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ExplicitNovels
Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 22

ExplicitNovels

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2025


Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 22 Andy answers the ladies most vulnerable concerns.. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. "So why me, huh?" Sarah asked her. "Why'd'ja choose me to play with you and Andy?" Piper bit her bottom lip, as if she was a tad nervous, before she shyly looked up at Sarah. "'Cause I'm kinda turned on with how you talk, Sarah, and I was kinda hoping you could talk to me that way while I was trying to make our man happy?" Despite all the massive confidence he'd seen Piper bearing almost the entire time he'd known her, she seemed almost nervous that Sarah would consider turning her down, as if her voiced desire was a step too far beyond the pale. Sarah licked her lips as her eyes widened. "I will totally fucking do that as long as you agree to just one fucking condition. If you don't, well, I can just go upstairs and leave you two to it." Andy was about to ask, but Piper beat him to it. "What condition is that?" "You can't, like, get fucking mad at me for anything I say, or anything I call you. 'Cause if I'm gonna fucking do this, then I'm gonna fucking do this, and I can't be all in my fucking head about you thinking I'm being mean or rude or shit. So you can't be all pissed off that I call you dirty things if you're fucking asking me to talk fucking dirty to you," Sarah giggled. "That cool, bitch?" "Not only do I promise not to get mad, Sares," Piper said to her. "I promise to like it." Sarah nodded. "Good, then why the fuck aren't you on top of that cock already?" Piper pursed her lips into a smile. "I was waiting for you to tell me I could, Andy." Sarah's hand swatted over and spanked Piper's ass with a loud smack. "He shouldn't have to tell you, you daft bitch. You wanted to fuck him, he totally didn't say 'not now' or some shit, so that means fucking time is on!" In the middle of Sarah's sentence, Piper reached down to grab his cock and get it aligned so she could slide right down onto it, straddling him to get his cock as deep inside of her as she could, her other hand resting on his shoulder. "That's a good girl," Sarah purred. "Don't you feel so much better without an empty cunt, you athletic slut you?" Piper nodded, leaning over to kiss Sarah again, although Sarah pushed her back after a few seconds, clearly intent on keeping her mouth free so she could talk to her. "I've had like a dozen partners, and not one of them made me feel like Andy does," Piper said, looking at Sarah's face. Sarah slapped Piper's ass again, this time even harder. "So why are you fucking telling me, bitch? Am I the one whose cock is jammed up your stupid snatch?" Piper moaned as Sarah's fingernails dragged against that reddening flesh, shaking her head, turning to look at Andy. "You feel so fucking good inside of me, Andy," she said to him. "Thank you for taking me in." On 'in,' she bounced down hard in his lap. "Thank you for saving my friend." On 'friend,' she did it again. "It's a shame you're on fucking birth control," Sarah teased, "because these are fucking breeding hips, and you'd look super fucking cute with a baby bump, but I guess you need to go and win your gold medal before we can talk about getting you bred like a proper bitch." Piper's tongue swiped out over her own lips, as she nodded. "I'll do it eventually," she said eagerly. "I'll happily bear your child, Andy, but I gotta do the Olympics first, to prove to myself that I can really do it." "You don't  " Andy started but Piper kissed him once more, jamming her tongue into his mouth sloppily, making sure to silence him. "Hmm, I think she likes the idea of you fucking breeding her, Andy," Sarah said with a laugh. "The idea of you pumping her fucking cunt so full of fuck cream that it's practically oozing out of her, so messy and sloppy, like a good little whore. You like that image don't you, Pipes?" The athletic brunette nodded quickly. "I do I do I fucking do so fucking much," she panted, as Sarah reached one of her hands in to pinch one of Piper's tan nipples firmly, giving it a twist, which made the girl groan huskily. "And yet, you're still fucking holding back," Sarah scolded. "You gotta fucking give in like a good girl, otherwise you won't get what you fucking what, what I know you think you fucking deserve, but you don't deserve it until you've ditched all those fucking fears and embraced who the fuck you are from now on." She gave Piper's ass another hard smack before sliding her hand around the athlete's waist, moving her thumb down to rub against Piper's clit, as Andy felt her start to tighten up even more around his shaft. "But I bet, I just fucking bet, that if you just let it out, let it all fucking out, you'd feel fucking better, and you'd get what a good bitch deserves." "Fuck, Sarah, you're so fucking good with those fingers," Piper whimpered. "Damn fucking straight I am," Sarah said. "But I'm gonna stop if you don't cut loose." "I'm, I'm fucking scared," Piper whispered quietly. "We all were, Pipes, but you learn to fucking let go and trust, not just in Andy but in the family, in all the fucking rest of us, that we've got your fucking back, that we're gonna fucking take care of you, so either you're fucking in or you're out, what's it gonna be, bitch?" "I'm in,” she cried, her voice shredded and frantic, clearly about to have an immense orgasm. "I'm in I'm in I'm so fucking in,” "Not fucking yet you aren't," Sarah said harshly. "Gotta let that last fucking guard down, gotta let that last fucking truth out. You'll feel better, bitch, but you gotta fucking say it,” "Andy Rook, I fucking love you!" Piper shouted before she kissed him hard, and she started to have a monstrous orgasm, her whole body violently trembling, and the spasms of her cunt around his cock forced his own release, as he started spewing arcing loads of steaming jism inside of her, the two of them locked together on top and bottom, the intensity of the orgasm cratering them out. As soon as it had passed, Piper buried her face into Andy's neck, laughing a little bit even as he could feel her eyes watering, tears of joy slipping from her face. "I thought I'd never say that to another person as long as I fucking lived," she whispered against his skin, "but I do, I fucking love you, Andy Rook." "And I love you too, Piper Brown," he said, stroking her hair with one hand, his other intertwined with Sarah's. They stayed like that for a minute or so before Piper started to giggle, turning to look over at Sarah. "I don't know how you do it," she said to the tall redhead, "sitting there watching and not demanding to get involved." "Oh I'm happy enough to wait my fucking turn," Sarah giggled. "But pretty quick Imma need you to get off of him so I can fucking get off." Piper's giggle burst from her as she nodded then leaned over to kiss Sarah. "Thank you for that," she told her. "I hate having to ask for help." "That's what family's for," Sarah answered. "But get a little, give a little, so Imma also need you to help me out here." The brunette climbed from his lap, and his cock was absolutely soaked with their juices, and while he was starting to soften, that feral look in Sarah's eyes told him he wasn't done yet, and made him begin to stiffen up again. "Whatever you need, Sares," Piper said, "I got you, boo." "I'll just need a helping hand," Sarah said, getting up off the couch. Andy tried to get up as well, but Sarah shoved him back down once more. "Who told you you could fucking get up?" she giggled. "I need you to stay there and let me run the fucking show this time, 'cause I'm a little fucking nervous, and I want to have the fucking control to do this how I think fucking feels right. I hope that's fucking okay with you, because if it isn't, well, I don't fucking care, now, do I?" Andy wasn't entirely sure what Sarah had in mind, as she turned away from him and moved to straddle his legs, but very quickly, it dawned on him what she was doing. "I can't fucking believe Emily did this shit before I did," Sarah said, reaching one hand back to grab his cock. Her position had her legs spread wide, as she moved to rub the tip of his cock along her cunt before dragging it downward, nestling it against the rosebud of her asshole. "Had to be fucking first to something, I guess." He could feel the tall woman getting his cock aligned right and then slowly started sitting down on it, his shaft pulsing in excitement as he felt her body, tight and a little unprepared, try and resist his cock's entrance before she finally seemed to lose patience with her own hole, as she pushed down to get the head of his cock inside of her ass. Her head leaned back, her eyes looking up at the ceiling, as a guttural, almost paleolithic, moan of pain and pleasure boiled out of her. "Fuck that's fucking big that's big holy fucking shit balls that's a big fat fucking cock and it's fucking going up my fucking ass oh my fucking God what the fuck am I doing?" "We can stop if  "   Sarah looked back over her shoulder at Andy with a wildness in her eyes that he'd never seen before, a deranged grin on her face. "Stop? Are you out of your fucking mind? This is the greatest fucking feeling I've ever fucking felt in my fucking life! Why the fuck would I want you to fucking stop?! I want fucking all of it!" she said to him as she pushed herself down onto his cock until he was buried as deeply as he could get inside of her backdoor, the tall girl's skin covered with a layer of goosebumps that made the fine red hairs of her arms stand on end, her body vibrating in orgasm as she did. "Jesus Fucking Christ, I feel like such an utter fucking whore and I fucking love it! You've got that big fucking cock jammed right up my fucking virgin asshole and it made me fucking cum just going the fuck in, so now you gotta fuck me or I gotta fuck you but somebody's gotta fuck somebody right the fuck now!" Piper had sort of been standing off to the side a little bit, and one of Sarah's hands shot up and grabbed one of the brunette's wrists, yanking her close. "Er, what, what am I supposed to be doing here, Sarah?" "You can fucking rub or you can fucking lick, but you gotta fucking work that fucking clit of mine while he's fucking my ass, so get fucking to it!" she barked, and the commanding tone to her voice made it clear the actress was not asking for input on the matter. The tanned athlete took one of her hands timidly down to rub against Sarah's cunt before moving to stroke her clit, as Sarah began to bounce up and down in his lap, one hand on the arm of the couch, the other on Andy's hip. In this position, Sarah had completely control of the tempo and the force with which she slid her ass down onto his cock, something he'd expected her to use to keep it slow and tender, but instead, Sarah was practically trying to break the couch, slamming her ass down into his lap as hard as she cold each time, while Piper was caressing her clit. "Fuck that's so fucking good oh my god why didn't I ever get fucked in the ass before I love this so fucking much but it's all your ass, Andy, Daddy, it's only ever your fucking ass, you're the only one to ever fuck me this way, and I fucking love that and I keep God! I keep fucking cumming over and over again, so please Daddy, please please please cum in my fucking virgin ass and let me fucking feel it, let me feel you own the last fucking bit of me no man's ever had, because I don't need any other fucking man but you because I fucking love the ever loving shit out of you you big cocked motherfucker you hear me I fucking love you Andy so fucking cum, cum right the fuck up my ass! Fuck! Fuck! Muph!" She leaned her head back at the end onto his shoulder, craning her neck so that she could jam her lips against his, as he felt Piper's other hand cradling his balls, squeezing them gently, and the sensations were all too much, as his body let loose another orgasm, flooding Sarah's rectum with a gusher of an orgasm as their tongues clung to each other before they both slumped back, his back against the couch, her back against his chest, both of them nearly too exhausted to move. Huginn, who had remained completely undisturbed by all of this, finally had had enough, and the black cat got up and hopped down the couch, moving to a different unoccupied couch, hopping back up, curling into a ball and settling down once more, a perturbed look on his face. Then Sarah began to feverishly giggle, waves of curved red hair over her face before she pushed them out. "Em was fucking right. That was totally fucking amazeballs. Thanks Pipes." Piper winked a little bit as she pushed a fingertip inside of Sarah's cunt, causing the actress to gasp a little bit in surprise before Piper slid the finger back out, lifting it up to her lips, licking it in front of the two of them. "We're definitely gonna need a shower before we get into bed," she said, and they all laughed at that. Chapter 38 In a rather unusual turn of events, Andy woke the next morning on November 18th to an empty bed. It wasn't uncommon for him to awake with only a couple of the girls still in bed asleep with him, but a totally empty bed was almost an unheard of experience at this point. He glanced at his Apple Watch and saw that it was around 10:30, which meant he'd definitely slept in a bit. Like most writers, Andy was generally a nocturnal creature, staying up late and getting up late, which had put his schedule at odds with some members of the family, but they'd mostly learned to make it work. He slipped on some boxers, pulled on his jeans and tugged on a t shirt,  this particular one a gift from some fantasy convention he'd been a guest speaker at,  and headed over to the balcony, stepping out onto it with a smirk. Down at the pool, most of the girls were nearly finishing their morning work out, being led by Sheridan, a sea of sports bras and yoga pants, doing the last part of their high intensity section of the workout, and Andy could vaguely hear Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" being played from a portable speaker near them. (Andy still wasn't sure which bothered him more, the fact that they were listening to Vanilla Ice or the fact that Vanilla Ice opened that song with "Stop! Collaborate and listen!" and yet there were no signs of any collaboration going on. In fact, it didn't seem like Ice understood what the word collaborate meant. The writer in him just couldn't bear it.) Lauren and Taylor weren't there as he expected they'd gone in to work today, especially since it was Taylor's first day of working in months. He hoped that she fit in well with the 49ers organization, but at this point, he wasn't entirely even sure who was working there. Niko also wasn't working out as he figured she'd gone to work at the base today. He wasn't sure what her schedule was like these days so he trusted her to let him know when she was coming and going and when it would be important for him to know. She was more than capable enough to manage her own schedule. It was nice to spot that both Fiona and Moira were in the group, between Ash and Sarah in the front row of three, and both seemed to be in good spirits. Moira's unruly mass of red curls had been braided into a tightly woven tail that whipped behind her as she danced to the beat of the music, occasionally slapping against either Fi or Sarah, both of whom laughed wildly when it did. It made Moira look a little like a redheaded version of the original polygon model of Tomb Raider, now that he thought about it. The weather was still mostly overcast, and it looked like rain might even be on the schedule for later in the day, something he didn't mind one bit. California had mostly been in a drought for years, and any rain the state could get was seen as a blessing, particularly since they now lived in more densely wooded areas. The last thing Andy wanted was a wild fire to take his new home. He leaned against the railing, just enjoying looking over both the estate and his family before Sheridan finally spotted him up on the higher floor balcony as the song came to an end. She pointed to Andy to draw the girls' attention to him, as all of them turned to look at him. The words were out of his mouth before he even knew he was saying them. "Good morning, angels," he shouted to them. "Good morning Andy!" they shot back in matching cadence. "You know, you really ought to join us some mornings, Andrew," Emily teased politely. "Hmm. I'd be worried about making a fool of myself." "I can make sure we don't overwhelm you on your first work out, dude," Sheridan said to him with a wink and a grin. "Let's give it a go tomorrow, 'kay?" Andy groaned a little bit. "God help me. Okay, I'll give it a try, but no making fun of me!" All the girls made various catty comments and gestures as he rolled his eyes and headed back into the house. He had a little bit before any of them were back inside anyway, even if they were finished with their workout. While the pool house was being converted into Tala's workshop, it still had a large group shower room, and the girls tended to go and cool down in there before splitting off afterwards. A few of them would go and shower in their own individual bathrooms, but the majority of them enjoyed the communal experience, as it let them all continue to get to know each other. Andy headed down to the kitchen and found that Jenny had made him a mini breakfast burrito that was waiting with a glass of pineapple juice on the little kitchen island, Katie also sort of milling around the room as both women bowed to him when he entered. He'd tried to get them to stop doing that, but he'd learned that attempting to discourage his staff of anything generally only resulted in them doing it even more than they were originally, so he was trying a new tactic now,  let them burn themselves out on it and hope they'd stop on their own. "Enjoy your breakfast, sir!" Jenny said, moving around the counter before dropping down onto her knees. "I know I'll enjoy mine!" Her fingertips unbuttoned Andy's jeans and he was thankful he hadn't put on a belt this morning, as Jenny began to lick and suck on his cock, slowly running her tongue along it while her wife watched on, although there was an unusual expression on Katie's face, something Andy wasn't quite sure of. "What's on your mind, Katie?" he said, feeling Jenny's lips slowly push down around his length. They had told him before that they wanted to make getting their needed dose as low impact for him as possible, and had stressed that they enjoyed this sort of casual acquisition. "You look like you're worried about something." The Hispanic girl sighed and nodded. "I, I wanted to discuss something with you, sir, but I wasn't sure quite how to bring it up. Shit, I'm nervous even thinking about it now." Andy nodded, chewing a mouthful of his food before taking a sip from the glass to wash it down. "Look, you don't have to tell me anything, Katie, but if something's on your mind, you'll probably feel better if you just get it out of your head. No matter how much worse you think it'll be if you say it, letting it rattle around your brain like a cage full of bees is only going to be worse." "I suppose that's fair, sir," Katie said, chewing on her finger nervously. "It's just, this isn't the sort of thing I thought I'd ever say, sir, and it makes me feel strange. I think it's probably just part of whatever the treatment's doing to me, but it's, it feels like it's both a part of me and not a part of me, you know? Like some part of me I didn't know about but was lingering in the dark shadows of my mind the whole time?" Andy frowned a little. "No, I can't say I do know what you're talking about." Jenny's mouth popped off his cock as she made an exasperated noise from his waistline. "Uuuugh! Just tell him already!" she said, frustration in her voice, before she pushed her lips back down around his cock once more. "Sir, I think, I think I'd like for you to fuck me, maybe just the once, maybe just to see if maybe I might like it," Katie said, her voice sounded terrified that he would reject her or yell at her. "I mean, I don't have a problem with if both of you don't, but you certainly needn't do it on my behalf, Katie," Andy told her, as Jenny started to suck harder, as if to pull the resistance out of him. "You made it very clear to me when I arrived that you were a lesbian, though, and I wouldn't dream of asking you to change that." Katie threw her hands up, her eyes widening a little bit, almost in shock at herself. "That's just it! I am! I know I am! I've always thought girls were the only sexy things in the world! The idea of being with dudes just made me uneasy! I imagine I felt about guys the same way you feel about guys,  I don't want to be with that!" "Then why  " "I don't know, alright?! I don't fucking get it! Thinking about any other man just makes my stomach all queasy and nauseous, but the last few weeks, when I've been thinking about what it looks like when I see you fucking Jenny, I don't feel like I do when I think about any other man, and I don't understand what's going on!" The woman looked like she was about to cry, and Andy reached over and grabbed her hand, pulling her over towards him, his fingertips curling around hers. "I am never going to make you do anything you don't want to do, Katie," he said sternly. "But they did tell us that the serum was going to have some side effects, and that it was likely going to make some physiological changes to our bodies, some foreseen and some unforeseen." Jenny had eased off the speed of the blowjob a bit, but hadn't stopped entirely. "If you want to try actual sex with me, I'm not opposed to that, but  " "But you don't want me to think I'm doing it on your account. I'm not, sir, I assure you! I don't even know where these thoughts are coming from, but I told Jenny about a week ago, I had a sex dream with you in it, and we were fucking, and in the dream, it seemed like I liked it quite a lot," Katie sighed. "I know that doesn't necessarily mean anything,” "They say sex dreams generally aren't about sex." "But, but when you were taking Whitney the other day? I found myself getting wet, thinking about what it would be like, what it would be like to be her, to be getting fucked by you, and, and I think I want to try that at some point, not the tying up or collaring or anything but, but I think I'd like for you to fuck me once, just to see, just to see if I really do feel differently about you than I do all the other men in the world,” "And you're okay with this, Jenny?" he said, reaching down to stroke Jenny's hair back. Jenny nodded, popping her lips off his cock with a loud smack. "I still want both of us to be there any time you dose either of us, sir, but if this is a thing she wants to try, well, it would be unfairly judgmental of me to fuck you myself and not allow her to do so as well. 