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Quaranteam - Dave In Dallas: Part 8 Intruders! Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. October 26, 2020. Monday afternoon, Reena took lunch duties. Lunch was often individual or in small groups, but she really wanted a crack at cooking for everyone. She said it could be 'come and go' to still facilitate varied schedules around the house. Her idea was ramen. But, it wasn't just basic out of the package. Well, it was, but with a variety of add-ons. You could pick your flavor of ramen, then she'd prepared chopped carrots, nori, sesame oil, diced onion, spam, eggs (fried up for each bowl individually) and Korean red pepper powder that Jan had gotten added to the spice rack. Oh, Reena still cooked it up, but each bowl was individual, and made on request. When Jan came in for lunch, she laughed warmly. Beaming, Reena asked hopefully, "Just like mom would make?" Jan placed a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder. "Not exactly dear. This is ore like what my Caucasian aunt would make when she tried to be authentic." Reena's face and shoulders seemed to suddenly melt. Jan stepped in beside the teen, wrapping her arms around her. "And the one time I made fun of my aunt for it in my mother's hearing was the last. She pulled me aside and scolded me for being insensitive, and ungrateful. Mom said that ramen was always about making something tasty, with love and what ever ingredients were available." Jan made a point of looking over the prepped ingredients arrayed on the counter. "And this is exactly what you have done." She kissed Reena on her cheek. "Thank you. Thank you for the meal, and thank you for reminding me of two lovely, caring women in my life." Reena hugged her. Then she got the specifics of what Jan wanted and got busy making it. Dave stepped out of his office and got two steps down the hallway when Lupie found him. "Dave, could I use your office and computer for a bit? It's kind of urgent. I was in the middle of some trades and my laptop died." "Again?" Dave chuckled. Lupie looked chagrined and rolled her eyes. "Good thing you have your software installed in there already. Just log me off and do what you gotta do. How long do you need me to stay out?" "Rest of the afternoon?" "Okay." Dave started to walk away but Lupie snagged him by the shirtfront and tugged him towards her. They kissed softly. They didn't hear the small footsteps approaching. "Oh gag me with a tamale." Both adults laughed too hard to maintain the kiss. "I do need to get in there," Lupie said. A quick peck and she scampered into the office. Dave knelt down and wrapped Esme in a hug. "And you, rascal, need to give it a rest. We keep a lot out of your sight because; well because it should be out of your viewing. So give us a break on the kissing once in a while, huh?" "Yessir" her tone sounded reluctant, but the grin was hard to suppress. She took four quick steps away from him before turning. "Dave?" "Yes, sweetie?" "Thanks for making mom happy." "Never have I ever; used a pay phone," Reena said with a wicked grin. Shawna and all the ladies over thirty took a drink. Dave first reached into his pocket, pulled his hand back out, and tossed a quarter at Reena. Then he took a drink. Liv busted out laughing. "One of Dad's favorite songs!" she cried as she cackled loudly and leaned a bit too far over into Mel. They'd been going for over half an hour. And she and Mel had pre-gamed. "Song?" Reena asked. "Pay phones used to cost a quarter to make a call. Early nineties, there was a country breakup song called 'Here's a Quarter, Call Someone Who Cares'," Dave filled in. Reena pouted, then stuck out her tongue. "Okay, Lupie, your turn," Jan prompted. 'Never have I ever; done the splits." Reena threw one back. Liv joined her, while Dave laughed. "That laugh suggests a story," Nessa observed. "Yeah, yeah," Liv replied. "I was; oh, about ten or so?" "Eleven," Dave corrected. "Right. Anyway, the girlie girl types were saying I was not really a girl if I couldn't do the splits. So I did." Dave cleared his throat. Liv blushed. "On top of the monkey bars." All the older ladies burst out laughing. "Well, that showed them!" Shawna rejoined. "And I believe it's Dave's turn now." "Alright, never have I ever; taken a nude or semi-nude selfie." Reena's eyes bugged out. She reached for her drink, threw back a slug, then covered her face with her hand. Mel, Liv, and Nessa followed suit. That was no shock to anyone. Jan doing so caught a few looks. "Nope, not gonna talk about it." Jan's face was as red as Melanie's hair. "Okay, moving on; " "Not yet. Someone hasn't drunk." Dave said. He looked at Becca, clearing his throat. "What?! I've never sent nude selfies. You're the first guy I ever got naked for!" "I believe you." Then Dave held up his phone and waggled it. Becca's eyes got wide. "Oh, crap, I forgot about that!" The young blonde blushed about six shades of red before reaching for her drink. "Oh, this I gotta hear." Melanie breathed. Becca hid her face in her hands, peeking between two fingers. Lupie laughed loudly. "Okay, you busted me out, so spill." Becca looked pleadingly at Dave, then shrugged her shoulders, giving him a nod. "Loops, you remember that very first day, when the vax guy came around?" Lupie nodded in reply. "And you wondered why Becca was acting all embarrassed after I told you I'd accepted you both?" "Yes?; oh!" "I told you she'd be the one to say it was okay to tell you what happened? She just did." Lupie just nodded in reply. "Uh, care to fill the rest of us in?" Mel asked. "So the CDC guy came around mid-September. He got to Lupie's house first. She sent him over here with a letter asking that I request her and Becca, giving her reasons why I should say yes. After setting things up with Arthur, I texted both of them that I would make the request. Becca replied with a selfie. With her shirt and bra pulled up. Still have it by the way." Dave winked at Becca. "Shit, we shoulda thought of that! Right after the video call!" Liv groused, nudging Mel. "Another missed first." "Becca was weeks before that call, so still first. Well, first amongst this group, not first ever." "Oh, yeah?" Dave dodged. "Old girlfriend, long time ago. So, who's turn is it next?" Thankfully, they let it slide. October 27, 2020. Dave descended the stairs to see Olivia, Becca and Reena watching a 90's movie. The two teens were making a concerted effort to take in as much of the movies and songs that Dave had grown up with, particularly the ones he had physical copies of. Reena had taken some adjusting to the idea of watching without streaming. Not that they didn't stream at all. Last night, Dave had discovered several of his partners, including Reena, hadn't yet seen Hamilton. That required immediate correction. "Wow, really? It's a great story, well executed, and it's historical. I mean, yeah, they take some liberties, but Miranda was pretty true to the essence of the characters." "But history?" Reena whined. "It's just a bunch of old white guys." Dave looked askance at her. "You're sleeping with an old white guy." Reena's face fell, and Dave's heart with it. In a soft voice, she said, "You're not just an old white guy to me." Her head wasn't exactly hanging, but she didn't meet his eyes. Fuck, emotional landmine triggered. Splash damage accumulating. Dave got up swiftly, without rushing, to stand in front of her and take her in his arms. He kissed the crown of her head as her face nestled in his chest. "I'm sorry honey, I didn't mean to sound so disparaging." Reena slipped her arms around Dave and took him in a hug. Several others joined in, circling the pair in their arms. "Reena, honey?" Shawna prompted. "The guy who wrote it had a vision to make the story more interesting than 'just a bunch of old white guys. Give it a try. I think you'll like it." As often happened, Shawna was spot-on. This morning though, the trio were watching Dave's blu-ray of Twister. "You know, we'll have to watch this in April. Before or during the first severe thunderstorm warning." Dave said as he rounded the back corner to pass them without blocking their view. All three girls chuckled lightly and accepted the kisses Dave planted on them as he passed behind them on his way to the library. Entering, he found Vanessa lounging with a book. He took a seat in easy speaking distance without crowding her. "So, how are you settling in?" "Pretty well. It's; so peaceful here. I really expected a house with this many people in it to be more chaotic. I mean, there's a fun energy here, and a lot of life, but it's; so soothing here. Thank you, David. For accepting me, for just; being here to match with." "I'm enjoying having you here. Beyond the obvious, I mean." Nessa snickered at that. "You've slipped rather smoothly into the family and already I couldn't imagine this place, or us, without you." "That's so sweet, thank you." "Maybe once the whole state's vaccinated, we'll get some normalcy and get out to do the usual family things together." "When we get some normalcy again, you ought to marry Lupie." "I should marry all of you." "No. No, I don't feel that way. Lupie does. Olivia does. And maybe Janice. Shawna too, she has it bad for you. Becca is still young and sorting it all out. Same goes for Reena and Mel. I don't share that depth of bond. I wouldn't want to cheapen what they have with you by sharing a marriage ceremony when I don't have that connection. I damn well better be one of the bridesmaids though" A wry smile crossed Vanessa's face. "I care for you. I love you. I love this family. I am not in love with you." "If it weren't for this damn serum, you would be free to find someone to have that bond with." Vanessa's eyes watered. "Don't ever say that again." There was steel in every syllable. "I may not be in love with you, but this is one of the best relationships I've ever had. I have more joy; not mere happiness; joy in my life now than I have had in a very long time. If the serum caused this, then Thank God and bring it on. I wouldn't change what I have right now for anything. I know you care for me. I can feel it. I feel it from each of the others. What we have is special and I don't ever want to let it go." Dave stood and walked towards Vanessa. From one eye, a tear rolled down her cheek. "I haven't felt this safe and accepted since I was a little girl that didn't know what emotional pain was." She closed her eyes, surrendering, hopeful, to what he might do next. Dave bent down, bringing his face to hers. He kissed each eye gently. He kissed each tear streak. He kissed her gently on the nose, eliciting a small giggle. He kissed her lips, softly at first, growing firmer as she responded. She broke the kiss and opened her eyes in time to see his eyes opening. She could see the tears watering them. "You're going to make me fall in love with you aren't you?" "No. I'm going to give you every reason to, and let you decide." Dave reached underneath Vanessa and lifted her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him as he carried her. Olivia noticed them coming out of the library. With a small grin she began singing in a soft voice "Who; knows what to-morrow brings; in a world; few hearts survive ;” Dave tried scowling at her, but he couldn't get the grin off his face. As they neared the base of the stairs, Vanessa ceased her slow circuit of kissing Dave's cheek, neck and lips. "I think you better let me walk from here stud." Dave chuckled and lowered her feet to the floor. They rose up the stairs, side-by-side joined at the hips, shoulders, and lips. From below, they heard Olivia mutter "God that's hot." Reena Umm-hmmed her agreement. "My nipples are freaking diamonds right now." Entering the bedroom, Dave and Vanessa began removing each other's clothes, quickly, but without frenzy. They stood naked, at the end of the bed, kissing, holding and softly groping each other. Dave pressed in close and gripped Vanessa under the curve of her ass. He lifted her and tossed her into the middle of the bed. She squealed happily as she flew. Dave slowly crawled up the bed, kissing Vanessa as he went. He started by kissing the big toe of her left foot and proceeded down the top of her foot to her ankle. Then he switched to her right foot. When he reached her ankle, he continued laying soft, gentle kisses up her shin. Then again up her left shin. He avoided the backs of her calves, her kneecap and the inside of her knee. These spots were very ticklish for Vanessa. Becca loved the loss of control when Dave tickled her. Becca and Janice loved the counter play of tickling and sexual stimulation. Vanessa would mule-kick him through a wall if he tickled her. And be out of the mood. And be pissed for a few days. So no tickle-y He kissed his way up the tops and outsides of each leg. He kissed a wandering path around her abdomen, taking time at her belly button like a caravan merchant at an oasis. Vanessa moaned. Her belly button was one of her favorite places for Dave to play with. Dave began working his way upward again, kissing in a straight line that ran up from her navel between her tits. He looked up as he rose, seeing her eyes locked on him, hungry and happy. Pure joy radiated from her face. He reached the hollow of her neck and alternated kissing with light nibbling. Vanessa moaned again and shifted beneath him. This was another of her favorite spots. He kissed up to her jaw, across her jawline, to her lips. "Umm" Vanessa hummed as Dave settled in, his body pressing firmly against hers. He rested his weight on his elbows and knees (outside of hers) and took her hands in his, out to the sides of her head, their fingers interlaced. It was more sensual than sexual. After several minutes, Dave slipped his hands loose and moved lower for the next step. He broke the kiss. Vanessa whimpered and opened her eyes. She bit back a complaint about the end of the kiss, because she knew what was coming would be better. Dave kissed her chin, then her shoulder. He stroked the outside of each tit with his fingertips. He kissed from her shoulder down to the top of her tit. He kissed around her tit, never touching the areola. Then he placed tiny, soft kisses just at the border of her areola without brushing her nipple. Vanessa whimpered. His hand played with her other tit, likewise avoiding the areola. Vanessa squeaked as he took her nipple and areola in his mouth and suckled, flicking his tongue against her nipple. "Yes; ;” she clutched the sheets and writhed beneath him. It was delicious torture. He had her worked up and ready, but kept the foreplay going rather than enter her. One finger of his hand lightly brushed across her other nipple. Back and forth. Back and forth. Light pinch. "Oh, David, please baby." Dave chuckled. He met her eyes as he descended down her body again, taking less time than when he rose. He kissed her hip, then across her pelvis and down. He kissed her mound of Venus and descended with his mouth hovering over her labia, but not touching. He let his breath brush over her entrance. Then he pulled back further and kissed her inner thigh. He heard a strangled whine from above. He nibbled. He switched thighs. More shifting and squirming. Dave latched his mouth onto Vanessa's labia and suckled like a newborn. "Yes!" Her body lifted off the bed for several seconds. He flicked his tongue against her entrance before easing it inside of her. She let out a contented moan. He slid his hands along her sides and thighs. Dave lifted his eyes to look at Vanessa. Her eyes were closed in bliss. He moved marginally forward and took her clitoris into his mouth, massaging it with his lips and tongue. "Oh God!" her eyes flew open. Hands gripped sheets and pulled hard. Her feet lifted. Dave backed off, giving her a moment. He started crawling up the bed, over top of her. Vanessa pouted and locked eyes with him. Desire and need echoed back and forth between their eyes. Dave inserted himself into her wet, relaxed passage and slid forward purposefully. Vanessa issued a sound that was both a sigh and a moan signaling her satisfaction. Once again, Dave interlaced his fingers with hers. With his hands on top of hers, and all four hands beside Nessa's ears, Dave began to rock his body overtop of her. He held himself just low enough that his chest and ribs softly grazed over her erect nipples. With slow, gentle strokes, he raised the two of them towards ecstasy. Kissing softly, they communicated without words, just sighs, moans, and hums. Time stopped and the world fell away. Just two lovers wrapped in gauzy layers of lovemaking. Nessa's body trembled with anticipation for what felt like an eternity as Dave caressed and stimulated her, hitting all her pleasure spots just so, raising her gently to one delicious climax. He buried himself to the root within her as the dam burst forth. Her erotic writhing alternatively pushed him away and strove to swallow him within her. The oscillations of her wet passage seized his organ and sent him cascading over the cliff with her. Struck by the serum induced orgasm, Nessa clutched him tightly and howled her pleasure. When Nessa's grasp loosened, Dave slipped to lie beside her, holding her close. Drifting back into the conscious world, Nessa snuggled in close, draping an arm over him. "Hmm, so that's what the girls have been calling 'the full Dave', huh? I like it." Shawna's rotating early shift was today, allowing all of us to sit down as a family and finish discussing housing preferences. Mel came in from the kitchen once Shawna arrived. "We didn't quite get there last time, but with 12 or more people, we need a bigger kitchen." Lupie said emphatically. "Preferably with a double oven and a cooktop with five burners and a grill. Four burners and no grill is still okay. And gas, not electric." "Anything else for the kitchen?" "Well, an island, preferably with power to it, but with a cutting board top, and large enough for rolling out dough." Lupie paused, looking pensive. "Did I go too far?" "Not at all, that sounds great. Especially if I actually get to use it." Dave grinned back. Lupie smirked and rolled her eyes. "Oh, and one other condition; a nice big batch of tamales after we move in." Lupie's eyes danced. "Absolutely." "I was thinking," Reena said, "how about a backyard deck?" Dave interjected "Not really necessary. It would be good to have, but I can build a reliable deck. Especially with Livy involved. You can help too if you want." "If you can do renno, I may have work for you." Vanessa smirked. Dave laughed. "I still have a day job. Our house sure, but I'm not looking to make it a job. Oh, and what ever we get needs plenty of electrical outlets. If it's really necessary, I could run a few new breakers and circuits, but seriously, I'd rather stay away from that." Shawna looked alarmed. "Baby, I believe you when you say you've got skills, but I don't want you around one-ten, or worse, two-twenty." Dave returned with a scowling laugh, "That's why you turn it off at the box, dear." "Just be careful honey." "Yes, Peaches." That earned a laugh all around, as Shawna blew a kiss at him. Nessa looked at her. "Are you from Georgia?" "No, but my parents met there in college. Mom's from Georgia, Dad was just there for school. They raised me and my brother in St. Louis." "And you went there for your degree?" "Oh no. I knew I wanted to be a meteorologist since I was a young teen. I went to O U. With the National Weather Service center right there, I got experiences I could never have gotten elsewhere. Spent a good chunk of my upper-class and grad years chasing storms." "Sounds like a lot of fun." "Oh yeah." Nessa grinned with Shawna, then turned to Dave. "I have been asked to press the idea of the towers one more time. Not so much our immediate supervisor here, but the folks back in DC. Their argument is that it's more efficient." "Unbelievable." Dave managed to avoid grumbling. "You do realize that the same people that want to shove us into a shoebox are the same little hypocrites that scream their heads off when a CEO lays off workers to make his company more efficient. Both of them are promoting the math of what they want, ignoring what they don't, and neither actually gives a shit about the people they are using like pawns." Shawna, seated beside him, stroked his arm, a slight grin on her face. "Yeah, okay, I'll climb down off my soap box. But no, I do not want to live in an apartment tower. A neighborhood, sure. A diverse neighborhood sounds great. I'm not a fan of monochrome anyway." "Clearly," Nessa said. "Just looking around the room proves that." "I'm sorry, but the whole 'I know better than you' crowd pisses me off, whether it's the church variety, the lefty variety, or the old money variety." "Okay, okay," Nessa replied light heartedly. "I had to bring it up again. I've done so, and you've been quite clear. I'll get on the search tomorrow. It may take a bit, but I'm sure we can find something that meets our requirements." The conversation turned to other subjects, and the family splintered into little knots of discussions. Mel slipped back out to check on the meal she was making. Dave didn't know what it was, but it smelled really good. Well, he knew it was something with chicken. He decided to join Mel in the kitchen. "Hey, Mel, how's it goin'?" "Almost done." Mel turned her face to his and received the offered kiss. "Smells really good. Chicken soup?" "Chicken and dumplings. From scratch. I boiled the chicken earlier this afternoon. It's about time for me to mix the dumplings. After that, it'll be ready to eat in twenty minutes." Dave wrapped his arms around her, holding her close from behind as she watched the pot. "Perfect choice for a dreary day like today. And, I haven't had chicken and dumplings in a long time." "Well, I hope you like mine." "Oh, Mel," Dave said as he nuzzled his head against hers, "you know I like your dumplings." He traced the middle finger of each hand up her sides, pulling away before reaching her tits. She cackled, turning to face him. With a light smack on his shoulder she said, "You're an old lech," she stepped in for a kiss. "But you're my old lech." She waggled her eyebrows. Dave chuckled, resting his forehead against hers. Then the doorbell rang. "Go, I need to get on the dumplings anyway." Mel swatted him on the ass as he walked away. Jan was already at the door when Dave arrived. The soldier was just handing over the clipboard. Beside her stood a young black woman with her hair in several tight braids. She stood about 5'6", with eyes that appeared to prefer laughing, but bore the potential to penetrate obfuscation, a cute button nose and a bright red lipstick on her perfectly sized mouth. Large golden hoop earrings in her ears and tight black jeans on her legs were the only attire visible other than her thick coat. Given the near-freezing temperatures and drizzle that had gone on all day long, Dave could hardly blame her. The black handle and ribbing stood out starkly from the vivid, deep pink of her umbrella canopy. It looked thoroughly functional, and infinitely girlie; maybe a bit more Wednesday Addams than cheerleader, but that didn't bother Dave in the slightest. Jan handed the clipboard back to the soldier, who departed immediately. "Hello, my name is Janice, though I prefer Jan." She held out her hand, which was taken without trepidation. "And this is Dave." He likewise reached out and shook the lady's hand. "Come on inside. We were just about to sit down for dinner." "About twenty minutes," Dave supplied. "Mel; Melanie; is making chicken and dumplings." "Oh, that sounds really good. Especially with this weather." She pulled her roller case through the foyer and parked it just inside the living room. The ladies approached her, no more than three at once, and the early few drew her towards the center of the room as they greeted her and introduced themselves. Mel, having not taken a seat yet, exited to the kitchen again, reappearing barely a minute later. "It'll be about ten more minutes," she replied to the expectant faces that turned her way. Becca and Olivia immediately stood, heading to the kitchen. Apparently, it was their turn to set the table. The light conversations and sharing continued through the meal, interrupted only by nearly everyone asking for a second bowl (Dave had four, but made sure everyone else was done eating before the last two.) Of course, each family member took multiple opportunities to praise Mel for the quality of the meal, and the excellent choice for the dreary conditions. Dave listened in on the conversations around him, paying special attention to the ones involving the new arrival, Niki. Between his own conversations with her, he learned her full name was Nicole Lassiter, and she worked as the network administrator and network security administrator for a bank headquartered in Dallas. With all the losses, she was now over all computer issues that were not customer facing. Her little brother was still in college, hunkering down in the UGA dorms. Niki, her mom, and her dad each called him at least once a week both for their own peace of mind and to keep his spirits up. Niki's parents were recently vaccinated. Her mother had styled her hair before 'her baby girl' left for the Vax Center. The tight braids she wore were called a Senegalese twist. Since her mother was a hairdresser (not that she was seeing customers at the moment) she had extensions on hand to do her daughter up right. Niki's dad had just retired from road construction work, looking to open up a barbecue restaurant; right before the lockdowns hit. Dave also noticed a slight unsteadiness on occasion when Niki walked. It made him concerned for her well-being, but he wasn't sure how to bring it up without being rude. As the evening wore on, he noticed Niki making furtive glances his way. The next time she did, he made eye contact, lifting one eyebrow. She bit her lip and nodded. Dave rose from his seat and strode to her side. A few eyes followed them as he took her hand and led her upstairs. Dave guided her to the master bedroom. Niki quickly took a seat on the bed. "You know, I didn't ask you earlier: do you want to do this here, or in a separate room? Here, you're going to wind up with several other women in the bed as well. We still have a room you could wake up in with some privacy. Shawna and I use it sometimes to spend time together when she gets home from work, and she stores clothes in there so she can dress and not disturb anyone when she has an early morning shift, but nobody uses the bed in there." "No, here's fine, thank you." Looked pensive for a moment. And a little pained. "Are you okay? If you don't want to do this; " "No, no I'm fine, really. Well, I'm not fine, but you aren't the problem, not by a long shot. I pushed myself too hard this evening. I should have spent less time standing." Dave waited while she ordered her thoughts. "I haven't been completely honest with you, Dave. I only recently got to a point where I can walk without a cane. Over a year ago, I was t-boned by a drunk driver. Shattered my legs. It'd be a good bet that half the metal in this room, is in my bones right now." She let out an annoyed snort. "I used to run track. Even got a partial scholarship that helped me get my degree. I spent months in a wheelchair, and then a walker. After that, I moved up to those forearm crutches. During lockdown, I couldn't go to the doctor, so when I felt annoyed enough with the crutches I shifted to a simple cane. And now I've been walking without any aid for over a month, but it hurts like hell; and it's tiring." "You are one tough cookie." Dave said from the spot he'd taken beside her as she spoke. "I don't feel so tough. I feel beat up and worn out." Dave hugged her. "You want me to tuck you in and let you rest? We could do the imprinting tomorrow." "No, no I want to do this with you Dave. I just may need you to go easy. And probably help me undress." "Just to be clear, you're asking me to strip your clothes off, handle your body gently, and blow a load inside you?" Dave said with a hint of sarcasm. Niki giggled. "You seem man enough to handle the job." Dave answered her with a kiss, full on the lips, pressing firmly but with moderation. His hands drifted behind her shoulder blades. Niki responded, humming into the kiss and parting her lips. When Dave's tongue probed undemandingly, hers welcomed the visitor. Dave's hands roamed slowly, taking the first steps in learning the body of his newest lover. He enjoyed the feel of her in his hands. There was a looseness, as would be expected for an athlete that had been benched. Beneath that slight layer, there was a firm core. She was; exciting. And excited. Whatever she wanted in a man, she seemed to think Dave had it. Well, that and the serum had her amped up. Dave was finally getting past feeling guilty about that. Mostly. Dave started consciously directing his hands, seeking the buttons or clasps or zipper to loosen the neck of the tight black top she was wearing. Solid black panels with a black lace overlay stitched in at regular intervals. Finding the short zipper took no time at all. He next dropped his hands, seeking the hem of her shirt under her jeans waist. There was no hem. As his hands quested, he found bare hip, with cloth from the top still diving down her front and back. Just like a swimsuit. Then it struck him. He came up for air and play scowled at her. "You could have just said it was a bodysuit." She snickered. "Aw, where's the fun in that?" Dave kissed her. Then he gently shoved her backwards onto the bed. Her torso lay flat on the bed, her legs dangling off. Dave stood and faced her. Reaching down, he unbuttoned her jeans and lowered her zipper. Niki's eyes twinkled as Dave took hold of the cuff of her jeans and pulled them off. He missed the worried look in her eyes as the scars on her legs were exposed. That's because his eyes were locked on her trim brown legs. They stayed fixated on those lovely legs as he kneeled between them and began kissing her legs, first one then the other. All over her thighs, then, gently lifting, careful not to lift too high, he kissed her calves and shins. He lavished every inch of her legs with his lips and tongue. Niki moaned. Then she sniffled. Alerted, Dave brought his head up, locking his eyes on hers. Tears watered the bottom of her almond shaped sockets. "You make me feel beautiful again." "You always were." He kept his eyes on her as he kissed the inside of her knee. The kiss extended into suckling. He gave the spot a little nip, then moved his position by a few inches and giving the same attention, adding in a few strokes of his tongue tip. Niki's chest heaved. Dave could hear sobs amongst the moans as he switched to her other knee. He would have been alarmed except for the clearly cathartic tone. "Umm, David, please, I need you up here." With a grin, Dave worked his way, unhurried but not dawdling, up her leg, kissing and huffing hot breath on her exposed skin as he went. Reaching her fragrant core, Dave brought his fingers softly to the three little snaps holding the gusset of her bodysuit together. A gentle flick separated the two soaked flaps of cloth and revealed that Niki wore nothing underneath. The engorged, richly black outer labia of her nethers drenched in her arousal. Her inner labia petaled outward, yielding a peek at the pink interior. Dave blew one long, slow hot breath over her bare, quivering sex before latching his mouth on her. He suckled her lower lips as her back arched. Niki keened her pleasure while her arms beat a tattoo on the bed. "David, now, please, now." Dave shucked his shoes and quickly slipped his cargo shorts and boxers to the floor. In a flash, Dave was over top of her, dragging her up the bed like a leopard securing his prey in a tree. Niki's breath caught as he took charge of her body. The fire in her eyes was unmistakable. He kissed her deeply, then pulled away. With his eyes locked on hers, he moved himself to her entrance and pressed his cockhead just barely inside. The fluids leaked all over his throbbing cock touched her most sensitive places and set off a riot only attributable to the serum. Dave anchored her motions with his knees, pressed against her rear, but not enough to force her legs too far apart. "Fuck that was good." She paused for a deep breath. "Hmm, I'm all yours now Dave. Send me off to neverland, lover." Dave worked within her, slowly and gently at first, picking up pace slightly and a little more force when she signaled it was needed and acceptable. Her hums and moans continuously reminding him his actions were still mutually desired. His peak arrived and he shot hot ropes of cum with his cock buried deep in her, his cockhead brushing her cervix. Immediately, she shuddered, racked with the serum induced pleasure that forever locked her life with his. Dave held her in her throes until she went limp muttering "Imprinting; imprinting; imprinting ;” He rose, going to the bathroom to clean himself before returning with a wet washcloth and a hand towel to clean Niki. Once she was cleaned and dry, he snapped her body suit closed again and arranged her comfortably on the bed, beneath the covers. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead before heading downstairs to spend social time with the rest of his family. As he descended the staircase into the mild buzz of the other eight women happily sharing his life, his home, and his bed, Dave marveled at how amazing his life was. Chapter 10; Storm Winds. October 28, 2020 4:18am David's hand was halfway to the palmprint secured gun safe on the back side of his headboard before he realized he was even awake. With the vertical placement, and the; activity frequently occurring in the bed, he'd installed two Velcro loops to hold the pistol and magazine inside. He released the pistol and placed it on his chest before reaching back for the clip. Fortunately, only two hands and a part of one leg were draped over him at the moment. The four younger girls were in their rooms, leaving Lupie, Jan, Shawna, Vanessa, and his newest partner Nicole to share his bed. Nicole was one of the hands, and the partial leg. By consensus, the ladies decided she should get to curl up next to Dave for her imprinting sleep. Gingerly, Dave slipped free of his partners' limbs and slid down the bed onto the floor. Only then did he insert the magazine and work the slide. Flipping the safety on, he padded softly but quickly to the closet to grab a pair of shorts. He decided not to wear slippers this time. He might need the extra footing. Keeping close to the wall, he approached the bedroom door. With the door still shut, he took the safety off, but kept his finger out of the trigger well for the moment. Slowly, Dave eased the door open. Slipping through, he noticed a shape in the hallway, against the wall, at the top of the stairs. Too dark to identify an individual, the figure made the 'Join Me' signal his friend Carter had taught him long ago. He did not raise his weapon. Sliding along the wall silently, just the way he'd practiced at least once every year, Dave approached. Proximity gave the reassurance the lighting denied at a distance. Liv crouched in the hallway, pistol in hand, wearing only a light nightgown that reached most of the way to her knees. With a quick series of hand signals, Dave told Liv to follow at a distance as he prepared to descend the stairs as quietly as possible. Liv signaled back that she should lead, but apparently had no signal for why. Dave negated the suggestion, and started down the stairs. He reached the lower landing with no incident. His nerves had been raw as he got halfway down and the solid wall gave way to railing. Now he crouched on one knee, Liv a few steps up from the landing, but with good vision on the living room area, both of them listening. The nighttime chirping of mockingbirds was absent. No flutter of wings or rustle of raccoons, possums, or skunks. Out here on the wild edge of the metroplex, there was always something moving at night. Dave signaled for Liv to post up on the landing and then moved along the wall of the stairs, in front of the media center to the corner of the living room where the downstairs hallway started. He was now directly below the spot Liv had occupied when he first emerged from the bedroom. And just two steps from his secured gun closet recessed under the stairs and hidden behind a normal looking panel. Dave had only one twelve round magazine. Liv had purchased a larger safe and had a spare ten round magazine in addition to the one in her weapon. It was a bit awkward carrying it since she had no pockets, but Carter had taught a variety of firing stances, one of which allowed carrying something in the non-dominant hand. By the absence of natural sounds, somebody was outside. He did not know how many, or how they were armed, but he was sure they weren't here in the oh-my-god-it's-early hours for a friendly visit. He slid the cover for the pin pad open so he could punch in the unlock code. Dave heard a crashing thump at the door followed by cursing. The security door worked just fine. He didn't get a chance to smile though. The glass door at the back of the living room shattered from several rounds. Dave squared his body with the opening just as two men stepped through. The first man fell as Dave brought his weapon up. The second went down just as his head turned to his right to see Liv's position flanking their breach. Dave heard a tinkling sound from the entry. Someone was breaking the window in the front parlor. Now he was worried. The thick pillar at the free corner of the landing would give Liv scant protection against a firearm. Dave stayed low, stepping away from his corner. It gave him protection against someone firing from the sliding door breach, but he had no angle to fire into the entryway. With the furniture screening him from the glass door breach, he approached the arch between the entry and living room. Loud whispers drifted in from his right. The remaining attackers on the deck seemed to be hesitant about testing themselves against the defenses. He was straining to pick out words when a head began to resolve itself in the entry. Dave fired two rounds. The body fell. He held his position, weapon ready. Out back he heard an angry growl, "Hey, one of those women is my sister!" The reply was too low to understand the words, but the snideness came through clearly. As did the answering gunshot. What the hell is going on? They're shooting each other now? Hey, they don't need to be on my property for that! The fallen body in front of Dave slid backwards. Hands appeared from the foyer and the broken glass door, but they were empty. The hands gripped a pair of ankles of one downed man each and yanked them back to where the hands came from. This repeated for the second body near the glass door. Wet sickening sounds ensued, backed up by an occasional retching noise. Murmurs were heard. Someone said something about a marker and a bag. "David?!" Shawna's voice called from up the stairs. That wasn't the only sound from upstairs. Roscoe was barking his head off. Furtive whispers indicated some of his family were at the top of the stairs with Shawna. "Keep everyone up there. Open up the armory in the main closet and distribute weapons to the adults. Everything Lt. Malcolm Reed gave us is in there. Arm up and take defensive positions upstairs." That was a bluff. Hopefully enough of one to drive the attackers away. Dave was sure Shawna would recognize the name of the armory officer from Enterprise and catch on. The sounds from the foyer and back deck took on a hurried pace before Dave heard footsteps rushing away. Dave and Olivia exchanged glances, and then immediately darted their eyes back to the penetration points. This happened a few more times over the next several minutes. "Looks like we're clear." "Yeah, just stay on your toes." "I know. I grew up under the same guy that trained you, remember?" "Vividly." Cautious footsteps descended the stairs. "David, Olivia, it's Shawna. I'm coming down." Slowly, Shawna came into view, feet first on the exposed portion of the staircase. Her pink satin nightgown falling just past her knees gave her some coverage, but made Dave aware of the cold, damp air pouring in from both breaches. "Are you two okay? Is it safe?" "For now. We've got two big holes in the house, so maybe keep everybody up there where it's warm unless they're needed down here." Dave paused for a second. "Ask Nessa and Mel to look out the upstairs windows. See if they can spot these guys leaving, or lying in wait." Shawna disappeared upstairs, then came back down after a brief verbal exchange. Shawna came down to the lower landing and spoke briefly with Livy, giving her a hug. Then she came to Dave. She hugged him fiercely. Her voice shook as she said thickly, "For a little bit there, I thought I was going to lose you." "We held." Dave managed to keep most of the nervous tension and post-adrenaline shake out of his voice. By the look in her eye, Shawna wasn't fooled a bit. Dave led her to the beginning of the hallway, the cubby under the stairs. He whispered the passcode in her ear so she could unlock it. That had been the galling thing during the attack. His full stash of weapons had been right beside his shoulder, but he couldn't spare the attention to unlock it. Clearly, he needed to rethink his arrangements. Shawna handed out a thigh holster for him, which he only saw peripherally as he kept watch. The weight told him immediately she'd placed two pre-filled magazines in there for him. He pulled one out for a quick check. No use him having Livy's mags. "I go to the pistol range about every other month. Nothing fancy, but I'm a decent shot and I know the difference between ten mil and nine mil. What? It's a very satisfying skill to have, and a great way to blow off some stress." Dave chuckled and turned his head, with a quick lean to her and gave her a peck on the cheek. Then he stepped back out to his post. He felt Shawna walking out, so he moved to the other side of the hallway so she could make her way to Livy with the other thigh holster without crossing Dave's line of sight. She paused at his shoulder. "Dave, do you want the other weapons in there?" Dave thought for a minute. He knew which ones Shawna had to mean. He sighed, "Yeah. A tac vest and one of the MP5's. Tac vests should already have six loaded magazines in the pockets. Get two and give the other vest and weapon to Liv. Then find out if anyone upstairs has any weapons training. You said you shoot, how good are you?" Shawna handed out a vest first, which Dave quickly donned. "With silhouette targets, I can put four out of five rounds through the heart. Now, I haven't gotten to shoot since the lockdowns, but I was pretty regular before." She handed him one of the MP5's which Dave quickly slung over his head and shoulder, inserted a magazine he'd pulled from the vest and chambered a round, then safed the weapon. "Are those; ?" "Semiauto. Carter went to a lot of work to make sure we had everything we could legally have, but never anything illegal. They do have the integral noise suppressor. It was expensive as hell and took forever plus a mountain of paperwork, but it's all legal. At least in Texas." "God Bless Texas," she said with a gleam in her eye. Shawna gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before sauntering over to Livy, a thigh holster clutched in one hand, a tac vest in the other, and an MP5 slung over her neck. A second thigh holster, with a nine millimeter and magazines was strapped to her sleek, powerful thigh. Shawna handed off the gear to Olivia, then swiftly moved back to the concealed weapons closet. She was in there for quite a while before emerging. "There was only one more pre-loaded nine mil mag, so I had to load a few or just walk around with one. The second choice didn't sound viable." "Agreed." Dave grasped Shawna's bicep and pulled her in for a quick kiss on the cheek. She beamed at him after returning the kiss, then headed upstairs. Dave heard Liv saying something to Shawna as she passed by. An eternity and a short time later, two sets of footsteps descended the staircase. Melanie followed behind Shawna. "Carter and Liv both took me to the range several times. I even went to a tactical course once my aim was; acceptable. But only with pistol. I've never shot anything else." "Good enough. There's another thigh holster and pistol inside. What did Carter train you on? "Nine millimeter. He said it was so common it made a good starting point. Once with Liv, we rented shotguns at an outdoor range and I was decent with it." "Pistol will do fine. Shawna, help her get some magazines loaded. Has anyone called for police?" Mel swallowed nervously. "I didn't see anyone waiting in the back yard, but the deck;” "Yes?" "It's; disturbing. Dave, be careful." Dave nodded, as did Liv. Shawna spoke up as she followed Mel in. It was tight with two adults in there, but doable. At three it would have been cramped. "Lupie called. They didn't know how long before someone responds. They're stretched thin and the night shift is the least staffed." Wordlessly, she handed over a t-shirt she'd grabbed while she was upstairs. Dave slipped the tac vest off, donned the shirt, then the tac vest again. While he dressed, he spoke with his partners. "Fuck. Okay, here's what's gonna happen. You two take defensive positions on the stairs. One of you take the lower landing, one further up, just below the ceiling line. Then Liv and I will go out through the deck, and check the exterior all the way around." "I'll take the landing," Mel said. "I've had training with Carter, I should be the one exposed." "You sure?" Shawna prodded. "Yeah." "Okay, take your positions then." Dave kissed each one on the cheek before they walked away. When both had taken their places, Liv came over to him. Dave had one more instruction for Shawna. "Oh, and tell Lupie to call the police again, let them know we are clearing the grounds so they don't just shoot us on sight." Shawna nodded and crept upwards. Jan came down the stairs, bearing a pair of shoes for Dave and Liv, a pair of socks stuck into one shoe for each of them. After handing over the shoes, Jan headed back upstairs. They shod themselves quietly. "So, me on point?" Liv asked as she finished. "No, I'll take point, you cover me." "Dave, if anything happens to you, we're all in big trouble." "That's why you're watching my back. Otherwise, I'd go out there solo and leave you in charge here." "Like hell you would. I ain't some; " "I know you are capable, but I'm still going to shield you from as much risk as I can." Liv rolled her eyes. "Gee, I feel safe and offended all at once." Dave stared at her stony. "Are we done here? Ready to go?" "Shit, Dad really rubbed off on you. Yeah, let's do this." Olivia fell in behind Dave as he headed straight for the glass door breach. Both held their weapons ready, jutting forward with the strap taut around their necks and backs. Dave paused at the breach. "Off safe." "Roger." Dave examined the scene visible through the broken glass and the flapping curtain. Blood trails led out the breach from the various points where the bodies of the invaders had landed. He could see the legs of a few of them still on the deck. He turned his head to catch first Shawna's then Mel's eyes, nodded, and proceeded cautiously but swiftly out the breach. He swiveled right going out, knowing Liv would go left, just as her father had taught them for years. Each stopped at the furthest extension of the deck in their direction, scanning the deck and yard in a full semicircle, their backs to the house. There was no damage to the fence, and no apparent damage to the greenhouse or anything else in the backyard. The deck however; well, it wasn't damaged. The bodies on it were. Each had the pants and underwear pulled down and a huge bloody mess where the genitals once were. Blood continued to ooze out of the wounds, though clearly it had poured out initially. Dave signaled his intent to clear the greenhouse. Liv followed him. It didn't take long to clear. They emerged quickly, rescanning the backyard as they did. With Liv trailing, Dave exited the backyard through the side gate. The side yard showed no disturbance. In the front yard, they found the same gruesome sight as the back deck. Here though, they found an empty plastic baggie with blood spatter. And a few bloody fingerprints. The bag snagged under the heel of the corpse, ensuring the light wind was insufficient to blow it away. Dave and Liv finished the sweep, checking the other side yard, which showed no signs of disturbance. "I think we're safe, for now. These guys bugged out." "Yeah, but why did they cut their buddies' junk off?" Dave shivered, and not from the crummy weather. Well, maybe a little from the weather. He was barely dressed after all. "Let's get inside." Since the front door was still locked, they traipsed back through the side yard to the gate and came in through the broken glass door. "Coming in." Dave called before entering. "No sign of anyone out there." The relief on Mel and Shawna's faces was evident. Their shoulders relaxed slightly. "Can you two keep watch here? I'm gonna talk to the others, then we'll both get dressed, and then I'll call the police again." At the top of the stairs, four of Dave's partners wrapped him in hugs muttering their relief that he was still in one piece. He could see Lupie gazing at him, beseechingly as she held Esme close, soothing her. A loud bang against a door at the end of the hall reminded Dave of other necessities. "You better go let Roscoe out so he can see that we're all intact," Dave chuckled. As Olivia opened the door, Roscoe bolted from the room, turning only when she bellowed "Roscoe, Heel." That cut through his canine brain fog of 'defense mode'. He turned to her, sniffing as if checking on her condition. Liv knelt in front of him. She placed her hands on either side of his face and began stroking his neck and back while speaking softly, in calm tones. After a few whimpers, he started aggressively licking her face and putting his paws on her shoulders. Addressing his family, Dave said, "Liv and I need to get dressed. We need to call the police again, and we need to get those holes sealed." "Holes?" Jan asked. "Yeah, they busted in the sliding door and a window in the parlor. It's not quite as cold and miserable downstairs as it is outside, but it's close enough. For now, stay upstairs unless you have something you need to do down there. You can still run down to grab a book, or make meals or snacks. For tv, use the spare room that Shawna uses when she has morning shifts." "We could just use our laptops for streaming, Dave. We'll be fine." Reena added. She looked a bit bleary. To be fair, everyone seemed caught in some whipsaw state of alert and drowsy. Not surprising, given what they'd just been through. Dave patted her on the shoulder and kissed the crown of her head in appreciation. Releasing Reena, Dave knelt in front of Esme, who was showing clear signs of worry and strain. He enveloped her in his arms and held her close. "It's okay now, baby girl. We're all okay now." He held her, stroking her hair and back soothingly. After several minutes had passed, he loosened his grip and began to stand. Esme's arms immediately came up, wrapping Dave in a vise-grip hug. She didn't say anything, she didn't cry or whimper. She just clutched him tightly. Dave eyed Lupie, but she just looked back at him imploringly. He reached a hand out to her and she grabbed on immediately. He looked around at the others and saw the need for reassurance was still there. Olivia had already slipped into her room with Roscoe to get dressed. Becca, Reena, Jan, Nessa and Lupie all rushed to surround him the moment he waved his hand to 'bring it in'. Esme was wedged between Dave and Lupie. She finally relaxed her grip on Dave, and switched over to her mother. With a silent chuckle, Dave kissed Lupie on the cheek and slipped off to the master bedroom. Jan followed after him. "I thought I'd call the police and put it on speaker so you could talk to them while getting dressed." Dave nodded, then wrapped her in a hug and gave her a closed mouth kiss that was no less affectionate for its chasteness. Reluctantly, he released her and headed into the closet to collect some clothes. Jan dialed 911 as soon as Dave emerged. Police staffing was so low, all calls went through the emergency center. Long held habits are hard to break, though. Especially when those habits are codified in a manual. That's what they call 'procedure'. "911, what's your emergency?" "We called earlier about a break in. The people trying to break in have left, except the ones we shot," Dave called out in clear, even tones for the speaker. "Is anyone injured?" The operator droned, as if she been on duty too long, too many days in a row. "No, ma'am," Dave said. "No one in my family was hit, and the ones we shot are dead." "Are you sure they're dead?" "Yes ma'am. The guy that taught me how to shoot didn't teach me to miss. Besides, before they left, the invaders; mutilated the bodies. If they hadn't died from the gunshots, they'd have died from the blood loss." Dave was watching Jan's face when he mentioned the mutilation. Not the best choice, since he nearly fell over pulling on his cargo pants. It did allow him to see the flinch that briefly flitted across her face before she reasserted control. "Did you say mutilated, sir?" The tones were even, obviously someone that had worked 911 for years. Still, there were notes of 'oh shit' blended with 'what fucking else?' "I did." "Would you please specify the nature of the mutilation?" "The genitals of the deceased were removed." A short silence reigned on the line. "Could you repeat that sir?" The operator's voice sounded slightly more alert. Dave pulled his pre-tied sneakers on as he said, "the scrotum was removed from each of the corpses." This conversation was now added to the thick stack of reasons to be very glad of the distance between the master bedroom and Esme's bedroom. Lupie and the others had taken her there when Dave walked away. Between the walk-in closet and Dave's office, there was little chance sounds from the bedroom penetrated that far. "Are you certain the perpetrators have left?" "Yes ma'am, one of my partners and I swept the area; our yard anyway; and found no one remaining. All we found were the bodies that the survivors had drug back out of the house and carved up." "So the shooting happened inside the house?" "Correct." "I'm noting all this in the file sir. I'm appending this report to the prior calls your partner made requesting assistance. Since you are no longer in immediate danger, I am diverting the patrol response. They will get to you to you after attending to higher level calls." Even as she spoke, the woman's voice grew more exhausted, like a Walmart employee on Black Friday at about 3pm. "It's been almost an hour since the initial break in. Why has it taken so long?" "Sir, I'm not at liberty to discuss that, but I do apologize. I have no control over response times. I will dispatch a detective to investigate as well. Until then, please leave the scene undisturbed." "How long will that take? Can you give me an estimate?" "Probably a few hours, sir. There are very few detectives working night shift, so they'll likely hand this over to the dayshift investigators." "Hours? These guys busted in my sliding door and broke a large window in the parlor. It's making for quite a chilly cross breeze. And that's not even counting the blood stains and blood trails in my living room and entryway." Dave's voice had begun to rise. "Sorry, I'm trying to maintain a level tone here, but that's a bit difficult given what's happened and what you're telling me." The voice on the other end reached its most hollow state. "I'm sorry sir, I can't change those realities. Please understand that it will be three hours minimum before a detective would reach you. More likely it will be three hours before a detective is assigned to your case. Patrol won't take that long, but it won't be immediate." Dave took a deep, cleansing breath. It was only marginally useful, but it helped him keep his tone level. "And what is the longest likely time before a detective gets out here?" "Possibly six to eight hours sir." "That's; " Dave caught himself. And formed a plan immediately. "Fine. We'll be ready when the detective arrives." He hung up. Dave took a deep breath, staring intently at the far wall, fully aware of Jan quietly and patiently waiting off to his right. He rubbed his face, then snatched up his t-shirt and pulled it on. "Okay, let's meet with everyone else. I have a plan, and we can deal with this." Dave said as he stood. With a concerned look to Niki's slumbering form, he strapped the thigh holster in place and fastened the tac vest as he walked. The MP5 he slung over his neck and shoulder, then pulled around to his back. To be continued in part 9, Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts, for Literotica.

