Podcasts about Woodside

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Virgin has successfully re-listed on the ASX, but will this IPO bring more companies towards listing on the market again? MARKET WRAP: ASX200: up 0.95% to 8,555 GOLD: $3,327 US/oz BITCOIN: $161,587 AUD BHP rose 2.4%, Fortescue up 4.8%, and Rio Tinto was just over 3% higher. Commbank up 2.1%, NAB up 2.2%, Westpac 2.6% higher and ANZ rising 1.4%. Virgin’s IPO was welcomed by investors, the price rising more than 11% from its initial point of $2.90 to $3.23 Qantas shares up another 2.4% to $10.32. Greatland Resources climbing 44% to $7.30 by the close Wisetech Global up 2.5% and Pro Medicus up 2.6% Woodside fell 6.5%, Santos dropped 1.5%, and Viva Energy fell 3.2%. Origin Energy was 2.5% lower, with APA Group falling 1.7% – as it also announced its dividend. Treasury Wine Estates took a tumble of 0.9% CURRENCY UPDATE: AUD/USD: 65 US cents AUD/GBP: 47.8 pence AUD/EUR: 56 Euro cents AUD/JPY: 94 Japanese yen AUD/NZD: 1.08 NZ dollars See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melbourne Age reporter, Caitlin Fitzsimmons, takes us into the deniers' playbook to help us understand the motives: "How to get the best bang for your climate buck";"Woodside's North West Shelf gas extension is being challenged in the courts. Could it be stopped?";"How bad can climate damage get? Worse than you imagine";"Global warming is changing cloud patterns. That means more global warming";"A Heat Wave Leaves Britons Looking for Ways to Stay Cool";"Bees are collapsing in the U.S. A key to their secrets might vanish";"Trump to strip protections from millions of acres of national forests";"Repeal of Clean Energy Law Will Mean a Hotter Planet, Scientists Warn";"Freak wind gusts made worse by climate change threaten airline passenger safety";"West Australian miners flexed their muscle to block a federal EPA last year. Will it be different this time?";"Beneath a ‘heat dome,' the Washington monument closes and a region girds itself";"Figuring Out a Battery Storage System to Fit New York's Wind and Solar Ambitions Has Not Been Easy";"Insect Numbers Are Plummeting: Here Are Eight Easy Ways to Help";"Are Sharks and Rays Using Offshore Wind Farms as Habitats?";"How to feel about climate change? A scientist reflects on anger, hope and love.";"The Fossil Fuel Industry Hasn't Come Up With a New Story in 100 Years, Why Do Climate Folks Find It So Hard to Keep Up?";"Revealed: the astonishing greenhouse gas emissions that will result from the North West Shelf project";"Only two years left of world's carbon budget to meet 1.5C target, scientists warn";"Federal Labor ministers at odds over contentious NT gas pipeline decision, internal document shows";"Oil Companies Fight Climate Lawsuits by Citing Free Speech";"War, Inflation and Now Drought Are Hitting Global Food Supplies";"How Close Are the Planet's Climate Tipping Points?".

Alex Hillman joins the show today. With the approval of the Woodside North West Shelf approval in recent weeks and the metaphorical fires that's flamed, Alex's visit to Sydney was serendipitous to say the least. He's got 15 years working in the oil and gas sector, including nine in Woodside as their climate change advisor. Now though he the lead oil and gas analyst for the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility having made the jump from insider to outsider. His work now is focussed on helping institutional investors demand better climate performance from their portfolio companies, all from understanding how financial performance converges with carbon.Alex has a unique and valuable perspective on all things energy transition. Often the work of the sustainability professional is fixated on growing renewables and shifting the electricity system that way. At the other end of the market are the incumbents - oil, gas and coal producers. We chat about how the work of ACCR is focussed on detailed analysis of financial performance, business plans, economic trends and the supply and demand of fossil fuels. It's easy to get caught up in the desire to protest a fossil fuel expansion or new project approval, to launch legal challenges - they are critical actions. What Alex shares in this chat is how chronic underperformance in a sector most likely with a relatively short future offers a new perspective on reducing emissions and opportunities to speed up the transition.What originally drew me to chatting with Alex a few years back was when he shared his experience of switching from the internal change maker - the attempting internal change maker may be more appropriate - and how leaving a big corporate and taking his knowledge and skills and being able to combine those with his strengths in a new context released him from a set of professional shackles. Like many, Alex wants to make a difference, and he explains his own rationale for his time at Woodside which was both noble and necessary. His delight and enthusiasm for what he is doing now is clear, and offers a lesson for all of us in our own journeys professionally and personally as we try to seek out where and how to make the difference we hope to see in the world.I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for Alex, and getting under the hood and exploring the x's and o's of a sector in major transition was illuminating. I hope you come away similarly hopeful in how board rooms and the desks of financial analysts offers a new platform of change in radically reducing emissions.Til next time, thanks for listening. Events are live and more are coming - follow on Humanitix.Follow on LinkedIn, Substack and Instagram. Today's show is delivered with Altiorem. Use the code FindingNature25 to get your 25% off an annual subscription. Today's show is delivered with InnerZone. Reference Finding Nature for 50% off a career reset program til 30 June 2025.Today's show is delivered with Regenerate Talent.Send me a messageThanks for listening. Follow Finding Nature on Instagram

What if church equipped us to go out and make a difference, not just sit and listen? In the final part of our Reach series, Pastor Chris Brooks takes us to Acts 13 and helps us rethink what it means to be a body of believers. It's not just about showing up on Sundays; it's about being sent out to share the Gospel.   The Church in Antioch didn't stay comfortable or play it safe. They fasted, prayed, listened to the Holy Spirit, and sent everyone to spread the Good News of Jesus. This message reminds us that we're all called to go, whether it's across the world or across the street.  

Metcash – the largest operator of IGA stores – has said the illegal tobacco trade is hurting its bottom line. MARKET WRAP: ASX200: down 0.36%, 8474 GOLD: $3,363 US/ounce BITCOIN: $159,214 AUD Energy & Utilities rose on war threats: Woodside was flat, with Santos 1% higher, with LNG seller Origin also lifting just under 1%. Metcash rose 2.7% after revealing an 8.9% uplift in group revenue to $17.3 billion. BWP Trust rose 1.9 per cent to $3.65 Reece Holdings up more than 2% to $16.57 TPG and Medibank rose more than 1% ANZ Bank fell 0.6%, National Australia Bank shed a few cents to close at $38.88. Fortescue gave up 1% BHP fell 1.5% per cent to $35.64 Rio Tinto fell marginally but still closed above $100 a share at $101.83. Drone Shield fell more than 4% to $1.83 CURRENCY UPDATE: AUD/USD: 63.9 US cents AUD/GBP: 48.2 pence AUD/EUR: 56 Euro cents AUD/JPY: 94 yen AUD/NZD: 1.08 Dollars See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if church equipped us to go out and make a difference, not just sit and listen? In the final part of our Reach series, Pastor Dan takes us to Acts 13 and helps us rethink what it means to be a body of believers. It's not just about showing up on Sundays; it's about being sent out to share the Gospel. The Church in Antioch didn't stay comfortable or play it safe. They fasted, prayed, listened to the Holy Spirit, and sent everyone to spread the Good News of Jesus. This message reminds us that we're all called to go, whether it's across the world or across the street. 

What if church equipped us to go out and make a difference, not just sit and listen? In the final part of our Reach series, Pastor Chris takes us to Acts 13 and helps us rethink what it means to be a body of believers. It's not just about showing up on Sundays; it's about being sent out to share the Gospel.The Church in Antioch didn't stay comfortable or play it safe. They fasted, prayed, listened to the Holy Spirit, and sent everyone to spread the Good News of Jesus. This message reminds us that we're all called to go, whether it's across the world or across the street.

Guardian reporters, Josh Nicholas and Nick Evershed, alert readers to the frightening impact of a Western Australia gas project: "Revealed: the astonishing greenhouse gas emissions that will result from the North West Shelf project"

Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 11 The girls suggest to Andy who to bring in. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Eric's house now stood with seven women in it, and Andy had agreed that he would try to learn all of their names eventually, just as Eric did for Andy's household, although both of them agreed that the task would definitely take some time. The two men and Phil had all planned to meet up for dinner on Thursday, as they usually did. It was good to keep a routine. Also on that Sunday, Ash had commandeered the pool house, giving each girl the chance to pitch to her twice, once in the midday and then again in the evening, allowing them to improve and refine upon their pitch. That had kept the entire house occupied, and allowed Andy to spend all of his time writing, although he did make an exception for lunch, when he'd tended to Jenny and Katie's needs. In a move that had surprised him, Jenny had insisted Katie ride his cock until he came inside of her, then sucked her share out of her partner's cunt afterwards. It had proven an excellent test, and Katie had still gotten her fix out of the experience. She'd described it to Andy as "filthy in the best possible way." Other than that, Andy went two days without engaging in any sex, a sort of chance to recharge his batteries. He suspected he might have a bit on Monday, but also acknowledged to himself that he was going to be booked wall to wall with the meetings, hearing the girls pitches, so it might even be a third day off from sex. Monday morning he awoke in bed alone, an absence he definitely noted, but it let him get his morning workout in, followed by a shower. After he got out of the shower, when he went to get dressed, he found a printed schedule of his day on top of his dresser. 10 11: Asha, Emily, Hannah, Jenny 11 12: Katie, Lauren, Nicolette, Niko 12 1: Lunch 1 2: Piper, Sarah, Sheridan, Taylor 2 3: debrief with Aisling Ash had decided to just organize the girl's pitches in alphabetical order, so that Andy wouldn't see any prejudgment on her part. On the schedule, there was also a map of the house's lower level, a room marked with an X and a note from Ash that read simply "See you there!" The house was the quietest it had ever been, even his two cats seeming a little perplexed at the lack of people moving around. Andy wandered down to the marked room at about fifteen minutes to 10, finding Aisling already in the room, which had been set up as a little conference room, a large television on the wall doubling as a computer monitor. On the screen was a black screen with the words "Project Pair Up" in friendly white lettering. "Hey love," she said to him with a smile. She was dressed in professional looking attire, the most dressed up he'd ever seen her. With the quarantine, everyone had been completely casual, and Andy suddenly felt wildly underdressed, wearing just a pair of jeans and an old, faded Jesus Jones t shirt. She saw his look and immediately grabbed his arm. "Relax. You're the one everyone's pitching to, so you're allowed to dress however you like. It's good to be the king," she giggled. "You've heard all the pitches already, Ash," he said to her, as she led him to the head of the table, making him sit down. "Anything truly shocking?" "I told you I wasn't going to make decisions for you, babe, so you'll just have to wait and see." "I wasn't asking you to make a decision, Ash," Andy laughed, "simply whether or not you thought this was a good idea or not." "Oh, aye," she nodded. "There's some truly remarkable women up on offer for you today, and I'm certain there will be some hard decisions in your future, in more ways than one. A few dodgy ones too, by my reckoning, but I'm not the final say in the matter, am I?" She moved to sit down next to him, at his right hand spot, the television screen on the wall opposite him. "There are pros and cons to all of them. But all the girls have agreed nobody will be upset at you, no matter what you decide." "And you think they're all going to hold to that?" "I told them if they couldn't then they shouldn't bother pitching anyone at all. That sort of got them in line." Andy nodded sagely. "Where are they?" "Everyone's hanging out in the pool house right now, and they'll come up when we text them, one at a time, so if anyone runs short, or needs to run long, nobody will get interrupted." "Okay then, let's get to it, I suppose." Ash nodded, and then picked up her iPhone from the table, sending Asha a text to come to the room. A few minutes later, the half Indian half French girl strolled into the room in a powder blue power suit, her hair done up in a bun, wearing bright red 1950s librarian glasses. "Thanks for letting us pitch ta ye, Andy," she said, moving to sit down on the chair at the opposite end of the table from him. "Going first is a bit of a pisser, but I s'pose I'll set the bar high for the lot of'em." She picked up the little remote from the table and clicked it, as the monitor behind her sprung to life, an image of a bright, bubbly blonde girl appearing on it. "This is Olivia Shoemaker, my bestie from me London days. Now I know what you're thinkin', that she's young, and you're nervous or whateva about bringin' too many young birds into the house. But Livvy's a doll. She's a student down at UCSD, so she could just transfer up here and go ta UCSF or Berkeley or Stanford or whateva." Asha clicked the button and the screen advanced, showing Olivia in a colorful yellow sundress, standing on the Santa Monica pier. "She's also a right big social media influencer, with half a million followers on Insta and about as many on TikTok. They were tryin' to get her to appear on Love Island back home, but she said she wanted to wait until she was a bit older for that. She's 19, she's fit and she's a babe. We've been friends since we was toddlers, an' I know she'd likely fall for you like I have." "What's she going to school for?" Andy asked. "She's undecided right now, but she's thinking she might get into international finance. Banking, stocks, that lot. She changes her mind about that all the time, though, so who knows where she'll end up. Girl's got a mind that goes a kilometer a minute, you ask me." "You think I'd be her type?" Andy asked, a touch of doubt in his voice. "I have trouble imagining someone like her being satisfied with someone older like me. I'm not particularly social media savvy, and she looks like the kind of girl who would take one look at me and think 'old man.' And that's no judgment on her,  I'm just saying, you want to make sure this is someone who you think is going to be happy here, and with me. Simply because I can request anyone I want to doesn't mean that I necessarily should." "She and I have been friends since we were wee high, so if I tell her she'll like you, she'll trust me on tha', and once she gets to know you, she'll fall for you like e'eryone does, Daddy." He still wasn't entirely comfortable with her calling him that, but he'd learned that telling Asha no just made her do the thing twice as much, so he was hoping she'd get it out of her system eventually. "And part of the pitch process was also you identifying what the challenges might be if I were to extend her an invite to our family. So what do you think those would be?" "Um," Asha said, looking down at the table a moment. "I'm not gonna lie ta ye, Andy. She can be a mite tad possessive. Her last relationship imploded because her boyfriend gave another girl a ride home after a party, and she thought he'd cheated on her." Andy winced a little bit. That struck him as more than a challenge. "So you think that's not going to be a problem here, where she has to share me with all of these other women?" "She'll get over it!" Asha pouted. "She just needs to be shown that not all men are lads, and that she doesn't have to have someone's complete attention all the time to get by in the world." "Do you know what she likes and dislikes sexually?" Ash asked her, cutting straight to the point. "Are you sure she's compatible with Andy?" "She's a bit more reserved than I am," Asha sighed. "More reserved than she oughta be, you ask me, but I don' like the idea of her just fallin' in with some bloke who won't do right by her. She deserves better'n that. The prude walls hafta come down sooner or later." "But do you think she and I would make each other happy?" Andy asked. "I'd like to think so, Andy," Asha said, "but I'm no' sure one way or the other. I'm just tryin' to look out for her." "Okay, Asha. You're the first one we've talked to today, so obviously we have a lot more pitches to hear, so we'll keep your friend in mind." Asha nodded, standing up again. "An' if you decide she's not for you, Andy, I'd understand, but, y'know, maybe pass her on to one of your friends around the town as a thought? It'd just be nice to have one of me mates around here." Andy smiled. "I'll see what I can do." Asha walked over, leaned down and gave Andy a soft kiss. "Thanks, Da. I'll see you at dinner, yeah?" Before Andy could answer, Asha was already heading out the door, closing it behind her. Aisling pushed the button and the screen moved to a simple black background with "next: Emily" in white letters on it in a classy font. He turned to look at Aisling, not entirely sure what to say, which made Ash giggle. "They're all very different, Andy, so you'll just have to decide for yourself." She sent a text message on her phone to Emily, letting her know to start heading to the conference room. "An influencer, though?" Andy said, rolling his eyes. "I still don't get how anyone can think that's a real job." He sighed, seeing the smirk on Ash's face. "I think it's more likely that I'll recommend her over to Eric or Phil, but I'll try to keep an open mind." "That's all anyone's asking, love." "Emily's pitch isn't also for a social media influencer, is it?" he asked, caution plain on his face. "Olivia was the only one, silly, so you can relax." He nodded, hearing a knock at the door. "C'mon in, Emily!" Emily entered the room, and it seemed as though all the girls were going to be in their best professional wear today. She had a modest dress than hung nearly to her ankles and a bright red silk blouse that was almost entirely buttoned up. She looked like was planning to meet the head of some movie studio more than simply talking to Andy and Aisling. She gave a warm, impish little smile and wave, then pulled the door closed behind her. "Hey love. Ash. This is so exciting!" she giggled. "How did Asha do?" Andy was about to say something when Ash put her hand on his wrist to quiet him. "He's not going to talk about any of the pitches to anyone other than me until he's heard them all, Emily, so I don't know why you're asking." The blonde Brit giggled again, flashing a little wink. "I asked because I almost got him to spill the goss." Emily moved to sit down in the pitcher's chair, and picked up the remote. "But it's fine, it's fine. Andy darling, let me present to you Summer Steele." She clicked on the remote and the screen behind her flickered and turned into an image of a woman in her late 30s sitting behind a camera, clearly on a set somewhere. Summer was fit, although not overly muscular, with hair a deep dark brown, like a freshly cut walnut tree. Her nose was slightly crooked, like it had been broken and reset at least once. Her skin had a natural tan to it. Andy suspected her heritage was either Jewish or Palestinian. She looked focused on whatever she was working on. She was certainly lovely, but also had a tough, street fighter kind of vibe to her. She was dressed in leather pants and a leather jacket over some kind of t shirt, as she peered at the camera's monitor. "Her real first name is Maya, but professionally she's been Summer Steele for nearly a decade now. I think you can call her either." Click. The image turned to show the woman on set of one of the Daggerfall Academy movies with Emily, one of the later ones clearly, judging by Emily's age in the picture. It looked as though Maya was teaching Emily some moves for an upcoming scene. "We first met when she was the stunt coordinator and 2nd AD for 'Power Taken: Daggerfall Academy IV.' We've been friends since then, but she's gone on to direct episodes of all sorts of shows: 'The Last Garrison,' 'Everyone Dies At Midnight,' 'Uprising From Below,' and even a couple for Disney+, although she obviously can't tell me about any of those." Click. The image shifted and was replaced by an image of current Hollywood it guy Scotty Jansen with his arm around her, as she sipped from a beer, probably at some afterparty in the Hollywood hills. "She was with Scott Jansen up until January of this year when they split after Scotty got drunk and put his foot in his mouth one too many times. There were lots of reasons they were never going to work out, but this was the final straw." Click. A new image appeared, with Maya in between Sarah and Emily, the three women clearly out for a night on the town, although based on the buildings behind them, Andy would've guessed they were somewhere in central Europe. "So, she knows Sarah and I rather well, and we can both vouch that under her occasionally crass veneer, she's a sweetheart with a kind spirit. Many of the things some lesser men would find turnoffs,  her tendency to drink and swear, her sometimes lacking sense of tact, her habit of acting first and thinking later,  those are all things you like in a woman, so that's delightful." "Well, as long as she isn't sloshingly drunk all the time, Emily," Andy said. "I don't want to bring in a dangerous alcoholic we're going to need to check into rehab all the time." Emily flapped a hand dismissively in his direction. "Nothing so coarse, my love. While she can attack a bottle with a gusto I've yet to see rivaled, she does keep those benders to a manageable number, and never lets them affect the rest of her life." "Alright, carry on." "She likes the same kind of sex you do, Andy,  she's a talker, and she enjoys both the softer and harder sides of it. She's very professional and you've made a point to tell all of us that if we want to continue working and chasing our dreams, we should do it, something she would very much appreciate, as she's certainly making headway. She directed her first film last year, 'The Secret In The Shadows,' and while it didn't win any awards, it came in under budget and over performed expectations by a sizable amount, so she's in talks to do another movie after the pandemic has passed." "Where's she from?" Ash asked her. Click. Andy suspected this was the most recent photo of the woman, and she'd undergone a drastic haircut. The left side of her head was shorn down to almost a buzz, while the front had a large flop of hair dyed bright green hanging over one eye, a look Andy had been told was called an undercut. She was wearing a white tanktop and he could see the woman had tattoos on each of her shoulders, epaulets of ink depicting fighting fish in a lake, done in a Japanese style. "Upstate New York. Her father was a rabbi and a jeweler, her mother ran a deli. Dad passed away last year from a heart attack, so her mom's running both businesses now. No brothers or sisters. Maya's got a few friends in the L A area, but for the most part, she's on the go so much that she really never settled anywhere. I'd like for her to settle with us." "What sort of challenges do you anticipate?" Andy questioned. He had a yellow legal pad of paper in front of him, and he'd been keeping small notes during the presentations, mostly so he could keep everything straight in his head at the end. "Two, but both I think aren't deal breakers. First, she's going to want to continue working so there may come a time when Andy might need to do a bit of travel to accommodate Maya's schedule, or Maya will simply need to ensure that most of her work as a director is done relatively local to here. I know that there have been some sound stages built in Oakland for the purpose of doing more film work here, so we will simply need to remind her of that." "And the other?" "The other is a little more of a challenge, but mostly just for you, love," Emily said to Andy, her coy smile widening a little. "Maya isn't at all bi curious. She is absolutely, positively, 100% heterosexual, meaning that you would need to tend to her needs without anyone else as company. I know this because both Sarah and I have made passes at her, only to be told that she's very much 'men only.' She would be completely aware of the rest of us, but simply wouldn't want to partake in any group activities. That also might mean you would need to share a bed with just her every once in a while, so she feels like she has as much a stake in you as everyone else, but you're clever, so I think you would do fine. Like you told me, constraints are simply gifts to creativity." "Do you think I would make her happy? Do you think she would make me happy?" Emily nodded. "It wouldn't be without minor complications, naturally, but I think you two would get along like a house on fire, and she would fit into the house much like Lauren does,  present and eager with you when she's spending time with you, and self reliant and capable when she isn't. She started as a stuntwoman before she got into directing, so she has always had an uphill climb in her life. We aren't best mates, but she'd thrive here, she'd adore you and I think she'd make you happy as well." The tiny Brit clicked the button and the screen advanced to black once more, with white letters reading "next: Hannah" in the center of it. "No matter what you decide, love," Emily said, getting up from her chair, making her way over to Andy, "I just want to say that all of the girls are thrilled you're asking us for our opinions on this, and it means the world to the lot of us that you're letting us have a say in who we want to join the family. You didn't have to ask anyone for their opinion, so the fact that you are, well, it shows even further that you're quite the good man, Andy Rook." Emily leaned in and kissed him, soft and tender, but backed with a lot of love, before she finally pulled away and gave him and Ash a little wave goodbye, slipping out of the room, closing the door behind her. Ash smirked as he looked over in her direction. "They're all probably going to say something like that, just so you know, love," she told him. "They've all been getting stories from Niko about how things are on the base, or from the girls involved in the poker game, and so they know what a weird place the world is in right now, and everyone's delighted how you're handling this." "Hell, if I was handling it my way, I'd probably just have stopped here, Ash, and not added anyone else to the family, but based on what Phil's told me, I'm going to spend the next five years hearing that I need to help usher in a new generation to save this one." The Irish girl giggled and offered him a little shrug. "It's such a hard life, isn't it, having beautiful women constantly throwing themselves at you, begging for sex." Andy scowled, although the expression was done with amusement. "Agreed, Alcatraz it ain't, but it's still quite the change from my life six months ago." "Which reminds me, you have to be sure and call Xander tomorrow and fill him on all the changes that have happened here in the last week. He texted you yesterday offering his condolences about Matty, but hell, he doesn't know about how quickly your house has exploded. Maybe we should send him a picture of you in bed, surrounded by all your women, like a modern day Hugh Heffner." Andy started laughing at that, shaking his head. "Oh god, he's gonna fucking kill me. He had quite the crush on Emily a few years back, although I think he grew out of that. Lord, I'm never going to hear the end of it." "Well, it'll be something you two can use to keep your spirits up when you talk. Are you ready for Hannah to make her pitch?" He nodded. "Sure, she's the one who got this all started. Let's see who she thinks we should bring into the house." A few minutes later, Hannah strolled into the room confidently, although Andy was surprised to see her in her cheerleading outfit again, the first time she'd worn it again since she'd shown up to the house a few days ago. Andy found the outfit choice odd, but decided not to remark on it. "Two days enough time for you to think it over, Hannah?" he asked the Asian cheerleader, who smiled and nodded. "Totes, but I didn't know I was gonna have hella competition at the end of it!" Over the past few days, the one thing Andy had determined first and foremost about Hannah was that she was always operating at 110% energy. That's simply who she was. "It's all good, though. I think you'll vibe with my candidate, even if she's not immediately your type." Hannah picked up the remote from the table and clicked it, as a picture sprung to life behind her. The minute the image popped onto the screen, Andy was taken back a bit. "I'm fairly certain that taking on an entire cheerleading team would be well over the limit of you suggesting one person, Hannah," he laughed. The image behind her must have been from the spring of this year, as it was Hannah and her entire cheerleading team over at Woodside High, where she'd graduated from in May. There were fourteen girls in the photo, in addition to the coach, and they were completely varied in terms of size, shape and race, although he couldn't deny, they all seemed lovely. It took him half a second to find Hannah as her hair lacked the blonde highlights in the photo. "Not the team, sir," she said, clicking the button again, as the screen shifted, this time the only person on the screen being the cheerleading coach. "Just the woman running it. Tabitha Jefferson." Without all the other people on the screen, Andy could focus on the woman being suggested. She was an African American woman with milk chocolate colored skin around Andy's age, although she was in far better shape than he was. In the picture, she was in black gym shorts with an orange stripe and a large orange t shirt with the word "Wildcats" in highly stylized lettering across the front of it. She had straightened hair drawn back in a short ponytail that hung to the nape of her neck, and a friendly face, although her expression was one of shouting. "Coach Jefferson has been the cheerleading coach and P.E. Teacher for Woodside High for the last five years. She's whip smart, funny and really cares about us girls. When I was kinda a troublemaker, she'd pull me aside and give me a good talking to, tell me that she thought I was super smart, and that I was capable of anything if I'd stop fucking around and quit self sabotaging my own life. And she never gave up on me, and never let me focus just on cheerleading or the petty drama and shit a bunch of wound up girls get into with each other." Hannah pushed the button and the image changed again, showing a slightly younger Tabitha with her arm around a good looking African American man with much darker skin in military fatigues. "Just before she moved to Woodside, she was an Army wife, until her husband, Nicky, was killed in action in the Middle East. They'd only been married for about two years, and only together about four, but it still broke her heart. She moved across the country to live out here, closer to her mother, only for her moms to die last year due to lung cancer." Hannah pushed the button again. The new image also had to have been taken in the spring, just before the pandemic had set in. Tabitha had her arm around Hannah, and both of them were smiling, both of them in formal wear, this time with the blonde highlight in Hannah's hair. "She was one of the chaperons for senior Prom, and when she found out I didn't have anyone to go with, she made me go on my own, and I still had a great time. She drove by my parents house to drop off my diploma and told me to call her Tabby from now on, since I wasn't a student of hers any more, and that she hoped school would start back up soon, because she was feeling a little lost." The Asian girl sighed a little, her face contracting in sadness. "She's had a really rough go of it, Andy, between losing Nicky then her mom and now her ability to teach and be around people. I don't know a thing about what she likes sexually, so I dunno what to say about any of that, but she's a good person, the best person I know, and if I can give her just one little bit of happiness, then I fucking owe that to her." Hannah looked like she was about to cry, so Aisling reached over and took the girl's hand in her own, giving it a little squeeze. "Thanks Ash, I'm okay," she said, smiling a bit as if it might help her make it more true. "The person you most reminded me of when we were first met, Andy, was Tabby. You could've just fucked my brains out and not given a fuck about my feelings, but you didn't. You talked to me first, made sure I knew what I was getting myself into, when you so didn't have to, hell, I wasn't even expecting you to. I wanted to get back at that little shit Benny so fuckin' badly, but you wouldn't let me just charge into it without us talking it out first. That's the kind of thing Tabby did for me all the time, not letting me just leap into the first idea that popped into my head, but really making me think it all out. So I want to give something back to her, and I think that something could be her hooking up with you." "This whole polyamory thing isn't for everyone, Hannah," Ash said. "You think she'll be up for sharing Andy with all of us?" Hannah laughed a little, rolling her eyes. "Her last relationship was part of a throuple, so I totally wouldn't worry about it, Ash, although this one would be a little different." "Oh yeah?" Andy asked. "How so?" "Well, she was in a relationship with two bi guys, so she was used to having cock on tap." The busty cheerleader giggled a little bit. "But I know she's into girls too, because she refused to come into the locker room when we were changing. Said it was only respectful, but I saw that glimmer in her eyes that said she desperately wanted to peek, but wasn't going to, because that's what us girls deserved." "What ended their relationship?" "The two guys decided to move to Portland, and Tabby's mother hadn't passed yet, so she refused to leave her. They were all kinda in different headspaces anyway, I think, since Tabby never said another word about them after they left, so maybe she was kinda okay with it? Maybe it was just an easier way to end it than ending it? I dunno. It was all spring of my junior year." "Challenges you foresee?" Aisling asked. "Well, I dunno how she likes to fuck, so I dunno if you two can make that work for you or not, but I think you'd be okay. And I don't know if you're her type, so I don't even know that she'll say yes. You're a little less,” Hannah trailed off, trying to find a way to phrase what she wanted to say. "Less what?" Andy asked. "Less butch, I guess," Hannah giggled. "Dom and Mike were ultra