'Sides, she told me about these feelings long before she told you, and that's all that really matters." She smiled at him kindly, then lowered her lips back down around his shaft once more, her eyes still looking up at when she did. "Then it's fine with me, Katie," he said, looking back at the Hispanic woman, one of her hands being held by him, the other being held by Jenny from below. "Thank you, sir," Katie said. "For being willing to do that with me, and for not judging me because of it." "Katie, look. If you want to try it, that's fine. If you try it and you don't like it, that's fine. If you try and do like it and want it more regularly, that's fine. If you change your mind right before we're about to do it, that's fine. Whatever you want here, it's fine. I just want you to be satisfied with whatever decision you made, and I want it made because it's what you want, and not what you think I want, okay? I am surrounded by beautiful women, and I'm just trying to do everything I can to do right by all of you. So whatever you want, you just need to tell me." She nodded, before looking down with a smile. "You were taking your time because I was talking to him, weren't you, Jen?" The curvy girl between his legs giggled a little and nodded, then started thrusting her face into his lap faster and more intently, and Andy could feel that release building up inside of him, even as he finished the last bite of breakfast. He was more than a little taken back when Katie leaned in and whispered into his ear, "My wife's such a good little cocksucker, isn't she? Give us our breakfast, Master, that fucking load of hot cum right into her fucking mouth." The unexpected words made his cock throb and finally he pumped a few squirts of his cum into Jenny's mouth, as she shuddered at his feet. The woman kept her lips sealed just past the head of his cock while her fingers jerked along the rest of his length, making sure to milk out the last of it before she pulled her head back, keeping her lips pursed together before standing up and immediately kissing Katie, swapping that cum between them, Katie's form trembling as she leaned against Jenny, the Latina being held up by her wife for just a moment until the orgasm passed. Both women pulled from the kiss, licking each others lips for just a moment before turning to look over at Andy, almost as if they were ready for a second course right now. Katie winked at him. "You know, I know it's all chemical, but dios mio if that orgasm from tasting your cum doesn't leave one sweet ass high,” Jenny moved to tuck his cock back into his pants, zipping them back up and buttoning them, as she glanced over at Katie. "Don't forget to update the Needs Board, hun," she told her wife, who nodded in response. "Got it, babe. Anyway, sir, let me think about it, but next time, I think I'd like you to fuck Jenny with me there, and then fuck me with Jenny there, so I have some time to let it settle in my brain that I'm going to go through with it," Katie said to him. "You know, actually fucking a dude." "Whatever you want, Katie." "Thank you, sir. Oh, don't forget, you have a phone meeting at 2 with that director candidate, Erica Xiao." He nodded. "Good. Yes. Thank you for reminding me. I might have forgotten if you hadn't." Jenny snickered a little. "Em would've had your balls if you had." "She's got them anyway," Katie shot back. Andy arched an eyebrow at them. "Don't you two start." He drank the last of his pineapple juice then pushed the plate forward. "Thanks Jenny, for everything. I'm going to head to my office. Maybe send down lunch a little after one." "Yes sir. Also, don't forget that Miss Steele will be here sometime today." "Oh right," Andy said, chuckling. "Sometimes everything gets so busy, I can barely remember my own name, much less who's coming and going. Katie, can you set up a large portion of the back yard to fence off, so that Maya's dogs will have a place to run and play without us worrying about them getting into the pool if she wants to leave them outside?" "Miss Steele's got dogs?" Katie said, groaning. "Great. Now I get to start having to watch the backyard for landmines." "That's why I was thinking if we gave them their own area that's fenced off, at least we'd have it clearly marked that it's the part of the yard with occasional hazards, although Sarah insisted that Maya is known to always clean up after her dogs. Maybe put a bin outside for her to toss them all?" Katie nodded. "I can spend the day prepping the yard so we're not all worried about stepping in dog shit when we're walking in the grass." "Good on you." "Did Miss Washington said what kinds of dogs they were, sir?" Jenny asked. "Pomeranians, I think," Andy said. "Those aren't dogs, those are animated dustmops," Katie said with an amused snort. "And here I was worried they would be Saint Bernards or Rottweilers." As he headed down to his office, he was starting to run through the checklist of things he needed to do today in his head. He definitely wanted to talk to Moira now that she was up, but he figured he would let her come to him in her own time, as it had been so long since they'd really talked to one another. He would need to pair with Maya when she arrived, and he also needed to check on Lexi and see how she was doing. As much as he wanted to head over to Xander's and see his friend's new house and meet all the rest of his partners, Xander had asked him to wait until the weekend, so he would have more of a chance to get settled, both into the house and into the household. He was almost at the door of his office when his iPhone began to ring, and he fished it out of his pocket, surprised to see Phil The Younger a.k.a. Lesser Phil a.k.a. Phil Pak (not Phil Marcos), on the screen, as he answered it. "Heya man, long time no talk!" Andy said to him. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" "Nothing good I'm afraid," Lesser Phil sighed. "I'm not going to be able to make poker night on Friday. In fact, I may not be able to make poker night for a while, I'm afraid." "That sucks man. What's going on?" "Well, me and the family were relocated, so we're quite a bit further from you now, and the place where we're at is very strict on quarantine procedures, so if we came and saw you and the rest of the gang for poker, we'd have to quarantine for a week before we would be allowed back in to our house, so while we'll try and do it a couple of times a year, for the foreseeable future, it's probably off the table." "Where's they move you to that's got such strict guidelines?" "They're calling the place Valhalla Shores. They decided that they didn't want to put all their eggs in one basket and have New Eden be the only place for Level Fives in the Bay area, so they built a new one over closer to the coast. We're where Pacifica used to be, basically, although I think they tore almost all the old city down and put up this place, like a giant gated mansion community. It's a little snobby for my liking, personally, but you know how Brandy has always been in terms of keeping up with Joneses, so when the NSA offered to move us over to here, she made me jump on it immediately. It's mostly just spooks and techbros over here," he sighed. "You'd fucking hate it. I know I do, but it keeps peace in my household, and that's about all I can ask." "Wait, techbros and spies crossbreeding? That sounds like a horrible idea, like, just the worst. On the other hand, if your quarantine protocols are that strict, it might mean I never have to deal with techbros again, and that might make the whole thing absolutely worth while. Hey, can I recommend a couple of cockish investors over here in New Eden to get transferred over there?" Phil the Younger laughed. "You fuckin' wish, dude. Whole place is fucking creepy anyway. Brandy says some of the women are kind of Stepford ish, and she feels like they're definitely an in crowd and an out crowd and she has zero interest in joining the in crowd. They keep trying to get her to join one of their hot yoga classes, but she said they'd have to break her legs to get her to do that shit. I hope she was being figurative, but you know Brandy." "That I do. Well, we'll miss seeing you guys, but I get it. You're doing what you have to do to keep your family safe and sound. Keep us posted, but I appreciate you calling to tell me personally." "Copy that, man," he said. "See you on the other side." After Lesser Phil had hung up, Andy wondered how many actual community hubs had formed in the Bay area since the cultural rebuilding had started. He also wondered how hard it would be for him or any members of his family to leave New Eden, even for a short while. He'd been craving an animal style In N Out burger for nearly a year now, and while he could ask Jenny to make something equivalent, there was nothing quite like having the real deal. He was certain Niko would know what the current entrance/exit policy for New Eden was, and he resolved to ask her when he saw her. It couldn't be that strict, he realized, because Lauren had been coming and going to the training camp for over a week now. Maybe he could just get in the Tesla and drive down to an In N Out, assuming he could find one that was open. When he walked into his office, he saw that his two cats, Muninn and Huginn, were curled together in a bundle in his writing chair, the two forming a sort of gray black yin yang symbol. Also, as promised, atop of his desk was a brand new laptop, a silver MacBook, with a Post It note on top of it. It was from Whitney (he could recognize her meticulous handwriting) and said "Try it. If you hate it, we'll get something different. “w" As much as he wanted to move the two cats so he could sit down in the chair where he got his best work done, he decided it was okay to sit at the desk for a while, even though it felt way more formal, although he realized he wasn't doing much creative today, mostly just the assorted busywork that sprung up around the actual creative process. The new laptop was set up with access to his emails and had all of his writing transferred onto it, so he could consult back to other things as he started answering questions from his agent and his editor, losing an hour or so before there was a knock at the door. "Come on in," he said. The door opened and Moira and Fiona slipped in together, closing the door behind them. All of their possessions clearly hadn't arrived from cross country yet, because he noticed each of them was wearing one of his t shirts, the fabric hanging big and loose over them like an overcoat. Moira had on one of his Biffy Clyro shirts, which he found fitting, whereas Fiona had clearly dived way back into the depths of his closet and was wearing a Gin Blossoms t shirt. "It's good ta see ya again, Andrew," Moira said shyly, smiling across the room at him. "I've missed ye something fierce." "How are you feeling, Moira? I knew the serum can react strangely to people who've had complicated medical history, and I imagine dengue fever isn't the only strange bug you've picked up over your wild and crazy life." "I cannae tell ye how great I feel, Andrew," she said, starting to move across the room to him. "An' how thankful I am ye trusted Fi enough t' let her bring me in wit' her. Yer, nae mad, are ye?" He shook his head. "Look, Moira. We had a wonderful time together, but that was decades ago. But I've always trusted Fi, and if you and her were together before now, there's no reason any of that should change." "Of course it'll have t' change, ye big dummy," she giggled. "Ye know she's always loved ye, ye daft shite? E'en when I came inta her life, that has nae changed." "Except she's changed and I've changed, so maybe it has changed too." "You haven't changed that much, Andy," Fi said, "and neither have I. You still trusted me enough to offer me a place in your family, even when I had a condition I wouldn't tell you about." "Were ye surprised when ye saw me?" Moira asked him. "Well, I'd figured it out before I saw you. I figured it out as soon as I heard your voice, and that let me put two and two together. But I was very surprised when I heard your voice, yeah." "Surprised inna good way, I kin hope?" "Naturally, although I was hoping you were going to be happy with me, even with the weight I've put on and the hair I've lost," he chuckled. "I think ye look sexy, ya galoot," Moira twittered. "Hold me hands, Fi. It's all I kin do t' keep from havin' a crack at him right now." Fiona wrapped her arms around Moira's waist, shaking her head. "He's not going anywhere, Moira," she said with a kind ease. "Aye, an' neither are we, an' I don' wannae be too far behind the other gare ruls, an' two of 'em are already in th' lead." "One day at a time, love. One day at a time." "You two want to sit and have a chat?" Andy said. On the other side of his desk were two chairs, so he could entertain meetings in here if he needed, although the chairs held the cats more often than they held people. "Oh aye, let's have a chinwaggle," Moira said, slipping from Fiona's arms, moving over towards Andy's desk, but instead of moving to sit in one of the chairs across the desk, she moved to slide herself up and into his lap, her legs dangling over one of the arms of the chair. Fi then moved across the room, and moved his laptop to one side, so she could scoot her ass up and onto his desk directly in front of him, making sure not to knock anything off. "So tell m  " he started to say before Moira leaned in and kissed him hard, her body light in his lap, but the strength with which she pulled his lips onto her own was more than a bit forceful. "I bloody love ye, Andy," Moira said to him. "And Jaysis, do you smell fookin' amazin'." Andy grinned a bit, arching an eyebrow. "Sounds like you may have picked up a little bit of Piper's superpower along the way. I wonder if that's a side effect of the dengue fever antibodies you have in your system." "I cannae tell ye where it comes from, but Jaysis, you smell better'n any meal I've ever eaten in me life. I want ta breathe ye all day long,” She buried her face against the nape of his neck, as he looked to Fiona for sympathy, but saw only mirth on her face. "So, Moira, tell me what you've been up to since we last saw each other." "School," she said, pronouncing the word like 'skoo will,' "then more school, then residency, then Doctors Without Borders, at least until I ran in ta Fi again in DC. It's no tha' excitin'." "Doctors Without Borders, tending to patients in the middle of warzones? That's the absolute definition of exciting to me." "Then you're a fool," she giggled. "I mean, yeh, I was shot at now an' again, but that's a part o' life anyway, isn't it? I was tendin' to kids who needed doctors, an' while I loved tha' work, when I shacked up with Fi again, she wanted me to be safer, wha'ever th' hell tha' means." "It means you're saving lives without people trying to take yours, Mo," Fiona scolded, kicking the Scottish lass with the tip of her leather boot. "She's still undecided whether she wants to take up private practice here in New Eden, or if she wants to go and work in the hospital they're finishing up alongside the base." "In a few years, anyway," Moira said. "After I've given ye a son." Andy's head leaned back a little bit. "Little early to be thinking about stuff like that, isn't it, Moira?" "Like hell, Andy," Moira said, pulling her face back from his neck so she could look him in the eyes again. "You," she said, tapping his chest with a fingertip, "need children. I," she continued, tapping her own, "want tae have one or two before I get back to the medical life. So all we're doin' is just wastin' fookin' time until you get me ripe." "You still don't need to rush right into it, Moira," Andy said, stroking his fingertips against the back of her neck. "Take some time to get settled and comfortable here in the household before you go rushing straight towards the respawning finish line." "Spoken like a laddie who doesnae realize our clocks 'r tickin'," she grumbled. "But, aye, I'll do me best nae to rush it too much. And all the other gare ruls have bin sooo kind tae us. I didnae know what t' expect, 'specially wit' all th' famous faces y'got around these parts." "They're just people, like anyone else," Andy replied. "Think how I feel, trying not to let anyone down." "Ach, yer daft, laddie," Moira said, tickling him a flash. "Yer a good man, an' tha's all tha' matters." "Emily told us all about her experiences this morning, what with the poker game and how it felt being traded like cattle. She was horrified by what horrible things the few remaining men in power are up to, and Niko explained how she basically had to force you to get into the game to rescue Asha and her mother from Covington," Fiona said. "I'm sure that must've been quite taxing." "You had to risk people to win people, and while I certainly didn't want my ex as part of my life, I didn't want to consign her to a life with someone horrible either," he sighed. "I feel very fortunate that it all worked out in my favor, but it was such a gigantic risk." Fiona tugged his chair a little closer to the desk with her leather boot, shrugging. "Life's one colossal risk, Andy. You've always known that." "You think your mother's going to be okay with you being part of a polypod, Moira? I only met her the once, but she struck me as an especially stern Catholic." "When th' news comes out, she'll come 'round, 'specially since th' Pope's apparently okay wit' it, or so we were told a' th' base," Moira shrugged. "Besides, it saves me th' trouble from havin' t' tell 'er I'm shacked up wit' Fi here. She's still nae comfortable wit' 'th' gays,'" she said, making air quotes with her fingers. "Didnae know how t' break it t' her tha' her daughter's as queer as a two dollar bill." "I hope I'm not coming between you two," Andy said. "Nah," Fiona laughed. "We're both bi, and both need some cock in our life. Yours'll do. It was generally my favorite." "An' mine, although I didnae try tha' many." "Tell him how many, Mo." "I don' wanna." "C'mon." "Fi,” "Mo,” Moira sighed. "Fine, wha'ever. I've only had three cocks, Andy, an' yours was right smack dab in th' middle. Me first was a boy in school, and me most recent was another doctor jus' before I hooked up with Fi again. I generally prefer gare ruls to lads, but ye always felt, felt like home t' me." "She was worried that her piercings were going to put you off her," Fi said. "Between the nose stud and the pierced nipples, she told Niko that she felt too different than anyone else it sounded like you had in the family." "I'll admit, I'm not generally a big fan of excessive piercings, but the whole look works on you, Moira. I mean, if you'd had one of those septum piercings like a bull ring, I might have had some reservations, but who am I to tell someone what they do to their body?" Fiona giggled slightly. "I jokingly suggested she get one of her eyebrows pierced once and she slugged me hard enough that she almost dislocated my shoulder." "Do I look like I wanna join bloody Evanescence?" Moira growled. "Did you two decide if you want a bedroom to yourselves, or one each?" Moira shook her head. "We're wit' you, laddie, no matter where y' lay yer head down." "Although I was thinking I might turn one of them into an office for me to work, if that's okay," Fiona said. "Sort of like your little office here." "Yeah, of course," Andy said. "Whatever you want. At some point, all the rooms will be spoken for, but until they are, they're fair game for whoever wants them." "At some point, some of them are going to have to be nurseries," Fiona stressed. "Especially since you've already got two pregnant ladies in the house. How far along are they?" "A couple of months," Andy said. "So it's still early days, and we haven't really told many people outside of the family yet, since the first few months are the diciest." "When's th' big wedding gonnae be?" Moira asked. "Niko told me her family wouldn't give two shits if the wedding happened after the kid was born, but Ash said her family might have some issues with it, so she and I might have a legal ceremony beforehand and then when the world is open again, when I have the giant wedding ceremony, she'd be part of that too." "Seems a fair compromise," Fi agreed. "It would also mean you have someone to function as Head of Household if you were incapacitated and needed someone to make a decision on your behalf." "Don't go planning to have me put into a medical coma any time soon, Fi," Andy joked. "That's still a few months down the way." "Good thing you've got yourself a doctor in the house now, hmm?" "How're you two feeling about all of this? I know it's a lot to process all at once." "It's a lot of bloody names ta learn," Moira grumbled. "I almost want ta see nametags on e'eryone fer a few months." "You'll pick them up pretty quick," Andy said. "And I was smart or lucky enough to not get any two partners with the same first name, thank god for that." "I dinnae find out if they tol' you, Andy," Moira interrupted, "but jus' so ye know, my cycle's shorter than th' rest of th' gare ruls. They kin go about ten days 'fore they cannae think clearly, but I kin only go about six." "Nobody told me that, no," Andy said. "Any other differences I should know about?" "Nothin' ye need concern yerself with," she replied, kissing his cheek. "I'm sure all th' lasses have got their own quirks so ye need nae concern yerself." "Alright then, I'll try not to worry. Anyway, I appreciate you stopping by to say hello, but I do have an online meeting in just a little bit, so I hate to kick you out but  " "No no! You've got work to do, so c'mon, Mo," Fiona said, hopping off his desk, pulling Moira from his lap. "Let the man talk to the voices in his computer." Moira leaned down and kissed him one final time, resting her face against his for what felt like minutes before she smiled and pulled back. "I love ye, ye daft git." "Love you both," he said, as they slipped out of his office. The meeting went as well as could be expected, and Erica Xiao seemed like she might actually be a good choice for directing the first Druid Gunslinger movie, as she seemed to intuitively grasp the undercurrents of the story without having to explicitly call them out, something that was a refreshing change of pace from the first couple of candidates he'd interviewed. Of course, he didn't get the final say on who was directing the movie, but Working Title seemed to genuinely care that he liked the director, so that they would remain true to the books. They'd gone against authors' wishes before, and it hadn't gone well for them, so now they were trying to make sure the author approved of, or at least understood the reasoning for, any changes that were made in the process of translating it from a book to a movie. After that, he decided he needed to go and check on Lexi. Even though Phil had told him that her imprinting process time would take a bit longer, he thought it wise to swing by and make sure that she wasn't in any pain, but when he arrived by her door, he found Niko sitting on a chair in front of it, a Lee Child book in her hands. "Hey Niko," Andy said, approaching her. "I thought you were on the base today?" Niko shook her head, smiling at him as she tucked a slip of paper in as a bookmark before closing the paperback up, setting it on a table next to her. "With Lexi having a different reaction to the serum, Phil asked me to stay here and keep tabs on her, and report in what other irregularities she was going through, especially since I noticed a few right away." Andy's brow furrowed in worry. "How concerned should I be?" Niko sort of tilted her head a little. "That's just the thing, babe. I don't think you need to be at all worried, but you are definitely going to have a challenge on your hands for the first few days after she wakes up. I think letting Jenny help with that, though, would be a wise move." "What the hell does that mean, Niko?" She jerked her head over her shoulder. "C'mere and lemme show you." After sliding off the chair, she opened the door and they both stepped into the room, and Andy immediately started to panic, but he felt Niko's hand take his and squeeze it reassuringly. "She's fine, Andy, regardless of how she looks." "What, what the hell is happening to her?" There was a large growth on one side of her, a faded white swell over her body, and Andy didn't even know what exactly he was looking at. "She's healing," Niko said. "The reason you're going to want Jenny to help is that by the time she wakes up, I think Lexi's not going to have any scars left. It's almost like she's shedding the scarred layer of skin and replacing it with fresh, newly healed skin, like a snake molting. We've seen it in rare cases on the base. I told you early on that I knew the serum did some basic additional healing when it was first taken into the woman's body, but that level of healing varies a lot from patient to patient, more than anything else about it. When she was injected on the base, I knew there was a, call it ten to fifteen percent chance this might happen, that the serum might go into overdrive with her scars and began repairing the skin and the nerves, but I didn't want to get her hopes up in case it didn't happen, because we still don't know what does and doesn't cause the reaction." "And, and you're telling me her skin will just be back to normal?" "Whoa, easy there. 'Normal' is a very flexible word, and one that we don't like using on the base," Niko told him. "She's likely to be healed but considering all of those nerves will be freshly regrown, they are going to be hyper sensitive, and that means people are going to have to be careful around her, because it'll be easy to overwhelm her until those nerves have gotten accustomed to working again and they know how to moderate their intake. We also have no idea what it's going to do to her PTSD, if anything, and that's what we need to keep an eye on." "But, she is going to be okay, right?" "This isn't going to be a problem, Andy, but it's up to all of us to make sure that the repercussions of her sudden healing don't overwhelm her. But I think it'll be okay." Andy sighed, turning to press a kiss against Niko's cheek. "Is there anything else you aren't telling me?" "Honey, what I'm not telling you could fill up Levi's Stadium, but you just have to trust me that I'm doing it all with your best interests at heart, okay?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "You're lucky you're so cute." "It's one of my natural defense mechanisms," she teased. "C'mon, let's leave her be." They stepped back out into the hallway and Niko closed the door behind her. "I figured I should be here when she wakes up, so I can explain to her all of what happened, and prepare her for what to expect. It's the least I can do." She jerked her chin upward, to get Andy to look behind him. "Looks like you're up." Nicolette was walking down the hall, a soft smile on her face. "Just letting you know, Master, that Miss Steele's ride over just buzzed the gate and she should be at the front door any minute. Miss Washington and Miss Stevens said they would meet you there." Andy kissed Niko again before turning to walk with Nicolette towards the stairs, heading to the front door. "Showtime!" Chapter 39 It was with a little surprise that Andy stepped out of his front door to see a familiar electric blue Tesla parked in front of it, Phil helping Maya remove her things from his trunk. "Hello Maya," Andy said, walking down the steps towards her, seeing Emily and Sarah were already there, Emily talking with Maya while Sarah was crouched down next to the little carrier, giving the dogs inside scratches while cooing at t