Jaylen Brown says this season is his favorite so far, and it makes sense after the Celtics have surpassed everyone's expectations while he puts up All-NBA numbers. The Bruins are on a four game skid, what can they do to turn things around? What should the B's do at the trade deadline?

The road trip season has pushed us back a day but here we are squeezing in a show between Chanukah and Christmas. Vocabulary lessons this week include Competitive Balance Tax, because the Luxury Tax isn't just for Monopoly anymore, and Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI). Just because it's the holidays it doesn't mean you can slack on learning. Our boyfriends this week are from BAL, where Patti leans into the once and forever boyfriend and Pottymouth goes Westy, and the Hammers, where Pottymouth picks a player with a wacky Tennessee claim to fame and Patti goes right to ROY. The Police Blotter features the return of Wander Franco's case to the courts, and the end of the Tyler Skagg's courtroom drama. The International Baseball update includes almost baffling chaos around the Serie del Caribe and the Serie de las Americas but the takeaway is absolutely please stop blowing up Venezuelan boats. We're both on yet more road trips and we wish you safe travels if you are too, and happy holidays if you celebrate.  See you a day late again next week!We say, “A glass half full of Santa's Butt,” “There was some hockey, there was some smarts,” and “Donny was the youngest Osmond that had any juice.” Fight the man, send your game balls to Meredith, get boosted, and find us on Bluesky @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. We now have episode transcripts available!  They are available for free at our Patreon site. Say goodnight, Pottymouth. 

 I accidentally proved something most entrepreneurs refuse to accept.Courage, connection, and being real will make you more money than any fancy funnel. This episode is your sign to stop hiding and start selling like a human. Support the showHosted by Casey Shipp — 3000+ transformations, Self-Made Millionaire, High Priestess, Writer, Fitness Cover Model, and Founder of the Hotbody App. $30M client wins | $7.8M sold onlineRich isn't rare. Category of one is.

