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Optimism isn't just a mindset—it's a skill you can practice and grow.In this episode of Let's Talk Love, Robin sits down with psychiatrist, author, and mental health advocate Dr. Sue Varma to explore the power of Practical Optimism.Drawing from her new book Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being, Dr. Varma shares how optimism isn't a fixed trait, it's a skill we can all learn. Together, they unpack the eight pillars of practical optimism, the importance of processing emotions, and how meaningful relationships support our mental and emotional health.Through personal stories and research-backed insights, this conversation offers a grounded, compassionate approach to building emotional strength and staying connected to hope—even when life feels uncertain.We want to hear from you! Send us your anonymous questions for the Podcast as well as our weekly IG Live Ask The Experts Q&A. https://realloveready.com/submitaquestionLinks:Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Beinghttps://www.amazon.com/Practical-Optimism-Practice-Exceptional-Well-Being/dp/0593418948?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAadrgCEXIAFORdG0DINeYfgolUUd2GYZPI6HJ8H6qkVaG8KVHo2Gdfr_gSjxGQ_aem_sJ7UsxblCLC0HfYDJheNdAFOLLOW DR. SUE VARMA: INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK FOLLOW RLR: ⁠INSTAGRAM⁠ | ⁠FACEBOOK⁠ | ⁠TIKTOK⁠

Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 18 Andy tells the press his side of the story. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. As he told her the story, Katie Couric mostly let him talk, asking the occasional question,  how had he known that Dr. Varma and Asha were going to be there, what did plan to do if he lost, etc.,  before letting him continue. Andy zipped through the actual poker tournament very quickly, although he did make a point not to name names of anyone else who was there, other than Covington, despite Katie asking twice. The rush of winning lasted very briefly, he told her, as almost right after, they met Piper. When Andy described how they'd found her, in a near feral state, he spared no detail, making sure that Katie understood just how cruel Covington had been to the women he'd had under his household. He even paused to asked Katie what she thought a man like that would want both a mother and daughter for, and he watched the reporter visibly blanch at that. "How did this game even get started?" she asked him. He shrugged a little. "I don't know," he said honestly. "Niko manipulated the situation into me getting an invite, and Emily herself contributed, trying to make sure that I would win, since she wanted her and her partner Sarah to be assigned to me, since Sarah is such a huge fan of my writing." "How do you make that kind of decision? How do you decide to gamble with a woman's life in your hands?" "Very, very carefully, and not without long consideration," he sighed, sitting back in his chair. "Like I was telling you earlier, sometimes bad people do good things, and sometimes good people have to do bad things for good reasons. Niko was very close friends with Dr. Charlotte Varma, and she'd met Mister Covington more than a couple of times. One of Covington's partners, Rachel, works at the base, and helps with the scheduling and directing of where people are going, so she's probably how Covington got the game started, when he realized he could manipulate the system. I mean, I'm sure other people on the base have to be in on it, but who that is, I certainly couldn't tell you." "People like Phil Marcos?" Andy scowled at her, pointing a finger her direction. "You try and blame this on Phil and I will go to every single one of your competitors and tell them how you made that shit up to get ratings," he said angrily. "Phil's a damn good man, one of the best, and while I'm sure he's aware of the game, I'm also fairly certain that he probably can't do anything to interfere with it." "I thought Mr. Marcos was the head of the project." "Doctor Marcos is high up on the team that's developing and implementing the process, but he's certainly not in charge. There's at least a handful of people above him, and besides, Phil's only working on the process itself, not the pairing and matching of individuals. I'm sure they must've mentioned there's two divisions on the base during your tour. Phil's half works on the biology. The other team works on the sociology and matchmaking, and while Phil can trade the occasional favor to get things done a certain way on that team, he'd never have gone along with this poker thing, or for people being used as chips. Shit, he damn near tore my head off after he heard I'd gone and played in the tournament even the once. Made me promise I'd never do it again. So yes, Ms. Couric, I can guarantee you that Phil has nothing to do with the poker tournament." "You mentioned one of Covington's partners, a woman you called Rachel, was on the coordinating team. Would that be Rachel DeMarco?" "I don't know," he said. "I've never met her. Niko would know. I could ask her. Why?" "Well, Rachel DeMarco is the person who told me about your involvement in the tournament. She actually made it sound like you were running the event." "Running it?" he laughed, almost incredulous. "Fuck off. No, Ms. Couric, I was not running the tournament, nor have I played in it more than once. I went the one time as a favor to Niko, to try and keep her friends Dr. Varma and her daughter Asha safe." "So you won both Dr. Varma and her daughter Asha?" "I did." "How come Dr. Varma isn't here as well? Asha was at our first group interview." "Dr. Varma isn't attracted to white men, so she asked if she could be paired up with Phil instead. I respected her wishes, obviously." "Wait, Dr. Varma is one of Dr. Marcos' partners?" "When she arrived at the base, she was married, but her husband died very early in the initial stages of research into the DuoHalo Virus," Andy said. "In fact, Phil said quite a lot of men died on the base due to whatever incident it was that happened in the early days. He couldn't get into details, but he seemed pretty frustrated by it. But after her husband died, she slowly started falling for Phil, a sort of second act if you will, so when I rescued her and her daughter from Covington, she asked if I thought she could be paired up with Phil. I called Phil up, and he agreed, so she's paired with him, and her daughter Asha is paired up with me. We all agreed that a mother and daughter being paired up with the same man just had an ick factor that none of us were comfortable with." "The woman who died. Where did you say you met her?" "I didn't, and I know you know that. But I met her at Covington's home. She was originally scheduled to be the dealer for the poker game that night, but I made a point about never trusting a house dealer, so she was relieved of the job, and the participants all took turns acting as dealer, so no one player could sway the game that much. I suspected Covington might have been using the dealer being a member of his house to fix the game, and the last thing I wanted was a cheat." "Who else was playing?" "Where are you going with this, Ms. Couric?" "Look, Mr. Rook, you seem like a good man, a decent man, but this kind of thing, it can't be allowed to continue, a handful of men trading women like cattle. We're better than that as a country, and I believe you when you say that you were only doing it to help some people. But think about all the women who don't have someone like you looking out for them." "Right, but in giving you this list of names, I'm painting a huge target on my back here in New Eden. Are you planning on running a story just on what I tell you? Because that's a sure fire way to only make things worse." "Of course not, Mr. Rook," she said with a sigh. "But I can talk with the White House, or the Senate, and expose some of this, and get it shut down." "Well, I'm glad you believe that, Ms. Couric, but I can't say that I do. Still, I hope you succeed." "So who else was there?" "You had myself and Covington. The Mayor of New Eden, James Haunton. Financial investor Gregor Vikovic. And Jake Jacobson, ower of the AllStore group." "That's it?" Andy considered for a moment, and decided that he should let Nathaniel Watkins name slip his mind for a moment. "There was one other person there, but I don't remember who it was. Nobody I immediately recognized, and I was very focused on the game, and making sure that I didn't screw up." Andy wasn't entirely sure why he decided to conceal Watkins identity, but suspected it was because Nathaniel was the only person who'd treated him as a human being, and the fact that he'd given Andy a few hundred mil didn't hurt either. But for the most part, Watkins had seemed like a good enough person that Andy felt like giving him a pass. In the short period of time he'd talked to him, it had almost seemed like Watkins' presence at the poker game was for the same reasons he was there,  to try and protect people caught up in the mess. "And you said it's Covington who's running the event?" "Yes," Andy said. "It's always at his house, and they've apparently run it a few times before. I expect having the Mayor in his pocket certainly helped him set the whole thing up and keep it quiet, but I expect he's also got someone over at the base helping him, someone in the logistics and organzational team, but who that is, I couldn't tell you. Niko said she's been trying to find out, but that the scientists on that half of the team tend to be a bit rude to women, including those working in the security detail." "Wait a moment. You said Veronica DeLaCruz, the women who died a few days ago, she was originally supposed to be the dealer at the poker tournament?" "That's right." Katie Couric paled a moment, before she looked at Andy. "Do you think her death is at all connected to her not being able to fix the poker tournament in Mr. Covington's favor?" "Oh shit," Andy said, a little shook by the suggestion. "I hadn't even thought about that, but it's certainly possible. Believe me when I tell you that Arthur Covington strikes me as the kind of man who's capable of just about anything. And I did mention that Emily was attempting to convince Veronica to cheat on her behalf, to ensure that she and Sarah could guarantee coming to our family and not anyone else's, so it's also possible that he somehow found out about that." "Who knew about that?" "As far as I know, just Emily and myself, although I've mentioned it to a couple of the girls here, all of whom I obviously trust with my life," he said. "But it's not impossible that somehow Veronica told someone else, or that she was so frustrated with Covington that she just wanted a way out. As I said, I didn't really know her at all, so I can't say. But if you're asking me if I think it's possible Covington had her murdered, either for failing to rig the game in his favor or planning to rig the game against him and failing in that, I think it absolutely something the man is capable of." "If I informed the President's office about all of this, do you think you would manage to stay safe of repercussions, or would you be at risk?" "Don't worry about us, Ms. Couric," Andy said. "If you think you can make sure these bastards aren't trading the lives of women with no regard for their wants or desires, you absolutely should do everything you can to put a stop to it. If that means Covington wants to take a run at me because of it, well, I'll handle that when it comes up. He's exceptionally rich, but he's not invincible." "Not to remind you of things you already know, Mr. Rook," she answered, "but you were just saying a few hours ago how your health is now responsible for the well being of over a dozen women. Do you think they would all be okay with you being so cavalier with their safety?" "If it meant that hundreds if not thousands of women would get to fairly choose their partners instead of being saddled up with people they can't stand, I'm sure they would." He sighed, leaning back in his chair a little. "So how do you want to play all of this?" "It won't be part of the main story, but I'll threaten to run it if the President doesn't do something to ensure that a stop comes to this kind of thing," she said. "I just got word this morning the Presidential election's being delayed again this morning, and that'll be another thing they're going to include in the announcements. The special election will be in February, and the new President will be instated in office in March, as well as Representatives and Senators to replace all those who've been killed by the DuoHalo Virus. The Republican Party apparently wanted time to have a mini primary for the new Presidential election, so they won't know their candidate for a month, and plans to have the election in December have been scrapped. So President Pelosi will remain in power until March, and that should give her a little bit of time to try and get this mess sorted out. Because if it's happening here, I imagine it's happening in other places, and that kind of damage could scar our country for centuries." "Forgive me for asking, but you know a lot more about this than any of us do," he said. "How many centers like the base in New Eden are out there?" "They started mass production about a month or so ago, and the goal is to have every man paired with at least a couple of women before January 1st, because the casualty rates for men are so insanely high. The hope is the news story will light a fire under those who have been afraid to get vaccinated, when they hear just how many people have died because the DuoHalo virus. But there are still enclaves of men who insist they aren't going to pair up with women, because the treatment will install 5G microchips in their penises, or some such nonsense." "If we've got problems like this poker game here at the source, I imagine there's this sort of thing starting up in a number of the other pairing centers around the country, so I don't mind you showing this conversation to the President, or the Joint Chiefs of Staff, if it means ensuring that women get to decide who they get paired up with." "It's very noble of you to say that, Mr. Rook, but you know as well as I do that some men are unlikely to get paired up with women they would like. I was a little leery of the Level system when I heard about it, men being classified in terms of priority from level 1 to level 5, but I suppose it's the least worst option out of all the ones we have," she sighed. "And you assure me if I talk to any of the women here in your house individually, without you around, they will all tell me they chose to be here, in your company?" "Well, no," he admitted, "but I think they will all tell you they are happy here. But Piper, and to some extent Niko I suppose, they weren't really in their right minds when they arrived." "What do you mean by that?" "Did they not cover this when they were talking about the process with you at the base?" "No, they most assuredly did not." Andy let out another deep sigh. "Okay, so after women are administered the treatment at the base, they're kept there for 24 hours observation, to make sure there aren't any unusual reactions to the process, which is normal. Then they're delivered to their male partners whom they're going to be imprinted to." "Yes, they told us all this." "So, the longer a woman goes without imprinting, the more the chemicals start to affect her ability to think clearly. That's how Piper got into the state she was in when Niko and I first met her. She couldn't think, couldn't speak. She's thanked me, repeatedly, that we rescued her from Covington, and she's told me again and again that she's happy with us, here in our family, but the ability to make that decision was taken away from her by Covington. There is a limited window after a woman receives the initial treatment where her cognitive functions are full, and the longer she goes before imprinting, the more compromised those functions are, albeit temporarily, at least I hope." "Have you heard of women being made to wait longer before imprinting?" "Hell, I haven't heard of anything like what happened to Piper anywhere and if I had, I'd be kicking up a fucking storm," he said angrily. "I was so livid that I wanted to go and beat the shit out of Covington myself right then and there, but I also needed to make sure I got everyone out of their situations first. We were still at his home, and I'm sure he has some sort of security. What he did to Piper wasn't just unforgivable, it was criminal, or at least it should be, but we're in uncharted waters here, Ms. Couric. There's going to be an entire new wing of legislature and legal decisions spiraling out of this for decades. And nobody knows how any of it's going to turn out, because all the signposts people used to use to predict these sorts of things have been tossed in the woodchipper. I don't know how many people in Congress died, but I imagine you do." "Around 60% of the Representatives and about 70% of the Senators, as well as five of the Supreme Court Justices, although Ruth Bader Ginsberg died from cancer complications, not the DuoHalo Virus. It's an almost incomprehensible strain of the system." "I'm sure some of those people who will be elected to Congress to fill those vacancies will be men, but the overwhelming majority of them are going to be women. And that's going to change a lot about how the country operates. Not as much as I'd like, I'm sure, but a lot." "Why do you say not as much as you like?" she asked him. "I was very lucky to get level 5 status, but you know who else got level 5 status, Katie? The billionaires of America. Jeff Bezos. Bill Gates. Elon Musk. Warren Buffet. And you know the most fascinating thing about it, that I hope you focus on in your story? You know how many of those people refused treatment?" "Very few?" "Absolutely none," he said. "In fact, what I have heard is that the ultrarich were bumped to the highest possible priority, and were the very first in line to get paired up with people. Now, what level of scrutiny did those people go through in their pairing process? Not a whole lot, I imagine. In fact, I'm willing to bet that on the other side of this, when we start to see what the new world looks like, you're going to see those men with impossibly beautiful women, celebrities, athletes, women who probably wouldn't have given these men the time of day even with all their money. They did it because it ensured their survival. I know the fatality rate for women with the DuoHalo Virus is only a fraction of what it is for men, but it's still a risk. And I'm worried that those people who have insane amounts of money are going to continue to do what they've always done,  spend that money to ensure they keep making money at the expense of those without it. They will attempt to buy their way into power once again, and will simply adapt so they don't get knocked off their pedestals." "Are you considering running for office, Mr. Rook?" Andy laughed a bit at that, shaking his head. "Fuck no," he said. "But if one of the women of my household wanted to run for office, I would absolutely encourage them to do so. Despite how political I know I'm coming off right now, Ms. Couric, I would not consider myself a political activist. But I want women and men to have equal rights under the eyes of the law, the same for the rich and the poor. And this country is going to see a shakeup the likes of which it has never seen before over the coming few years, as it tries to decide and define what the new normal is, such as it is. We're in danger of having our own little French Revolution here, guillotines and all." "So let's get back on track and get back to things I can likely use when we air the special," she said with a laugh. "Has it been complicated, navigating this many relationships with this many women at all once?" "I'm not going to lie to you and say no, Katie," he chuckled. "Of course it has. But some of the decisions I made early on have helped that a lot, and thankfully, I have an amazing collection of women who have chosen to spend their lives with me." "What kinds of decisions did you make early on that you would say helped?" "Some of it is stuff that seems obvious in retrospect. No kink shaming, for example. No body shaming. No shame in general, I suppose. That was a big start. But there were also things like making sure nobody got too possessive of anyone's time." "You mean managing the amount time the women could spend with you." "Well, yes and no. I mean, obviously, yes, there's only so much of me to go around, but I also made sure that everyone made time to get to know one another in the family, even with all of our busy lives. And we do our best to try and keep arguments from getting out of hand. It helps that there's always someone else around to try and play neutral observer. Not going to bed angry is a big deal around here, and that hasn't always been easy." "How so?" "Well, when Taylor showed up, Lauren was furious. They weren't currently together before they both came here. In fact, Lauren originally wanted me to turn Taylor away, to get her out of the house, because the breakup had gone so badly. But I sat Lauren down and talked it over with her, made sure she had time to think it all out and make a decision with a clear head, rather than out of anger, which is what she would've done if I'd taken her first opinion. At the end of the day, they've repaired that relationship, but it wasn't easy going at first." "Do you ever feel like you're going to upset one of the girls by spending too much time with another, or that you have to do or say something to keep the peace between some of them?" "My relationship with each of these women is a unique thing, and they're all very different from one another. Also, they all have relationships with each other, so when I'm not around, they have their own preferred cliques and groups." "Anyone left out?" "Not that I know of. I certainly hope not. I've tried to make sure that everyone in the house has at least a few people other than me that they feel they can go and hang out with, talk with, spend time with, so if I'm busy, which happens from time to time, there's always someone else just as important to them to talk out whatever's going on." "Can you tell me a little bit about those groups?" "Well, some are based on existing relationships. Lauren and Taylor, obviously. The same for Emily and Sarah. Aisling and Niko have been with me the longest, and have had the most time to get to know one another, so there's another group there. But Emily and Sarah also connect with Sheridan and Tala, because they all share a love of performing. Lauren and Piper connect on their athletic backgrounds, but Sheridan's an acrobat, so she can fall into that group as well. That's just the start, though. Everyone here, I think, falls into multiple groups, so nobody's limited." "And how do you determine how you distribute your sexual time evenly?" "Again, I don't know that evenly is the right word, but I suppose fairly would be a better one, because some women want more sexual time than others. Some of my partners are content just having one sexual encounter every ten days or so, but others like to make sure they're having intimate time every day or two," he said. "We actually have a chart, in one of the hallways, where we make sure every woman updates each time she's had an encounter with me that's resulted in dosing, so we don't let anyone go too long without one, because we know what happens when they do." "The people at the base were a little vague about that," she said. "I'll bet they were," he said, rolling his eyes slightly. "The longer someone goes without pairing with their imprinted partner, the more intense the need to do so gets. After around ten or eleven days, the craving can get so bad that rational thought becomes almost impossible, and the woman becomes overly sexually aggressive, to the point of basically just taking what she needs from her partner. It's something we take great strides to avoid around here. You can ask Lauren about it; she's the one who decided to test how long she could last." "And did she become overly sexually aggressive at the end of it?" "Very much so," he said, trying to hide a slight laugh of amusement. "She basically cornered me and had her way with me, not that I was complaining all that much, but still. It's a thing all women should be informed of, and I was given the impression they were telling women that when they received their treatment." "Sarah said you have four fiancees currently?" "That's right,  Aisling, Niko, Emily and Sarah." "Are you going to have more wives than that?" "I mean,” he said, trailing off. "Even that feels greedy, but I also know we're being encouraged to do this kind of thing, because of the huge amount of fatalities America's endured in the past eight months. So we'll play it by ear. Most of the women here are very new to me still, and that means there's lots to learn about each other in terms of how we integrate. I wouldn't have leaped in so fast with Sarah and Emily but they seemed so sure, and I clicked so well with them right from the start, so I decided to trust my instinct on the matter." "I have to ask you, Andy,  do you have a type? I feel like other than a few minor exceptions, all the women in your family are quite different from one another." "Physically, yeah, they're pretty different, but mentally? They're all smart, independent, capable, free spirited women. I mean, I guess I've gotten pretty lucky in that I haven't run the risk of pairing up with anyone who would be a bad fit for me. Except, I guess, my ex, but I wasn't going to let that happen." "How did that happen, anyway?" Andy shrugged. "I'm guessing that she still fell into my general type, and since she requested to be paired with me, they sent her to me, assuming I could just refuse to pair with her and send her back to the base if I had a real problem with her." "You said you found another solution for her?" "Well, she was chosen by someone else in the poker game, but the man who took her, the guy who's name I can't remember, he seemed like a good enough man, and my ex seemed happy enough to take the match, so I'm assuming they worked it out between them." "Why do I have the feeling you know the man's name but are protecting him?" "Even if I was, which I'm not saying that I am, it would be for the right reasons and not the wrong ones. I got the impression that the man was doing his best to try and get women away from men they didn't want to be with. I can't prove that, obviously, but I've learned to trust my instinct on these things, and I wouldn't want to get him in the soup for trying to do the right thing." "Well, we'll edit that part out for the show. Were there any of your partners who initially gave you concern?" "I won't lie,  I was a little nervous about both Asha and Hannah, simply because of the age gap. I mean, I'm basically their age put together, but as both women have insisted to me, they are of legal age, capable of making their own decisions, and are happy with having me as their partner. So if the age gap doesn't bother them, who am I to let it bother me? It's just taking some getting used to." "Are you ever overwhelmed with the amount of sex you're having?" He laughed at that, then started to say something, then started laughing again before finally being able to speak. "It's almost insane to say, but there are days where it can feel like a bit much, mostly because I'm trying to make everyone happy, and I don't always remember who likes what, at least not yet. I'm sure a few years down the line it'll all be second nature, but right now, I still have to ask people what they do and don't like, even when we've already had sex a dozen times, just because I want to please them, and that goes a long way." "You said you weren't kink shaming anyone. Were you kink shamed before all of this?" "Oh sure," he said. "I have a love of dirty talk, and not everyone's into that kind of thing, and I get it. Different strokes for different folks. But we do our best and try and lean into everyone's kink at least a little bit. Some just take more getting used to than others." "Who would you say has been the hardest to adjust to?" "Nicolette, hands down," he laughed. "It's not that I'm incapable of being a dominant person; it's just not something that comes naturally to me. When we first met, and she insisted on calling me Master, that just felt odd for a while, but the last time she and I had a session together, she seemed incredibly satisfied that I'd gotten my groove with what she wanted from me. And her friend Whitney, who we inducted into the family yesterday, has similar tastes, so the two can work together to make sure I'm satisfying both of them." "Who would you say came most naturally?" "Ash, easily. We clicked immediately, and she was that perfect blend of aggressive and coy that hit all my triggers right away. All four of my fiancees, though, I have incredibly strong rapports with, so don't let me imply that I'm selling any of them short." "I don't really have time to interview them all today, so who do you think I should do one on ones with?" "Well, you should definitely interview Sarah and Emily together, as they want to make sure people understand they chose this, but also that they were a couple before any of this even started, and I know Emily wants to drive home the point that just because a woman is imprinted to a man doesn't mean she's giving up her independence or her identity, and that she certainly doesn't have to be submissive to a man if she doesn't want to." "Yes, I'd planned to talk to both of them together. I probably have time for two or three others before we do the final group interview and before you get the footage of Tala being imprinted. Thank you again for that. The base said we would obviously need to get someone's permission to show that kind of thing." "You should definitely take some time and talk with Ash, since she's certainly got the most experience at watching all of this out of anyone. She's been imprinted the longest of anyone you're likely to meet, so she has a very unique perspective on it all. It might help if you had Niko in that room as well, just because the two of them bounce off one another very well, and would help fill in some gaps for each other. And that would probably make a good link to your footage of Niko from the base." "Excellent, excellent. And one more." "I would say either take Hannah and Asha together as the last interview, or maybe interview Tala, although she's likely to be a little fidgety for the interview." "Oh? Why's that?" Andy smirked a little bit. "Well, we don't kink shame in this house, so, Tala's personal kink is to feel that sort intense sexual need someone gets from edging before getting their dosage. So she actually started the priming process for imprinting yesterday, but hasn't been imprinted yet. That's something it's not recommended you do, but it hasn't hit her too hard. We had an accident with that before, where Nicolette gave Sheridan a bit of my cum that she had stored, hoping it would take the edge off, and didn't realize it started the priming process. It was on a very chaotic day, so we found Sheridan in her room several hours later, her whole body burning up with need, having masturbated unsuccessfully for at least a few hours. It wasn't a smart thing to do, but Nicolette didn't know better and was just trying to help Sheridan. She's fine now, obviously, but it was a scary day, where Sheridan felt like her body was betraying her. Tala went into it knowing how it was going to feel, and is managing it better than Sheridan was, but I think that's because Tala wanted it to be." "Do you mind if I show the footage I'm not going to air to the President and the Joint Chiefs?" "To the President, no, but I would prefer you not show it to the Joint Chiefs, simply because that offers me at least a little anonymity. While I want to help, I also don't want to needlessly risk the lives of my family. Is that acceptable to you?" "I can agree to that, I suppose," she said. "Is there anything else I should know before we wrap up our interview?" "Did the base cover the changes that men encounter as a result of the treatment?" "Not extensively?" He grinned. "Well, I do think it's important that someone tell you that the longer men are exposed to the treatment, the more short their refractory period becomes and the more semen their testicles generate, so men shouldn't be worried about not being able to keep up. Their bodies will adapt. Just be open and transparent about what does and doesn't turn you on, and people should do fine. I mean, I have my suspicions that the brain post treatment is generating more mood stabilizing hormones, but I can't prove that for certain. I know I've certainly felt better than I have for years, but that could also just be the result of all the exercise I'm getting from all the sex I'm having, so, hard to say, but that's my theory anyway." "What's the biggest fight you've had with a partner since this all started?" He sighed, shrugging a little. "It all tends to blend together. I was pretty angry when Niko volunteered me for the poker game, but after I found out why, I understood, even if I still wasn't thrilled with the whole thing. But at some point, you have to learn to accept there's going to be little hiccups along the way. What's that maxim? Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's almost all small stuff." "I appreciate you being honest with me about the whole poker game, Mr. Rook," she said to him. "If I'm honest, I was expecting you to try and dodge the question." "What Covington's doing is horrible, and the only reason I went into that game at all was to try and save one of my partner's friends. I'm just more surprised you knew about it, since I would've figured Covington would have wanted to keep it quiet." "Maybe Rachel was acting on her own accord?" "Then why try and paint me as the person organizing it?" He shook his head. "Not likely. Anyway, if you can do me the favor and leave at least a little of me talking about the Druid Gunslinger books in the segment, that'll make us even. My agent would kill me if I wasn't trying to push for it, at least a little." "Sure, I'm okay making that exchange. Why don't I take ten to freshen up, then I'll meet Emily and Sarah in their office and start their interview?" "Sounds good," he said, shaking her hand. "I'll see you again later this afternoon." Andy took off the mic pack and then headed out of the room, moving upstairs to the master bedroom, where he expected to find most of the girls hanging out, which was where he found them. "How did it go, love?" Emily said to him, as she and Sarah walked over to him. "They know about the poker game." The girls' faces fell, and Emily looked panicked. "What do you mean?" For the next few minutes, Andy related to them what he'd just told Katie Couric, and how Ms. Couric had agreed to keep it all private between them, but was going to take it to the President, which put the two actresses at ease especially. "Is she going to ask us about it?" Sarah asked him. "I don't think so, but I can't be certain," he told her. "I think she's mostly going to focus on the relationship you two had before you got here, and how you decided to both come and join me, so however you want to spin that, I think she'll mostly go along with the story." "So other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln?" Niko joked. "How do you think it went?" "Pretty well? I think?" He wasn't entirely sure. As he expected for a reporter of her caliber, she had a remarkable poker face, and he wasn't entirely certain how she was going to use what they'd talked about. "She seemed to get the impression that I was the one holding the poker game at first, but I dissuaded her of that notion quickly." "Who the hell gave her such a stupid idea?" Em asked. "One of Covington's partners, Rachel." "Oh that bitch," Niko fumed. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted her." "She was probably doing it on Covington's explicit orders," Andy said. "One of the things that Ms. Couric suggested is that maybe Veronica's death wasn't an accident, and that maybe Covington had a hand in it. I hadn't even considered it before she said it, but it made total sense after she did." One of the producers knocked on the door and then peeked her head into the bedroom. "Ms. Stevens? Ms. Washington? We're ready for you down in your office." "We will be down in just a moment," Emily said. "Thank you." The producer ducked back out, as Emily and Sarah moved to share a hug with Andy. "You're certain we will be alright, Andrew?" "If you aren't, Katie Couric'll answer to me," he laughed. "Now go get'em." Emily and Sarah released him, took each others' hand, then headed out of the bedroom towards the stairs to take them to their office on the floor below. Ash moved over to give him a long hug, snuggling her face into his shoulder for a moment before looking up at him. "Should we be worried about Covington?" "Not any more now than usually, so yes?" he grumbled. "Tala, how are you feeling? Regretting taking that early lick yesterday?" "Not regretting it at all, babe," she said with a laugh, "although if I said I wasn't feeling it, I'd definitely be lying. I feel like I've had too much sugar or caffeine, this sort of jittery buzz that makes it hard to sit still." "An itch?" Sheridan said with a laugh. "Exactly, babe, and you know just where," Tala replied, winking. "Not too much longer before you're imprinting me, yeah?" "Couple of hours, give or take." "Fab," she said, "I should be just about fully marinaded by then." For the next hour or so, Andy kept himself busy and tried to ignore the crews, although they mostly kept within Emily and Sarah's office. As tempted as he was to go and peep on their interview, he respected the two women far too much for that, and decided to just let them be. About an hour later, Sarah came to find him in his office, where he'd been doing some initial edits on the most recent draft of 'The Fatal Solstice,' and took his laptop from his lap, setting it aside. After that, before she'd even said a word to him, she slid down into his lap, wrapped her arms around him and kissed him tenderly. "You totally don't need to worry, Andy," she said to him. "It went very smoothly, and I'm sure we made you look like a champ." He leaned his head against hers a bit, letting out a relieved sigh. "Who're they talking to next?" "Ash and Niko. Katie thought it would be best to get a woman's perspective who's been imprinted since the first week the program was rolled out." "Holy shit," he said, "I didn't realize she was that early in the queue." "Seems like. We agreed to let them use our little studio for that interview as well, but they said to make sure and get everyone together again for the pick up group interview. They said they only have a couple of questions, but want to get everyone together for it." She took her hand and smoothed it over his shaved head affectionately. "You square?" "Just a little taken aback by the poker game getting talked about. It isn't exactly something I was expecting to be brought up, but I guess it's okay that it's out to a few people if it means that can put a stop to them." She leaned down and kissed him again, wrapping her arms around his head before she slid off his lap and pulled him to his feet. "Let's just hope Covington doesn't do something stupid." "Yeah, well, hope in one hand, shit in the other, see which fills up first." "I thought you weren't into coprophilia," she teased. "I'm not even going to ask why you know what the name of that philia is," he laughed. "But no, I'm most definitely not into that kind of thing." The two spent most of the hour talking through her feedback on the new book, her offering minor suggestions in a way that not only was helpful, but felt insightful. No major changes, but tiny tweaks here and there that would really tighten everything up. Before they knew it, Ash had come to find them to bring them down to the big room again, for their second group interview, which felt more like a formality, really, a chance for them to do some pick up shots, and follow up on the fact that Andy was officially engaged to four women, and that this was not only going to be legal, but encouraged under the new laws. He had expected a more indepth series of second round questions, but mostly it was simple fill ins, and a few clarifying questions. Within half an hour or so, they were done, and Katie Couric was thanking them all, Niko especially, for helping establish a single narrative thread they could follow through the entire process, as well as reiterating how brave she was, volunteering what her experiences had been like in the process of getting imprinted. Andy found himself wondering a little bit what exactly Ash and Niko had said during their private interview with the journalist, but trusted they knew what they were doing. "So all that's left is the footage of the imprinting actually happening," Katie said, as the producers were starting to pack up all the camera gear. "I understand Skip walked you through the camera set up, Ms. Stevens?" "I think we're past 'Ms. Stevens' at this point, don't you think, Katie?" Emily said to her with a soft laugh. "And yes, Skip was very helpful in answering my questions about a few key differences, but it's not all that different than the camera we have in our office, except of course for the audio set up. He did walk me through it quite well, though." "Great," she said. "I'll have them set it up in your bedroom, and you will have total control over framing, lighting, so on. I understand you've got your own editing bay here on site?" "We have been getting prepared for auditions and the like in our little studio, so yes, if there's anything we need to cut out or prune off, we will do so before we pass the footage off to you in the morning. When should we expect someone to come by?" "I was actually going to ask if we could pick up the footage and the camera later this evening," she said. "I know it's not what we originally agreed upon, but I want us to be heading back to the studio and starting to put all this together on the last flight out tonight, if at all possible." "That's really up to Andy, I think," Em said. "No, it's mostly up to Tala, let's be real," Andy said with a smirk. "I'm ready now now," Tala said, a nervous titter of laughter rolling from her lips. "I know I was all Billy Badass about being able to wait, but it's getting pretty real, dude, and, like, the faster we get up to the bedroom, I think the better off I'm gonna be, obv." "Then why don't I head upstairs with a Tala and Em and a couple of the others, and you can circle back in an hour or two for the footage," Andy told Katie. "Sound good?" "Excellent Mr. Rook, thank you once again for being so charitable, and for being so transparent about the less savory aspects of the new world you've endured." Sarah bounded over with a stack of Andy's books, one of every book in the series, all of which he'd autographed earlier in the day, and handed them to Katie Couric. "It might not be your speed, but hey, give them a read and maybe you'll fall in love with the story as much as I have," she said to the reporter. "Just the story, though," Katie said with a grin. "I already have a husband." "I wouldn't share him with you anyway, girl," Sarah chuckled, leaning down to kiss Katie on the cheek. "I think you'll really like them though." Katie scooped up the stack of books and smiled. "Thanks again, to all of you. My producer will be back in two hours to pick up the footage, the camera and the mic. I truly appreciate you being willing to share that moment with the world, Tala. It should put a lot of people's minds at ease." "Hey, Imma have a more famous sex face than Linda Lovelace," Tala said with a wink. "I can learn to live with that." "You should call your next band Sex Face, Tala," Niko said, nudging her. "OMG, I should totally call my next band Sex Face!" Tala cackled. "Anyhoo, shoo. I've got a man to get bonded to." She grabbed Andy with one hand, Emily with the other, and started leading them out of the room, heading towards the stairwell. "So who do you want around for this, Tala?" Andy said, as they started up the stairs. "Well, you and Emily, totes obvs, but my Sherbear's gonna be around as well," Tala said. "I never even asked you if you were into women as well as men," he said, a little embarrassed that he hadn't thought to bring it up before now. "Mostly dudes, well, dude singular now I s'pose, but having a bit of playtime with the girls now and again can be fun, so I'll experiment from time to time, see what feels right." "Don't forget, you're also going to imprint Jade after you're finished with Tala," Em told him. "Oh, sure sure," Tala said, "she can come up to the room as well, and she can bring Lauren with her, since I know that'll make her feel more comfortable. Honestly, whoever wants to come and hang around for it can. I totes don't care that much." "Well, too many people and it becomes harder to catch the audio of it," Em said. "Most of the audio's gonna be unairable," Tala giggled, "but I'll clean up my mouth right before he and I pop." As they reached the top of the stairs, she stopped, turned and pulled Andy down for a soft kiss, looking up at him with eyes that showed the only sign of nervousness he'd seen from the brazen Persian woman so far. "In case it hasn't sunk through your thick skull, doll, I am very grateful that you took me in and are willing to take a chance on me. I know I'm a bit more thicc than the other girls in the house, but variety is the spice of life, and Imma love you like no other." He smiled at her, his hand stroking her face a little. "As long as we make each other happy most of the time, Tala, that's all anyone can ask for." "Imma be more happy once I get my Vitamin D, if you know what I'm sayin'," she giggled, turning to walk towards the bedroom again. "She's a vixen that one," Emily whispered into his ear, nibbling on it a little. "Spicy. I like it." They headed into the bedroom, and Emily moved over to the camera, which had already been set up by the newsteam before they'd left. Em made to sure test the lighting and the sound, however, while other people slowly filtered into the room, Lauren and Jade, as well as Sheridan and Ash. "It's your first time, Tala," he said, "and I always want to make sure everyone's first time is exactly how they want it. So how do you want to do this?" "Mmm, I mostly just want you to lay there," she said, kicking off her shoes. "Let me set the pace, let me control the tempo, let me have a ride." She pulled her shirt off, tossing it aside, leaving her in a sports bra and her jeans. "I'm both a top and a bottom, babe, but this time, we need to make sure my face is in shot for it, and as happy as I am for that to happen, I don't really feel like giving the world a peekaboo of my tits. That's just for fam." She unbuttoned her jeans and slowly unzipped them, shimmying them down over her hips. Tala certainly was curvier than almost anyone else in the household, with a slightly paunchy belly, but she somehow made it look cute. The sports bra was certainly doing hard work, as the extra pounds had certainly enhanced both her bust and her ass. "So that means doggie is out, and on my back gets a bit dicey as well," she said with a smirk. "But if I'm atop you, then Em can frame my face just right." "We may need to have a couple of people hold you up at the very end," Emily said, "so when you pass out, the camera can still have a few seconds of your face while you're beginning the imprinting process." "Good looking out," Tala said as she pointed at Emily. "Sher, I know you got me on this, right?" "You know it." "Jade? You want in for the other side?" The blonde licked her lips a little bit, then nodded, saying nothing. "A'ight then, c'mon girl." Tala glanced over at Andy then cocked her head to one side quizzically. "You gonna make me beg for it, or are you gonna get undressed so we can get to this?" He laughed a little, waving a hand as he sat down on the edge of the bed and unzipped his shoes, then slid them off. He had these tactical boots he loved to wear, and the fact that they had zippers on them meant they were always snug. After shucking those, he unbuttoned the shirt and tossed it over towards the incredibly large dirty clothes hamper the room had, standing up again to unbutton his jeans, unzipping them. "Umm hmm hmm,” Tala said. "I know I've seen it a couple of times already, but damn if you aren't a mighty fine lookin' man." She pulled her sports bra up and over her head, as her mammoth tits slipped free of it, giant mounds of soft flesh capped with almost chocolate colored nipples. "These puppies are gonna do some bouncing today," she said, feeling one up, whether for her own gratification or to get Andy's engine revved up, it was hard to tell. He slipped out of his boxers and then moved up to lay down on the bed. It seemed like all of his sexual activity today was apparently going to be done on his back, he thought to himself, between Fiona and Moira riding him earlier and Tala riding him now. He wondered if Jade would just want to keep him on his back for her turn afterwards, although he assumed he was going to take a shower in between. "Let me just get a couple of pillows lined up here," he said, adjusting so that he was where he thought he needed to be for Tala to hit her mark. "Excellent, love," Emily said. "Now whenever our star is ready,” Tala slipped off her thong, and Andy saw her completely naked for the first time, her cunt shaven clean except for a small rectangle of black pubes high above it, her hips sashaying as she strode over to the bed with as much confidence as he had expected. "How's your head?" he asked her. "Still clear or is it getting harder t  " She cut him off by leaning down and kissing him hard, her hand on his chest practically pinning him down on the bed, as she slowly brought one knee up, then the other, moving to crawl atop of him, her tongue not giving him a chance to finish that sentence for at least a minute, her calloused fingertips dragging down his chest with firm intent. Tala pulled her lips back from his, as she smirked down at him. "Regretting this yet?" "Not even a little," he shot back. "You?" "Nuh uh," she replied. "I kinda wish I could've held out longer, but my cunt feels like I'm smuggling a space heater in it right now, and I think if I tried to hold out much longer, I wouldn't be able to say much." Her hips were grinding against his, his cock not lined up yet, not inside of her, like she was trying to tease them both just a little bit longer. "You don't have to say much if you don't want to, Tala." "Oh but I so very much want to, Andy," she purred at him. "I talked a bit with Sher about what gets you off, and she told me you love a dirty mouth, so I am gonna be one sweary slut for you." She kissed his nose, almost like the look on his face amused her. "I'm gonna shove your cock so deep in my snatch that you're gonna wonder if you're tapping my lungs. Gonna smack my ass down on your thighs and bounce on this glorious cock so hard, we're gonna test if this bed's strong enough. And if I break it? Well, then I'll just have to build a new one for the room, one done properly, one built to handle the sort of good hard fuckings this family is always gonna be up to." He could feel her hand reaching down to grab his shaft, stroking it just a little, but mostly guiding it to get into position. "Normally I tell someone it's their last chance to back out right before they do this, but you started the priming yesterday, which means you couldn't back out now if you wanted to," he said to her. "Does This" she said, slamming her hips down onto his cock, impaling herself until he was hilt deep inside of her cunt, "feel like I want to back out? Fuck no. You feel so fucking good inside of me, I don't even want to fucking move." She giggled a little bit, her eyes looking defocused for a second. "Oh that feels so fucking dope,”

Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 17 Andy has his interview for primetime. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.   It turned out that a dozen women all getting ready for television appearances was, in fact, a major operation. The master bathroom was large enough that four of the girls could use the mirror at the same time, but beyond that, they had to party up with "prep buddies," each making sure they were getting themselves ready as well as their prep buddy. Andy was, of course, ready long before anyone else was, even with Emily, Sarah, Ash and Niko sharing him in the shower. He left the four of them in there, although they emerged not long after, each running a hair dryer while they applied their make up and got into their outfits. He was glad to escape the bathroom as early as he did. The girls were in go mode now, and the last thing he wanted to do was get in anyone's way, so he took the time to prep the house. The house had a large empty room that seemed like it was meant to be used as a ballroom. They'd used it as their poker room on and off, but it was also just a nice place where lots of people could stand around and talk. It also had French windows opening into the garden, so the lighting of the room was excellent. Andy figured it would be the best place for the group interviews to take place. Katie and Nicolette helped him get enough chairs for everyone into the room, while Jenny was prepping a large lunch for all of them, a massive batch of jambalaya, so they would have a bit of leftovers in case the 60 Minutes crew arrived hungry. They were scheduled to arrive at one in the afternoon, and had asked them not to make plans into the evening, so clearly the interviews would take as long as they took. Nicolette had been doing cleaning a bit at a time for the last two weeks, so the only thing that really needed to get a major touch up was Andy's writing room, which the 60 Minutes people had asked to use for their one on one interviews, something he'd agreed to, although he was going to lock his laptop away before they arrived. He didn't imagine they'd want to steal his writing, but he was notoriously paranoid when it came to that sort of thing. The cats seemed extremely confused by all the hustle and bustle, but also seemed content to just rub up against the leg of whoever was closest, and follow people around when it seemed like they were going from one place to another. Andy also took time to check in with both Tala and Jade, making sure they doing okay and still on board with talking to 60 Minutes, something he was glad he did. Tala, as expected, was starting to feel the mental itch from having been primed the day before but not yet imprinted, though she was handling it far better than Sheridan had, even if she wasn't as far along with it. She said she'd never felt quite so sexually frustrated before, but that it was a great feeling to have, and that she enjoyed her body acting with wills and wants of its own. Jade had news for him as well. "I want you to imprint me as soon as you're done imprinting Tala, Andy," the bubbly blonde said to him. "And I want you to record it. Not for 60 Minutes, though, but for my father. He has tried to control me my entire life, and I'm just friggin' sick of it, so I want him to see that his dang control is broken, and that I'm giving that control to another man, a better man. So you can use my phone to make the video of it, and I don't care what it shows and what it doesn't, as long as he sees my face when I'm taking that orgasm, when I'm starting that imprinting process, so he knows that he can't push me around any more." She'd been talking with a sort of intensity that he'd never seen from her before, and he let her finish. When she stopped talking, it was almost as thought it dawned on her how forcefully she'd been lecturing him on what to do. "That's, that's okay, right?" "You're sure about this, Jade?" he said, taking her hand in his own. "I'm sure he's done some rough things over the years, but he's still your father, and you want to be careful not to do anything you'll come to regret." "The only thing I regret is being that asshole's daughter," she said, wrath in her voice. "I know it's a lot to ask, especially since I'll be sucking you off, which means that it'll be hard not to get your cock at least a little in the shot, but it's important to me, okay? I'm, I'm reclaiming a part of myself that bastard's taken from me. So you asked me earlier what I wanted, and that's what I want. And I want him to see it while I'm imprinting, so there's no way he can talk to me about it." He nodded. "Alright then. You can change your mind at any time between now and then, but if you don't, then that's what we'll do, just for your father, just at your request. Although, you probably also want to record a message for him to go along with it before hand, so he's not just randomly getting that video without any context." She bristled in mirth, nodding quickly. "Good point. I'll record that on my phone after lunch." "Or during the time they're doing one on one interviews with anyone else. I know they're planning on doing smaller interviews, one with Emily and Sarah and one with just me, but I don't know who else they're going to want to talk to." "If they want to talk to me, they can, and if the 49ers organization has a problem with it, well, the heck with them, I don't have to continue being a cheerleader for them anymore." "Give it some thought. You've still got time." By lunchtime, everyone was ready except for the staff, who'd gone to get themselves ready once lunch had been served. Nobody was sure if the 60 Minutes crew would want to talk to them, but Andy felt it best to make sure that anyone who was willing to have a conversation with Katie Couric was in a state where they could. Nicolette had said she didn't care one way or another, and while Katie wasn't thrilled about the idea of being interviewed, she agreed that if Katie Couric wanted to talk to the two of them, she and Jenny would make themselves available for it. Over the course of lunch, it was clear the girls were doing everything they could to keep Andy's mind off the interview, as the family got to know both Tala and Jade better, while Whitney was still in Nicolette's chambers, in the middle of the imprinting process, and Fiona and Moira were in the early stages of it in the master bedroom. Tala had decided that her first project, once she got her workshop set up in the poolhouse, was going to be to make Andy a puzzle desk of his very own, and once that idea had been voiced, all the girls had thoughts and ideas on things to incorporate, with Sarah filling in suggestions based on his books, and Aisling filling in suggestions based on his life. Niko thought it should also incorporate all the girls' names, so that he might have a better time remembering everyone, which made everybody laugh, simply because the family had indeed grown so large. They were just finishing cleaning up after lunch when the doorbell rang, and Andy's heart felt like it stopped just a little. Ash poked him with a smile. "It's just the media, babes," she teased. "You'll do fine. Go say hi." He headed up from the dining room and down to the front door, where Nicolette was standing in the doorway, greeting the visitors. Standing in the doorway was Katie Couric, one of the best known journalists in America, with a couple of crew members behind her. "Hey, Ms. Couric," he said to her as he approached. "Welcome to my home." He held out his hand and she seemed thankful for the normalcy of shaking hands. "Please, Mr. Rook, call me Katie," she said, "and thank you for inviting us for the interview. I know the President's office had something to do with it, but you could have said no if you didn't want to. Having a couple of famous faces like Miss Stevens and Miss Washington selling the new normal will help the general population of the nation make more sense out of this tragic new normal." "Well, I'll call you Katie if you'll call me Andy," he said. "How's your tour of New Eden been so far? Niko mentioned you did a short interview with her at the base, although you mostly just talked with Dr. Varma and my boy Phil." "You're friends with Mr. Marcos?" she said. "Is that how you got in here?" "Well, there's a story behind that. I can tell you now, but I suspect you'd rather get it down on camera. It's not all that long a story, nor is it really that interesting. I suspect Phil's story was a lot more engaging than mine will be." "Did you get your writing room all set up for our interview?" "I did," he said, "and we also set up our ballroom with chairs, so you can talk to all of us together first. I know Em and Sarah are willing to talk to you either in their little studio, or you can use my writing study instead. It's up to you." "I'll have my team take a look at both locations while we're getting set up in the ballroom. Is everyone in the house willing to take part in the interviews?" "Two of my partners have chosen not to take part, simply because they aren't sure how their employers would react to it, but everyone else in the house is willing to chat," he said, as he felt a hand sliding onto his shoulder. He turned around to see Lauren standing behind him. "Actually, Andy, Sheridan and I have decided we're going to do it anyway, and if the Niners or the people at Cirque have a problem with it, fuck'em, we'll sue their asses into the ground," the tall blonde Aussie told him. "If this is gonna be the new normal, pretendin' like it's not is just as bad as sayin' it ain't, so we'll be there." "You're sure, Lauren?" he asked her, smoothing his hand over her hip, knowing it usually soothed her nervous when she was wound up. She placed her hand over his and gave it a soft squeeze, smiling at him. "Yeh, 'sides I dunno how much of management's gone at this point already. You gambled with us, so let us have a turn at the plow fer a change." He leaned up and kissed her softly. "Well, I've known you long enough, hon, to know if your mind's made up, there's no point in trying to talk you out of it." Andy glanced back at Katie Couric, shrugging. "Guess you get your pick of the litter then." Behind her, the crew had started ferrying in lights, tripods and camera equipment. While Andy had thought he'd only seen two additional people at first, it turned out Katie Couric traveled with a crew of nine, and there had been a second and third S U V behind the van that he hadn't seen. It felt a little like his house was being invaded, but he did his best to not get in anyone's way, as Nicolette started to lead a producer away, to show her where both Andy's writing room and the actresses' little studio were located. "C'mon, I'll take you down to the ballroom, and we can get settled there," he said, starting to lead Katie and her two companions down the hallway. One of them, Geraldine Amato, was the unit's head producer, and the other, Poppy Delgato, was the lead camera woman. "Was your crew mostly women before the plague hit?" "Mostly," she said, "although I've got a couple of men in here as well, and thankfully, they've been given the treatment via their wives. My husband has been getting it through myself as well, for about a month now." "I'm a little surprised they let your whole crew into New Eden," he said, as they headed down the stairs to the lower level. "They've been fairly paranoid about letting people in, I've been told, so I imagine you had to quarantine for a little bit after you got here." "We did," she said, stopping to look at one of the promotional posters on the wall, this one in particular for "The Trouble With Werebears." She glanced over at him with that winning smile she loved flashing on the news regularly. "In fact, Geraldine here's now sharing my husband with me, because she didn't have anyone before hand, and needed someone she could count on to be around while doing her job." She reached up and tapped at the words 'New York Times Bestselling Author' on the poster. "It says here you're a bestselling author, but I have to admit that before preparing for this interview, I'd never heard of you." He shrugged with a little smile. "There's leagues of difference between a Bestselling Fiction author and a Bestselling Genre Fiction author, I'm afraid. When you're talking non genre, you're talking hundreds of thousands of copies, but for genre, well, drop a zero off there, so if you're not into urban fantasy, I won't take it as a slight. Jim Butcher, who's probably the most popular of us working in the field, only sold a couple hundred thousand copies for his most recent Dresden Files book, and that series has a huge following, far bigger than my little corner. Hell, I think the reason a publisher finally took a gamble on me was that I was playing in a similar wheelhouse and they were hoping to piggyback off his success." "E. F. Winston is a genre writer, but her books have sold in the hundreds of millions," Katie countered. "So clearly there are breakout stars." "Ah, but those are young adult books, and the teen fiction genre has a handful of crossover success that never seemed to roll over into other things in our genres," he sighed. "The Dagger Academy books were definitely science fiction, but you didn't see a spike in sales for people like John Scalzi or William Gibson when those books took off, did you? The same for those Harry Potter books. Sold by the truckload, and yet, did many of those kids go and read works from Roger Zelazny, Fred Saberhagen, Emma Bull, Terry Pratchett, Steven Brust, Simon R. Green or any of the other massively prolific fantasy masterminds we've had working for decades? No, we're not all that different than any other form of entertainment,  everyone's just hoping that they get one big bite from the apple at some point during their career." "But I heard they're making a movie based on your books?" "Well, when two high profile actresses are willing to sign onto a project, that goes a long way into pushing it out of Movie Hell," he laughed. "The option had been signed years before that, but once Sarah and Emily expressed interest in playing supporting roles, well, that got the whole thing into turnaround quite quickly. It's like the screenwriter William Goldman always said, 'Nobody in Hollywood knows anything.'" Andy shrugged a little bit as they entered the ballroom. "Besides, I figured you'd want to get all this out during the on camera interview." "Oh, we'll go over it again then, but it doesn't hurt to do a little pre camera screening, just so I know what kinds of things you're likely to say, so I can facilitate the conversation in moving in the right directions," she said. "You've been interviewed several times before. Hasn't anyone ever done that?" "Nope," he said, moving to sit in one of the chairs in the front row. "But then again, I've never been interviewed for television before." They'd originally set up the 17 chairs as one chair facing two rows of eight, but Geraldine started moving the two rows of eight into four staggered rows of four. "We'll bring in some risers, so we can get everyone into one big shot," Geraldine told Katie. Poppy nodded. "We'll need to set up four cameras in here," she said, as she started to help Geraldine block out the room. "One for the group shot, one for Katie, one for Andy and one to rove to whoever's answering questions in the group setting. We can use fixed cameras for the first three, and I'll manage the fourth. We'll have them all rolling all the time and you can just pick and choose what you want in the editing room." "How do you want to order them, Katie?" Geraldine asked her. "Well, Andy here in the front corner, then Niko, the woman we interviewed yesterday next to him. That'll be our link between the segments. Then Sarah and Emily next to her, because star power up front. Beyond that, we can figure it out." "I'd like to insist Aisling, my first partner, be up front with me," he said, just as Ash was walking into the room, along with Emily. "The balance might be a little weird," Poppy frowned. "No no," Geraldine, "we can make that work. We'll just do five in front and three in the top row, so we frame Andy in the center, with Niko and Aisling on one side, Emily and Sarah on the other." "Good," Katie said, "that reinforces the whole 'large family' front and forward as our first visual cue, so that the viewer has to confront it right away. Does that work for you?" she said, asking Andy his opinion for the first time. "That'll work," he replied. "You can even put the three staff at the back, since they're willing to be here for this, but aren't likely to volunteer much in the way of answers." "Jenny and Katie, er, Kate might not, Master," Nicolette said, entering the room with the rest of Katie Couric's crew in tow, "but I'm certainly planning on speaking my mind given a chance, because I don't want people to be given the wrong idea." "What's the wrong idea?" Katie asked, tilting her head just a little bit. "That we're here involuntarily, or that this isn't what we wanted, or, hell, even that Master Rook here wouldn't let us change if we wanted," the French maid teased. "You know if I had a nickel for every time he's sort of reminded me I don't have to call him Master, and I've had to remind him that I like calling him Master, well, I could enjoy a nice two week stay in the Bahamas, once it's opened up again. In fact, little secret, every time he reminds me of it lately, I've just gone out of my way to say it even more, so I can watch him blush." "I think you like watching him blush," Ash said, moving to close in around Andy. "Katie Couric," Andy said, "this is my first partner, Ash Blake, and I'm sure you've probably already met Emily Stevens." Katie made it a point to shake Ash's hand first. "A pleasure, Miss Blake." She then turned to Emily, taking the tiny blonde's hand and shaking it as well. "I've actually interviewed you before, Miss Stevens, although I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't remember. You seemed quite busy on that press junket, and I know they were just wheeling journalists in and out for you." "I keep a diary of anyone who's interviewing me, Ms. Couric," Em said, a wry grin on her face, "so I assure you, I remember the interview quite well. Any surprises we should be wary of?" "Oh, I've always got a few things planned to lighten up an interview," the journalist said, somewhat evasively. "It's not like I'm interviewing Vladimir Putin or anything. You're not going to have me murdered for a question you don't like." "Well," the Brit said, "I still wouldn't anger Sarah too much. She's, excitable, and prone to fits of exaggeration." "I'm fairly certain she's never poisoned anyone to win a role, Em," Andy said to her. Emily clicked her tongue in amusement. "Let's not be too hasty with that judgment, Andy. Anyway, shall I round everyone up and we can get started?" "Yes, I think my team will be ready to start in about twenty minutes, so if you can get everyone together, that would be excellent." By the time all the girls were in the ballroom, risers had been placed under the seats, the lights and sound were set up, a boom microphone used to cover the majority of the girls, although clip on mics were used for Katie and Andy. They also had a handheld microphone that the girls could pass around if anyone wanted to give a detailed answer. They were structured as had been discussed, with Niko and Aisling to Andy's left in the front row, and Emily and Sarah to his right. Behind them, Lauren, Taylor, Sheridan and Piper sat. The third row had Asha, Hannah, Tala and Jade. In the back row sat the staff, Kate (his Katie), Jenny and Nicolette. All of the fiancees were up front, and everyone else was sat in order of arrival, with the exception of the staff, who were at the back, at their own request. It felt right that Ash was on one side of him and Emily was on the other, as if the two of them wanted to be close in case he needed support. It wasn't until Andy saw it framed up in the monitor as they were showing Katie that it dawned on him just how big his household was growing, and even still, he knew there were already three more in the house not in this shot. He was always aware of how big his family was, but seeing everyone together in one single framing shot, it really drove the size of it home, and it felt huge. "Okay, Andy, let's start with how you telling us a little bit about yourself and how you got here." For the next few minutes, Andy gave the shortest possible version of his bio, how he'd moved to California a decade and a half ago, his writing for the Silicon Valley companies, as well as his novels, which transitioned nicely into him talking about how he got his vaunted level 5 status, regaling 60 Minutes with the story of how the guy who'd come to test them, Dave, had been a big fan and given he and his then roommate Eric level 5 status as a return gift for Andy having given him an advanced copy of his next novel. "I hope I'm not getting Dave in any trouble by telling that story," he finished. "No no, each member of the initial Bay Area team was given five level 5 statuses to give away as they saw fit," Katie Couric told him. "Most of them just gave them to friends or family, but Dr. David Straussman hadn't used any of his until he met you, and there were no rules on who he could or couldn't give them to, so that's fine." "Straussman," Andy repeated. "Huh. You know, I didn't even know his last name until right now. I hope he's doing okay." "He's doing quite well," Niko said. "I see him every so often wandering around the base." "So Andy," Katie said, bringing them back on task, "how did you fill out the form you were given with the testing process?" "Well," Andy said, "Dave stressed to us when he gave us the link that we should be honest, and to answer the questions knowing we wouldn't be judged for our responses. I don't actually remember a lot of it, because it was a very long questionnaire, like, ridiculously thorough. But I suppose what you're getting at is what key things do I remember answering." "Yes, that's what I'm asking." "There were definitely questions about my sexual preferences, like, a lot of those, but there were also basic demographic questions about what range of people I felt comfortable dating, was I into women, men or both, and how did I feel about polyamory." "Did that surprise you?" she asked him. "Sure, but not as much as I expect it probably shocked people back in the Midwest. It's not what I would call common place around here, but you see it mentioned often enough in people's online dating profiles that most people have at least some awareness of it here in the Bay." "And how did you answer the polyamory question?" "I actually put 'no preference,' but you have to remember, to some extent when this started, we thought this was all some temporary thing, and we certainly didn't know that the casualties to men in America were going to be as high as they were," Andy said, sighing a little bit, Ash taking his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "Do you remember what ages you put that you would be comfortable with?" "The low end was set to 18, and I didn't adjust it, and I set the high end to 35. I suspected no one younger than their mid twenties would be interested in me, so the low end didn't really matter." "You can start to see how his mind works," Hannah teased, "and how he just misses things sometimes." That let the girls have a soft laugh, releasing a little bit of the tension. "Were there any things that you said were absolute deal breakers?" Katie asked. "Just two," Andy admitted. "Must not be allergic to cats, and must not smoke, although we ended up with someone who vapes." "And who is that?" "That'd be me," Sheridan said, "but I'm working on quitting, so, it's a stopgap on the way to that. And it's been much easier stepping down from that than it was stepping to that from smoking." "Who showed up first?" "Aisling showed up I think it was actually the very next day," Andy said. "I was a little surprised how quickly everything moved. Usually anything the government's managing is a total clusterfuck, but I think since we were basically right by the site where the treatment was developed, they were rushing it out in order to keep as many people safe as they could." "Aisling, let me ask you Aisling, was Andy the sort of man you dreamed about ending up with when you entered into the process?" "At first, my head was a little clouded, because the process when it started wasn't as refined as it is now, so when I met Andy, my mind was a little fogged up with lust, but he ticked all the boxes of what I wanted out of a man. He didn't look exactly like I expected him to, but yeah, within a couple of days, I knew I loved him pretty hard. Still do." "Would he have been the kind of person you would've gravitated to in a bar?" Katie asked her. "I would've thought he was cute, but I was horrible at dating, and only had a couple'a boyfriends before him, so I'm a bad judge of character for that sort of question." "How many of you would've approached Andy in a bar?" Katie asked the group of them. Andy chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Be honest." Sarah put her hand up immediately, and Tala raised her hand as well, as the rest of the group giggled a little bit. "As progressive as we all like to think we are, Katie," Niko said, "women still generally don't approach men in bars, so maybe that's more on us than saying anything about our tastes." "Sarah, I saw you put your hand up," Katie asked. "You're an Oscar nominated actress who's know worldwide. What about Andy would've made you approach him?" Over the next couple of minutes, Sarah and Emily related the story of how they'd attended one of Andy's Q&As at ComicCon in costume, so that nobody would recognize them, and talked about how she'd had a crush on him because of his writing for a long time, which Katie laughed about, and Andy was certain would make for good television. "So how many of you would say you're in love with Andy now?" she asked the group after Sarah finished her story. About half of women raised their hands, although several of the others looked like they were considering raising their hands. The front row all raised their hands, as expected, but Lauren and Piper also raised their hands, which surprised Andy a little. "So those of you who wouldn't say you're in love with him, how would you describe your relationship with him?" "Deep respect and affection, but not at the love stage, not yet anyway," Sheridan said. Most of the other girls seemed to nod and agree with that. "Why do you say 'not yet,' Sheridan?" "You have to keep in mind, Katie, a lot of us have only known Andy a few weeks right now," she said, leaning forward just a little bit. "We had to make probably the biggest choice of our lives, and we had to do it basically on a hunch. Our choices were to defer treatment and go on being afraid we were going to die, or take the treatment and get paired up with a man for the indefinite future. That's a hell of a gamble to ask of anyone." "Who's unhappy with the decision they made, raise your hand," Katie said, only to get no hands raised in response. "Everyone's happy being paired with Andy, maybe for the rest of your lives?" "Look, Ms. Couric," Hannah said. "You're going to find every one of us girls has a different story, a unique story, and each one of us came to where we are now on an entirely different path, m'kay? But we'll all tell you the same thing,  Andy's treated us with an immense amount of respect and affection, and he's made sure that nobody's doing anything they aren't comfortable with. Shit, he's even done stuff he's been a little uncomfortable with because it's made us feel more comfortable, and how many women can say that about their partner? So while a bunch of us aren't in love with him, yet, we all admire and respect how much he's gone out of his way to make sure we feel like we're part of a goddamn family, a good goddamn family." "Do you want to continue to grow the family, Andy?" "If you ask him," Em said, jumping in before he could respond, "he wanted to stop growing it a while ago." All the girls laughed at that. "But at this point, I think we're all doing what we can to stick together, and a lot of us girls wanted to protect our friends, to keep them safe, so we took turns presenting them all to Andy, trying to convince him to bring them into our home and into our family." "Everyone had someone they wanted to pitch?" Katie said, smiling at Andy. "That must have been overwhelming." "Not everyone wanted to pitch someone, but almost everyone," he said with a laugh. "And it was a lot of names and faces that were presented all at once. I said upfront, though, that I wasn't going to bring everyone on, and that there was only so much of me to go around. In the end, I think we mostly made it work to everyone's satisfaction." "So how many more people are coming?" "Well, we have three people who are in the imprinting process right now, and two more people arriving tomorrow, and if I have any say in the matter, that will absolutely, positively, definitively be the limit of women I can handle in my life," he chuckled. "And how much say do you actually have in that matter, Andy?" "Very little!" Emily joked, and all the girls laughed, as did Katie. "It would take a super compelling case for us to add, like, anyone else to the family past that," Sarah said, "but I think it's totally for the best that we never say never. Sometimes exceptions have to be made." "Like I told you yesterday, Katie," Niko said, "I think if Andy had total control of the matter, he would've probably put a hard limit in after myself, Ash and Lauren were in his life. He told me multiple times early on that he barely felt like he deserved one amazing woman, and at that point, he already had three, so it's been a growth process." "But this is the new normal now," Katie said. "Or at least it's going to be. Families with one man and several women, because so many men in the US have died. Raise your hand if you know a man who's lost their life to the plague here in the US." All the women raised their hands, and of course Andy had his raised as well. "How does that feel?" "I think we're all suffering from some degree of post traumatic stress disorder," Piper said. "The losses, they're too big for any of us to process, so we're sort of clinging to one another, holding on to the only family that we know for certain that we can protect." "Piper, you were actually supposed to have competed in the Olympics by now. How does that feel, knowing that when it starts up again next year, the US basically doesn't have almost any of their male athletes to compete?" "At this point, it's impossible for it to even make sense in my head any more, Katie," she sighed. "Most of the people I trained with have died over the last several months. A lot of my trainers died. I've lost colleagues, friends and family members. I don't even know where to start mourning, because there's so damn many people to mourn. I consider myself lucky that my sister's husband took everything seriously, and completely refused to leave the house this year since the word of the plague got out." "It's something we've talked about in here a bunch," Andy said. "And we sort of keep coming back to that famous Stalin quote. 'A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths are a statistic.' It's so many dead men that the mind can't even make sense of it. It's like 9/11, but if each of the Twin Towers was holding exclusively almost every man each of us knew and loved. My own brother died a few weeks back, and he was one of the kindest and most careful souls I know, but he ran out to help someone get their storm shutters up before a particular bad thunderstorm rolled through, and a few weeks later, he was just gone, almost overnight. It happened so fast, I didn't even hear about it until after he was already gone." "It's actually unproven that's a real Stalin quote," Tala said. "I read an article that said it was attributed to a French humorist." "Sure, but even if Stalin didn't say it," Andy said, "it's still pretty relevant here. It doesn't really matter who said it, it's the sentiment that's important. We're talking about a matter of scale, and the human mind's capacity to comprehend that scale. At the end of the day, that's a hell of a lot for anyone to handle. So we're all just doing our best." "Normally," Emily said, "when a friend or loved one dies, there is typically a funeral or a wake, a gathering of all that person's surviving circle coming together, to celebrate their passing and remember them, but we have been denied that, and it has made all their passings that much harder to process, somehow transformed them all into seeming less real, because our normal emotional milestones haven't happened along the way. We are adrift in our emotional morass." "That's true," Katie said. "We, as Americans, haven't had to confront all the deaths simply because we aren't allowed to go out and do so, and that somehow makes it feel less concrete." "It hits you every day," Jade said, "little by little. Lauren described it to me a few weeks ago as a slow motion car crash that we're all stuck in, and nobody can get out of." "So, Jade, I understand you're one of the newest arrivals here," Katie said. "Have you gone through the imprinting process yet?" "Not yet," she said. "Tala and I arrived yesterday, but we wanted to wait a little bit, to spend some time with Andy and his family, to makes sure that we would be happy getting melted into their pot. I'm happy to say we're both going to do it, but it's the kind of commitment you gotta be certain of, you know?" "Have you seen what the imprinting process is like?" "Um, yes?" she said, trying not to blush a little. "When we arrived yesterday, we had a third person with us, another woman who was joining the staff and faculty of the house, but not the family itself, a young woman named Whitney." "So, Andy, explain to me the difference between family and staff, and how you decide that." He immediately put his hands up, almost like he was at gunpoint. "First and foremost, I do not decide that," he laughed, and all the girls laughed with him. "When the military came and relocated us from our little condo and brought us here to New Eden, the house also came with three members of staff attached with it, all of whom I was told had been selected to mesh with me, and whose boxes I would tick as well." "That was the three of you in the back, Nicolette, Jenny and Kate, yes?" Katie asked. "We had all been told a bit about Andy before he arrived," Nicolette said, "and his answers to the questionnaire implied that he would eventually be willing to play into our tastes." "Eventually?" Katie asked. "Well, sure," Nicolette giggled. "I know the first few times I called him Master, it rattled his cage a little bit, but he eventually realized I liked saying it, and nobody was making me do it. One of the things that we girls all figured out early on was that just because Andy was okay with something didn't mean he had any real experience with it, so we would need to hand hold him a bit through it. So while Andy said he was okay with bondage and discipline stuff in his questionnaire, he didn't have any real practical experience in it. So we've found ways to teach him about that kind of thing without it ever feeling like we were lecturing to him. He sort of set that expectation up front when he told us communication was everything, and he couldn't have been more right." "And Kate? I hear that you and Jenny had a different experience," Katie asked. "Damn, uh? Andy?" Kate (his Katie) asked. "How real you want us to get here?" "We're not hiding anything," he chuckled, "so fire away." "So, uh, Katie," Kate coughed. "I'm actually a lesbian. Not a bisexual who mostly identifies as a lesbian, I mean straight up, hardcore, one hundred percent, unrepentant fully committed lesbian. And Jenny here is my wife, but she's bisexual." "Hi!" Jenny cheerily said with a wave. "When we signed up for this, we, ah, we were planning on hiding that from Andy, and I was simply going to fake it, and go along with the ruse, so that we could stay together, and we could still get the treatment, which, as you already know, takes both a female and a male component to work," she sighed. "So I, er, we lied, and claimed we were both bisexual. Since we were married, wherever we went, we were going to go together, and we figured we could just keep up that lie as long as we needed and make it work." "And what happened?" Katie asked. "Day two, I folded, before we'd even been imprinted," Jenny said with a shrug. "When we met him, Andy wasn't at all what any of us were expecting him to be, but I mean that in a really good way. It didn't feel right lying to him. We'd had a few days together before he showed up, the three of us, us two and Nicolette. We'd talked about it, and Nicolette volunteered to go first, so that if it didn't go well, my Katie and I could request to be moved elsewhere, since we were a little more particular than she was about how we got paired up." "What do you mean, you folded?" "I started talking to Andy, and, and it all just came tumbling out, how we were a little unsure, how my Katie wasn't really into men, and, I just felt like I had to tell him everything before we were committed to anything." "How did you react to that, Andy?" "I could tell they were afraid that I was going to be angry," Andy said, his tone as breezy and relaxed as he could keep it, "but I wasn't. Why would I be? I simply wanted to talk with them about how they wanted to handle it, because at that point, I knew a bit more about the physiological affects of the treatment than they did, so I wanted to prepare them for it, if they wanted to move forward." "Do you still consider yourself a lesbian, Kate?" Katie asked her. "Absolutely. I don't feel any sexual attraction to Andy what so ever," she said. "Now, with that said, I can also admit that I have received biochemically induced orgasms from him regularly as part of the treatment process, and I don't think that affects my sexual identity in any way. But Andy and I haven't ever had direct sex. He's offered, but he's also never pressured. I might take him up on it some day, to see if the chemical and neurological changes the treatment have made to me might compensate for my lack of sexual attraction to him, but then again, I may not. That's my decision, well, our decision, to make," she said, taking Jenny's hand in hers. "And nobody's going to tell me who and what I am. I get to decide that, and fuck anyone who says otherwise." "So if you haven't had direct sex with him, how are you getting what you need from him to keep your treatment managed? Go ahead and be as direct as you want, and we can bleep parts of it out if we need to, but I think they're just going to air it as we send it." "Well, to be frank about it, I don't ever actually fuck Andy, but that doesn't mean I don't swallow his semen. I do that around once a week, either directly from him, or second hand from my wife. I consider sucking his cock just to be another task around the house that needs doing now and again. No offense, Andy." He laughed, waving a hand in his air. "None taken, but you already know that." "And that's enough?" Katie asked. "Just swallowing semen, either directly or second hand?" Kate nodded. "It's fine. I haven't had any adverse side effects, and it's easy enough right before he's about to pop for him to point it elsewhere, or for Jenny and I to split it after he does pop. I'm never going to have an encounter with Andy without Jenny present, and she's always my focus, not him, because she's my wife, and he's just, my boss." "And everyone in the house is okay with that?" "This is the world we live in now," Lauren said. "Lotsa fellas used to get all hung up onna things that they did and didn't like, but who's got time for that anymore? Life's too short to hold onta old grudges, so if we can, we're all gonna take it on the chin and just keep movin' on together." "Now Lauren, I understand you're also a lesbian." "Nah Katie," the tall blonde Aussie corrected. "I'm definitely bisexual, but I just lean a lot more towards the ladies than I do the fellas. I very much enjoy my sexual encounters with Andy, but I'm not one of his primary partners, despite showing up so early. I'm in love with him, like he is with me, but he's not my Big Love, if you folla. I've got me own primary partner here, in Taylor. We'd split before New Eden, and when she came back, I was right pissed off, but we've worked it out, and now she and I are back to being a couple again." "Does that put you on the outs with Andy?" "Nah," she laughed, "it just means the master bed doesn't need triple reinforcement. I love Andy and all he's done for me, for alla us, but I ain't interested in being one of his wives. I wanna marry Taylor at some point, but that doesn't mean I don' wanna stay part of this family. That works for us, so, y'know, fair play." "How many people do sleep in bed with you on any given night, Andy?" "There's always at least five of us in the bed," he answered. "Myself, Ash, Niko, Emily and Sarah. But sometimes more people want to cram in, and we never say no." "What's the most the bed's ever held for a night?" "Oh, uh, everyone who isn't staff, I think, but last week, so before some people had arrived," he said, trying to remember, "so, what, 11?" "Yes, that was the maximum. On the day when we found out Andy's brother died," Emily said, "we all crawled into bed with him and just wrapped our arms around him, as we all shared a good cry, then fell asleep holding one another, but that's extremely uncommon." "Five or six would definitely be the average," Ash said. "So the four of you would say you're closer to Andy than the rest of the women in the house?" "Well, we're all his fiancees, so we'd better be, Katie!" Sarah laughed. "He asked Ash first, and then Niko asked him before he could even get the words out to her, so once he freakin' told us, me and Em, we both demanded he propose to us as well immediately, because we come as a package deal." "What do you mean by that, Sarah?" "Okay, well, here's the thing. Emily and I have been a couple for almost two years now, but we're both, well, we're both totally into dudes and chicks. So while we super love each other, we also knew we were going to need a regular cock in the equation. When we found out that the writer of my favorite freaking book series of all time was in play, we decided we had to freaking have him." Andy was a little amazed Sarah could do so much to self censor, but realized she'd probably been doing it for interviews forever. "So you put in a request for the two of you to be paired up with Andy, and the government made that happen?" There was a long pause, as everyone was trying to decide what to say and how to say it, but eventually Emily broke the silence. "Something like that, yes," she lied. "We'll put a pin in that and come back to it later," Katie said, and Andy's guard was immediately up. He'd been wondering what sort of problems this interview was going to throw up, and now he felt like he knew what one of them was. "Have you had to send anyone back, Andy? Had any partners show up that you didn't think would be compatible?" "Just one," he admitted. "My ex girlfriend was sent to me, because she hadn't disclosed that we'd been together about a decade ago. She was eager to rekindle the relationship, but I was not. It ended on terms that made me unwilling to revisit it again, so we helped her make other arrangements. We hadn't been compatible back then, and I didn't feel comfortable gambling that she'd grown enough that I would've been compatible with her now." "You didn't send her back to the government?" "New Eden isn't that large of a community, so sometimes we just see if we can make things work among ourselves first, and we found a solution that everyone seemed happy with, including my ex. In fact, the people that my partners here pitched to me that I didn't think would be good matches for our family, we worked to pair them up with other people here in New Eden instead, so they were still local and safe. It's a small town, so we have to look out for one another. Problems here are rare and generally manageable." "Not always, though, we've heard," Katie said. "I take it you've heard about the fatality that New Eden had last week?" Everyone nodded. "It was horrible, hearing about someone dying from something so easily preventable," Hannah said. "Like, they totes warned us about that ish before we left the base, so why the hell would someone chance it?" "They did warn you?" "Very thoroughly," Emily insisted, horror in her voice. "They told us multiple times, again and again and again, that if we took in semen from any man other than the one we were paired up with, it would be toxic, if not fatal. They even showed us a recording of a woman who'd already been imprinted getting semen from a man she wasn't paired up with on her skin, and the large, violent rash that immediately broke out. I am told they show that footage to everyone, to drive the point home. Seeing that sort of instantaneous reaction should've been enough to discourage anyone from testing those boundaries." "They're talking on base about showing some of the autopsy photos from the fatality to the people who are getting the treatment now," Niko said, "to make sure everyone understands how serious it is not to dally outside your family." "Have any of you ever been tempted?" "I think we all value our lives too much for that," Sarah joked. "And love Andy far too much for that," Ash said. "Definitely," Emily agreed. "Why would anyone task such a pointless risk?" "Did any of you know the woman who died, or the man she partook from that killed her?" Katie asked them. "I met her briefly," Andy said, "but I wouldn't say I knew her. And none of us ever even met the man accused of doing it to her." "Major Peters told us yesterday he's currently imprisoned at the base, pending local law enforcement being able to take custody of him. They're going to charge him with murder, they were telling us." "They should," Sarah said. "They told everyone when they brought them here to New Eden what would happen if people engaged in any form of sexual activity with anyone they're not paired with, and they fucking did it anyway!" "The problem," Andy sighed, "is that the man, whoever he is, already has multiple women paired up with him, which means that whatever they do to him is going to affect those women as well, even if it's just that they have to come to a prison for their weekly intake. Those women are already tied to him. I'm sure they're looking into some way to remove the binding and reimprint a woman onto a new person, but there's only so many problems they can solve at once." "Does it bother any of you that your health is tied to Andy's?" Katie asked the group. "Bother is the wrong word," Sheridan said, annoyance in her tone of voice. "Concern is the right word. We're very protective of Andy, because he knows our lives are all fully dependent on his for the time being, and that if he dies, we all probably die with him. So, sure, we're concerned, but I think all of us feel comfortable in knowing that Andy's got our best interests at heart, and is keeping that all in mind." "One of the two people arriving tomorrow is going to be his bodyguard," Jenny said. "A friend of mine from college, who's going to guard his life with her own." "Who's the other?" "A director friend of mine," Emily said, "whom I thought would be an excellent addition to the house. She was one of the AD's on some of the latter Dagger Academy movies." Katie Couric clapped her hands together. "Okay, why don't we take a break, then do some of the one on ones, and then we can circle back and do another group interview to close out the day. Our team can leave you one of our cameras here tonight, so you can get that video of someone being imprinted, and we'll come by and pick it up tomorrow before we leave town. We appreciate you trusting us with that, as I know it can't have been an easy decision to make, but I think that footage will go a long way to convincing people this treatment is in their best interest. As for today, we'll go ahead and finish getting set up in Andy's office, and when you're ready Andy, we can sit down and do our one on one and drill down on some things I've got further questions on." "Sure," he said, as all the girls were standing up and stretching. "Let me go grab a quick drink, and I'll meet you in my office in about ten minutes, okay?" "Sounds good." Katie and her crew were escorted by Nicolette down to Andy's office, while the girls stood up and started chatting among themselves, while Emily and Ash closed it around Andy. "That went about as well as can be expected," Emily said to them. "I feel like we've got some kind of curveball coming," Ash said, taking Andy's hand in her left and Emily's hand in her right. "After you're done, Andy, we'll talk a bit again. I'm sure you'll get surprises before any of us do." He took his time, grabbed a bottle of Vanilla Coke, drank it then headed down to his office, which today felt a little like going into a lion's den. With all the girls in the ballroom, the large group session had allowed the attention to bounce around a great deal, and he felt like he could catch his breath, but here, it was just going to be the two of them, and he didn't have anyone to run interference for him from time to time. Andy headed into his office and saw that even his cats weren't in there, likely having been moved by the production crew, as Andy moved to sit down in his writing chair, Katie Couric sitting across from him. "Are you ready?" she said to him. "Yep," he answered. "Let's do it." After the mics were checked, the cameras were tested and the lights were adjusting, Andy's one on one began with a softball question. "So how'd you fall into writing urban fantasy, Andy?" "The best advice I ever got was 'if the stories you want to read don't exist in the world, it's your job to put them there,' so I've stuck with that," he said. "I knew what kind of stories I wanted to read, and nobody was really writing those, a sort of fantasy western/samurai hybrid. I mean, you had Butcher's Dresden books, but those were more of fantasy noir hybrids, and I wanted to get into the sort of stories that people like Akira Kurosawa and Sergio Leone used to tell, where you could kill off characters, where actions had consequences and where you never really knew when the next gunfight was coming, because it felt like they could happen at any time. Joe Abercrombie does it in high fantasy, but I wanted something that was happening in our time, in our world.&am