Graventown
Episode 92: Summer Slowdowner

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2025 30:07


Hello friends. I'm sending this out to you through channels of pure love and understanding - in these wild times of hate and hurt - and I hope that you're as well as you can be. I've got some summer shows coming but I've been feeling the need to just slow everything down and so I intend to do as such. I'll still be here - and hey - I'm almost at a hundred eppies (what the kids call "episodes") so I need to crack that monumental milestone - but I'm also gonna do some laying low. Some writing. Some creating. Some natureing. Some journaling. I'll see ya where I see ya. Hope you get outside and suck up summer through a straw. You are loved and always welcome in Graventown.Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne, Stephen Stanley (Lowest of the Low) and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

Digital Ministry GKP Bandung
Sapaan Lansia GKP Bandung Ep 26. - 26 Juni 2025 "Pengharapan Kepada Tuhan Tak Akan Pernah Pudar"

Digital Ministry GKP Bandung

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2025 5:45


Sapaan Lansia GKP Jemaat Bandung,Kamis, 26 Juni 2025Tema :  "Pengharapan Kepada Tuhan Tak Akan Pernah Pudar"Bacaan Alkitab :  Yesaya 40:31 ; Maz 71:9 ; Mat 28:20 ; Yer 17:7Pelayan Firman :  Pnt. Yogi Herawati SabadjanEpisode 26- Season 05@GKP Bandung Juni 2025