cut, and Nicky was pretty buff himself, so I guess her type is a bit more ripped than you are, but it's not like I know everything about what kinda dudes she likes to bone. But without her being able to teach until, like, at least a year from now, I wanted to make sure she's not getting stuck inside her own head too much." Hannah clicked the button and the screen behind her changed to say "next: Jenny" on it. "Anyway, if I was you, I'd totally wanna fuck Tabby. Hell, I kinda wanna fuck her myself, if she's down for that. And she's a good person, and good people deserve to have good things happen to them in the world, so that's why I think you should invite her here. Thanks for letting me tell you all this, Andy. I didn't know how much I needed to tell someone this whole story about this amazing woman who changed my life, and I'm glad it's to the man who did the same thing." She stood up, came over and gave Ash a hug, then one to Andy as well followed by a sloppy kiss, before pulling back and heading out of the room, almost skipping in her step, making the skirt flutter a little each time. "So I know I said I wasn't going to offer you any opinions on all of this, love," Aisling said, "but I do want to make two exceptions. First, I think you should invite Tabby here. It means a lot to Hannah, maybe more to her than to any of the other girls involved, and I think Tabby seems like a fine match for you, based on what Hannah's told me." Andy nodded. "She was speaking very strongly from the heart, so I don't blame you. I won't commit to 100% saying yes right now, but I'll mark her down as a very strong likely, if that's okay." "Natch love," she said, squeezing his arm. "The other exception I want to make is to set you up for Jenny's pitch, and to tell you to tread lightly. Her pitch is for a staff person, but I suspect the person being pitched might want something more than that from you, and I think you should probably give it to her, but at her own pace. Jenny's got quite the tale to tell, and her friend has had a very rough life. I think even Jenny knows that if you bring this girl on, she's going to grow from staff to family member eventually, but that's okay with me, and all the rest of the girls, so keep all that in mind when she's talking, that we all know it's unsteady waters, and we're all okay with it, awright love?" He wasn't entirely sure what to make of that, so he simply nodded, giving himself a second to get his words in order. "She's the first staff pitch I'm hearing, but if you're telling me in advance that it's going to be different than all the rest, then that's good to know, and I'll keep it in mind." Ash smiled, kissing him on the cheek. "I think you'll like who she's pitching anyway. Has a completely different tone than anyone else you're gonna hear about today, and if I'm honest, I'd love ta meet her myself." Just as she was saying that, Jenny opened the door and made her way into the conference room, moving to sit down opposite them, her warm comforting smile well set on her face. Jenny hadn't chosen to dress up more than her usual attire, looking like a plump Martha Stewart, as she folded her hands on the table, just over the remote. "Thanks for letting us do this, sir. None of us had even thought about this until you and Ash told us about it, and the fact that you're letting the staff pitch as well, gosh, that's just the sweetest thing. My story's gonna be a little bit of a rollercoaster, so I hope you don't mind, sir." Andy chuckled, leaning back in his chair a little bit. "Fire away, Jenny." Jenny picked up the remote and clicked on it, as the image behind her changed to a much younger one of her and another woman, really more of a girl at that point, what had to be at least a decade ago. Jenny was thinner then, wearing an oversize P!nk t shirt, with her arm around a Latin girl, a little less thin, with massively blown out hair, wearing a red tanktop with a sheer mesh black shirt over it. The two girls were laughing in the picture, each holding up a red Solo cup that Andy suspected held alcohol that neither was old enough to be drinking at the time of the photo. "This is me with my college roommate, Alexis Coleman, better known as Lexi. We were both freshman at UCLA when we were randomly paired together to share a dorm room together at Hendrick Hall." The image changed again, and showed the two girls playing beer pong at some Greek event. "I'd just moved out here from Cleveland, and she'd just moved here from D.C., and so we became best friends." "You didn't go to culinary school?" Andy asked. "You're such an excellent cook, I find that impossible to believe." Jenny blushed a little. "Thank you, sir, but I did, after I got my Bachelor's degree in art history. I had wanted to become an art custodian, but couldn't seem to make it work, so I went to culinary school in SF after giving up on the art world." "And Lexi?" Ash asked. "What was she majoring in?" "Criminal justice," Jenny said, clicking the button again to show an image of Lexi, a little older, in a bikini out on the Santa Monica boardwalk, on roller skates that she looked a little unsteady on. "I know she looks like a Victoria's Secret model, but she was determined to get into law enforcement during college. She also minored in political science and theory, as well as picking up several languages along the way. I know she speaks Spanish, French, German, Russian and Portuguese, and knowing her, she's probably picked up a few more since then." "All of this has to be a while ago, though, Jenny," Andy said. "What year did you two graduate?" Jenny pushed the button again to show a graduation of the two of them together, holding up their diplomas with big smiles. "2007 sir, and I realize I'm giving you a bunch of background, but I think it's very important that I do, so you understand who Lexi is, and how she's a sweet, adorable person, despite the rest of what I'm about to tell you." Andy leaned forward a little bit. "As a professional storyteller, Jenny, let me tell you that's a hell of a way to perk your audience's interest. Go on." "Yes sir," she said, clicking the button to advance the image again. This time, Lexi was a few years older, dressed in more of jungle wear,  thick pants, a heavy shirt with a vest on, and her hair pulled back tightly. The background was thick trees and dirt, with sunlight peeking through. Of more note, however, was the AK 47 slung over her shoulder. "In her last year of college, Lexi was recruited to join the CIA. My details about this period of her life are very unreliable, but I think she was training with the agency for another year or two, and then served as a combination of analyst and field agent for most of the next decade, primarily in South and Central America, until 2017." The next image took Andy a little aback, although Ash had clearly seen it before. It was relatively recent, Jenny and Lexi together, in the kitchen of some restaurant or hotel. Both of the women were older than they were in the earlier photos, and most notably, Lexi had some significant scarring along part of her neck and the bottom left part of her chin line, although it looked as though the scarring was at least a few years old. "I don't know what happened to Lexi in 2017, but it must've been particularly gruesome. She couldn't tell me how she got the scars, only that she got them in the service of her country, and that she regretted how they were keeping her out of field work, because they were too identifiable. She'd been saddled with desk duty, and in 2018, she finally quit the CIA." The image jumped again, and this time Lexi was in a dark suit with sunglasses, opening a door for some Middle Eastern shiek. "She tried her hand at personal protection for a while, but eventually gave up on that and just became a mercenary, drifting through private security firms, independent contractors who go where the money and the work is. Just before the virus set in, she'd returned to her place in Los Angeles from a six month tour as part of a PMC in Afghanistan, and she was shaken. She said she felt like her life was a mess, she didn't know what she was doing with it, and felt like she was just a giant burden on her friends and family." With another click of the button, a new image of Lexi popped on the screen, her at a gun range, the whole image practically the still from an action movie. "What I'm suggesting is this, sir. I think you should bring Lexi into the house to be your driver and personal security." Andy was about to say something when Jenny raised her hand to silence him. "I know what you're about to say, sir, and frankly it's bullcrap, pardon my French. With the small population of men remaining left in the United States, every single one of you has suddenly become a V I P, and you need to think not just of your own health, but the health of all the women who are dependent on your health for their own health. If something happens to you, you have over a dozen women right now alone who suddenly run the very real risk of dying. Being that my health is fundamentally based on yours for the time being, I know I would feel safer having Lexi watch out for you." Andy scratched his goatee for a long moment, realizing that every single thing Jenny had said to him was true, making him a little ashamed of how cavalierly he'd been treating his own health, the ramifications of it not having fully sunken in until this very moment. "You are completely justified in that thought, Jenny, and you are right, I had not been giving it the diligence it deserved." "Lexi has some heavy scars from whatever accident sidelined her at the CIA. They cover just a bit of her face, but almost a third of her neck and down to her collarbone. In spite of that, I think she's still a stunning woman, and I still wish she was bisexual, because I would do her in a heartbeat, but she only likes men. I know, because we fooled around together freshmen year, and the next morning, we woke up with very different perspectives on it. It's never gotten in the way of our friendship, though, so you don't have to worry there." "Scars only add character, they never remove it," Andy said, quoting a line from one of his books. "They're a point in her favor, not against it." Jenny's smile widened a bit more at that, as if she was proud of Andy for saying it. "That's how I feel too. She was pretty adventurous sexually in college, so I don't think there would be any deal breakers between the two of you there. The two red flags I feel obligated to bring up are these. First, she has a bit of PTSD, so she can tend to be a little jumpy from time to time, and likes to keep as much of her life as she can to routine, because it helps her feel organized about all of it. I don't worry about her having a full breakdown, but she gets stressed by firecrackers on the fourth of July, so there's clearly some strain still going on there." "I think New Eden is about as far from a warzone as you can get, Jenny." "Sure, but we won't be locked in here forever, sir. And your family already includes two women who are actresses known to love doing action films, so if you go to visit them on sets, you'll need to be aware of Lexi's elevated stress levels when you do." "That's entirely manageable," Andy said. "What's the other red flag?" Jenny frowned a little bit, looked to Ash, who nodded, then looked back to Andy. "The other red flag is that I suspect she's going to want more than a staff relationship with you at some point. I don't know that for certain, but Lexi is a diehard romantic, and when she finds out that so many men have died, it's going to hit her very hard, because she's always dreamed of having her own prince charming, someone who will love her for her, through thick and thin. I think she'll be able to get past the idea of sharing you with lots of other women, I think she'll be okay with you dividing your time or having multiple people in your bed, but I think she's going to want to forge that emotional connection with you like your partners do, and that's more than what you asked us for in terms of suggesting staff. She will absolutely be the best bodyguard you could ask for, and I don't think there's a better driver I know. But the terms Ash laid down were pretty clear,  staff should only recommend staff, not partners, and I think Lexi might well end up being both, so I'm hoping that's okay." "As I told ya when you pitched her t' me, Jenny," Ash said, "sometimes exceptions have to be made for exceptional people, and Lexi seems like a hell of an accomplished and talented woman. If Andy's okay with it, the rest of the house will be okay with it." Andy smirked a little bit. "No pressure or anything, but it's fine. And you're right, I hadn't been thinking about how much my health impacted so many people until right now, so it's important that I give that consideration. She seems like a lovely woman, and you speak of her very fondly, so while I'm not making any final decisions until I've heard from everyone, I think you wouldn't be wasting your time if you wanted to start crafting a video invite for Lexi." Jenny jumped up and ran around the table to hug Andy tightly, crying a little bit. "Thank you so much, sir. When I talked to her on the phone last week, she told me how much she wished she could meet a nice man just like you, so I just know she'll say yes. I already know she thinks you're cute." "Don't tell anyone else about this, though," Ash said. "All the staff decisions are being made independently from the family member ones, and while I know all the girls were rooting for Lexi to be brought here in some regard, not a word to anyone, not even Katie, until it's final, yeah?" Jenny pulled back and wiped the tears from her face, nodding so quickly Andy was afraid her head would roll off. "Yes. Got it. Very clear. Understood, ma'am. Sir. And thanks again." The portly girl made her way out of the room without even remembering to push the button to advance the screen to the next person, leaving Andy and Ash alone in the room. "Okay, Mr. Rook," Ash said to him, "five minute break. Stand up, walk around, stretch a bit. I'd ask if you wanted to squeeze in a quick shag, but I had me turn yesterday, so I'm good to wait a few more days. Wouldn't want to deprive some of the other girls of getting their itches scratched." Andy stood up, pulling one arm behind his head, then the other, stretching out. "Four presentations down, eight to go,” Chapter 25 After a handful of minutes stretching, Ash sent a text message for the next girl to make her way up. Andy had turned his notes over so that Aisling couldn't look at them, and he smirked a little, noticing her frowning at the back of the legal pad. "You said you didn't want to influence my decision, so I don't know why you should want to look at my notes, Ash." They had built a wonderfully natural teasing rapport with each other over the past few months, so Aisling knew he was joking with her, but was willing to roll with him. She grinned up as she reached across the table to push the button and advance the slide. "Next: Katie." The redhead moved to sit back in her chair, and shrugged in his direction. "I'm mostly just curious how you're reacting to what you've heard so far, and how your opinions differ from mine, which I'm sure they will, here and there. I've heard all these pitches a couple of times, so it'll be interesting to see how many predictions I get right." "Did you write them down?" "Well, no," Ash said. Andy grabbed his yellow legal pad and ripped out a single sheet from the bottom of it, sliding it and his pen across to her. "Alright, predictions then. Write them down now. Don't show them to me, but fold up the paper when you're done. We can have whoever's after Katie bring us an envelope to seal it up. Just around the time that Aisling was folding up the sheet of paper, Katie walked into the room, confident in her stride. Andy cocked his head to one side as she walked in the room. The Hispanic woman was, as it seemed she always was, wearing a button up shirt underneath jean overalls. "Do you own other clothes besides overalls, Katie?" he asked her. She stuck her tongue out at him, which made Ash giggle again. "I can be girly and shit, sir, but I mostly keep that for Jenny. How're the presentations going so far?" "You know the rules, Katie," Aisling politely scolded, "no talking about anyone else's pitch until the very end." Katie winked at her, shrugging a little. After Andy had settled her nerves about keeping a level of removal between him and her and her wife, Katie had relaxed massively and grown into a more comfortable relationship with the rest of the house. "Had to try. Anyway, let's get this fucking show on the road!" She grabbed the remote in her calloused hand and clicked the button as the screen behind her changed to an image of a slightly matronly looking woman in her early 40s, dark chocolate hair up in a bun, skin just slightly olive, some mix of European heritage that surely had to include either Italian or Spanish. The woman on screen wasn't overweight, but was certainly the most bulky woman that had been on the screen thus far, not fat, simply hefty. "This is Doctor Morgan Fitch. She's a general practitioner in Los Altos who also dabbles in pediatrics. In talking with everyone in the house, it's clear at some point, you are going to be in dire need of a nanny around this place, and having one who's also a damn doctor just seems like smart thinking to me. By this time in a couple of years, this house is practically gonna be a little city, so you need to make sure all the major staples are taken care of. Some of the girls will wanna be full time mommies, no doubt, but for the rest, you're going to want to have child care. If you need that anyway, why not have that person be a doctor?" "How do you know Dr. Fitch?" Andy asked. Katie blanched a little bit. "She's kinda an ex of mine." She raised her hand immediately, a sheepish smile on her face. "We didn't part on bad terms, promise! At the end of the day, she was into the whole polyamory thing, and I wasn't, so we split, but remained good friends. That was five years ago, just before I met Jenny, so it all worked out okay in the end. She's had relationships on and off since then, but nothing's stuck. She's mostly a lesbian, but doesn't mind the occasional bit of cock here and there, so I think she might be a good fit for a staff member. She once told me that she likes to fuck men, but never gets emotionally attached to them the way she does to women, and what with her being staff, she'd be okay to pursue a female partner to take care of her emotional needs." "What makes you think she'll want to join the household?" Ash queried. "Morgan loves constantly shifting problems, and this house is like nothing I've ever seen before. Even before you start spawning, you're gonna need a doctor to make sure your family is in the best condition possible. Until you're having kids, she can staff a clinic in town on a volunteer basis, so she's getting settled here in the mean time. She's bored with the people in Los Altos, and we've always been good friends, so I think knowing I'm here would make her more likely to come aboard." "Challenges you anticipate?" he said. "She'd be the oldest person in the house at 46, but I think it gives her wisdom. Also, you might find her a bit, blunt, until you get used to her." "How blunt?" Katie tried to hide a little smile, shrugging, as she pushed the button to advance the slide to a screen reading "Next: Lauren" in friendly white letters. "Subtle she ain't, sir. I have never met anyone more direct in my life. I've always been a little thankful that she wasn't my doctor, because her bedside manner is more than a bit lacking. But sometimes you need someone to just slap you upside the head. Sir. We all do. Morgan would fill that role. And if she ever gets too blunt for your liking, you can tell her, and maybe she'll dial it down a little bit, or realize that she might've once gone too far. She's direct, but she's never intentionally mean. And even if you don't think Morgan's a good fit for here, and I can completely respect that if that's what you decide, I still want to stress that you're going to be in dire need of a nanny here at some point soon, so to keep that in mind moving forward." "Point taken and noted, Katie. Anything else you wanna say?" Katie brought her finger to her lips, considering for a moment, then slowly stood up. "Just one thing. I know Jenny brought you her old roommate Lexi as a candidate, and I want to throw my weight behind that, even if it's at the cost of my own candidate. I would've not pitched someone else if I could've pitched Lexi twice, y'know what I mean? Lexi's had a shitty go of it and I desperately want her to be happy, and I really think she can be here." Andy chuckled a little. "Unorthodox, but sure, I'll keep it under advisement. Alexis did seem like an excellent candidate, so we'll see how it goes." "Thanks sir! Enjoy the rest of the cunt parade!" she laughed, heading out of the room. Ash shook her head at him with a smile. "I have no idea how you can be such a good poker player with a poker face like that." He grinned, giving her a saucy wink. "It's easier when you don't give a shit about your opponents. This is family, so I don't have to stay so stoic. Besides, I know Jenny and Katie are close, so it's okay to let them share a little secret on my behalf." "Oh we've all got our little secrets, Andy. If you're nice, maybe I'll even let you in on one eventually." He tsked her in jest, waggling a finger in her direction. "My girls are keeping secrets from me? Heaven forbid, what next?" "What's next is Lauren, and frankly, I will probably be spending this entire presentation with my hand over my mouth, desperately trying to stay quiet, and likely failing miserably." Aisling had a strange grin on her face that told Andy this next one might be a little unusual. He didn't have long to consider it, though, as the door opened and the statuesque Lauren strode into the room decked out in a workout track suit with the 49ers logo on it. "Hey Andy, Ash. Thanks for letting all of us do this. I can't tell ya if I'm presenting my candidate to you on a lark, because I think she's actually a good idea or because of the girl herself. Maybe some combination of all three. So let me just get right down to brass tacks," the Aussie said, as she moved to sit down across from them. She picked up the remote and clicked the button as the screen sprung to life. On the screen was an image of a 49ers cheerleader, a fit woman with a large blonde mane of hair like sun dried grass, bubblegum pink lipstick and a smile that was so wide Andy wondered if it hurt when she finally let her face relax. She was pretty in a sort of pageant kind of way, although he suspected she didn't look quite so forced in regular photos that weren't taken from the 49ers website. "This is Jade Dillon. She's been a cheerleader for the 49ers for about three years now, and is literally the most optimistic person I have ever met in my entire life. She is bubbly and chipper and all smiles even at the worst of times. When the pandemic set in, she sent the entire 49ers organization an email reminding them that adversity is simply opportunity in disguise. No lie, Andy, she is completely unflappable in every way possible. She's, she's like a golden retriever in a person! Peppy and enthusiastic and always full of confidence." Andy looked over and saw that Ash had, indeed, both of her hands over her mouth, trying to hold in her desire to laugh, but he could still hear tiny giggles threatening to escape. He looked back to Lauren, a slightly quizzical expression on his face. "I can't tell if you admire her for that or if it drives you crazy." "Both!" Lauren said, throwing up her hands, laughing at herself. "It's infuriating! Even when she was kneeling in protest alongside Colin Kaepernick, she was still smiling about it. I don't know what to do with her! I mean, I get it. She's a kindergarten teacher as her day job, so pennies on the dollar that's what helps her keep all that energy up, but strewth, I just don't know how she does it! I mean, she comes from money, so I imagine that's gotta help." "Oh yeah?" The tall blonde tanned Aussie nodded, pushing the button to show Jade in a more normal setting, in an evening dress standing next to an older gentleman who Andy knew he'd seen somewhere before. "Her daddy is Cormack Dillon, one of the cofounders of Bindr, that teleconferencing tool everyone's using these days, but she's sort of tried to distance herself from 'er daddy over the last few years. An', in a 'ain't it a small world' moment, Cormack Dillon was the guy Katie used to work for before she came here, so she and Jade know one another already." "I could've asked Katie about her then," Andy lamented. "Shame she was just here." Jade looked much more lovely without the pancake makeup, her blonde hair a waterfall of curls, although Andy was also taken aback for a moment, reflexively trying to estimate how much that necklace she was wearing must have cost. After a second, Andy recognized where the photo was taken “ at the prestigious Palace of Fine Arts, where every year the Silicon Valley elite held their own private high end gala. Lauren pushed the button again and the image changed to Jade in more casual clothes, sitting with a handful of other girls in some sidewalk cafe overlooking the Pacific ocean. She had to be under thirty. There was no denying she was fit and lovely, although Andy did wonder if growing up steeped in money had warped her in some way. "Well, you kin ask her before make your mind up. She might have some things to say to sway your mind one way or another, but I simply gotta tell you this one thing, because it is first and foremost the reason I want to bring her to you,” Aisling looked like she was ready to turn blue, trying to hold in her breath and her laughter, her face scrunched up, actual tears rolling down her cheeks, all to Andy's confusion. Lauren pushed the button again and the photo zoomed in, showing just Jade now, laughing and smiling. "Jade Dillion,” She pushed the button again and the image of Jade suddenly had a very large cartoon cherry resting on top of her head. "...is an honest to god twenty six year old virgin." At that, Aisling couldn't help herself, and started laughing furiously, which only made Lauren grin even wider as Andy kept looking between the two of them, wondering desperately if they were putting him on. "It's not for religious reasons, an' it's not something she goes out of her way ta advertise, hell, I doubt very many people even know that she's cherry. But I went out drinking with her and the rest of the Gold Rush girls one night after an away game, and Jade got pretty hammered so I had to help her back to her hotel room. And when I was holding her hair back while she chundered in the dunny, she told me that she'd never lost her virginity, and that boys suck, and sh

Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 10 Andy Rook is given a gift as restitution.. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Andy pulled his boxers back on, then his t shirt. "Well, it's entirely up to you, obviously. Take your time, get to know everyone, me included, and we'll play it by ear moving forward." The two walked out of the room, leaving Nicolette to tend to Sheridan. "Everyone's so warm and friendly, and you're not at all like that prick Covington." "I did try and tell you that in the letter." "And that's another thing! An honest to god letter, explaining everything for me before I even came out to talk to people. Who does that sort of thing?" "A writer, clearly," he chuckled. "It was a very good letter. But I think it was Niko and Ash who convinced me that everything would work out for the best," she said, hooking her arm into his. "They're still a bit worried about you, but I told them that grief is a monster you kill with a million tiny cuts, not one big one." Andy nodded. "It gets the better of us all sometimes. But you're getting along with the ladies alright?" She swatted his arm with her calloused fingers. "They're lovely, and Niko was nice enough to fill in all the details that your letter left out. I'd apologize for my first impression, but clearly that was that bastard's fault and through no fault of my own. If I had my way, I'd have been at the Olympics right now, but they're obviously being delayed until next year." "Then you should definitely not stop training," Andy told her. "Just because you're here right now doesn't mean you aren't going to get that chance next year. Talk to Jenny, let her know the kinds of dietary specifics you have for your meals, and then get back into the swing of things. Lauren's a trainer for the 49ers, so she can probably help you out a bit here and there." Piper smiled at him, waving a hand. "I'll talk to her, but we've got the team's trainer on Zoom speed dial at this point. I just hope there's enough space around New Eden for me to work out. God, are they really calling it that?" Andy shrugged. "Rich pricks have pompous tastes." "Speaking of which, I heard from Ash last night that you've got another girl showing up today." He rolled his eyes a little bit. "I swear, if I could find a way to monetize gossip, I'd be the richest man ever. Yes, there's another woman coming by today. One of the poker players, Nate Watkins, was supposed to bring someone over earlier in the week, but his son had already imprinted her while he was off playing poker. I told him it was fine, but he insisted his son needed to be punished for it, so apparently the son will be bringing his newest girl over for me today. Whole thing is a colossal fuck up if you ask me, but whatever. She'll probably show up, not be interested in me, and I'll redirect her back to the center." Piper giggled, shaking her head. "You really don't know a thing about how people work, do you Andy? Alright then, I'm off. I need to go get changed and get a run in. You're right,  I've been going too easy on myself during the pandemic, so I need to get back out there, and a run around New Eden will give me a chance to scope out the town." "There you go. Just remember to hydrate, and have fun." She kissed him on the cheek and headed back towards her room, as Andy headed downstairs, going into the kitchen. He'd worked up quite an appetite this morning. "Can I get you something, sir?" Jenny said, cleaning up the dishes from some of the girls' earlier breakfasts. "Yeah, can I get one of those weird French ham and cheese sandwiches you made the other day, Jenny?" She nodded with a smile, pushing those large oval glasses back up onto her nose. "One croque monsieur coming right up." Her oak colored hair flipped as she spun around and moved towards the fridge. "Did you speak with Nicolette this morning, sir?" "I did, and I'm sorry that I made you all feel uncomfortable, Jenny. It won't happen again." "We like feeling like part of the family, sir," she said, as she started to make the sandwich, "but that simply felt like it was going too far. Just keep us a little at arm's length, and everyone will be perfectly content. We don't mind the girls talking with us all the time, but you're the Master of the House, and, well, we prefer it remain that way." "Heard, understood and acknowledged, as my friend used to say. Oh, do me a favor and make sure Sarah eats some lunch today? You'll probably find her in the downstairs central living room, face glued to a book." "Finally told her she can read your next work, did you, sir?" "Apparently nobody told her it was in the house until I mentioned it this morning." "Very good sir. I'm sure she's having the time of her life, and she never felt like that before." Andy gave her the side eye, and Jenny began laughing. "You leave the masterpiece that is 'Dirty Dancing' out of this, Jenny." "Yes sir. Sorry sir," she said with a smile that made it clear she wasn't sorry in the least. After lunch, Andy headed upstairs to put proper pants on, then retreated to his study and worked adding more to the next Druid Gunslinger novel, although if he was entirely honest with himself, he was doing more editing than actual writing. The editing process was important, however, and he needed to trim some of the excess fat he'd been introducing to the story for a while. His editor had, on more than one occasion, accused him of "flavor bloat," where he would write pages and pages and pages of descriptives with nothing actually happening, and Andy was determined not to get such feedback on this manuscript. Early in the afternoon, Emily poked her head into his office, and the cats immediately hopped up to greet her. "So sorry to disturb you," she said, her British accent ensuring she could do no such thing, "but there's a Benny Watkins at the gate saying he's got an appointment to meet you today. Nathaniel's son I assume? Nicolette's just buzzed the gate open, so perhaps we should go out front and meet him?" He sighed, closing his laptop, nodding. "Yep, let's go see what this whole mess is about." As they walked upstairs, Emily peppered him with questions. "Do you have any idea what it is young Mr. Watkins has in store for us?" "His father, Nathaniel, gave me a little bit of an idea, but not all that much, so I have a feeling I'm going to be just as surprised as you are." "Nathaniel seemed like a rather nice man, for the short time I spoke with him. Not at all how Sarah described Mr. Vikovic." "She didn't like Gregor?" "It wasn't that she disliked him," Emily said as they reached the front door. "She just said he didn't talk very much, whereas Nathaniel seemed quite pleasant and conversational." They opened the front door just in time to see the Watkins family limo pulling up in front of the house. Andy felt a little bit nervous, but Emily reached up and took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "It'll be fine, love," she said to him. "Let the man keep his pride." After the limo parked, the driver, a large Israeli man who looked like he could kill Andy with an olive fork, moved to open the back door. Nathaniel Watkins stepped out first, a wide smile on his face. "Ah, Andrew, so glad to see you and Miss Stevens are getting along well. I had hopes that you two would take to each other." "He's an excellent man, Nathaniel," Emily said to him. "I never had any doubts about that." "Yes well, let me first introduce my son, Benjamin. Benny, get out here." Benny stepped out of the car, and Andy could immediately sense why Nathaniel wanted to knock him down a few pegs. The younger Watkins was dressed in several designer fashion labels, all expensive, but none of them matched even in the slightest. Benny's hair was cut short, and he looked like he trying to grow facial hair, but the man was too young to make a proper go of it, and it all just looked wrong. The boy was wiry more than fit. "Hello Mr. Rook," the young man said, staring right at Andy with resentment. Nathaniel's face made it clear that he knew this whole experience was going to be a struggle for the younger man, but also reinforced the idea that this was punishment for his son. "Are you going to apologize to him?" "I'm sorry I took your woman, Mr. Rook," Benny said, but his tone conveyed anything but regret or remorse, almost as if he was trying to goad Andy by repeating that he'd taken something from him. "Hannah dear, would you mind stepping out now?" The last person to emerge from the car was a short teenage Asian girl, dressed in an almost embarrassingly large overcoat, her dark hair in a ponytail with blonde stripes in it, an orange scrunchy holding it in place. She was shorter than both Nathaniel and Benny, around the same height as Emily, and her face had a smug grin on it. "Oh my god, it really is Emily Fucking Stevens. Shoots. I'm totally gonna be a sister wife with Emily Fucking Stevens. This is so fucking rad," the girl said. "Now Hannah," Nathaniel said, "I know you weren't particularly keen on pairing up with Benny, so let me ask you, would Mr. Rook be more to your liking?" Hannah looked Andy up and down, then nodded. "Definitely. He's fit, he's cute, and if he can make Emily Fucking Stevens happy, I don't see how I could possibly be let down," she giggled. "Then why don't you go join Mr. Rook, my dear?" Nathaniel said, while handing Hannah an envelope. "I'll take my coat back, however." Hannah slowly opened the coat, and Andy suddenly understood that while the coat might have been partially for his benefit, it was mostly to rub it even further in Benny's face. Underneath the coat, she was wearing a white, orange and black cheerleader outfit that said 'wildcats' on the front of it. One thing that captured the eye immediately was that Hannah was very well endowed. Her tits were large, almost straining against the uniform and whatever sports bra she had on underneath. She was very much bustier than most high school cheerleaders were, but it absolutely worked for her, her legs in long black stockings beneath the surprisingly long skirt. Andy remembered cheerleader skirts being more daring in his day, but this one hung down to her knees, the stockings disappearing up within. She had a rounded face, but still seemed quite athletic, despite her incredibly well-endowed chest area, and a large silver cross hung on a chain, resting on her collarbone. "You see this, Benny? These gigantic titties of mine I've caught you drooling over so many fucking times, you asshole? This toned ass you tried to get me to shake at you? These athletic thighs you were trying to sneak looks at? You're never gonna get any of it," she said as she handed the coat to Benny, making sure the boy got a good look at her in the outfit, before she skipped over to Andy, grinning the whole way. As soon as she reached him, she threw her arms around his waist and pressed her massive tits against his side, like two pillows crowding against him. "I'm Andy's tiggo biddy cheerleader slut now, you fuckin' perv," she said, sticking her tongue out at Benny, whose face was bunched up in frustration. Based on that look, Benny had clearly seen Hannah in this outfit many times, and fantasized about her again and again. Andy remembered that Nathaniel had said the boy had made multiple passes at her, and that she had rejected each and every one. "I'm gonna fuck his brains out until he can't even stand upright. But you? You ain't never gonna get nun a this. I hope you fuck off and die angry." The girl was clearly still upset about the boy's responses when she'd continually rejected him. "Now, Benjamin," Nathaniel said, "you're going to take out that envelope I gave you earlier, and you are going to read it aloud." Benny reached into the chest pocket of his designer jacket and pulled out an envelope, opening it, starting to read, but not aloud, trying to scan through it as much as he could, his eyes growing wider and wider. "It says what happens if you don't read it aloud, Benjamin," Nathaniel stressed. The younger man cleared his throat and started to read, hatred seething in his voice. "Firstly, as part of the punishment for my actions, I, Benjamin Watkins, am losing a portion of my inheritance that my father had planned for me. Active immediately, my father is hereby giving 40% ownership of Inner Light Investments to one Andrew Rook. When my father passes away, I will also receive 40% ownership of Inner Light Investments, and my father's wives will each receive 1% ownership. Secondly, as further part of my punishment, any and all educations that Hannah Nakamura wishes to receive for the rest of her life will be paid for, in full, by me, Benjamin Watkins. Thirdly, half of my two hundred million dollar trust fund is being transferred in ownership to one Andrew Rook, which he will have full access to immediately, in the form of cash, stocks and bonds. Finally, any retaliatory actions by me, my partners or my friends, against Andrew Rook, Hannah Nakamura or anyone else in Mr. Rook's circle of family and/or friends, will result in my immediate forfeiture of the rest of my trust fund to Mr. Rook, as well as all Inner Light Investments stock set to pass to me upon my father's death. Failure to read this letter aloud will be considered a retaliatory action. With this, I have paid my price in full for my transgression except for one final thing." He looked over at his dad. "That's where it ends. What's the final thing, Dad?" Nathaniel Watkins then slapped his son across the face as hard as he possibly could, knocking the boy to the ground. "There is one rule you will learn comes first and foremost in life, boy," he said, pointing a finger at the young man who had started to cry on the ground. "You do not fuck with the money, and until you have earned some on your own, I am the fucking money in this house. By stealing what didn't belong to you, you have cut off one of your own legs and will have to learn how fucking precarious your situation is." "But Dad!" "Don't you say another fucking word, you sniveling little shit. You should be thankful that Andrew was so understanding about this. His insistence that this didn't need to be made a big deal over is the reason you're still even in this fucking family. You aren't losing that money to him; you're paying it to him for being kind and courteous enough to let you keep the other fucking half of it. If he hadn't been so generous, I would've thrown your ass out of my house, my family and all of New Eden for your treachery, taking a woman who wasn't yours at any point at all. She was delivered to me, and I had promised her to Andrew, and instead, you stole from both myself and him, making me dishonor my promise to him." "Dad, it was only some bitch!" Nathaniel Watkins slapped the boy again, just as hard, if not harder. "For the next month, that 'bitch' is going to be your Mistress, you goddamned brat. Everything that woman, Deborah, says to do, you're going to do, and if you don't, you are fucking done in this family. I have clearly failed to raise you properly, and that's on me, but if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that you certainly do enjoy the lifestyle that you currently have, so if you want to keep even a little chance of keeping it, you are going to let her order you around like a goddamn pet. You're her bitch now, and if that means you have to wear a gimp suit and a ball gag for a month, so fucking be it." "It's not fair!" the young man wailed, tears running down his bruised face. "Fair? Fair?!" Nathaniel bellowed so loudly Andrew was afraid the man would strike his son yet again. "When I was your age, I was working three jobs to save up enough money to pay for housing while I got my education. You've never done a day's worth of hard work in your life. You've enjoyed the fruits of my labors, and you've spit in my eye every step of the way, so now you're going to learn what it's like to pay the cost. Get in the fucking car, before I change my mind and cut you out entirely." The boy glared up at him, but then crawled into the back of the limo, his sense of self preservation having won out over his pride. Nathaniel sighed, and walked over towards Andy, while the man's driver took two suitcases out of the trunk of the limo, clearly Hannah's things, bringing them up to the front door of the house. "I'm sorry you had to witness all that, Andrew, but now you know what kind of trouble my boy has been to me over the years." "Hey, better this than you or I having to going all John Wick on him." The bearded man laughed. "You know, at this point if you told me you were secretly a master assassin in the Before Times, I might just believe you." Andy laughed. "I wasn't, but don't fuck with my cats." "Ah, but that's just what a master assassin would say to throw me off the track," Nathaniel laughed, tapping at his temple with one fingertip. "All of the details about the transfer is in the envelope I gave to Miss Nakamura here, and you simply need to have your finance manager contact mine." Andy frowned in amusement. "I don't even have a finance manager, Nathaniel." "Then mine now also works for you. His name is Zack Burchelli. I'll call him on the limo ride back and tell him to expect your call. He takes his fee out of your investments, so it's in his best interests for him to do well by you, and I'll make sure you get the same deal I have." "Are you sure about this?" Andy sighed, feeling a little guilty of depriving the boy of so much of his inheritance. "I mean, we only met this week and you're just giving me a hundred million dollars." Watkins rolled his eyes, grinning. "It's only money. I'll make loads more. Besides, if it helps me reshape that worthless son of mine into a decent human being, it'll all be worth it." "Deb'll do that," Hannah said to them. "She's baller, and putting her in charge will teach him some humility. The money'll be the carrot to her stick, but most def she's gonna beat him stupid with that stick for the next month." Nathaniel smirked and gave Hannah's head a pat. "I told you that you'd like this one, Andrew. She's got spirit. Getting dressed up in her old Woodside High School cheerleading outfit was her idea, by the way, to really stick it Benny. As I said before, she should technically be a freshman at Stanford right now, but the university is closed until the pandemic passes. I have no doubt she'll be a cheerleader there as well. And you're fine with the last thing, dear girl?" Hannah nodded. "It'll be dope. I'm sure Andy won't mind, and if he does, well, I'll change his mind," she giggled. Andy turned to look at her, and the Asian girl just beamed up at him with a toothy grin, almost daring him to ask, but he decided not to. "You really didn't have to go to such lengths on my account, Nathaniel." "Again, let me stress this, it wasn't on your account, Andrew, only to your benefit," Nathaniel said, shaking his hand. "And I think I put in enough warnings that it shouldn't come back on your and yours, but if it does, well, you'll suddenly be even more wealthy, and my son will have lost everything. Oh! And before I go, I spoke to my friend over at Working Title, and they're eager to get things moving forward on a Druid Gunslinger movie, especially if you might have Sarah Washington and Emily Stevens attached for parts. They're talking possible franchise, you know, especially since you're alive and still writing more of them, because that means they won't run out of source material any time soon. That's a value add as they say." "Sarah would swallow her own fist to get that role," Emily said with a smile, "so thank you again, Nathaniel." "No problem at all, my dear," he said, shaking her hand as well. "I'm mostly just glad to have settled this with only my son's pride being wounded. I hope we can part as friends, Andrew," Nathaniel said, moving to shake Andy's hand one more time. "It's refreshing to see someone so salt of the earth here, and we're all the better for it. Emily and Hannah are very lucky ladies." "Friends it is," Andy said. "We can make it a point to have lunch or dinner once every couple of weeks." "I'd enjoy that very much. Now, time to take Benny back to Deborah, and see what she has in store for him. I'm hoping it's a chastity belt of some kind, but it is, as I said, her decision." "Make sure you have her take pictures, so if you need to, you'll have evidence to use against him later. Should be a reminder not to cross you further." Watkins smirked, tapping his temple again. "You're always thinking, Andrew. I love it. Ciao!" With that, Watkins slid back into his limo and the driver closed the door behind him before getting back into the long vehicle, slowly driving it off the property. "You know, you generally don't see limos that much these days," Emily said to him. "That's because they're chintzy AF," Hannah said. "So you DTF right now, or what?" "Look, Hannah, just because you're here doesn't mean you have to stay here if you don't want to," Andy started, but then yelped a little bit as Hannah's small fingertips closed around his groin though the jeans and boxers, squeezing his cock. "M'kay, lemme break it down for you, Andy," she purred. "I am horny like you would not fucking believe, so maybe I'm not making myself clear enough. I kinda turn into a little cock crazed bimbo when I'm too fucking horny for my own good. You got three choices right now. A) You can fuck me right here and now on the porch. B) You can take me inside the house and fuck me right there in the entryway. Or 3) you can take me into the house, up to your bedroom and fuck me there." "Being randy also apparently messes with your indexing system, Hannah," Emily giggled. "Oh, there's also option D) all of the above, but the rumor is that doing any one of the first three will knock me on my ass so I can't do the rest." She blew a stray bang of blonde hair out of her face dismissively. "Sounds like total bullshit to me, though." "I can't help myself, Andrew," Emily said, sliding her right hand down the front of his pants, having to work with Hanna just a little bit, so that she could get her fingertip across the head of his cock, getting a bit of that glistening precum onto her finger as she lifted it out. The small British girl then moved around, sliding her body in behind Hannah's, the two close to the same height, although Hannah was a little bit shorter, Emily's hips pressing up against the cheerleader's, pinning the girl's body between Andy's and her own. "Wrap your arms around him in a great big bear hug and I'll prove to you that you aren't ready for this." Hannah again dismissively blew air out of her mouth, shooting Emily a skeptical look over her shoulder before she dutifully wrapped her arms around Andy's midsection, holding onto him as best she could, before Emily pushed her fingertip into Hannah's mouth, making the cheerleader get her first taste of Andy, priming her. If it hadn't been for Emily's arms pinning Hannah against Andy, the cheerleader would've immediately collapsed to the ground in violent orgasm, but as Emily had her trapped, Andy instead got to feel Hannah's whole body experience a personal earthquake, her face scrunched up tightly, an extremely high pitched squeal shredding through the air, and he could feel the girl's thick nipples suddenly harden, pressed right against his side, even through the layers of fabric. After several seconds, the Asian girl started to breath again and looked up at him, her brown eyes watering with tears but a broad smile on her face. "Holy fuckballs it's fucking true," she whimpered. "I thought I knew what orgasms were like, but I've never felt anything like that in my life. I think I just touched God." She licked her lips, lifting one hand up to rub the back of her hand against her eyes, wiping away the water from them. "And I want more. Fuck it, I gotta have more, like right fucking now." Her other hand had moved back to his cock again, rubbing against it. "No," Andy said. "We're going to take all your stuff inside, and up to the bedrooms, and we're going to give you a bedroom of your own for the time being, and while we're walking you up and getting you settled in, you can tell us a little bit more about yourself. Then, after a little bit, we'll take you into the main bedroom and get you imprinted." "But I  " "Your other choice is that I can make you wait until after dinner," Andy said, trying to be as authoritative as he could. "Which would you prefer?" "Sooner, sir," she grumbled. "Excellent, let's take your stuff in and you can tell me and Emily all about you." "Whaddaya wanna know?" she said, grabbing one of her suitcases while Andy grabbed the other. Andy had taken the larger one, so he didn't feel bad about letting Hannah carry one herself. Even rolling it along, the larger suitcase was more like a steamer trunk than a practical travel suitcase. "You lived in California your whole life?" Andy said, as they walked into the house. She shook her head. "Moved here about five years ago from Hawaii after my dad's company closed down and we had to move. Dad's second generation Japanese American, and mom's pure blood Hawaiian, but I think she was still glad to get off the island. She said she always knew everyone everywhere she went, and wanted to go someplace we could blend in more. We moved to Woodside when I was 13. Dad's a UX engineer for Playtronics and mom teaches third grade." They headed up the stairs, starting to walk down the hallway along the collection of bedrooms. Andy had to stop and check, finding the first completely unoccupied one, leading Hannah into it. "And what are you going to Stanford for?" "Premed," she sighed. "I'm