In this Telugu Podcast episode, Srikanth Varma from Scaler sits down with us to confront the raw, uncomfortable realities students and parents are grappling with today. He doesn't just describe the problem; he breaks it down, offers fresh perspectives, and shows us how to rebuild from the ground up. Why do students spend lakhs on a BTech or BCom degree, and only end up with jobs paying ₹10,000–₹20,000 a month? Is the fault in our education system, outdated curriculum, or something deeper? Srikanth begins by taking us through history, highlighting how every major revolution, from the Industrial Revolution to the rise of the internet, and now the evolution of AI, initially led to job fears, but eventually created far more opportunities than they destroyed. The fear of losing jobs to automation isn't new, and neither is the solution: learning, adapting, and upgrading. He urges students to look at AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini not as threats, but as enablers, powerful extensions of human creativity and intelligence. Instead of fearing AI, he explains how we can learn to prompt better, think deeper, and build smarter.The conversation shifts to how the current education system is failing to teach the actual skills needed in the real world, things like communication, problem-solving, collaboration, and initiative. These are the very skills companies are hiring for, not just grades or college names. He shares real success stories of students who didn't come from top-tier colleges but used projects, GitHub, self-learning, and internships to land amazing jobs. He reminds us that in 2025 and beyond, a degree might get your resume opened, but value creation is what gets you hired.Srikanth also discusses how parents play a crucial role. He says it's time to stop pushing kids into “safe” careers and start encouraging them to explore what they love. The world is shifting too fast for forced paths to work anymore. If a child is interested in startups, robotics, or music, let them go deep into it. Watch good YouTube content, follow startup founders, and use social platforms to learn. Knowledge is everywhere now, and access is free. But only those who are curious, consistent, and intentional will benefit from it.He emphasizes the urgent need for reskilling and upskilling. Referring to McKinsey reports and post-COVID workplace shifts, he explains how millions of people across industries will need to learn entirely new skills, many of which aren't taught in traditional classrooms.  The practical approach of not just teaching, but mentor, expose students to real-world problems, help them build portfolios, and guide them to think like creators, not just job seekers was discussed.  Another powerful segment is about how to find jobs even when there seem to be none. It's not just about applying, it's about positioning. Can you build in public? Can you network intelligently? Can you communicate what problems you solve? He encourages students to stop obsessing over what's missing and start focusing on what they can build, learn, or contribute today.And finally, he beautifully ties it all back to mindset. Fear will always be there, fear of AI, fear of failure, fear of rejection. But the real winners are the ones who approach problems not with panic, but with process. Those who look at a challenge and say, “What can I do right now to grow through this?”If you're a student confused about your future, a parent anxious about your child's direction, or someone lost in today's chaotic job market, this episode might be for you. It's filled with truth, hope, practical advice, and a roadmap to reinvent yourself in the age of AI, startups, and exponential change.

Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 7 The ramifications of Covington's poker game play out.. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Chapter 19 The decision was made that whoever was dealing would sit out for those five hands and simply focus on the dealing. They also drew cards for seating order, lowest card dealing first, highest card starting with the big blind and the second highest being the small blind. Andy drew low card, which didn't bother him at all. It would be a chance to watch the others without having to divide his attention between his cards and his opponents. "So I can't help but notice that you said even the last place person takes home a woman," Andy said as he took his seat in the dealer's chair, "but your count doesn't have someone for sixth place. So which is it?" While he started to deal cards out to the players, Covington sighed, nodding. "I know, Andrew, I know. There is, in fact, a thirteenth girl in the pool, but I don't think anyone would want to take her over the other lovely women we have presented." He grabbed his phone from his pocket, tapping it to load up a picture. "She arrived on my doorstep last week, but when I told her what was expected of being part of my house, she refused. So I locked her up and she's been stewing, but even in her sexual frenzy, she's still refusing me, so I will give her as a prize to the person who comes in last." "Any woman in the pool should be in the pool, if you ask me," Andy said, dealing the last card. The man passed his phone over to Andy, a photograph of her on the screen. "If you insist, Andrew, then I suppose that will be fine. She is an athlete of some kind, and was supposed to be going to the Olympic Games, so she is quite fit, but she is extremely willful and stubborn, so she may be more trouble than she's worth." Once the cards were out, Andrew picked up the man's phone and looked down at the picture, recognizing her immediately. "Yeah, that's Piper Brown," Andy said. "She's a member of the woman's volleyball team. Hell, I think she won a gold medal in the last Olympics." He passed the phone over to Watkins, who looked and then passed the phone down the line, so everyone could get a look at her. A muscular, toned brunette with a stern look in the photograph, it was a marked change of how she often seemed in interviews, where she seemed warm and inviting. She looked like she wanted to beat the shit out of whoever was taking the picture, and the room she was in seemed spartan at best, barely more than a closet. "She definitely goes into the pool if you don't want her." "Agreed," Watkins said. "I'd likely take her over several of the other women on offer." "Even with her being a pain in the ass?" Covington asked. "Not all of us have such draconian house rules as you, Artie." Covington shrugged, then glanced at his hole cards. "Then into the pool she goes, I suppose. Check." The thing about televised poker is that many viewers don't realize is that the show is almost always a collection of highlights over a longer event, and that about sixty percent of poker hands have little to no action, other than the two players who have blinds in the pool debating which of them has the less crappy hand. Over the first five hands, only about a few thousand in chips changed hands, and Andy's first read felt like it was going to stand. Covington and Watkins were good card players, Vikovic played loose, Jacobson played tight and Haunton was an "any two'll do" kind of player, who was going to throw money into the pot on pretty much any hand with his tells written large across his face. After the fifth hand, Andy moved from the dealer's seat to his own chair and Covington moved to sit down at the dealer's seat. His first hand out, Andy drew Jack Ten suited in hearts, so he decided to stick around in the hand, since he was already the big blind. "Raise, one thousand." It was a bet designed to scare off anyone who didn't have a decent hand, but to Andy's amusement, all four other players decided they wanted to see a flop, so everyone called him. He was a little surprised to see Jacobson staying in, but he suspected the table might just be collectively testing the new guy. With the pot right, Covington deal out the three cards of the flop, nine of spades, seven of hearts and the queen of hearts. That gave Andy both an open ended straight draw and a flush draw, although he didn't have either the king or ace of hearts, so that made him a little nervous, but he decided he wanted to take the measure of his opponents, so he pushed another two thousand into the pot. Haunton and Jacobson both stayed in, but Watkins and Vikovic both folded, leaving three people in the game. The next card, the turn, did absolutely nothing to the board, a 2 of clubs. Technically, Andy was holding nothing, but he felt like his odds were decent to make something out of it at the river, and he wanted to come out guns blazing. So he decided to trap, and checked. Jacobson also checked, but Haunton thought he smelled weakness, so he added another thousand to the pot, a string bet designed to just pull a little more money out of what he thought was opponents in a weak position. Andy suspected the man was holding top pair, or maybe three queens if he was lucky, but he thought that Haunton would've thrown a lot more into the pot if he'd flopped trips, so Andy called, and Jacobson decided to fold, leaving just the two of them in the pot. The final card, the river, flopped and Andy felt the smile he was stifling behind his eyes. The King of Diamonds. He'd made his straight, and there wasn't a flush on the board. The worst he could do was split the pot. And Andy knew exactly what Haunton was going to do, so Andy simply checked. Haunton figured he had Andy on the ropes, so he pushed five thousand into the pot, and Andy smirked a little bit, and raised another five thousand in return. Haunton flinched visibly, but at this point, decided he was pot committed and clearly wanted to know whether or not Andy was bluffing, so after a minute or so of deliberation, he called. "Straight, king high," Andy said, flipping over the cards. Haunton flipped over the cards, even though he didn't have to, revealing that he'd stayed in with two pair, queens and kings. "Damn, you got me, new fish." The stack of chips was pushed over in Andy's direction, and Andy nodded. He'd just taken nearly twenty percent of Haunton's stack on the first hand. It might have been too strong an opening, but sometimes you just had to play the cards as they laid. For the next hour or so, players took turns mostly slowly redistributing the chips, although towards the end of the hour, Haunton made a very bad odds call, and went all in on two pair against Covington, who had limped into the pot and flopped trip deuces. Because Haunton had figured his two pair was rock solid, he groaned when Covington turned up his cards and took Haunton out of the game. Without so much as missed a beat, Haunton immediately said "Rebuy." A note was made and another stack of chips was brought forth and put in front of him. "Last place tonight's like not even playing at all, so might as well give it another go. Besides, I want to at least finish third one of these nights." He was next in line for small blind, so counted out the amount needed. "I wouldn't bank on that, the way you're playing," Andy said to him. "You need to learn how to evaluate your hand better, and stop making such loose wagers." "Shh," Covington said to him. "Nobody likes being told how to play better, Andrew." "Speak for yourself, Artie," Watkins said. "The minute you stop moving forward, you might as well be dead. Any tips for me, Andy?" he asked with a glimmer in his eye. "Yeah," Andy said, counting out his big blind. "Quit playing with your food so much. It's unbecoming. You had the mayor dead to rights two hands ago and everyone at the table knew it, and you still spent at least a minute's worth of all our time making a show out of it before you called him" Watkins, who was taking a turn at dealer, chuckled. "I see your point, although I do need to take my fun here and there when I can." "Fun has no place is business or poker," Vikovic said, glancing at his hole cards before matching the big blind. "I'm in." Covington and Jacobson stayed in, and Haunton, sensing an opportunity, raised on small blind, the value of the pot, a move Andy didn't think the mayor was capable of. All the players were sitting on decent hands, but at least half of them were hoping to go fishing, wanting to see a flop for a chance to pick up a decent sized pot. Now that the pot had grown, however, it was time to see who was going to stick around when the price went up. Andy glanced at his hole cards for the first time. When he was the big blind, he never bothered looking at his cards until the action came to him, mostly so that there was no possible way to give anything away to his opponents. He peeked at the two cards and found pocket cowboys waiting for him, two kings. So Andy matched the bet and said "Call." Vikovic matched the bet, to no one's surprise, as did Covington, but Jacobson folded, clearly having a questionable hand that only got more questionable with this much money in the pot. Andy put him on a low set of suited connectors, maybe a 7 8 or so. Watkins, as the dealer, was out of the hand. One of the other reasons Andy had suggested that they each take turns as dealer was that it would cut into bad streaks, giving players who were on tilt a moment to deescalate their frustrations and get their head back in the game. The flop hit, and Andy was a little annoyed by it. Three of hearts, eight of diamonds, jack of spades. The fact that it was a rainbow flop meant that anyone hoping to get a flush was seeing their odds rapidly dwindling, needing the next two cards to be of the same suit (and to be holding two of that suit) to hit. It also wasn't great for a straight, although Andy could see Haunton or Vikovic staying in with a nine ten suited, which would leave them sitting on an open ended straight draw. There was also the chance that one of the other men was sitting on fishhooks (a pair of jacks) and had just flopped a set, but neither Vikovic or Haunton seemed visibly excited enough to have done that. Covington was still a pain in the ass to read. Haunton decided to play it cool. "Check." Andy saw no reason to turn up the heat, so he followed. "Check." "Raise 2k," Vikovic said. "Call," said Covington. "Call," said Haunton. "Call," said Andy. It was a value bet, adding to the pot, but certainly not causing him to get scared, as Andy felt like he was still sitting on top hand. All of the chips were pushed into the center, and then Watkins flipped over the turn card. "King of Hearts." Andy did his best to keep his expression as neutral as possible, although on the inside, he was doing cartwheels. He'd just hit a set, and now he felt like he was definitely the best hand on the board. He wasn't first to act, though. "Check," Haunton said. "Check," Andy repeated. He could've bet here, but the best thing to do was to let someone else make the first stab at the pot. He suspected either Vikovic or Covington would try and push a large bet in, fronting as if they were sitting on a pair of kings, or maybe a king and a jack. Best to let them make the first move and then come in to take it from them. "Raise 20k," Vikovic said. There it was. Someone clearly trying to buy the pot, hoping he could bluff strength into players who were displaying weakness. "Fold," Covington said, tossing his cards to the dealer. That brought the action to Haunton, who had literally just rebought his way into the game a few minutes ago. The mayor thought for a long moment before he pushed the entire stack forward. "All in." Andy sighed for a moment, and looked again at the board, making sure he had a solid read on it. If he called Haunton and lost, the mayor would more than double up if just one player called him and lost. Vikovic had made a big push, but Andy was almost certain he couldn't wait to fold, just to get away from this disaster of a hand before it got worse for him. Which meant Andy would be taking in about 80k if he took down the hand. The more he thought about it, the more certain he was that Haunton had being playing cool when he'd flopped trip jacks, and in doing so, had bought Andy enough daylight to see the king to make his own set for next to nothing. It felt like a long wait, but eventually Andy spoke. "Call." "Too rich for me," Vikovic said, mucking his cards even as Andy was speaking. "I fold." "Shouldn't have tried to buy the pot," the mayor said, laughing as he turned over his cards. It wasn't a pair of jacks, but a jack and a king, giving him two pair. "Two pair. Nervous yet, new fish?" Andy smirked. "A little, but not that much," he said, flipping over his pair of kings. Haunton immediately got up from the table, tossing his hands into the air. "C'mon, you gotta be kidding me! Come on, jack! Come on, jack!" "Odds aren't good for you, Mr. Mayor," Covington said. "Enough discussion!" Vikovic said. "Give us a river." Andy was a deadlock. Haunton was wrong. If a jack came up, he would still win the pot, as it would simply give both men a full house, and Andy's would still be better. Haunton was drawing dead, and he simply didn't see that. When the last card was flipped, it was the six of diamonds, not changing the board at all anyway. "Fuck!" the mayor shouted, before getting up from the table. "I should've bet on the flop." "It wouldn't have mattered," Andy said as he pulled the mound of chips his direction. "I was still holding top pair at that point. I would've called you." "Take a few minutes and go get a drink, James," Covington said to the mayor. "As for the rest of you, we have ourselves a new chip leader. And thankfully, his streak will be interrupted now by a turn at the dealer's seat." Andy grinned. "Sure, give me just a minute to get my chips sorted and stacked." All said and done, Andy was clearly well ahead, sitting on a little over 225k of the 650k chips in play. Covington was in second, with 145k, Watkins in third at 120k, Jacobson at 90k and Vikovic at the bottom with 70k. Over the next five hands, Covington did very well for himself, knocking out Vikovic, who rebought in, bringing the chip pool up to 700k, moving himself within spitting distance of Andy's pool. And just after Vikovic bought back in, it was time to change dealers again, and Andy moved out of the dealer's seat, and Covington moved to take it. "I thought you said not to buy back, Vikovic," Andy said, moving back to his stack of chips. "It's what you call a value bet, yes?" Vikovic said. "In fifth place, I would simply have one woman. I can get one woman. And last pick is of no desire to anyone. So if I go home empty handed tonight? Is okay. I take my stab at glory." Two hands later, Andy made a big bluff and got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, costing him 40k, but he immediately turned it around, and the following hand busted Jacobson out. Jacobson declined to rebuy, happy to go home with someone rather than empty handed. On Covington's last hand as dealer, Vikovic decided to make a last stand, and Watkins called him on it, knocking Vikovic out in fourth. "With only three of us left in the game, might I make a suggestion?" Covington said. "At this point, I think we should simply rotate between the three eliminated players as dealers, while the three of us remain in the game at all times. Is that acceptable to everyone?" "Sure," Watkin said, "the more action the better." The mayor sighed, bringing his glass of scotch over to the dealer's chair, sitting down. "Yeah, okay. No offense, Rook, but I hope Artie busts you hard." Andy shrugged. "Can't make friends with everyone." He was thirsty, but he would be damned if he was going to make the girl behind the bar do an ounce of work on his behalf. "So c'mon, let's get some cards out." Around ten thirty, Andy was starting to get nervous. He'd dropped down to third place after a couple of unlucky river cards in a row. Then Watkins went all in on Andy. Andy clearly couldn't cover the spread, but Andy called, and Covington decided to get out of the way instead of making a side pot. Thankfully, when the cards were turned over, Andy held the better hand, and the river finally flowed his direction. That doubled him up and put him back in the game. Watkins confidence was shaken, and over the next hour, he never really recovered, playing a bit too reckless and loose. Once Andy and Covington smelled weakness, the two honed in, taking turns chipping away at him until finally Watkins went all in, and just before midnight, Andy took him down. "You want to rebuy?" Covington asked him. Watkins laughed, shaking his head. "Taking three from the pool is more than enough for me. You two titans have fun duking it out." "You ready for this, Andrew?" "Don't you worry, Arthur," Andy said. "Let's see who hits felt first." With only two players, they were always going to be trading turns between little blind and big blind. As soon as Covington looked at his hole cards, he immediately called "All in." Andy smirked a little, not having even looked at his own cards yet. He'd suspected Covington would've tried something like this, just constantly firing at the blinds, trying to chip them away, using his big stack to bully Andy's weaker stack. He glanced at his cards, then nodded. "Okay. Call." Covington blanched. He turned over his cards, revealing Jack eight, not even suited. He'd expected Andy to just back off and let him chip away a set of blinds, and was not happy that Andy hadn't done so, growing even more frustrated when Andy flipped over a pair of nines. "How do you start with a pocket pair?" "Maybe it's a hint you shouldn't go so aggressive right out the gate," Andy replied as Watkins dealt out the flop. As soon as the cards were upturned, Andy could practically feel the anger boiling out of Covington. Andy had flopped the nuts, a six and the other two nines. At that point, it was a formality of just dealing out the last two cards, as Andy was guaranteed the winning hand with four of a kind. Right out of the gate, Andy had doubled up. As the next hand was being dealt out, Covington hadn't even seen his cards and immediately said "All in." He was fully on tilt, and wanted to try and reclaim his confidence. He didn't even look at his two hole cards, simply staring Andy down, practically daring him to get into the hand. Andy knew the stakes were a great deal higher on this hand, and so he took the time to look at his hole cards, a slight laugh escaping his lips. He couldn't try and read his opponent so he had to decide if his hand was good enough for the risk. And the two cards he had were affectionately known as Big Slick, Ace King suited, this time in spades. It wasn't a pair, but playing against two random cards, his odds were good. "Sure, let's dance. Call." "You don't respect me, do you, Andrew?" Andy grinned, giving a little shrug. "You didn't even look at your cards, Arthur. How am I supposed to respect that? If you aren't going to respect your opponent, why should he respect you in turn? And you're just firing into the pot, hoping that you can buy a few blinds to chip away at my stack. But you have no idea what's under there. And I've got Big Slick." He flipped over his cards. "How about you?" Covington was turning almost scarlet red with anger, and turned over his cards, revealing just a six of spades and a three of hearts. "This is ridiculous." "Artie," Vikovic said, "you didn't even look at your cards. What are you thinking?" "I'm thinking this shitstain has been a pain in my ass all night long and I wanted to bury him." "And that's the problem, Arthur," Watkins said, putting out three cards for the flop. "You aren't thinking about the cards and you're thinking about your opponent." The first card on the flop was the six of hearts, giving Covington a pair and a moment's hope, but the second card immediately dashed that, revealing the Ace of Hearts. The third card, a ten of clubs, didn't affect the board at all. With the turn came the three of spades, putting Covington back in the lead for a moment, with two pair, until the last card came out, the King of Hearts, pairing Andy up to two pair as well. Covington practically snarled as he counted out the chips, pushing them over, his stack now a quarter the size of Andy's. "You've got more luck than a goddamn leprechaun, Rook." Watkins stood up, and Jacobson sat down to take a turn at dealer, washing the cards through he Shufflemaster again. Typically the break as the dealer changed was enough to let a player cool off, but Covington was still off balance as they started up again. When the next set of two cards were dealt, Andy was back on the small blinds, and so was the first to act. He'd glanced at his cards and said, "Call." Covington was gunshy now, and simply said "Check," as he was desperate to see a flop and get more information. The flop came down Ace of Hearts, seven of spades, three of clubs. Immediately, Covington said "All in." Andy stopped and did the math in his head. "Yeah, okay. Call." "Two pair," Covington said, flipping over the Ace of Spades and the three of hearts with an angry gusto. "Take that, you lowbrow piece of shit! Time for me to get my money back." Andy shook his head with a wry smile. "Not so fast, Arthur." Andy turned over his hole cards, the seven of hearts and the seven of clubs. "I like my odds here." "Another goddamn pocket pair! This is ridiculous!" "I probably would've folded if you'd bet at the blinds, but you let me see a flop for cheap, so midlevel pocket pair seemed okay." Jacobson turned over the turn card, and Covington immediately let out an undignified cheer, as the three of diamonds. "Yes! Full house! Suck it! Give me my money!" "He still has a few outs, Artie," the mayor warned. Andy was actually leading, but Jacobson just couldn't see it. He was sitting on a full house, sevens over threes, and Jacobson was sitting on threes over aces, which was the lower hand. Players tended to get wound up, so they often refused to think about everything, but Watkins had that knowing smile, so Andy knew he had spotted Jacobson's error as well. Jacobson needed either another three or another ace to pull victory from the jaws of defeat. "No! I refuse to believe I'm going to get blown out by some random river card!" "So show us river already," Vikovic said. And Jacobson placed down the last card with a thump that resounded throughout the room like a clap of thunder. The seven of diamonds. That meant that Covington had a full house, threes over aces, but Andy's four of a kind had blown it out of the water. "The absolute luck on you," Covington growled. Andy had gone from 110k to 220k to 440k, making him the chip leader now. He could, if he wanted, use Covington's own tactics against him. But Andy liked to play smart. On the other hand, Covington was so tilted now, he could probably be goaded into a sloppy play. And if Andy could get Covington to go all in again, he'd be down to the felt and this stupid game would be over. Maybe, just maybe, it was worth the risk. It seemed like the time to goad the millionaire a little more, just to see if Andy could completely tilt him. "Maybe we should see how strong my luck's running right now then, huh?" Andy said as new hole cards slid in front of him. "Tell you want, Artie." He figured this singular use of the man's nickname would give him even more of a severe nudge. Andy had been calling him Arthur all night long, but now, the nickname Artie sounded condescending as fuck. "I'll look at one, just one, of my two hole cards here, and if it's higher than a eight, I'll go all in without even looking at the other card. How about that?" "You do whatever you want, boy, and I'll show you how a real man plays cards." Covington was blind with rage, and there was a carelessness flaring up behind his eyes, as Andy lifted up one of the hole cards to peek under at it. "Okay," Andy said. "All in." "You're bluffing!" Covington said, slamming his fist on the table hard enough to knock the stacks of chips loose. "Call!" "Now Artie," Andy said, smug grin on his face, "are you sure that  " "I Said Call Goddamn It!" Andy flipped over the one card he'd looked at, the Ace of Hearts, but left the other card face down, as Covington flipped over his cards. The man had looked at them this time, and was sitting on a pair of sixes. "Aren't you going to turn over your other card?" Andy shrugged, that sly smile on his face. "In a minute. Let's see the flop." The flop came down six seven ace, giving Covington a set, while Andy was sitting on a pair of aces. The turn was next, a deuce, no help to anyone, and the river, well, the river was the two of hearts. Looking at the board, Andy's odds weren't great, but he wasn't out either. The seven and the six on the board were both hearts, which meant Andy needed his other hole card to be another heart. "It's Schrödinger's hole card now," Andy said, tapping his fingers lighly along the felt. "Maybe I've got a winning card, and you're out, or maybe you've got me dead to rights and have doubled up back into the lead. What you've gotta ask yourself is, do you feel lucky? Well, do you, punk?" The grin on his face was broad, as he gave the man his best Clint Eastwood impression. Vikovic was the one who finally made the move. He leaned across the table and grabbed the last card, the one Andy had never even touched, and flipped it over. There in all her glory... ...was the Queen of Hearts. Andy had made his flush. "Son of bitch," Vikovic said, letting out a low appreciative whistle. "You want to rebuy, Artie?" "Fuck that! This guy is on a streak. I'm out. Game's over!" "Are you sure, Artie?" Andy said. "The! Game! Is! Over!" Covington fumed. The older man stood up, inhaling a long breath before letting it out slowly, trying to regain his composure. "Alright, let's sort out the winnings. Andrew, you have seven picks from the pool and get to pick first, as is your right as the winner." "Alright, let's see," Andy said, as all the men moved back into the parlor with the videowall they'd been in before. He'd hoped just to win with no rebuys from anyone, as it would've made his decisions simple, but seven, seven was a lot of women for any one man to handle. The thirteen faces sprung to life on the big wall, as Andy looked over them carefully. "Alright, I suppose I'd better just pick then. Charlotte Varma, Asha Varma, Piper Brown, Emily Stevens,” "Damn," Jacobson grumbled. "Oh hush. If he hadn't taken her, I certainly would've," Covington said to him. "Sarah Washington, Sheridan Smith and,” Andy looked over the wall of faces, trying to decide who else he would pull from this den of vipers, and yet, he just couldn't bring himself to care about rescuing his ex Erin. It was a sea of beautiful faces, but none of them evoked any stronger reaction than another, so he was forced to read the small text beneath each of them, sorting out people he wouldn't want to spend long periods of time with. He was a little tempted to give his seventh pick to Covington, but couldn't bear to let anyone decent be bound to the loathsome toad. There were a couple of Republicans he nixed immediately. Andy was a lifelong Democrat, and anyone who'd still identify as a Republican after the last three years of madness wasn't anyone he wanted to let into his home and family. A few others struck him as from far too wealthy of families, the sorts of people who would do much better with Covington and his ilk. But there was one, Deborah Barnes, a blonde veterinarian from Los Gatos, originally from Kansas, and she seemed warm and caring in the notes about her. ", and Deborah Barnes, I guess." "Erin Donegal was originally one of yours," Covington said. "Don't you want to take her back?" Andy shook his head. "I would've sent her back to the base if it weren't for this little game of yours. If you want her, you can have her. She doesn't like my writing, and anyone who doesn't like my writing isn't welcome in my house." "If you don't want her, I won't take her either," Covington sniffed. "I'll take Janice Flowers, Eloise Childs and Teresa Kenzington." "I'll take her then," Watkins said. "Donegal and Nina Choi." That left Jacobson with Ariel Smith, since Vikovic and Haunton had both rebought in, and left with nothing. Andy sighed. "So how do we relocate them?" "A car will arrive tomorrow to pick everyone up and drive them to their new locations, although you're welcome to take the Varmas and Miss Brown with you tonight, since they're here, and you are as well. Tomorrow afternoon, everyone will have what's coming to them. You may need to tend to Miss Brown's needs before you leave, however, Andrew," Covington said. "She's in quite the state. I'll have the other two meet you upstairs by your car when you're done with Miss Brown." "Can you send my partner, Niko, down to meet me? I'm strong, but carrying an unconscious Olympic athlete up some stairs by myself is probably more than I'm capable of." "Of course. Let me go get her. Veronica, would you take Mr. Rook over to Miss Brown's room please?" The servant brought Andy out of the parlor and took him to wait outside of a room where the door was clearly locked. She unlocked the door, but didn't open it. "You may wish to wait for your partner, Master Rook. The woman in there, she's not well," she said to him, a look of concern on her face. "Ah, here's your woman now." Andy turned around and Covington was escorting Niko down to meet him. "Here you go, Miss Red Wolf. You two should be strong enough to carry Miss Brown out when you're done with her. You know the way back?" "I do," Niko said to him. "Thanks." Both Covington and Veronica walked up the stairs, leaving Andy and Niko alone together outside of the door, neither quite bringing themselves to open it yet. "So you won?" she finally said to him. "First place. Seven women. It's going to be a trial." "Maybe you could donate one of them to Eric or Phil if it scares you that much," she said with a laugh. "So are Charlotte and her daughter behind this door?" "No no, they'll be upstairs waiting for us at the car after we're done here. There were actually thirteen girls in the pool, not twelve. This is the thirteenth. Her name's Piper Brown." "Wait, that cute volleyball player with the little pregame warm up dance who went viral a few years back? That Piper Brown?" "The very same." "Well let's go get her. Why's she down here?" Niko started to reach for the door, but Andy put his hand on it. "She's been here for over a week, so she's pretty heavily in the throes of need right now," Andy said, not letting her open the door yet. "Covington said she'd be in quite the state, so I'd need to imprint her here, and you'll have to help me carry her upstairs afterwards." Niko's face fell. "Jesus, what a fucking asshole," she sighed. "A whole week of waiting for imprinting after she's been vaccinated? She must be out of her fucking mind with need by now. Okay, we'll let's get to it, stud." Andy shot her a disappointed look before he lifted his hand and opened the door. The room was poorly lit, a handful of lights on their lowest setting, as Andy and Niko stepped into the room, closing the door behind them. On the far side of the room, sitting in chair, looking almost catatonic, was Piper. She was naked, sitting in an armchair, her brunette hair draped over her tits, a vacant look on her face. She was muscular, in far better shape than Andy or Niko. It almost looked like she was drooling on herself from across the room. "God, is she dead?" Niko whispered to him as they started to walk over to her. "Ms. Brown?" Andy said. "Piper? I'm Andy Rook. I'm here to take you away from here." Suddenly, Piper's head whipped and her blue eyes focused on Andy with a terrifying intensity. Before Andy could even react, she lunged out of the chair and raced over towards him. Niko tried to step forward to slow her down, but Piper shoved her out of the way sharply. As soon as she was at Andy, she pushed him back to the wall with an irresistible strength, forcing his back against the surface before she dropped down to her knees. "It's okay, Piper," Andy said to her, but the woman seemed completely oblivious to his words. She practically ripped his pants open and immediately brought her mouth around his cock. Andy wasn't hard, but Piper's tongue was demanding, even as Niko moved back to her feet and walked over to him "God, was I that bad?" Niko said, her hand reaching down to stroke Piper's hair reassuringly. "You were at least verbal," Andy said, as he felt Piper's mouth humming on his cock, making it swell. "I feel a little bad, taking advantage of her like this." Niko shook her head, leaning in to kiss Andy. "This girl's got a need and you need to fill it, Andy. Just let her have it, and we can go. Besides,” Niko giggled, nuzzling against his neck. "It's kinda hot, the way she's just feasting on you, cavewoman style." "Yeah, well, it's hard to keep an erection with the stink of this room. I think they kept her trapped in here all week." "But she's good at sucking cock, isn't she?" "She's certainly voracious." "Don't hold back, then," Niko said, taking one of his hands in hers, trying to reassure him. "No need to be all gallant for this time. You can save that for the first time she'll actually remember." It didn't take long, and sure enough, a minute or two later, Andy was firing a blast of cum down her throat, which was when the strangest thing happened. Piper didn't suddenly slump over. No, instead, after she swallowed his hot sperm, she tugged him away from the wall and pushed him down to the floor, not so much as a droplet of spunk escaping her lips. "What the hell?" Andy exclaimed in shock. "Why isn't she imprinting?" "Fuck, I hope she's not stuck like this because he waited too long!" Niko said, trying not to panic. "Maybe you didn't have a big enough load?" "When the fuck has that ever mattered before?" Piper's wild eyes still darted left and right, but as soon as she had pushed Andy onto the floor on his back, she crawled over him, her hand tugging on his cock once more, as she straddled him. "I think she definitely wants more, Andy," Niko laughed. "Hit her again." "I dunno if I can give an encore this soon, Niko!" Andy whispered. Piper cut him off, shoving her lips against his in what had to be the most primal kiss he'd ever encountered, almost like she was claiming him instead of the reverse, her tongue forcing its way into his mouth, her athletic body keeping him in place. Niko moved behind Piper and snaked one hand around the Olympian's waist, moving to rub her fingertips against the brunette's cunt, a small triangle of pubes above it, as Niko started stroking the girl's clit. "I don't think she's going to give you a choice, Andy." Niko smirked, her other hand reaching to tweak one of Piper's stiff nipples, finding the bud as hard as a rock, eliciting a groan from the athlete, who was dragging the head of Andy's cock across her snatch. Within a moment, he was stiff enough for her to slam her weight down onto him, forcing his cock deep into her cunt, finding it drenched and achingly warm. Andy didn't so much do anything as provide a dildo for the woman to ride upon, her hips bouncing in his lap, her lips attached to his, refusing to let go, even while she fucked him. After a few minutes, Andy felt a familiar tingling in his balls, and as Piper squirmed and wriggled down on him, he fired a load of cum against the back of her twat. This time, it seemed, it was enough to take, and the toned woman spasmed in one sharp and violent quake before slumping deathly atop of him, murmuring "imprinting" over and over again, so quietly Andy could barely even hear it. He more felt her lips moving than heard her, as her face was buried in the nape of his neck, his body pinned underneath her. "A little help, please?" Andy said, and Niko only laughed that much harder. Chapter 20 After Niko helped Andy get Piper off of him, they scrounged around the room before they simply gave up and put Andy's jacket on her. There wasn't any clothing in the room, not even a bedsheet. Just a bucket in the corner, filled with excrement. She wasn't difficult for them to carry, although neither of them had much experience carrying an unconscious person before. Once they got her up to the car, Andy regretted that they had brought the roadster. The vehicle did have four seats, but the back seat was very cramped, and they were going to have to lay Piper over people's laps, because he refused to put her in the trunk, even if she was unconscious. Waiting at the car was Dr. Charlotte Varma and her daughter Asha. "Thank you for saving us from this, Niko," Charlotte said to her, the woman's accent definitely French. She was dressed in a long flowing summer dress, with a jacket thrown on over it, billowy fabric over her womanly figure, her long blonde hair swept back behind her ears, hanging down to the middle of her back. She looked less like a doctor and more like a hippie, but she had a warm smile that put him at ease. "And you, Mr. Rook." "Please," he said, "call me Andy." He unlocked the car, then popped the trunk to load Charlotte's suitcase into it, followed by Asha's and Piper's, which one of Covington's servants had clearly brought up while Andy was tending to the athlete's needs. "Let's get out of here, and we can talk on the way over to the house." As Asha got in the backseat, she bumped fists with Niko. "Thanks, Neeks," Asha said, her accent definitely British, despite her exotic looking features. Her long wavy black hair was drawn back into a ponytail that barely hung past the nape of her neck, the tie high on her head, her skin several shades darker than her mother's. She wore black knee high leather boots, black pantyhose, a black leather skirt that was playfully short and a purple silk shirt that was still tight enough on her that he could the outline of her lacy bra through the material. It was also cut high enough to show some midriff, including a little silver musical note belly piercing. "Good looking out." They laid Piper atop of their lap before Niko got into the front passenger's seat and Andy got into the driver's seat. Before, the driveway had been a showroom of deluxe and expensive cars, but now everyone else had already gone home. The house's external lights were still on, but it was clear that Covington had already gone to bed, so it was with no fanfare that Andy slowly drove the electric car off the property, heading back towards his place. It was approaching one AM and as Andy felt the cool breeze blowing across his shaved head, he definitely regretted bringing the Roadster. "So this is your old man, Neeks?" Asha asked. "And he's gonna be my old man too? A'ight, I can get wit' tha'." Asha's accent was mostly British, but Andy could hear hints of her mother's French accent, as well as what he imagined was probably hints of her late father's Indian accent. Niko had told him that the Varmas had only moved to the US a year ago from London, and that Charlotte's late husband had died in one of the first fatalities to the virus. "You'll like Andy, Asha," Niko said to her. "He's the best man I've ever met." "He's also sitting right here," Andy said with a soft laugh. "I wanted to talk to you about this, Niko," Charlotte said. "I am very thankful that you did rescue us, but I think it is rather unbecoming for a woman to share her lover with her daughter, don't you?" Andy let out a soft sigh of relief, speaking before Niko did. "Absolutely. If you would rather, Dr. Varma, I could talk to one of my friends and see if they might be a better home for your daughter, so you might avoid that situation." "Oh. Ah. Oh. Yes, I think you've misunderstood me, Mr. Rook," Charlotte said, a hint of embarrassment on her face. "I think my daughter should definitely stay in your company, but I'm not attracted to white men. Not to be ungrateful, but I was hoping maybe I could be paired up with your friend Mr. Pak. He's always seemed like a very nice man. Very strong and muscular." She giggled a little, a sound almost uncharacteristic of a woman in her early forties. "And gossip is that he is quite well endowed." "I can't speak to that part, but I'm sure Phil wouldn't mind," Niko said. "Andy or I can give him a call in the morning and arrange it." "I might have to owe Phil a favor or something," Andy said, "but that's okay. He can just put it on my tab. I probably owe him only a couple hundred at this point." "Wait," Asha said, just picking up on Andy's misunderstanding, "what's wrong wit' me that you don't want me?" It was Andy's turn to blush. "That isn't what I meant to say." Niko smirked, reaching back to pat Asha on one of her thighs. "He's afraid either he's too old for you, or you're too young for him. I love Andy to death, but he's a little insecure from time to time." Asha reached one of her hands forward, curving her arm around the seat to smooth her fingertips along Andy's chest through his shirt. "I'm old enough to know better, but too young to give a fuck, luv," she purred. "In fact, if my mum wasn't in this car, I'd give you a bit of the ol' road head so I didn't have to wait until I got home." "Don't let my presence stop you, Asha," Charlotte said, a warm smile on her lips. "I feel that need in my belly quite fiercely so I imagine it is rather remarkable in yours, seeing as it affects younger women more quickly. If you want to go after Andrew right now, I don't see why not. This community is extremely open about its sexuality." Asha's eyes widened a little, her deep tan skin darkening with red, as if she wasn't sure which she was more embarrassed by, being called out by her mother or backing down in front of her mother. After a moment, though, it was clear the hunger inside of her won out, as she moved Piper's unconscious form to sit up, then laid her back down on the seat behind her, as she started to worm her way between the seats, as Andy slowed the card down, bringing it to a stop at a local streetlight that had turned red. "You have to kiss him first, Asha," Niko said to her. "Otherwise he's not gonna let ya." "I haven't said I'm going to let her anyway," Andy said, defensively. Niko reached over and patted his thigh, a playful smirk on her lips. "Oh, you are, Andy. I know you too well. And I know Asha. She's a voracious little slut when she wants to be. And she's gotten jealous from all the stories I've been telling her when she's been around to visit her mom." Before he could reply, Asha turned his head and pressed her lips against his hungrily. She tasted of cinnamon and spice, as her tongue insisted on visiting the inside of his mouth before they parted the kiss. "I'm not sure you want to do this now, Asha," Andy said. "I just fucked poor Piper back there a little bit ago, and she hasn't bathed in a week. My cock probably smells of dirty cunt." Asha smirked at him, sliding her hand down to unbutton his jeans. "Then your newest teenage fucktoy had better clean i' off for you, sir," she purred, kissing at his neck. "Eyes on the road, and don't go too fast now." Andy thought she was kidding, but as the light turned green, she stopped and nodded for him to go, even as she was drawing the zipper down. As soon as he started the Tesla in motion again, Asha's lean fingers reached into his pants, pulling out his cock, stroking it slowly. "See, if I do this now, then you can't reconsider," she said, her fingers moving along his shaft. "You can't get in your own head about it, you can't be worried if I may be too young, too wild, too out of control, too feral. So I will get i' out of your head by giving you the best damn head of your life. It'll be fine." She slipped her head down and wrapped her lips around the tip of his cock, letting her tongue slather over it slowly, as a sultry, wanton moan poured from her throat over his cock. "No turning back now, hon," Niko purred at him. "She's gotten a taste of you. She's gonna latch down like a leech until you give her what she's owed." Her hand brushed along Asha's ponytail, pushing her head down a bit more. "She's a Rookie, through and through." "Oh god," Andy groaned, shaking his head. "You've got a nickname for yourselves. Next thing you'll be unionizing." "We already have, dear," Niko giggled. "We're Local Amalgamated Cocksuckers, Chapter 69." Andy rolled his eyes, turning the card at a stop sign, heading into the section of New Eden that housed his mansion. It was growing increasingly hard to focus, as Asha bobbed her head in his lap, pushing and pulling her face along his cock, her tongue lashing over every inch of it as she hummed, her fingernails sinking into his inner thighs. "Who is it she reminds me, Charlotte?" Niko asked, looking back over her shoulder. "A lot of people say she looks like a younger version of one of the people who was on Great British Bake Off." Niko nodded. "That's who it was. How's it going, Andy? Need me to take the wheel?" "You, ah, you might have to," he said. "I don't know how long I can keep my head clear." Asha popped her head off his cock and turned her brown eyes up to look at him. "Then don't, daddy," she moaned at him. "Let me have wha' I want. Let me have that cum in my belly. Claim me. I wanna feel the best orgasm of my life." She looked back down and pushed her mouth onto his cock once more, forcing it as deep as she could into her throat, humming on it, and finally he just couldn't resist, and fired a load of cum into her mouth. Her whole body thrashed, but as she pulled her head up and off his cock, she swallowed that load, laying her head down against his thighs, his softening cock laying across her nose, as the girl began to murmur "imprinting" quietly for a few moments before falling still. Niko helped him ease the car to a stop long enough for him slide Asha back into the back seat once more, two slumped girls braced against one another as Charlotte tried to keep them from falling over too much. Then Andy tucked his cock away, tugged up his jeans and started the vehicle moving forward once more. "I appreciate you being understanding about this, Andy," Charlotte said to him. "I didn't know how to tell Niko that you weren't my type without risking the chances that you wouldn't try and extract us from Mr. Covington's household." "Not gonna lie," Niko said. "I don't enjoy being lied to, Charlotte. But I still would've tried to get you out even if you'd told me in advance." "And I am sorry about that, Niko, but I simply couldn't risk it. You've met Covington. You can only imagine what kinds of depravity he would've subjected myself and my daughter to." Charlotte shivered, the thoughts searing her brain for a moment. "It's extremely unpleasant even to think about it." The car reached the gate, and Niko pushed the button to open make it open. Unlike many of the other homes in New Eden, Andy couldn't stand the thought of having security on the premises. Even the idea of an automatic gate wasn't pleasant, but it had come with the home, and he'd wanted to avoid kicking up a fuss until he was better settled. As he brought the car up the driveway, he saw Aisling was sitting on the front porch in her pajamas, a blanket pulled around her, keeping her warm from the cool November air. Andy brought the car to stop by the front door, as Niko hopped out and moved over to Ash, giving her a hug. "Did the good guys win?" Aisling asked. Niko nodded, holding Ash in the hug for a long moment before pulling away. "Andy got them out safely. Charlotte's not going to stay with us, though." "Oh no!" Aisling said. "Why not?" "She's not into me," Andy said as he hopped out of the car, leaving the door open so Charlotte could slide out, leaving the two unconscious girls in the back seat for the moment. "Had to happen sooner or later," he chuckled, "and frankly, I'm surprised it took this long." "Her loss then," Aisling giggled, moving over to the car, peering in the back seat at the slumped forms of Piper and Asha. "Looks like you got two hot young things to add anyway." She cocked her head to one side, looking at Piper for a second. "Why do I know her?" "Imagine her doing a little wiggle dance before she goes to play volleyball." Ash narrowed her eyes for a second, then those blues widened suddenly as she gasped, bringing her fingertips to her lips. "Shut up! What is even happening!" Andy popped the trunk and pulled out Charlotte's suitcase, then Asha's, carrying them into the house before coming back out. "I'm gonna need a hand hauling them into the house, though." Ash nodded. "Where are we going to put them? In the master bedroom?" Andy shook his head. "We've got plenty of extra bedrooms upstairs, and Piper was nearly catatonic before I imprinted her, so the last thing I want is her waking up surrounded by tons of unfamiliar people. We'll let her have a bedroom to herself, although I think you should probably give her a shower quick before you put her into a bed." Niko nodded, helping Aisling pick Piper up. "Good idea. She really is pretty ripe right now. C'mon Ash, let's go hose her down." The two women lugged Piper into the house, leaving Andy with Charlotte and Asha. "If you can give me a hand, you and your daughter can crash for the night in one of the spare bedrooms and in the morning, I'll give Phil a call, and we'll get him over for you to join his family." Charlotte leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Andy. You and Niko will be good for Asha. Don't judge her too harshly. She's still young and that means she can tend to be reckless. She'll love you with all her heart, but she's going to have moments of sadness about her father, so please be understanding about her mood swings." "I'll do my best," he told her, as the two moved to scoop up Asha. She was light enough and small that Andy was able to carry her on his own. "That's all anyone can ask." After getting Charlotte and Asha squared away in one bedroom, Andy headed in to check on Aisling and Niko, who were sliding Piper into a bed in one of the bedrooms no one was using. When they'd moved into the mansion, Andy had told all the girls that if they wanted to claim one of the bedrooms as their own, they should do so. Ash had insisted she never wanted to sleep anywhere Andy wasn't, and Niko and Lauren had agreed, although Niko had converted one of the bedrooms into an office space that all three of the girls shared. But that still left several bedrooms that were decorated, and Andy checked four of them before he found them, as they pulled the sheets up over Piper's unconscious body. "Everything go okay?" he asked them, as they headed towards the door. "Sure, no problem, but she definitely needed to be hosed

Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 5 More Chaos. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Chapter 14 It was a short drive into the community's center, a sort of tiny mini township surrounded by elaborate estates. Niko had insisted on driving, and it let Andy text both Phil and Eric that he was going to see the place, if they wanted to join him. Eric shot back that he'd be there within the hour, and Phil answered that his and his family were already there, having lunch at the diner. C'mon and join us said the text, just as Niko was pulling the Tesla into a parking spot in front of the 1950s themed diner. "I can't say I'm thrilled with the theme," Niko grumbled as she turned the car off. "But I guess I'll manage." "If they try and make you use a different drinking fountain, Niko, we'll raise hell," Andy said. "Damn straight," added Aisling. "Now let's go say hi to Phil and see how many women he has in tow." "More than he can handle, I'm sure," Andy chuckled. "He was barely okay with just Audrey." As soon as they got into the diner, it was relatively easy to spot Phil. Unlike diners of yore, where booths had typically held four at best, the interior of this particular 50s styled diner was lined with booths designed to fit as many as ten people each, with a few booths looking as though they could hold in upwards of 20. The booth Phil was in wasn't full, but he certainly had more people with him than the last time Andy had seen him. Sure, Audrey was there, snuggled right up against his side, but there were also two other women that Andy didn't recognize, a fit blonde woman with tightly cropped hair in camo and a curvy young black woman with her hair tightly braided. "Hey Phil," Andy said to him as he approached. "Audrey. You already know both Lauren and Aisling, but this is Niko. I know Niko's met Phil before, but I don't believe we've met your other two companions." "I've met one of them," Niko said, as she slid into the booth, offering half a salute to the blonde. "Captain." The blonde nodded in return. "Lieutenant. Hi Andy, I'm Linda, and this is Tamika," she said. "2nd Lieutenant Red Wolf and I are stationed together, although I suppose we're both stationed here now." Tamika seemed mostly interested in her cellphone, not even looking up to say hello. "Yeah, if you don't mind me asking, Captain, what are we going to do?" Niko said, scooting until she was right next to the captain. "They're moving all our work within the walls, so I guess we'll have a tiny base on site before month's end." "Roger that." "How you holding up, Phil?" Andy said, sliding in next to Niko, Aisling sliding in after him, Lauren moving in last. "I know you weren't originally planning on having multiple partners." "Well, the world's not up to what I want any more, Andy," he sighed. "But I'm making it work, even if I am a bit more tired than I used to be." "We had to set up a shift schedule of who gets intimacy time with Phil," Audrey said, giggling a little bit about it while poking Phil. "I'm surprised you haven't had to set something up like that." "Andy's learned that we keep his best interests in mind," Aisling laughed. "And we know about what his limits are, and rarely try and push him past them." "How's the new place?" Phil asked Andy, as Linda and Niko started having a quiet conversation with one another. "Bet it blew your mind when they drove you up there." "I still don't think I really need a mansion, Phil." "You say that now, but believe me, in about two week's time, you'll be thankful for all the room. There's going to be an influx of new partners quickly, as we're struggling to get as many people vaccinated as we can as quickly as we can, which means there isn't as much time as we'd like to let everyone get acclimated." "Mmm," Lauren sniffed. "The newest member of our family showed up just before we got here." "You sound unhappy, Lauren," Audrey said. "Well, she's my ex girlfriend who cheated on me, but we'll work it out, I guess." "Ouch. That sort of thing's not supposed to happen, but I suppose sometimes it slips through the cracks," Phil grumbled. "Everything's gotten so much harder to manage now that we're moving at warp speed. The death rate spiked on the east coast, and everybody freaked, so people who were hoping to get a later version of the vaccine without the, ah, side effects, are now practically storming the facilities, demanding to get injected with it, no matter what it does to them, as long as it protects them from the virus." "Yeah, I saw reports saying that a European company thinks they're close, but nobody's ready yet," Aisling said. "Are we shipping this vaccine anywhere else?" "Hell, Ash," Phil sighed, "we've barely got enough for the west coast right now. They're struggling to get more manufactured for the rest of the US, but we aren't in any state to be able to provide it to other countries right now." "I only ask for my brother back in Dublin. He desperately wants to leave the house, but I keep telling him, stay inside and stay safe." "That's all most people can do right now," Phil nodded. He glanced to the door and smiled. "Hey, look who's here! Slide into the bench, Eric." Eric had been standing in the doorway, with the familiar faces of both Lily and Jenny next to him, as well as a short, mousy Midwestern looking woman dressed in a giant t shirt, with denim shorts poking out from underneath them. "Hey everybody!" The new woman's name was Sarah, and she was Eric's new partner, only having arrived yesterday, so her head was still a little cloudy. When the waitress arrived to take their orders, the three households had been sure to divvy up the checks upfront. For the next couple of hours, everyone was trying to settle into their new normal. Andy, Phil and Eric got to talk in person, while all the women slowly started to figure out who out of each household they liked and wanted to avoid. It was a float of conversations, so many different discussions going at one point, that when Phil said he was going to step outside for a few minutes to vape up, Andy and Eric happily agreed to go with him, just so they could here each other clearly. "You holding up okay, Eric?" Andy asked. "You look a little overwhelmed." "Let's just say I'm a bit in social overload. That and trying to get settled in the new place is doing my head in." Eric leaned his back against the outside of the diner, stretching his arms over his head. "And I'm sore from all the fucking. And I miss the cats." "Why don't you guys come over next Saturday then, and we'll all hang out. Have ourselves a party like we used to. Any of the other members of the old gang getting moved into the complex?" Phil nodded. "Ari and his five women will be moved on site before the end of the week. He had plenty of space before, but when they offered him a free trade up, he didn't say no. Oh, and I don't know if you knew Jenna or not, but she's part of a family now, and they're being moved here next week, so a couple more people and the whole board game group will be back together again. We can play Ascension again, or poker, or both!" Eric nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that." "Cool. We'll consider it a party, then. Oh, hell. We can even make it a costume party for Halloween. I don't imagine we'll get much in the way of trick or treaters here." Phil waggled a finger at him. "You'll get trick or treaters, I'd bet on it. There's nearly a hundred children here in the village, so they'll make a point of hitting every house they possibly can." "All the better then." "So are you really doing okay with Lauren's ex being added to your household?" Phil asked. "I figured you might not have been able to speak your mind in front of her, so I thought I'd ask now that she can't hear." "It came as a bit of a shock, but we're making it work, I guess, or, rather, Lauren is," Andy said with a shrug. "I told Lauren that whatever she came up with, I'd go along with, whether that be sending her back to the Air Force or inviting her into the family. She, that is, Taylor, Lauren's ex, is being punished for what she did to Lauren before, but she'll eventually be allowed into the family, as per Lauren's decision." "Do I even want to ask how Lauren's punishing her?" Eric said with a laugh. Andy joined in the laugh. "You do not." He stopped, scrunched up his face, then smirked. "Well, you might, but let's just say don't fuck with the ladies of the Rook household. Payback is a,” "Hey!" Niko said, having just stuck her head out the door. "Get your asses back in here. They're bringing us desserts!" After a truly decadent sundae, everyone said their goodbyes, many of them excited about the prospect of a Halloween party, although a few of the girls complained that two days wasn't enough time to put together a proper costume. Everyone agreed they'd make it work, though. Phil and his family were heading home, while Eric and his family needed to go grocery shopping. Andy and the girls decided to walk around a little bit before heading home. In addition to the diner, there was a Safeway, a Target, a few restaurants (a Greek restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, and an Ike's Sandwiches), and, to Andy's personal delight, a bookstore, which they had to immediately stop in. It wasn't some chain book store, but clearly a local mom'n'pop establishment, and bore the mark of a highest quality bookstore, there was a cat living in the store. They decided to browse the bookstore for a little bit, and just before they were about to leave, the store clerk snuck up on him and asked for an autograph, which Andy gladly granted. The owner also asked if Andy would be kind enough to do a signing when the newest Druid Gunslinger book finally came out, and Andy was happy to acquiesce. They headed back to the house after that, with plans to come back tomorrow to get groceries. Andy felt exhilarated, being able to walk anywhere without a mask, being able to shake hands and hug friends. Barring the sea of gorgeous women around them, it had been nice to have a touch of normalcy. "Are you fully recovered from your time with the staff this morning, Andy?" Lauren asked him as they all walked from the garage into the house proper. "Yeah, I think I'm good to go. Why? You jonesing for a fix?" he said with a laugh. "We all are. And I want to show to Taylor what she's missing." She leaned down to kiss his cheek. "That okay?" "Sure, let me go check on Katie and Jenny and then I'll meet you ladies in the bedroom, okay?" "Don't take too long," Niko grinned. "We're, voracious today." "I won't, I won't," he laughed, waving his hand, hearing Lauren calling to Taylor like one would a pet as she walked towards the stairs. Andy moved to the pool house and poked his head in, finding Katie and Jenny still entwined together, asleep beneath the blanket he'd left them under several hours ago. He knew the imprinting process took several hours, but he'd never been sure exactly how long it took. He suspected the two might wake up in the middle of the night and head back to their room, but they'd be fine in the pool house if they slept there overnight, which was all Andy wanted to be sure of. He headed back into the house and walked upstairs. The door to the bedroom was closed, but a post it note on the door said "Cum in." He appreciated the pun, and opened the door. Inside, Taylor was on her knees at the foot of the bed, with Lauren's hand on the top of Taylor's head, Aisling and Niko sitting on either side of her. "Now, bitch, you're going to watch what a real man is like. Andy, come over here, would you?" All of the women had already stripped naked, so as Andy walked over, he kicked off his shoes, tugged off his socks and pulled his shirt up and over his head. When Andy neared the edge of the bed, Lauren raised a hand. "Stay there." She slid off the bed and moved to kneel in front of him, reaching her hands up to smooth them along his stomach before she reached over and pulled Taylor's hair to drag her close. "Here, I want you to get a front row seat to all of this, whore, but don't you dare stick out your tongue to sneak a taste, otherwise I'm doubling your time like this, you understand?" Taylor quietly nodded, as Lauren tugged Andy's jeans and boxers down, letting his cock slap her in the face with a girlish giggle. "That never gets old," Lauren said as Taylor let out a quiet little whimper. Lauren wrapped her mouth around the head of Andy's cock and then pushed her face all the way down until he could feel the tip of his cock sliding into her throat, Lauren trying hard to stifle the gag reaction before drawing back, taking a deep gasp of air. "You can smell my man's cock, can't you whore?" Taylor meekly nodded once more. "Don't even think about touching yourself. You're going to sit there and watch this. I want you to fucking drool, you want it so bad." Lauren started to push her face back down onto Andy's cock, and he was expecting a long, slow blowjob, but Lauren clearly had other ideas. She forced her face down until his balls were resting against her chin, then drew back suddenly before pushing her face down once again. It was fast and determined, and Andy almost jumped when he felt a hand cradling his nuts before realizing that Aisling had moved to one side of him, her fingertips holding onto his ballsack. "She was so apprehensive the first time, but look at her now," Ash whispered into his ear. Another hand reached to smooth along his hip, as Niko moved up along the other side of him, nibbling on his earlobe, her tongue lashing against his earlobe. "You're so going to be dead by the time we're done with you tonight, baby," Niko purred, curling her fingers to rake her fingernails against his hip. "You don't have to hold back, babes," Aisling giggled into his ear. "It's not gonna make us go any easier on you." Lauren's deep blue eyes peered up at him, and he glanced over at Taylor, whose eyes were fixated on Lauren's mouth thrusting up and down on his cock. It was an intoxicating sight, and Lauren's lips were clenched so tightly on his cock that he wasn't going to last long. Her cheeks caved in as she sucked hard on him, and before he knew it, his body was tensing up as he spewed a hot load of cum into Lauren's mouth. He was leaning back into the bodies of Aisling and Niko, who were keeping him from falling back, as Lauren finally drew her head back, her mouth full of his spunk, as she turned to show it to Taylor, who whined and whimpered, before Lauren closed her mouth and swallowed it all, licking her lips to make sure none of that treasure remained. He was a little surprised, because typically the girls liked to share a load, to ease all of their needs at least a little, but it seemed like the girls had other plans for today. "C'mon, you need to lay down now, Andy," Aisling said. "We're driving today." Andy let Aisling and Niko guide him over to the bed before he laid down on his back in the middle of the massive bed. Lauren had climbed off her knees, moving to help Taylor get up onto the bed, but immediately making sure she was on her knees off to the side of him, a good two or three feet of distance between them. Lauren then reached and grabbed one of the pillows, pulling it over, sliding it under Andy's head, as Aisling crawled on her hands and knees until she was looming over him. She moved to straddle his waist with a smirk, as she rubbed that fire furred snatch against his cock, sliding back and forth across it. "You're a good man, Andy Rook," Aisling said to him, "tolerating all the shit we're going to put this bitch through to make sure she's learned not to fuck with us." Niko slid along the far side of Andy and moved up along her knees until she was near enough to Aisling to grab the redhead's mane of hair, pulling her lips to press against her own, giving the other girl a ferocious kiss, tongues tangling with one another for a long moment, before breaking, giggling once more. "I can't tell who's more turned on by that, Andy, you or Lauren's fuckpet." Andy was about to answer, but Aisling had lined up his cock and thrust her hips down with a quick snap, stuffing his cock deep inside of her cunt, a sultry groan escaping his throat. "That's my fucking cock," Aisling moaned. "That's what I fucking wanted." Niko grinned, sliding one hand down to rub her thumb against Aisling's clit while the redhead bucked on his cock. "That's it. Show the fuckpet what a good slut looks like." She moved to kiss Aisling again, and this time the kiss was even more sloppy and sticky, tongues exposed as Ash bounced on his cock, thrusting down hard before drawing back up. Niko and Aisling continued making out while Andy, Lauren and Taylor all watched, but after a minute or so, Aisling reached down and grabbed Niko's hips, pulling her over until she was straddling Andy's face, and he knew what was being suggested, so he let his tongue stick out and began to lap at Niko's cunt, her hips grinding down onto his face, almost suffocating him, she was shoving against him so eagerly. "Fuck, Andy, lick my cunt while your first slut's bouncing on your cock, trying to milk your load out of you," Niko whimpered before kissing Aisling again. Aisling's pace was itchy, impatient. Other than the small amount of his spunk that she'd licked out of Nicolette's cunt yesterday, it had been almost five days since she'd gotten her fix. She'd decided to let off on her promise to milk a load from him every day when it turned out she was going to need to share with so many women, but now, Aisling knew it was her turn at bat, and as much as she was enjoying herself, she also wanted her fix, moaning whorishly into Niko's mouth. Lauren smirked a little bit, leaning in a bit closer. "I wouldn't keep your slut of a girlfriend waiting, Andy, otherwise she's likely to break this fucking bed. Look at her go, Taylor. She's already cum once, but I think she's about to do it again. Go on, daddy, give your good little whore her dose of spunk and blow her fucking mind when you blow in her fucking cunt. Do it, Andy! Cum in her!" He couldn't resist as he latched his lips on Niko's clit and buzzed them hard, his hands holding onto her hips as his back arched, pushing his cock towards Aisling's twat as much as he could, that orgasm blasting from him, firing shotgun sprays of hot cum into Aisling's cunt, setting off a third orgasm inside of the freckled Irish girl. When he finally started to come down from his orgasm, he slid his head down a little to see that Niko and Aisling were basically holding each other up in an upside V above him, a dry little chuckle rolling from his lips as Niko slowly moved to lower Aisling to one side, her body still going through aftershocks, trembling a bit in the afterglow of her orgasms. Andy's cock started to soften a little bit, even as Niko moved off of his face. "Oh no," Niko said to him. "You're not done yet." Andy sighed softly, letting out a heavy breath. "The mind is willing, Niko, but I don't know if the flesh is up to it." "Oh it will be," Niko said, a sly grin spreading on her lips. "Because today's the day." She crawled on her knees downward on the bed, reaching to stroke his cock. "This needs to get nice and hard for your little enlisted slut, Daddy. She has a need for it." "I'm telling you, Niko," Andy said. "I just don't know that I've got it in me to pump out a fourth load in a single day." "Sure you do," Niko purred. "Because today's the day I'm gonna take you in the ass." Andy's cock twitched, which made Niko smirk more broadly at him. "You haven't pressured, and I've been thinking about it every time Lauren or Ash does it. I kept wondering what kind of special day would be perfect to let you slide that thick cock of yours up my virginal asshole. Should it be an anniversary, or your birthday? But no, I wanna show off in front of the house pet. I wanna see her face when I take your fat cock up my untouched Asian asshole, wanna see that look of envy on her fucking face when I'm struggling to stretch and take you. Do I have to beg, Andy? Can you get hard so I can shove your cock in my perfect little asshole? So I can give you the last of my holes, so that you own every fucking inch of my body?" Andy's cock had already stiffened back to a full hard on, and Niko was slowly stroking it, a wild smile on her face. "Let me ride it, Daddy, so I can make sure I don't overwhelm myself, okay?" Andy nodded to her, as he saw Niko straddle his waist, but she was in reverse cowgirl, as she reached between her legs to grab his cock. "Fuck, I hope I'm fucking ready for this." "I came so hard my eyes rolled back into my head when I did it," Lauren said, moving to smooth a hand along one of Niko's thighs. "And you, Ash?" Niko said, lining the tip of his cock up against the pucker of her ass. "Oh, I squirted," Aisling giggled. "I'd never done that before, but it was so fucking intense. You're probably gonna cum just sliding it in." Niko's face frowned in amusement at Ash. "I somehow douo wow wow Oh Fuck!" she said, turning into a shout as the head of his cock popped inside of her tan asshole, Niko's whole body starting to spasm as Lauren and Aisling moved quickly to brace her and keep her steady so that she didn't overwhelm herself by dropping down onto his cock suddenly. He could feel Niko's entire body shivering atop of him for a good ten seconds or so before her voice pierced the air again. "Fuck., fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!" Niko finally panted out. "I think I just touched fucking God," she whimpered, her breathing shallow and ragged. "I don't, I don't, I don't know if,” Aisling smirked. "Silly slut. Never leave a job half done. Lauren?" she said, looking around Niko's body, as the tall blonde nodded, and both women started to push down on Niko's hips, forcing her to slowly take inch after inch of Andy's ruthlessly thick cock into her ass. "Oh fuck, oh fuck, that's such a fucking big cock in my ass, in my tight little virgin ass, oh fuck, oh fuck fuck fuck, I can't stop fucking cumming. Daddy, your little slut can't fucking stop fucking cumming from your big fucking cock up her tight young fucking ass oh fuck!" Just when she finally pushed down far enough for her asscheeks to rest against his hips, her body seized up and a clear jet of liquid squirted from her cunt into the air, splashing all over Taylor, who audibly moaned in excitement. "Please, daddy, please cum in my tight fucking ass., cum in your good little girl's virgin fucking ass, cream me up, baby, fill my virgin ass, I want your fucking cum, cum in my ass. Cum! In! My! Fucking! Ass! Please! Cum!" Andy's body finally yielded, and as soon as he started to cum in Niko's ass, he felt her muscles clamp down hard on him, the rest of her body shaking and vibrating before finally slumping back, Aisling and Lauren making sure to keep her from slamming the back of her head into Andy's face, helping to lay her down on the bed. "Fuck, we need a shower," Niko whimpered. "We all need a fucking shower right fucking now so fucking bad." "In five minutes," Andy grumbled, feeling Niko slide under one of her arms, Aisling under the other as Lauren moved to push a wide eyed Taylor off the bed and back to the floor, although Andy could see that her snatch was glistening something fierce. "But I'm not fucking anybody at all tomorrow. Got it?" Everybody laughed at that. Chapter 15 In the morning, Andy was woken up by the feeling of Niko getting out of bed. She tried to be as subtle and quiet as she could, but Andy still felt her slipping away. She smiled when she saw him with open eyes looking at her naked form as she pulled on her underwear. She brought a fingertip up to her lips, motioning for him to remain quiet, as she moved back over and kissed him on the lips, soft and tender, before she waved. "Go back to sleep," she mouthed at him as she pulled a set of fatigues from the closet. Today was going to be her first day on the base within the enclave, so she wasn't going to be late. Andy knew that and was glad to see she'd found a way to ensure she woke up in time, doubly glad that she'd done it without waking the whole household. Andy practically drifted back to sleep as soon as she started walking into the bathroom. A few hours later, he started to wake again as he felt Lauren starting to slide out of bed. Taylor was curled up on the floor at the foot of the bed, but Lauren had draped a blanket over her at some point in the night, so she wasn't cold. Andy found himself wondering if Lauren was already softening a little in terms of her anger towards her former partner, but certainly wasn't going to bring it up first. Aisling was stirring next to him, and he could hear Lauren turning on the shower in the bathroom. "Where is everybody?" Ash asked him, snuggling her face into his shoulder. "Lauren's in the shower, Niko headed off to the base early this morning and Taylor's asleep on the floor, so we have the bed to ourselves," he laughed. "Although we should probably get up anyway." "What about,” "You touch my cock, Ash, and it may very well fall the fuck off." She giggled a little bit mischievously. "I mean, I guess you did satisfy five women yesterday, so I suppose I can let you off the hook for today." "I mean, I'm not even sure if it's working any more. Here I am and no morning wood." "I feel like I'm letting you down, babes," she sighed. "I did tell you that you weren't going to go a day without giving me a load, and here I am, agreeing to let you have an entire day without it." Andy laughed, waving a hand in the air. "No no, I'm good, I promise. No sex today, so my cock can continue to function later." He started to stretch a little bit, seeing Lauren coming out of the bathroom, one towel around her torso, another tying up her hair. "The bathroom's steamed up, but I didn't leave it as a total mess for you two," Lauren said, as she smiled at them. "I gotta get toweled off and head to the training camp the '49ers set up in town, so I'll see you guys for dinner, okay?" Lauren looked over at Taylor, who hadn't woken up yet. "Don't let her off easy. This is a month of punishment, so I want her to feel it. My wrath isn't to be taken lightly, and if you got light on this daffy bitch, she's only going to make us regret it. No clothes, no plates, no utensils, no exceptions, got it?" "Yes ma'am," Andy said, waving in her direction, as she headed into the large walk in closet. "We should go and get showered, Ash." Aisling groaned before she made an over exaggerated noise and then pulled back, sliding to the edge of the bed, reaching over to tug on Andy's ankle, as he moved to follow her. Their time in the shower was relaxing and Andy saw Taylor wake up when Aisling turned on the hairdryer. As Andy tugged on the boxers, he decided he should probably talk a little bit to Taylor, especially since she wasn't going to start any conversations under orders from Lauren. "You must've really pissed Lauren off something fierce, Taylor," he said, as he grabbed a pair of jeans. "She is the most gentle kind soul I've ever met, but you brought out an anger from her I didn't even know she was capable of, and we've been living together for almost two months now. I know you cheated on her, and that's horrible enough to start with, but there's more going on here. So what happened?" Taylor frowned, shifting a little bit beneath the blanket. "I fucked up. Sir." Andy cocked his head to one side before pulling the t shirt down over his head. "That's not an answer. Not good enough. What. Happened." Taylor's bright blue eyes watered up a little, as if she was going to break out into tears. "Lauren and I had been fighting. We'd both been so busy that we hadn't really had time for each other in weeks. My ex boyfriend was in town. We went out drinking, I drank too much and I, I just needed cock." A single tear dropped from one of her eyes before she took a deep sniff in, trying to steel herself up. "It's not an excuse. It was a mistake, a horrible one. I should've talked to Lauren about my needs, told her that I found myself needing a man's touch, but, like I said, I fucked up." "You understand that if you join this family, the only cock you're going to be getting is mine, right?" "I do, sir." "And you're okay with that?" "I am, sir." "What's changed?" She frowned a little, looking at her hands before looking up at him as the blow dryer went off in the bathroom. "I've grown up a bit. It's been half a year, and I've had a lot of time to think about it. That whole time I've missed Lauren crazy mad. And I just really like both men and women, so with your family, sir, I'll get both. Lauren was the best thing that ever happened to me, and if you make her happy, and it sure seems like you do, I know you'll make me happy as well." "Did you like what you saw last night?" "Yes, sir. Very much sir." "And are you horny right now?" Aisling asked as she walked into the room, completely in the buff. "Yes ma'am. Very much so, ma'am." "You're not going to get it today," the redhead said as she tugged on a thong. "You know that, don't you?" "Yes ma'am." "Good girl." Aisling smirked wryly, looking over at Andy. "What do you think of her, love?" "It sounds like she's learning, so that's something." It was a little odd to be talking about Taylor as if she wasn't in the room, but Lauren had made it clear that they were supposed to keep Taylor from being comfortable the whole time, and Andy couldn't think of anything that made people more uncomfortable than being talked about in front of them. "Quite the cracking body on her too, I'd say. Pint sized in height, but Jaysis, I'd kill for tits like hers." She pulled on a sports bra, shifting as she got it adjusted. "The advantage of youth, I'd guess. I'm surprised you're even old enough to go drinking, Taylor. How old are you, slut?" "I'm twenty five, ma'am." Aisling laughed and grabbed her towel, throwing it at Taylor. "Oh fuuuuuuuuuck you!" Aisling was giggling, shaking her head. "I'm only two years older than you." "I'm, sorry, ma'am?" "Oh, hush," Aisling said, shaking her head with a sly smile. Andy walked over and tugged the sheet off Taylor, who didn't blanch at all, staying on her knees, folding her hands behind her back to proudly jut those firm, natural double D tits at him. The pink nipples that capped them were stiff like pencil erasers. Taylor kept her eyes lowered, even as Andy reached a hand down at cupped one of Taylor's tits in his hand, hearing her breath catch when he did. "Lauren didn't say I couldn't touch her, did she Ash?" Aisling shook her head. "She said nothing goes in her cunt for the month, and that she wasn't going to get fucked for about a week, but I think that was the extent of her rules for you in regards to touching her." "I'm not usually the kind of man drawn to overly big tits," Andy said, "but I have to admit, it just sort works on Taylor." "Thank you, sir," Taylor whispered, each word almost strained. Andy couldn't help himself, and pinched one of Taylor's nipples, hearing a high pitched squeak emanate from her before she held very still and then forced a breath out, shivering quite visibly as she did, her skin covered in goosebumps. "Holy shit," Aisling said. "Did you just cum from that?" "Yes ma'am," Taylor whimpered. "Sorry ma'am." "You couldn't control it, so I suppose just good on you." Andy's hand left her nipple and then he scrunched his face up before he crouched down. He pushed Taylor's thighs a bit wider apart and then slid his hand between them, his fingertips just below her cunt, and then waited. A second or so later, he felt her drip onto his hand. "Dripping wet." "Yes sir. Sorry sir." Andy smirked as he brought his hand up to his lips, licking the taste of her snatch from his skin. "I think the only thing you really have to be sorry about is that you're going to be making a mess on the floor for a while now." "May I ask a question, sir?" "You just did, but go ahead." He thought he saw a slight smile from Taylor at that, as if the point was made. "May your worthless bitch clean herself up with toilet paper?" "Go on then," he said, as Aisling tugged on some yoga pants and one of Andy's t shirts. She had plenty of her own clothing, but had to wearing his t shirts as often as she could. "We'll meet you downstairs for breakfast. Yours will be in a bowl." "Yes, ma'am." Taylor headed into the bathroom as Andy and Aisling headed downstairs. After a quick breakfast (even though it was closer to lunch than morning), the two hopped into the Tesla and headed into town to get groceries. Andy was a little surprised it was a Safeway, but suspected that whoever had built this community had decided to go for convenience over rustic. Andy found the whole experience surreal. The people he saw coming and going were a weird mix of high fashion and modern style, and there were a lot more women than men, although he wasn't all that surprised by that. With the number of women that each man was expected to be paired with, he knew their little village was going to have a sizable imbalance, and he saw that reflected in the people walking through the lanes. As expected, there were many hot young women, but he was also pleased to see several older good looking women in their fifties and sixties. A community comprised solely of young fit gorgeous women would've made it all even more awkward than it already was. They were mostly done getting their groceries when Aisling tapped Andy. "Hey, I know her! Lisa! It's Ash!" Walking towards them was an older man in a ridiculously expensive looking suit, and a woman in a tight tube top and hot pants quite younger than the man she was accompanying. The woman, a stunning brunette, offered a slight wave, but didn't say anything in response. The man, however, immediately addressed Andy. "Hello good sir! Arthur Robert Covington the Fourth. You must be new to our little colony." He offered a hand out to Andy, who almost didn't want to shake it, but did so reluctantly. Some things were almost just reflexive. "Andy Rook, and this is my first partner, Aisling." "Nice to meet you," Aisling said, reaching out to shake the man's hand, but he'd lowered his hand to his side, so her hand hung awkwardly in the air for a moment before she finally took the hint and lowered her own. "I didn't know you were here, Lisa. I haven't seen you in, what, five or six years? Andy, Lisa was in a bunch of classes with me in college." "Oh, Lisa doesn't talk out in public any more," the pompous git said to them. "It's for both of our benefit. I find it's much better if women are just seen and not heard, don't you agree, Andy?" Andy immediately wanted to beat the shit out the pompous prick. "Can't say that I do." Everything about the man screamed old money, and it was taking all of Andy's willpower not to just walk away from them right now. Clearly Ash had some familiarity with the woman, and he wanted to support Aisling any way he could. "I find it's best to treat everyone you meet like an actual person, rather than some sort of fashion accessory." "That is so modern of you, young man," Convington said. "And so en vogue. You don't have to pretend here, though, young man. In this community, though, we don't answer to anyone but each other. You certainly are quite a bit younger than the majority of people who have been brought here, and perhaps you are expecting that you need to blend in to the modern times." The older gentleman smiled at Andy with a condescension that made him want to punch the guy until he was lying on the floor. "But you are among friends now, and we the elite men of the world have always been best supported by our women with their support and their stoic silence." "I couldn't disagree more, old chap," Andy said, trying to make it clear by his tone that he was mocking the man's arrogant tones. "While I understand that it's not very traditional, at least in the western world, for a man to have multiple wives, but I'm never going to ask them to be silent in public. I value their opinions all the time, and I see them as equals, not lesser people." "Well," Covington sniffed. "I imagine you'll come around eventually, but even if you don't, we're all entitled to our own lifestyles. Good luck to you both." Then the man, who had to be at least sixty, walked off with his twenty something woman, who offered a tiny wave to Aisling before walking away. Once they were around the corner, Aisling punched him in the shoulder. "If you think I'm better seen and not heard, you are in for a world of trouble, fella." "You heard me say that I didn't agree with him, Ash. Sexist pig." "Still. Don't want you getting ideas." Andy sighed. "I sort of suspected we were going to find some people like that here, but I can't say I'm thrilled about it. And we can't try and rescue her, because they're already bonded." "Do you believe Phil when he said the bonds are permanent?" "Phil's usually right about these kinds of things, so I don't think he'd lie to us about it." "Then I suppose I'm just happy that I'm not bonded to a total git." Andy and Aisling decided to spend a little bit more time getting additional groceries after the experience, mostly to cool off. They'd gotten a list of things from Jenny, which covered most of what they would be having for meals. Jenny had even told them that she would be happy to do all the grocery shopping, but Andy had insisted they wanted to see the town a bit more anyway before they left, so Jenny had made it clear that this was going to be an exception, and prepared them a list that she was strict they pick up all of. Most of what they picked up at the end were some comfort foods to go along with everything off Jenny's list. Candy, soda, chips, the kinds of things he suspected Jenny wouldn't approve of too much, but he wasn't ready to let go of his sugar addiction quite yet. As they picked up food that clearly wasn't good for them, Andy kept his eyes on the other people he saw coming and the mismatch of young and old he'd seen with Aisling's friend and the stuffed shirt seemed to be the norm. The men could occasionally be found chatting with each other, but for the most part, the women remained silent, although he did spot a couple of women following the same man talking between themselves. Andy was a little used to feeling like an outsider. When he'd gone and done his first sci fi convention, some of the older writers had thrown a lot of shade his way about his books. Many of them felt like urban fantasy was something of a slum compared to either high fantasy or pure sci fi. In fact, more than a couple of people he used to called idols had called his particular strain of fiction "juvenile," even going so far to describe the Druid Gunslinger books as "starter fantasy, for unsophisticated minds." It had almost made him want to not do any more conventions, but after a little bit of searching, he'd found a group of similarly minded writers, people like him who looked at genre boundaries as a roadmap of what rules to break and how. What he loved most of all, though, was that the fans didn't give a shit. Sure, there were detractors to his writing in the crowds, but they'd get booed down by the rest of the people who were there to learn more about where his books were going and what kinds of secrets he'd been leaving off the page. Most of the fans believed he lived in San Francisco proper, but Andy certainly hadn't made enough money off the books to justify that kind of lifestyle. There were other things about his books that had drawn people to his audience,  he wasn't afraid of writing sex scenes in his books, some of the supporting characters were gay or bisexual,  but the main reason they kept coming back was that the books were unpredictable. He'd killed off main characters mid book, he'd changed the city the protagonist's base of operations was in multiple times and one of the villains he'd introduced in one of the first few books had gone through a surprising redemption arc in the most recent book, something that the early readers had raved about how much they hadn't seen it coming. All that had instilled him a sense that he never had to go along with something just because it was what was expected of you, and he certainly didn't plan to change the way he treated people now because a bunch of blue blood uppity vampires thought he should join their little club. "It's so weird," Ash whispered to him. "Seeing all these beautiful women, being forced to walk a few steps behind their men. All of this pretentious bullshit, these assholes thinking their money makes them invincible. It used to be the stranglehold they had over women was figurative, financial. Now it's literal. They're literally dependent on these assholes for their survival. If they don't get their fix, they're going to go out of their minds. I mean, what are we going to do if you leave us? Or if you get taken away from us? Or get sick and die?" "I'm sure they're working on something to stabilize it, Ash, but until then, you're alive, I'm alive, and that's all that matters." Andy sighed. "But I'm still alive, unlike ten million other American men. And the death rates are starting to climb around the world too. So anything that keeps me alive, I'm going to take that as a win. Speaking of which, how is your brother doing?" "He's sheltering in place with the rest of my clan, luv. You don't really know my mother yet, but when you meet her, you'll learn how much of an iron fist she's got on the whole family. They'll do whatever it takes to survive. Your brother?" "He and his wife are doing the same. She ventures out from time to time, but other than that, they don't dare leave the house." Andy waved his phone over the credit card machine, and heard the telltale ding that meant the bill was paid. "Martial law got declared in Kansas City, though, and I know the tanks rolling down the streets have them more than a little spooked." "Whatever it takes to get through it, luv, we're gonna do it." "Well, not if it takes me turning into that asshole." Aisling giggled. "Oh, Andy, you're not built to be a snob." "Suppose you're right." When they got to the car, Andy couldn't help but start laughing a bit as he replayed the earlier conversation in his head. Aisling asked him what he found so funny. "I mean, he's the Fourth in a long line of pompous assholes, Ash. Why don't we understand how important that is?" That set her off laughing too. Andrew Rook continues to protect his family. Chapter 16 The day of the party felt like it came much faster than it should've. While everyone had a few days to prepare, they all felt like they were struggling to get their costumes together. Most hysterically, all the girls had made some sort of tacit agreement not to tell Andy what they were dressing up as for the Halloween party. They were all a little surprised he wasn't dressing up as the Druid Gunslinger himself, but they seemed okay with it. He told them he'd done the gear next year, but he'd literally worn the costume last year, and despite all the changes they'd been through over the past several months, he didn't want to do it two years in a row. While none of the girls may have seen him in it, he knew that both Eric and Phil would've given him an endless amount of shit for it. He loved vintage sci fi costumes, so for this year, he'd decided to be Logan from Logan's Run, the 1976 film he'd adored growing up. It was a relatively simple costume, a black turtleneck with white trim and a large white stripe over the chest, as well as a blinking red palm flower crystal. When he'd done the costume as a teenager, he'd had to use a bike light, which took over so much of his hand, but now he could achieve the same effect with a simple L E D light attached to a battery. It was much more convenient. A few hours before the party was to start, Andy was banned from entering his own bedroom as the girls had set up a sort of base camp there, working on all their costumes away from his prying eyes. The staff had decided to dress up as Clue characters, so Nicolette was back in her Yvette costume, Jenny R. was dressed as the cook (from the movie, not the board game) and Katie was dressed as Mrs. White. They had been a little surprised that they were invited to the party once the food was laid out, but Andy had been adamant that he wanted them to feel like members of the family as much as staff. He was glad to see they accepted that without too much of a fuss, although Jenny was insistent that she and Nicolette would be tending to the food all night, even while they were mingling. Surprising no one, none of the girls who weren't staff were ready by the time the first guests showed up. Andy wasn't shocked that it was Eric who arrived first, along with his whole group. Eric was dressed as Han Solo, with Lily as Princess Leia, Jenny C. as Luke Skywalker, Sarah as Chewbacca, and two other girls who'd recently joined his family “ Lara, a tall, statuesque blonde, and Nikki, a tiny little plump brunette “ were dressed as C3 P0 and R2 D2 accordingly. Phil and his family arrived next. They were all dressed up as characters from the video game Street Fighter, with Phil as Ryu, Audrey as Chun Li, Linda as Cammy, Tamika as Poison and a new girl named Yuko, who was dressed as Sakura. Andy, much like both Phil and Eric, had never been big on large social gatherings, but this felt entirely different. Perhaps they'd been so starved for company, or perhaps they'd been trying to make sense of the new normal for so long, it was nice to have a touch of the old normal, even if it was only a shadow of how it used to be. Dressed all in costume, the boys sat down to play poker. After Phil showed up, Andy's girls descended down the staircase and made a grand entry for themselves. Aisling had dressed up as Amy Adams' portrayal of Lois Lane from the Superman movies, in a white open shirt with a black vest, her hair done up in a smart ponytail, a black lanyard hanging around her neck that said "Daily Planet." Lauren had dressed up as the Black Canary, from the Green Arrow comic books, a leather jacket she'd stolen from his closet, a black leotard and ripped black fishnets that Andy couldn't deny made her pop even more. The biggest surprise, however, was Niko. It took him a few seconds to realize what she was dressed as, and as soon as he did, his jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She was dressed in a white lab coat, with her hair up in a bun, held in place with chopsticks. Beneath it, she wore a deep purple shirt. It all looked vaguely familiar, but then she turned her head and it all clicked as soon as he saw that coloration done to her hair. While most of her hair was still jet black, on the right side, there was a blue stripe, followed by a violet stripe, and his heart stopped a beat. She was dressed as Doctor Erika Shirow, the coroner who often worked with the Druid Gunslinger in his novels. Around her neck hung a pendant of a celtic cross, exactly as he'd described it in the most recent novel. Shirow had been a regular recurring character, but she was easily what fans would've called "a deep cut." When he'd first introduced her in the second book, he suspected she was a character he would come back to, but hadn't planned her to have much impact on the overarching storyline he had in mind. Now, some nine books into the series, she'd actually appeared in more of them than any other character other than Dale Sexton, the titular Druid Gunslinger. Most of the time, she usually only appeared in a chapter or two, but now, seeing Niko dressed as her, he wondered if he'd been subconsciously building a relationship between Dale and Erika over the course of the novels. He made a mental note to ask Niko about it later. The girls wandered into the room and took their time showing off their costumes for everyone, but as soon as they did, Niko moved over to slide down into Andy's lap, sliding an arm around him. "You like?" she asked him, a mischievous smile on her lips. "No, I absolutely hate it," he laughed, sticking his tongue out at her. "You look stunning. You all look stunning." "Lauren worried she was too tall to pull off the Black Canary, but I told her that in those fishnets, you wouldn't give a fuck." "You would absolutely be right." Niko gestured for him to tip up his hole cards so she could look at them, which he did, and then tipped them back down. "Looks like you're doing well." "Ah, we're mostly playing for fun," Eric said. Niko winked over in his direction. "Sure. That's why your chip stack is so utterly small." "Absolutely," Lily said, moving to stand behind Eric. "And it certainly isn't because my man has no poker face whatsoever." Audrey moved to stand behind Phil. "Phil's usually pretty good at poker, though," she said, kissing his cheek. "Although I heard Andy's always been better." Andy shrugged. "I'm not bad. I mean, I wouldn't drop ten K of my own money to enter the World Series of Poker, but I usually come out at least a little bit ahead at poker nights." "Go easy on them then, I guess, Andy. How high are the stakes?" Niko asked, clearly wiggling her ass in his lap, trying to distract him off his game. "Are we rich yet?" Andy cocked his head to one side, mocking a frown upon his face. "Have you missed the mansion we now live in?" "Sure, but that's not money money," she teased. "What're you playing for?" Eric laughed. "Big, big money." He looked left, looked right, then leaned forward, putting his hand over one side of his mouth, stage whispering to her. "Twenty dollars is the buy in." He widened his eyes and nodded in her direction, like it was his life savings they were talking about. Niko rolled her eyes. "Forget what I said about going easy on them. Take them for everything they're worth." "Oh, and the loser has to buy dinner for the next game night," Phil said. "Or, at least, they used to have to, but that was before we all got our own private staff." "I can't remember the last time Andy bought dinner," Eric grumbled. "I don't know that he ever has," Phil sighed. "I think it's all the rest of us just passing the buck around." The doorbell rang, and Niko slid off his lap. "Who else are we expecting?" Phil rolled his eyes upward in thought. "Ari and his family are coming. Jenna's hooked up with some guy named Gary, so they said they'd stop by. Mel told me he couldn't make it this time, but would try and catch us for the next get together." "I'll go see who it is." Niko headed to the door and Andy could hear from outside the door as soon as she opened it a chorus of children shouting "Trick Or Treat!" They'd just resolved the hand, so all the guys got up and headed to the door to see five children, all dressed up in Minecraft costumes, holding out buckets, into which Niko graciously dropped a couple of candies each. There was a woman standing behind the children, back at the foot of the walkway up to the house, waving at them. It wasn't anyone that any of them recognized, but Andy was glad to see the children weren't out by themselves. For the next hour or so, every ring of the doorbell would bring either another gaggle of children, or another of the group's mutual friends, until the house felt like a booming party. The parade of trick or treating children eventually slowed, and it was almost ten pm when the doorbell rang again. Andy went to answer the door, holding the pot of candies, and as soon as he opened the door, he tensed up a little, even as he heard the shout of "Trick Or Treat!" There were only two children standing there, a girl dressed as Hermione from Harry Potter, and a slightly older boy, dressed as Draco Malfoy. But the children weren't the problem. Behind them stood Arthur Robert Covington the Fourth, dressed as Napoleon. Andy had to mentally tell himself not to curl his hand into a fist. "Ah, Andrew!" Covington said. "So this is where you live. I did wonder which of the open houses they'd assigned you to." Andy dropped candies into the outstretched bags of the two children. They shouldn't be punished for what an ass their father was. "Yes. Well. Here we are." He couldn't wait to get this

Abhay chats with Pramod Varma, the visionary technologist who helped architect India's digital transformation, enabling over a billion people to access digital identity, banking, payments, and verifiable credentials, fundamentally reshaping India's social and economic landscape.  (0:00 - 3:41) Introduction(3:41) Part 1 - Describing what he does, transforming India into the transaction economy(20:34) Part 2 - Verbs not nouns, connecting tech to everyone, lessons in equity, personal learning(42:28) Part 3 - leading for magnitude and scale, art and aesthetics, prioritizing equity(1:00:59) ConclusionPramod is currently the Co-Founder and Chief Architect of FIDE.org leading global efforts such as BECKN Protocol and FINTERNET.He has been the chief architect of most of India's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) efforts starting with Aadhaar - India's unique ID system that covers 1.4 Billion people; eSign - an interoperable digital signature protocol; DigiLocker - digital credentialing and wallet system having over 9 billion verifiable credentials and over 400 million users; and UPI - the unified instant payment system that was launched in 2016 currently doing over 18 Billion transactions a month.He also played a key role in designing and architecting India's indirect tax (GST) system, national toll collection system, digital health infrastructure, digital agri infrastructure, and digital education infrastructure.Intro:The world needs more heroes, so let me thank you first for your heroism in an effort to engage here and choose TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'm DOING as a part of your day and even a small part of your life.  I appreciate you watching and subscribing on YouTube, listening on all of the podcast platforms, rating and writing reviews, following on those good old social media places, and sharing this with all your friends and family. Now if I really think about heroic feats in this digital age we live in, I can't think of a better person who effectively embodies it than Pramod Varma.  Pramod is a computer scientist and for over the past decade and a half, he has been the driving designer of tech inclusion, equity, and connectivity to India's entire population.  He is the chief architect behind many of India's digital public infrastructure initiatives like Aadhar - the digital identity system covering 1.4 billion people that enabled banking access from almost nothing to above 80% in just a decade, and similarly e-sign, account aggregator for open finance, and of course the UPI or Unified Payments Interface that is now processing over 18 billion transactions in India every month.  Staggering is a word that comes to my mind, but still doesn't do justice to the scale and scope of work that Pramod has designed and is continuing to lead.  He grew up in a small town in Kerala, earned his PhD in computer science and a masters in applied mathematics. Pramod is highly driven by curiosity and equipped with an insatiable thirst for broadly understanding humanity through art and knowledge.  After journeying successfully through the early days of the internet in a variety of entrepreneurial  and tech leadership roles,  Pramod made a deep pivot in 2009 to volunteer on a national digital identity project, and the rest is as they say history.  And for those keeping score at home, Pramod's initial success in harnessing a team to do this at scale and at the cost of about 70 rupees per person, was all open sourced and unbundled, so that you could build iterative and supplemental layers on this important foundation for years to come.  He is currently the co-founder and chief architect of “Networks for Humanity” creating universal technology infrastructure for the AI driven digital economy and for the tokenization and exchange of all forms of assets across geographies and sectors. A few of the visions that he has co-created are the Finternet, an initiative to build infrastructure that empowers individuals and businesses to unify, verify, and transact their assets seamlessly, enabling billions of people to actively participate in the global digital economy, and also the Beckn Protocol, a vision for peer-to-peer, agentic native, open networks that enable exchange across the global value chains.  As you can guess, while most are playing checkers, I feel like Pramod is playing 4-dimensional chess… while keeping a grounded lens on disciplined equity, education, and inclusion.  We caught up to chat about it all, but with so many descriptors of his work and accomplishments, especially for people who are getting to know him, I wanted to first simply hear how Pramod tends to describe himself.Cheers to INDIASPORA for the spark!

Man kan ibland undra vad man odlar. Peter tror det är pistage men allt tyder på att det är något annat. Svaret finns nog snart på vårt instagram.  Annars rullar det på fint. Varma dagar på väg, vatten kommit, nu kör vi så det ryker.. HURRA!

This podcast episode features Vinod Varma, founder and CEO of Creator Co., discussing the evolving landscape of social commerce. Varma defines social commerce as the next wave of influencer marketing, enabled by expired Amazon patents, and highlights TikTok Shop's leading role due to its seamless user experience. Creator Co. helps brands navigate this space by providing technical setup and access to a vast influencer network. The conversation touches upon the potential of other platforms like YouTube, YouTube Shorts, and the surprisingly underutilized Pinterest, emphasizing the platform's aspirational and positive nature. A key theme is the importance of authenticity in influencer marketing, particularly in the age of AI, and the need for improved attribution models and transparency in influencer compensation to address concerns arising from browser extensions like Honey.