Quaranteam - Dave In Dallas: Part 2 Lupie and Becca return from the Dallas Vax Center. Based on a post by RonanJWilkerson, in 12 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Let's review the List of characters: David Belsus (50)- adjunct professor at Eastfield College, DCCCD with a side hustle in data analysis. GuadaLupie Gutierrez (32); investment advisor, David's neighbor Esmeralda Gutierrez (9); Lupie's daughter Rebecca Sampson (18); Esme's babysitter Janice Hoppler (33); librarian, arrived to partner with Dave the same day Lupie and Becca left to get vaccinated. Shawna Cooper (36); senior meteorologist at WFAA, second woman sent to Dave outside a direct request. Olivia Barnes (21); Dave's goddaughter, horticulture major at Tarleton State University in Stephenville Melanie Ustanich (22); Livy's roommate, cybersecurity major at Tarleton. Dave smiled, a pair of events immediately coming to mind. He launched into a description of when Esme had called him up. Becca had been moping all day and Esme finally got her to admit that it was her birthday, but she hadn't heard from any family. Esme knew Becca loved meatloaf and mashed potatoes, but that was a bit out of her culinary reach. She asked Dave to help out. Well, first off, it was already after 5:30pm by the time Esme figured things out and got a hold of Dave. A meat loaf can take nearly an hour to cook, after all the ingredients are prepped and combined. But, if he made smaller portions, mini-meatloaves, it would cook faster. Oh, then He could Zoom with them and the three of them could eat together. "Wait, three?" "Yeah, in the beginning of lockdown, Lupie was stuck in New York. She's an investment manager and very good at it. She was giving a week-long training seminar when it happened." "But the lockdowns weren't big surprises. We all had some heads up to prepare, maybe unofficial, but it wasn't like they came out of the blue." "Yep, and her company choose to make sure the New York office had gotten the training Lupie had been going around doing, before they lock them away in their homes. They thought they could beat the clock. Lupie was practically climbing the walls by the third day. But that's a different discussion. We can come back to that." "Yeah, we definitely need to come back to that. I can't imagine being cut off from my kid, half a continent away from her with a major pandemic racing around." "It was rough." Dave returned to the original narrative, starting back with the moment he remembered some trick he'd seen making meatloaf cupcakes and piping mashed potatoes on top like it was icing. "You didn't. You can do that?" "I'd only seen it done before, but I managed to get it right enough." "For a teen girl mostly alone on her birthday, the attempt was probably 99% alone. Execution would be bonus points." "She was crying happy on the Zoom call. Esme is young but she's sneaky when she's planning something nice. She took delivery at the door and convinced Becca to sit at the table, not knowing what Esme was bringing over. Becca kissed the camera for the first minute after they brought up Zoom." Janice giggled. "I don't blame her." Janice made a 'lightbulb' face. "Oh, is that why she made you cupcakes for your birthday?" "Well, she might have done it anyway, but it was probably why she insisted she do it herself." In thinking along those lines, Dave remembered the letter he'd gotten yesterday. That would explain why Lupie had seemed a bit miffed that day. She'd wanted to do something special for his birthday, but had bowed to Becca's exuberant need to express her gratitude. His musing turned nearer to the moment. Janice was listening to him talk about two other women in affectionate, familiar terms, knowing full well those women would be here soon and share the bed with him as well, and she showed no signs of jealousy. Yeah, they mentioned something about it in the videos, but it was odd to see. "Okay, your turn. Tell me something about you, Janice." She winced. "Okay, first off, I'd prefer Jan in normal conversation. Janice is fine at some function outside the house, some formal setting, but when it's just family and associates." "Associates? Why not just say - " "Please don't use the same word as the title of that show." Dave was puzzled for a bit, then chortled. "Oh - " "Do. Not. Finish. That. Phrase." Janice glared. Dave nearly fell out of his chair laughing. Janice was thoroughly unamused. He forcefully collected himself. "Damn, I like that show, but I can get why you would not be happy. That character is annoying as hell." Jan stared, nonplussed. "I'll be good. Promise." He picked up her hand from the table and kissed it. Jan continued to give him half-squinty eyes. "So you were about to tell me something about you. Other than your death-ray eye superpower." "It's a good thing you're cute buster." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. The squint was still there, but a bemused smile dangled below it. Janice proceeded to tell about the time the library put on a summer hands-on science series. One week the guide brought frogs and first red a book about frogs and their habitats. They let the kids reach in and touch some of the frogs - after rinsing their hands with deionized water first. Then they red a chapter from Frog & Toad. During the reading, one little boy wanted to touch the frogs again. He had earlier asked to hold one, but had been told the frogs had to stay inside the tub. The budding naturalist snuck behind the speaker, opened the lid, and took out a small frog. The frog of course took the chance to leap away. The startled and dismayed boy jumped back, knocking over the tub which he had not put the lid back on. Sixteen small to medium sized frogs dumped out on the floor. Startled as they were, they began hopping away, some heading through the equally startled mass of kids. Some of the children had declined to touch the frogs earlier and were now shrieking as the second Egyptian plague of Exodus blitzed outward from the tub, directly at them. Dave was holding his sides laughing as Jan continued. Obviously, story time was over. It took an hour and a half to calm the kids down, locate parents, ask a few of them to bring a change of garments for their little one - explaining the need for that took repetition of the same story to each parent, accompanied by laughter and sympathy and one angry Karen. Collecting the frog diaspora took the rest of the day, and three hours after closing. Dave was chortling and wiping tears from his eyes for a full minute after Jan finished. Jan settled into his lap, her arms draped around his neck. They kissed softly, languidly. David jarred backward. "Oh crap, I forgot to put in the order." "What order?" "I was going to order more groceries, especially snacks, and a couple of stuffed critters for Esme." "Lupie's little girl?" "Yep, she's mad about these things called Squish mallows. I could probably randomly pick one and she'd squeal happily to receive it. I held off ordering because I wanted to get your input, you know, anything special you wanted." Dave started leading her upstairs, which had Jan happy, but a bit less so when Dave made the turn for his office instead of heading straight to the bedroom. Gamely, she played along. Truth be told, she was glad to ask for a few things. She'd only been able to bring one rolling suitcase. They made the contactless pickup order for tomorrow morning and decided Dave would pick it up, with Jan remaining at the house in case Lupie, Becca, and Esme arrived while he was gone. As the order progressed though, Jan started laying soft kisses on Dave's cheek and forehead. Then she breathed soft and hot into his ear. Only a steely self-control kept him on task to finish, and Jan could see the battle warring in him. "You are so hot like this. I've never been around a guy that didn't jump me the moment I expressed the slightest interest. Sometimes before." Dave looked at her side-eyed as she wiggled her ass on his lap. His hands trembled. "Almost done. I'm just setting the pickup parameters. And I've had responsible reasons to hold back." He clicked submit on the last page, logged out of the site, and out of his computer. "I want you so bad." He turned his full attention to her, grasping her mid-torso, standing and pressing her to the nearest wall, his body pressed against her. Jan squeaked as he lifted her up, completely under his control. When he pressed her to the wall, her eyes lit up and she wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist and eagerly responded to his lips as he took hers with authority. She moaned softly. When Dave broke the kiss, they were both panting, fire flashing from eye to eye. She lowered her feet to the ground as he let off the pressure holding her to the wall. They practically raced to the bedroom, Jan in front, her left hand behind her holding his. Jan threw off the t-shirt as she crossed the bedroom threshold. Nope, no panties. Dave reached out and squeezed one butt cheek, causing Jan to let out an "eep!" and then laugh as she turned. She immediately began helping Dave strip off his clothes, walking backward the rest of the distance to the bed. Reaching the bed, Dave was now clad only in boxers, the two of them standing, Jan's legs pressed between Dave's and the bed, their bodies in loose contact. With a double-lift of his eyebrows, Dave shucked his boxers to the floor and placed two fingers of one hand gently on Jan's chest, between her soft, modest, lovely tits. He shoved lightly. Jan smiled crazily as she fell. Dave knelt at the edge of the bed, hooking her legs over his shoulders. He dropped hungry kisses on her inner thighs. Two on the left, then three on the right. One hot, suckling kiss far up her inner left thigh. Two quick kisses on her mound, then a long suckling kiss just to the right of her labia, barely out of contact with them. Emboldened by the heat and scent of arousal emanating from her, Dave sucked the full dimension of her light brown lower lips into his mouth, suckling them, massaging them with his lips wrapped over his teeth. He slipped his tongue gently past his lips, probing gently against her slit. Sliding along it. Flicking the delicate inner labia. His left hand snaked around her right leg. As it came over her hip, he let one finger trace against her skin, moving slowly, without pretense, hurry, or delay directly to her mound, adorned with a well-kempt narrow, vertical strip of curly black hair. His finger slowed to a crawl as it changed course downward. He switched to suckling the inner petals only, bringing his right hand up, one finger standing out, to her entrance. Jan moaned as he paused. Wanting, yearning. Then he slipped his finger in just as his lipped wrapped teeth pulled softly on her inner labia. "Ha! Oh fuck yeah! Fuck. Just like that you magnificent teasing bastard!" Jan's legs worked aimlessly, not gripping him, just loosely, slowly flailing, occasionally resting on the bed, but too worked up to hold still long. One finger of Dave's left hand reached Jan's now exposed clitoris. The touch alone ran through her like an electric shock and she screamed her pleasure again. Dave rubbed her clitoris gently, but firmly as he slipped a second finger into her, driving them in and out determinedly, with a mind to building her to release. Dave moved his hand away from Jan's clit, replacing it with his flicking tongue. "Oh" Jan's back arched. Her hands gripped tightly at the sheets. Her legs pulled back, lower legs dangling from tensed upper legs. Just as she uncoiled from the last wave, Dave turned his right hand over, sliding the fingers in and out in a slightly curved posture, stimulating and locating the much beloved nerve bundle on the roof of her vagina. Jan trembled again. "Fucking yeah, fucking maestro, fucking play me like a violin." Her voice shook and paused as she spoke. Her legs trembled. Dave sensed she was close. He positioned his fingers to flick against her g-spot as he flexed them in the beckoning 'come here' motion. The jolting response from that had not yet settled when Dave took her most sensitive nub in his mouth and massaged it with is lips around its edges and the tip with his tongue. Jan came unglued, shrieking and flailing as Dave pressed his joint oral and digital assault on her nethers. She gripped his head a few times, tightly, but never for more than a couple of seconds, the power of her orgasm short circuiting every ounce of her muscle control. As she collapsed to the bed, spent, awash in bliss, Dave relented and crawled up beside her on the bed. Jan lay panting, grinning like the proverbial cat. Between gasps, she relayed the metaphor. "But I'm the one that did the eating." Dave smiled wickedly. Jan laughed wildly, caught between the need for air and the hilarity of Dave's pun. Well, maybe not so hilarious, but she was certainly susceptible to granting high praise for anything he did over the next half hour or so. As her breathing calmed, Dave and Jan moved up the bed, getting their heads on the pillows and bodies fully on the mattress. With an eager, voracious look, Jan rolled over on top of Dave, slipping on leg to either side of his hips. Reaching behind her, she aligned his rigid member with her soppy wet entrance and threw herself backwards, engulfing his full length in one hungry thrust. "Fuck yes." Jan rocked her torso back and forth, parallel with Dave's, her rock-hard nipples sliding up and down his chest. Dave took to planting a kiss on her forehead at the top of each stroke. Jan placed her dainty hands on his chest and lifted her body off of his, transitioning to a rocking motion, undulating her torso and stirring his cock within her pussy. His shaft rubbed against her g-spot each stroke as her butt moved furthest backward. Her cries signified each contact. As she grew increasingly excited, Jan began riding up and down on Dave's member. He felt his own pleasure building. Dave reached one hand to Jan's tit, gently fondling the soft flesh and thumbing her nipple. His other hand reached to their point of contact, laying his thumb on her nub and gently pressing against it. Her own motions provided a rubbing motion. "Yes" Jan's head lolled back, practically limp. Dave lightly clasped her nipple between two fingers, giving a slight rolling motion. Jan rode him faster, becoming feverish, her breathing growing ragged. Dave felt the early spasms of her pending release and knew he wouldn't be far behind. He slipped both hands to her hips. At the first moment her hips seized, he grasped her firmly, pulling downward as he thrust upward. Jan exploded in a riot of flailing arms and rippling vaginal muscles. Her scream of joy echoed around the room even as it continued to issue from deep in her throat. Dave held as long as he could before allowing his own release to burst forth, erupting into her cavity and drenching her insides with his seed. Jan's body spasmed again, a second peak to her pleasure, a second, airless scream as her breath evacuated her body. Jan collapsed on Dave, rolling off immediately. The weight of her own body too taxing on her lungs attempting to replenish her much needed air supply. Dave held her close, only enough to maintain contact, yielding her space to recover. As Jan lay their breathing, she turned her eyes to Dave. She stared at him, still gasping. Her expression was unreadable, at least by Dave. Calming finally, she hugged him fiercely, kissed his jaw, and snuggled her head against him, but left her chest pulled slightly away to give her lungs full space to do their work. "God, I thought I was going to black out there. They weren't kidding about that 'when he pops' orgasm." "Better pleasure through science, baby." Jan barked a short laugh. "Science only did the last bit. The first two were all you hun." They lay quietly, enraptured by the tender intimacy of lying in each other's arms. Jan broke the silence after several minutes. "This is the one night I have you to myself. Becca and Lupie will be here tomorrow and your attention, emotional and physical will be divided between the three of us." Dave looked at her as she paused. "I should be jealous. But I'm not. I feel like that means there's something wrong with me, even though they said that was another effect of the serum. It's one thing to hear it, but totally another to feel it. Or not feel it. No, to feel it. I almost feel a sister ship with these two women I've never met. I think if you hadn't described them to me, let me feel your affection for them, your concern for the, I might be jealous now, and then it would turn off after they arrived, but the way you talk about them, it feels like they are already here, and part of us now." "I don't know how to respond to that." "I don't either, but I think it's a good thing. The fact is, we are sharing you - your bed, your life, our lives - and we have to get along for all our sakes. I don't regret it at all, it's just a little weird when you realize it's happening." Dave looked at her silently. "Just hold me David. Hold me all night." Chapter 3 – Reunited. September 20, 2020. Dave awoke to a strange sensation. Not one he was accustomed to. He felt the smooth feel of sheets against his legs and upper torso, but not between. A weight pressed down on his abdomen and a warm wetness encompassed his cock. Oh, right he has a girlfriend now. Sleeping in his bed. Well, not sleeping at the moment. Dave cracked his eyes open to see a large lump moving slowly under the sheets, over his pelvis in time with the wondrous, rhythmic feeling below his waist. He slipped a hand to Jan's back and trailed his fingertips softly along her satiny skin. Slowly, Jan slipped her head from under the sheet. "Good morning lover." Jan placed a soft, smoky kiss on his chin, her eyes locked on Dave's. "You don't have to do that every morning you know." "Of course not." Jan grinned wickedly. "The others will get their turns too. But for now, this kitty gets her morning cream." With that she slipped the sheet down his body, exposing him from the knees up, and settled her face on his organ again. Bowing to the inevitable - and loving every minute of it - Dave slipped a hand to Jan's thigh, sliding firmly, slowly, gently along the inside of her leg. He brought his hand close to her core, then slid slowly away, down to mid-thigh. Then back up. Jan hummed approvingly as he switched from his whole hand to just a single fingertip, adding swirls into the motion. He let the swirls drift closer and closer, knowing where she ached for him to brush against. But not yet. Reaching with both hands, Dave grasped the backs of Janice's thighs, lifting her lower body and rotating it towards his face, aligning their torsos, her mouth the pivot point. She squealed and giggled around his cock before clamping her lips firmly around his organ and doubling her efforts. With her hot wet sex directly in his face, Dave braced his thumbs about an inch to either side of her clitoris and moved them in unhurried circles. He lifted his face and blew hot breath at her slit. Jan's body tensed and flexed, a sign of encouragement even Dave could clearly read. Dave latched his lips on her dripping sex and nursed on her lower lips, drinking in her juices. He could feel her labia convulsing and puckering in response to his ministrations. Jan picked up her pace again. Dave wasn't sure if it was gratitude or a race, but he resolved he would not be the only one peaking this morning. Dave slipped his hands up her torso, taking her lovely pert tits into his hands, his fingers alternately groping her fleshy mounds and teasing her firm nipples. He slipped his tongue along her slit languidly before forming a firm spear of mouth muscle braced with the tip against her entrance. He plunged his tongue inside her. Jan's body seized and convulsed, her inner muscles grasping at his oral protrusion. Jan paused her worship of Dave's cock, bringing her head up to moan softly while his wet cock stood proudly in the cool air. As soon as the waves of pleasure had washed fully over her, Jan bent her head back to her self-appointed task. Dave did the same. In another minute or so, Jan brought Dave to his peak, causing him to jet gobs of the man cream she sought into her mouth as she captured it and swallowed as his balls paused between jets. The shuddering of her serum induced climax could not shake Jan's determination to consume every drop. Her first item of her morning to do list completed, Jan righted herself, then fell into bed alongside Dave. She gave him a kiss on the shoulder and snuggled in tightly with a big, satisfied smile on her face. After basking in the afterglow for several minutes, Jan spoke. "Make me breakfast and show me how?" Jan shredded cheddar while Dave cut bacon into small pieces with kitchen shears. Dave admired the small roundness of her ass pushing out his t-shirt, just a few inches above the hem. Her pokey, pert tits making small mounds to either side of the phrase "√-1 23 S p, and it was delicious." "This is not going to be authentic Mexican. It's barely recognizable as Tex-Mex, more like Messican." Jan raised an eyebrow. "A pile of food using some ingredients connected to Mexico or using flavors associated with Mexico, and so sloppy you absolutely must use a fork or spoon to eat it." Jan laughed. "Okay, Messican breakfast it is. What would this be if it were authentic?" "Migas. But we'd have to use chorizo instead of bacon and a Mexican cheese instead of cheddar. Maybe Oaxaca, that's got a great flavor for this." Dave dropped the cut-up bacon bits into the pre-heated pan hearing them sizzle immediately. "I love that sound." Jan smiled and leaned in for a kiss. Jan loved the counter play of soft eggs with the crunch of the bacon and tortilla strips. After they'd eaten, she offered to do dishes, so Dave went to his gun closet, getting out a back holster and a pistol. Now ready for yesterday's incident, Dave checked on the chickens again, finding nothing amiss this time. Other than the need to top off the food bin and water bucket. Time for the grocery pickup rapidly approached with no word from Lupie or Becca. Jan elected to remain, in case they arrived while Dave was gone. "I'll just have to suffer through sampling the library." She didn't have a poker face. "You already took a sample in the library." That got her laughing. Dave came through the door from the garage carrying a few bags with items needing refrigeration. He paused by the library door. "Hey hun, watcha readin?" Jan startled. "Oh, sorry, I didn't hear you come in. More in the car I take it?" "Yeah, can you grab the cold stuff first? I'll start stowing things in the fridge and freezer, then join you for the rest." As they were putting away groceries, Dave asked what Jan had been reading. "Baa Baa Black Sheep. By the binding and cover condition, I'm guessing you've red it already?" "Oh yeah. I loved the old TV show as a kid, so it was a treat to read about the real life guy it was based on." That started a discussion about 80's TV shows, and the re-runs playing then, and VHF and UHF stations that wound up as a general 80's slice of life retrospective. From a sci-fi nerd point of view. The discussion continued as Dave showed Jan the rest of the house, as well as the backyard and greenhouse. They had settled into the living room, sitting on the couch, on opposite ends with their lower legs tangled together, each reading, for nearly an hour when they heard a knock at the door. As Dave opened the door, Becca slammed into him. She clutched him tight, her head tucked down, pressed sideways against his chest. She was shaking. "Wow. They said the serum would make a woman aggressive. I didn't expect this though." Lupie's face made Dave quickly realize his assumption was misplaced. "Am I missing something?" "Later, David. Please" Lupie begged. "Sign here please sir." The soldier acted as if nothing unusual was going on. Lupie had a look of concern and sympathy. Dave signed quickly and ushered Lupie and Esme in while Becca shuffled along beside him, not letting go. Jan waited, standing, in the living room. "Lupie, Esme, Becca, this is Janice Hoppler, she arrived yesterday morning. She prefers Jan among family." Lupie shook Jan's hand and said hello warmly, slightly guarded. Becca refused to let go of Dave. Jan placed a reassuring hand on Becca's shoulder. Taking a closer look, Dave realized Becca's hair looked like it had been mussed and then raked back down with fingers rather than a comb or brush. On its own, he would have put that off to poor sleeping conditions in their overnight stay at the vaxx center. Other context clues were waking up a little voice in his head that something seriously wrong had happened while the ladies were away. Dave struggled to think of things that might soothe her. "Becca, I have mandarin Jarritos in the fridge and chocolate Pocky in the cupboard." Becca shook her head. "Just take me upstairs please, Dave." "Well, we need to get the three of you settled in, Bec." Becca squeezed tighter. "Please." It came out as a near whimper. Dave's face creased with concern as he looked to Lupie. "What happened?" "I'll tell you what I know before it's my turn." Lupie told him. "We should probably do this now though." "If Esme is fine with it, I can get her settled," Jan volunteered. "Which room is hers?" "Uh, you know, the one with ;” Dave said, walking awkwardly to the stairs. As Becca realized where he was going, she coordinated her movements with his, and then tried to lead the way, nearly dragging Dave the last few steps to the staircase. "Oh, oh right." Jan's look of worry only amplified Dave's concerns. He wasn't imagining then. Something had gone seriously wrong at that vax center. As Dave and Becca neared the staircase, Becca reached the arm behind Dave's back towards Lupie, beseechingly, making a grasping motion. Lupie acquiesced, following the pair up the stairs and into the master suite, and shutting the door behind the three of them. As they neared the bed, Becca began unbuttoning Dave's shirt. Dave reached to lift her shirt up, getting only partial compliance. Becca wanted Dave naked first. Dave played along, shucking his shoes and pulling off his socks. Dave stood there, stark naked, with a still clothed Becca holding tightly to him, but standing tall now, her head resting at the base of his neck. Becca slowly rubbed her whole body against him. Dave rubbed his hands along her back, hoping it would have a soothing effect. Becca began to grind her pelvis against Dave's. "Take me David. Make me yours." Becca stared into Dave's eyes, hungry and scared. "Make it so no one can take me away from you." Dave kissed her forehead, slowly moving his hands from her back to her tummy. It wasn't fast enough for Becca. She ripped her shirt over her head, then pulled her and Dave onto the bed. Taking a cue from her urgency, Dave undid her belt, button, and zipper, then grasped the hem of Becca's pants and yanked them off her. Becca and Lupie both gasped, but it didn't sound like fear, more like,; thrilled? Dave crawled back up the bed to lay beside her. He intended to get her aroused with kisses and touches, but Becca wasn't waiting. She pulled off her panties and lay with her legs apart. "Get on me David. Get in me and mark me as yours." Dave scooted closer, and sped his fingers along her side, resting softly under her lovely, small, bra-clad tit. Becca grabbed his shoulder and pulled, rolling him on top of her. "Now David Please!" her head lunged forward, capturing his lips and kissing him fiercely. Becca's arms took Dave in a bear hug. She wrapped her legs around his waist and began bucking her pelvis. "Just do it David," Lupie spoke in her softest tones. "I'll explain later, but she needs you now. I'm sure you want to give her something gentle and caring, but right now she needs the certainty and safety of being imprinted to you." Becca nodded beneath him, her eyes imploring. Taking a deep breath, Dave maneuvered himself to place the tip of his organ against her lips. He felt an abundance of wetness and felt relief. As frantic as she was, he'd expected her to be dry as a bone. That would have made consummation impossible. Feeling Dave near her entrance, Becca shoved herself downward, but faltered. Dave's cock skidded up her slit. Becca whimpered, but stilled. Dave realigned himself, working his tip past the labia before pushing firmly. Certain of his positioning, he pushed with increasing pressure. He felt something give way, and a sharp constriction as he pushed forward a few inches. "Ah!" Becca's scream, the anguish flooding her face and the knife-like pain threatening to chop off his dick brought Dave to an instant halt. He moved to pull out, but Becca's legs tightened around him, and Lupie pushed gently downward on his tailbone. Enough to signal him to hold position. Then Dave remembered, from Janice and the videos, that the first drop of pre-cum, the first encounter, would give a woman an incredible orgasm. His own arousal was swamped by his concern for Becca, leaving him firmly erect, but not leaking anything. For her sake, he had to relax himself. Well, two birds with one stone. Dave lowered