still debating if I want to get into pediatrics or be a neonatal specialist, but I'll totally have time to figure all that out, considering it's, like, totally a billion years in school, so good on me for having that choad pay for it all." "Nathaniel said you were Benny's tutor, and that the boy tried hitting on you several times." "Fuckin' perv didn't like being told no, and he even got handsy one time, so I decked him, and he went crying to daddy over it," she grumbled, moving to put her smaller bag next to the dresser in the room. "But daddy told him that girls get to say no, and he never tried getting grabby again, but he kept on talking shit." Andy rolled the trunk over as well, placing it between the bed and the dresser. "Nathaniel said you made a go at him as well." Hannah giggled a little bit, rolling her eyes. "I mean, kinda, sorta, sure, I guess. He was separated from his wife at the time, and I knew it would piss Benny off so much, I think I just wanted to see if I could get away with it, but his daddy said no, and he eventually unseparated from his wife, so I guess it all worked out. I was mostly just being a brat." "And you know you can't fuck other men any more now, yes?" Emily asked her. "I mean, I guess," Hannah shrugged. "I thought that was just bullshit too, but if that first thing they told us at the base is true, then I guess all of it is, which means if I sleep with another dude, I'll die, right?" "That's our understanding, but we've certainly never tested it," Andy said. "But the rest of the stuff? About needing to fuck? About it giving you the best orgasms of your life? And that it'll keep you safe from the virus? All that's true?" Emily grinned. "I can speak from personal experience that whether it's biochemistry or natural talent, Andrew has made me cum harder than I even thought was possible." "How many women am I gonna have to share him with?" "There are nine other women in the family currently, four of whom intend to marry him, two of whom have decided simply to remain sexual partners, and three of whom are new enough to still be as of yet uncertain of what they want for their futures," Emily said to her. "There are also three women on staff, who are sexual partners of Andy's as well, but prefer to keep that relationship more professional, enjoying a level of distant removal from the family." "What's that mean?" Hannah asked, her face scrunched up in confusion. "It means I like it when the Master orders me around," Nicolette said, poking her head into the room, "and that the cook and the gardener are lovers, but understand they have physiological needs they have to have tended to in order to stay alive. Hell, the gardener's a lesbian, but Andy's cum still makes her cream herself, so she's willing to drink it. Hey, I'm Nicolette, the house maid." She held out her hand to shake Hannah's. Hannah took it and shook it, before shooting Andy a suspicious look. "You make the French maid actually wear a French maid's outfit?" Nicolette giggled, which made the Asian girl's head spin to look at her. "He's told me multiple times I don't have to wear it, but I like it too much to stop, just like I like calling him Master, when he told me I don't have to do that either. But I just love the way he still blushes a little when I say it, so I know he likes it, don't you Master?" she said, giving a little curtsy in his direction. Andy was sure he was blushing a little, so he only smiled slightly. "No comment." "Told you," Nicolette said, poking Hannah in the side. "Just be yourself in what you want, tell him that and he'll probably give it to you, barring a few exceptions." "Oh yeah?" Hannah said, perking up a little more. "What's on the no fly list?" "He's a bit squeamish about being forceful or inflicting, but he'll do it up to a point, although he's never gonna hurt you," Nicolette said. "Uh, what else did Niko tell me?" "So I see Niko's the one with the big mouth," Andy chuckled. "Well, her and Ash told me a lot, so I can't remember which one said which. Oh! No inflicting pain on him, but I think Ash was just joking when she said she wanted to try and put nipple clamps on him," the maid said, giggling again. "She suggested it to me, and I politely declined." "The strap ons in the house are just for the girls to use on girls, not on the Master, although I don't think anyone's asked him that directly." "Niko did when she had a few drinks in her, but I shut that down right quick." Hannah nodded. "So big daddy's ass is exit only, but is he willing to have a go at ours?" Nicolette smiled broadly and gave an over exaggerated nod. "Oh yeah. In fact, I'm a little disappointed he hasn't had a go at mine yet, especially after we all heard Niko's first time not too long ago. And Taylor's." "Enjoyed it, did they?" Emily asked. "Taylor was pretty loud, but holy shit, Niko was loud enough the neighbors might have heard her, and they're at least a mile away. I asked her about it the next day and she said it the greatest sexual experience she'd ever had in her life. Said it made her cum even harder than she did when she was imprinting, if I could believe that." Nicolette licked her lips, looking at Andy. "So, needless to say, I'm hoping the Master'll take a crack at my ass sooner or later. I'm sure he's noticed me bending over a lot more as of late." Andy had turned a darker shade of red. "Well, you should've said something, Nicolette." "But it's so much fun watching you blush, Master," she said, batting her thick eyelashes at him. "Well, you've got an open invitation to my ass, Daddy," Hannah purred. "Mine and Sarah's as well," Emily said, "although you will need to go slow with us. We're, ah, both unaccustomed to it, but anything good enough for Niko is good enough for us." "Nobody's had my ass either, Daddy, so you've got a whole world of eager virgin assholes to explore," Hannah giggled. "Well, I didn't say mine was untouched," Nicolette said, "but it's still ripe for the Master's taking." "That's, good to know?" Andy laughed. "Oh, and Andy's not into bestiality or watersports, thank god," Nicolette said with a dramatic laugh, "because I'd have to be the one cleaning that shit up." Everyone laughed a little bit at that. "Everything else is fair game, though?" Hannah asked. "Well, if there's something else, I'm sure he'll tell you before you get too far down the path," Nicolette said. "If nothing else, the Master is remarkably straight forward." "He's also still in the room," Andy added, amusement on his face how they were talking about him in front of him like he wasn't present. "How many more women are you going to add here?" Hannah said, pushing the trunk up against the side of the bed. "Well, the banquet hall table holds sixteen people, so last night, I figured I was going to add just two more, but Nicolette has informed me that she, Katie and Jenny don't wish to be at our table any more, because it removes the level of distance they want, so I suppose it'll probably be five more, and I'll just have to tend to the needs of two to three women every day." Andy laughed a little. "I mean, there's worse ways to pass the time." "How are you going to pick them?" "I haven't really picked anyone," Andy said with a sheepish smile. "I took a test, several months ago, and based on that, they've just been sending me people. Although Emily told me that if I wanted to, I could apparently just ask for someone, and there's a good chance they might send them to me." Hannah looked down at her hands and then looked up, a conflicted expression on her face. "Can, may I make a request?" Andy's head tilted to one side. "I mean, you can certainly ask. The worst thing I can do is say no, so might as well ask." "Can I ask you to request someone specific for the house? Would, is that forward of me?" "It sort of depends on who you're wanting me to request, Hannah," Andy said. "I feel a little odd requesting anyone, honestly, so if you have someone specifically you want me to bring into the house, I'm going to need a reason for it." That made the Asian girl hesitate for a moment. "Can I think about it for a little bit?" "Sure," Andy said. "I expect the soonest we would see anyone else show up would be next week, and it's probably just going to be one, maybe two people. After next Friday, though, who the hell knows what's going to go on." "What happens next Friday?" "The news breaks, but let's talk about that later. It'll do your head right now. I would've talked to you about it before, but Emily went ahead and primed you already, so I imagine that lust is bubbling up pretty fierce right about now." "Sorry not sorry?" Emily said to him, a pixieish grin on her darling face. "So he can make a go at you here, Hannah, if you want to wake up alone tomorrow morning, or we can take you to the main bedroom, if you're okay waking up surrounded by other people." "Where are you sleeping, Emily?" "Oh, I'm always going to be sleeping with Andy. Always always always." The British actress had a tendency to say things three times in a row if she wanted to drive home a point particularly emphatically. "I'm going to take one of the bedrooms and turn it into a personal study, but I want to be sharing a bed with Andy all the time unless circumstance demands I be away from him for a while, on a film shoot or something." "Are there going to be more Dagger Academy movies? I don't like how they ended with you losing Eduardo, the love of Dahlia Hairtrigger's life, and her having to do her last year at the Academy alone?" "Well, poppet, I'm afraid there are no more novels to adapt, so unless E. F. Winston decides she wants to write more of them, it's quite unlikely. I'm hoping to be part of the cast for the films based on Andy's books, though." "Oh yeah!" Hannah said, looking at him. "Mr. Watkins said you were a writer, but I've never heard of the Druid Gunslinger books." "They're aimed at a slightly older audience, I think, but I'm sure Sarah will love to tell you all about them." "Who's Sarah?" "Another of Andy's soon to be wives. Sarah Washington. Maybe you've seen her in movies?" "Wait. Wait. 'Ballerina Badasses' Sarah Washington? That Sarah Washington is gonna be my sister wife?" "Well, she's certainly here," Emily said with a laugh. "She's downstairs reading Andy's most recent book right now, which I very much doubt we can pry her away from." "I've got so much to learn and discover here, but yeah, let's go to the main bedroom. I feel like it's getting hard to think, so let's go before I can't keep my head clear." "Sure," Andy said, "off to the main bedroom." "Nicolette, can you come with us?" Hannah said. "We're going to need a hand briefly." "We are?" Andy said. Hannah flashed him another broad as miles grin, nodding. "You'll see soon enough! Don't rush your surprise." She grabbed Emily's hand, and then pulled her along, as the four of them started to walk down the hallway. The girls walked several steps behind him, and Hannah whispered into Emily's ear first, making the British woman giggle, before whispering into Nicolette's ear, the maid taking a turn giggling. "Oh you're wicked, girl," Nicolette said. "I fucking love it. You've definitely got a wildcat here, Master." "It says so right here on my tits!" Hannah laughed. As soon as they got into the room, Hannah handed her cellphone to Nicolette. Emily leaned in and whispered into Hannah's ear, which made Hannah gasp and blush. "Oh god, yes! You do you, girl! I fucking love that!" Emily's face broke into a wide grin like she'd just eaten a canary. "Well, it's your show, girl, so do what you want to." She then moved over to whisper into Nicolette's ear, and the maid immediately started giggling all over again. Hannah reached up and grabbed the back of Andy's neck and pulled him down so she could kiss him, and it was sloppy, her tongue almost wanting to lick every inch of his mouth, before she pulled back. "So I can do anything I want? It's okay if I drive?" Andy laughed, shrugging his shoulders, spreading his hands. "Within reason, of course." "Oh, it's all reasonable, and enjoyable," Hannah said, before she grabbed Andy's shirt and pulled him around the room, finally settling on the big armchair, pushing him to sit down. She slowly slid one knee up on one side then her other knee up the other, straddling him. "I'm sure I'd be a shitty stripper, but I've never met a boy who didn't want to do this." She tugged up the cheerleading top, as well as the bra, and let those massive tits spill free, a tidal wave of tan flesh with large aerolas and thick stiff brown nipples. Hannah had at least double Ds, but Andy wouldn't have been at all surprised if they were even larger, and was nearly overwhelmed when she leaned forward and mashed them right up against his face, bringing her arms forward so he felt like his head was being engulfed by them. " Umm. That's it, daddy. Get a face full of those big ol' titties of mine. Some day soon Imma let you fuck'em. Boys have been asking me for a titfuck for years now, and I've always said no, but for you? Goddamn, I'm wet just at the thought of it." Her fingertips smoothed across his shaved head, and when he tried to pull back, she only pulled his face forward even more, holding him there until he thought he was going to suffocate. Eventually, though, she let him pull his face back, wrapping his lips around one of her nipples, suckling hard on it, teasing it with his teeth, which made her give a dramatic shiver, her fingernails raking against the back of his head. "But I gotta be yours first, Daddy," she said, slowly lifting one knee up, drawing it in under her before rolling in a twist, landing her ass in his lap with a heavy whomp, her back to his chest, feeling his cock straining against the jeans. "So don't you move and let your newest fucktoy do her thing." She scooted back into him so she could reach her hands down and unbutton his jeans. "All the boys at school said I was a wicked cocktease, but that's just because I didn't fancy most of them. The guys I hooked up with, though?" She leaned her head back and whispered into his ear. "I was the biggest fucking whore for them imaginable," she moaned. "Blowjobs, handjobs, missionary, doggy, cowgirl, in a car, in a bar, on a boat, near some goats. I made sure my boyfriends never went home with blue balls. A couple of them even begged me to stop, saying they were afraid they were shooting dust," she giggled. "Not one of them made me cum like just the very taste of you did though, Daddy." Andy reached a hand up, sliding it to cup one of her tits, trying to do his best to contribute, but Hannah had him pinned in place pretty good. "Now let's see what your slut's got to work with. It felt kinda big. Is it kinda big?" she giggled, then finally fished his cock out from his unzipped jeans and boxers, not pushing them down, just making them tuck underneath his cock and balls. "Holy fuckballs!" she gasped. "You thick cocked monster, Daddy! That is one big, beautiful, fat fucking prick! Oh god, I hope it tears my slutty little teenage cunt right the fuck up!" As soon as she had it free, she lifted her hips up to draw her skirt up, moving it higher and higher until Andy could feel his cock being rubbed along the one of her stockings. "I know I should wait and take it slow, but fuck it!" Her hand pulled his cock back just enough as she slammed down, forcing her tight young snatch to swallow up his cock. Apparently she hadn't put on panties beneath that skirt. She was easily the tightest cunt he'd ever felt, her body quivering and squirming atop of him, and he was almost worried that he'd hurt her until that giddy laugh burbled out from her throat. "Oh my fucking god that is some good fucking cock!" she shouted. "Where has this goddamn cock been all my life?" Hannah reached up and pulled the scrunchy from her hair, tossing it aside to let her mane hang loose, shaking her head to make her hair fall in her face for a moment, as she took one hand and pushed her skirt down her legs a little, her other arm folding across her chest. Andy heard a click sound, and tried to peek around Hannah, but she leaned over and made sure he couldn't get a good view. "Uh uh, you stay right fucking there, and you let me ride this giant fucking hog of yours until you give me what I want, and don't you doubt for a fucking second that I want it, oh hot shit do I want that fucking cum." Andy was trying to figure out where to put his hands, but Hannah was already moving, tugging the skirt back up again, lifting both of her hands back to rub along his head, when Andy heard another clicking sound. As soon as Andy's hands touched her hips, she suddenly reached down and grabbed his wrists, pulling his hands up to cup those mammoth tits of hers, followed by another click and then another moan. "I really should be bouncing on this schlong of yours, daddy, but I just love how it feels stretching my teenage cunt open, prying that cunt until I can't help but fit like a good little sleeve, only as big as you're making me," Hannah groaned. "Don't you want me, baby? Don't you wanna force fuck your newest whore until she's weeping your cum? 'Cause that's what she fucking wants. I know you can feel how fucking wet I am around that giant cock," she giggled. "Maybe just a little bounce." Hannah lifted her hips up, sliding her twat up his cock. Andy wasn't sure how far up she was going to lift, but after a few inches, she snickered and thrust down again, which only made her moan all the harder. "Fuck fuck fuck that's fucking good,” "You know, Andrew," Emily said, her voice moving closer, "when Hannah told me her plan for this moment, I offered her a little suggestion, one which she found incredibly erotic. Would you like me to tell you what it is?" "I think you should, don't you?" he said, Hannah making sure he couldn't peek and see what was happening. "Oh, I think you rather might enjoy a surprise instead," she laughed, getting even closer before Andy heard yet another click. He knew he'd heard that sound before, but couldn't place it. "You really should see her like this, Andy," Emily purred. "All wanton and wound up on your lap, eager to get your spunk inside of her but too wired to be able to move. And you, being so noble, not rushing her, when really, I think the little slut's as desperate for you to fuck her as you are." There was a rustling sound, and Andy felt his legs being pushed apart a little by Emily's soft hands. "Which is where I come in." There was another click, then another. Then Andy could feel the skirt fluttering, as one of Emily's hands shifted, the tip of her thumb rubbing along what little of his cock was exposed, before moving to strum Hannah's clit tenderly, the Asian cheerleader wriggling even more in his lap. "Fuck, she's frigging me, Daddy. She's rubbing my little cunny while you're ripping it open, and it all feels so fucking good." "It's a good starter, innit?" Emily said, "but I can do better. Hannah, be a good little fuckpuppet and start grinding on him, would you love?" "I don't know, Emily," Hannah whimpered, almost a touch of fear in her voice. "I'm scared I'm gonna start having chain orgasms or something." "Of course you are, darling," Emily replied, "but that's no reason to be frightened. They're wonderful." The movements were tentative at first, but slowly Hannah's hips began lifting up then pushing down again, starting to ride his cock, although clearly pacing herself to not go completely out of control. "Now," Emily said, as Andy thought he felt her moving to her knees, "let me see if I can expedite this along a little more." Andy damn near jumped when he felt Emily's tongue near the base of his cock, the British woman giving a delightful shiver against him, one hand still using a thumb on Hannah's clit, the other keeping Andy's thighs pressed wide apart enough that she could slip in, her head beneath the skirt, as her voice was a little muffled. "Ah yes, I know how we can kickstart this. Hannah, dear, are you ready for my husband to be to blow your fucking mind by blowing his load?" "Oh god, I want it so goddamn bad, Emily, Andy,” Click. "I need to feel that hot jizz inside of my snug snatch, I'm so fucking desperate for it." "But you know what'll happen when he does, don't you?" Hannah nodded, but didn't say anything, while Emily's tongue was flicking along the point where Andy's flesh met Hannah's. "I can't hear you, darling!" Emily said in a sing song voice. "I'll start imprinting." "And what does that mean, you silly girl?" "That I'll be bonded to him, connected to him,” "Is that what you want?" Hannah nodded again, her hair thrashing about, before she realized that Emily still couldn't hear her nodding. "I want it, I want it, I want it so fucking bad,” Click. "Well, you tell him what you want him to make you, and I'll make sure he does, but if you don't say it, he won't do it, and frankly, I won't blame him one bit." "Please, Andy, Daddy, Master, whatever the fuck you want me to call you, please give me that cum, please fill up my cunt and let it mark my very soul." Andy could feel Emily's tongue moving downward, starting to lash over his balls, flicking along them, that weird clicking sound filling the air again, as Hannah continued begging. "I've never wanted anything like this in my entire fucking life, needed something so fucking badly, to feel you jizzing me up, putting a big ol' creampie in my tight teenage twat, doing what it does, what I want it to do to me so fucking much. I wanna be your slut, Andy, yours and nobody else's. I wanna feel that nut branding me as your whore for life, your wanton and willing cheerleader fucktoy who will take every drop of cum you give her. I need it. Oh fuck do I fucking need it, You gotta give it to me, Andy, before I lose my fucking mind." At that point, Andy felt Emily's lips wrapping around his balls, sucking his nuts into her mouth, washing them with her tongue, rolling them around, almost coaxing them to give up their secrets, as Hannah started spasming again on his lap. The sensations were brutally intense, threatening to overwhelm him.. "Please, Daddy, please please please; make me your girl, your slut, your whore, your toy, your fuckhole, your plaything or wife or whatever the fuck you want me as, just make me fucking yours with that goddamn cum already! Cum in me! Show me how fucking owned I am! Oh my god, I'm fucking cumming! Cum with me! Cum! Fucking cum already!" Between Emily's tongue, Hannah's grinding movements and her quivering cunt, Andy's resistance was futile and he felt his balls try to draw up, only to be kept in place by Emily's lips, even while his cock began spewing hot cum inside of Hannah's cunt, sending the girl redoubling with spasms, her already tight snatch locking his cock inside of her until those spurts had stopped and her body sloughed almost lifeless against him in the chair. Emily began giggling profusely beneath the skirt, and he felt her mouth pull off his balls, giving the base of his cock a little lick before she pushed the cheerleader up and off his cock, forcing her to slide a bit more against Andy's chest. Once she had his cock out of the cheerleader, she moved to lick it clean, and Andy was certain he could feel Emily trembling just a little bit, having rediscovered for certain that every bit of his cum would send her into orgasms. After a minute or so of a tongue bath on his cock, Emily slipped out from under the skirt and moved to help Andy lift her up, carrying Hannah's unconscious form to the giant bed, laying her down. Emily had given his knob an excellent spit shine, so Andy tucked his cock away, and pulled up his boxers and his jeans, zipping and buttoning them up, before he noticed that Emily was standing next to Nicolette, who was still in the room. The two of them were looking at Hannah's cellphone. "No, that's definitely the one. Send him that one," the British woman said to the maid. "That's what I figured, but I wanted to be sure," Nicolette said. "And the rest of them?" "Why, send them to Andy's phone, and all the girls' phones as well," Emily said, leaning in to kiss Nicolette, letting the maid get a taste of a few remaining droplets of Andy's cum, forcing the French girl to vibrate a little, a short but nonetheless powerful orgasm rippling through her at even that small amount. "Am I going to regret asking what this is all about?" Andy said, as he walked over to join them. Emily took the phone from Nicolette's hand, selected a photo and turned the phone to show Andy. It was a picture of Hannah on his lap, although her face was covered by her hair. Her cheerleading top was pulled up, but her arm folded across her tits hid her nipples from sight, and while portions of Andy's form were visible, it didn't clearly identify him either. But also just importantly, Hannah's skirt was clearly over the head and shoulders of Emily, who wasn't totally visible in the photo either, but made the image all that more erotic. "When you told Nathaniel that you weren't going to let Benny watch, Hannah asked us to send him a picture that showed the whole thing without giving him any of the good bits, or showing anybody's face," Emily giggled. "He'll know it's her, and you, and me, but he can't prove it to anyone." "So you took a picture," Andy said to Nicolette, who had a comfortable smirk on her face. "Oh, I took loads of pictures, Master, and in most of them, you can see her tits, her face, I like this one in particular," she said, taking the phone back from Emily, scrolling over to show one that was a close up Emily's face, her tongue extended to lick his cock, Hannah's cunt visible and framed in the shot. "But these are just for the family."