ExplicitNovels
Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 15

ExplicitNovels

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2025


Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 15 Andy meets Tala, Jade and Whitney. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. "What's the agenda going to be like tomorrow?" Lily asked Andy while Ash got up from the table and headed outside so her conversation with Niko wouldn't disturb them. "Tour of the house first, a one on one with me and the reporter second, then a group interview with me and basically all the girls including the staff, then a handful of one on ones with some of the girls afterwards. I know Emily and Sarah are going to do one together, so they can talk a little about their relationship before the plague and how it affected them. Neither Sarah or Emily were out as bi before, and it certainly wasn't public knowledge that they were a couple, so I'm sure the reporter's going to have some questions on why they kept it quiet, but that's typical Hollywood bullshit. They'll handle it just fine without me getting in the way." "Didn't you say you had some girls showing up today?" Eric said. "Yeah, three people today, but I imagine they'll probably still be in the imprinting process by tomorrow, so they won't be around for interviews, although we'll see, I guess." "Speaking of handling it," Eric sighed, "how are you holding up with Matty's death? It's awful that he got sick and died from trying to help someone." "Yeah, but that was classic Matty," Andy shrugged. "He never stopped to think about these things if he thought someone needed his help. I'm dealing with it, some days better than others. From time to time, I just want to call him and talk to him about all of this, but then I remember I can't, and I have a good cry for a bit. But Xander's moving here to New Eden, and that's going to help, I'm sure." "Cool," Eric said. "Xander's always been a good guy, and it's smart to keep in touch with the people who knew you back when you were young and foolish." "I was young and foolish then, I feel old and foolish now." "Having Xander around will be good for you. He's always been better at calling you out on your bullshit than I am," Eric said, picking up a french fry. "And your long history with him means he knows when you're not saying something." "You know, I still think it's unfair you got both Sarah Washington and Emily Stevens, Andy," Lily joked. "You should've sent one of them over to me, er, Eric. I'm, I mean, he's jealous." "They're a set, Lily," Andy laughed. "You would've had to take both of them, and I think you probably would've gotten Sarah killed when she found out I was here. I know everyone's in love with Emily. You didn't strike me as a Dagger Academy fan when we were sharing the condo, though." "I'm not," Lily said, raising her empty glass, making sure a waitress caught her eye and started heading over to refill it. "But I fucking loved the Badass Ballerina movies, and I would've done Sarah in a heartbeat. Is she ask spunky as she seems on TV? That time she was on The Daily Show, and that girl in the audience told Sarah that she was on her boyfriend's list, and she started flirting with the guy immediately, that fucking killed me. Tell me she's really like that." "She's absolutely really like that," Andy said, as a waitress refilled all of their glasses. He'd been trying to cut down on his soda intake, but when he was stressed, he tended to double down on it a bit, so he was drinking Pepsi, same as Lily and Eric. "She's also a massive fan of the Druid Gunslinger books, if you can believe it." "Bullshit," Eric snorted. "I don't think there's any possibility she's a bigger fan than Dave, who got us in here just to get a copy of the new book six months early." "Wanna bet?" Andy grinned. For the next few minutes, Andy related the story of Comic Con panel from last year, where Emily and Sarah had participated in his Q&A, asking questions while being disguised in head to toe cosplay, so nobody could recognize them. By the point that Andy was telling them about how Emily had done her best to maneuver both her and Sarah into his care, Eric and Lily were both laughing quite openly, incredulous to the surrealistic twists and turns their lives had taken this year. "Holy fuck," Lily said. "I guess you weren't kidding when you Sarah would've raised hell if she found out you were here and she wasn't paired with you. I bet she fucking devoured the new book as soon as she arrived." "Well, I didn't tell her it was done until the day after she was imprinted, but yeah, as soon as I did, she grabbed it and refused to do anything other than read it until she'd finished it." "What did she think of it?" Eric asked. "She thinks it's the second best one in the series, after 'Have Totem, Will Travel.'" "Yeah, I still think that's the best one as well, but you're not done yet. On that topic, how's it coming?" "I've finally got a draft I'm mostly happy with, and I'll be sending it over for your thoughts probably in the next couple of days or so." Eric grinned from ear to ear. "Well, that just made my day. First draft?" Andy clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes in frustration at the challenge the book had presented to him in the writing. "More like fifth. I finished the first draft like a month and a half ago, but when I sat down and reread the fucking thing, I tore a shitload of it apart and rebuilt the entire second act so that it didn't suck." "I'm sure it didn't suck before." "Well, it's better now, that's all that matters." "Can I read it as well?" Lily asked. "I don't want to intrude if it's not cool,” "Of course you can, Lil," Andy told her, a little delighted and surprised. "I thought you weren't a fan of the books." "Well, I'd only read one of them before meeting you and it was the one you weren't a fan of yourself, so Eric made me read the first one about three weeks ago, and since then I've read them all. 'The Problem With Were Bears' really is a terrible place to start." "I know, I know, alright?" he laughed. "If I could unpublish it and rewrite it from the ground up, I would, but it's out there, and I can't." "Stephen King rewrote the first book of The Dark Tower and published it a second time," Eric pointed out. "Stephen King I ain't, Eric," Andy deadpanned in return. "So what's this new one finally called? You seemed like you went through a dozen titles." "It's called 'The Fatal Solstice,' although I have to see if Nicole thinks it works." "Nice fucking title, dude!" Eric cheered. "I think that sounds badass." "Sarah started reading it this morning, so she'll have my first set of fresh eyes on it." "You're just now letting her read it?" "I just finished the draft yesterday! I didn't want her reading it until I felt like I had a semi finished final draft." There was a jingle of a bell as the front door to the restaurant opened and Ash moved back inside, heading to the table, a grin from ear to ear on her face, one that almost worried Andy a little as the Irish redhead slid back into the booth next to him, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "Okay, I'll bite," Andy said, after a few seconds of silence, with Ash not saying anything, just grinning at them in an expression that bordered on derangement. "What's up? What did Niko have to say? Everything fine at the base?" "So Tala, Whitney and Jade will all be arriving soon," Ash said. "Tala seems like a gas. Niko let me talk ta her for a couple of minutes, and I cannot tell ya how glad I am you chose her, having now spoken with her a bit. She's going to fit right in." "Dare I ask what that means?" "She and Niko seem like kindred spirits, that's all I'm saying." "Yeah, well, Niko once blew me in a public park because she thought I needed to take the edge off, so maybe that doesn't put me as much as ease as it does you," Andy smirked. "Did it?" Lily asked. "Did it what?" "Did it take the edge off?" "I don't have to answer that." "I suspect it did take the edge off." Andy scowled at her, narrowing his eyes. "That's not the point." "I rather think that it is," she teased. "Fine," he admitted. "Yes, it did. But that doesn't mean it was a good idea." "No," Ash said, "that means it was a great idea. Waitress? Can we get the check please?" The woman at the counter nodded. "How do you want it split?" "No split," Andy said. "I'm covering it." "Andy, man, you don't have to do that," Eric said, looking a little pained. Andy waved his hand. "I told you that Watkins just gave me a shitload of cash, so let me spend a little bit of it on my friends from time to time. Speaking of which,” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a personal check he'd written a few hours ago, sliding it across the table to Eric. "That's for you." "What's this for?" Eric said, not even looking at it yet. "Look, I know you were undercharging me rent for years and years, Eric, because you knew I couldn't afford more, and because you liked having someone else sharing the condo with you, but now I do have a bunch of money, so consider it me paying off back rent." "I'll remind you that there were a couple of years where we were both out of work." "So that just makes it even in more important that I settle up my debts," Andy said, handing his credit card to the waitress, not even looking at the bill. Eric picked up the check, looking at it, shaking his head. "C'mon, Andy! Man! This is too much! I can't take this!" "You already did," Andy said with a grin. "I don't often get a chance to do nice things for my friends any more, Eric, so you're just gonna have to give me this one." "I mean, you brought me into New Eden," Eric laughed. "I think that would've settled all our debts right then and there. I mean, my house isn't quite as nice as yours, but it's still a fucking fifteen room mansion here in the Bay, so between that and this," he said, waving the check around, "we are now absolutely, unequivocally even, okay?" "Yeah, alright," Andy answered, as the waitress handed him the credit card receipt and his card. Andy filled in the tip amount at 25% of the bill, then signed the slip and pocketed the card back into his wallet. As soon as he stood up, Eric hugged him hard. "Thanks again, Andy," Eric said. "It's good to have friends in this place." "I always promised you that if I got success, I wouldn't let it turn me into an asshole, Eric," Andy laughed, as his friend finally released him from the bear hug. "I just thought it would've been from my own doing rather than the generosity of some random guy I played poker with." "If you think all of this isn't of your own doing, Andy," Lily said, giving him a quick hug, "then you haven't been paying attention." "I suppose." Lily and Aisling exchanged hugs and they all walked out together to the parking lot. Andy laughed, as Eric pulled out the keys from his pocket and pushed a button, as a red Porsche 911 beeped in recognition. Eric shrugged a little with a smile. "Came with the house. Seemed rude to say no." He and Lily hopped into the sporty car and sped off, heading back towards their house, which was just down the street from Andy's. Andy and Lily climbed into the Tesla Roadster and brought the vehicle into motion so they could head back to the house. As the Tesla curved across the road, Andy asked "So how did Niko sound after her interview? Was she feeling okay?" Ash reached over and took his hand in hers, squeezing it. "Yer always so worried about all of us, Andy. We're nae made of glass. She sounded fine, I promise. She was laughing about th' whole thing, and she said she thought you'll do fine. She spent a bit of time today talking with all three of th' new girls, answering any questions they had and getting 'em set ta get acclimated in the house." "Should I even ask what kind of questions the girls had about me?" Ash rolled her eyes with a smirk. "The usual kind of stuff. Anything they should know not to talk about, or things you particularly like. Nothing ya need ta worry about. But I have a request, for me, something that'll take a little bit of work on yer part, but you can manage. You just have to keep yer mind on it." "That sounds ominous," he laughed. "It's really not, love," she giggled back. "A few times over the next few days, you're going to feel like yer first instinct is to get mad at something, but y'need to promise me that you won't, alright? That you'll take a deep breath and you'll say thank you when yer given a gift. If you have any one flaw, Andrew Rook, it's that sometimes ya get inside of yer own head too much. So I'm going to need you to trust in others, that the amazing women who you've allowed inta yer life are doing not only what they think you want, but what they want as well. Y'think ya can handle that?" "I'm not entirely sure what the hell any of that means, Ash, but I promise you, I will try and keep my wits about me and not lose my temper at any gifts that I'm given." "That's all ya need to keep in mind, love." When Andy brought the Roadster back to the house and parked it in the garage, he saw that all the cars were in the garage, which meant both Niko and Lauren were home. Niko being home also clued Andy in that the new girls had actually already arrived a bit ago, which was good. It would've let all of them have a chance to talk with one another without the pressure of his presence. He'd sort of learned that the first time he met any new partner, there was the weight of expectations already surrounding his arrival. Some of the girls had been eager to get on with it immediately, some had been willing to chat and talk with him a bit before hand. As he'd done more and more first impressions, he'd gotten better and better at it. But these three, each was so unique, and so different from each other, and this was the most people who had ever shown up at one time, so Andy wasn't even sure how he wanted to approach this. He hoped that the girls would've mostly figured it out for him before he arrived. He got out of the Roadster with Ash, and they headed into the house. "I imagine they're in the main living room, love," Ash said to him, as they walked down the hallway. They'd had a few months to get used to the layout of the massive manor, but if he wasn't paying attention, he could still get a bit turned about. They arrived to the basement living room, and before they'd even gotten to the room, he could hear the rush of voices interspersed with bouts of laughter and giggles. The sound warmed his heart, and he was pleased to see all the familiar faces gathered around the three new ones, everyone turning to look at him when he entered with Ash pushing him on the ass when he paused a little bit in the entryway. "Hey there, ladies," Andy said, grinning. "Welcome to the House of Rook, I suppose." The first person to rush him was Tala Jordan. The Iranian American woman, Sheridan's friend, was certainly the curviest woman to join his family, dressed in a tight white t shirt underneath a pair of jean overalls that clearly seen more than its fair share of paint, and still bore a wild array of multi colored splotch scars. The shirt and centerpiece of the overalls were straining against her heavy tits that were large enough to give Hannah's a run for her money. The white shirt was semi sheer, and Andy could see the outer edges of her dark aerola just peeking from beneath the overalls. Her dark hair hung loose, long and down her back, framing her rounder face. She had painted her lips a bright shade of rose, lush and vibrant. And she had on the most shit kickery of brown leather cowboy boots that he'd ever seen. "Hey there, studboy," she grinned, as she strolled up to him with an overconfident saunter, reaching up to pull Andy's lips down into an almost domineering kiss, not giving him an inch of control. Not that he minded. While her tongue was busy burrowing into his mouth, one of her hands pushed down the front of his pants, rubbing against his cock before sliding back out as she drew back from the kiss. "Here we go now. Just what I was looking for," she said, raising her hand up to the light, a bit of precum gleaming on the skin of her palm. Before Andy could say a word, she snaked her tongue out and licked up that smear of clear liquid, and as soon as she did, he had to lunge forward to grab beneath her arms, keeping her from falling down to the ground as that priming orgasm shattered her mind for a moment, all without a fraction of a sound escaping her trembling body. A few moments later, her breathing had returned to normal and she looked up at him with adoring brown eyes, wide and aroused. "Fuck that was great!" she moaned, looking a little fuck drunk already. "Sorry, I just couldn't wait to get that first fix so my clock could get started." She flashed him a saucy little wink. "Sher told me all about that delayed activation she went through, and while she made it sound like hell for her, I think it sounds boss to me so I didn't wanna give you a chance to say no." "Well hello to you too, Tala," he chuckled. "I couldn't get those words out before you basically manhandled me." "Oh c'mon," Tala said, "you wouldn't have complained even if my tongue wasn't pinning yours down. And because I know you're gonna be worried about all of this, the reporter tomorrow's going to ask if they can get footage of someone being imprinted for the show, and I agreed to be filmed, but by Emily and not their camera person." Emily waved a little bit. "I've done some camera work before, so I know what I'm doing. I'll frame it so that you only see her face, Andrew, if you're alright with it. Katie Couric asked Niko if it was okay, since you did have three new women arriving today, if one of them could wait until tomorrow and get filmed being imprinted. She did say both you and the woman in question would have to give permission, but Tala volunteered, so it's in your hands." "I mean, if you're okay with the entire world seeing your sex face, Tala," Andy shrugged, "who am I to say you can't?" "Well, you're going to eventually be my husband, dude," Tala said, that wide grin of hers never going away. "So you can't just pawn it off as entirely my decision. If you don't wanna do it, we won't do it. But I think it'd be good for their story, and fuck do I care if people see my O face?" "You're also okay waiting a full day after being primed to be imprinted?" he asked. "That damn near drove Sheridan crazy." "Oh, I'm hella hoping it's gonna," Tala said, braggadocio and swagger in her voice. "But I'll manage. And if it's too much to take, we can do that as soon as Katie arrives, before you do any interviews. I'm a big girl, and I've got on my big girl panties. I'll hold fast and stay true." "I'll give ten to one odds that you aren't wearing any panties right now, Tala," Sheridan teased. "I refuse to cover those odds!" She giggled, leaning up to kiss Andy on the cheek again. "And I can't hog all of your time, so you and I will just have to have our fuckdate tomorrow." "Hopefully you brought all your music gear with you," Andy said to her. "I remember when you were fronting The Grendelles, because I saw you open for Mike Doughty at The Independent. You guys were pretty good, although your drummer looked like he was high as fuck, so his tempos were all over the goddamn place." "Yeah, Casey was a fuckin' drag and hella fucked up so many gigs," she sighed. "But he OD'd a couple'a years back, so that ended that band." "Thought the band name wasn't great either, but you made fun of it yourself at that show, so I figured you knew that already." She reached behind him to give his ass a quick goose. "Daphne, the band's guitarist, came up with it, and we got a little bit of heat, so we were stuck with it, at least until Casey died. Last I heard from Daphne, she was down in L A and had taken up working as a studio rat, engineering for other people's shit, writing songs for suckers that can't do it their own damn selves. But don't you worry,  all my gear'll show up in the next couple of days, and I'll turn one of the bedrooms into a little music studio. I'll even make sure it's soundproofed and a good distance from your writing nook, so you won't even know when I'm hella getting my jam on." "Damn, girl," Sheridan said, "you're gonna take up so much of our damn space, between your music studio and your workshop. Maybe you should just convert the pool house into your working area. You could make the living room into your wood working studio, convert one bedroom in there into your music studio and the other into your own little living quarters." "That's a dope idea!" Tala said, not letting go of Andy, keeping her full tits pressed hard against his side. "Assuming you're cool with me changing the living room over there into a maker's room. And sorta commandeering the pool house. I don't wanna come in here all Bossy Magoo and shit, but it would mean everyone else wouldn't have to deal with the sound of heavy saws when I'm working on furniture, 'cause even I get tired of that shit some of the time." "You'd have to make certain you came into the main house regularly, though, and didn't just spend all your time out there alone. I mean, it's probably fine, but let me have a couple of days to think about it before I say yes, okay?" "Oh, totes, totes," she said, leaning up to kiss his cheek again. "Anyway, don't let me steal all the spotlight." She pulled his head down in another firm kiss before she slipped away from him with a mischievous giggle. Andy immediately knew why all the girls liked Tala,  she was approachable, personable and generally just seemed like a good time. The second girl to approach him was Jade Dillon, who had decided to show up wearing her 49ers cheerleader outfit, gold hotpants shorts and white crop top that left most of her toned abs exposed to the eye, her skin a sun kissed tan that clearly had enjoyed having a summer off without any children to teach. She looked as fit as Sheridan, Piper and Lauren, but a touch more muscular and a little less flexible. Her honey colored hair hung in loose corkscrews down to the middle of her back. She, thankfully, wasn't wearing the sort of heavy makeup that seemed to be necessary for performances at football games, instead electing to just have some basics. Her eyes were a vibrant green, the shade of summer grass in its prime, and her smile beamed in his direction, her teeth an almost reflective level of white. She strolled right up to him and wrapped her arms around him, hugging onto him tightly. "I know that we just met, but I just wanted to tell you how super grateful I am that you chose me," she said, burying her face in his chest. "I know you didn't have to take me in, and I'm sure that Lauren told you about my, ah, inexperience, and I totally know how that can make so many guys super nervous, but it didn't make you nervous, and that's great, it's just so darn great, and gosh, I just can't even tell you how happy that makes me, how all this makes me, getting to be a part of such a marvelous family. I know I'm talking like a mile a minute, but I have to get all of it out before any of it slips my mind, or I just get too nervous and tongued to talk." She was trying not to cry, and then she giggled to herself for a minute. "I'm Jade. I know it's silly to tell you that, but golly, I just feel like if I didn't, I'm not properly introducing myself." "Hey Jade, welcome to the family," he said with a smile. "Is it okay if I kiss you?" "Oh shucks, yes please! That sounds wonderful!" Andy helped her lean her head back so he could look into her eyes again, then leaned down and kissed her. She was only a couple of inches shorter than he was, so it didn't take much adjustment. Whereas Tala had been intensely eager, Jade was a bit more shy and reticent in her kiss at first, but she quickly warmed up to him, as if she was worried that she was being too reserved and was attempting to overcompensate by going all at it. "I changed into the Gold Rush outfit after I got here," Jade said, "because Hannah said she thought you'd like it. I can't say I blame you. Every man loves a cheerleader." She looked over to the curvy Asian teen, who gave her a wide smile and a pair of enthusiastic thumbs up. "You didn't have to wear it if you didn't want to," Andy said, a little shyly. "Oh, I totally don't mind! I mean, you're doing so much for me, it's the very least I could do!" "Thank you for accepting the offer to join the family, Jade." "No no, thank you! You have an amazing bunch of women here! So, I kinda sorta have a special request, if that'd be okay with you?" she said, looking up at him. She wasn't as massively confident as Lauren had made her out to be, at least for just that moment, but Andy was pretty sure he knew why. "All you have to do is ask, Jade," he said, trying to put her more at ease. "I talked with Niko about how this whole imprinting thing works, and, well, I'm very much looking forward to making love with you, but I don't want my first time,” She blushed a deep shade of red a moment before carrying on. "I don't want my first time.. having sex, I don't want that to be the thing that imprints me. So I was hoping maybe I could just, ah, go down on you to get imprinted? And then I can have my first time a little later? Without the added extra pressure of knowing it's doubly going to change my world completely?" She smiled up at him, that wide expanse of pearly teeth flashing at him. "Is that okay with you? I know it might be a bit much to ask, but golly, I feel like it's just so gosh darn important to me that I'd better speak up about it, right?" "That's not a problem at all, Jade, but I'm gonna have to ask a favor of you in return, if you're okay with it." "Oh, shucks, that seems totally