his lips to Becca's. She was now lying flat on the bed beneath him, a modest gap between their torsos. Dave kissed her tenderly and she responded. He worked his way down her jawline to nibble on her earlobe. Becca's breathing caught. Dave whispered softly to her, so that not even Lupie could hear. "I'm going to show you all the love I can for the rest of my life Rebecca Sampson. I will prize your heart and your love above the delights of your body. And when I have passed, and you remain, I pray I have left you with joy and peace." Becca sobbed, clutching him close. Dave could feel a tension leave her body. There was even a tinge of joy in her crying. She began to work her hips again, slowly, the act still a delicate one for both of them due to her tightness. Dave matched her motions. With short, slow strokes, each relaxed into the union, and Dave felt his arousal rise. The first drop of precum finally leaked out of the tip of Dave's cock. Becca's body tensed, then bucked beneath him. A wild, weird part of Dave's brain wondered if Lupie had somehow hit her with a taser. "Hah" she cried out. Becca panted, trying to recover from her first ever orgasm. Dave held her gently, kissing first her cheeks, then her forehead. As she calmed, eyes reopened, looking hungry, Dave brought his mouth down to her neck, suckling lightly at her clavicle, without leaving a mark. He kissed his way down the to the slope of her tit. Recalling her earlier uncertainty about their attractiveness, Dave resolved to dispel the worry. He kissed in an inward spiral around her tit before taking her areola into his mouth and flicking her nipple with his tongue. Becca cried out, her back arching off the bed. When she settled, she took Dave's face in her hands and kissed him. "Thank you, David. Now please, finish this." Dave began working himself forward and back, slowly within her. A little more in than out, until he was fully inside her. He could see pleasure and happiness on her face, with some pain as well. He knew he couldn't eliminate the pain, but he was glad she was now getting some pleasure out of it. He kept up his steady pace, pausing if she flinched. As her pain began to subside, he gradually increased his thrusting speed and depth. Becca's legs unclenched from his waist, hanging in the air beside his hips. "Yes, David. More, please more. Keeping going, fill me up David." Her encouragement, her body rocking beneath him in harmony with his thrusting, her interspersed moans sent David over the edge. At the moment he erupted, Becca's eyes flew open and she screamed louder than before. Her whole body spasmed wildly until she collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut. "Imprinting; imprinting; imprinting ;” The oddly disturbing chant juxtaposed with the tight, satisfied grin on her face. Dave gingerly removed himself from her body and climbed off the bed. With Lupie's help, he pulled the sheets and covers from under Becca and then gently covered her. "I'll go wash up. When I come back, can you please tell me what the hell is going on?" Lupie just nodded, biting her upper lip. She followed him to bathroom, where she grabbed a washcloth, wetted it, squeezed out the excess, and went back to the bedroom. Dave followed her out once he had cleaned himself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you." "I know, David. It was a jarring time for me, and I knew what triggered this." "I would love to share in that knowledge." Lupie grinned at the dry humor. "This morning, after Rebecca and I had completed our Oracle questionnaires, a young woman approached the three of us. She greeted Becca and took her hand to lead her away. Now all three of us assumed we were being taken to you. As Esmeralda and I rose, the lady motioned for us to sit back down. When I inquired when Esme and I would be called, and how long we would be separated from Becca, the lady said she had no idea, and began to walk off again, leading Becca. Becca got upset and asked that we all go together, since we are both to be assigned to the same man. The lady argued with her for a few minutes, then noticed another official heading over. She dropped Becca's hand and took off. Becca was disturbed by the encounter and stayed close to the two of us from then on. We got our shots and returned to the holding area to wait out the medical watch period. A few minutes after our return, a man and woman in uniform took us into a separate room to talk. I think they were officers, but I don't know what part of the army they were in. They had two pistols on their right collar. My right, their left." "Military Police." Lupie looked at him questioningly. "I have a friend who served. He thought branch insignia was one of many useful things to know in a Teot Wawki scenario." "A what?" "The End Of The World As We Know It. He's a prepper & survivalist." Dave's face clouded. "I haven't heard from him in a while, but he doesn't communicate all the time. And yeah, I think this qualifies. Big time. The world is definitely changing in major ways." "Yes, it is. So these two officers questioned us for over an hour about every detail of what happened, going over each minute, each word multiple times. I actually started to think we were accused of something." Lupie slumped against Dave's chest. He wrapped his arms around her. The strange shape of the world and the problems of today did not prevent him experiencing a deep thrill at finally having her in his arms. Lupie. Beautiful, charming, enchanting Lupie. Here. on his bed, in his arms, pouring out her troubles to him. The troubles were concerning, but to be her bastion! Her comfort! Dave's heart raced. Lupie continued. "While we were in there, they seemed mostly focused on the woman's motivation. They keyed off something Becca remembered from the woman. Give me a second; the lady said 'Come with me, you can live a life of luxury, fuck a rich man once or twice a week, pop out a few babies and be waited on hand and foot lounging by a pool. None of his blondes do any work, that's for brunettes and Hispanics.' When Becca kept resisting the lady got real mad; 'do you really wanna go off to some suburban slob, washing dishes and mopping floors, and you'll still have to give him your coochie and pop out babies, you dumb bitch?' " "So they finally let us out. Esme was thirsty and Becca needed to wash her face. Becca went in while I watched Esme at the fountain. Becca had only been inside a few minutes when she shrieked and came screaming out. She said the lady was in there. She came out of one of the stalls as Becca was washing up." Lupie paused. "After that, Becca wouldn't let go of my hand. We were held in another room under guard for a while, while they searched for her again, but eventually they brought us here." Dave added a little extra squeeze to the hug and planted a loving kiss on Lupie's forehead. She looked up at him with a smile. "Do you have any idea how comforting this feels, to be able to tell you about a problem, to be held by you, as you listen?" "I know how amazing it feels to be the one you can share your troubles with. To be the arms you want to be in." Lupie sat up, leaned in and kissed Dave full on the lips. Lips meshed and moved. Tongues darted into mouths, tangling, teasing, frolicking. Hands began to roam. Dave delighted in the thrill of touching Lupie. After all this time. All that yearning. Lupie, here in his arms. Wanting him as much as he wants her. He tugged upward at the base of her shirt, pulling it out of her skirt waistband. Lupie wrapped her arms around his neck. Leaning forward, she arched her back, brushing her tits against him, with a slight side-to-side motion. Even Dave picked up that signal. All systems go for launch. Dave slid his hands under Lupie's shirt, skimming along her back. Her skin. He was touching her bare skin! Her kisses became more urgent. More than ok, his attentions were wanted. Dave brought his hands around front, outside her shirt, and began unbuttoning it. He peeled back her shirt, leaving it still draped from her shoulders, but mostly opened, revealing the center of her bra, and the middle of her tummy. She was in even better shape than Dave imagined. He had assumed all that office work and long hours - and the inevitable takeout food - had left her with a small paunch. But no. There might be enough flesh there to jiggle, but no bulge of any kind. He looked back to her eyes and saw hunger, need,; and uncertainty? Dave flung her shirt off, pressing his lips to hers, pressing her body back to the bed with his own. Lupie moaned, wrapping her arms around his torso, lightly raking her nails along his back, pulling him to her with her palms. Her body moved sinuously beneath him, enticing him. Dave slid one hand down Lupie's skirt-covered leg. To his full extension. He grasped the cloth, pulling it up to reveal her well-toned legs. Office work at her level does include a lot of walking. Her legs were masterpieces of girl next door perfection. Dave lowered himself to kiss her thighs. Lue gasped and groaned. "Oh David, please, don't tease me." She tugged on his head to draw him back. Instead, Dave grabbed hold of her panties and pulled them off in one smooth motion, neither hurried nor slow. Lupie's face brightened. Her smiled widened and lusty. Dave leaned back over Lupie. Her skirt now bunched around her waist, her legs apart. Her lovely brown, shorn lips beckoning him inside. Her inner labia fully flowered, the slightest hint of pink expressing her readiness and desire. Dave lowered himself atop her. He rested his weight on his hands and knees, aligning himself with her entrance while staring deeply into Lupie's eyes. The excitement there was unmistakable. Dave slowly pressed himself forward. Lupie brought her legs back, lifting her pelvis to him and making herself completely open to his penetration. Their mutual arousal already had a bead of precum formed on the end of Dave's organ. When he made contact with her soft petals, Lupie cried out like a banshee, her body shaking uncontrollably. She desperately clutched at Dave's torso, trying to anchor herself. When the shuddering stopped, Lupie gazed into his eyes again, the hunger undiminished. Amplified even. Dave reseated himself and thrust slowly into the woman he'd dreamed of for so long. She shook again, but not the chemically amped orgasm. The raw pleasure of being with together, of finally getting what they both wanted. Their eyes locked to one another, Dave thrust slowly, steadily while Lupie gently moved with him. Their passion built, as did the energy of their movement. Lupie clutched tightly to Dave's shoulders. He could see her pleasure building by the telltales in her expressions. He felt his own excitement building, not decreased in the slightest from having just completed the act with Becca. Lupie's body arched as she called out her ecstasy. The muscles of her passage grasped and massaged Dave's cock, kicking him over the edge as well. A second electric jolt surged through Lupie just as her natural orgasm peaked and began its decline. Her eyes rolled back and a guttural blend of cry and moan issued from deep in her chest. Lupie collapsed to the bed. "Imprinting; imprinting; imprinting" Dave held her in his arms for a long, satisfying moment. Dave did have other duties to attend. There were in fact, two other people still conscious in this house, and one was a newly arrived little girl that may need help adjusting to her new home. Dave slipped from the bed and pulled Lupie up so her head rested on a pillow. Her skirt more or less straightened itself as she moved, but Dave did add a bit of extra care, just to be sure. He pulled a light blanket from the walk-in closet, laying it over the sleeping form of his new partner. He draped her shirt over a nearby chair, where she could see it once she awakened. Then he dressed and headed downstairs. He emerged into the dining room to find Esme happily munching a corn dog, her plate also holding mac n' cheese and green beans. A very self-satisfied Jan sat at the head of the table, at an angle to Esme. "Ah, good you made her dinner." "Yep. OK, I just followed the box directions for the mac n' cheese. And the corn dogs were just heat up from frozen - but I did use the oven, not the microwave!" Jan beamed. Esme cleared her mouth, then, waving, said "Hi, Uncle Dave! Momma says we're living with you from now on? And; Jan helped me put my clothes in the dresser before making me dinner. Oh! And thank you for the kitty!" Seated in the chair beside Esme was a large squish mallow, solid black except for the crescents of its eyes. A cat tail and ears completed the appearance. Its presence at the table suggested the much desired 'new toy' love that Dave hoped would ease Esme's transition. Dave gave Jan a kiss. "You did great, babe. Thanks for looking out." Jan's victorious grin and the glow from Dave's praise did not quite hide her concern over the obvious, but yet unknown explanation of Becca's state upon arrival. Dave shifted his eyes in Esme's direction, then back to Jan and shook his head. "You two want to talk without me, Uncle Dave?" "And just what would we talk about Miss Esmeralda?" "I'm nine, Uncle Dave, not stupid. That lady was spooky, and Mom and Becca were in that room a long time talking with those military people. And then Becca shrieked pretty loud coming out of the bathroom. I may not know everything, but something pretty sketch happened." Dave kissed the crown of Esme's head and held her close to him for a moment. "Don't worry about it, Esme, it's over now. Those people are not going to hurt you, or Becca or your mom." To break the uncomfortable silence, Dave prodded Esme to pick a movie for the three of them. It was getting on into the evening, but there wasn't any school in the morning, so it wouldn't hurt to late her stay up past ten if it came to that. Dave did dishes while Jan led Esme into the living room. Esme needed no help setting things up though. She was nine years old after all. Dave rejoined them to hear 'let the storm rage on ; ' and see Esme, at one end of the couch, her head beginning to nod. Old tricks always work. After a tiring day, a hot meal and an old familiar movie work like magic, even on a nine year old. Dave waited another fifteen minutes for her to zonk out completely, but not get a crick in her neck. He scooped her in his arms and carried her up to her bed. Jan followed them with the fluffy critter. Jan pulled back the covers so Dave could lay Esme in the bed. He pulled off her shoes in socks before covering her gently. Jan placed the newly beloved toy beside her before they left. Once Dave shut the door, Jan shoved him against the wall and kissed him fervently. "You knew that would put her out didn't you?" Dave nodded. "That was so fucking awesomely domestic. My ovaries want to latch on to you and never let go. You obviously care for that little girl, and seeing it makes me giddy. Oh my god, I so want to have babies with you." "Did you just say the unspeakable three words?" "Hush," she said with a giggle, "don't harsh this yummy feeling." "Perish the thought." Dave kissed her tenderly. He took her hand and led her back down to the living room couch. There, he proceeded to fill her in on everything Lupie had told him. Janice's eyes grew wider as the grotesque nature of the attack on Becca unveiled. "Dear God, no wonder the girl was so clingy. I'm surprised she didn't mount you in the entry way." "Well, she's - was - a virgin, so I don't think she would be up for something so public." Dave face must have betrayed his mixed emotions. "What is it?" "I knew she was a virgin, that's something we had already discussed. I had planned on; being; more delicate? In my approach with her, you know, taking my time, not rushing things. But this mess happens, and she's insistent that I take her immediately, no warm-up, no gentleness. I; I wanted to do better for her. I wanted this to be a happy memory for her." "You can't control outside events, David. And you can't control her reactions to them. From the sounds of things, I completely understand her response. I think I would have done largely the same in her shoes. And as someone that's been with you for two full days now," she grinned at Dave's raised eyebrow, "I know you slipped in whatever tenderness, whatever care and concern was possible as you gave her what she asked for. What she needed." Dave sat back, taking a deep breath, trying clear his mind. Jan leaned in, whispering in his ear. "Dave, you big stud." She kissed his cheek. "Take me to bed or lose me forever." Dave barked out a laugh, then stood, reaching out his hand. "Show me the way home honey." Three new women join Dave's family. Chapter 4 – Revelation. September 21, 2020. Dave woke to find Becca curled against his left side and Lupie curled against his right, just as Jan had helped him arrange last night before the two had gone to sleep; and after Jan had gotten her turn at Dave. Jan lay beyond Lupie, on her side, facing away. Dave reached over and stroked her back. "I'm awake." Jan rolled over to face him. She gave him a drowsy smile. "Mostly. I could really use some coffee." "I got a coffee maker, grinder and a bag of whole bean coffee you asked for in the pickup order yesterday." "Yeah, but you forgot the maid to make it and carry it up here." Lupie chimed in. Dave thought he'd heard her breathing change in the last minute. "I know, right?" Jan chuckled. "How do you expect to keep a harem of horny babes if you don't give us the amenities." Feeling playful, he gave her guff right back. "Woman, you are the amenities." He kept his face neutral long enough for Lupie to raise her head and stare back at him. He busted out laughing. "Okay, I'd make a terrible dom." He paused while Lupie delivered a light peck on the lips. "Seriously, I never drank coffee. I have no idea how to make it. I got you the tools and ingredients, so if you want some, have at it." "Fine," Jan said, rising, "but I'm taking one star off my review of this hotel because of this." "Still, the room servicing was amazing." Lupie added, with little wiggle of her nude ass, having gotten out of bed as well. Jan barked a laugh and high-fived her. "We'll get some coffee and breakfast started. Why don't you lie here until Becca wakes? I think waking in your arms will do wonders for her. Might be the capstone to last night that will ease her mind." Both ladies dressed quickly, a pair of shorts from their luggage, and one of Dave's t-shirts. It seems solidarity was the theme of the day. Jan chose "Back in my day we had nine planets" while Lupie chose "That's okay Pluto, I'm not a planet either." Dave couldn't argue with that reasoning, so he lay there holding the pretty young blonde in his arms watching the receding forms of his two; girlfriends? What the hell should he call them? Teammates sounded like something for sports, or the brainchild of a particularly lame poli-sci major. The smell of coffee had whispered through the room for several minutes when the enticing aroma of chorizo warmed the air. Dave smiled. He'd bet anything Jan had mentioned the migas from the other morning and Lupie had found the chorizo he ordered. Becca stirred against him. She stretched, cat-like, arching her back. This had the effect of pressing her tits against him. Which in turn brought his presence to her attention. Her eyes flew open and her arms crossed over her chest, suddenly embarrassed she was naked in bed with a man. Further recognition passed over her face and she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely. Becca broke from the kiss beaming. Then an impish veil flitted on her face and she slipped her body atop his with a slight wince as she parted her legs to straddle over him. Dave caught her hips. "Easy there, kitten. Give yourself a little break. Smells like breakfast is ready, and we have our wholes lives ahead of us now." Becca kissed him again, slipping her tongue into his mouth briefly, tentatively. Then she hopped out of bed and dug a pair of shorts out of her bag. "Dave, could I wear one of your shirts?" "Seriously? Jan and Lupie did the same. Well, they didn't ask, they just walked into the closet and grabbed one each." Becca flashed him a smile, saying nothing as she strode to the closet. Dave enjoyed the slightest jiggle of her modest tits as her topless form walked by. "They must have coordinated while they were in there because they both came out in Pluto themed shirts." After a minute of hangers being shifted back and forth, Becca called out "Dave, how many Pluto shirts do you have?" "Just the two I think." "Damn." Said Becca, coming back out to the closet doorway, still topless and facing Dave. She leaned against the frame, thinking. Dave enjoyed the view. "Aw, hell." She walked over to her own luggage, rummaged about and pulled out a t-shirt. Once she donned it, Dave red the print on it ' hashtag justice for Pluto'. He laughed. "Nice. It fits with the other two. Why the resignation?" "Because I could either show unity with them by wearing this, or I could wear one of your shirts. First morning together, I would have liked to wear one of your shirts." "That's a big deal?" "Huge." "Then wear one of my shirts. I'm sure the others will understand. In fact, it's still solidarity, because you're all wearing one of my nerd shirts." "I like the way you think, Dave." Becca ripped off the shirt and raced back to the closet. She came out with his shirt that looks like a NASA shirt, but replaces the word NASA with SHINY, and on the swoop is the image of a spaceship from a short-lived TV show. "Madame has impeccable taste." "Mademoiselle. Madame is for married women." "In broader terms, madam is for a woman who has permanently bonded herself to a man. Just as you have. At least until the bio-freaks undo the little oddity in their mad science formula." "Well then," Jan said from just inside the bedroom door, "maybe you could get your hiney dressed and join your other two wives for the breakfast they just finished making." She looked to Becca. "Coffee's ready by the way." Neither woman left, instead taking the chance to watch Dave emerge from the covers and dress. Becca approached Jan tentatively. She did a poor job of whispering "Why does it feel so much bigger inside?" Jan chortled. "Because it is bigger when it's going inside you." Dave replied. Becca blushed, realizing she'd been too loud. "Some of us get 'compact' when there's no need for size." "But your balls are still big." Becca blushed so hard she had to look away to speak. "Yeah, those don't shrink. I guess that's one way to distinguish a winky dink from a grower." Dave came out of the closet with a t-shirt that red 'I aim to misbehave, and nothing in the verse can stop me' curved around the word 'Brown coat'. Becca grinned broadly and returned the high-five he offered before the three of them headed downstairs. "Dave?" Jan prompted "Yes dear?" All three ladies grinned at that jest. "I noticed you don't have any books for younger people. How about we see what Esme has next door, and then I order some more, you know to give her some variety." Lupie brightened at Jan's suggestion. It seems cooperation was coming naturally to the three ladies sharing his bed. Their bed. Ho. He'd been single long enough, now he had to adjust his head. Anyway, it was an auspicious start. The five of them sat around the table, still nibbling at bits of breakfast. Esme was already waiting when the trio had descended the stairs. Esme, Dave, and Becca had thanked Jan and Lupie for making breakfast. Lupie took care to point out Jan had chopped the fruit for the side and sliced the tortillas into strips while Lupie made fresh salsa and chorizo and eggs. "Oh, yeah. Check the closets first. Either in my office, or one of the bedrooms you'll find some boxes of kid's and young adult books." Dave paused for a bite. "I think you already know I'm a prepper. One thing I wanted to be sure of is to preserve knowledge and; cultural legacy maybe? So yeah, there are books in boxes right now too. We could get some more bookshelves and set up say one in each bedroom maybe." Jan looked at him with dopey eyes. "Feeling the same way you did that first morning?" Dave said with a smirk. "Less immediate, more warm and fuzzy version, but yeah." "I'll order more bookshelves then." Dave smiled warmly. "I already ordered two full beds for the two rooms that are completely empty, plus dressers for all four rooms and more sheets and towels. The sheets and towels are scheduled to arrive in a few more days. The furniture is listed as arriving in a week. We'll see." "Hey, Dave?" Becca asked. He'd have to get used to seeing her without glasses. That was probably why her 'after imprint nap' took longer than Lupie's; the regen effect repaired her eyes. She'd instinctively reached for her glasses and abruptly realized she could see better without them. That had earned her a pair of high fives from Dave and Jan before they left the bedroom. Lupie and Esme hugged her when she got downstairs and told them. Dave suppressed a smirk. "Yes dear?" Three pairs of eyes rolled, over top soft smiles. "Why don't you just get a bunch of bunk beds. There's going to be a lot more women coming. At least twelve total." "Yeah sure, I could fit two sets of bunk beds into each room. Then I can just walk down the hallway to the rooms were I 'store' my women to select the day's lays". Dave rolled his eyes to accent the sarcasm. Jan and Becca giggled, but Lupie glared. Then he remembered Esme was at the table. "Uh, yeah, sorry 'bout that. Uh;” "Oh please, I already learned about sex in health class. And I heard both of you last night, mom. Keep busting Dave's chops and I'll tell him what I hear coming from your room when I get up to get a glass of water late at night." Lupie's eyes went wide for a moment, then settled to mom-stern look. "Watch it mija, no matter what you know or think you know, I'm still your mother." Esme turned to Dave. "I hear m---" Dave put a finger to her lips. "No matter what you know or think you know, she's still your mother." September 22, 2020. "David Jeffrey Belsus!" Dave stopped in his tracks, one foot on the last step, the other hanging in mid-air in its path to the living room floor. He looked around bewildered, not sure what he'd done. "What the hell are you doing?!" Lupie's indignant voice managed not to shout, but clearly wanted to. "Uh, laundry." He had a basket on his hip, loaded with sheets from the bed. "I can see that, why are you doing laundry?" "I had sex with three women in my bed last night, these sheets need some cleanin'." Lupie's hand rubbed her face. Dave imagined this might be the same motion when Esme was being difficult. Only, he wasn't trying to and had no idea what was causing all this consternation. "David, there are four other people under this roof who can handle the laundry. Esme is quite good with regular laundry items. Not yet ready for special items. You should be working, or working out, or resting, or dosing one of us, or thinking about what changes might be necessary as more women arrive. We should be doing this sort of thing. This will be even more important as more women join the family, David. You're a manager of a small company that lives together and makes babies. Eventually." "I'm not comfortable labeling a chore as 'women's work' Lupie." Lupie snorted. "A week ago I would agree with you. The world changed." "I'm still cooking. At least sometimes. And If I see something dirty or misplaced, I'm still picking it up. And you still have your investment job. You have things to do beside playing mega housewife." "The firm is shutting down, the accounts are being taken over by another company since all our senior partners died." Lupie grimaced. "I have about a week's worth of work remaining for the hand over, and then I'm out of a job. The new organization didn't hire me. But, I still have my license. I can manage investments for the family." "Or start your own firm. Surely there are clients looking for someone new. Maybe some clients from your old firm that would prefer a familiar face." "I told you before David, I want to make family my focus. I can do some day trading and manage our investments, but I would love to spend time with you and Esme, and now Janice and Becca, and whoever else joins us. I want to do crafts and sew and garden and cook wonderful meals from scratch. I want to be involved in community projects when we have a community again. I was good at my job, but it was a job. I love family. Please, let me, let us take care of these things." Dave mixed drinks for the four of them and brought the glasses into the living room, where the ladies had spread themselves about the space. There was no tension, but everyone seemed to want a bit of space after waking up in a nude pile this morning. Lupie raised one eyebrow when Dave handed a glass to Becca. Dave mouthed the word 'light'. "Are you sure?" Becca asked. "You looked like you wanted one when I mentioned making them. And you're effectively my spouse; one of my spouses; " Dave rolled his eyes at the weirdness of the concept, "and state law allows it under that condi

