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A little fanfic I wrote for Buffy. Hope you enjoy :) x-posted to AO3 http://archiveofourown.org/works/6059278
She dived, unhesitating, through the shadow casters' portal and found herself back in the desert. Unsurprised, she followed her instincts until she found the trio of men. Already somewhat lacking in fondness for them, when she awoke with a headache, chained to the floor, she began to hate them and was not particularly open to their proposal as a result. Unfortunately the chains were deeply set and strong, giving them several minutes to convince her to listen. It worked. Specifically the line: "The First is coming and you are not prepared. We can help you if you choose."
Still tugging on the chains, Buffy was now inclined to pay some attention.
"There are three paths out of here. The first path is to escape the chains and walk out;"
"That's sounding pretty damn appealing to me!" she snapped.
The speaker continued unperturbed, "The second is to absorb the demon and all its power;"
"Why would anyone choose that?"
"and the third is to face the demon and defeat it."
Buffy was startled and paid him some real attention. "Why would a Slayer have the option to run, if the demon can be defeated?"
One of the three men struck the ground with a staff and a black mist arose, forming a trail that appeared to be seeking something.
"The First is the root from which all evil stems. Betrayal, deceit, pride and greed are the gateways through which it moves into the human heart and builds its army." The mist thickened as it sniffed around the cave and neared her. "By accepting this demon you will gain power over these emotions in others. By defeating it you will destroy them in yourself. If you can escape it, you will return home with a deeper understanding of what you face."
Buffy stared straight at the mist. "Bring it on, beastie."
It swirled, gathered and charged straight towards her. As it neared, she gripped her chains firmly and perfectly timed her jumping kick to smash into and, as it turned out, harmlessly through the place she thought its face must be. The mist swirled around her before plunging straight into her chest and she felt the pain, a searing torment in her soul as it was contaminated by the demon.
The demon looked into her heart and pulled at her strongest emotions. Suddenly Spike and Angel were stood before her. They were disoriented for a second, but then recognised the danger she was in and both launched themselves towards her. They were caught by the mist – visibly insubstantial, but to them impassable. Enchained, Buffy struggled and fought ineffectually, trying to physically pull away from her spiritual pain. She was already sweating profusely and as she tried to fight it off she groaned, giving the two vampires a clear impression that she was being tortured.
The three men had moved and now stood in a formation which she hazily noticed seemed to form a triangular pyramid binding her and the vampires inside with the demon and keeping them safe outside it. Annoyed at these early Watchers who displayed all of the worst traits of the Council, she felt contempt for their fear, a fear which was reflected in the horror she felt as this nightmare unfolded. The demon wiggled sneakily further inside her but she was adapting to the pain and didn't buckle this time. Stood in her chains, accepting that she couldn't physically fight it, she wondered what she could do. Her Slayer training and instincts came to the fore, analysing everything she could see and feel and her own fear dissipated in the urgent need to do her job.
She felt the demon's disappointment, but it was so fleeting it may as well not have existed. It turned its attention to the two vampires. Choosing Spike first, it flung up a copy of him immediately in front of Buffy. The real Spike objected, but Buffy was unable to see him. Her Spike looked her in the eyes and told her he loved her. She accepted it, deep in her heart. She knew it was true. Spike's soul was unwavering in his commitment to her.
With barely a flicker, suddenly she was facing Spike from a year before. He'd just asked her if she wanted to be on a date with him. She rejected him and his supposed feelings for her then and did so again. This wasn't love. She could feel a fierce independence building up inside her, rejecting the demon and she triumphantly concluded her thought - monsters can't love.
Angel appeared. Her emotions moved so fast she was no longer capable of rational thought and she simply felt that she loved him and knew his love for her would always be true. He became Angelus and she knew he didn't love her. It hurt, but she knew the truth. Angelus would always be a monster in her lover's body. Spike returned. He loved her. She began to feel confused.
"What is the point of this?" Her frustrated question echoed around the inside of the pyramid.
A voice vibrated the air around her: "The demon feeds off the evil within you - lies, deceit and betrayal will strengthen it. You cannot hide. You can only face it with the truth, or escape."