fair! What can I do to make us square?" Andy laughed a little. "You absolutely, positively have to ditch the fake cussing here in the house, before it drives me bonkers." Most of the other girls laughed at that, and Jade blushed a little once more, but she also smiled, maybe even a touch embarrassed by it. "I understand you've gotten into the habit of it because you're teaching young children all day, but when you're at the house, around the grown ups, you gotta either just swear or at very least stop using fake cuss words. It's like goddamn nails on a chalkboard to me." "I know, I know," Jade laughed. "It's really hard, considering I spend so much time teaching kindergarten, but I'll work on it, I promise. I mean, I am a grown ass woman capable of saying the word 'fuck' now and again." Lauren smirked and waggled a finger in her direction. "I've known you three years, Jade, and that's the first time that I've ever heard you say it." "I mean, is it really that big of a deal?" she asked, looking up at Andy. "It's, actually kinda creepy to me," Andy said. "Fake cussing drives me up the fucking wall. If you don't want to cuss, then don't, but please don't use that weird G rated shit in its place, because it's just, it's just unsettling." "And besides," Emily said to her, "Andrew truly does love actual cussing. When a girl is willing to get more and more salty for him, the faster his cock grows nice and hard for us." Sarah grinned broadly, moving over to put her arm around Jade's shoulders. "You know what you fucking need? A motherfucking profanity coach! And I'm the shit when it comes to swearing! The absolute tits! I can be! That! Fucking! Coach!" she said, punching the air with her other hand. "Well, no. I can be your coach on teaching you how to say 'fuck' a lot more, but not how to fuck. Although I suppose I could teach you how to do that as well? Whatever. We'll fucking figure it out. You just stick with me, bitch, and I'll turn Mary Poppins into a major slut in the best fucking way." Jade looked up at Sarah, a strange look on her face. "I don't think I can say no, can I?" she giggled. "A profanity coach? Really? What makes you qualified for that?" "Oh, I'm like the most fucking qualified," Sarah said, as she pulled Jade away from Andy slowly. "I'm more fucking qualified to teach swearing than any sailor you're ever going to fucking meet. I learned the power of a good swear word early in life, and it's, like, my fucking superpower. I can work filthy language into any goddamn conversation I want to, all without offending anybody, because I'm good and super fucking cute at doing so! You can be that way too!" Jade looked back at Andy. "Saying no to her isn't an option, is it?" "Oh, you could try," he chuckled. "But you're just going to lose in the end, so I dunno why you'd even want to try." "Wait!" Sarah said suddenly, as if remembering something. She slid away from Jade and ran over to grab Andy, wrapping her long arms around him to hold his body against hers as she kissed him hard and fierce, teasing her fingernails against the back of his skull for a moment, her body trying to press his into hers as hard as she could for what felt like an eternity before finally breaking the kiss for air. "That's for letting me read the new book before anybody else got the fucking chance to, even your goddamn agent or your legit best fucking friend. I have some notes and a handful of suggestions, but mostly? I think it's your best fucking work yet, absolutely lit. And the sex scenes were good before, but the one in this book? When Dr. Shirow practically fucking devours the Gunslinger? Ohmyfuckinggod, was that so fucking intense! I kinda broke out a vibe and had a go at myself when I was reading it. I'm not ashamed! Like, I totally knew they'd had, like, this creeping sexual tension in books before, but fuck was it hot when she just ripped his clothes off him after patching up his wounds, then fucked him on the operating table when he was too wiped out to do anything more but lay there and enjoy it. Total sploosh moment. She kinda reminds me of Niko a bit." Niko brought her hand to her mouth to cover her laugh, which made everyone turn to look at her. She was still in her camo from the base, not having changed into more casual clothes after getting home, meaning she must have brought the new girls right here and never left to get changed into something less intimidating. "Something you'd like to share with the rest of the class, dear?" Emily asked her, arching one of her finely plucked blonde eyebrows in amusement. "I dressed as Dr. Shirow for Halloween a few weeks back, at the party where Covington stopped by to convince Andy to play in the poker game that resulted in you and Sarah being here," she said, almost uncharacteristically shy for her. "After he agreed to do it, I, uh, might have kinda forcefully taken him later in the evening to say thank you, because he only agreed to go to protect my friend Charlotte, Asha's mom." "Remind me ta thank you for that," Asha said to her. "That got me here." "Did, did you base that sex scene on our little tryst in the bathroom, Andy?" Niko asked him. He looked around the room, realizing that every single other pair of eyes in the room was focused on him. "Uh, am I in trouble if I did?" "Not in the least." "I might have, sort of, kind of, just a little, I wrote it the next morning, and yeah, they say write what you know, so,” he said, trailing off. Niko started giggling furiously before Sarah brought Jade over with her, moving to high five the soldier. "Oh my fucking god. I'm a fictional super hot as fuck doctor now, and people all over the fucking planet are going to read about how great I fuck, this fucking rules," she said. Sarah grabbed Niko's face and leaned down to kiss the mixed race woman in a fierce mash of lips, while Jade was basically prevented from moving anywhere by Sarah's other arm. Niko moaned a little bit into it, even as the kiss parted quickly, Sarah biting onto Niko's bottom lip for a moment to pull it back then letting it pop from her teeth. "You, Emily and I have a date to have ourselves some fun in the next few days, bitch." Niko nodded, almost a little frantically. "Oh yes, please." "That sort of thing's okay in the house?" Jade asked Andy. "Definitely, if that's what you're into," he said, leaning against the arm of one of the couches. "Look, there's only so much of me to go around, and a lot of the women here are into other women, and that's safe and fine, so it's not only okay, it's encouraged, if that's what you want to do. Emily and Sarah were lovers long before they got here. Same for Lauren and Taylor, despite a rough patch in the middle. But for the most part, nearly everyone here is still pretty new to one another." Aisling nodded. "We may all feel like we've known each other forever, Jade, but I'm the first of Andy's partners, and we only met seven months ago. Lauren and Niko showed up a few weeks later, but after that, we remained as that group for a while." "Right, but Emily's got to be have been here for months, right? She seems like she knows Andy so well!" Jade said. Emily giggled, shaking her head, her blonde hair covering her face for a minute before she flipped it out of her face. "We've only been here a couple of weeks, love," she said, an almost shy smile on her face. "But Andrew, Sares and I have an indirect history that I might suspect contributes to us giving off that impression. We all still have so much to learn about one another, which is part of the reason I won't sleep anywhere that he isn't, ever ever ever." Niko reached to place a hand on Sarah's ass, as the tall redhead was framed between the smaller solider on one side and the 49ers cheerleader on the other. "Andy really is who I told you he is back at the base, Jade," she said, looking past Sarah. "Whatever you do and don't want out of this family, he's going to be completely cool with it. I've kinda wanted to play with Sarah and Emily a bit, and I knew Andy would be okay with it, but I just didn't know how to bring it up to them." "I'll bet he might even want to watch, or participate," Emily teased. "No comment," Andy laughed, "but you girls are more than welcome to have fun without me." "But if you wanted to, and you knew he'd be fine with it," Jade asked, "why haven't you?" Niko reddened slightly. "I mean, they're fucking gorgeous! I know they're going to be co wives with me and Ash, but Ash and I have had a lot more time to get comfortable with each other! I figured I'd get around to seeing if Emily and Sarah wanted to play with me when I was ready." Sarah reached down and bopped Niko on the nose with one of her fingertips. "You're totes adorbs, Neeks," she giggled. "I'm gonna enjoy making you fucking squirm when I make you cum. It's gonna be hella cute." "What.. what if I'm not into women?" Jade asked. The look on her face said that it was something she'd never really considered one way or another, and to suddenly have so many options in front of her was a tad overwhelming, like a starving man presented with an all you can eat smorgasbord. "Then you don't have to play with anyone you don't want to," Andy said. "But if you want to experiment, that's okay too. Lauren told me you don't have a lot of sexual experience, and that's completely fine. Nobody here is gonna judge you for it, and if they do, I'll paddle their ass for it, unless it's Lauren, in which case I'll just tie her up and not paddle her ass, because she likes that sort of thing." "Spoilsport," Lauren said, sticking her tongue out at him. "Look, Jade, before Aisling came into my life, the most adventurous sexual encounter I'd ever had was a slightly drunken threesome in my youth. Since then, I've have all sorts of wild experiences, and I've had space to learn what I do and what I don't like." Sarah leaned down and mocked a stage whisper to Jade. "Spoiler alert: He fucking loves a sweary slut." All the girls laughed at that before Andy spread his hands in a 'you got me' motion before continuing. "Nobody in this house is going to judge you for what or who does and doesn't turn you on, Jade. I do not allow kink shaming in my fucking house. Everyone here is getting something out of being here, being part of this household, but I'm not making anyone do anything they don't want to do. Nor will I, ever. Take Katie here, for example," he said, gesturing to the Latina groundskeeper, who had joined all the staff to meet the new housemates. "She's married to Jenny," he said, gesturing to the blonde cook whom Katie already had her arms around, "and she's entirely a lesbian. Completely sexually disinterested in men. But she and Jenny wanted the security of being in a house where they were safe and taken care of. Katie's said she's never going to want to fuck me, and that's completely fine. She needs to get my semen regularly, but the first time she did it, she and Jenny took turns blowing me." "The most recent time, I tried sucking some out of Jenny's cunt after he'd fucked her," Katie said, "and that worked just fine. Both Jenny and I got our fix from that one load. I might eventually want to try fucking Andy once, just to see if I can get my head around it, but I also may never want to do that, and he's okay with it either way. I was worried he was gonna be mad at us for lying to the government, claiming I was bisexual instead of a lesbian, but he wasn't. We got lucky. And so are you. I genuinely feel that way. So be you, ma'am. That's all I can tell you, and you'll do fine." "It's a little shocking, but it's refreshing to see everyone so open and body positive about their sexuality," Jade said. "And you three are all okay with being treated like staff instead of being treated like family?" "We are family," Nicolette said, "but we like being staff. Jenny and Katie are committed to each other, and Andy's cum is just part of their salaries. The same's true for me, but I also especially enjoy being submissive. And speaking of which,” With that, Nicolette brought Whitney forward. She looked much as she had in her pictures, her skin a shade of alabaster, her hair onyx black, her ocean blue eyes looking up at him behind large circular glasses with thick frames. She wore a semi sheer white silk blouse beneath a gray blazer, the deep crimson colors of her bra covering her apple sized tits visible plainly through the fabric. She also wore a black leather skirt, with gray stockings disappearing up beneath it. She was shorter than many of the other girls in the family, halfway between five and six feet tall, if he needed to guess, and slender, not so thin as to look unhealthy, but certainly the thinnest member of his family. (Andy made a mental note to insist that she eat a healthy amount moving forward, and not starve himself for his benefit.) Her lips were painted with lipstick the same shade as her lingerie, a lustrous red the shade of fresh blood, a hue meant to evoke both lust and portents. Nicolette's hand was on Whitney's back, almost gently pushing her in front of Andy. The pale girl had her arms in front of her, her wrists crossed, almost as if she instinctively kept them in that pose, in case they were about to be bound in rope. Her fingernails were painted the same color as her lips. Her black hair was drawn back, pulled tight along her head and drawn into a neat bun, with a single lock of it loose and dangling along the side of her face. Her head was tilted slightly downward, but her eyes were lifted up to focus on his gaze. "This slut is very pleased to meet you, sir, and hopes you will take her to be part of your staff and your property." The look in her eyes was smoldering with more lust than even Piper's had held when she'd nearly blindly raped him when they first met. "She very much wants that." "I, ah, I wouldn't have extended the invitation to you if I didn't want to bring you into the House of Rook." "This slut understands, sir, but there should be a bit of formality and ritual to all of this, rather than simply bringing this slut underneath your house's protective wing with a smile and a handshake." "That's fair, Whitney. So tell me what you want." "This slut wants a bit of ceremony to it, sir. For you to collar her, and then claim her by imprinting her, in front of as many members of the house as possible. In speaking with Nicolette, it was made clear to this slut that you might be a bit nervous about collaring her, but she wants to ensure to you that this is what she wants, what she truly wants." Whitney had a deliberate intensity to her that Andy might have found overwhelming if Nicolette hadn't helped prepare him for it. Thankfully, Nicolette had spent a few minutes each day since the decision was made to invite Whitney helping mentally prepare him for what to expect. "You brought a collar that you'll feel comfortable wearing?" "This slut has, sir." "Well, then. Would you like to wait or would you prefer to do it sooner?" "Sooner, sir," she said, clenching her fingers in and out of fists, as if the waiting was difficult for her. She leaned over to the couch, opening her purse, taking out a collar that was both simple and elegant, a long leather strip with a gold clasp in the front that featured a stylized rook chess piece on the face of it. She held it out to him, and he took it from her with his left hand. "This slut had originally hoped the ritual might take place outside, but the weather has gotten too chilly, so indoors will have to suffice, with your permission, sir." Andy reached down and brought one fingertip along Whitney's cheek, and she turned her cheek to lean into his touch, her skin cool to the touch, and her eyes never once leaving his face. She followed his finger back for just a moment longer than seemed necessary, a soft smile on her face. "So, attendance for this is entirely voluntary, and anyone who doesn't want to attend doesn't have to, but anyone who wants to is completely welcome. Tala, Jade, obviously, if you want to go pick an open bedroom and settle in, that's fine." Tala had a grand belly laugh at that, shaking her head, almost with tears in her eyes. "You couldn't fucking bar me from watching this, baby," she said, putting her arm around Sheridan's shoulder. "I already tossed my suitcase into the room next to Sheridan's so let's get the show on the road already!" Andy looked over to Jade, who smiled at him, shaking her head, adamant to remain in the room. "I'm getting into this family, by hell or highwater, Andy," Jade said to him, "so I definitely want to see if all the things they told us at the Air Force base were true. Well, I guess the whole thing about the first taste of cum making us orgasm is true. Tala just proved that." "God, bitch," Tala laughed, "you have no idea how fucking great that was. I've had a good amount of sex in my life, and that little taste was the best fucking orgasm I've ever had, so if the imprinting one is even stronger,” She shivered with an impish grin on her face. "The waiting is the hardest fucking part." "And I'm not ashamed about sex, Andy," Jade giggled. "I just haven't had it yet. I threw my suitcase into an open bedroom when I first got here. Lauren suggested I do it before you got home. So I agree with my new friend, Tala. Let's go team!" Nicolette made her way over to stand next to Whitney for a second, as Whitney unlocked her cellphone and handed it to Nicolette. "This slut would like her friend to film all of this for her, so she may watch it later, with sir's permission of course," Whitney said to him, as Nicolette stepped back a few paces, holding the iPhone sideways, to get a good wide angle that framed both Whitney and Andy in the same shot. "That's fine," Andy said, tipping his head a little. "Although I'll also want a copy of the video for myself." "Of course, sir." Andy gestured for the women of the family to move and form up around Andy and Whitney, a ring of beauty encircling them, giving the whole thing a bit more sense of ceremony. Then he turned his eyes back to Whitney. "Now strip." "Yes sir." First, she slid off the blazer, moving to fold it over the back of a nearby couch. Next she unbuttoned the white silk shirt that was so sheer, she might as well not have been wearing it at all. After that came the skirt, and when it dropped he could see she was wearing red panties that matched her lacy crimson bra, as well as a red garter belt that clipped onto the stockings. She unclipped them one at a time, rolling them down her legs, setting them with the rest of her clothes, never once turning away from him. When she removed the bra, her tits came into view, small and perky, with tiny pink nipples atop them that were rock hard, She slipped the garter belt off, then pushed her panties downward, crouching as she did, stepping out of them before laying them atop the stack of her clothes. She had a small thick triangle of black curls above her otherwise shaven cunt. Once she was naked, her arms crossed at the wrists in front of her once more. "This slut spoke with her friend, and she told her that you were fine with both shaven and unshaven cunts, so this slut tried to split the difference, but if you prefer something else, you need only speak and it will be done, sir." "Your body is your own domain, Whitney," Andy said. "You should keep your pubic hair how is most comfortable to you and you alone." Whitney frowned for just a moment, then nodded. "Yes sir." Andy knew it wasn't the answer she'd been hoping for, that he would dictate her every move, but Andy wanted to hold firm that she would need to decide a few things for herself. But, to reassure her that those things would be few, he decided to exert a bit of control again. He reached forward and grabbed one of her wrists, pulling her arm away from her body, then pushed it down the front of his jeans, before bringing it back out, making sure there was a streak of precum on her palm, as he'd intended. "Keep that hand out, and don't lick it until I tell you." "Yes sir." "Now get down on your knees." That made her smile again. "Yes sir." She moved down to her knees before him, but kept her head raised the entire time, her back not bending in the slightest, remaining perpendicular to the floor, sitting on her heels. The entire time, she kept her right hand palm up. "Thank you sir." "I'm still a little nervous about this, so I'm going to require you to ask me for what I'm holding in my hand here," he said, shaking the collar in her direction. "Yes sir," she answered. "This slut,” "No." The sudden interruption caught her off guard and she seemed confused, so he elaborated. "For this, in this moment where you are choosing to surrender everything to me, I want to hear it directly from you. None of this third person language. That's a passive way of doing it. If you want to return to that afterwards, that's fine, but for here, this singular moment, you have to be you. Either you want this, or you don't. And if you can't say it, out loud, to me, I'm not going to believe that you truly want it. You have to convince me. Try again." Whitney smiled a little bit more now in understanding, nodding once. "This,” she started before catching herself and beginning one final time. "I want you to collar me, sir. I want you to claim me, to put that leather around my neck, to make me your possession, a member of your household, but more importantly, a person that you own, that you have total dominance over, to exert whenever and where ever you want to. I, Whitney Ophelia Wells, want you, Andrew Rook, to give me a collar, your collar, that I can proudly wear, so that anyone who sees me knows that I am your property, by choice, and that knowing what I truly am is exposed to the world at all times brings me the greatest joy anyone could ever imagine. By placing the collar around my neck, you will take control of my body, mind and soul, and they will always be yours, to do with what you please, and that is what I want most in this world. So please, sir, fulfill my greatest wishes and desires. I want you to collar me, and make me your slut. Will you bestow upon me that most holy of honors? Sir?" "When this latch clicks, Whitney," he said, lifting the leather collar, bringing it towards her neck, "I want you to lick your hand, so the moment is seared into your brain." "Yes sir." He'd given this a bunch of thought over the last few days, and Nicolette had made it clear to him that he should try and imbue this moment with as much ritual and ceremony as he could, to make it feel like something that had been done throughout the ages, that there was a history to it, even if he was simply making it all up off the top of his head. He'd prepared a few things, in his mind, and he hoped they would be enough. As he began to slide the leather against her skin, seeing the tiny shiver of excitement from her body, he began to speak, trying to keep his voice steady and calm, as if he wasn't as nervous about all of this as Whitney seemed to be. "With this collar, I, Andrew Rook, hereby claim and take possession of you, Whitney Ophelia Wells, and bring you into the House of Rook, where you will serve the family as our technical expert first and foremost, but also as my personal plaything. You surrender your mind, your body, your will and your soul to this family, and to me, as its head. This is what you have chosen, what you have asked of me, and now, I have granted it to you. I claim you. I own you. You belong to me. You are,” He waited until he had the latch mechanism figured out and said the last word in time with his hooking of the latch. "Mine." Once the final word left his lips, she immediately brought her palm to her lips and licked the spot of precum clean. Her entire body tried to hold perfectly still after her tongue touched the liquid, but Andy could still see those blue eyes roll back into her skull in sudden shock and brainfry. Her eyelids fluttered frantically, but other than that, she held perfectly still and made no noise at all, despite the overwhelming rush of pleasure that was tearing through her body. All the women gathered around them closed in a step or two, as if tightening the circle in some long forgotten ritual. Andy hadn't asked them to do that, so he figured they were simply getting as caught up in the moment as he was. He didn't want to interrupt her moment, so he waited until she seemed to have regained her composure, her deep blue eyes opening to look at him once more, now in much more exposed adoration. "Your slut thanks You, Master." Andy had to prevent his smile from growing too wide, as he still had a part to play, but he immediately noted the change in her language. No longer 'this slut,' but 'your slut.' No longer 'sir,' but 'Master.' Before, he had simply been a respected man standing before her. Now, he had claimed her and given her Purpose. "She would very much like to be imprinted now, Master, if that is to Your pleasure." "I believe that seems appropriate," he said, and the gathered girls giggled a little at that. "Nicolette, I want you to sit down on the couch here. Whitney, you are going to stand up, keep your legs straight, bend at the waist, and place your hands on Nicolette's shoulders, so she can film your face the entire time while you're being imprinted." "Yes, Master. Thank You, Master." Whitney rose to her feet, then spun around, which was the moment Andy saw it, and everything nearly fell apart for a split second. There, on the small of her back, was a fresh tattoo, clearly less than a day or two old, as the skin around it was still reddish and angry, and the colors were still that insanely brilliant tone that only the newest of tattoos had. When the first Druid Gunslinger book had been nearing publication, the publisher had suggested Andy mak