This was one of our most in-depth pods of the season.We start by discussing what it actually means to be top of the Premier League at Christmas – whether it matters, and how it shapes narrative rather than destiny.From there, we take a helicopter view of Everton 0–1 Arsenal, focusing on confidence, control, and a huge sliding doors moment with Trossard that could have completely changed the external perception of the performance.We then go deep on:• Ødegaard's role, connections & why he drops deep• How players micromanage each other in possession• The knock-on impact on Zubimendi• Penalty incidents & officiating• The title race & Man City• A disagreement on Hincapié & defensive profiles• Gyökeres, Jesus & finishing patterns• David Raya's distribution & intentWe finish with a detailed Crystal Palace Carabao Cup quarter-final preview, knowing we won't be podding again until after Bournemouth.A proper football conversation.

View From Victoria: A sliding population in BC Guest: Vaughn Palmer, Vancouver Sun Columnist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In dieser Folge begleitet dich (Jasmin) Jassi Andersdotter – eine Reiterin, die den mutigen Schritt vom klassischen Dressursattel in die Welt des Westernreitens gegangen ist und dort ihren ganz eigenen Herzensweg gefunden hat. Du erfährst, wie sich ihre frühen Berufswünsche als Jugendliche in eine erfolgreiche Karriere als Show- und Turnierreiterin verwandelt haben und welche Entscheidungen sie dorthin geführt haben.Wir sprechen über ihre inspirierende Jugendarbeit, warum ihr die Förderung junger Reiterinnen und Reiter so wichtig ist und welche Wünsche und Visionen sie für die Zukunft des Reitsports hat. Außerdem geht es darum, wie essenziell ein eigener Coach und Mentaltrainer im Leistungssport sind, welche Rolle Körperbewusstsein und Regeneration spielen und warum es ein Zeichen von Stärke ist, sich fachliche Unterstützung an seine Seite zu holen.Diese Folge ist für dich, wenn du Pferdesport ganzheitlich sehen möchtest: mit Leistung, Herz, Klarheit – und der Bereitschaft, stets an dir selbst weiter zu arbeiten.Wenn du mehr über Jassi erfahren möchtest, dann folge ihrem Instagram Account: jasmiin_anTeile diese Folge mit Freunden und Bekannten, denen du diesen inspirierenden Input wünscht.

If you think sliding into a celeb’s DMs will go unnoticed, this episode might shock you! We get to the bottom of how Oliver first encountered popular content creator Nicki Marie — famous for her hilarious, heartfelt and brutally honest female-centric overshares. Find out why Oliver needs her advice, and why you probably do, too! Learn more about her on Instagram @nickimarieinc. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Head first" isn't a choice for Kendall Wesenberg. It's a job requirement. The skeleton slider has also turned it into her life mantra. And her grit to push through life and it's challenges is becoming legendary. The 2018 Olympian is working toward qualifying for her second Olympic Team. But she's already put in a gold medal worthy effort just trying to qualify for the 2026 Winter Games. Kendall grew up in Modesto, California, playing a variety of sports. She graduated from CU-Boulder and in 2010 watched the sport of skeleton for the first time during the Vancouver Olympics. She thought, "I wonder if I could do that?" She attended a sliding athletes combine and discovered she had an irrational need for speed and the innate talent to get good at one of the most niche Olympic sport. Skeleton athletes slide head first on their stomachs down the same icy track the bobsleds go down. Athletes use their shoulder sand knees to steer. Kendall explains, "There are anywhere from 12 to 20-something curves that you try and cover in about a minute, usually less." She's gone as fast at 86 miles per hour on a track. And, she competed in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. But she failed to make the 2022 Olympic Team. It turns out she had an undiagnosed spinal injury that had gone untreated for three years. It explained the immense pain she'd experienced training and competing. "The things that hold your spine in place snapped off of my back. And when it didn't get diagnosed, my vertebrae just slid out of my spinal column. So it was like fully pinching my nerves. I couldn't feel my legs," says Kendall. Her surgeon recommended a spinal fusion, a surgery with a very long recovery. Kendall jokes, "The playbook's pretty thin on a return to sport post spine fusion." But her doctor didn't close the door on a return to the sport she loved. Kendall spent three months in a back brace, seven months barely walking and couldn't start serious physical therapy until 10 months post surgery. 600 days later she returned to the ice describing her return to a track as "awesome." A year later, she's earned a spot on the U.S. World Cup Skeleton Team and she's actively trying to qualify for that second Olympic Team. On this Dying to Ask: The Road to Milan- Cortina: Advice for anyone trying to heal from a major injury How Kendall stays positive despite spending years healing her body Kendall's wife did some sliding...into her DMs. How being married has added balance to her athletic life  