Since the beginning of existence, humans have wondered why we exist. Having a purpose can bring richness, meaning, and fulfillment to our lives, but for a lot of folks, the idea of finding your life's purpose can be incredibly intimidating. Today, you're going to learn how to not only find your purpose, but also to redefine what purpose is and understand how it affects your life in a multitude of ways. Today's guest, Dr. Sue Varma is a psychiatrist and cognitive behavioral therapist. She has made a profound impact on the field of mental health, including serving as the pioneering medical director and psychiatrist for the 9/11 mental health program at NYU. Her book, Practical Optimism, is a guide to learning the practice of optimism and harnessing your unique resilience, resourcefulness, and purpose. In this interview, Dr. Sue Varma is sharing what purpose actually is and how to reframe it. You're going to learn about some of the major misconceptions about purpose, how having a purpose can improve your health outcomes, and so much more. You're also going to learn about practical optimism and how to implement habits that will allow you to live a happy, successful, and long life. Enjoy!   In this episode you'll discover:  How a shared mission ties Dr. Varma to her family.  Why western medicine is centered around sickcare.  How cognitive behavioral therapy helped Dr. Varma heal.  The secret of resilient 9/11 survivors.  What percentage of optimism is genetic.  The true definition of purpose.  How having a purpose can improve your health.  The truth about finding purpose in your career.  A major misconception about lifetime purpose.  Why having a sense of curiosity is essential.  How going for a walk can improve your mental health.  The difference between optimism and toxic positivity.  What flow state is.  The importance of mentorship and how to find a mentor.  What it means to turn your pain into purpose.  How to find strength in vulnerability.  Why it's harder than ever to find adult relationships.  The four habits to create happiness. Items mentioned in this episode include:  DrinkLMNT.com/model - Get a FREE sample pack of electrolytes with any order! Piquelife.com/model - Get exclusive savings on bundles & subscriptions! Practical Optimism by Dr. Sue Varma - Read Dr. Varma's book! EMDR Therapy - Learn more about this treatment from the APA! Connect with Dr. Sue Varma Website / Facebook / Instagram   Be sure you are subscribed to this podcast to automatically receive your episodes:   Apple Podcasts Spotify Soundcloud Pandora YouTube     This episode of The Model Health Show is brought to you by LMNT and Pique. Head to DrinkLMNT.com/model to claim a FREE sample pack of electrolytes with any purchase. Go to Piquelife.com/model for exclusive savings on bundles & subscriptions on cutting-edge solutions for your head-to-toe health and beauty transformation.   

SHOW NOTESWhat impact does surgery have on the body?Intentional trauma Physiological response Psychosocial impact StressWhen we think about surgery, it's essential to understand that it triggers a significant reaction in the body known as the 'stress response.' This response is a complex interplay of hormonal and metabolic changes directly linked to the degree of tissue damage during surgery. It can intensify if there are any complications after the operation. Let's break it down: The whole process starts when the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, or HPA axis, kicks into gear. This leads to a surge in hormones like cortisol, growth hormone, glucagon and catecholamines. These hormones are important because they help the body cope with stress by boosting energy availability and adjusting other bodily functions.Ebb phase (0-48hrs)Increased catabolism of stored glycogen (glycogenolysis)Suppression of insulin secretion → transient hyperglycemiaIncreased catecholamines, cortisol, and inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α)Flow phase (3-10 days)Hypermetabolism (increased BMR)Increased protein catabolism → muscle breakdown (to provide amino acids for tissue repair and immune function)Increased lipolysis (fat breakdown) for energySustained insulin resistance → continued hyperglycemiaEnhanced GNG Pro-inflammatory response → increased cytokines and acute-phase protein productionIn the initial stages after surgery, the body releases a wave of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These cytokines jumpstart the healing process by promoting inflammation, which is important for healing surgical wounds. However, to keep this inflammation from going overboard, the body soon follows up with anti-inflammatory cytokines.These inflammatory processes have widespread effects across the body. For example, they can influence how the hypothalamus regulates body temperature or how the liver produces certain proteins that help fight infection and aid in wound healing.But here's where it gets even more interesting: other hormones like glucagon, cortisol, and adrenaline also play a role in modulating these responses. They can affect everything from your blood sugar levels to how your cardiovascular system handles the stress.So, why is all this important? Well, by understanding and managing these responses effectively, we can significantly improve how patients recover from surgery. It's all about helping the body maintain balance during a time when it's incredibly vulnerableDisruption of Metabolic Homeostasis: Surgery often disrupts the body's normal metabolic balance, notably through insulin resistance, where cells fail to respond effectively to insulin, leading to 'diabetes of the injury.' Insulin Resistance and Hyperglycemia: Insulin resistance can cause high blood sugar levels, significantly increasing the risk of surgical complications and mortality. Post-surgery, the body may enter a catabolic state, breaking down muscle instead of fat, which impairs wound healing, weakens the immune system, and reduces muscle strength. Increased Risks for Vulnerable Groups: Elderly, diabetics, and cancer patients are particularly at risk due to their compromised metabolic and inflammatory states. These groups have less physiological reserve, leading to pronounced catabolic states and increased risk of severe post-operative complications. Impact on Recovery and Outcomes: The metabolic chaos from insulin resistance to protein loss not only delays recovery but also exacerbates risks of infection and other complications. Effective management of these changes is crucial for improving surgical outcomes and ensuring that patients thrive post-surgery.ERAS helps to mitigate these by Surgery isn't just about the physical repair or removal of tissue; it triggers a cascade of stress responses in the body that can complicate recovery. These include everything from the psychological impacts of anxiety and the physiological effects of fasting to direct tissue damage and the systemic reactions to it, such as fluid shifts and hormonal imbalances.Key Components of ERAS:Comprehensive Care: ERAS isn't just a single technique but a suite of practices designed to address every aspect of the patient's journey — before, during, and after surgery. This approach aims to minimise the stress responses by controlling pain, reducing fasting times, optimising fluid management, and promoting early mobility.Minimising Fasting: One traditional practice that ERAS revises significantly is the preoperative fasting rule. Old guidelines that required fasting from midnight before surgery are now replaced with more lenient, evidence-based practices that allow intake of clear fluids up to two hours and solids up to six hours before surgery. This change helps maintain normal blood glucose levels, reduces stress, and decreases the body's shift into a catabolic (muscle-degrading) state.Nutritional Optimisation: ERAS protocols emphasise the importance of not entering surgery in a depleted state. By allowing a carbohydrate-rich drink shortly before surgery, patients are better hydrated and less anxious, which in turn reduces insulin resistance and preserves muscle mass — critical factors in speeding up recovery post-surgery. Post-operatively, oral nutrition may be delayed by the medical team until bowel function returns, typically taking close to a week. This delay is stated to reduce postoperative complications such as abdominal distension and nausea/vomiting.For the first several days post surgery fluids of limited nutritional value such as water are provided to patient until tolerance is established leading to insufficient nutrition intake during this time increasing the risk of malnutrition. The ERAS protocol promotes early oral intake within 24 hours post surgery departing from traditional fasting practices. Research suggests that between 40-50% of surgical patients have some degree of malnutrition. Pre-operative malnutrition is an independent predictor of poor post-operative outcomes. Therefore addressing malnutrition is a key component of the ERAS protocol.Immune-Enhancing Diets: Post-surgery nutrition is just as crucial. ERAS encourages diets rich in nutrients that bolster the immune system and enhance wound healing. This includes omega-3 fatty acids, which help modulate the inflammatory response; arginine, which supports protein synthesis and tissue growth; glutamine, which is vital for cellular health and recovery; and nucleotides, which are essential for rapid cell division and immune function .Immuno-nutrition is a specialised medical nutrition therapy that has been shown to adjust the body's inflammatory response: It incorporates specific nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, arginine, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and nucleotides. It's typically recommended starting 5-7 days before surgery and continuing post-operatively for over 7 days or until oral intake meets at least 60% of the patient's nutritional requirements.How can we use this info to optimize surgical outcomes?Patient education Early nutrition pre and post surgery - Minimise fasting time What is ERAS? How does it differ from traditional care/practice?Introduced by Henrik Kehlet in 1997, the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol has revolutionised surgical practices by optimising perioperative care. A key aspect of ERAS is its interdisciplinary approach, involving healthcare professionals from various specialties to minimise surgical stress and facilitate recovery. What is malnutrition?Malnutrition, is defined as an involuntary reduction in body weight, muscle mass and physical capabilities, affects up to 65% of surgical patients and can worsen during hospital stays. Enhancing nutritional status and promoting functional nutrition therapy is essential, even forpatients without evident malnutrition, particularly when prolonged perioperative oral intake challenges arise. Addressing malnutrition is essential for preventing surgical complications, prolongedhospital stays and higher healthcare costs. What are the benefits of ERAS for the patient?It has been shown that the key physiological benefits include:-enhances the body's anabolic processes-promotes wound healing, which is critical for patient recovery.-Reduces the risk of nutritional depletion-Minimises insulin resistance, a common issue post-surgery, allowing for better blood sugar control and improved metabolic function.-Reduce protein catabolism-And lowers the risk of pressure injuries, which can develop due to extended immobility after surgery.What are the benefits of ERAS from a healthcare perspective? From a healthcare perspective, ERAS has been shown to-shorter length of hospital stay for patients,-Lower risk of ICU transfer rates-reduce readmission rates-And all of these improvements lead to lower healthcare costs, not just for the hospital but for the overall healthcare system, as fewer complications and shorter stays reduce the financial strain.Step 1: Screen & StrengthenIf you've lost any weight unintentionally in the lead up to surgery, or been eating poorly because of a reduced appetite, you may be at risk of malnutrition and it's really important to address this prior to surgery. Research suggests that between 40-50% of surgical patients have some degree of malnutrition. Pre-operative malnutrition is an independent predictor of poor post-operative outcomes. Addressing malnutrition is a key component of the ERAS protocol and why it's effective in improving surgical outcomes for patients.Book an appointment with a dietitian who can guide you on appropriate dietary changes to minimise muscle loss, build you up and optimise nutritional status and stores pre-op. A well-nourished body tolerates surgery better, heals faster, has a stronger immune system to fight infection, and experiences fewer complications.Step 2: Consider Immunonutrition If you're planned for major surgery, especially certain cancer and abdominal surgeries, consider the use of an immunonutrition supplement in the 5-7 days pre op. These are the supplements loaded with arginine, n3s, glutamine and nucleotides to support the immune system and reduce inflammatory responses, potentially leading to fewer infections and better recovery.Step 3: Build Your Strength & Energy Stores prior to surgery Carb load with food in the days leading up to surgery - think that big bowl of pasta a footy player would have the night before the grand final. ERAS protocols have significantly reduced or eliminated long periods of "nil by mouth" (NBM) before surgery.Ask your surgical team exactly when you need to stop eating solid food – it might be much later than you think, often around 6 hours before surgery for a light meal. For clear fluids, it could be as little as 2 hours before!We'll make the most of every second to prevent unnecessary dehydration, hunger, anxiety, and preserve your body's energyStep 4: The Pre-Surgery Carb Load using clear fluidsMany ERAS protocols include a special carbohydrate-rich drink taken a few hours before surgery. Your hospital may provide this, but if they don't, we can organise orders for you or point you in the right direction.  It's usually a clear, sweet drink. Think of it as topping off your fuel tank right before the 'race'."These have been shown to reduce post-operative insulin resistance (which can slow healing), help maintain muscle strength, can reduce nausea, and improve overall wellbeing. It basically tells your body it's in a 'fed' state, not a 'starvation' state, heading into surgery.This is best done with tailor made medical nutrition drinks as they come prepped with the correct doses of maltodextrin-polymer carbs and a lower osmolality than other solutions, which essentially means they gentler on your gut and better for gastric emptying so they don't linger in your gut during surgery. Always follow surgical instructions, but ideally we're aiming for 100 grams of carbohydrate the night before surgery and about 50 grams of carbohydrate in clear fluids approximately 2 hours before anesthesia. This might look like 4 x 200ml drinks the night before, and 2 the morning of surgery If you can't access these drinks, apple or cranberry juice are reasonable replacements.  Drop us an email or message or give us a call if you'd like advice on where to get pre-op and immunonutrition supplement drinks. Then we move on to post op and Step 5 which is aiming to eat early.  ERAS encourages starting to eat and drink as soon as it's safe after surgery – often within hours, not days!As soon as your team says it's okay, try sipping water, then progress to other clear fluids, and then light foods as tolerated. Even small, frequent amounts help. This helps to stimulates your gut to start working again, reducing the risk of ileus – a slow, sleepy bowel, provides energy for healing, and can help you feel more normal, faster.If you haven't been told you can eat or drink, keep asking the question! You are your best advocate! Another tip that can help here is step 6:  Chew GumIf your team allows it, start chewing sugar-free gum several times a day once you're able. It sounds simple, but it can be surprisingly helpful in mimicking eating even when you're not allowed to, and can stimulate your digestive system to return to usual function sooner and reduce the risk of ileus.Step 7 is to Nourish to Heal This is where we bring in our good friend protein to optimise tissue repair and recovery Include protein rich food at each meal, and chat to us if you're finding this difficult because there are plenty of hacks if you're not feeling up to chicken breast and steak! And finally step 8 is to Listen to Your BodyWhile ERAS encourages early eating, we always want you to be tuned in to your body's cues and speaking up to your medical team and us if something doesn't feel right. There are plenty of interventions that can be used to keep you comfortable while still optimising your nutrition to get the best outcomes from surgery. Weimann, A., Braga, M., Carli, F., Higashiguchi, T., Hübner, M., Klek, S., et al. (2021). ESPEN practical guideline: Clinical nutrition in surgery. Clinical Nutrition, 40(7), 4745-4761.Weimann, A., Braga, M., Carli, F., Higashiguchi, T., Laviano, A., Ljungqvist, O., et al. (2017). ESPEN guideline: Clinical nutrition in surgery. Clinical Nutrition, 36(3), 623-650.Gustafsson, U. O., Scott, M. J., Schwenk, W., Demartines, N., Roulin, D., Francis, N., et al. (2019). Guidelines for perioperative care in elective colonic surgery: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) Society recommendations: 2018. Clinical Nutrition, 38(2), 576-586. (Note: The ERAS® Society website, erassociety.org, is the primary source for the most current and comprehensive suite of procedure-specific guidelines.)Ljungqvist, O., Scott, M., & Fearon, K. C. (2017). Enhanced Recovery After Surgery: A review. JAMA Surgery, 152(3), 292-298.Thiele, R. H., Raghunathan, K., Brudney, C. S., Campos, S., Candiotti, K., Chaves, S., et al. (2016). American Society for Enhanced Recovery (ASER) and Perioperative Quality Initiative (POQI) joint consensus statement on perioperative fluid management in adults. Perioperative Medicine, 5, 26. (Note: This is an example of ASER/POQI consensus; look for other relevant POQI statements on specific surgical procedures and their nutritional components.)Soon, K., Levy, G. M., Cusack, L. A., Varma, S., & Nicholson, G. A. (2020). The effect of preoperative carbohydrate loading on patient outcomes in elective surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Systematic Reviews, 9(1), 254.Lewis, S. J., Egger, M., Sylvester, P. A., & Thomas, S. (2001). Early enteral feeding versus "nil by mouth" after gastrointestinal surgery: systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials. BMJ, 323(7316), 773-776.Osland, E. J., Hossain, M. A., Khan, S., & Memon, M. A. (2014). Effect of timing of oral feeding on patient outcomes after elective colorectal surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 18(5), 1039-1051.Braga, M., Gianotti, L., Nespoli, L., Radaelli, G., & Di Carlo, V. (2002). Nutritional approach in malnourished surgical patients: a prospective randomized study. Archives of Surgery, 137(2), 174-180.Marimuthu, K., Varadhan, K. K., Ljungqvist, O., & Lobo, D. N. (2012). A meta-analysis of the effect of combinations of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) interventions on postoperative outcomes. Annals of Surgery, 255(4), 640-649.

I det här avsnittet av Prestera Mera går Simon och Tommy igenom hur du som idrottare kan optimera din prestation när temperaturen stiger. Vi pratar om fysiologin bakom svettning och värmereglering, vad som egentligen händer i kroppen när du tränar i värme – och varför just svett inte bara är vatten utan också en nyckel till att hålla kroppen i balans. Du får ta del av både vetenskapliga insikter och praktiska tips om värmeträning, hyperhydrering och pre-cooling – med konkreta exempel från elitidrottare som Alberto Salazar och det australiska gånglandslaget. Allt du behöver veta för att prestera bättre i varma förhållanden – oavsett om det gäller Vätternrundan, Ironman eller sommarens långpass. Tidsschema: 04:00 Icke anpassade till värme 10:45 Svettning 15:00 Salt Mer poddar och artiklar hittar du på Prestera Mera   Värdar  Tommy Ivarsson, Fil.mag Biomedicin (M.Sc.)–Specialisering mot mänsklig prestation. tommy@umara.se   Simon Gustavsson, Fil.kand Biomedicin (B.Sc.)–Specialisering mot områdena kost och träning. simon@umara.se  

Expert Topic: $4bn in fraud attempts thwarted: The urgency for robust cybersecurity strategies has never been greater - Guest: Kerissa Varma: Chief security advisor, Microsoft

If you're enjoying the content, please like, subscribe, and comment!Please consider supporting the show! https://anchor.fm/worldxppodcast/supportPriya's Book: https://www.amazon.com/CONTENDERS-PRIYA-SAHGAL/dp/9386797240Priya Sahgal is the Editorial Director at NewsX (iTV Network). She is also the author of The Contenders - Who Will Lead India Tomorrow where she has profiled 16 GenNext political leaders under the Age of 55. These include Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Yogi Adiyanath, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Sachin Pilot. She is also the co-author of Dos & Dont's in India, a social guide for foreigners about Indian customs and traditions. In addition she has authored a chapter profiling India's Prime Ministers for a book titled Azadi Ka Maha Utsav, India At 75 which also had contributions from Lord Meghna Desai and Shashi Tharoor. Priya hosts three award winning shows: The Roundtable, Cover Story and We Women Want. She is also a political columnist for The Sunday Guardian. A political journalist for nearly three decades, she began her career with the Sunday (magazine) followed by Outlook and India Today (magazines).Samir's Links: https://samirvarma.com/https://www.substack.com/@samirvarmaSamir is an Author, Physicist, Entrepreneur, Inventor, and Hedge Fund Manager. He has a PhD in Theoretical Physics from The University of Texas. The incomparable E.C.G. Sudarshan was his advisor and Nobelist Steven Weinberg was on his dissertation committee. He is the author of The Physics of Free Will: How Determinism Affects Everything from The Future of AI to Traffic to God to Bees. He is working on a second book tentatively titled, I Wish I Had Known That about economics, finance and politics.______________________Follow us!@worldxppodcast Instagram - https://bit.ly/3eoBwyr@worldxppodcast Twitter - https://bit.ly/2Oa7BzmYouTube - http://bit.ly/3rxDvULSpotify - http://spoti.fi/3sZAUTG#pakistan #india #warzone #war #conflict #media #terror #terrorism #institution #trust #democracy #kashmir #subscribe #explore #explorepage #podcastshow #longformpodcast #longformpodcast #podcasts #podcaster #newpodcast #podcastshow #podcasting #newshow #worldxppodcast #viralvideo #youtube

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Legal Affairs Editor Apurva Vishwanath about the Justice Yashwant Varma case. She shares how allegations against him regarding the half burnt wads of cash found at his residence have been found to be true and everything that has happened since.Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Sandip G about Virat Kohli announcing his retirement from test cricket. The conversation explores the highlights of his career, his captaincy years, and the legacy he leaves behind. (10:43)Lastly, we speak about BJP's 11 day long Tiranga Yatra that started yesterday. (24:07)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced and written by Niharika Nanda and Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Varmt välkommen till ett nytt avsnitt av Idrott-och ledarskapspodden. Det är dags för avsnitt 159 och i det här avsnittet får du möta Åse Lunde. Åse är specialist och expert inom kris-och katastrofledning och har en bakgrund som polis, bl.a. som operativ förhandlare i kris- och gisslansituationer. Hon är utbildad och certifierad vid nationella insatsstyrkan och även vid FBI Crisis (hostage) Negotiation School. Hon har även jobbat för FN och varit strategisk rådgivare i krishantering och krisberedskap vid Myndigheten för Samhälsskydd och beredskap och som strategisk rådgivare vid Institutet för Högre Totalförsvarsutbildning vid Försvarshögskolan inom ämnen som resiliens, tidig förvarning & strategisk analys, kriskommunikation mm. Den här bakgrunden har lett till att Åse under större delen av sitt yrkesliv arbetat med några av de mest komplexa och krävande områdena i samhället – kris- och katastrofledning, civilt försvar och totalförsvar, både i Sverige och internationellt. Hon har agerat stabschef i några av de mest uppmärksammade kriserna i Sverige, som under pandemin och bränderna i Trängslet och Kagghamra, och har även arbetat för FN i konfliktzoner och efter naturkatastrofer och som expert för Socialstyrelsens krisledningsorganisation i samband med kriget i Ukraina. I avsnittet berättar Åse om hur man hanterar dessa komplexa situationer, hennes starka drivkraft att utveckla människors förmåga och kunskap, att hjälpa individer och team att växa, fatta beslut under osäkerhet och hitta vägar framåt i komplexa situationer. Åse har en sällsynt förmåga att se helheter, skapa synergier och stärka resiliens – något som är lika viktigt inom idrotten och i det ”vardagliga” ledarskapet som i krisledning. Åse kom tidigt i kontakt med Mental träning och i avsnittet berättar hon hur denna träning bland annat gav henne en viktig grundkunskap gällande vikten av att kunna behålla lugnet i tuffa situationer och varför det är så viktigt att alltid börja med dig själv för att sedan kunna hantera andra. Varmt välkommen till ett mycket spännande avsnitt fyllt av både kunskap och inspiration. Trevlig lyssning! Mer om Åse kan du läsa på https://www.resilientresult.com/ Och vill du veta mer om vad som händer i Jenny's verksamhet så går du in på www.jennyhagman.com eller följ henne på instagram @jenny_hagman Tack till Daily Sports som sponsrar hela säsong 18. Daily Sports är ett företag av kvinnor för kvinnor som producerar högkvalitativa kläder för att stärka kvinnors förmåga och vilja att vara aktiva och samtidigt känna sig bekväma och snygga, på och av golfbanan. Du som lyssnar får 15 % rabatt med koden JENNY15. Gå in på www.dailysports.se för att läsa mer och se de senaste kollektionerna. Tack till Daily Sports Vi önskar dig en fortsatt skön dag och kväll och ta hand om dig och varandra. Varma hälsningar Jenny och Team Train for Balance.

Cyrus Broacha is joined by the founder of Comic Con India — Jatin Varma. From his early days organizing the Golden Kela Awards (India’s answer to the Razzies) to launching one of the biggest pop culture events in the country, Jatin shares his incredible journey. They talk all things nerdy: the rise of Comic Con India, fan culture in India, the evolution of Indian superheroes, and what it takes to build a community of comic, cosplay, and pop culture lovers. Plus, the usual madness and laughs Cyrus brings to every episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're enjoying the content, please like, subscribe, and comment! Please consider supporting the show! https://anchor.fm/worldxppodcast/support Salman's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salman-khan-347a7713 Salman Khan is the Founder and Managing Principal of Stabilis Capital Management. Mr. Khan founded Stabilis in 2010 after spending 12 years at Goldman Sachs and 6 years at Silver Point. At Goldman, Mr. Khan was the Group Head and ran the Latin American loan acquisition business from 1997-2001. He also built and ran the US Small and Middle Market Loan Acquisition business which he later ported to Silver Point in 2004. Salman has invested over $6 Billion during his career. At Silver Point, Mr. Khan created and ran a $600 million discretionary portfolio focused on Middle Market Loan Acquisition for 6 years. In 2010, Mr. Khan established Stabilis and has continued the loan acquisition strategy and built a bridge lending strategy as a complementary business. Mr. Khan has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Samir's Links: https://samirvarma.com/ https://www.substack.com/@samirvarma Samir is an Author, Physicist, Entrepreneur, Inventor, and Hedge Fund Manager. He has a PhD in Theoretical Physics from The University of Texas. The incomparable E.C.G. Sudarshan was his advisor and Nobelist Steven Weinberg was on his dissertation committee. He is the author of The Physics of Free Will: How Determinism Affects Everything from The Future of AI to Traffic to God to Bees. He is working on a second book tentatively titled, I Wish I Had Known That about economics, finance and politics. ______________________ Follow us! @worldxppodcast Instagram - https://bit.ly/3eoBwyr @worldxppodcast Twitter - https://bit.ly/2Oa7Bzm YouTube - http://bit.ly/3rxDvUL Spotify - http://spoti.fi/3sZAUTG #god #religion #free #freewill #determination #christian #islam #physics #law #subscribe #explore #explorepage #podcastshow #longformpodcast #longformpodcast #podcasts #podcaster #newpodcast #podcastshow #podcasting #newshow #worldxppodcast #viralvideo #youtube

You have free will. You have no choice. What sounds like a paradox is actually a gateway to deeper understanding in this conversation between Dr. Bernard Beitman and physicist Samir Varma. Together, they explore how a deterministic universe still allows for genuine unpredictability—creating a space where consciousness and free will can thrive.Pre-order Dr. Beitman's newest book "Life-Changing Synchronicities: A Doctor's Coincidences and Serendipities" at Simon & Schuster, Barnes and Noble, Inner Traditions, Amazon, Books-a-Million, Bookshop.org (May 2025).Samir Varma is a physicist, entrepreneur, and author with a PhD in Particle Physics from the University of Texas and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University. His career spans finance, technology, and scientific research, with multiple patents in fields ranging from advertising to medicine. Varma manages two investment funds utilizing proprietary algorithms and has spent years exploring the intersection of physics, computation, and consciousness. In his book "The Science of Free Will," he presents a groundbreaking framework showing how deterministic physics creates unpredictability and practical free will. His work bridges fundamental science with everyday human experience through an accessible, thought-provoking lens. www.samirvarma.com https://vsasset.com/publications/ The two dive into the role of attention, the nature of meaningful coincidences, and how AI mirrors our own limitations and potential. Coincidences only become significant when you bring your perspective to them. No one else is going to tell you what it means. You are the final decider. Are you ready to carry that responsibility?Learn more about Samir at samirvarma.com and explore his work at https://www.vsasset.com/publications.

Varmt välkommen tillbaka till Idrott-och ledarskapspodden. I det här avsnittet får du en gång för alla lära dig hur du gör för att skapa en stöttande inre dialog, som i sin tur leder till att du blir din egen bästa vän, i vått och torrt. Att ha en god självbild är en av framgångsfaktorerna för både inre och yttre framgång och det i sin tur påverkar både dig själv och andra positivt. Men hur gör man för att stärka sin självbild? Hela kapitel 5 i Jenny's nya bok "Whole in one - din resa till inre lugn och mental styrka" handlar om det och det är det kapitlet som Jenny går igenom i avsnittet. Du får flera exempel från både Harvard professorer, Jenny's egna erfarenheter och från klienter Jenny tränat genom åren om hur du gör för att stärka din självbild och som vanligt blir det teori blandat med praktiska övningar. För att den träning Jenny går igenom här ska få full effekt så är det viktigt att du först går igenom grundträningen som finns i kapitel 1-4 i boken. Så gå gärna tillbaka dit i boken och lyssna även på tidigare avsnitt där Jenny går igenom det viktigaste. Du kan beställa boken på Adlibris på följande länk, eller direkt via Jenny på info@jennyhagman.com. Beställ boken här: https://www.adlibris.com/se/bok/whole-in-one-din-resa-till-inre-lugn-mental-styrka-och-frihet-9789198819120 Tack till Daily Sports som sponsrar säsong 18 av podden. Daily Sports är ett varumärke av och för kvinnor, med ett tydligt fokus på att lyfta kvinnor inom golfvärlden. Med tidlös design, premiumkvalitet och perfekt passform skapar de kläder som kombinerar stil och komfort. Daily Sports vill stärka kvinnors självförtroende genom att erbjuda plagg som gör at de känner sig bekväma och snygga i alla situationer - både på och av golfbanan. Du som lyssnar har 15 % rabatt på hela deras kollektion som du hittar på www.dailysports.se. Använd koden JENNY15 så får du din rabatt! Vill du veta mer om vad som händer i Jenny's verksamhet så går du in på www.jennyhagman.com. Bland annat finns platser kvar på kommande Golf & Yoga retreats till Villa Baro den 2-4/5. Nästa avsnitt kommer den 9 maj och då med en ny spännande gäst! Tack för att du lyssnar och ta hand om dig och varandra! Varma hälsningar från Jenny och Team Train for Balance.

If you're enjoying the content, please like, subscribe, and comment!Please consider supporting the show! https://anchor.fm/worldxppodcast/supportSamir's Links: https://samirvarma.com/https://www.substack.com/@samirvarmaSamir is an Author, Physicist, Entrepreneur, Inventor, and Hedge Fund Manager. He has a PhD in Theoretical Physics from The University of Texas. The incomparable E.C.G. Sudarshan was his advisor and Nobelist Steven Weinberg was on his dissertation committee. He is the author of The Physics of Free Will: How Determinism Affects Everything from The Future of AI to Traffic to God to Bees. He is working on a second book tentatively titled, I Wish I Had Known That about economics, finance and politics.Jon's Links: https://x.com/jturek18Jon Turek is the founder and CEO of JST Advisors, a hedge fund advisory service that publishes a weekly research note with global macro trade ideas. JST Advisors works closely with hedge funds on developing asymmetric macro trade ideas and market themes. Outside of JST Advisors, Jon worked as a PM at Brevan Howard and as an analyst at Moore capital.______________________Follow us!@worldxppodcast Instagram - https://bit.ly/3eoBwyr@worldxppodcast Twitter - https://bit.ly/2Oa7BzmYouTube - http://bit.ly/3rxDvULSpotify - http://spoti.fi/3sZAUTG#trump #tariffs #economy #economics #trader #trade #politics #geopolitics #tax #taxes #currentaffairs #currency #subscribe #explore #explorepage #podcastshow #longformpodcast #longformpodcast #podcasts #podcaster #newpodcast #podcastshow #podcasting #newshow #worldxppodcast #viralvideo #youtube

Samir Varma is a physicist, investor, and author of the book: The Science of Free Will, How Determinism Affects Everything from the Future of AI to Traffic to God to Bees.' We discuss AI consciousness, the theoretical versus practical aspects of free will, and how determinism informs our understanding of human behaviour, moral philosophy, and even financial markets. “Even though there is no free will in theory, because the laws of physics are deterministic… we don't know what we're going to do until we've done it.” “The only way to find out how your life will end is to live it.”Varma delves into the physics of free will, his insights on the applicability of chaos theory, and why certain financial and societal structures might need reevaluation. The conversation touches on the evolution and mechanics of intellectual property, the intricacies of cricket, and the profound layers that make Pink Floyd's music a unique listening experience. Varma also shares his varied projects, including innovations in solar energy and traffic management. The discussion culminates with practical life advice focused on pursuing meaningful and passionate work.Transcript: https://www.thendobetter.com/investing/2025/4/11/samir-varma-free-will-physics-traffic-bees-emotions-chaos-theory-cricket-finance-podcastContents00:23 Will AI Gain Consciousness?02:11 The Concept of Free Will in Theory and Practice04:19 Quantum Theory and Determinism18:58 Chaos Theory and Free Will23:20 Death and the Reorganization of Atoms25:37 Animal Consciousness and Communication30:23 Implications for Society and Justice37:48 Emotions and Rationality41:08 Misunderstandings in Finance44:39 Debunking Market Value Myths47:43 The Momentum Factor Explained57:14 The Unique Appeal of Pink Floyd01:02:40 Understanding Cricket's Complexity01:09:58 Overrated or Underrated?01:19:28 Insights on Writing and Creativity01:23:11 Final Thoughts and Life Advice

Varmt välkommen till ett nytt avsnitt av Idrott - och ledarskapspodden. Det har blivit dags för avsnitt 157 och i det här avsnittet får du möta golfproffset Anna Magnusson! Anna är uppvuxen i Stockholm och började spela golf redan som 9-åring tillsammans med sin familj. Efter att ha kombinerat golf med flera andra idrotter under uppväxten, bestämde hon sig i gymnasiet för att satsa helhjärtat på golfen. Hon gick vidare till college i USA och tog en examen i Sports Management från Morehead State University, innan hon blev proffs 2017. Men resan har inte varit spikrak – Anna säkrade först sitt kort till Europatouren (LET) 2020, men pga av pandemin blev det inte så mycket tävlingar, men 2022 var hon på plats igen. Hon förlorade kortet 2023, men kämpade sig tillbaka via LET Access Series (LETAS) och blev den första någonsin att kvala in till LET via LETAS två gånger. En prestation som kräver både talang och en enorm mental styrka. Hennes vinst på Terre Blanche Ladies Open och en sjätteplats på Order of Merit 2024 vittnar om just det. I det här samtalet pratar vi om motgångar, framgångar, glädjen i spelet, mental träning och hur hon hittat sitt sätt att prestera – och må bra – både på och utanför banan. Du får veta hur Anna gör för att behålla fokus och varför det är viktigt att släppa taget om resultatet när hon tävlar. Anna ger dig konkreta tips över hur du släpper taget om dåliga slag och fortsätter behålla närvaron, oavsett hur det går. Det här är lärdomar som alla kan ta med sig in i sin vardag, oavsett om du är golfare eller inte. Vi kommer också in på hur det är att ha en tränare på distans, hur hon bygger sin vardag i balans med sitt proffsliv. Varmt välkommen till ett avsnitt fyllt med kunskap och inspiration! Du kan följa Anna på instagram på @annamagnusson Tack till Daily Sports som är sponsor till säsong 18 av Idrott - och ledarskapspodden. Daily Sport är ett varumärke skapat av och för kvinnor, med ett tydligt fokus på att lyfta kvinnor inom golfvärlden. Med tidlös design, premiumkvalitet och perfekt passform skapar de kläder som kombinerar stil och komfort. Daily Sports vill stärka kvinnors självförtroende genom att erbjuda plagg som gör att de känner sig bekväma och snygga i alla situationer – både på och utanför golfbanan. Du som lyssnar har 15 % rabatt på hela deras kollektion som du hittar på www.dailysports.se. Använd koden JENNY15 så får du din rabatt! Vill du veta mer om vad som är på gång i Jenny's verksamhet så går du in på www.jennyhagman.com eller följ henne på instagram på @jenny_hagman Just nu finns tex platser kvar på hennes Golf & Yoga retreat på Villa Baro den 2-4/5! Läs mer här och varmt välkommen! www.jennyhagman.com/traningsresor Tack för att du lyssnar och ta hand om dig och varandra! Varma hälsningar från Jenny och Team Train for balance.