What happens when following Jesus becomes difficult?  Living out your faith can feel like a tough obstacle course filled with criticism and pressure coming from all sides. But as we see in Acts 12, the harder the world tries to suppress our faith, the more it spreads. Tune in as we dive into how the Gospel overcame the major challenges faced by the early Church. Remember: you were made to follow Jesus through every obstacle because God's purpose always advances.

Santos has been hit with a $30 billion takeover bid from the UAE’s ADNOC. Is this the push the Australian energy sector needed? MARKET WRAP: ASX200: up 0.01%, 8548 GOLD: $3,415 US/ounce BITCOIN: $164,546 A $30 billion takeover bid for Santos sent its shares climbing almost 11% to $7.72. Woodside up 3% at $25.96. Paladin was up 15.6%, Boss rose 17.7% and Deep Yellow was over 21% higher. An announcement of a US venture for baby formula maker Bubs Australia, sent its shares 6.3% higher Commbank and NAB closed slightly higher Vulcan Steel closed down 1.7% as it announced its CEO would retire after 19 years. UBS downgrades for gold miners Evolution and Northern Star saw them both close down more than 8%. Falling by over 1% was Woolworths, IAG and Mirvac. CURRENCY UPDATE: AUD/USD: 65.1 US cents AUD/GBP: 48.0 pence AUD/EUR: 56 Euro cents AUD/JPY: 94 yen AUD/NZD: 1.08 Dollars See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a shock bid pushed Santos shares up 27%, podcast host Michelle Baltazar chats with investment expert Dale Gilham on why investors may be turning their sights on the appeal of Whitehaven Coal and Woodside shares. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Money Website YouTube Podcast Playlist Email Us: podcast@moneymag.com.au Get stories like this in our newsletter: bit.ly/3GDirbRSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Woodside Bible Warren — Week-2, Pastor Jeff Keith