First Take resumes with Peter Schrager on the Eagles. Time is running out for a late season turnaround. It's now or never for Jalen Hurts! Next, how confident are you that the Chiefs will bounce back next season? Then, Mad Dog is MAD about Colts FGs, Travis Kelce, and the NFL's Christmas slate! Finally, Shams breaks the news that the Knicks will NOT hang an NBA Cup banner at the end of the show! Stephen A. and Doggy react! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Holiday Haunting: Part 1 Jack returns home and reconnects with his old ghost crush. Based on a post by zeon 67. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels. Oh. Shit! She's back. Jack had to drop everything and run to the living room; he needed to see her again. His coffee mug shattering against the kitchen floor meant little to him. Jack followed her out of the room, stumbling into the den and crashed into a chair. Any pain that he felt was instantly ignored; he just had to see her face. But she phased through the bookcase, leaving him disappointed. Ten years. It had been ten years since Jack had last seen Erin. Just a brief peek of her ghostly form, and Jack was a teenager again. The first time he met Erin, he was thirteen. Jack's parents had dragged the family from Boston to live in a stock horror mansion outside Portland, Maine. He hated everything about it, feeling depressed, isolated from his old life. Then he saw her. She appeared late one night as Jack attempted to fall asleep. His eyes widened as this woman floated in front of his bed. She wore a bulky, dark shirt with a lighter collar, a long apron over a skirt that reached her ankles and sensible shoes. Pale skin and white hair held up in a professional bun. She stood translucent and hovered a foot off the ground. Jack was freaking out, shaking under the covers and trying to release a scream. But watching her body float, her head crooked to the side with a curious smile, Jack felt an eerie calm. He sat up in his bed and examined her further. She was beautiful, an oval face with dimples, full lips, and wide, expressive eyes. He tried to guess her age, but it was impossible due to her intangible form. "Hello;" Jack said. His voice was hoarse and unconvincing. She smiled again at him before disappearing. "Fuck." Jack immediately fainted. He awoke late in the morning, still shaken. Jack ran down to his family, yelling at them in the kitchen at what he had just seen. His parents responded with blank looks. His sisters both snickered, cracking jokes about Jack's nighttime activities, and how it must have affected his brain. But as he continued, the jokes stopped, and soon Jack had weekly sessions with Dr. Miller. It was like a month until he saw her again. Jack was alone in the house and found Erin standing in between his bed. He screamed this time, but Erin just replied with a smile. She looked amused by his actions. She disappeared, and Jack had to wait another month before catching her on the stairs. But he had a plan, knowing what he should do the next time he ever saw her again. "Jack!" His mother yelled from upstairs. "What Happened!" Jack rolled his eyes. "It's nothing. I dropped my mug." He shouted back up, praying that his parents won't come down. Tomorrow was Thanksgiving, and Jack had returned home early, hoping just to relax and forget about Laura. Retreating into the kitchen, he ignored the mess he'd left behind. He wasn't that heartbroken about the end of the relationship; he just needed to get out of Boston for a while. Jack filled up a glass of water and took a couple of gulps, trying to steady himself. The plan was to drink, eat loads and watch football. But now, Jack was instantly consumed by the need to see Erin again.   Erin's Further Revelations. Jack rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. He guessed that it was probably two in the morning. He should be asleep, but restless energy had overpowered him, just like when he was a teenager. The weeks after her second appearance, Jack woke early in the morning and saw Erin staring out of the window. She turned to him and then disappeared. Every couple of weeks, he would see Erin around the house, mostly in his room, but always when he was alone. Whenever Jack saw her, Erin would disappear, fade into nothing in front of him. After a dozen or so appearances, Erin and Jack got used to seeing each other over the year. He would see her, and they would exchange brief smiles before would Erin dissolve. Jack got used to finding her in random places, occasionally pretending that she was never there when Erin materialized during family dinners. Though she mostly appeared in his room. He was also sure that he was the only one who could see her, which developed a special bond as he aged. It was just a shame they couldn't talk to each other. Whatever break in the dimensions that brought her here didn't allow them to speak or hear one another. Over the years, Jack and Erin relied on non-verbal communication, making up their own sign language while also writing out words on paper. Jack's parents were weirded out one Christmas when he asked for a dry erase board. He would come home from school and rush to his room, wondering if that day was the day she would appear. If he found her there, Jack would tell her about his day, what had changed since they last spoke, and random thoughts in his head. She would eagerly listen to him and try to respond in her own way. She had become this nonjudgmental friend that he could bounce off from as he dealt with his new surroundings and the horror of puberty. It took two years for Jack to know Erin's name. They were together in his room; the house was empty apart from them. It felt that Erin had trained herself to emerge only when he was alone. Jack sat on his bed, talking to Erin. For the hundredth time, he had asked her name. She led him to the bathroom and pointed to the faucet. Running the hot water, he saw Erin smile as the bathroom mirror started to fog up. She clenched her jaw and pressed a finger up against the glass. Erin's face strained as her form became clearer as she wrote 'ERIN' in the mirror. The smile on Jack's face then quickly vanished as Erin faded into nothing. He wouldn't see her for another two months. Jack rolled onto his stomach, feeling his cock throb against his leg. Without any prompting, his mind cast back when he turned 18, and Erin gave him a special present. It was one of the few times that Erin appeared, when there were other people in the house. He was half-asleep, playing on his PlayStation when she materialized. Jack shuffled back and collapsed on the bed. There was something off about her that night, her body was trembling, and her face was stone-like. With great energy, her lips curled into a smile, and there was a flash. The clothing that Jack had always seen her in the last five years had disappeared into nothing, leaving her naked. A loud guttural groan escaped Jack's mouth; it was the first time he had seen a naked woman. Her body was slim, graceful, like a dancer, and perfect. He stared at her small but firm tits; Jack assumed they were B-cups and wished he could have his hands over them. Her skin then began to change, turning from a clear white to a fair skin tone. He noticed rusty-colored freckles dot around her angular nose framed by long reddish-brown hair. Then two bright green eyes stared back, overwhelming him. "Fuck," Jack whispered. His mouth dry, his stomach twisted into knots, and all the blood drained into his penis. He was in love or lust; it was all the same back then to him. Jack rolled off the bed and waddled to the bathroom, holding out the used tissue as far away from him as if it was toxic. He was only exposed to her for a few moments before she vanished. Still, Erin's naked form had been seared entirely in his brain, giving him special comfort during lonely nights. Dumping the balled-up tissue in the toilet, he started washing his hands. The general feeling of self-disgust hit him, but this time with more power. He was fantasizing about a long-dead woman. It's not right. He crawled back into his bed and reached for his laptop. Opening the browser, Jack thought to himself for a moment before going to incognito mode. He might need some privacy should anyone have a look at his search history. In the search bar, he typed 'Medium Psychic, And Portland, Maine.'   Ophelia's Services. The doorbell rang, and Jack quickly set down his coffee and rushed to the door. He briefly checked himself out in the hallway mirror; he looked normal. Jack wanted to make sure that he pulled that off, a navy oxford shirt, black jeans, and white sneakers, that all screamed normal to him. Jack then mentally thought about what he was going to say to the medium. It wasn't like he had a lot of experience in this. He could tell her about Erin, maybe use her name. Also, he could say where she usually appears and does. Probably shouldn't mention Erin getting naked as some kind of birthday present. He then wished that the medium agreed a later time just so he could rationalize having a drink. During Thanksgiving dinner, Jack told his family that he wanted to stay in Maine for a while, maybe until after Christmas. He had exaggerated the effects that the disintegration of his relationship with Laura had on him. It was a blatant lie; his parents knew it, his sisters didn't care, but no one really questioned it. He prayed that none of them would ever find out that he booked a medium. This Ophelia from Portland, Jack didn't know what he wanted from her. From movies, he had been told that ghosts that roam around usually have unfinished business. If somehow the medium was legit and could talk to Erin, he didn't know if it would be best if Erin moved on. Opening the door, a young woman stood, waiting impatiently. Their eyes met, and Jack was stunned to find his assumptions shattered. He was expecting a woman in her fifties, heavy makeup, and lots of necklaces, someone like that Long Island psychic. Instead, a woman stood in front of him who looked like she was in her twenties, with blonde wavy hair and a curvy figure. She gave an impression of an Instagram influencer with tight high-waisted jeans, a simple tee, and a suede jacket. "Jack Taylor?" she said, pinching her mouth shut and curving her lips upward. "Ophelia?" Jack arched an eyebrow without thinking. She nodded and walked past him, taking in the house. A Victorian-style mansion, built in the 1860s, with five bedrooms, a parlor, a giant fireplace that could fit a body, a near-constant fog-covered backyard, and a bloody-red painted door. She looked unimpressed. Ophelia raised her hands and fluttered her fingers, doing a sort of jazz hands while slowly spinning. Jack had no idea what he was supposed to be feeling, but she's young and hot. Was this a con? Did he want it to be one? "Do you want anything to drink?" Jack asked, trying to get a read of the situation. He then glanced at the clock. His parents should be home in a couple of hours; he had time. "I'm fine." She replied, flashing another smile. "Should we deal with the money first?" Taken back, he slowly reached for his wallet and pulled $150 in cash. He looked at the money and felt grateful that he would only pay an extra fifty if the reading exceeded the hour. Handing her the folded bills, Jack felt a breeze. Then the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Erin. He had been sensing her a lot, recently. "Nice house. Really Stephen King-like." Ophelia gave another forced smile. "Can you give me a tour?" Jack nodded and he took her to the home office, explaining what he had seen the other day. Ophelia took a quick photo and hummed; she felt nothing. Jack then led her around the house, describing where he had seen Erin and what she would do. Ophelia stayed quiet for most of the tour, her phone in her hand, occasionally checking it. He then explained his relationship with Erin. Jack recounted every meeting he had with her, including how he found out her name. When Jack said that he was the only one in the house that had ever seen Erin, he noticed a quick change in Ophelia's face. She definitely assumed that he's psychotic. As they climbed the stairs to Jack's bedroom, Ophelia suddenly became talkative. She put away her phone and asked several questions at rapid-fire speed. "So, who previously owned the house before you moved in? Erin, do you know her last name? Where she's from? Was she born here? Has anyone called Erin lived in the house before?" Jack knew nothing. He had known Erin for ten years and yet knew nothing about her. The house must have been her home or where she worked. He now knew what he had to find out, but Jack had no idea how he would research such things. Speak to a local historian, maybe? He should go to the library tomorrow. They entered his bedroom, a familiar feeling of cold hit his body again. Jack eyed the psychic; there was no change in her body language. Maybe she's a fake. Ophelia wandered around the room, doing the jazz hands again and calling Erin's name. His eyes narrowed on her chest, then to her slim waist, and then to her tight ass; she looked cute. It had been some time since Jack had anything close to sex. It ended with Laura over two months ago, and since then, a brunette ghost was the only thing he had to female company. Ophelia reached in her jeans and pulled out a velvet pouch. Opening it up, a nub of chalk fell into her palm. She then bent down and drew a circle just in front of Jack's bed. The circle was about three feet wide. Ophelia then drew four smaller circles inside the ring, north, east, south, and west. Jack watched her place crystals in each circle, wondering if he would be able to clean the chalk off his floor. "What are you going to do?" Jack asked, trying not to stare at the medium's ass. "I am going to summon Erin. I am going to see if we can talk to her and find out her unfinished business." "What would her unfinished business be?" "It could be anything," Ophelia said, looking around the room. "Some want revenge, especially if they were like murdered. Others are looking for missing rings, lockets or whatever. With my help, Erin could be able to move on." Jack nodded. She was right. It was fun seeing her again, he missed talking to her, but there had to be some conclusion for Erin. After Christmas, he will be back in Boston. Maybe it was best that she moved on, got closure from this world. The psychic then took off her boots and stood inside the circle. Kneeling, Ophelia raised her arms, praying to the ceiling. "Erin; Erin; Erin;" she chanted, raising her head, "Speak to us. Speak; Erin, come to us; come to Jack and me." She sang Erin's name a couple of times with no change in her composure. "Yes, Erin, I hear you. How can we help you?" Ophelia said, lacking any emotion. "How can we help you move?" Ophelia then went silent and very still. Her back was arched, and her head pointed up. Leaning in, Jack realized that her chest wasn't moving anymore; was she even breathing? Beads of sweat flowed down her face as the rest of the body began to tremble. Something was wrong. Ophelia then shuddered and Jack could see the color disappear from her face. She then slowly stood up. Looking at Jack, she gave him a warm smile. "Jack!" Ophelia then said, emphasizing the wrong parts of the name. Jack walked around and stood in front of her. Her body language was weird, not so closed off as it was before. Her eyes then focused on her left hand, marveling how far it was extended. The tips of her fingers then ran down Jack's chest. The broad grin on Ophelia's face got even wider as she felt him up. "It is me, Jack; Erin." Ophelia grinned. "No." Jack shook his head and took a step back. This had to be some weird psychic con. Was Ophelia going to sleep with him? "Ophelia, I think you should get out." "I am Erin." She closed the distance and reached for his hand. "I can prove it. You told me everything and I listened. Once you were overly excited in your classroom by a teacher. You frequently enjoy lobster rolls. And once I removed my clothing for you on your birthday." Jack whimpered, trying to collect his thoughts. Before he called Ophelia, he had read up on cold reading, but she knew things that he had never shared with anyone. Jack hit his bed frame and toppled over, hitting the mattress. He tried to compute what was going on, justify Ophelia's insider knowledge of him. But then the blonde climbed up on the bed, her body floating as she straddled him. This was real. "Jack; I missed you." Ophelia or Erin then leaned in and kissed him forcibly. Quickly sneaking her tongue into his mouth while she rubbed her body against his. Moaning as his tongue dueled, Jack was lost in a world of teenage lust. He had dreams about this, spent countless hours awkwardly pleasuring himself to the fantasy of having sex with Erin. But as he opened his eyes and remembered the blonde hair that flowed above him, this wasn't Erin. Maybe in spirit, but not in body. He pulled his face away and sighed. "Erin; no." Jack said, trying to push the possessed medium off him. "Not like this." "What?" Ophelia screamed. She shot back up and glared at him. Her eyes became demonic and bloodshot. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, breaking his skin. She began to shake and wail. "No; No; No!" "Erin; Erin!" Jack tried to get her attention. He reached up and gently touched her face. "I just want to talk to you. Please leave Ophelia." Ophelia's face contorted into a smile. Jack could tell that something was pushing back against Erin. Maybe it was the medium's spirit wanting to regain her body. She thrashed around on top of him, going from sweating to shivering to back to sweating again. Jack snuck out of her convulsing frame and watched with concern. The medium then slammed into the mattress, bounced high up in the air, and then back down. Jack watched her breathe slowly and rolled onto her back. She looked confused and tired. "What the fuck happened?" Ophelia asked as she sat up, her frazzled hair covering her face.   Researching the Franklins. Jack ended the call and rubbed his eyes. The pains of working remotely, struggling to stay productive while also being forced to over communicate just so he won't be called a slacker was too much. The only good thing about his job was that he could move back to Maine and still collect a paycheck. But yet, he hated taking calls from his bosses when it's technically his day off. He knew he shouldn't be cursing his luck. Last night, his parents gave him some excellent news. They needed to go to Springfield and help out Jack's aunt with something. Jack wasn't listening, just focusing on the part when his mom said that they will not be returning until Christmas Eve. Yes, it meant that Jack would have to prepare the house for the holidays, put up the tree, buy the food and sort out the presents. But it also meant that he would be alone in the house; he could plan and try to talk to Erin. Maybe even help her. Finishing his latte, Jack looked up the address for the library and the closing time. Since Ophelia's possession, Jack hadn't sensed Erin's presence. It was worrying. He tried to focus on absorbing as much information about the house. Jack learned that the house was built in 1860 for the Franklins. For more information, he had to drive into the city. As he walked into the library, his heart was thumping in his chest and sweat coated his forehead. Why was he so nervous? Yeah, he had created this pubescent fantasy, and Jack wasn't sure how he would react if that was cracked. What if Erin was an awful person; her death could have been just, and that she was using him. But he still had to find out. Jack sat down at the computer and entered his address and the Franklins in the search bar. Skimming through the records, he got a brief understanding of the family that built his home. Jedidiah Franklin was a local lender who had moved from Boston to Maine due to some unpleasantness. He was followed by his wife, Alice and their two children, Robert and Emma. Franklins lived a dull and typical life and died in the 1900s. "Nothing about Erin," He went through local newspapers and again found nothing odd. Going through the search results, Jack quickly realized that he had been wasting his time, and it was pointless. By the time he reached the fourteenth page, he was about to leave. But instead, he clicked on the link about a stagecoach accident involving the Franklins. Jedidiah, Alice, Robert, and their maid were returning late one night. Their stagecoach collided with a rock, and the maid was thrown out. She died instantly. The article gave the maid's name as Erin O'Ceallachain. Letting out a loud sigh and rubbing his face, Jack then searched for Erin O'Ceallachain. There was little about her. A short obituary that stated she was born somewhere in Ireland and died in 1898. She had been a maid for the Franklins for close to a year. There were no descriptions of her or any clues of her past. Jack leaned back and stared at the screen. It could be her. He had checked; there were no other women called Erin that lived in the house. This could be her. But, if she died on the road, then why was she haunting his home. The loud sound of his phone vibrating against the desk pulled him out of his thoughts. Jack saw that he got a text from Ophelia. She really wanted to speak to him. Ignoring her, Jack continued his deep-dive on the Franklins, trying to find anything. Even a morsel of information about the family would help. After another hour of research, he ended up on the website of an antique bookstore in Bangor. They had Alice Franklin's diary and it was for sale.   Tomes of Inquiry. Two days later, Jack sat in the home office and stared at the five-hundred-dollar book. It was too much; he should have tried to haggle them down. Jack wasn't even sure if the diary would be useful; it could be another Alice Franklin or just a list of mundane observations. Jack finished another beer and opened the diary. His hands were trembling with every turn of the page. Either he was nervous or just drunk, he couldn't tell. The pages were filled with fine late-twentieth-century cursive writing that was hard to read. Jack slowly read out each entry, making out every second word. The diary covered the time Erin had already started working for the Franklins to her death if it was the same Alice Franklin. He skimmed through the journal until stopping at an entry made on January 28th, 1898, where Alice mentioned hiring a new maid called Erin. March Twenty-first, Eighteen Ninety-eight ;  I saw Robert engaged young Erin in the library. How I wish we do not have the same story as in Boston. August Fourteenth, Eighteen Ninety-eight ;  That green-eyed temptress was with my son again. The Roman whore has plans for him. Jedidiah sees nothing. He pushes his son. Then reacts in fury when Robert is in strife. November Sixth, Eighteen Ninety-eight;  Constable Standish and his ghastly son shared supper with us. He has eyes for Emma. A boor. My darling daughter would never fall that low. Robert is forlorn. I see his glances at young Erin. When I call for her, the freckled-face jezebel smiles innocently. Jedidiah will end her services in the new year. Jack paused from reading, and tried to make sense. Green eyes. Freckles. It had to be Erin. Jack skipped ahead a couple of weeks, getting closer to the time when Erin died. December Twentieth, Eighteen Ninety-eight ;  The Irish whore created a scene. Late in the evening, we found her under the influence. She screamed for Robert. She said she is with child. He is the father. She wants to be wed. That boy has ruined us. December Twenty-first, Eighteen Ninety-eight ;  A clear-headed Erin spoke to us in the morning. She lies that she is not with child. The Catholic loves Robert, or it seems. Jedidiah and I agree to end her service. We will send her to Bangor tonight. It is clear to us. December Twenty-ninth, Eighteen Ninety-eight ;  My heart is gone. Losing Emma is a great blow. They are to be wed in the next Spring. My son now lives in Boston. I pray his temperament is strong. Erin is gone, a life stopped by a stagecoach. Now I have an empty house. A lost daughter and a dead maid. Jack closed the diary and ran upstairs to his bedroom to grab his notepad, then came back down again. He needs to do more cardio. The two flights of stairs had destroyed him. He knew he had seen the name Standish somewhere. There at the family tree. After Erin's death, Emma married Nathanial Standish, son of the town constable. It made sense now; the Franklins murdered Erin and used the constable to help make it look like an accident. In return, they married Emma to his son to keep his silence. He knew what happened to Erin, but Jack wondered how he could help her. But; like what Ophelia said before, does he want her to move on to the next stage. It probably would be best for everyone. But if he could talk to her and discover her unfinished business, how could he help her. What if it meant getting vengeance on those that murdered her? What if it was on Franklin's living ancestors? The sound of the doorbell ringing jolted Jack from the thoughts of homicidal spirits. He checked his phone; it was nearly ten. Finishing another beer, Jack left the den and shuffled to the front door. He prayed that it wasn't his parents, that their stay in Massachusetts ended early, and now they wanted to talk about his future. "Ophelia?" Jack asked, opening the door.   Ophelia's Admissions. She stood there in the light rain, looking like another person. Far removed from the bored, unimpressed medium he saw days ago. She looked nervous, worried, but still attractive to Jack's eyes. The skirt she had on gave him a good view of her slender legs and made Jack think. Again, it had been two months since he last had sex, and he was now feeling it. "Hi," she said, barely audible. "Can I come in?" Jack nodded and let her pass. He tried not to look at her like that anymore; he needed to stay focused on Erin. "Look, I'm going to be honest with you. I'm a fake-ish. I go to people's houses and pretend that I feel something. I do a bit of cold reading, call out the spirits and then lie that they're talking back to me." Ophelia admitted. She paced back and forth as she spoke, nervousness flowing out from her. "Oh," Jack said, looking away. He didn't know what else he was supposed to say. "So, what are you doing here?" "Also, my name isn't Ophelia, it's Lucy. I felt Ophelia looked better on the website. Make it look real." She nervously smiled. "Why are you telling me this?" "Because;" she stepped forward, "what happened that day was real. I felt it, I really did." "Yeah?" Jack noticed that she was holding on to his hand like she was pleading with him. "I used to hear voices. I thought I was going crazy, but then I found out that I was hearing the dead; and I could talk to them. But I don't know, a mix of vodka, and my own cynicism; the spirits don't want to talk to me anymore. I want to feel like that again. I want to help you." Jack paused. Again, not knowing what to say. He felt that she could still be conning him, that she was going to ask for money. He still wasn't a hundred percent sure that Ophelia or Lucy was genuinely possessed by Erin. Then again, they could have had sex, which would be a weird move to pull when conning someone. Jack needed alcohol. "Do you want anything to drink?" He asked. "Please." Lucy nodded. Jack returned from the kitchen with a bottle of red wine and two glasses. It was the only alcoholic thing left in the house. After completely filling up both glasses on Lucy's request, he grabbed the diary and his notes, and they settled in the living room. He observed the psychic read the journal, his thoughts becoming more and more concerned about her looks. She had removed her thick coat, revealing a slinky tank top that gave him a glimpse of her bra. "So, you think Erin had sex with Robert Franklin; may have gotten pregnant; and the Franklins decide to murder her, to prevent a scandal?" "Yeah," Jack said, leaning in. There were both sitting on the sofa, awkwardly close together. "I don't know much or really anything about hauntings. But I only see Erin here. She must have been murdered here, and they faked the accident." "Erin being an Irish maid, the family are rich, and you got a friendly cop who is willing to help, if he gets a favor, that's a straightforward cover-up." Lucy smiled, patting Jack on the knee. "There is something we can do. I know people in the psychic and magic world. There's one girl who told me about this ritual-like thing. It's like a s ance on steroids. We can make her appear and we can talk to her. Then we can help her." "What's the catch? There is always a catch." "Not really. The s ance is a bit complicated and there is a shopping list, also it will be for a couple of hours only." "Sounds like a plan," Jack replied, raising a glass. They quickly finished their wine and poured some more.  Lucy asked him about his family and if they ever believed him. He told her about Dr. Miller, and how his dad would make the occasional jokes. When asked about their absence, Jack explained, and without realizing, underscoring that he had the whole house to himself. Jack then turned the attention on her, quizzing Lucy what happened when she first talked to a ghost; and what was the weirdest shit she had seen. As Lucy went through her backstory. Jack started picking up subtle clues about her. She was touching him more and getting close as she talked about hearing spirits when she turned thirteen. He tried to guess if Lucy was flirting with him, or was this some alcohol-induced delusion. After she finished her story about being asked to communicate with a woman's dead cat, they realized they were out of wine. Jack asked and quickly got another bottle on Lucy's insistence. "So, about you and Erin." She said, playing with the stem of her wine glass. "You were the only one to see her?  What relationship did you guys have?" "Like a friendship. Growing up; Erin was like my confidante. I would talk to her about every insane thought that was going through my head that day. I didn't know if she could hear me or not. It was comforting. I miss it. Guess that's why I'm here." "That's sweet." Lucy ran her hand down his thigh. "Sometimes I have some weird creeps that want to speak to their old teenage crushes, like teachers or neighbors that they used to jerk off to. It's nice to have a guy who just wants to reconnect to an old friend." Jack groaned. Looking at Lucy, his mind was made up, and he was sure that she was flirting with him. He should tell her the truth and see how she takes it. "I should tell you this. I have seen her naked." "Really?" Her eyes widened. "Yeah. On my 18th birthday, Erin appeared in my room and then flash, she's nude. She stood there for like a couple of seconds and poof, gone." Jack smiled, "That was the last time I saw her." "That's some present. Making me jealous." Lucy whispered, holding her gaze. "Really?" Jack said, leaning in. Lucy looked up at him, her tongue running over her pink lips. She craned her head forward and pressed her lips against his, her hand on the back of Jack's head, pulling him into her. Both were still holding their wine glasses, and Jack awkwardly pushed his mouth down on hers. Lucy's tongue shot out of her mouth and instantly snaked into his. They both softly moaned as Jack guided her body down on the sofa, nearly spilling her wine. She then suddenly stopped her tongue movements and pulled back. "Hold on, Ghostbuster." Lucy smirked, as she pushed Jack back upright. Taking the wine from his hands, she placed both glasses on the coffee table. With a shit-eating grin, Lucy grabbed Jack and resumed her mouth attack. Jack ran his hands down from her sides to her ass, pulling her on top of his lap. Lucy reached down and pressed her palm on Jack's bulge. She moaned into his mouth, sounding like she appreciated his size. She pulled her lips away, her attention now just all on his cock. Lucy fondled the turgid shaft through his pants, prompting it to throb in her hands. Jack leaned his head and slowly kissed down her neck, feeling her tremble in his arms. "Yes," Lucy said, closing her eyes and grinning. With a single-minded focus, Lucy unbuckled his jeans and yanked out his erect cock. Jack grunted, stunned by the blonde's eagerness. No other girl he had ever been with, was like this. They kept eye-contact as Lucy softly grasped his warm rigid shaft. Their lips met again while she stroked his cock, smearing her fingers with his oozing precum. While their tongues dueled again, Lucy's hand became a blur over his cock. They broke their kiss again, and Lucy lowered her head down, kissing his deep reddened tip. He watched in unbearable anticipation as she opened her mouth, but then instead of engulfing him, Lucy looked up and smirked. "Yeah, I'm bit of a slut," she said. "Just a bit? Jack grinned. "Okay, I'm a deeply deprived slut." She chuckled. Her very pink tongue then slid out of her mouth, and she licked up of his oozing fluid. Lucy took a moment to taste his precum, loudly humming and smiling at him. She then parted her lips and engulfed the bulging head in her wet mouth, firmly constricting, once his glans ridge was encased. Her tongue rubbed his frenulum, just under the tip.  She bobbed her head up and down, her firm round tits jiggling freely on his thighs, as she mouth-fucked him. "Oh; Fuck!" Jack grunted, taken by surprise by Lucy swallowing on more and more of his petrified cock. Lucy looked up and grinned at him again, before opening her mouth and engulfing him again. Her bright pink glossy lips slid up and down his shaft as she fucked him with her mouth. Then she sank til her nose rubbed his curly pubes, her teasing tongue gently caressed him as her throat muscle massaged his shaft, pushing his cock deeper. She hummed while she swallowed him, the hum of sucking filling the room. Her hands tightened their grip around his thighs as Lucy furiously pumped her lips up and down his cock. Once in a while, she would slowly pull his cock out, ever-so-gently running her teeth on the underside of his shaft while leaving huge trails of spit behind, then swallowing him again. It drove Jack mad in sexual bliss. She then wrapped her fingers firm around his meat again, lashing her tongue against his swollen cockhead, slurping up all the saliva and precum. Jack's balls were now sending messages to his brain, telling him that within seconds, he was going to cum; soon in big, bold letters. He also felt cold suddenly, and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing. He ignored that and watched the medium jerk him off, kissing his head as she worked the shaft of his phallus. Lucy stuck her tongue out and swirled it around his cock tip. But then he saw a figure near the TV. "Erin?" He said. She was right there and looked like she was in tears. A mix of fear and guilt hit him, destroying his previous horniness. But he still came, shooting thick loads into Lucy's face, hitting her in the lips and cheeks. She released her grip, but more jets of cum landed on her face. She raised her head and looked at Jack, the muscles in her face tensed, and her jaw clenched. "What the fuck, man? Give me some warning!" "Erin?" Jack said again, staring at the spirit. "Erin?" Lucy repeated. Her expression turned into an instant glare. But she followed Jack's gaze and looked over her shoulder, finding that they weren't alone. "Oh Fuck!" "No!" Erin screamed, deafening their ears. Her face was scrunched up in murderous intent. She lurched forward, and a force of wind cleared the table, sweeping the diary and notebooks off the surface. Jack and Lucy were pushed back by Erin's invisible energy, hitting the back of the couch. Erin raised her hands, maybe to strike, but felt her power evaporating. She looked at Jack, tears rolling down her cheeks, and then disappeared. Holiday Trimmings. Jack opened his eyes minutes before the alarm. It was Saturday and around ten. He sat up in his bed, his head still woozy from last night's drinking. He couldn't sleep and figured whiskey would knock him out. Also, he wanted to block out Erin's screams from replaying in his head. That face. Her expression dripping with anger and hurt. How Erin tried to attack them. He needed to say sorry. Erin probably won't believe him, Jack knew. But he had to try. Then there was what Lucy said, finding comfort so Erin can crossover. He hated thinking about that but realized that he couldn't be selfish. It wasn't about him. Jack's phone buzzed; he had gotten a text from his dad. It just said, 'Tree!'. Jack groaned, but he slipped out of the covers and took a shower. After getting dressed, Jack forced himself to eat something. He couldn't feel her. Usually, in December, he would see Erin more often than the rest of the year. Knowing that it was coming up to the day when she died, he expected to feel her. Two hours later, and overspending on a fir tree, Jack pulled into the driveway, confused. Lucy sat in front of the door, waiting for him. With a scared look on her face, she raised her hand and gave him a forced smile. Was she looking for him or for Erin? Jack climbed out of the car and slowly approached the young blonde. He never thought how she would take it, seeing Erin like that. After Erin faded away, Jack sat in silence while Lucy grabbed her stuff and bolted out of the house. "Hey," Jack muttered. "So, I have been waiting here for an hour. I walked away twice. But I really need to know. What the fuck did I see last night?" "I don't know," Jack said, looking away from Lucy's glare. "I've never seen her like this. She has never been this scary before. "Until;" "Until what?" Lucy stood up and got close. "You need to tell me." Jack sighed. "When you first came to the house, you tried to talk to her, right? Do you remember what happened next?" Lucy shook her head. "She took over your body and err; kissed me. We nearly had sex. But I stopped her. Telling her that it was wrong," Jack said, " to use your body like that." He quickly added. "Erin started shaking and going all Linda Blair. Then you woke up." "She gets rejected. Then she sees us on the couch, doing you-know-what, and takes it like a cheated-on girlfriend. That explains all the throwing." "I never knew she could do that." Jack smiled. "Can I ask you something?" Lucy stared into Jack's eyes. Jack shrugged and nodded his head. "What are you two? Is she your ghost girlfriend? Are you in love with her? What? Does she know what you are to her?" "Like I said, yesterday. Erin is my friend. Maybe there's more. I don't know, because I don't put labels on relationships with ghosts. But if I can help her, I will help her. Are you still in?" "Fuck it, yeah." He looked around, seeing his neighbors staring at him and Lucy. "Let's go inside. Can you give me a hand?" He asked, pointing to the tree. Lucy groaned but nodded her head. After undoing the bungee cords and dragging the tree off the car roof, the two of them awkwardly hauled the ten-foot fir inside the house. With Lucy leading, they pulled the tree into the living room, where the blonde suddenly stopped.  Jack was about to open his mouth, but he saw Erin standing in the middle of the room, and he went quiet. Erin raised her hands to her face, covering her eyes. Her breathing short and quick. She was freaking out. Erin then dropped her hands, clenching her fists as she glared at them. Her form floated to them, but unlike last night, there was no rush of force. Erin's face dropped, shifting into a scared expression. Dropping the tree, Lucy ran to her. She raised her hands up with open palms facing the spirit. "I am sorry. I am here to help you." She said, out loud. Erin didn't react. "He wants to help you. He wants to talk to you." Lucy pleaded with the spirit. Again, Erin stayed motionless. Lucy paused and looked over her shoulder at Jack. She mouthed 'trust me' at him and turned back to the ghost. "You can take over my body and speak to him. He would love that." Erin frowned, then faded into nothing. Jack walked past Lucy, trying to sense Erin's presence. There was nothing. He glanced at the medium; she had gone stiff, just like before. Jack's eyes bulged, realizing what was happening. But it was different. There was no sweat, no change in color, or fear on her face. Lucy just let out a small pleasurable moan. "Erin?" "What?" The woman barked back at him. "I just want to tell you that I am sorry. It was a mistake." "Liar. I saw you," Erin said, with no emotion in a unique tone. "Ye enjoyed every moment with the bonnie lass. I do not wish to intrude in your relationship with that adventuress." Her voice slowly morphed from Lucy's Mid-Atlantic accent to a faint Irish brogue. Jack sighed; he knew he had to deal with this. A simple apology wasn't going to be enough. "I'm so sorry about that. It's just that for a long time, there was this small voice in the back of my mind, saying that you weren't real and I was having a psychotic episode. When you saw me and Lucy, it was just an extension of that. I doubt it will ever happen again. But I did all this research so I can help you." "Help me?" "Yeah. I want to help you deal with whatever unfinished business you have. Lucy as well. That's why she's here. So, please don't be angry with her." "Unfinished business?" the voice then went quiet. She leaned in and kissed Jack on the cheek. Lucy's body went limp and she nearly collapsed. Jack reached out and slid his arms under her. He yelled out 'Erin'; then 'Lucy'; but got no answer. He dragged the unconscious blonde to the sofa. Carefully setting her down, Jack then prodded her cheek, trying to wake her up. She groaned and opened her eyes. "So, what are we going to do?" Lucy said immediately. Business Gets Busy. Jack looked at his phone as he walked through the front door. It was another email from his bosses in Boston. He had way too many people questioning his work. Being a cloud support engineer, he should be focused on the job. But since talking to Lucy about the s ance, Jack had been doing the bare minimum, and people were noticing. He figured that after he got closure with Erin, he could move on. Dumping the sage and wormwood on the coffee table, he saw her. Erin had been appearing more and more. Jack could actually count the times that she wasn't haunting the house. But he didn't get why; it was never this frequent back before. And she wasn't just haunting if you could call it, Jack's room. He had found her in the living room, kitchen and even the bathroom. Right now, Erin was floating near the Christmas tree. It was completely bare, left alone as Jack focused on work and the s ance preparations. There was some judgment he felt he was getting from Erin, like she still hadn't forgiven. Jack needed to remediate that, though he didn't really know how to regain trust with a ghost. He hunted for the Christmas decorations, taking longer than he hoped. Jack was desperate not to call his parents and deal with an endless conversation about how things were going in Springfield. Losing an hour to find them, Jack started decorating the tree, hoping that this will help him get back on Erin's good side. She carefully observed him as he decorated the tree, coating it in tinsel, lights and baubles. It appeared okay to Jack, the colors matched, and the string lights were all working. But looking at Erin, he was sure he had done something wrong. She wasn't that impressed. Jack first thought that she was still pissed at him, but then something hit him. While he saw her a lot during December, it was never on Christmas. This could be her first experience of Christmas in over a hundred years. With that, Jack opened his laptop and googled '19th century Christmas trees'. Getting an idea of what Christmas looked like in Erin's time, Jack grabbed his keys and told her that he will be back soon. Two hours later, Jack returned, and Erin looked like she was happy to see him. That's a positive sign, Jack said to himself as he emptied out his shopping bags. He bounced around a couple of stores before finding them, candle-like tree lights. Using real candles was a fire waiting to happen. And Jack didn't want to explain to his parents that he burnt the house down to impress a ghost. He then pulled out a ready-made popcorn and cranberry garland he got from a pop-up Christmas store. Looking at Erin, she approved by smiling back at him. He then added tinsel and icicle-like ornaments with Erin guiding him, pointing which branch needed something or if it was too much. Taking a step back, Jack admired his work. It looked old fashioned but still good. Seeing that Erin was happy was enough for him. He grabbed a beer from the kitchen and toasted, "That's one good-looking tree," he said, smiling at Erin. She rolled her eyes at him but then disappeared. That was getting Jack scared, her fading away just as they were bonding. It didn't look voluntary, like Erin really wanted to go to her void. She had this horrified look whenever it happened. Jack would then find her somewhere else in the house, an hour or two later. This time it was in the kitchen. He opened and closed the refrigerator door and found her there. Taking a moment to recover, Jack went back to making himself dinner. Erin hovered around him, curious at what he was doing. Jack guessed that she must have been shocked, that not many men cooked back in her time. He was also making pork chow-mein, and Jack wasn't sure how widespread Chinese food was in the 19th century. His phone began to buzz, and it was Lucy. Jack could see Erin's face turn. "She's probably asking about you," Jack said, putting his phone on speaker, "Hey Lucy." "Hey," she replied, "I got some news. We have to move the date of the s ance to the 12th. There's a full moon and it will go well with Hecate." "Hecate?" "Don't worry about it. Have you seen Erin since the other day?" Lucy asked, "Well, she is right here," Jack grinned at Erin, "She's in the room with me." "Whoa," she said, "How's that going? Wait shit, can she hear me?" Erin nodded. "Yeah." "Fuck. I mean shit. I mean I'm sorry," Lucy said, sounding like she was getting out of breath, "Anyway, I also need you to get some bundles of ash to burn. And candles, preferably black." "What is actually going to happen during the s ance?" "Hopefully, we can summon Erin properly and you guys can talk. Then maybe work out why is she here and if we can help her, somehow." Jack looked at Erin again. Her eyes were elsewhere. Jack started to doubt himself; was this something that she wanted him to do. "I will talk to you later, Lucy," Jack said, ending the call. Looking up from his phone, he saw that Erin had disappeared again. If the s ance actually works, Jack needed to ask where she goes whenever she vanishes. It didn't feel like a good place for her. Opening another beer, Jack sat down to eat and tried not to think about Erin. It was really hard. She still looked so sexy, and Jack was back replaying his eighteenth birthday present. Jack admitted to himself that with Erin randomly appearing in the house, he was feeling pent up.   Redhead Videos. It was close to two in the morning when Jack knew what he had to do. He had been rolling around his bed, got up twice and tried to dull his brain by checking the news on his phone. He still couldn't sleep. The only prescription that always worked for him was either whiskey or porn. As he couldn't be bothered to go all the way downstairs, Jack powered on his laptop and went straight to Porn. Jack checked out the video thumbnails, hovering over them as he tried to decide what he was in the mood for. Sometimes, he'd be craving blondes with double D-cups, getting plowed by massive cocks. Other times, it would be two lesbians slowly seducing each other. Milfs would be a good choice, but Jack felt that the algorithm would always then suggest stepmom porn, which he wasn't in to. He searched for amateur porn with Eastern Europeans, preferring their slender body shapes and lack of bad boob jobs. Jack sat up in his bed and pulled down his shorts, slowly stroking his cock to full, rigid life. He skipped the initial setup and forwarded it to the redhead pulling the guy's dick out. She grinned at the camera then kissed the man's purple head. Her tongue swirled around the tip before she quickly swallowed the man's cock. Jack shifted his weight as the redhead stripped off her top, revealing her decent-size tits. As the action turned to straight fucking with the twenty-something waitress bent over a park bench, Jack pumped his cock. He imagined himself there, in Prague, having hot, passionate sex in public. But then he felt cold. Looking up, there she was. Erin just appeared by the wall. She was confused and pressed the back of her head. It looked as if someone had just woken up, but in a different room than they were in before. She rolled her head around before stopping, and stared at Jack, her mouth agaip. He was illuminated by his laptop, so he knew that she could see what he was doing to himself. "Oh, fuck," Jack groaned, but he didn't stop stroking his cock. He thought she would float away, or scream, or do something, but Erin just stood there and watched. She even moved closer, standing at the edge of the bed. Her eyes focusing on his throbbing cock. Jack's heart was thumping as he frantically stroked his cock. His eyes darted back and forth from Erin to his laptop; the redhead had been replaced by a different model. She said that her name is Petra and is a med student, but what really turned Jack on was how Petra resembled Erin. Reddish-brown hair, slim body with perky tits, though she had tattoos and pierced nipples. His eyes bounced from Petra being fucked in a stall, to Erin's eager look. It was getting too much for him. His imagination then brought him to Prague again, but with Erin this time. He fucked her from behind, his cock pumping her hot, wet pussy, cupping her tits and making Erin groan in deep pleasure. Jack's balls were aching, then suddenly stopped, and he intensely climaxed. His tip exploded, and shot after shot of cum raced from his cock. Jack struggled to catch all his flying cum with a tissue. After cleaning himself, Jack and Erin exchanged looks. She was embarrassed, he could tell, staring at the ground and doing her most not to make eye contact. He wanted to say something, but Erin left the room. She didn't fade through the wall or vanish into anything, just walked away slowly. Jack then instantly fell asleep, not knowing what else to do.   A S ance. Jack opened the door, letting Lucy in. It was half two in the morning, and he was getting scared. A small sliver of thought wondered if she would let him down, or at least ask for $500 to proceed. For the s ance, Lucy had gone all gothic, wearing a black velvet dress and knee-high boots, also in black. She was carrying a large tote bag. There was panic in her eyes. She apologized for her lateness, saying that it took a while to get a cab. Jack was instructed by her, to get bundles of sage and wormwood for burning, plus ash. Lucy herself handled the weirder and harder to find items. She pulled out a knife that she called an athame, a ceremonial dagger Jack guessed. She also had a black bowl that she said is a water scry. It was going to help them talk to Erin. Jack led her to the kitchen and they quickly got ready. While she cut the sage and wormwood with the athame, speaking in Latin, Jack got the idea that this wasn't a con. It was real for her. That gave him hope. "So, where should we do this?" Jack asked, taking a steel bucket that she had handed him. "Your room." Lucy said, pulling more stuff out of her bag. "I've been thinking. You said you're the only one who saw her. And you normally see her in your bedroom, right? I think that's where she was murdered. By you sleeping there, a psychic link was created between you and Erin." Jack nodded. It made sense. They went to his bedroom; and with Lucy's help, he pushed his bed and everything else to one side, giving them space for the ritual. As they're going to make a fire, he opened the windows. Jack looked at the smoke alarms; if they go off, will his parents get an alert? Lucy got down on her knees and drew another circle on the floor, this time, a simple one without any other symbols. Jack lit the candles, twenty-four of them and placed them around the circle. Following her instructions, he then sat the bucket in the middle of the ring and lit the fire. Lucy took command of his bedside table and placed the porcelain bowl on top of it. She filled it with water from a special-looking bottle and dropped a crystal in it. "Take this and put it in the fire. Also, say her name in your head." Lucy said, handing him the sage and wormwood. Jack nodded and shuffled to the fire, trying not to drop the herbs. 'Erin, Erin, Erin,' he chanted in his head. He threw the herbs into the fire and was immediately overwhelmed by the aroma. It tasted sickly sweet, unnatural like. He then retreated behind Lucy; she was kneeling on the floor and speaking into the bowl. It sounded like Latin; Jack could make out the occasional word. She was calling out for Erin. The fire grew larger and smoke billowed from the bucket, looking like a volcano erupting. The smoke turned black, then blue and finally into grey. Jack took a step forward, in a trance, his mouth wide open and his hands trembling. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Lucy with her eyes clenched shut and was now calling Erin's name. Her fingers dug into the table and she frantically said 'Erin' over and over. He saw the smoke begin to clear and a body appeared above the fire. Jack gasped. Erin! She looked stunned, her hand covering her face. He opened his mouth but couldn't say a word, shocked. Color poured into her clothing, turning the transparent household dress into black. Her skin returned to its ivory color, while her hair became reddish-brown just as he saw ten years ago. Lucy had stopped chanting; she also was staring at Erin. She looked shocked, maybe a little scared. Lucy stood up and slowly shuffled towards Jack, resting a hand on his shoulder; but she kept her distance from Erin, using Jack as a possible human shield. Erin was just as surprised as the two of them. She reached out her arm, amazed by it. This was real. Erin moved forward but awkwardly stumbled as if she missed a step going downstairs. She then took a couple of more steps and touched the floor, a new sensation for her. Taking a deep breath, Erin became dazed with the menthol-like odor of burning sage. Her eyes lit up and a smile beamed from her face; she could smell. She then turned her head, focusing on the two, who had resurrected her. Her clogs banged against the wooden floor as she walked to Lucy. The psychic was trembling in her presence. Lucy flinched as she touched her arm. "Thank ye," Erin whispered. She then leaned in, and kissed the surprised blonde. Lucy moaned, instantly enjoying the kiss. Jack watched on, shocked. He didn't know if he should be terrified or turned on. Lucy wrapped her hands around Erin's waist and pushed herself against the resurrected maid. Overwhelmed by a sudden desire, Lucy slid her tongue deep into Erin's mouth. She felt good, but so tired. Erin then released the medium and watched as Lucy collapsed onto the floor in a deep sleep. She turned to Jack and grinned. "Erin?" Jack asked. His hands were trembling and he felt that he was going to sink into the floor. This is it, right? This was what he wanted, but he had no idea how to respond. "Is it really you?" He eventually spat out. "Hi, Jack," Erin smiled. "Fuck;" Jack said. He reached out and touched her hand with his. Wasn't this just supposed to be a s ance? "I can't believe I can touch you." "Me too," Erin said. "How are you?" Jack asked in a deeply sincere tone. "Confused. It felt I was being called by an unknown force. Then it took me." "I'm sorry, but I really wanted to talk to you." "I understand. Oh, it feels good to be heard and to speak with my own voice." "I need to tell you something," Jack said, "The reason we're talking is because I wanted to help you. But I never asked if you actually needed my help." She went quiet, looking like she was thinking something over, in her head. "You said about unfinished business. Bu