- The Best Cricket Stories - Daily! - https://bestofcricket.substack.com/- Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code 'goodareas' at checkout. Download Saily app or go to:https://saily.com/goodareas-Robin Uthappa and Jarrod Kimber delve into IPL 2025 – from diminished superstars to philosophy lessons.-To support the podcast please go to our Patreon page. https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32090121. Jarrod also now has a Buy Me A Coffee link, for those who would prefer to support the shows there: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jarrodkimber.Each week, Jarrod Kimber hosts a live talk show on a Youtube live stream, where you can pop in and ask Jarrod a question live on air. Find Jarrod on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/c/JarrodKimberYT.To check out my video podcasts on Youtube : https://youtube.com/@JarrodKimberPodcasts-This podcast is edited and mixed by Ishit Kuberkar, he's at https://instagram.com/soundpotionstudio & https://twitter.com/ishitkMukunda Bandreddi is in charge of our video side.

Move a departure from current practice under which judges make disclosure of assets to Chief Justice of India, and may volunteer to make them public.  

The last days before the Great Hunt.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.“Can the scorpion ever stop being a scorpion? “"Do we get our legally permitted weaponry back?" The bishop still held my hand."Sure. If it makes you feel better.""I would like to meet your people then," he gave my paw one last shake then released me. "Shall we go?""I will have someone take you to your car. I want to briefly meet with the President, of Havenstone, then I'll join you in the garage. We'll drive over to JIKIT and I'll make the introductions. Good enough?""That is acceptable," he nodded."What about you two?" I regarded the nun and the Swiss Super-soldier. The nun remained vigilant, and silent. The Swiss' eyes flickered to his boss before settling back on me."It is what I volunteered for," he stated firmly."Okay. Please never say I didn't give you a chance to take the sane way out. Also, Bishop Nicolö, circumstances have conspired to up my prospective wedding date to January 1st.""That will be more difficult. Why the change?" he remained grim."We are having twins. By March, this will be very visible.""That is, unfortunate," he shook his head."You have no idea," and then a brainstorm. "And I am curious about resurrecting the Order of the Dragon, the Societas Draconistarum." Technically that meant 'Society of the Dragonists' which was more appropriate than the literal Ordo Draconis."Precisely how do you plan to recreate a crusading Christian Order which was the purview of the Hungarian monarchs?" he didn't sound the least skeptical, just curious."I have billions of euros to fund such a thing," I winked. "Of far greater critical importance, I know where I can find the supernatural guidance and spiritual imperative for such an organization.""You are going to produce a dragon?" his eyes grew larger even as he fought down his fear. Good man. He was adaptive. He'd need to be."I never said such a thing. That would make me sound crazy," I smiled broadly. "Besides, when I say 'dragon', you think 'devil' and that's way too pedestrian for where we are going.""I am not a moral relativist.""Neither am I. I'm out to save lives and nurture the drive in the human spirit to reach for freedom, love and liberty. As you might imagine, I'm pretty freaking outnumbered.""I think you are crazy," he re-evaluated things."I just might be. In all honesty, you should back out now. Take your two compadres back to 25 East 39th Street (the Holy See's Permanent Observer Offices to the UN in NYC) and report 'Mission Failure'. You'll most likely live longer," I reasoned."I am not afraid to die," Sister Rafaela Sophia finally voiced an opinion."That's idiotic," I scoffed before the bishop could reprimand her for opening her mouth. "You should be.""My soul is in God's hands," she set her jaw."Does he talk to you?" I countered."His message is clear.""Not what I asked. I asked if he specifically directed you to toss your life fruitlessly away as an object lesson for the reckless, or careless?""This is uncalled for," Nicolö intervened."Nope. I bet you a phone call to my Brother to physically restore your bishopric that there are four people in this room who have murdered in cold blood," I kept eye contact with the nun, "and she's the odd one out. Right Juanita?""Yes, Ishara," Juanita slipped up. Her spycraft, like mine, needed work."You were in the military?" the bishop asked my bodyguard."Was? I am. Right now," she related. "I will be until I die."That earned me looks from the three Catholics."She is loyal," Nicolö nodded slightly toward her, referring to Juanita's declaration."Huh? To me? Nope. She's loyal to my office, which we shan't get into right now. Back to you, Sister Rafaela Sophia. Are you out to be a martyr, or has some saint, or angel, given you a directive the other two seem to be unaware of which causes you to devalue your life?""I am devoted to the One True God, Christ, our Savior," and Juanita snorted, "and the Virgin Mary," the nun stated firmly. "I don't hear voices in my head.""Juanita, that was rude. Apologize to our guest," I kept looking forward."No." Well, fuck you too."Gun," I commanded. I held out my left hand."What? No. I will not give you one of my guns," she resisted."Juanita, give me your primary weapon, or I will ask Pamela to beat you up the moment I depart for the Great Hunt. After yesterday's stunt, you know she will," I threatened. Fair, I was not. She drew a Glock-20 and handed it to me. I went through the routine, dropped the magazine then ejected the round before opening the door.Oh look, there were four SD chicks outside, ready to escort my visitors downstairs. I didn't even need to waste a phone call. It wasn't like the conference room wasn't being monitored."Excuse me," I took a half step out the door then hurled all three items down the hall. Looking back at Juanita. "Go fetch.""Fuck you," she snapped."And insulting her faith was as degrading to both her faith and her as me doing this to you is degrading to you right now," I lectured her. "It is important to her, therefore it is important to me because she is my guest in the same way it is important to me that I let my bodyguard do her job without being a total asshole all the time. Now go get your God-damn weapon," I barked. Off she went. I left the door open."Now Sister Rafaela Sophia, the point of all this is: I don't give a crap if you are willing to die for God. In fact, that makes you less than worthless to me and the team. I want to know if you are willing to put other motherfuckers in the ground so that Bishop Nicolá, or Mathias, might get to keep doing their jobs.""Murder is a sin," she declared."Go home," I sighed while shaking my head."She answers to me, the Church and God, not you, Mr. Nyilas," the bishop stepped forward."Then you can go home too," I shrugged. "I'm not asking for remorseless killers. I'm asking for people willing to kill to get the hard work done and best of all, for people who know the difference.""Everyone on JIKIT is a professional soldier, or killer?" he asked."No, but the ones who aren't don't carry guns and know to get down when things get funky," I bantered."I vouch for her," he insisted. Juanita came running back into the room."Cool beans. I don't know you either.""You apparently know my service history," he volleyed."Yeah. Ten years a foreigner in the service of France, then you went straight into a university which turns out Jesuits," I riposted."What turned your life around?" he evaded. That was okay. I'd gotten what I wanted. I was willing to bet he had read every bit of public information about me and it was rumored the heavy Catholic membership in the FBI had its benefits to the Church as well. Not so much as to give them insight into JIKIT, but,"Someone risked their life for me. It's been pretty much downhill from there," I confessed. It was the truth. After Katrina gave me the life line on Day Two, it had all spiraled to the revelation of my heritage, Dad's death, Summer Camp, the Hamptons, Romania and Aya's kidnapping."A person, a soldier, died saving my life," the bishop empathized. "Her story is similar. She seeks redemption. She is not suicidal. I am staking both our lives on it."Did he mean him and Mathias, or him and me? I wasn't certain. Still, it was good enough for now. I'd gotten a look at their emotional make up, even the relatively quiet Swiss."Very well," I agreed. "I have to go see the President about my new job description. I'll catch up with you at your car." To the SD team leader, "Take them to the garage. I will join the group of you very soon.""Yes Ishara," she nodded. I exited the room, Juanita in tow. Two SD entered. I was gone before the Papal team left. Upstairs we went, with one last chore to discharge. I had to check on Ms. French to be absolutely freaking sure it was Shawnee, because anyone else would spell disaster.{8:30 am, Monday, September 8th. Last day}A Room full of asistants:Well, there it was, the office of the Executive Director to the President, and not 'Executive Assistant', because this was Katrina's final 'fuck you, no, just her final 'fuck you' before the Great Hunt got underway. I shouldn't assume things, dang it!Anyway, according to the gray-haired matron running gatekeeper to the Office of the President, this was where I was supposed to show up. I shot Juanita a worried look. She glanced my way and shrugged, momentarily willing to not give me shit about the past 24 hours because where I was situated would determine how easily she could do her job.In we went. In the suite were three desks, the 'big' desk situated at the far end of the office space and two far more modest ones on either side of the entryway. The room expanded beyond the chokepoint formed by the two closest desks into a cluttered area. The walls were cluttered with inset bookshelves and portraits of women. Facing one another were a loveseat on my left with bookend plush chairs in an 'L' facing and a full sofa on the right. There were end tables at the ends of the sofa and the corners between the loveseat and each chair.As the door opened, I hadn't knock as this was my office, or so it seemed, the occupants, who had all been sitting in quiet conversation in the central section, began reacting. Oh look ~ Constanza! I nearly had a heart attack before I realized there were three other Amazons also in the room. Sadly, none were behind the 'big desk', so I couldn't tell who was in charge. Two of the other three choices weren't too much better. First off,"Ishara," Marilynn Saint John stood to greet me. I'd last seen her when I'd dedicated her grandmother's (Hayden's) spirit to the halls of my ancestors, not hers, after forcing the political crisis leading to Hayden's suicide ~ her taking herself to the cliffs and in doing so, destroying the Amazon Cult of Blood Purity. Marilynne was clearly still bitter with me. Umm, I could still incite passion in women I hadn't slept with, yet, woot?"Cáel," the senior-most and only friendly face in the room spoke next. Thank goodness it was Beyoncé Vincennes, Head of House Hanwasuit and House Ishara ally."Cáel Ishara," the third individual was deferential which I wasn't sure how to take as the last time I'd encountered her, yeah, things hadn't gone well either."Beyoncé," I started off with a smile. From there, I had to figure out, ah, Beyoncé's eyes flickered to Constanza then Sabia. I knew Marilynn, with her young age, had the least seniority, "Constanza, Sabia, Marilynn. How's tricks?"Glum faces by everyone except Beyoncé. I didn't ask about Sabia's particular well-being. It had been months since I'd beaten her into the mats of the Full-blooded gym. She'd attacked Yasmin, the Brazilian Hottie and my Brazilian Jujutsu sparring buddy, and I'd retaliated by ambushed her when she turned her back on us. Besides, she'd been giving me shit before I even could see straight.Constanza was minus her left eye because of her dire insult to me. If she wasn't capable of working, she wouldn't be here. If she appreciated my 'mercy' in sparing her life ~ her insult was worthy of her death ~ Constanza hid it well. I hadn't spared her expecting a change of heart. I hadn't felt words alone warranted anyone's death. I was a big boy and could take a few insults. House Ishara, as represented by me, could care less. These days, my sisters would be less understanding despite them knowing my heart."Constanza Landau of House Jaya and Marilynn Saint John of House Anahit are Assistants to President Shawnee French," Beyoncé eased things along, "so will be working closely with us, at least for the short term. Sabia Noel of House Guabancex, who I now think you know as well, has joined you as the other 'Assistant' to the 'Executive Director to the President', (that would make me an 'adept', but adept at what?), and since two of the three Regents are unfamiliar with the workings of Havenstone proper, Shawnee has asked me to perform in that role."Beyoncé was, or had been, Havenstone HQ's CFO (Chief Financial Officer). From what I was quickly piecing together, she would essentially be making all the day-to-day decisions concerning the running of Havenstone (how the Host made the majority of its money) until the Regents got up to speed.Only Buffy had actual experience with the New York office and, from what she had told me, solely within Executive Services. While ES knew 'who' did what inside Havenstone, they weren't aware precisely how those Amazons got their jobs done. That would have been an impossible task. Katrina could do it, but she knew it was beyond the ability of most of us 'mere mortals'. Since we were currently at war, the Host needed Katrina completely focused on her duties as Chief Spy-mistress, not baby-sitting the adults.Shawnee indeed had much gravitas among the other House Heads. Not only had she risen up to lead a First House, she had performed heroically during the final days of the last Secret War. Afterwards she had moved into the realm of Amazon jurisprudence and mediation. Until yesterday, she had lived in a House Arinniti freehold in Minnesota's Great Lakes region thus her desire for the 'Training Wheels' period.The Regency would not rule through telecommunication (the upper echelons feared being eavesdropped upon beyond the standard Amazon (read: paranoid) levels) and Havenstone: New York was the center best situated for the current war-fighting operations, so here she lived. I was sure a team from Executive Services was buying, outfitting/spy-proofing and fortifying a dwelling suitable for the President of a Fortune 500 company. Hayden's home would remain the domicile of Sydney thus Marilynn.The same rigmarole would be done for Rhada and Buffy (though I imaged Buffy would bitch endlessly). Publically, they were VP's of a company worth hundreds of billions of dollars and they had to present the public trappings of such leaders.Why did the Amazons do this ~ unmask their leadership to public exposure? Legal-simple: they could request and expect all levels of public and private security for their executives who happened to also be important officials of the Host. Certainly not all executives at Havenstone were officeholders, House Heads, or House Apprentices, but the high level of competence which permitted one often led to the other.Beyonce:As an example: Beyoncé wasn't the most 'bad-ass' lethal chick in House Hanwasuit. As she was preparing to be casted, her intelligence, creativity and diligence at her future craft, finances, was noted by the Host and the members of her House. In due time her name was circulated as Apprentice and the elders approved. When her elder cousin, the prior House Head, took herself to the cliffs, Beyoncé assumed the top spot. Beyoncé wasn't even one of that woman's three daughters.Mirroring her advancement in her House was her advancement in Havenstone's Accounting, Acquisitions and Banking Divisions until she was appointed CFO Havenstone HQ ~ the supreme financial authority inside Havenstone, though the individual regional branches had a greater degree of autonomy than you might normally expect from a 21st century conglomerate, or a Bronze Age autocracy.I had to constantly remind myself, despite the near-constant feuding, Amazons exhibited a phenomenally higher level of trust than I'd ever found in any other society I'd ever witnessed, or read about, before. Though technically Beyoncé could have gone to President Hayden to enforce her decisions ~ or now the Regency ~ she was far more diplomatic in her approach in dealing with the other 'continental' CEO's and CFO's.That meant she had to wrangle the aspirations and resources from:North America (including Latin America, the 'Canadian Arctic' and the North Pacific Ocean),South America (includes both the South Atlantic and South Pacific as far as Samoa),Europe (mostly Central Europe these days plus Antarctica, the 'Russian' Arctic and the North Atlantic),Africa (mostly West-central Africa),India (the subcontinent plus the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean) and,Southeast Asia (which includes Australia)All of which suggested Havenstone hadn't redrawn the Amazons' geographic demarcations since the late 19th century. As an example, an East African venture, say in Tanzania, was as likely to be under the purview of Havenstone: India (due to its control over the Indian Ocean) as Havenstone: Africa (which traditionally had no East Coast holdings due to their constant struggles versus the Arabic slave trade).Returning to Beyoncé: initially she had held the proper 'conservative' (aka man-hating) mindset. My behavior during that first Board Meeting began to change her opinion of me and the New Directive. After the Archery Range incident, Beyoncé became a vocal proponent of the New Directive and faced challenges within her ranks. House Heads do not have to accept challenges and Beyoncé didn't, reasoning with her detractors they had no alternatives save the 'Old Ways' which spelled doom for the Amazon Race.Bing-bang-boom ~ I became the Head of a resurrected House Ishara by the Will of the Ancestors and Beyoncé was vindicated. Not necessarily in the New Directive, but in her support of me thus the rebirth of a sister First House. The purge following High Priestess' Hayden's death was her ultimate absolution. The Ancestors and Destiny had spoken and shown Beyoncé had been piloting House Hanwasuit along the proper course all along.Back to my current circumstances:Oh, why was I Assistant to the Executive Director to the President? It gave me direct access to the finances of Havenstone which was a critical leg of the war-fighting stool ~ people, morale, money and equipment. As Chief Diplomat, I helped with all four of those in varying degrees, allied troops, allied victories, allied bank accounts and allied armaments.The Great Khan, my spiritual 'Blood-Brother', was ramping up his logistic support for my Amazons in Africa, Asia and the Americas. We were 'Allies in the Struggle' and he wasn't going to wait for the Condottieri to begin coordinating with the Seven Pillars to declare them to be his enemies. They were already fighting the Amazons and 9 Clans, his allies, so their fates were sealed.In Japan, my Amazons provided small yet highly effective strike groups which the Ninja families furnished all the support services for. Everything from food to bullets to medical attention as needed. Without reservation, we shared their death-grapple with the Seven Pillars.From the dispatches I was getting back from my family members and envoys in Japan, we were making serious diplomatic inroads with the Ninja. Once again, it was the Amazons shocking capacity for violence as well as their fanaticism, professionalism and proficiency which all impressed our hosts and terrified our enemies, and this from people of a philosophical mindset which had them historically battling samurai.The Black Lotus were running around like rhesus monkeys on crack cocaine unleashed in a China Shop and given RPG's. While the Amazons couldn't help them in China, Indochina & Thailand ~ the Khanate could and was. The Amazons were of more help in the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, where the Black Lotus and Amazons were going everywhere on the offensive against the Seven Pillars while the normal tight cohesion and iron-clad confidence, traits which made the 7P's so dangerous ~ were shaken by their horrendous losses in the 'Homeland' aka Mainland China.Less we forget, the 'military intelligence' wing of their organization had been decimated by the Khanate's Anthrax attack due to members of the Earth & Sky sacrificing themselves by being injected with the toxin then allowing themselves to be captured, which always ended in torture and death.Furthermore, the People's Republic of China, while having a scary 18% of the population either captured, imprisoned, dead, or displaced due to the Khanate invasion, that had come with the loss of 63% of their landmass (they had lost all of Nei Mongol, Ningxia & Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Regions, Qinghai and Gansu as well as 90% of Yunnan, 80% of Sichuan and 20% of Shaanxi provinces) to the Khanate and the 'abomination' that was a free Tibet.Then came the Russian 'stab in the back' which entailed the loss of another 10% of their people falling under foreign dominion as well as losing 8% of their most industrialized territory, Manchuria (Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces ~ the Nei Mongol portion of 'Manchuria' was in the Khanate's greedy clutches, from the viewpoint of a Seven P's warrior).Don't get me wrong, they weren't about to throw in the towel. If anything, they were becoming more dedicated to trying harder, digging deep into their knowledge of every atrocity, inhumanity and perversion now deemed necessary to re-chart history back onto its 'correct' path. It was this willingness to act in an even greater sociopathic manner which was being used against them. After all, the 7P's had plenty of proxy allies, who were starting to get really nervous about what their paymasters were now asking them to do,We Amazons were getting some extra special help too. The Booth-gan (Do not call them Thuggee ~ the confederate 9 Clan member based out of India though long since ensconced within various Hindi enclaves across the Globe) had created an all-female group of ultra-fanatical Kali-devotees ~ a gift for the upcoming battle fomented by the Will of the Goddess herself.While Aya was our Queen and the Regency would rule until she wished to assume command of the Amazon People, the nuts-and-bolts of the Host's activities were handled by Saint Marie as Golden Mare (our Minister of War) (technically she held the top spot due to our State of War, though no Golden Mare had ever exercised such authority over a Queen (and she definitely believed Aya was our Queen)), Katrina (as Minister of Intelligence and Security), Beyoncé (as Havenstone (the multinational corporation) ~ our Treasurer/Economic Tsarina) and me (our Foreign Minister).Saint Marie had decided to forgo a public face in order to better facilitate her moving around to various battle fronts and holding clandestine meetings with her junior regional commanders. Her Havenstone corporate title was 'Chief of Security Training and Certification'. As an extra level of deception, the head of Security Services wasn't even a Director-level position, instead being folded into the duties of the Office of the President.To my current circumstances ~ I had been given Constanza's house name which could only mean she wasn't currently assigned to the Security Detail; a fact that couldn't have made her bad attitude any better. Marilynn had completely lost her way as an Amazon when I first met her, burying her pain and confusion in endless partying and intoxicants. I believed only her grandmother's status as High Priestess kept her from the severest of reprimands, or death. I didn't even know what Marilynn's caste was. Sabia,"While I'm sure you are both far more qualified than I, precisely how did you two get these jobs?" I had to ask my two non-coworkers. Constanza glowered. Marilynn flinched."I have an in depth knowledge of Havenstone security procedures and resources," Constanza replied."Shawnee requested me," was Marilynn's comeback. "I also have intimate knowledge of the City of New York and its environs.""Actually, Buffy Ishara recommended you both to Shawnee," Beyoncé corrected their misconceptions. I knew the score. I'd be working intimately with the tight community around the President (Shawnee) and Vice Presidents (Buffy & Rhada). Buffy wanted me to be surrounded by women who hated my guts, so I wouldn't end up boinking them. It rarely worked that way. All too often ladies who hated my still-beating heart ended up punishing me with sex. I wasn't sure why that happened, but it did."Beyoncé, didn't the Chief Diplomat of the Host have her own office? I'm pretty sure Troika had one before her unfortunate collision with Saint Marie," I felt entitled to inquire."Do you feel you've earned that office space?" she riposted."Oh, fuck no!" I waved my hands one over the other to accentuate my denial. "I was just wondering where I could stick Juanita while I'm hanging around, here.""She has the desk right outside the door, Cáel," Beyoncé smiled knowingly. "So there is no way you can sneak past her.""Oh," I grunted. "Buffy again?""No. Pamela Pile put in that particular request.""Oh, Sweet Mother of God, now she is conspiring against me too?""Yes. Some of us realize the greatest hazard to your health is yourself, Ishara," Beyoncé chided me. "We'd like to keep you around, so we listen to those charged with that nigh impossible task.""Is she going to be hanging around the office often?" Constanza asked, either myself, Juanita, or Beyoncé; I wasn't sure. She = Pamela."Please, Constanza," I attempted to intervene, "don't make Pamela kill you. It will upset Mona." Constanza's scowl was accentuated by the eyepatch covering her ruined left socket, the one Pamela had carved out when Constanza had insulted me and House Ishara on our first day of rebirth. I didn't tell Juanita this, because Juanita might just shoot Constanza over the insult before Pamela got a chance to finish the job.The tension was palatable."Mona and I have talked, about Romania, and other things," Constanza grudgingly allowed. It took me a second to realize there was a hidden meaning to what she said. Mona was part of my personal Security Detail bodyguard unit. If she felt Constanza, the woman who had raised her after her birth-mother had died, was a threat to me, she'd feel duty-bound to snuff Constanza first. Amazons were hard-ass bitches alright and I think Mona had made that clear."I hope things can improve between us," I offered to Constanza. "Beyoncé, I just stopped in to say 'hey'. I'm off to JIKIT and I've got three of the Pope's people waiting on me in the garage so,""Vice President Varma requested a moment of your time," Beyoncé smirked. "She is in 2604.""Who?""Vice President Rhada Varma, a moment of your time, alone?" she clarified."Sure thing," I backed out of the office. Once I had some space, I turned to Juanita. "Give me three minutes then bust in and say, I don't know, a tsunami is about to overwhelm the city, or something. Otherwise, I won't get out for at least an hour and I think I've put the Bishop and his people through enough delays as it is.""Are you actually asking me to stop you from having an in-office liaison?" she studied me intently as we walked in the direction of Rhada's office."Yes. It's not likely to happen often, believe me.""Oh, I do, in that you won't ask me to do it often," she grumbled. I'd deal with Juanita's morale problem later. Right now, I had to gird my loins so they wouldn't do anything else with Rhada. I had work to do, damn it!Rhada was sitting at her desk, working on something, stylus raised up so she could chew on the end. Her hair was pulled back in a half-ponytail, the type that captured the rear half of the hair in a ponytail while leaving the front and bangs free to flow down. Rhada's blouse was white & billowy and, as I was soon to discover, her pants were ultra-tight and contour hugging."Mr. Nyilas," she greeted me. "I would like a moment of your time," she relayed what I already knew. She was more than a tad nervous to boot."Vice President Varma," I started off."When in private you may call me Rhada," she interrupted."Rhada, you look more ravishing than ever."That got up her and coming around her desk, which revealed her ultra-tight pants with no sign of her wearing underwear. Yikes! My cock was preparing to do what a cock was meant to do and I just didn't have the time, Really!"Do you have any time?" she let her bosom heave."Not today, ugh," I groaned. See, Rhada took the stylus and dragged it down her chin, throat and in between her bountiful mounds.All of which exposed the top of her black bra."Are you sure, Master?" she enticed me by turning around and then leaning over her desk, point that ass in my direction. My mouth began salivating and my groin ached. I found myself quick-stepping to her and giving those buttocks two firm slaps, one on each cheek."No, damn it, though I'm going to make you pay for this when I get back," I rumbled."Master will make me wait?" she taunted me."That will cost you even more," I growled. "I have business which simply won't wait and here is my captive teasing me with the treasures of her flesh. Bad, war captive," I spanked her yet again, hard. "Bad!" and I spanked her a fourth time. With each beating, Rhada gasped in pain and then exhaled in pleasure."If I've been bad, Master must be extra harsh with me when he returns in triumph from the Great Hunt," she gloated. Rhada had gotten what she wanted, which was another affirmation of my lust for her and our 'game'. I could provide her the release she so desperately craved while allowing her the safety of remaining in the Amazon fold. It was a perfect pairing, for her.I had other problems, such as all the other baby mamas in my life plus the extra-marital affairs I was contemplating. I still took the moments we had to snuggle with Rhada, her grinding that tush into my rod while I held both her arms tightly to her side while raining kisses down onto her neck and head."Sir! A giant tsunami is approaching the city!" Juanita exploded through the door."What?" I coughed. I had a face full of hair."Huh?" Rhada pushed up and away from me. I let her go."Right now," Juanita insisted. She really needed to stop taking me so seriously when I gave her such advice."Really?" from Rhada. She shot me a curious look so I shrugged. What else was I supposed to do with such a flimsy lie forcing our separation? At least I got out of there on time?{9:50 am, Monday, September 8th ~ Last day}(JKIT HQ)"Is this a common occurrence?" Sister Rafaela Sophia whispered to the closest woman, who happened to be Wiesława, the Polish Amazon. Since she hadn't arrived with us from Havenstone, the nun might have assumed she was with the 'Americans', or British."What?" Wiesława responded evenly."Weapons combat, they look real," the nun clarified."They are real. We always practice with real weapons.""Really?""Of course," Wiesława smiled at her. "We believe a few cuts and scrapes now will save lives when the true tests come.""Oh, you are with, Havenstone?" Rafaela clued in."Yes. I am Wiesława of House Živa. I am currently assigned to Unit L, Cáel's unit within JIKIT," she offered her hand to shake. Despite being a full-blooded Amazon from a freehold, her 'human' skills were progressing nicely. The nun shook it."I am Sister Rafaela Sophia of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that is a Roman Catholic Religious Order." Pause. "Do you hate Catholics too?""Yes. We have lived beside your people for many centuries and found your clergy to be much more dangerous than your pagan predecessors. Still, Cáel thinks you can be relied on and he's proven we can trust outsider women, which I was raised to believe was unlikely, and outsider men, which was basically anathema, so I'm willing to set aside my prejudices and judge you as an individual," the Pole imparted."Outsider men?" Rafaela mumbled."Well, yes," Wiesława smirked. "You are a nun, right?""Yes.""So you set aside the World of Men to live mostly among women, right?""Not entirely," the nun chose her words carefully. "We still rely on priests for religious rights and of course obey the life teachings of Christ and follow the leadership of his Holiness, the Pope, a man.""No one is perfect," the Amazon bantered back."Do you know the teachings of our Lord, Jesus Christ?" Rafaela ventured into dangerous waters."Yes. He was the semi-historical Son of your supposed One True God. We are not monotheists. We are Polytheists. Živa is my House's matron Goddess. It is also the name of the first woman to lead the House, her birth name surrendered to Destiny so all the daughters who came afterwards would be equals.""Oh, is Mr. Nyilas also pagan?" she inquired."I am unsure. From what I have been told, he has commended the spirit of his fallen father to your Jesus in a sacred ceremony then, in the presence of your Trinity and the Goddess Ishara, brought in new members to his House. I suspect he may be both," Wiesława reasoned. "Why don't you ask him?""Because he's fighting for his life?" Rafaela looked my way.See, the entire time their discussion had been going on, I had been sparring in a spare room at JIKIT HQ with Estere Abed, the Hashashin assassin (rather redundant ~ like saying the Sahara Desert). I had two tomahawks while she had a scimitar and curved dagger. While we sparred using the furniture as obstacles, Agent-86 was briefing me on various World events to get my input.Addison Stuart (CIA) and Lady Fathom Worthington-Burke (MI-6) were having a chat with Bishop Nicolé de Santis, verifying for themselves he was worth adding to the team. Juanita was having a similar discussion with Rikki Martin (US State Department) concerning my earlier encounter with the Papal team. Nicolé's buddy, Wachtmeister Mathias Bosshart of the Swiss Guard, was getting acquainted with the other security personnel.In comparison, those two had it easy. Both men were in their elements. Nicolé was a spook who pretended to be a diplomat for the Pope and was well acquainted with terms like 'deniable assets', 'plausible deniability' and your direct superior referring to requests concerning your identity/diplomatic status by saying 'I never heard of him and if I had, I have no idea what he was doing when you caught him doing what I don't know what he was doing', or something like that.Mathias was in the company of military-security specialists, brother professionals who were introducing him to his 'sister' professionals. Our Homeland Security gang were almost entirely former military by now. They got along with our JSOC folks and both had gained a limited acceptance with the Amazon security contingent.They bonded over the fact they were forced to work with really shady characters ~ the 9 Clans menagerie ~ who didn't always appreciate JIKIT operational security. Without going into particulars, the Wachtmeister was given the impression the abnormal was the norm and if you didn't think there was a 'down-side' to being able to carry your personally favorite bang-bang (the SG 552-2P Commando in his case) with some serious attachments (read: grenade launcher) around in downtown Manhattan, you probably didn't belong on this team.Back in the room,"He's not fighting for his life," Estere laughed. "He is fighting for mine.""Right," I responded sarcastically. We went through a flurry of exchanges, ending up with me kicking a chair at her. Estere stepped over it, colliding with me.I blocked her dagger, disarmed her scimitar and,"You are dead," she panted down at me, smiling. I was on my back, her straddling me. She had a belt-knife to my throat. I hadn't see her draw it. The scimitar 'disarm' had been a distraction."Woot!" I exhaled."But you're dead," Sister Rafaela misunderstood my good humor."He survived a minute and thirty-four seconds more today than his previous record," Estere responded. She slithered off of me, doing my arousal no good whatsoever, then offered me a hand up."And that's better?""He's a rank amateur with a few months on the job. I've been training to kill people for nearly two decades," Estere smiled. "Care to have a go?""With him, or you?""Either," Estere offered."I don't have a knife, or any hand weapons," she stated."We'll need to remedy that," Wiesława stated. "You should at least carry a knife.""Really? Why?""It is a nearly universal tool," I verbally stepped up. "Even if you are disarmed, you should be able to find one relatively easily, people are less likely to miss a stolen knife than a purloined gun, and a concealed blade could come in handy.""Do you train in knife-work?" Rafaela eye-balled me."Absolutely. It is part of my culture," I grinned."Okay. Can we spar, hand-to-hand?""Sure," I nodded. I put my tomahawks in their harnesses then put my harnesses aside. Estere gave me a wink before giving us the fighting space."So," Rafaela began to circle, "are you Christian?""By your definition, or mine?""By the definition of the Catholic Church."Oh cool, she went for a Savate stance. This was going to get ugly.My "no," was followed by her kick and my block, lunge and grapple. She wasn't nearly as good as Felix. I had her down and in a choke hold within fifteen seconds.Perhaps she thought I'd take it easy on her. She tapped out. I released her, retreated and flowed back to my boxing stance. It took her a moment to realize this was 'practice', not 'an interview'. She hadn't failed in anyone's eyes. We were both doing this to get better."See, I really, truly believe I have talked to supernatural entities ~ some who are considered divinities," I continued. This time she was more careful, trading jabs and blocks with me. "They don't claim to be the One True God. I believe in such a thing, but I also believe having been given the Message, Humanity has been left to muddle things out for ourselves."Whoops, she popped me one."The Woman-Thing this morning?""Yep," I evaded another flurry. She got cocky and I landed three blows, dropping her to the ground. I didn't help her up. Instead, I withdrew and let her get back up on her own before deciding if she wanted to continue. She did."I believe I've seen dragons and ghosts. I have felt legions of my ancestors give me quiet encouragement when I needed it. I know the dead have been brought back to life," I came at her. This time we both went for body blows, knees, elbows and fists. She was not SD-caliber and she needed to be. I grappled and she was forced to tap out again. After she regained her feet, she held up a hand for a pause."Do you believe any of that?" she addressed Estere."I am an adherent of Ismaili Islam yet nothing Cáel has encountered is contrary to my belief system. The Universe is a complex place and the Divine Light is often seen through a fractured lenses," she counseled the nun."Among the escapees were lawyer Francisco Luemba, Catholic Priest Raul Tati, economist Belchior Lanso Tati and former policeman Benjamin Fuca who are serving jail sentences of between three and six years each for supposed links to the rebel group FLEC (Frente para a Libertaé'o do Enclave de Cabinda), which carried out the attack on the Togolese football team at the start of the Africa Cup of Nations in January, 2010," Agent-86 read off yet another bit of global minutia."We need to get to them," I half turned. Sister Rafaela punched me in the gut and I folded up."Oh!" she gasped. "I'm sorry.""Okay," I mumbled. I had to keep with the plan. "Those men. We need to contact our Coils people in Kinshasa and the Warden of the Mountain Ways ('she' was the Amazon Host's leader of Africa ~ in the ancient times, the mountain ways had been the routes of southern vulnerability for the Amazon tribe thus the name).""Okay," both Agent-86 and Estere answered."Why?" 86 added."The Coils and the Host have had a serious problem with no nation in Africa giving them even back room recognition so we are going to take over our own country, Cabinda. It's been struggling to be free of Angola since 1975 and, by latest estimates, we've got strike elements of over 2,000 Amazons ready and waiting next door in Cameroon, Gabon and the Republic of Congo.""So you are going to go to war with Angola?" Estere frowned. "Don't we have enough enemies?""Au contraire," I grinned wickedly. "The resistance movement is genuine," I ticked off my points, "they have tons of offshore oil, and after we set off some spectacular explosions in the two main Angolan ports which are just down the coast, we allow global panic to bully the UN into intervening before the Angolan military launch an effective counter-offensive ~ considering the Angolan Armed Forces (I'd been reading up on a ton of CIA & MI-6 briefings) will most likely involve attrition warfare since they can't beat us in a stand-up fight.""They, the Angolans, have no overland access, they are separated by 60 kilometers of territory belonging to the Democratic Republic of Congo over some sad ass roads Plus the Congo River itself which is freaking huge by the time it gets that close to the Atlantic, Cabinda rests on the Atlantic Ocean by the way. No bridges. The Angolan Navy is anemic. Let me think."I began pacing."Hmm, they have no paratroopers though they have some Special Forces, we will need to hit as many of them in the barracks as we can. Their last invasion was from the north, overland, from the Republic of the Congo, in 1975, not likely to happen this time, though I may have my 'Brother' weasel up a battalion of Indian paratroopers to act as convincing peacekeepers after the initial take over.""Perhaps we can recruit some Vietnamese. I'm sure they'll love fighting in someone else's jungle for a change. We'll need some of 'our' guys to seize the port of Soyo, it is on the wrong side of the river, but has the major refinery the Cabindans will need. Since the entire surrounding province are the same ethnic make-up as the Cabindans, we'll have to take that too.""Man-o-man, I bet by the time this is over they'll really wish they'd given little Cabinda independence back in 1975. As for their other refinery, it is in their capital, Luanda, a few big explosions there too will get the markets jittery. Check that ~ the complete and utter destruction of their major petroleum facility will create a stampede for Peace," I continued. I walked over as our resident computer intelligence genius worked his magic."Blowing things up, you mean killing people," the nun blanched."Yes. This is what I do," I spared her a sympathetic glance. "I've got a madman roaming around in my head who provides me truly epic military advice which normally, but not always, means blowing shit up and killing folks. Welcome to the team," then as the data appeared, "Holy Shit! Did they build their oil refinery in the midst of their ghetto?" I was staggered. The refinery in Soyo was isolated from the town so it could be easily (and safely) seized. It was the one in Luanda which was the 'Holy Shit' site."It looks that way," Agent-86 agreed nonplussed. "Hmm, yeah, here is the port facility then your neighborhood of shoddily constructed one- and two-story dwellings between the refinery and the inland storage tanks, the perimeter barrier appears to be a chain link fence. I'd hate to be their Chief of Security.""Oh yeah," I choked. Estere slipped around to get a look."Whoops," she snorted."What are these people thinking?" I continued. "The whole shebang is exposed to the northern quarter of the city. The storage tanks have residential dwellings on all four sides with numerous side streets. Two teams with RPGs and four rounds apiece, Holy Crap. Sorry Sister.""But I want to save lives," she sputtered."Limiting the collateral damage could be pretty tough," Estere frowned. She toggled throw a series of maps to multiple pictures."Oh, look (dripping sarcasm); they light up the refinery at night. You can sit off the coast in a speed boat under cover of darkness and attack from there," she noted."Damn. Those are a lot of lights," Agent-86 agreed."24-7 operation," I suspected."We will need some experts," the government agent nodded."Or we are going to kill a fuck-load of innocent people. Not just the workers, but can you imagine a fire spreading to those neighborhoods? Shit," I muttered."You can't seriously be contemplating doing something like this," the nun sputtered. "It is inhumane. Think of the families, the children.""Lady, yes I am. Do you have any idea what the Human Rights record of the Angolan Army in Cabinda is? It is truly horrific and in case you missed it, one of the guys in dire need of rescuing by me, due to him being a huge rebel leader who has managed to escape, is also a Catholic priest. He's going to be part of the new government we are going to install once we kill a few hundred Angolans ~ mostly soldiers (more like well over a thousand).""We are going to kill a few hundred so a few hundred thousand can live free, democratic lives without worrying about the local police and political establishment torturing and murdering them. It is all part of the plan.""I think I need to talk with the Bishop.""Hang on. Let me finish," I forestalled her. "He'll get briefed along with everyone else. After all, it is a majority Roman Catholic country as is Angola, so I'm sure your guy can be of immense help.""The people you are putting at risk don't deserve this," she protested."They never do," I nodded in agreement with her. "It rarely stops terrible crap from happening to them though."I felt sorry for the Sister. She thought the Bishop was going to put a stop to this. Poor girl; he was going to do the exact opposite. See, the two competing forces at play here were a communistic kleptocracy (currently ruling Angola) and Catholic liberation theology united with a Cabindan national identity dating back to 1885. At stake was 900,000 barrels a day of petroleum. That was a bunch of funding for somebody. Last I checked, the state run energy conglomerate had misplaced $32 billion, in just three years.Mind you, the Coils of the Serpent and the Amazon Host didn't want to help the People of Cabinda out of the goodness of their hearts either. They wanted cover for the importation of weapons and other war-fighting material so they could kill the Condottieri in Africa. If the rebel leaders-turned-legitimate government didn't play ball well, the Coils were in the 'assassinating people' business and somewhere along the line the survivors would figure out keeping 'us' happy kept them alive. Problem solved.It was Bishop Nicolé de Santis' job to facilitate that understanding. If certain people with Vatican credentials explained the 'facts of life' to the new regime a lot more lives could be saved, Catholic lives. In turn, he could work to make sure the new group in power wasn't nearly as corrupt as the gang we were tossing out. Better education and quality of life, improved infrastructure & security and a nice shiny cathedral, or two.We, as in JIKIT and our component members, didn't want to rule the country and dominate the people's lives. We needed the ports and the airfields with a blind eye turned to our skullduggery. Sure, there would be future considerations. Amazons and Coil members would be fighting and dying for these people's freedom ~ public recognition definitely not required. No; the Amazons wanted to be left alone in their deep jungle homes which was an isolation they basically already had. This was a future chit which said 'don't come looking'.The Coils? Let's just say in the future Cabinda would have embassies around the globe and if occasionally they wanted someone to slip through under diplomatic cover ~ they were good for it. And if the Cabindans ever needed help in the future they knew they had friends in dark places who were now invested in Cabinda's survival. It was a win-win-win, unless you were an Angolan big-wig, or one of their foot-soldier currently serving in Cabinda. Amazons weren't big on taking prisoners, or even giving the opposition the option of giving up.For me, it wasn't lunch yet and here I was plotting to overthrow yet another government in yet another country ~ though in only two, small provinces this time. Thank the Goddess I had the rest of the week

