International markets Links 70% chance that the Fed cuts rates at their May 2024 meeting Core PCE since June is running at a 2.4% annualized rate. Charlie Munger, Buffet's right-hand man, dies at age 99 11/26 was the busiest day ever at airports in the US Black Friday Shoppers spent a record $9.8 billion online in the US Zandi: The economy is meaningfully less interest rate sensitive than in times past Goldman's Jan Hatzius Believes the Hard Part Is Over - Odd Lots Meb Faber - the case for global investing Connect with our hosts Doug Stokes Greg Stokes Stokes Family Office Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts lagniappe.stokesfamilyoffice.com Disclosure The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate, qualified professional prior to making a final decision.

Welcome to another empowering episode of 7 Minutes For Yourself Today, we embark on a journey to discover the secret behind embracing small victories. In our fast-paced world, where big achievements often steal the spotlight, it is crucial to recognize the powerful impact these small wins can have on our lives.Tune in and find out! The audio clip featured in today's episode is courtesy of our friends at Dr. Allison Answershttps://www.youtube.com/@DrAllisonAnswers

Traditional behavioural sleep training is not for every parent.  Maybe you're not ready to make such big changes to your little one's sleep habits.  Perhaps your baby's cries are too overwhelming to listen to, even if you're in the baby's room supporting him.  Maybe you have a young baby who isn't old enough for sleep training.  Or maybe you were blessed with an amazing sleeper who doesn't need sleep training.  This might be where you try patting your baby to sleep, also known as the shush pat method. In this podcast episode and blog post, I elaborate on what the shush pat method is, how to execute it, and whether it's an effective gentle sleep training method. Enjoy! Free sleep chart download - https://mysleepingbaby.ac-page.com/sleep-chart-landing-page Free sleep masterclass- https://mysleepingbaby.ac-page.com/registration-page-v-2 Podcast episode on transitioning from a crib to a bed- https://mysleepingbaby.com/when-should-you-transition-your-little-one-from-a-crib-to-a-bed/

The Dallas Cowboys rebound from their Week 3 loss with a massive win over the Patriots in Week 4. Join the crew as they break down the Cowboys 38-3 win over New England.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dallas Cowboys rebound from their Week 3 loss with a massive win over the Patriots in Week 4. Join the crew as they break down the Cowboys 38-3 win over New England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Dallas Cowboys rebound from their Week 3 loss with a massive win over the Patriots in Week 4. Join the crew as they break down the Cowboys 38-3 win over New England.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Dallas Cowboys rebound from their Week 3 loss with a massive win over the Patriots in Week 4. Join the crew as they break down the Cowboys 38-3 win over New England. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patting a dog is well known to lower stress hormone levels. For many victims, appearing in court can be a very stressful experience so having some canine comfort makes sense.

Kate seems a little affectionate this week.  What's going on with all the butt-patting Kate?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scoot talks to WWL listeners about why baseball players are always spitting and patting each other's butts. It's harmless of course - but why do they do it?

The boys are back! Discussing Mytt's next 100 days of sobriety, Homer's Odessy, Jamie's new favourite Instagram account, also we have the return of the Private Caller!Remember to keep up to date with Private Parts on our TikTok, Insta, and YouTube and please follow us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! It helps us a lot and means you never miss out on any of the Private Parts action, thank you so much guys! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Live from the No Panic Zone—I'm Steve Gruber—I am America's Voice— Always Delivering an Equitable Diverse and Inclusive Broadcast— using only Environmentally just topics that maintain maximum sustainable, socially correct and earth friendly conversations— and for the record no animals were harmed in the production of this program! But it's still early!   Here are three big things you need to know right now—   ONE— China has met its match in red America—as a giant North Dakota plant allegedly for milling corn has been stopped permanently—while the crowd chants   TWO— The New York Times says Joe Biden should not run for President again—and that was before the State of the Union—Socialist manifesto that he slimed America with last night—   THREE— Joe Biden gave the socialist manifesto for America while patting himself on the back—over and over again

If you enjoyed this ASMR make sure to leave me a five star rating!

Have you had your M.E.D.S. today? This is a great reference shared by Tim Baker in his book ‘Patting the Shark'. In this episode, Jen explores what M.E.D.S. means, and how you can incorporate it in your daily life.

Kevin and Kyle talk about the Eagles being 7-0 and people still aren't giving them respect, Seth Joyner calls out Kevin Kinkead for patting his pom-poms then blocks him, trade deadline, and AJ Brown has $600 taped to his shoulder pads. Then Bob Wankel comes on to talk about the Game 3 rainout and it's effect on the World Series, is Zack Wheeler cooked, and his disdain for retractable roofs. Finally, the Phillies fan kid from Game 1, Carson Wallace and his dad are on to talk about what went down that night, his new fame, and if he is named after Carson Wentz or not. Crossing Broadcast is livestreamed every Tuesday and Thursday at 12pm on YouTube. Subscribe to the YouTube feed here: https://www.youtube.com/crossingbroadsports Please subscribe to the show ([Apple Podcasts] [Spotify] [Amazon Music] [Google Play] [Stitcher] [iHeartRadio] [RSS]), leave a 5 star review, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter: @CrossingBcast Check out the other shows on the Crossing Broad Podcast Network including: Crossed Up: A Phillies Podcast, Snow the Goalie: A Flyers Podcast, and It's Always Soccer in Philadelphia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is The Zone of Disruption! This is the I AM RAPAPORT: STEREO PODCAST! His name is Michael Rapaport aka The Gringo Mandingo aka aptain Colitis aka The Disruptive Warrior aka Mr. NY aka The Inflamed Ashkenazi aka The Sultan of Sniff is here to discuss: Creeping up on the end of Swamp Ass Season, a fan complaining about the introduction length, being a professional podcast & other podcasts sounding like they record in public bathroom, Blood on the Mic podcasts, Disruptive Fitness & motivation, that good sweat equity, patting yourself on the back, Plank Game, preparing for Fantasy Football Drafts, The Top 10 SFOTW Documentaries List upcoming, watching The Mantei Te'o Doc & meeting him & a whole lotta mo'! This episode is not to be missed!    If you are interested in NFL, MLB, Soccer, Golf, Tennis & UFC Picks/Parlays Follow @TheCaptainPicks on Instagram & subscribe to packages at www.CaptainPicks.com   For all things sports wagering use MyBookie.AG with Promo Code: RAPAPORT   www.dbpodcasts.com   Produced by DBPodcasts.com Follow @dbpodcasts, @iamrapaport, @michaelrapaport on TikTok, Twitter & Instagram Music by Jansport J (Follow @JansportJ) www.JansportJMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holmberg's Morning Sickness - The Entertainment Drill - Monday June 27, 2022