Graventown
Episode 91: Interview w/ Romi Mayes

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2025 35:37


Friends, Countryfolk and Citykids; lend me your ears. As we rapidly approach the century mark episode of Graventown, I was mega triple pineapple lucky to sit down with one of the most renowned, busiest, hilarious and well known music makers in all Canada direct from the wanderlusty Winnipeg, Manitoba; Romi Mayes. When she's not winning awards for her heart-stinger songs, Romi is a trailblazing business woman who runs Sure Shot Bookings which is a booking company that connects hundreds of music makers from all across Canada. She is raw, unfiltered and real; my kind of human being! We had a wicked chat and I hope your ears enjoy it as much as our brains did. Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne, Stephen Stanley (Lowest of the Low) and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

Sleepy Cat Meditations
‘Yer a Wizard' Episode 16: Thunderstorm at Hagrid's Hut - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the sixteenth episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  Tonight you will complete the story in Hagrid's hut, just at the moment that a thunderstorm descends over Hogwarts. You will enjoy a warm supper and a peaceful time with your friends from this magical saga. But perhaps there is more to come… If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations   Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.  

Zakendoen | BNR
Michel Elsenga (YER) over de krimpende detacheringsmarkt

Zakendoen | BNR

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2025 116:07


Na enkele gouden jaren staat de detacheringbranche nu onder druk. Net als in heel 2024 is ook in de eerste maanden van 2025 de vraag afgenomen. Daarnaast spreekt de sector zich al jaren de wens uit voor de komst van een CAO. Waarom krijgt de branche het maar niet voor elkaar om wat afspraken op papier te zetten? Michel Elsenga, financieel directeur van detacheerder YER is te gast in BNR Zakendoen. Macro met Mujagić/Boot Elke dag een intrigerende gedachtewisseling over de stand van de macro-economie. Op maandag en vrijdag gaat presentator Thomas van Zijl in gesprek met econoom Arnoud Boot, de rest van de week praat Van Zijl met econoom Edin Mujagić. Ook altijd terug te vinden als je een aflevering gemist hebt. Blik op de wereld Wat speelt zich vandaag af op het wereldtoneel? Het laatste nieuws uit bijvoorbeeld Oekraïne, het Midden-Oosten, de Verenigde Staten of Brussel hoor je iedere werkdag om 12.10 van onze vaste experts en eigen redacteuren en verslaggevers. Ook los te vinden als podcast. Economenpanel Bulgarije treedt als eenentwintigste land toe tot de Eurozone. En de Nederlandse staatsschuld loopt op. Dat en meer bespreken we om 11.10 in het Economenpanel met: Harald Benink, Hoogleraar bankwezen en financiering aan de Universiteit van Tilburg en Wimar Bolhuis, Directeur TNO Vector Centrum voor Maatschappelijke Innovatie en Strategie, en docent Economie Universiteit Leiden. Luister l Economenpanel Zakenlunch Elke dag, tijdens de lunch, geniet je mee van het laatste zakelijke nieuws, actuele informatie over de financiële markten en ander economische actualiteiten. Op een ontspannen manier word je als luisteraar bijgepraat over alles wat er speelt in de wereld van het bedrijfsleven en de beurs. En altijd terug te vinden als podcast, mocht je de lunch gemist hebben. Contact & Abonneren BNR Zakendoen zendt elke werkdag live uit van 11:00 tot 13:30 uur. Je kunt de redactie bereiken via e-mail. Abonneren op de podcast van BNR Zakendoen kan via bnr.nl/zakendoen, of via Apple Podcast en Spotify. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Podcast | BNR
De Top van Nederland

Podcast | BNR

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2025 21:42


Het aantal gedetacheerden dat zonder opdracht thuis op de bank zit is “historisch hoog”. Hoe probeert detacheringbureau YER hun collega's toch aan het werk te krijgen. In ‘De top van Nederland' heeft presentator Thomas van Zijl een uitgebreid gesprek met Michel Elsenga, financieel directeur van detacheerder YER.

Podcast | BNR
Zakendoen

Podcast | BNR

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2025 116:07


Na enkele gouden jaren staat de detacheringbranche nu onder druk. Net als in heel 2024 is ook in de eerste maanden van 2025 de vraag afgenomen. Daarnaast spreekt de sector zich al jaren de wens uit voor de komst van een CAO. Waarom krijgt de branche het maar niet voor elkaar om wat afspraken op papier te zetten? Michel Elsenga, financieel directeur van detacheerder YER is te gast in BNR Zakendoen.

CEO Podcast | BNR
Lukt het detacheerder YER om het grote aantal ‘bankzitters' toch aan het werk te krijgen?

CEO Podcast | BNR

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2025 21:42


Het aantal gedetacheerden dat zonder opdracht thuis op de bank zit is “historisch hoog”. Hoe probeert detacheringbureau YER hun collega’s toch aan het werk te krijgen. In ‘De top van Nederland’ heeft presentator Thomas van Zijl een uitgebreid gesprek met Michel Elsenga, financieel directeur van detacheerder YER. Over YER YER is een detacheringsbureau met een jaarlijkse omzet van ruim 440 miljoen euro. YER heeft kantoren in Nederland, Duitsland, België en de Verenigde Staten. Over Thomas van Zijl Thomas van Zijl is financieel journalist en presentator bij BNR. Hij presenteert dagelijks ‘BNR Zakendoen’, het Nederlandse radioprogramma voor economisch nieuws en zakelijk inzicht, waar 'De top van Nederland’ onderdeel van is. Ook is hij een van de makers van de podcast ‘Onder curatoren’. Abonneer je op de podcast Ga naar ‘De top van Nederland’ en abonneer je op de podcast, ook te beluisteren via Apple Podcast en Spotify. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Graventown
Episode 90: Interview w/ Mark Sasso (Elliott Brood)

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2025 52:46


As one the three majestic sparkplugs that fire up the magnificent machine of the indie folk-rock/alt-country award winning band Elliott Brood, Mark Sasso had a lot to say and we had a lovely flowing chat about musicality, all things music, songwriting habits, the fashion of music and the power of songs. I really enjoyed this convo and I was thankful that Mark some time out of his busy schedule to chat with little old me. Watch for Mark's new solo side project where he's playing some new songs under the name "Oh Sasso". I actually thought his last name was O'Sasso until he corrected me in the interview. Enjoy the enlightening ear candy of our words and sentences. Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne, Stephen Stanley (Lowest of the Low) and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

Sleepy Cat Meditations
‘Yer a Wizard' Episode 15: Forbidden Forest & Centaur Magic - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the fifteenth episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  Tonight you will experience the beautiful magic of the forbidden forest, as you are reunited with your Unicorn, Olwen, and greeted by a fleet of Centaurs, who are ready to give you a display that you will never forget. If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations   Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

CraftLit - Serialized Classic Literature for Busy Book Lovers

Ep. 687: Cranford | Chapter 9 Book talk begins at 20:20 This week we bring the razzle-dazzle of Signor Brunoni's magic act—and the unstoppable commentary of Miss Pole.

Hiçbir Şey Tesadüf Değil
Dünya'nın İçinden Geçmek: Yerçekimi Treni

Hiçbir Şey Tesadüf Değil

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2025 17:28


Dünya'nın bir ucundan, diğer ucuna bir delik açtığınızı düşünün. Ve bu tünelden yüksek hızda hareket eden bir trenin geçtiğini düşünün. Koca bir gezegenin iki uzak noktası arasında sadece 42 dakikada seyahat edebildiğinizi hayal edin. Trafiğin olmadığı bir Dünya ihtimali, ne güzel değil mi? Hiçbir Şey Tesadüf Değil'in bu bölümünde, Yerçekimi Treni isimli düşünce deneyini inceliyoruz. 17'inci yıldan bu yana insanlığın kurduğu bir hayalin gerçekleşme ihtimalini sorguluyoruz.------- Podbee Sunar -------Bu podcast, On Dijital Bankacılık hakkında reklam içerir.Bankacılık On'la Rahat. Dünya Döndükçe EFT-Havale- Fast Ücreti Yok.ON Mobil'i İndir! Bu podcast, Pegasus hakkında reklam içerir.Yeni seyahat rotanı planlamak için hemen https://www.flypgs.com/'u veya Pegasus Mobil uygulamasını ziyaret et!Bu podcast, Garanti BBVA hakkında reklam içerir.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sleepy Cat Meditations
‘Yer a Wizard' Episode 14: Hogsmeade & The Sleepy Cat Returns - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the fourteenth episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character. Tonight you venture into the village of Hogsmeade, enjoy a quiet butterbeer by the fire, before being reunited with your very dear friend! If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations   Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

Graventown
Episode 89: Carcast 11 / Slow It Down

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2025 33:06


Heyo friendoes. Here's one from the road in this insanely magically muddy mentally marooning month of May. I'm typing this from the teleport of the toucan. Getting ready for a fun festival atmosphere. There shall be drunken throngs kanoodling and pawing  each other on Princess  Street tonight, dearies. Make no mistake. Slow it down!Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

Sleepy Cat Meditations
‘Yer a Wizard' Episode 13: Potions Class & Shrieking Shack - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the thirteenth episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  Potions at Hogwarts! In tonight's episode you undertake a complicated and trying potions lesson, under the monotonous guidance of Professor Snape, before discovering the hidden magic of the Whomping Willow, and the Shrieking Shack, guided by your lovely House Elf Daphne. If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations   Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

Inflexion Point
Transforming recruitment across Europe with YER

Inflexion Point

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 24:14


From full-page newspaper ads in the 1980s to today's cutting-edge, data-driven talent platform, YER has transformed into a leading European specialist recruitment agency. Over the decades, the company has navigated major industry shifts, weathered the financial crisis, adopted a secondment model, and expanded across Europe through strategic acquisitions, all while maintaining a strong focus on vision, leadership and adaptability. In our latest podcast episode, YER CEO Johan Overgaauw and Inflexion's Sander Ruijter join Tim Smallbone in Amsterdam to unpack the key milestones behind YER's growth, from Inflexion's minority investment to international expansion and M&A, and explore how the company continues to thrive as a people-first business in a fast-changing market.