Ava Rawlings and Nadia Budihardjo discuss why some post-uni legal training is taking the next step.  Plus: Green light for $400m solar, battery build; Woodside's NWS consultation extended; Lithuania appoints Hasluck as WA consul.

 Tuesday Hometime Radiothon Special 2025: His Week That Was – Kevin Healy, Tribute to the late Ali Kazak by David Spratt – friend and collaborator of Ali for 50 years, Dr Colin Hughes talking about the recent decision to allow Woodside to continue with gas extraction in WA, Former Australian diplomat John Lander with concerns Australia will be used as a proxy for US war against China. Head to www.3cr.org.au/hometime-tuesday for full access to links and previous podcasts

We're all searching for purpose: what if Jesus has the answer?   In this powerful message from Acts 11, Pastor [NAME] reminds us that the mission of the Church is to help people belong to Christ, grow in Christ, and reach the world for Christ. This passage challenges us to move past self-preservation and step into Gospel-centered living. We'll look at how early believers made a difference by boldly sharing their faith, equipping everyday people for leadership, and living out the mission of Jesus with radical generosity. Listen in to discover how their example can still inspire us today. 

The oil and gas giant Woodside has been handed a big win by Labor, with the life of its massive gas plant in Western Australia extended until 2070.That's great news for the company that wants to start extracting gas from a new basin off the WA coast. But given that almost all the gas is sent overseas, what's it in for Australian taxpayers and what about the climate? Today, reporter Jo Lauder from the ABC's climate team on why the Albanese government has approved the extension even though we're committed to net zero emissions by 2050.Featured: Jo Lauder, ABC climate reporter

We're all searching for purpose: what if Jesus has the answer?In this powerful message from Acts 11, we're reminded that the mission of the Church is to help people belong to Christ, grow in Christ, and reach the world for Christ. This passage challenges us to move past self-preservation and step into Gospel-centered living. We'll look at how early believers made a difference by boldly sharing their faith, equipping everyday people for leadership, and living out the mission of Jesus with radical generosity. Listen in to discover how their example can still inspire us today.

Mother's Day message from Pastor Jeff KeithWoodside Bible Church

Reach — Week-1 Woodside Bible Church

Sunday 05.25.25 Moving Forward

Claire Tyrrell and Kathy Skantzos discuss why Western Australia's screen industry is shooting for growth. Plus: Ammonia project eyes Woodside carbon deal; Perron to build $19m Toyota centre; E-scooter hire suspended after fatal crash; Netball WA posts $173k surplus.