A brief look at financial markets with Bokor In the Morning brought to you by Steve Bokor at Ventum Financial Corp. a member of SIPC

Today we look at another weak session for the US equity market, especially for many AI-related names, although Tesla had a banner day on hopes that its Robo-taxis are set to go driverless. We do some of the maths on robo-taxis to show why market hopes are so high - but also why the company must deliver them on a staggering scale to justify Tesla's share price. Thoughts on macro and FX ahead of key central bank meetings later this week and much more also on today's pod, which is hosted by Saxo Global Head of Macro Strategy John J. Hardy. Links discussed on the podcast and our Chart of the Day can be found on the John J. Hardy substack (within one to three hours from the time of the podcast release). Read daily in-depth market updates from the Saxo Market Call and the Saxo Strategy Team here. Please reach out to us at marketcall@saxobank.com for feedback and questions. Click here to open an account with Saxo. Intro and outro music by AShamaluevMusic DISCLAIMER This content is marketing material. Trading financial instruments carries risks. Always ensure that you understand these risks before trading. This material does not contain investment advice or an encouragement to invest in a particular manner. Historic performance is not a guarantee of future results. The instrument(s) referenced in this content may be issued by a partner, from whom Saxo Bank A/S receives promotional fees, payment or retrocessions. While Saxo may receive compensation from these partnerships, all content is created with the aim of providing clients with valuable information and options.

Find the full transcript for this episode and more resources for coaches at ProsperousCoach.com/365.Becoming a coach and launching a coaching business is an evolutionary turning point in your life.Before your leap of faith, life was a familiar and possibly lackluster routine.Maybe you had a steady paycheck and set schedule. Your family knew what to expect of your time and attention. You knew what to expect of your day-to-day life.In part, those things might have led you toward transformational change.When you first heard about coaching, something in you sparked with new life and hope.You awakened to a calling. You broke out of your mold. You saw yourself and relationship to others with new eyes.This is your ORIGIN STORY.When imposter syndrome sets up a refrain in your mind, remember that spark and fan it back into a roaring fire!Let's talk about the potential gravity pull to go back to your old life and how can you stay inspired.I'd love to hear from you. Stay inspired and make things happen! - Rhonda Hess, Prosperous Coach Rhonda Hess helps new coaches leverage their zone of genius into a profitable coaching niche and launch with confidence. For VIP step-by-step support apply for Rhonda's VIP Coaching Business Breakthrough Program here and she'll be in touch to invite you a discovery call. Or if you're stuck on your coaching niche, grab a Nail Your Niche Strategy Session with Rhonda here.

The road to 200!! The guys recap week 15, along with picks for week 16, and the hottest topics in College Football.Listen to the Chasing Points Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Stitcher, K104online.com, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts!New episodes drop every Tuesday morning. 