Graventown
Episode 88: The Gift Of A Basic Day

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 36:17


Hello friendoes: I hope you enjoy my return to the homestead - far from the carcast realm - and into the white hospital desk microphone majorca of the mind. In this hive-zone of busy buzzworld that we reside within, sometimes it's important to remember that a basic day with no plans or no insane tasks can be a major metaphysical gift. Had a few other mental lightning bolts that I wanted to share with y'all as well. Thanks for being here, near and dear to the Graventown ecosystem. Hearts to all.Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

Sleepy Cat Meditations
‘Yer a Wizard' Episode 12: The Ghostly Halloween Banquet at Hogwarts - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the twelfth episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  It's Halloween at Hogwarts! In tonight's episode you enjoy a peaceful morning with your best friend and Daphne, before a happy reunion with the headmaster and your Phoenix guardian. Then it's time for the Ghostly Breakfast Banquet, about to begin in the Main Hall, that has been decorated specially for Halloween. If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations  Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

Radio Space
Xəzər dənizi Bakını zəlzələdən qoruyur? Zaman Maşını #3

Radio Space

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 33:44


     "Zaman Maşını" verilişinin növbəti buraxılışının qonağı Yer elmləri üzrə elmlər doktoru, Geologiya və Geofizika İnstitutunun Seysmologiya və Seysmik Təhlükənin Qiymətləndirilməsi şöbəsinin rəhbəri Qulam Babayev oldu.      Verilişdə zəlzələlərlə bağlı maraqlı elmi faktlar, Azərbaycanda hiss oluna biləcək maqnitudalı təkanlar, seysmik risklər və Bakıda dağıdıcı zəlzələ ehtimalı barədə ətraflı söhbət etdik.

Sleepy Cat Meditations
‘Yer a Wizard' Episode 11: Hagrid's Picnic & Astronomy - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the eleventh episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  Astronomy awaits! In tonight's episode you enjoy a peaceful picnic with your best friend, your giant and Daphne. You reminisce on a wonderful adventure, and experience the wonders of Elf Magic, before taking part in your final lesson of the day, Astronomy. If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations  Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

Graventown
Episode 87: Carcast 10 / Highflyer Feels

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 34:10


Oh friends - these days, the good feels seem to have no ends. This was a humdinger straight from the heart of the road-weary but eye-teary Gravenator while being Peterborough bound and recapping a Toronto Tragically Hip-based Dave Bookman benefit that was a night of nights for the soul and mind for oh many reasons. I hope you are ready to cry - because I sure was when I recorded this. I love y'all so much and thanks for stopping by Graventown. You are always welcome here.Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

Graventown
Episode 86: Carcast 9 / Love Download

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 29:51


Friends; this was a gushy one from the weatherbeaten civic on a post-Owen Sound/Uxbridge rip. Lots about my pal Krista and the Thornbury crew and lots about my pals in the Uxbridge region (Sandford specifically). If you're not up for some feels, maybe redirect your ear vehicles to an alternate sideroad because this sucker puts the pedal down on the love expressway. Have the best day and thanks for clocking in (PS - another carcast is coming soon) and being you.Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

Sleepy Cat Meditations
'Yer a Wizard' Episode 10: Transfiguration & Magical Creatures - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the tenth episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  It's time for more magic, and enchanting creatures! In tonight's episode you take your first lesson in transfiguration, and witness the beautiful potential of magic, before meeting the most enchanting creatures you have ever seen, under the guidance of your lovely giant. If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations   Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

Sleepy Cat Meditations
'Yer a Wizard' Episode 9: The Headmaster & Your First Flying Lesson - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the ninth episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  It's time for a Flying Lesson! In tonight's episode you will receive a special gift from the headmaster, before enjoying a wonderful flight on your broomstick, accompanied by a very special Phoenix. If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations  Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

Graventown
Episode 85: Joy-Harvest-Mind-Hang

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 28:14


Friends; I appreciate the clicks and the likes and the lingers on this little podcast o'mine - because I'm gonna let it shine. This was a fun one to shoot into the ethersphere and you might even catch a nugget of a new song in the middle somewhere. As we wade through the murky waters of these times, I hope you can find hope - however that looks or manifests itself for you. Hope can be triggering - but it shouldn't be. With a little faith, trust and pixie dust, we will get there. More to come. Thanks for being you and for stopping by Graventown.Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

Sleepy Cat Meditations
'Yer a Wizard' Episode 8: Your First Morning at Hogwarts - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the eight episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  Your First Morning at Hogwarts! In tonight's episode you will spend a cosy morning in the castle, on your first day of School. You will meet a wonderful new companion, and enjoy a magical breakfast feast in the Great Hall, before being summoned by the Headmaster… If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations  Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

Graventown
Episode 84: Offroad Recalibrations

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2025 34:58


Hello friends - I hope the depth of this world isn't giving you the bends, these days. Hard to escape that out of sorts wonky bonkers vibe - but we are pushing through the weeds, regardless. (Weeds? Deep sea diving? Mixed metaphor Matty?) Here's my latest in a new series called Offroad Recalibrations. I hope you enjoy the viewfinder wayback feels. I appreciate you. More guests coming! Stay tuned to Graventown TV. You're loved.Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

Sleepy Cat Meditations
'Yer a Wizard' Episode 7: The Sorting Ceremony - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the seventh episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  In tonight's episode you will be sorted into your wizarding house, before enjoying a magical feast in the great hall. Then it is time to unwind with your best friend in your new common room. If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations  Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

Sleepy Cat Meditations
'Yer a Wizard' Episode 6: Your Arrival at Hogwarts - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the sixth episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  Tonight you arrive at Hogsmeade station and are reunited with your wonderful giant. You journey over the lake on the enchanted rowing boats, before approaching the twilight castle, backed by a sea of stars. Once inside, it is time to meet your first professor, and venture into the Great Hall…  If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations  Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

Graventown
Episode 83: Word To April Third

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2025 30:15


Friends without ends. Lorders without borders. How y'all doin' out there in radioland? Is it just me, or this spring seeming to be a bit bleak? Feels like there's way more room for the rich and less room for the meek. But I digress (with little success). Just wanted to fire one off to the universe and yawp one out into the void. Wanted to talk a bit about my Always Everything vinyl and a few other things as I strolled through Bruce Pit. Check out my showdates at graven dot ca. You are loved and you are worthy of love. Peace and lambshank grease. Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

Sleepy Cat Meditations
'Yer a Wizard' Episode 5: Aboard the Hogwarts Express - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2025 60:03


Welcome to the fifth episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  Tonight you embark on the enchanted Hogwarts Express and journey across a majestic countryside, before seeing the famous Guardian of Hogwarts, and drifting into a deep sleep as the wonderful sounds of an old steam train soothe your mind. If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations  Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

Graventown
Episode 82: Be Ok With Building Rest

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2025 27:57


Back on the airwaves, my dudes. It's been a minute between roughshod roadway rides through the highways and biways of middle ontario, but I'm back for a heavy hot minute. Really hope to see you at an upcoming April show - but I wanted to take a minute and indulge my mind in the topic of rest. That's right.  For some of us, it can feel like laziness, but it sure ain't that. It's all the good things that your brain needs to cultivate and harvest joy and energy. I hope this hits your solar plexus in that perfect spot. You are loved. Hope to see ya at a stage near you soon.Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

The Cloud Pod
297: Save the Date So You Can Get Some Skills – In AI!

The Cloud Pod

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2025 67:38


Welcome to episode 297 of The Cloud Pod – where the forecast is always cloudy! Justin, Ryan, and Matthew have beaten the black lung and are in the studio – ready to bring you all the latest and greatest in cloud and AI news! We've got Wiz buyouts (that security, it's so hot right now!) Gemma 3, Glue 5 (but not 3 or 4) and Gemini Robots – plus looking forward to AI Skills Fest and Google Next, all this week on The Cloud Pod.  Titles we almost went with this week: Google! Yer a WIZ—Ard Google Announces Network Security Integration… and that must include WIZ Gemini Robots…. What could go wrong  AI Data Studios … So Hot Right Now I want 32 Billion dollars Azure Follow AWS in bad life choices – mk Wait Glue is more than v2 What happened to Glue 3 and 4? 5th Try and AWS Glue still sucks A big thanks to this week's sponsor: We're sponsorless! Want to get your brand, company, or service in front of a very enthusiastic group of cloud news seekers? You've come to the right place! Send us an email or hit us up on our slack channel for more info.  Follow Up  01:05 Microsoft quantum computing claim still lacks evidence: physicists are dubious A MS researcher presented results behind the company's controversial claim to have created the first topological qubits – a long-sought goal of quantum computing.  Theorists said it’s a hard problem, and that it was a beautiful talk but the claims come without evidence, and people think they have gone overboard.  The Head of Quantum at Amazon was also highly skeptical: https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-exec-casts-doubt-microsoft-quantum-claims-2025-3 02:09 Justin – “No one’s really buying Microsoft actually created a new topological qubit. There’s some doubt… basically they said that what they showed, which is a microscopic H-shaped aluminum wire on top of indium arsenide – a superconductor at ultra-cold temperatures, and the devices are designed to harness majoranas, previously undiscovered quasi-particles that are essential for topological qubits to work, and the goals for majoranas to appear at the four tips of the H-shaped wire emerging from reflective-behavior electrons, and these majorans in theory could be used to perform quantum computing that are resistant to information loss, but no proof, no evidence, and they think Microsoft’s full of it.” General News  04:12 Google + Wiz: Strengthening Multicloud Security Google has announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire Wiz. This will allow them to better provide business and governments with more choice in how they protect themselves.  Google answers why now… and that they have seen their

Sleepy Cat Meditations
'Yer a Wizard' Episode 4: Floo Powder & Platform 9 ¾ - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the fourth episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  Tonight you continue your adventure in the Leaky Cauldron, with a hearty wizard's breakfast, before meeting a gentle new companion and taking a journey through the mysterious floo network, arriving in the heart of Kings Cross Station. And then, Platform 9 3/4 awaits... If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations  Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

Sleepy Cat Meditations
'Yer a Wizard' Episode 3: Wizard's Joke Shop & The Leaky Cauldron - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the third episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  There is still much more to uncover in Diagon Alley, and together you and your best friend venture into the enormous joke shop, before spending a relaxed evening in the Leaky Cauldron and settling down for a perfect sleep, surrounded by the magic of the wizarding world. If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations  Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

Acı, tatlı, mayhoş
İftara yer elması var

Acı, tatlı, mayhoş

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025 4:16


#acıtatlımayhoş #ramazanmenüsü

Graventown
Episode 81: Good Gravy

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2025 29:38


81 episodes!?! Someone call the PRESSES!! Oh wait - they're busy dealing with all that nationalism bordering on fascism stuff. Right. Well hey - at any rate - welcome back to Graventown for a super special one off about finding the proper accoutrements to season and spice your mental wellbeing. These are some things that have worked for me. I hope you're alright out there, friends. Much love, peace and chicken grease.Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

NTVRadyo
Acı Tatlı Mayhoş - İftara yer elması var

NTVRadyo

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2025 4:20


#acıtatlımayhoş #ramazanmenüsü

Sleepy Cat Meditations
'Yer a Wizard' Episode 2: School Supplies in Diagon Alley - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the second episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  Following on from your adventure in the Goblin Bank, you journey into the heart of Diagon Alley, and visit the many fantastical shops to collect all of your supplies ready for the new term, meeting friendly and exciting characters along the way. This is also the chapter where you will be chosen by your wand. If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations  Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