It's hard to believe your intrepid hosts birthed this little pod into the world a whole three years ago, but here we are! Still readin' papers, still summing em' up for YOU, our amazing Summerupperers!And to mark the occasion, we are celebrating with a triple scoop of gas policy, political philisophy and pod merch madness! That's right, we're SHIRTFRONTING the lot of you! After far, far too many ‘Shirtfronting with Frankie' segments, Team LMSU is delighted to offer our very own a la carte merch menu! T-shirts and tote bags and mugs, oh my! All brought to you via our brand-spanking-new website glow-up at www.letmesumup.net! There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: listen to the pod, leave us a voicemail, support us on Patreon and deck yourself out in LMSU's finest. Run, don't walk over to www.letmesumup.net.—Gas, gas, gas! After Frankie's extended victory lap post winning the longest-running, slowest-moving merch race around, we talk gas. SO MUCH gas. First, Woodside's North West Shelf gets the green light to operate until 2070 from incoming Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt. Cue despair from climate advocates and a 600-page consultant report that may or may not be acid rainwashing ancient rock art. But while this decision went Woodside's way, gas market fundamentals may not be so kind; keeping this facility pumping beyond the early 2030s will require opening up the Browse Basin, and there are big question marks over the fundamental economics. There is some great analysis on this around if you look for it, not least from IEEFA's Joshua Runciman, which we highly recommend!Next, a decision from the Victorian Government to approve Viva's construction of an LNG Import Terminal in Geelong. Magic gas ships? A lesser of three evils? Who woulda thunk it! Stranded assets are so 2022. Lots of complexity to unpack in these decisions, and we have our usual abundance of thoughts!Our main courseEver hungry for new feasts of ideas, your intrepid hosts were not content to blow out the candles at this birthday party with a mere paper, oh no! We gifted ourselves an abundance of anecdotes - and maybe a famine of fixes - devouring the infamous book doing the rounds in US liberal politics circles, “Abundance” by Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein. This pro-growth, anti-red tape manifesto is a 'ripper' according to Jim Chalmers and will clearly be doing the rounds in Australian political circles, but what do your intrepid hosts make of it all? A provocation for a “liberalism that builds”, the challenges in housing, health, energy and infrastructure all feel familiar. For these three policy wonks, we would have really liked a list, not just a lens! Lots to digest, provocations and limitations but ultimately food for Australian thought.One more thingsOur collective One More Thing is a massive thanks to YOU, our delightful Summerupperers! We continue to love doing the pod, getting to spend time with each other and meeting so many of you, out in the world! Our gift to you (and ourselves really, who's kidding) is the fully operational climate nerd command center that is www.letmesumup.net. Listen to episodes, shop the merch, leave us a voicemail, or just marvel at the fact that we finally have an About page!And that's all from us this week Summerupperers! Leave us a voicemail with your hot tips and suggestions for papers, and while you're at it, grab an LMSU T-shirt, mug or tote at letmesumup.net.

The lithium sector finally received some good news, but could this be the start of something bigger for the stagnating metal? MARKET WRAP: ASX200: down 0.03%, 8538 GOLD: $3,397 US/ounce BITCOIN: $160,926 AUD Lithium miners were up, with Mineral Resources closing 14.8% higher, Pilbara gaining 12.5% and IGO rising 9.6%. Lynas Rare Earths rose 12.5% after China implemented controls on rare earth minerals. Commonwealth closing 0.1% despite some profit-taking in the session. Fortescue, Seven Group Holdings, and James Hardie were all up over 1%. Regis Healthcare down 4.5% to $7.61 Brent crude oil fell back below $65 US a barrel, sending Woodside down 0.4% and Santos down 0.8%. Falling by over 1% were CSL, QBE and Computershare. CURRENCY UPDATE: AUD/USD: 65.0 US cents AUD/GBP: 48 pence AUD/EUR: 57 Euro cents AUD/JPY: 93 yen AUD/NZD: 1.07 Dollars See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greg Bourne, former BP Australasia president, once worked alongside Australia’s biggest LNG venture: Woodside’s North West Shelf. Now a councillor at the Climate Council, he warns extending the project will unleash billions of tonnes of emissions and threaten tens of thousands of ancient rock carvings, while delivering a “pittance” in economic benefit to Australia. Yet Bourne says the decision to keep the project running until 2070 was almost inevitable, after decades of lobbying in Canberra. Today, Greg Bourne on how Woodside got the green light – and the reform he says is needed to stop the next fossil-fuel behemoth. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Former BP Australasia president, Greg Bourne. Photo: AAP Image/Supplied by Woodside EnergySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt has approved a major extension of the North West Shelf Gas Project in Western Australia. It's one of the nation's most valuable offshore gas reserves — operated by Woodside, which wants to extend its life by another 40 years. Based on the Pilbara's Burrup Peninsula also known as Murujuga, the project sits within an area of immense cultural and environmental significance. - รัฐมนตรีสิ่งแวดล้อมแห่งรัฐบาลกลาง มาร์รี วอตต์ (Murray Watt) ได้อนุมัติการขยายโครงการก๊าซนอร์ทเวสต์เชลฟ (North West Shelf Gas Project) ครั้งใหญ่ในรัฐเวสเทิร์นออสเตรเลีย โครงการนี้เป็นหนึ่งในแหล่งก๊าซนอกชายฝั่งที่มีมูลค่าสูงที่สุดของประเทศ ซึ่งดำเนินการโดยบริษัทวูดไซด์ (Woodside) ซึ่งต้องการขยายอายุของโครงการออกไปอีก 40 ปี โครงการตั้งอยู่บนคาบสมุทรบูรัป (Burrup Peninsula) ในภูมิภาคพิลบารา (Pilbara) ซึ่งรู้จักกันอีกชื่อว่า มูรูจูกา (Murujuga) โดยพื้นที่นี้ถือเป็นเขตที่มีความสำคัญอย่างยิ่งทั้งในด้านวัฒนธรรมและสิ่งแวดล้อม

Buy Punters T-shirtsSupport We the Punters on PATREON This week we expose how Murray Watt just handed Woodside a $215 billion gas bonanza for 45 years with zero royalties, while corporate media like The Project spin archaeology professors as "activists" to distract from the biggest rip-off in Australian history. Plus we reveal how changing public opinion has gas cartels so rattled that our own resource minister is warning them about angry punters We also discuss Great Barrier Reef crisis, Victoria's public electricity return, Trump's Darwin Port playConrad's $86k HECS debt rollercoaster continuesMeg O'Neill blames Gen Z for climate change while making billionsHow Roger Cook killed Australia's EPA to protect gas cartelsPolitical fundraiser plans - celebrities, politicians, and hiring our own $75k lobbyist What Punter are you? Take the Quiz! Buy Punters Stickers & T-shirts The Project's Propaganda & Australia's 215 Billion Corporate Gas Give AwaySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wednesday Headlines: Samantha Murphy’s accused killer given trial date, Australia’s economic growth downgraded as the OECD singles out our housing crisis, calls for government intervention into e-scooters, the TGA's expanding the use of Mounjaro, and record Ashes ticket demand causes drama for fans. Deep Dive: Young Australians are among a growing group of critics calling on Australia's Environment Minister, Murray Watt, to walk back a 40-year extension granted to Woodside's controversial gas project in WA. The decision sparked backlash from environmental advocates, Indigenous communities, and cohorts of Aussie youth who say it undermines Australia's climate commitments and threatens cultural heritage sites. The criticism saw Woodside’s own CEO further fuel the controversy, accusing young climate activists of being hypocrites for opposing fossil fuels but happily consuming fast fashion. In this episode of The Briefing, Tara Cassidy speaks to Jordan Rowand from the Australian Youth Climate Coalition about the contentious project, and why they want Murray Watt to back out of the deal.Further listening from the headlines: The Easey Street murders explained Follow The Briefing: TikTok: @listnrnewsroom Instagram: @listnrnewsroom @thebriefingpodcast YouTube: @LiSTNRnewsroom Facebook: @LiSTNR NewsroomSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RockerMike and Rob Presents: Donovan's Pub Jimmy Jacs and Dan ConnorDonovan's Pub, nestled at 57-24 Roosevelt Avenue in Woodside, Queens, has been a cherished neighborhood institution since 1966. Established by New York City firefighter Joe Donovan and his father, they transformed the former Clover Leaf Bar into a welcoming Irish-American pub that quickly became a community cornerstone .

What if every Christian prioritized sharing the Gospel?  The Gospel didn't stop in Jerusalem, and it's not meant to stop with us. In Acts 11, the Apostle Peter describes how God broke down cultural barriers to reach new people through vision, obedience, and the power of the Holy Spirit. If God's heart is to reach all people, then sharing the Gospel isn't optional for us—it's essential.  As believers, we're called to advance the Gospel together in a world that desperately needs Jesus.  

Matt Woodside is entered in the 2026 Golden Globe Race (GGR). His boat is a Cape George 36 and he lives in Portland, Oregon.  We talk about getting into sailing, the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, the GGR, simplifying the boat, refitting her, replacing the mast, reefing, heavy-weather strategies, heaving-to, towing drogues, using a storm trysail, his unique jury rig, abandoning ship, books, serving as a Flight Officer in a Navy aircraft, fears, food, to fish or not to fish, magic, old navigation tech, not sailing with a cat, modern navigation, unexpected events, bucket-list destinations, feedom, and more. Photos and links can be found here Support teh podcast here

Title: The Gospel that Reaches All - Reach: Part 1 - Woodside Bible Church

Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss Woodside's North West Shelf project and the recent approval; Saracen's $118m Gnarabup resort; Aboriginal cultural heritage laws; a review of Alcoa's expansion plans; Healthscope in receivership; and a preview of the next Business News magazine.

Nightlife News Breakdown with Tim Webster, joined by Paul Bongiorno, veteran political reporter with 30+ years' experience and columnist for The Saturday Paper. 

Ted O’Brien and Tim Wilson score big in the Shadow Cabinet reshuffle while Jane Hume and Jacinta Price miss out, Labor backs Woodside’s gas extension. Plus, Elon Musk says he’s done with the White House after mocking Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Federal Çevre Bakanı Murray Watt, Batı Avustralya'daki Kuzey Batı kıta sahanlığı Gaz Projesi'nin uzatma başvurusunu onayladı. Ülkenin en değerli açık deniz gaz rezervlerinden biri olan bu tesis, 40 yıl daha işleyecek. Woodside tarafından işletilen proje aynı zamanda Pilbara'nın Murujuga olarak da bilinen Burrup Yarımadası'ndaki muazzam kültürel ve çevresel öneme sahip bir alanı da kapsıyor.

Federalny Minister środowiska, Murray Watt, zatwierdził rozszerzenie projektu gazowego North West Shelf w Australii Zachodniej. To jedno z najcenniejszych podmorskich złóż gazu w kraju, operowane przez firmę Woodside, która chce przedłużyć jego eksploatację o kolejne 40 lat.

Bộ trưởng Môi trường Liên bang Murray Watt đã phê duyệt việc mở rộng quy mô lớn Dự án Khí đốt North West Shelf tại Tây Úc. Đây là một trong những mỏ khí đốt ngoài khơi có giá trị nhất của nước Úc, do tập đoàn Woodside vận hành, với kế hoạch kéo dài tuổi thọ dự án thêm 40 năm nữa. Dự án này tọa lạc tại bán đảo Burrup thuộc vùng Pilbara, còn được biết đến với tên gọi Murujuga, một khu vực có ý nghĩa văn hóa và môi trường vô cùng to lớn.

Bộ trưởng Môi trường Liên bang Murray Watt đã phê duyệt việc mở rộng quy mô lớn Dự án Khí đốt North West Shelf tại Tây Úc. Đây là một trong những mỏ khí đốt ngoài khơi có giá trị nhất của nước Úc, do tập đoàn Woodside vận hành, với kế hoạch kéo dài tuổi thọ dự án thêm 40 năm nữa. Dự án này tọa lạc tại bán đảo Burrup thuộc vùng Pilbara, còn được biết đến với tên gọi Murujuga, một khu vực có ý nghĩa văn hóa và môi trường vô cùng to lớn.

The Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt has approved a major extension of the North West Shelf Gas Project in Western Australia. It's one of the nation's most valuable offshore gas reserves — operated by Woodside, which wants to extend its life by another 40 years. Based on the Pilbara's Burrup Peninsula also known as Murujuga, the project sits within an area of immense cultural and environmental significance.

Just eight days after the Nationals announced they were parting ways from the Liberals, ending the  Coalition, the marriage is back on, and a new shadow ministry has been announced. 

Colin Boyce lashes out at David Littleproud for misleading Nationals MPs before the Coalition split, Jacinta Allan takes aim at Israel over Gaza blockade. Plus, Labor greenlights Woodside’s North West Shelf gas project extension.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The controversial North-West shelf gas project in W-A has been given federal government approval to operate until 2070.

Министар за животну средину у федералној влади Мари Ват (Murray Watt) одобрио је да се настави продаја природног гаса великим индустријским купцима у оквиру пројекта под називом "North West Shelf Gas Project " у Западној Аустралији. То је једна од највреднијих приобалних резерви гаса у земљи — којом управља компанија Вудсајд (Woodside), која је уложила захтев федералној валди да продужи пројекат —за још 40 година. Базиран на полуострву Бурап, у региону Пилбара (Pilbara's Burrup Peninsula), познатом и под називом Мјурађуга (Murujuga) пројекат се спроводи у подручју од огромног културног и еколошког значаја.

It's often said the 2020s will be a ‘defining decade' for the planet and action on the climate crisis. Starting this week, the proposal to extend Woodside gas's processing plant in Western Australia's remote north-west by 40 years awaits the new environment minister, Murray Watt – the first of many consequential decisions facing him during Labor's second term in government. Labor has secured a massive majority, with the possibility of another six years on the government benches. So what are the party's plans for the climate and environmental reforms? Nour Haydar speaks with Adam Morton about why there will never be a better chance for Labor to deliver on climate

How do we reach a generation that’s spiritually curious but culturally distant from the Church? In part two of Gen Z & the Quiet Revival, Pastor Chris sits down with John Irvine, Woodside's Director of University Outreach, for a conversation about what’s shaping the next generation. Backed by findings from Barna Research Group, they talk about Gen Z’s hunger for truth, their openness to mentorship, and why the church may need to shift from a "come and see" to a "go and listen" mentality.Support the show: https://woodsidebible.org/listen/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can God work through you to share the Gospel? In this special message celebrating Woodside's 70th anniversary, Senior Pastor Chris Brooks illustrates the evangelism of the early church through the lens of Acts 10:34-43. Pastor Chris reminds us that God can use anyone while encouraging us to live in boldness for Christ, right where we are. Listen in to discover why sharing the Gospel isn't just for pastors or missionaries, but for every believer, everywhere.