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The New York Times Editorial Board published a piece on October 31, 2025, about a variety of indicators that should alarm everyone about the threat President Trump poses to our democracy.The first is Trump's effort to stifle dissent, something we haven't seen before with other presidents. The Associated Press has been denied access to the White House because the AP prefers the name “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.”To get access to the Pentagon, journalists have been told they must sign a pledge that limits their access to information. Even Fox refused to sign.Senator Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain, has been threatened with court martial for stating publicly that service members are not obligated to obey unlawful orders.Trump has usurped Congress' right to tax by setting tariffs on just about everything. If you don't think tariffs are taxes, ask yourself who pays tariffs in the end. Consumers do. All the while, Congress stays quiet; our senators and representatives are more concerned about keeping office then speaking out against Trump and getting primaried.Same thing for Trump directing the military to sink boats that supposedly running drugs in the Caribbean. What's going on certainly looks like an act of war that only Congress can declare but, once again, Congress sits by and says nothing. Trump has turned the Department of Justice into his own personal law firm, something no former president ever did. And then there's the matter of misinformation and disinformation that comes from the White House, and Trump always changing the narrative to suit his needs. Trump has created a national police force of sorts—ICE agents—that conducts raids and wear masks and rounds up people without explanation simply because of skin color and accent. And there's more that is equally frightening. Listen to the conversation.

Comedian Fred Cooke reveals backstage secrets to PJ Coogan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Sliding towards the festive season, Jules and Madeleine take a look at gifts. Everyone loves a present, right? But what does a present actually signify? Are they always good things or can they be sinister or manipulative? From fae gifts to mystical burdens, the dragons take a deep dive into the sort of present you can't exchange for something else on your xmas list.   Title music: Ecstasy by Smiling Cynic

ANNOUNCEMENT: If you're in Portland, please join us for LINE TIME LIVE on December 21st. Sliding scale tickets, family friendly, cozy solstice vibes, get all the info here.-----------------------------------------This ep was recorded in a living room in Portland, Oregon by and with:Writer/narrator: Lettie Jane RennekampMusician: Sanae YamadaProducer: Breesa CulverEngineer: Jason PowersGuest artist (and episode artwork): Britt AppletonWe love to see what you make. Share your drawings on Instagram and tag us @linetimepodcast or email artwork, feedback, and special requests to linetimepodcast@gmail.com. If you enjoyed the show, consider leaving us a tip or buying Overflow bonus eps and sticker packs at coff.ee/linetime.Support the show

Frasier's life splits in two as he experiences one reality where he smothers a beautiful woman with too much affection and another reality where he is denied affection altogether. The Reversers consider great test to confirm a first date is cool. 05m 55s-Cafe Nervosa (Dating Timeline)13m 03s-Cafe Nervosa (Lonely Timeline)14m 20s-The Emergency Room (Dating Timeline)16m 12s-Speed Dating (Lonely Timeline)19m 45s-Frasier's Apartment (Lonely Timeline)22m 56s-Frasier's Apartment (Dating Timeline)27m 19s-Cafe Nervosa Again (Dating Timeline)31m 23s-Frasier's Apartment Again (Lonely Timeline)34m 24s-Frasier's Apartment Again (Dating Timeline)37m 32s-The Benefit Dinner (Dating Timeline)42m 17s-The Benefit Dinner (Lonely Timeline)43m 26s-Frasier's Car47m 54s-Tossed Salad & Scrambled Eggs48m 30s-Episode Ratings51m 10s-Dating Tests68m 15s-Previous PreviewCheck out the Tremendous Kendous Twitch channel for his series: The Monthly Movie Marathon. The next live stream is Friday, December 5 at 8:30pm EST with The Gold Rush and Saturday December 6 at 1:00pm EST with Santa Claus.Find us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube or email us at ReversePsychPod@gmail.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inside the day's Moneycontrol Editor's Picks: The uproar set off by Sanchar Saathi and views from experts and smartphone makers on the topic, Union New and Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi's interview on India's RE leadership, LTIMindtree's CEO speaks on human mentored agentic AI and how the bots must qualify at performance reviews or get ‘fired'. Tune in for all this and more.

Did you know there's MAGIC in your Meditation Practice? Say Goodbye to Anxiety and Hello to More Peace & More Prosperity! Here Are the 5 Secrets on How to Unleash Your Meditation Magic https://womensmeditationnetwork.com/5secrets Join Premium! Ready for an ad-free meditation experience? Join Premium now and get every episode from ALL of our podcasts completely ad-free now! Just a few clicks makes it easy for you to listen on your favorite podcast player. Become a PREMIUM member today by going to --> https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium Settle in, and let your body be soft, Let the bed cradle you, As you surrender into rest. PAUSE… Close your eyes, And let your breath find its natural rhythm. PAUSE… Feel the cool air enter your nose, Sliding down your throat, Like a gentle stream, Softening, soothing, flowing. Join our Premium Sleep for Women Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Sleep podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here --> https://bit.ly/sleepforwomen Join our Premium Meditation for Kids Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Kids podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here → https://bit.ly/meditationforkidsapple Hey, I'm so glad you're taking the time to be with us today. My team and I are dedicated to making sure you have all the meditations you need throughout all the seasons of your life. If there's a meditation you desire, but can't find, email us at Katie Krimitsos to make a request. We'd love to create what you want! Namaste, Beautiful,

This episode, we sit down with Calem from K9 Kuriosity for a deep dive into the realities of working with reactive dogs and the owners guiding them. We cover his concept of the sliding scales and how owners can better understand thresholds, triggers, and progression when addressing reactivity. Calem shares his approach to building true confidence and resilience in dogs, what it actually looks like beyond the buzzwords, and how trainers can help dogs develop steadiness in real-world environments. We also talk about the dog-training industry itself: pathways in, what new trainers should expect, and what it really takes to build skill and longevity in the field. Find Calem at www.k9kuriosity.com   Find us online >> Panos @ www.npdogtraining.com >> Luke @ www.instagram.com/itslukebadman >> www.facebook.com/lifewithyourdogpodcast >> www.instagram.com/lifewithyourdogpodcast >> www.lifewithyourdogpodcast.com

On your Daily Detroit, we're diving into a crisis that affects not just our classrooms, but the future of our entire region: Michigan's unraveling education and talent pipeline.  I'm joined by Greg Handel, chief education and talent officer at the Detroit Regional Chamber. We're going to unpack a new report that doesn't pull punches…. Michigan has tumbled to 40th in per capita income nationwide, a far cry from the place we held just a generation ago. The full report: https://www.detroitchamber.com/just-released-2025-state-of-education-talent-report/ We're going beyond the headlines. On this Tuesday, November 25 we get into:  What happened to our advantages? How did our state fall behind, and what's being done to reverse the slide?  In a world where place and talent attract each other, we'll explore the hard truths and real opportunities for a region at a crossroads. Feedback as always - dailydetroit -at- gmail -dot- com or leave a voicemail 313-789-3211.  Follow Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/daily-detroit/id1220563942 Or sign up for our newsletter: https://www.dailydetroit.com/newsletter/  

This week on the Roach Koach Podcast we finally return to the boys in Nothingface and listen to their final studio album, 2003's Skeletons. Discussed this episode:-The members of Nothingface were going through it-Catcher in the Rye-2003 in music-Sliding over that Dell-The price of a magazine-How hard it is to watch a movie when you have a small child-And Canon Talk, where Lorin and Matt decide if Nothingface deserve another spot in the Nu-Metal Canon.Take a listen!The Crack, the Butt Rock Bracket is here on the Roach Koach Patreon! Subscribe today! Rate and review Roach Koach on iTunes and Spotify! We'd appreciate it! Questions about the show? Have album recommendations? Just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you! Contact the show @RoachKoach on Twitter, Roach Koach on Facebook , Roach Koach on Instagram, or send an email to RoachKoachPodcast at Gmail. Follow the show on Youtube and TikTok! Find every episode of Roach Koach and order your Roach Koach T-shirt at Roach Koach dot com.

It's NFL Power Rankings Tuesday LIVE with The Sportsocracy on ESPN Radio Asheville, and the dust has settled on another wild NFL weekend!

The cold winds of volatility have been blowing through the markets leaving many to question the durability of this bull market. Is this just good old fashioned sector rotation, or the beginning of the unwinding of the risk trade that has propelled the stock market to multiple record highs this year? Keith Lerner of Truist Wealth helps us navigate these recent shockwaves and identifies new opportunities for investors seeking stability. Plus, don't call it a comeback, but bonds are having their best run in over a decade. And, all eyes will be on Nvidia this week as the chip giant reports its quarterly results, carrying the weight of investor expectations on its back, yet again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to season 3, episode 10 of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long COVID Podcast! I got the chance to chat with Angeliska Polacheck for this episode. Angeliska is the beautiful soul behind Sister Temperance Tarot. They have been voted best tarot/psychic in Austin, Texas for 11 years in a row! I found Angeliska on social media about 13 years ago, (via the great Austin connector, Spike Gillespie - whose work you should absolutely read) and as time passed we discovered that we have so much in common, including eerily similar astrological charts and health diagnoses.Angel and I discuss:The profound shifts brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges of living with long COVIDPersonal growth and empathyThe vital role of art and tarot in healing, but how it, and artists and healers, get commodified and dehumanizedHow chronic illness, disability, and cognitive dissonance impact an independent, small business ownerWellness culture and the "manifestation" of healthSurviving as two disabled Generation X Capricorns with C-PTSD and neurodivergenceTrusting your intuition when your nervous system is fraggedWhat does community even look like anymoreHow tarot can support Internal Family Systems therapyDiagnoses of exclusionThere's at least one Bjork worked in thereYou can find Angeliska on Instagram and Facebook as Sister Temperance Tarot. If you're interested in booking a reading, you can do that via their booking schedule. If you're in Austin and would like to invite Angeliska to a safe event, you can find out more about events bookings here.They also offer sliding scale rates for 1-hour phone sessions for people who hold marginalized identities that are experiencing significant money struggles. Sliding scale sessions are limited and priority goes to Black, Indigenous, queer/trans and disabled folks, so please only inquire about sliding scale if you are facing genuine financial hardship.If you'd like to support me in my one disabled woman podcasting endeavors, I have an Amazon gift registry that is completely unhinged, where I just throw anything that I see and like. I also have an Amazon Storefront you can use to purchase goods. I also sell long covid tshirts and other products on a Bonfire storefront, and proceeds from that get funneled back into the podcast or used for community care. I also have an Etsy wishlist or you can just Venmo me at @afriend4thelonghaul. That also gets funneled back into the pod.Over the last 1.5 years, I've built a playlist of my guests

stair sliding and prisoners/00:00 - Cold open15:08 - Prisoners1:27:16 - Ratings1:52:34 - What we've been watching/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@limitedtoeverything6812/Email: limitedtoeverything@gmail.com///Instagram: @l2epodcast/Website: https://l2epodcast.weebly.com/Music: "Terror Nights" ©2013 Tom Rhys/Raven Underground Website: https://ravenunderground.bandcamp.com/

Thank you to my sponsor: Ridge Wallet Ridge Wallet - Take advantage of Ridge's Biggest Sale of the Year and GET UP TO 47% Off by going to https://ridge.com/FDL #Ridgepod More Sara Weinshenk SHENK w/ Sara Weinshenk Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@sweinshenk Patreon: https://patreon.com/saraweinshenk IG: https://www.instagram.com/princessshenk X: https://x.com/princessshenk David Lucas Tour Dates: https://www.davidlucascomedy.com/tour Burbank, CA: November 16 San Diego, CA: December 19-20 0:00 Surviving the apocalypse 10:55 Sara Weinshenk's parents, Entertainment industry 14:57 Sliding into famous people's DMs 18:38 Kids, Taking care of people, Hunting 24:30 Deep South, Hiking, Teaching to fish 32:30 Kill Tony, Catching fish, Catching baddies 45:58 Birds and bees, Comedian friends, David's kids NEW MERCH AVAILABLE https://shopdavidlucas.com/ Connect with David Lucas Website: https://www.davidlucascomedy.com Merch: https://shopdavidlucas.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidlucasfunny Twitter: https://twitter.com/funnydavidlucas Youtube: ​⁠@DavidLucasComedian David Lucas was born in Macon, GA. He started acting an early age, performing in numerous stage plays at the Macon Little Theatre. He relocated to Hollywood where he was a contestant on, “MTV Yo Momma”. He has since written for several television shows and continues to perform stand up all over the country (for such comedians as Louis CK, Erik Griffin, Joe Rogan, Brendan Schaub, Tony Hinchcliffe, Bert Kreisher, DL Hughley and many more). David is a Kill Tony Hall of Famer and currently headlining his own tour! Filmed By Daniel Casas https://www.instagram.com/presentedbydaniel A 7EQUIS Network Show https://www.instagram.com/7equis https://www.7equis.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Markets are shifting as the holidays approach — beef heats up with middle meats climbing, chicken stays steady, and pork holds its value. Grains stay quiet, and dairy continues to slide with butter finally leveling off. The big question: is this the start of the holiday run-up, or just the calm before real volatility hits?BEEF: Middle meats are stealing the show as ribeyes, tenderloins, and strips push higher into the holidays. With grinds leading the pack and demand building, this market's heating up fast — the only question is how high it'll climb before December cools it down.POULTRY: Chicken remains steady and well supplied, prices barely moving either way. But with another wave of avian flu reports and migration season still underway, how long can this calm market last?GRAINS: Corn, soy, and wheat all dipped slightly after last week's optimism faded. Good news for feeders — not so much for farmers — but could holiday demand finally stir this sleepy grain market?PORK: Bellies are steady around $140, keeping bacon lovers happy and buyers relaxed. Pork remains one of the best protein values out there — but how long will this balanced market hold?DAIRY: Butter finally stopped sliding, but cheese keeps melting down with barrels and blocks still dropping. With prices this low, could we be setting up for a holiday dairy rebound?Savalfoods.com | Find us on Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn

It all started with a simple trip to TJ Maxx. Because every great night begins in the clearance aisle. From there, things only went uphill. Hibachi takeout, a Sister Wives marathon, and a little too much saké that led Zach to start one sided beef with TLC network and then continue to DM one of the stars of the show. This week, we unpack our obsession with reality TV drama, a strong opinion on fake “podcasts” that are really just ads disguised as "entertaining clips" or whatever. Then Zachariah tells his own harrowing tale when his stomach betrayed him in a coffee shop. We're talking newly found cough drops, a lawsuit involving a duck on a SeaWorld roller coaster, and our love for the Y2K pop duo ASHNIA. It's a lot, but so are we ;)This episode was mixed and edited by Kevin Betts.Get your tickets to see Zachariah Porter's new Live Comedy Tour!Want BONUS CONTENT? Join our PATREON!Sponsors:➜ Go to Progressive.com to see if you could save on insurance.➜ To get 15% off your next gift, go to UncommonGoods.com/camp ➜ Get up to 50% off at MeUndies.com/counselors and using our code: counselors➜ Bring your A-game and talk to your doctor. Learn more at Apretude.com or call 1-888-240-0340.Works Cited:➜ Jocelyn Solis-Moreira. “Scientists Are One Step Closer to Letting Humans ‘Breathe' Through Their Butts.” Men's Health, 24 Oct. 2025.➜ Nick Papantonis. “Woman Knocked Unconscious by Duck While Riding Roller Coaster, Lawsuit Claims.” WFTV, 28 Oct. 2025.Camp Songs:Spotify Playlist | YouTube Playlist | Sammich's Secret MixtapeSocial Media:Camp Counselors TikTokCamp Counselors InstagramCamp Counselors FacebookCamp Counselors TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Nick Ferrari at Breakfast,Britain sliding 'into economic crisis' over £85bn sickness bill review finds. Former John Lewis boss and author of the report, Sir Charlie Mayfield, speaks with Nick.Democrat Zohran Mamdani issues direct challenge to Trump as he sweeps to New York mayoral victory.All this and more on Nick Ferrari: The Whole Show Podcast.

Joe DeLeone & Sean Anderson react to the biggest stories that came out of CFB week 10. Miami loses another ugly one, ESPN vs YouTubeTV hurt the football fan, Tennessee played themselves out of the CFP & Texas vs Vandy 1:00 Miami blows it down the stretch again and loses to SMU 10:10 Texas Holds off Vandy to win 34-31 14:00 Georgia beats florida 24-20 19:10 YouTube TV vs ESPN 25:55 Tennessee vs Oklahoma Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We talk about how excited we are to get ads in Maps and Apple's thinking on cozying up to Trump and then decide to do our own electrical work because why not?Tim Cook joined the president in Japan. He did not throw up on him.Apple says the U.S. passport feature on the iPhone is coming soon.The iPhone 20 may have haptic buttons.Ads are probably coming to Maps. Yay.Dan's kid is getting a Yoto.If you want to help out the show and get some great bonus content, consider becoming a Rebound Prime member! Just go to prime.reboundcast.com to check it out!Were you aware that you could buy things from us?! That's right! Shirts, iPhone cases, mugs, hats and one other type of thing are all available from our Rebound Store!

Patriots' OC Josh McDaniels on Drake Maye's sliding, Diggs' hands + more

Joe DeLeone & Sean Anderson react to all the NFL week 7 action. The Giants blow a monster lead vs Denver, the Colts may be legit, while the Commanders are slipping and Miami has completely fallen apart. 1:00 Giants allow 33 points in the fourth quarter and blow 19 point lead 13:15 Commanders are starting a tailspin 19:00 Why is Mike McDaniel still employed? 23:00 Patriots have built a football machine 29:30 The Colts may be legitimate 34:55 Kyle Shanahan may be the best coach in the NFL Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mike and Bobby interviewed Les Sackett, the marketing manager of The Silver Slipper, and Nicholls State head football coach Tommy Rybacki. The guys broke down the Broncos' historic fourth quarter comeback against the Giants. Mike and Bobby spoke to WWL listeners about Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and LSU head coach Brian Kelly.

Welcome to Episode 357 of the Worship Probs Podcast - We're glad you're here! In this episode, Brian is joined by Scot & Jeremy and they some hilarious Prayer Concerns plus valuable resources for your ministry. Then, Brian and Scot dive into Sliding Into The DMs to answer some key questions. Check it out and be sure to share! Plus...Use the promo code "Probs26” to get $30 off your Experience Conference registration! Check it out - and like, comment, subscribe, and share with a friend!
Learn more and stay connected with >>> Worship Probs (instagram.com/worshipprobs) // Brian Tabor (instagram.com/briantabor) // Scot Longyear (instagram.com/scotlongyear) // Jeremy Van Valkenburg (instagram.com/jeremyvanvalkenburg) Special thank you to our friends at Maven Media Productions for editing the podcast [Follow @mavenmediaproductions and visit www.mavenmediaproductions.com], and our great friend Scott Hoke for the voiceover intro [Visit www.scotthokevoice.com].

Sliding doors effect of James Franklin & Trent Bray's firings. Free Consultation: 2 segments! Closing Arguments: Tyrese Haliburton continues to troll Milwaukee.

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In today's powerful episode of Next Level University, hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros expose the raw truth about effort, expectations, and the lie most people tell themselves about wanting “more.” They break down why chasing level-10 results with level-5 effort will always leave you frustrated, and how being brutally honest about your goals can change everything. This isn't about balance, it's about alignment, ownership, and the courage to live by your own scale. Keep leveling up, press play, and own your scale.Learn more about:

Guest host Jo Feldman welcomes “Yesteryear” writer and Diabolical Lies co-host Caro Claire Burke to dive into “Girls Next Door” star Kendra Wilkinson's first memoir, “Sliding Into Home.”  From her childhood days that rival scenes from “Thirteen” to becoming one of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends, Kendra's path to fame is a 2000s fever dream complete with cameos from Jack Nicholson and Criss Angel. Jo and Caro sift through the strange nights in the dilapidated Playboy Mansion, Hefner lore, and the culture of misogyny that defined a generation of reality TV. A content warning: This episode contains discussions of sensitive topics, including substance use, disordered eating, self-harm, and suicide. Take care while listening and find helpful resources here. Join the cookie community: Become a member of the Patreon Show Notes: Holly Madison Memoir Episode Crystal Hefner Memoir Episode Where to find our guest Caro Claire Burke: Pre-order her novel “Yesteryear” Diabolical Lies Substack Instagram *** Glamorous Trash is all about going high and low at the same time— Glam and Trash. We recap and book club celebrity memoirs, deconstruct pop culture, and sometimes, we cry! If you've ever referenced Mariah Carey in therapy... then this is the podcast for you. Thank you to our sponsors: Quince  - Go to quince.com/glamorous for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.  Libro.fm - Click here to get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 with your first month of membership using code TRASH. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sure, you can try to convince yourself (or someone else) it was just a “mistake,” a “drunken slip,” or “not really cheating,” but for anyone with integrity... betrayal is betrayal. Period. If you've been downplaying what happened to you - or what you did - this episode is here to show you why you need to cut through the excuses and keep it real. LISTEN NOW. Then, check out my book "Don't Be DESPERATE: Get Over Your Breakup with CLARITY & DIGNITY" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3R2EHiz AND, let's take this a step further... (1) ORDER EMAIL or PHONE coaching at breakupBOOST.com (2) Call Trina direct on The Breakup Hotline ANYTIME! (see website for details: https://www.breakupboost.com/live-coaching-trina-breakup-boost) (3) Check out Trina's BREAKUP AND DATING MERCH: blockandshop.com (4) SUBSCRIBE to Trina's YouTube - search "breakup BOOST" (5) Follow Trina TIKTOK @breakupBOOST (6) Follow Trina's relationship podcast: Help Us Couples Coaching (7) Follow Trina's breakup podcast FOR MEN: JUST CALL TRINA

This episode originally aired on May 23, 2022. In the last two episodes, we shared Bill Jamison's story. In Part 1, we walked through the night Bill disappeared and the early investigation into his case. In Part 2, we examined the unusual circumstances at Bill's job and the people connected to his work who may have had motives to harm him.Today, in Part 3, we will explore other facets of this mystery and take a closer look at the many theories that have surfaced over the years.If you have any information about the disappearance of William Jamison, please contact the Roselle Park Police Department at (908) 245-2300 or the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit at (609) 882-2000.If you have a missing loved one that you would like to have featured on the show, please fill out our case submission form: http://www.thevanishedpodcast.com/case-submission/.Follow The Vanished on social media at:FacebookInstagramTwitterPatreonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Unfiltered & raunchy podcaster Hallie Batchelder joins the boys to discuss Drake sliding in her DMs, ideal body count for men & women, tricking men to pay for her b