Steamy Stories Podcast
Earth or Bust: Part 2

Steamy Stories Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025


Surviving a Crash.Based on the post by x sociate23, in 3 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.As Cadet Cockman regained consciousness, he became aware of two things: the throbbing in his temples and the acrid smell that stung his nose and throat. His blurry vision gradually focused to look about the dimly light cabin. Red emergency lights slowly strobed overhead, bathing the interior in silent pulses of crimson like the inside of a gigantic beating heart. The instrument panel was dead, the viewport a blank oval.Memories of the crash began to surface. The red-hot flames of reentry, the flaring of the landing jets, the rushing up of the ground. His hands still felt the heavy shuddering of the yoke, his ears still heard the terrible sounds of rending and tearing metal as they struck. Despite his best efforts, they had come in too fast and at too sharp an angle. The last thing he recalled before darkness was the lieutenant reaching to hold his hand.He turned his head and pain shot up his neck. His whole spine felt compressed from the violent bouncing as their ship had skipped like a stone. The Venusian was unconscious, her head flopped forward. The loose strands of purple that hide her face were turned an eerie black and he couldn't tell if she was breathing. When he took a deep breath of his own, he began violently coughing.All at once his mind realized the danger. The smell was the fire suppression system, designed to prevent the rocket from blowing up in the event of a crash. He had to get them out of there, the gas could be lethal if breathed in for too long.Slapping his harness release, he stood up wearily. His body ached, particularly the areas where the straps had covered him. He released LuNar from her seat and lifted her small frame over his shoulder. Her body was limp but still warm. He hoped it was a good sign as he carried her to the exit, snatching an Aid kit from the wall with his free hand, the other wrapped around her slender thighs.Lifting the cover, he punched the emergency hatch button, air hissing as the door fell open. Harsh sunlight streaked inside, forcing him to shield his eyes. He clamored through the hatch with his burden and stood on a raise mound of dirt to look around.They were in the middle of a green rolling plain, the undulating hills carpeted with waist high savannah grasses and dotting with scraggily trees here and there. The hot sun of CarterD2007 burned overhead as Cockman looked towards the direction they had come in from. A huge groove was dug into the dark earth, stretching for hundreds of feet towards the horizon. Small brush fires burned and smoldered, trees along the giant runt were sheared in half by tritanium wings. Parts of the ship littered the ground, their shiny metal surfaces glinting in the sunlight.He spotted a small clump of trees about fifty meters away. They looked as good a place as any, so he moved towards them at a brisk pace, careful not to jostle the girl in his arms too much. They needed a place to wait, not only for the suppression gas to dissipate but also due to the still slight risk of explosion. He found a clearing under one of the trees, its coniferous leaves shielding the blistering sun.He lay LuNar down gently, supporting her head. Unzipping her tunic, he felt for a pulse at the neck. There was no pulse. Panic gripped him as he remembered he'd barely passed his Venusian Anatomy course. Taking a chance, he placed his ear to her upper left tit, his face turned away from hers. He relaxed as he was rewarded with the rhythmic thump of her heartbeat as well as her shallow but steady breathing. He also couldn't help but notice how soft her tit felt against his cheek."Cadet Cockman?!"Her shout resounded through his skull as his head jerked up. She had an appalled look on her face."I-I-I was checking your heart!" he stammered, leaning away from her chest as she sat up."I bet you were," she said hotly, eying his crotch with a look of suspicion in her eyes. He looked down and to his dismay found his fly was open. She curtly zipped up her top and seemed to swoon. He noticed a cut on her forehead, a bead of greenish blood trickling down. She attempted to stand but he placed a restraining hand on her shoulder."Easy, Lieutenant, Easy.""I am not easy!" she howled, slapping his hand away. First the boob thing, now this. He only seemed to be making her more and more angry.'Perhaps Venusians don't like to be touched,' he wondered to himself. But she needed medical attention, cultural differences be damned."Ma'am, you're hurt, let me help you," he pleaded, reaching into the Aid kit for antiseptic and gauze. She eyed him warily but at last relented. He delicately dabbed at the cut. It wasn't very deep so she wouldn't need sutures. He removed the backing from a plastic-bandage and gingerly placed it over the cut."There, all better," he said, looking her in the eyes. Again, she seemed to calm down immediately as she spoke."Now it is your turn.""What?"She gestured to his left arm. There was a large tear in the uniform across the bicep, the edges already soaked through with blood. He'd been so worried about her that he hadn't even realized he was injured. He realized it now, though, as he painfully removed his tunic, peeling the sticky sleeve away from the wound. The gash was deep but thankfully the blood had already clotted. Lieutenant  LuNar dabbed at it with the antiseptic cloth. It hurt like the devil and he reflexively jerked away."Hold still," she commanded, gripping the elbow."Sorry, it just hurts," he whined."Don't be such a chimNar," she scolded."What's a chimNar?""I believe you Terrans call it an in-fant," she stated as she cleaned up his arm. The offended Earthling scowled as he watched her deft fingers apply auto-sutures, wincing as they pulled the wound tightly shut. She sprayed the area with liqui-seal and wrapped the arm in an elastic compress. Lastly, she injected a dose of Omni-biotic into his deltoid with a hypo-spray, giving herself a dose in the neck for good measure."Where'd you learn the Nurse Nightingale routine?" he wondered aloud, flexing the arm. The painkillers were already working."I was first in my field medic class at the Academy," she said proudly, puffing up her chest. Cockman had to restrain his eyes from flickering to the movement."Well, thanks for the patch up.""So I take it we crashed?" she asked, seemingly ignoring his gratitude.'Damn, not even so much as a thank you,' he thought ruefully, 'Stuck up much, lady?'"Unfortunately, Ma'am," he answered as he stood up, replacing his tunic but leaving it unzipped. He then helped her to her feet, "It should be alright to head back for supplies."They moved towards the downed craft, Cockman in the lead. As they came closer, LuNar stopped suddenly, staring towards the cockpit. Thinking she had seen something; he followed her gaze and it took him a moment to realize she was staring with loathing at the Pinup portrait. It was another survivor, her scantily clad blue skin nearly free of blemishes.At last, LuNar huffed, held her head high and stoically strode past Cockman and into the ship. The Earthman cast one last glance at the vulgar Venusian before he too boarded.Feeling TerribleThey spent the rest of the day, which the records they had consulted before the crash said were approximately twenty-six Earth hours, salvaging what supplies they could. The HAB unit was first and was thankfully pretty idiot-proof. It was a self-contained unit that with the simple push of a button would unfurl into a plasticine igloo twenty feet in diameter. They cleared a space for it near the ship and filled it with other essentials. Rations, sleep sleeves, inflatable mattresses, a couple of Zapper pistols, an AC/heat unit; all of it found a home in the small space. The last thing Cockman brought in was a portable, battery powered sub-space radio.With their shelter secure, the next issue was finding a source of water. Luckily, a scout of the area found a pond nearby and a spectro-analysis found the water potable. The pair bedded down for the night, thoroughly exhausted.Eza awoke the next morning feeling terrible, her body aching and throat irritated from the suppressive gas they'd breathed the day before. She lay on her bunk, staring at the ceiling as she thought about the strange dream she'd had. She could not recall the specifics except that it had involved Cadet Cockman and was very pleasant. She looked over at his bunk and became concerned when she saw he was not there, his sleep sleeve neatly rolled up.'Why did he not tell me he was leaving the HAB,' she wondered. It was protocol after all. She saw that he had taken one of the Zapper pistols and she rose to strap the bulbous pistol in a holster that hung low on her wide hips. She walked out into the bright morning sunlight which was already heating up the landscape considerably.She spotted him elbows deep in the manifold of the ship. He appeared to have been up for hours working and as he stood erect, Eza noticed that he was shirtless. His well-defined muscles rippled and flexed as his stretched, absently scratching at his wounded arm. She suddenly felt flush as he bent over once more, his ass shifting in the tight confines of his trousers. Realizing she was staring, she turned away to head back inside when all at once she saw it.Where once had been a disgraceful depiction of a half-naked Venusian was now a large swath of black paint. He had taken the time out to cover the offensive image. Her gaze fell upon him and the rush hit her once more. It was a deep, primal, carnal sensation.'No, not now. Not him,' she thought with a mix of excitement and distress. Her breathing grew laborious as she watched him, a fire beginning to smolder in her core. She fought down the urge as she watched him lay down on his back under the canopy, sweat dribbling down the channels of his chest and abs.He noticed her and waved. Her breath caught in her throat as the wave surged through her, threatening to overwhelm her. She darted back inside, leaning heavily against the interior wall, trying desperately to clamp down on the urge, her loins ablaze. She had felt this before but now it was much more intense. She had to be careful or he might find out.RationsCadet Cockman was getting the distinct impression that Lieutenant  LuNar was ignoring him. Truth be told she was but not for the reason he was thinking. They had spent their second day on planet separately. He busied himself with work on the ship while she had stayed in the HAB, reading her holopad which had also survived the crash.Now it was evening, and they sat on their bunks eating their assigned rations. Cockman shoveled another spoonful of glop into his mouth that the label claimed was tuna noodle surprise, the surprise being it was moderately palatable despite looking like Martian yak barf. LuNar, meanwhile, was eating what looked like split-pea soup out of a collapsible, self-heating bowl. She had her back to him, just like she had done each time he was in the room with her. He was starting to feel like he had committed some egregious intergalactic faux pas when she finally put down her bowl and turned to him."Cadet, I wish to apologize for my behavior yesterday. You were only trying to help, and I should not have gotten angry with you.""Think nothing of it, Ma'am," he replied, swallowing another bit of mystery meat, "But in the interests of avoiding a repeat, might I ask what it was I said or did that upset you?""It was not you, it was me. I should not let some stupid nickname both..."She looked away as if suddenly realizing she'd said too much. Now his interest was thoroughly piqued."Nickname, Ma'am?" he asked, not really expecting an answer. He heard her sigh, the tone sounding like a violin string."It is from my Academy days. During my sophomore year, a Terran boy wished to court me, but I had politely declined. He then spread the rumor that Venusian females are promiscuous. So, they started to call me Easy LuNar."Cockman frowned sympathetically. He understood where she was coming from, with a name like Cockman, you learn to expect the dick jokes. He also felt sorry for her. She was an intelligent, dedicated, not to mention exceedingly beautiful woman and did not deserve the ridicule of some callous, sex-hungry asshole."I think Eza is a nice name," he said and found he genuinely meant it."Thank you, Cadet.""Curt. Just call me Curt.""Okay, Kurt," she trilled. Then she smiled for the first time and his heart seemed to skip a beat at the sight. The smile widened as she added, "I think that is a nice name as well."Staring at the HolopadOn the morning of the fifth day, Curt awoke to find Eza sitting up in her bed and staring at her holopad with a look of sadness on her blue face. There were tears in her eyes and when she noticed him watching, she hurriedly put away the pad. She turned to wipe away the tears, explaining that she was just not feeling well that day as she headed outside intent upon some nonsensical errand. For some reason the excuse worried him, namely because he knew that Venusians rarely, if ever, got sick.While she was away, Curt stole a peek at her holopad. It was wrong for him to pry into her personal life, but they were in this together. To survive, they both needed to be at the top of their game, not bogged down in depression. Yet what he found now left him feeling hollow. There on the screen, just as she had left it, was the image of a handsome blue skinned Venusian male.'Her lover,' he surmised, feeling a pang of jealously but immediately chiding himself for it. It made no sense for him to feel that way since he barely knew her and yet the feeling was still there. He also realized his first impressions of her had been all wrong. She wasn't some uptight, bossy, know it all. She was a vibrant, feeling woman and she was homesick.Looking again at the picture, he suddenly felt the need to make her feel better about their predicament.She avoided him most of that day and it wasn't until that evening when she sat staring at her holopad once more that he saw his opening. He spoke up, trying not to sound too gruff and unfeeling."You miss your family, huh?" he asked. She seemed hesitant to respond. Perhaps it was another Venusian taboo."Yes," she said at last, sighing."Anyone in particular?" he asked, secretly dreading the answer."My brother, Edrin," she said, showing him the picture. She was curious about the seeming look of relief on the Earthling's face."Don't worry, we will get you home to him," he assured her."Yes, but not in time.""In time for what?""My hatch date.""Is that anything like a birthday?""Yes," she said, suddenly remembering that unlike her kind, Terrans gave live birth."When is it?""Tomorrow.""Is it wrong for me to ask how old you'll be?""Not at all. Let me think...Venus has a shorter yagra," she said, using the Venusian equivalent for years, "So, eighteen Earth years."Curt was dumbfounded. She seemed so mature, was even a higher rank than him and yet she was barely legal. A thought also occurred to him, but he kept it to himself. He already had everything he needed for it."Well, if it's any consolation, I'd like to wish you a Happy Hatch date.""Thank you, Kurt," she replied, once more tripping over his name.He waited until she fell asleep, then set about on his self-imposed task.The next morning, Eza awoke, feeling depressed knowing that today was her hatch date but that she could not be with her family to celebrate. She especially missed her broodmate, Edrin. As she sat up, she felt her hand brush something hard. She was surprised when she saw what lay on her bed.It was a wood burned etching of Edrin on a piece of stiff bark. The likeness was decent for free hand and she realized with amazement that Curt must have spent all night long on it with only a laser bolt remover to work it. She looked over at him on his bunk.The morning sunlight shone down through the skylight of the dome, alighting upon his handsome face as he slept and she smiled as the stirring swelled once more within her. She realized with satisfaction that she was no longer averse to the feeling.She wanted him.Customs and PracticesThere seemed to be a shift in their dynamic. No longer were they superior and subordinate. They treated each other as equals, though they kept to themselves for the most part. Eza also seemed out of her funk, literally letting her hair down. She began wearing it unencumbered, the long purple locks cascading down in loose ribbons and curls. The change only added to her alien beauty and Curt was finding it harder and harder to concentrate when she was around.Just like now. It was the heat of the day, and he was trying to nap on his bunk. Try as he might, though, he just couldn't help glancing her way every few minutes. She sat on her bunk with her back to him, her feet tucked under her bottom. He could still see her face in profile, the text on the holopad in her lap reflected in her deep green eyes. A smile threatened to curl the edges of her lips. He stared at her hair, imagining running his fingers through it as he kissed her dark, ripe mouth. His eyes traced the sinuous curves of her back, settling on the round bulge of her ass. Her hand seemed to tremble as her fingers scrolled the text. He'd had enough, his curiosity aroused more so than his manhood.

Acı, tatlı, mayhoş
İftara yer elması var

Acı, tatlı, mayhoş

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 4:21


#acıtatlımayhoş #ramazanmenüsü

Graventown
Episode 80: Finding The Why (Part 2)

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2025 25:51


Pals from all canals; what's the hibbidy? Are you singing dippity doo dah or skippity toilet? I hope in all of the chaotic streams of info that you can settle your senses and rest your rendering system for a few moments and find your why. Dig deep into the soil and raw earth of you - you might be surprised what you find. This is the conclusion of a little series I rambled called Finding The Why in a time where it seems like we are told to have no why and to just exist. Keep asking the questions and keep listening to music. I love you.Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

Sleepy Cat Meditations
'Yer a Wizard' Episode 1: A Mysterious Letter & Gringott's Bank - Harry Potter Inspired Sleep Story

Sleepy Cat Meditations

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2025 60:00


Welcome to the first episode of ‘Yer a Wizard', a Harry Potter Sleep Saga where you are the main character.  Sitting in your room at the end of summer, you are greeted by a friendly Owl, who is carrying a mysterious and magical letter in its beak… a letter addressed to you! The words within reveal something to you, something that deep down you have always known… You are a Wizard.  Let the adventure begin. If you would like to enjoy ad-free content, exclusive sleep stories, live readings and more, then you can join our wonderful Patreon community here: https://www.patreon.com/sleepycatmeditations  Note: There is no intentional copyright infringement in this meditation. This is an original sleep story, based loosely on the fictional world of Harry Potter created by JK Rowling.

Graventown
Episode 79: Finding The Why

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2025 32:20


Hello friends. It's been a few weeks since I've a couple stones to throw into ye olde pod pond, but I'm back in the saddle. I thought I'd rap a bit about Finding The Why - which is a concept that is going to be important as we all make our way through the shifting sands of our current timeline. It's a two parter - so hang in there and grab some popcorn. I love you and appreciate you.Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

Graventown
Episode 78: Interview w/ Mallory Chipman

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2025 40:54


Folks - hello. Welcome back to the Graventown jamboree. Grab your sonic picnic basket for a little auditory meadow-frolic. This episode was a great and golden flowing convo between myself and western Canadian Edmontonian music maker and multi-project collaborator Mallory Chipman. With 5 records to her name and successful tours across Canada, Europe, and Japan, and an official nominee for Country Music Alberta's Folk Artist of the year, Canadian singer-songwriter Mallory Chipman is forging new paths on the music scene. Her genre-bending tendencies, powerful sound, and story-driven songwriting has been described as “some of the finest folk rock currently being made” (Amplify Music Magazine) and has set her apart as “a rising light in Canadian music” (NewTec Radio). Also known as one half of the rising alt-country duo The Goddamsels, Mallory Chipman is a true raconteuse, praised for her work as both a solo artist and collaborator, and for her skills as a songwriter, arranger, producer, and music scholar. Mallory and I played a show together at Live in Elgin back in fall of 2024, and we will surely be collaborating at some shows again so stay tuned to Graventown FM!Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

Turkish Stories
BAYRAK / Türk Hikayeleri

Turkish Stories

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2025 1:17


BAYRAK Ey mavi göklerin beyaz ve kızıl süsü, Kız kardeşimin gelinliği, şehidimin son örtüsü! Işık ışık, dalga dalga bayrağım! Senin destanını okudum, senin destanını yazacağım. Sana benim gözümle bakmayanın Mezarını kazacağım. Seni selamlamadan uçan kuşun Yuvasını bozacağım. Dalgalandığın yerde ne korku, ne keder… Gölgende bana da, bana da yer ver! Sabah olmasın, günler doğmasın ne çıkar. Yurda ay yıldızının ışığı yeter. Savaş bizi karlı dağlara götürdüğü gün Kızıldığında ısındık; Dağlardan çöllere düştüğümüz gün Gölgene sığındık. Ey şimdi süzgün, rüzgârlarda dalgalı; Barışın güvercini, savaşın kartalı… Yüksek yerlerde açan çiçeğim; Senin altında doğdum, Senin dibinde öleceğim. Tarihim, şerefim, şiirim, her şeyim: Yer yüzünde yer beğen! Nereye dikilmek istersen, Söyle, seni oraya dikeyim! Arif Nihat ASYA

Graventown
Episode 77: Settling In, Alarmism and Intention

Graventown

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2025 30:36


Well hello, friends. We are back at it - yet again. I hope 2025 is finding you as well as it can so far and I thought I'd take a stab at some healthy ideals to help you on your way out the door into the wild blue yonder of the approaching (insert witty metaphor here). Some great guests coming soon so stay tuned and thanks for all the follows and likes - it means more than you know! Thanks for being here. You are loved.Catch me in a town near you in 2025 alongside Melissa Payne and many other rad artists by visiting my website to see where I'm playing. If people can hate for no reason, I can love for no reason - and I love you. Thanks for stopping by Graventown. Yer always welcome here. As a full time independent artist, you can support me by buying the Always Everthing vinyl or brand new "block heater" toque here or by joining my SUPER RAD subscription service at https://ko-fi.com/gravencanada

Chad the Podcast
Aud Lang Fine with Josh Zagoren and Cody Benefiel

Chad the Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2024 98:45


It's the last ep of December and 2024! Which must mean it's time for the 2024 Winter Holiday End o'the Year Roundup Spectacular! Yeah, I just came up with it but let's go, it's cold. For this holidazzlin finale, I deliver my final report of the year right to you, America! Stay tuned post report for a very special meta end of the year interview that'll take us out until next week when we get back to work. HAPPY NEW YEAR, HUMANS! Yer my favorite. GET READY TO GET TO CLASS! And BUY SOME STUFF Recorded LIVE The Paper Machete12/28/24 at Chicago's Historic Green Mill Cocktail Lounge courtesy of Q101 101.1 WKQX and Jeppson’s Malört: The Official Drink of the Apocalypse Come find me in all your favorite places including my Discord Featuring "Another Flockin Christmas Song" by Bill Larkin and Chad the Bird, “Promises” by the Barrerracudas, a snippy of “The Wasteland” courtesy of Ross Bugden Twitter: Instagram For commissions/scores: bugdenross@gmail.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.