In this episode of Paisa Vaisa with Anupam Gupta, we dive into the incredible journey of Comic Con India—from its inception to becoming a massive pop culture phenomenon. Jatin Varma, the founder of Comic Con India, discusses the challenges of bringing an international concept to the Indian market, the business behind fandom, and the evolution of cosplay culture. Jatin shares behind-the-scenes stories from the very first event in 2011, insights into the financial side of running large-scale conventions, and the marketing strategies that have helped Comic Con India grow. Whether you're a fan, an entrepreneur, or just curious about the industry, this conversation offers a fascinating look at the intersection of passion and business.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Raman Kirpal, Jayashree Arunachalam, and Anand Vardhan are joined by comedian and screenwriter Anuvab Pal.The panel first discusses the Kunal Kamra controversy. Jayashree lays down the timeline of incidents and Abhinandan highlights the Supreme Court's comments on free speech in the Imran Pratapgarhi case.Anuvab says: “We [comedians] take very special care of the names we mention, especially if the video is supposed to go up online…I don't see any mobs in defense of Kunal Kamra – just the mobs that vandalised the venue in Mumbai.”“It's always the sidekicks who want to please the master”, Anand remarks. “Now we know who the real Shiv Sena is!” says Jayashree on the vandalism by Eknath Shinde's followers at The Habitat.The panel then digs into the mystery of burnt piles of cash found at Justice Yashwant Varma's official residence last week and the subsequent inquiry into the matter. “There are too many inconsistencies in how it played out”, Jayashree says.Raman then briefly summarises the Delhi government's recently announced budget for the 2026 financial year. On how the center has now “started doling out money” for Delhi, he says: “This year, Rs 24,000 crore more was provided by the centre. This shows that the previous government was gagged.”This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 – Introductions and announcements 00:04:47 – Headlines 00:14:37 – Kunal Kamra controversy01:06:27 – Justice Varma cash row01:23:48 – Delhi budget 01:26:50 – Letters01:48:06 – Recommendations Check out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra, Ashish Anand, and Anil Kumar. This episode is outside of the paywall for now. Before it goes behind the paywall, why not subscribe? Get brand-new episodes of all our podcasts every week, while also doing your bit to support independent media. Click here to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First, The Indian Express' National Legal Editor, Apurva Vishwanath, breaks down the controversy involving Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma — including the Supreme Court's unprecedented decision to make the timeline public, the unanswered questions, and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar reigniting the debate around the NJAC.Next, The Indian Express' Kanchan Vasdev talks about the farmers' protests and how the Punjab Police carried out the crackdown at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. (19:35)Lastly, we take a look at the Kunal Kamra controversy and the series of events that led to police action and political confrontation. (28:44)Hosted by Shashank BhargavaWritten and produced by Shashank Bhargava, Niharika Nanda and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Today, I have the pleasure of connecting with Dr. Sue Varma. Dr. Varma is a privately-practicing board-certified psychiatrist and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University. She is a nationally acclaimed keynote speaker, medical contributor, media consultant, and advisor to leading television networks and programs. In our discussion today, we examine the impact of shared life experiences like 9/11 and the pandemic, exploring the role of PTSD and the effects of practical optimism, self-care, and self-reliance. We discuss optimism, its inheritability, and the significance of milestones for women, including transitioning from high school to college, navigating midlife, and addressing feelings of loneliness. We also look into purpose and compassion, the complexities of processing emotions, the challenges of the perfectionism façade, the role of trauma, ACE scores, autoimmunity, and the benefits of mindfulness and meditation.  Stay tuned for more! IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: Dr. Varma discusses the collective sense of grief, fear, connection, and empathy after 9/11 and the pandemic The importance of optimism and resilience when dealing with tragedy How Dr. Varma helps her patients identify their blind spots and other areas for improvement in their lives How perimenopause can bring about a sexual awakening and increased desire for intimacy but also loneliness and dissatisfaction in relationships Why friendships are essential for our well-being Why do we need to invest in different types of connections and relationships? The critical importance of finding purpose in life  How unprocessed emotions affect our mental and physical well-being How trauma impacts mental health Some practical tips for incorporating mindfulness into daily life  The benefits of meditation Bio: Dr. Sue Varma is a board-certified psychiatrist in private practice and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University (NYU) Langone Health. She is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Varma was the first medical director and attending psychiatrist at the World Trade Center Mental Health Program at NYU Langone Health, treating civilians and first responders in the aftermath of 9/11. Dr. Varma is a nationally acclaimed keynote speaker, medical contributor, media advisor, and consultant to major networks and shows. She regularly appears on the Today Show, Nightly News, CBS Mornings, and Good Morning America and is frequently interviewed by Time, Washington Post, NPR, and beyond. Dr. Varma is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards for her ground-breaking efforts in mental health education and advocacy, including a Sharecare Emmy. Her forthcoming book, “Practical Optimism,” is eagerly anticipated worldwide, with translations in several languages. Connect with Cynthia Thurlow Follow on Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Check out Cynthia's website Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com Connect with Dr. Sue Varma On her website Instagram Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Dr. Varma's book, Practical Optimism:  The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being

https://theprint.in/judiciary/justice-varma-of-delhi-hc-under-fire-for-cash-found-at-home-once-ruled-to-curtail-ed-powers/2559314/

An inventor of a memory management device realizes his invention is showing him a memory he hasn't experienced, a dangerous memory. Genre: Mystery, Science Fiction   Excerpt: “Memories are unreliable…” Max paused, hesitated actually. He'd rehearsed aloud what he was going to say so many times— despite not needing to remember the words— that he'd fooled himself into believing it all sounded reasonable. But now, he was about to say the words out loud to another person, the most critical person he could possibly tell his truth to..   What story or stories am I revisiting in this episode? Each Season 8 episode is a standalone story, but it's connected to or inspired by a previous story through a character, a place, an object, a concept, a continuation of events (ahem, sequel), and so on. This story is inspired by the Season 4 episode, "My Homunculus Is Malfunctioning." I am again revisiting a theme or idea rather than the specifics of a previous story. Inventions, even when they do what they are invented and expected to do, sometimes have unintended effects. Some of those effects may be minor. Some major. The stakes get even higher when that invention is meant to directly affect the human body.  And trickier when the part of the human body they affect is the mind.    MERCH!Interested in merch, like mugs and notebooks, featuring my artwork? Please visit my Store page for updated info on where you can buy: STORYFEATHER STORE   MY FIRST BOOK (yay)Ever wonder how I've gotten all these hundreds of stories written?  I have a method. And I talk all about it in my book called Fictioneer's Field Guide: A Game Plan for Writing Short Stories. It's now available as an eBook, paperback, and hardcover. The book title takes you straight to the book on Amazon. Or you can visit my Store page: STORYFEATHER STORE  The Store page has a sign-up form for my email newsletters. Fictioneering mischief and writing tips. Choose what you want. (Either way, you're choosing high jinks.)   CREDITSStory: “My Every Existing Memory” Copyright © 2021 by Nila L. Patel Narration, Episode Art, Editing, and Production:  Nila L. Patel   Music: “Men in black” by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Intro and Outro) “Abstract Vision #5” by ANDREW SITKOV (Outro)   Music by NICHOLAS JEUDY (Dark Fantasy Studio)* “Trojan horse” “In search for” “Prisma” “The deal” “Connecting dots” “Doubts” “Negociation” “Forensic” “Genetic marker” “Reloaded” “Master” “Mindhunter” “Comatose” “Men in black” “Under the mask”   *These tracks were part of a music and sound effects bundles I purchased from Humble Bundle and sourced from GameDev Market.   Music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov is licensed from GameDev Market Changes made to the musical tracks? Just cropping of some to align with my narration. Find more music by Nicholas Jeudy and Andrew Sitkov at gamedevmarket.net Find more stories by Nila at storyfeather.com   Episode Art Description: Digital drawing. Composite image. Left bottom, a young man seen from his left side, from the shoulders up, with his eyes closed, and his hand in his hair. Faint words are visible in his hair. The word “Forward,” and below it, in reverse, the word “Backward.” He is in grayscale, while the rest of the image is in color. Behind and to his right is the façade of a diner seen from an angle. An “Open” sign hangs from the closed door. Four windows are visible. A sign above the door and windows reads “Singing Star.” Above the sign is a marquee with a huge five-pointed cartoon star hung in the center. The star has closed eyes with long lashes and an open mouth painted with lipstick. Beside the star are lines hung with musical notation symbols, flanked by more stars. Behind and to the left of the diner is a sign seen at an angle. The sign reads “Dr. V. Varma, Applied Transdimensional Theory, 8-9 PM, Auditorium.” To the sign's left is a set of two theater chairs. A backpack lies under the leftmost chair. Watermark of “Storyfeather” along the young man's arm. The rectangular image is made square with top and bottom borders depicting blurred, grayscale portions of the main image.

If you're enjoying the content, please like, subscribe, and comment!Please consider supporting the show! https://anchor.fm/worldxppodcast/supportSamir's Links: https://samirvarma.com/https://www.medium.com/@samirvarmahttps://www.substack.com/@samirvarmaSamir is an Author, Physicist, Entrepreneur, Inventor, and Hedge Fund Manager. He has a PhD in Theoretical Physics from The University of Texas. The incomparable E.C.G. Sudarshan was his advisor and Nobelist Steven Weinberg was on his dissertation committee. He is the author of The Physics of Free Will: How Determinism Affects Everything from The Future of AI to Traffic to God to Bees. He is working on a second book tentatively titled, I Wish I Had Known That about economics, finance and politics.In his spare time he enjoys playing guitar and squash. For computationally irreducible reasons, he has a particular fondness for detective and spy stories, and is obsessed with the music of The Beatles and Pink Floyd.______________________Follow us!@worldxppodcast Instagram - https://bit.ly/3eoBwyr@worldxppodcast Twitter - https://bit.ly/2Oa7BzmYouTube - http://bit.ly/3rxDvULSpotify - http://spoti.fi/3sZAUTG#physics #particles #author #hedgefund #freewill #theology #god #religion #fate #destiny #facts #stringtheory #quantum #quantumphysics #consultant #explore #explorepage #podcastshow #longformpodcast #longformpodcast #podcasts #podcaster #newpodcast #podcastshow #podcasting #newshow #worldxppodcast #viralvideo #youtube

Külas on koomik ja ambassador of Lasnamäe Karl-Alari Varma. Nad saabusid just Danniga Iraagist.Toeta meid Patreonis patreon.com/p2ikesej2nkud

Dr Sue Varma joins Dr Friedman to discuss something we could all use a little more of—optimism. We live in a world filled with stress, uncertainty, and a never-ending stream of bad news. It's easy to get caught in a cycle of negativity, feeling like things are out of our control. Dr Varma shares how optimism isn't just for the naturally cheerful; it's something we can train our minds to embrace—a skill, a science, and a practice.    Her groundbreaking book, Practical Optimism isn't about wishful “glass half full” thinking—it's rooted in real science and practical strategies that can help us not only survive tough times but thrive because of them. If you've ever wondered how some people are able to bounce back stronger after setbacks—or if you're ready to shift your perspective in a way that boosts your health, happiness, and success—this episode is for you. To learn more: http://www.doctorsuevarma.com/

Dr. Nikhil Varma is an Associate Professor of Management at the Anisfield School of Business, Ramapo College of New Jersey, and a globally recognized expert in blockchain technology, operations, and sustainability. With over 20 years of academic and professional experience, he bridges the gap between research and practice in emerging technologies and management. Dr. Varma serves as the Senior Fellow and Chair of the Blockchain Workgroup at The Digital Economist and is the Technical Lead for the Algorand Foundation in India, where he supports blockchain diffusion and adoption across the country. His work focuses on leveraging decentralized technologies to drive innovation and sustainable growth. Holding a Ph.D. in Business Administration and an MBA from HEC Montréal, along with advanced engineering credentials, Dr. Varma has published extensively on supply chains, sustainability, and blockchain applications in top-tier journals and global conferences. He is also a sought-after advisor, having supported ventures like Aten Ventures and Qbrics. At Ramapo College, he designs and teaches cutting-edge courses in Business Analytics, Data Visualization, and Sustainability, equipping students with real-world skills in data-driven decision-making. A certified Scrum Master and SAP professional, Dr. Varma combines technical expertise with strategic insight to advance the adoption of blockchain and emerging technologies globally.

One year ago this month — February 20, to be exact — the world was introduced to Dr. Sue Varma's landmark book Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being. Its tagline certainly speaks to our modern times: “A practical program rooted in optimism to help you live fully and joyfully in an imperfect, turbulent world.” Yes, please! Sign me up. Sue has a fascinating story — she is a board-certified psychiatrist with a private practice in Manhattan, and was the first medical director and attending psychiatrist at the World Trade Center Mental Health Program. Through this experience, Sue worked directly with civilian and first-responder survivors in the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001, and through this, she saw both devastation as well as resilience and growth. Through this experience, she asked herself how some people survived and even thrived, despite immense challenges, and how can we optimize what we have control over and block out stressors as much as possible? That was the genesis of Practical Optimism, the book we are discussing today. This book combines Sue's own personal experiences with the latest research in psychology, psychiatry, medicine, and neuroscience, and teaches us that cultivating an optimistic mindset makes all the difference — and is something that can be done by anyone, even if you're not a naturally born optimist. Sue has eight pillars to help us cultivate practical optimism, and her research shows that optimists aren't just happier, but they're also physically healthier, too. Optimism is a practice, something we can all get better at each day, and Sue's book teaches us how. If you're looking to boost your happiness, health, longevity, resilience, and success — and who among us isn't? — then today's conversation is tailor made for you. Dr. Varma is Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at New York University and teaches both medical students and residents; she's also a highly sought after and award-winning national medical contributor for major news outlets, and today we talk about topics like kintsugi — totally fascinating — as well as healthy pride, cultivating an aloneness practice, and how, in her words from the book, “It doesn't matter whether the glass is half full or half empty — it's always refillable.” So good. Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being by Dr. Sue Varma

It's the 350th episode of That Early Childhood Nerd! To celebrate, host Heather Bernt-Santy invited listeners to submit a quote that they would like to come on the show and talk about...and here it is! Please welcome listeners Gemma Medina and Valley Varma to the show!The quote: "They caught all the wild children and put them in zoos. They made them do sums and wear sensible shoes. They put them to bed at the wrong time of day and made them sit still when they wanted to play," from the book/poem Wild Child by Jeanne Willis. To support Heather's work or say "thank you" for this episode: buymeacoffee.com/heatherf Thanks for listening! Save 10% on professional development from Explorations Early Learning and support the show with the coupon code NERD. Like the show? Consider supporting our work by becoming a Patron, shopping our Amazon Link, or sharing it with someone who might enjoy it. You can leave a comment or ask a question here. Click here for more Heather. For a small fee we can issue self-study certificates for listening to podcasts.

In this episode of 'Hot for Your Health,' Dr. Vonda Wright is joined by Dr. Sue Varma, MD, DFAPA, a renowned psychiatrist, cognitive behavioral therapist, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at NYU Langone Health. With over two decades of expertise, Dr. Varma is a trailblazer in mental health advocacy, serving as the first medical director of NYU's 9/11 mental health program and a trusted voice on national media platforms. Her upcoming book, Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Wellbeing, is set to inspire readers worldwide in early 2024. In this episode, Dr. Varma dives into the long-term mental health effects of 9/11, exploring how trauma reshapes safety, trust, and community morale. She discusses the concept of post-traumatic growth and how finding meaning in adversity can fundamentally transform individuals. Dr. Varma also introduces the idea of "practical optimism," an approach that demonstrates how optimism can improve physical and mental health, boost longevity, and reduce the risk of major illnesses. The conversation highlights the balance between purpose, service, and self-care, incorporating insights from the Japanese concept of ikigai. Dr. Varma offers tools for processing emotions and shares how embracing self-compassion and rest can help individuals build resilience. This episode is packed with actionable advice on moving beyond survival to thriving and cultivating purpose and joy in daily life. Don't miss this empowering discussion! ••• Connect with Sue Varma: Instagram: @doctorsuevarma Website: www.doctorsuevarma.com Pre-order her book: doctorsuevarma.com/book ••• Make sure to follow Dr. Vonda Wright: Instagram: @drvondawright Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@vondawright Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drvondawright LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vonda-wright-md-ms-2803374 Website: http://www.DrVondaWright.com ••• If you enjoyed this episode, Subscribe to “HOT For Your Health” for more inspiring episodes. Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hot-for-your-health/id1055206993 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Q2Al27D79jCLAyzp4hKBv?si=b62b374994884eed We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Share your comments or join the discussion on social media using #HotForYourHealthPodcast.

On this episode Hakeem Adebiyi interviews Nishant Varma, who transitioned from finance to healthcare innovation, helping his father commercialise a groundbreaking medical device. Nishant dives into global expansion strategies, the power of calculated risks, and lessons from building a business with purpose.

There is power in having a positive mindset, even if you have a negative perspective right now.No, I'm not talking about toxic positivity, which encourages people to always look on the bright side (often ignoring or glossing over loss, pain, grief, etc.).I'm talking about practical optimism, a concept I learned about from the book Practical Optimism by Dr. Sue Varma.Practical optimism is a way to change your mindset that holds space for negative feelings and experiences, while equipping you with skills to deal with what you are facing and even possibly turn your challenges into opportunities.This may seem impossible, especially if you are dealing with mental health challenges as a result of debilitating chronic skin rashes. But I encourage you to give this episode a listen with an open mind!Joining me to discuss this concept and how to develop a positive mindset is Dr. Sue Varma who is a distinguished psychiatrist and cognitive behavioral therapist based in New York City. With over two decades of private practice experience, she has made significant contributions to the field of mental health, including serving as the pioneering Medical Director and Psychiatrist for the esteemed 9/11 mental health program at NYU for which she was awarded the Mayoral Proclamation. She's also the author of the book Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being.In This Episode:The devastating situation where Dr. Varma discovered optimismAre optimism and a positive mindset genetic?Toxic positivity practical optimismPessimism vs skepticism: what's the difference?Which personality type are you?The eight pillars of practical optimismHow to change your mindset even if you feel like you are “broken”How to know if you're emotionally dysregulatedBenefits of committing to therapyQuotes“A lot of times people dismiss optimism as a variety of things. It's woo-woo thinking, it's pollyannaish, it's very naive, it's toxic positivity, or it's something you're either born with or not. So why do we bother studying it? And what I found instead was that optimism, yes, there is a genetic component, but the reality is that only 25% of it is genetic. Seventy-five percent of it is learned.”“Practical optimism…says, ‘I invite space for your loss and your grief, but I'm also going to equip you with skills that will help you deal with what you're facing right now, but also in the future, and help you prevent some of the bad things that might be coming your way.'”LinksFind Dr. Varma online | InstagramGet Dr. Varma's book Practical Optimism HERE!Healthy Skin Show ep. 131: Mindset: What To Do When Nothing Seems To Help Your RashesHealthy Skin Show ep. 361: How To Change Your Mindset (So Your Skin Doesn't Control Your Mood) w/ Brad Bizjack

Who comments on a porn site and then gets into politics? Gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson loves Nude Africa and is a wild boy. Dare we say he's the most fun figure in politics since the great Senator from NJ, Bob Menendez? Senator Menendez, thank you for your self-service all those years. Pharma is unloading SSRIs—it's a going-out-of-business sale! Dr. Jay Varma wore a mask during his COVID-era sex parties while locking down NYC, so it's all good! And finally, a few suburban housewives got scammed into giving fake Brad Pitt lots of money for a fake project in exchange for the fantasy that Brad Pitt would 'crack them open and clean them out.' No harm, no foul! What are you gonna do? Come hang with Yanni & Jesse for their weekly, more timeless, bonus episodes here and support the production of this show:  https://www.patreon.com/yannispappashour?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Support out Sponsors: Cayman Cigars https://www.caymancigars.com/yannis/ See Yanni live on the road Tickets: https://www.yannispappascomedy.com/shows

Liberty Dispatch ~ September 26, 2024In this episode of Liberty Dispatch, hosts Andrew and Matty discuss the shocking and incriminating undercover video by Steven Crowder and his Mug Club Team exposing NYC COVID Czar Jay Varma for his gross violation of his own mandates, which destroyed businesses, harmed children, and will have lasting damage on people of all ages for generations to come. Varma's hypocrisy is just the latest in a long line of high-profile officials who violated their own rules. Segment 1 - News Brief:"BoC Shelves Plans to Create Digital Loonie" | True North: https://tnc.news/2024/09/20/boc-shelves-plans-create-digital-loonie; "Bills C-398 & C-399: The Right of Homeless" | Canuck Law: https://canucklaw.ca/bills-c-398-c-399-the-right-of-homeless; "Canadian Military Ordered Hate Crime Investigation into Vandalism of Tampon Dispensers in Men’s Bathrooms at Military Bases" | The Post Millennial: https://thepostmillennial.com/canadian-military-ordered-hate-crime-investigation-into-vandalism-of-tampon-dispensers-in-mens-bathrooms-at-military-bases?utm_content=; "95% of Canadians Planning to Vote Conservative Accused of Being Disinformed on Economy, Climate Change, Right to Bear Arms, COVID Vaccines" | The Post Millennial: https://thepostmillennial.com/95-of-canadians-planning-to-vote-conservative-accused-of-being-disinformed-on-economy-climate-change-right-to-bear-arms-covid-vaccines?utm_content=; "Toronto Teachers Take Students on Field Trip to Pro-Palestinian March, Lead Them in Antisemitic Chants" | The Post Millennial: https://thepostmillennial.com/toronto-teachers-take-students-on-field-trip-to-pro-palestinian-march-lead-them-in-antisemitic-chants?utm_content=; Segment 2 - VarmaGate:"NYC's COVID Czar Caved to Teachers Union to Keep Schools Closed Even Though He Knew It Was Hurting Kids" | The Post Millennial: https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-nycs-covid-czar-caved-to-teachers-union-to-keep-schools-closed-even-though-he-knew-it-was-hurting-kids; "How COVID Damaged Every Generation, From Babies to Pensioners" | The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/how-covid-damaged-every-generation-from-babies-to-pensioner;Segment 3 - The Presence of Christ Conference ft. Jacob Reaume:“The Presence of Christ in the Midst of a Hostile Culture” | Trinity Bible Chapel: https://trinitybiblechapel.ca/presenceofchrist;“Jumbled Ramblings on Hitler, Churchill, WWII, and Hatred” | Trinity Bible Chapel: https://trinitybiblechapel.ca/jumbled-ramblings-on-hitler-churchill-wwii-and-hatred;"Having the Mind of Christ Amid the Darkness ft. Pastor Jacob Reaume" | Podcast for Cultural Reformation:https://youtu.be/gZezOFulbG0;"Build Biblical Marriages ft. Jacob Reaume" [HOW TO WIN THE WORLD - PART 12] | Rebel - Podcast for Cultural Engagement: https://youtu.be/sCkZgkkJ0BI; SUPPORT OUR LEGAL ADVOCACY - Help us defend Canadians' God-given rights and liberties: https://libertycoalitioncanada.com/donate/; https://libertycoalitioncanada.com/liberty-defense-fund/our-legal-strategy/;SHOW SPONSORS:Join Red Balloon Today!: https://www.redballoon.work/lcc; Invest with Rocklinc: info@rocklinc.com or call them at 905-631-546; Diversify Your Money with Bull Bitcoin: https://mission.bullbitcoin.com/lcc;BarterPay: https://barterpay.ca/; Barter It: https://vip.barterit.ca/launch; Carpe Fide - "Seize the Faith": Store: https://carpe-fide.myshopify.com/, use Promo Code LCC10 for 10% off (US Store Only), or shop Canadian @ https://canadacarpefide.myshopify.com/ | Podcast: https://www.carpefide.com/episodes;Get freedom from Censorious CRMs by singing up for SalesNexus: https://www.salesnexus.com/;Ready to own your own business? 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New York City Covid Czar Dr. Jay Varma has been fired from SIGA Technologies after news broke of his pandemic sex parties, Gerald was at City Hall in Manhattan to demand accountability with members of the City Council, Election 2024, Donald Trump vs. Kamala Harris, is right around the corner & we keep hearing states like Pennsylvania and Georgia will decide the election, but we have a theory that it comes down to Nebraska, Hillary Clinton has reappeared the campaign trail to coach Kamala and what she wants in return, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua a terrorist organization, and so much more!GUEST: Josh FirestineSOURCES: https://www.louderwithcrowder.com/sources-september-24-2024Join MugClub to watch this show every day! http://louderwithcrowder.com/mugclubNEW MERCH! https://crowdershop.com/Subscribe to my podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/louder-with-crowder/FOLLOW ME: Website: https://louderwithcrowder.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/scrowder Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/louderwithcrowder Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevencrowderofficialMusic by @Pogo

- RPGs and IEDs smuggled into America - This is on top of surface-to-air missiles being distributed in America - US Congress rushes to prepare for "mass casualty event" and congressional replacements - Congress worries about Continuity of Government (C.O.G.) but cares nothing about the continuity of border security - Extreme escalation of war in Middle East - Dr. Varma of NYC caught bragging about wild nude parties during COVID lockdowns - Interview with HiCap, covering Ukraine, Israel, open borders and Trump security - Directed Energy Weapons attacks on Trump supporters - Mike Adams Sermon #058 - The demonic climate cultist WAR on God's molecule of life: CO2 For more updates, visit: http://www.brighteon.com/channel/hrreport NaturalNews videos would not be possible without you, as always we remain passionately dedicated to our mission of educating people all over the world on the subject of natural healing remedies and personal liberty (food freedom, medical freedom, the freedom of speech, etc.). Together, we're helping create a better world, with more honest food labeling, reduced chemical contamination, the avoidance of toxic heavy metals and vastly increased scientific transparency. ▶️ Every dollar you spend at the Health Ranger Store goes toward helping us achieve important science and content goals for humanity: https://www.healthrangerstore.com/ ▶️ Sign Up For Our Newsletter: https://www.naturalnews.com/Readerregistration.html ▶️ Brighteon: https://www.brighteon.com/channels/hrreport ▶️ Join Our Social Network: https://brighteon.social/@HealthRanger ▶️ Check In Stock Products at: https://PrepWithMike.com

Steven Crowder is back on the streets to confront Dr. Jay Varma, the architect of New York City COVID mandates and shutdowns, who was having drug-fueled sex parties while you couldn't attend your grandmother's funeral.

Join us as we host Dr. Yug Varma, co-founder of Phyla, who shared the scientific journey and innovative solutions behind the brand. Dr. Varma's extensive knowledge of phage technology and microbiome research, combined with his academic background, led to the creation of Phyla. He identified a significant gap in acne treatment, noting that most existing solutions are based on outdated technologies. This realization, coupled with a desire to innovate in a stagnant market, fueled his mission to develop a novel approach to acne care.Dr. Varma highlighted the limitations of traditional acne treatments, such as benzoyl peroxide, Accutane, and retinoids. These treatments often come with side effects and are not always effective in the long term. He emphasized the need for more advanced and targeted solutions, pointing out that the current market fails to address the root causes of acne effectively. Central to Phyla's innovation is phage technology. Dr. Varma explained that phages, or bacteriophages, are viruses that specifically target and kill bacteria. Research has shown that phages targeting C-acnes bacteria are more prevalent on healthy skin than acne-prone skin. This insight led to the development of Phyla's products, which utilize phages to selectively target and eliminate acne-causing bacteria without disturbing the beneficial bacteria on the skin.Dr. Varma reassured listeners that phages are less likely to induce resistance compared to antibiotics. Phyla's extensive testing has shown that their phages do not quickly induce resistance, making them a robust solution for long-term acne management. He discussed the effectiveness of Phyla's products, noting that they deliver results relatively quickly. For hormonal acne, improvements can be seen within days or a week. For cystic acne, the technology gradually rebalances the microbiome, reducing inflammation and preventing relapses. This targeted approach minimizes side effects and provides a sustainable solution for acne sufferers. Dr. Varma advocates for a minimalist approach to skincare, focusing on key products that promote skin health without overwhelming the consumer. Phyla offers a streamlined product line, emphasizing quality and efficacy over quantity.Tune in to learn more!Explore PHYLA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.