Buffy believed him, feeling the same certainty she did when she saw Angel and the voice continued; "The demon will find its path into your soul through lies. Each truth sets a barrier in place whether it is yours or someone else's. If the demon embeds itself within her, the Slayer has the power to leash it. If you defeat it, you will earn a new immunity to the forces of evil. You can still escape at this point, the demon will not follow."
Buffy desperately hauled at her chains, suddenly terrified and desperate to escape, but not sure why. Reality blurred for a second and four men stood before her. Two Spikes, Angel and Angelus. She rejected Angelus instinctively, turning towards Angel and ignoring both Spikes. There was a question in the air, an unspoken feeling of testing her. She focused on the one thing she had to cling to with certainty. "Angel," she said, gazing into his face, taking refuge in the warmth of his smile. "Angel, I love you."
Angelus stepped towards her with a snarl on his face, looming over Angel's shoulder. She recoiled, yanking on the chains as she did so. Both Spikes had faded and now Angel disappeared leaving her alone with Angelus. His taunting voice filled her, mocking both her misplaced love and the weakness of the human soul that shared his face.
Back in the real world a demon emerged as the portal closed. After a brief tussle it easily escaped the group who frantically discussed ways to get Buffy back. Realising they needed the demon, Spike declared his intention of bringing it back and got as far as turning towards the door before he froze. It lasted only a few seconds but when he returned he roared to Willow; "Open the bloody portal! Now!"
"I can't! I don't know how! We don't know enough about it..."
"Buffy is chained up in there, facing off against some bloody powerful demon who wants to steal her body. I am going in there and I am going to get her out!" The room stood aghast before Xander reminded Spike;
"Yeah? Seconds ago you were leaving here to catch the demon we needed to make the exchange. What happened to that idea?"
"Buffy dies in there, we all die out here. You keep telling me I'm not wanted here: you go fetch the big ugly. Besides," he sniffed slightly, "if it's an exchange of a demon for something better, you might get lucky with what comes out when I go in."
Robin sneered, "If it's too much for you, I'll get the..." Spike froze again as some part of him was pulled back into the cave. In LA, Angel's soul returned to his body and his first words were "She's trapped with Angelus." Lunging for a phone he frantically dialled until Andrew answered. His message convinced the group that Spike had spoken the truth and they had to get the portal open immediately. Robin departed to retrieve the demon to make the exchange and Willow collapsed shaking on the floor.
Buffy's words earlier about none of them really contributing began to silently echo in the room and this combined with the statue of an angry Spike taking up the space was driving tension to a peak. Xander snapped first and punched Spike as hard as he could. There was no response from the vampire, but the rest of the group stared at him in shocked bewilderment. "Just making sure he's not faking." Xander explained. The rest of the group continued staring. "What!?! Oh, come on, we've all wanted to turn Spike into a punching bag for years."
"He has a point." All eyes turned to Anya, startled.
"I'm gratified…" began Xander, only to be interrupted. "Not you. We need to retrieve Buffy and Spike is a demon we could possibly use as a transfer. And sure, Willow might try to kill us, but at least we'll have Buffy back to stop her."
Willow jumped up and punched the air in emphasis; "Enough talking! Especially about how useless I am."
"You're not useless Willow. We believe in you." Kennedy's voice was oddly gentle compared to the usual tones she employed to "encourage" people.
"Yeah," Xander's voice seemed unnaturally loud, "you were doing magic for ages before it went wrong. Remember teleporting Glory? No sweat, and no bad Willow."
"I'll help with the research," Dawn volunteered, and ran off to the stack of books, impatient to start the process rather than sit talking about it. As she ducked around Spike she glanced up at him briefly and asked: "But what about him?"
Regarding him, Xander suggested: "We could turn him into a lawn ornament? Of course, the sun's still out so there wouldn't be time for photos…"
"Maybe we'd know what Buffy was fighting if we could figure out how he was being held." Anya spoke with complete disregard for Xander's words, which he acknowledged with a shrug. "It seems like Angel and Spike saw the same thing, so they were probably there. I'll talk to Angel. Unless he's frozen up again too."
Andrew followed her out of the room, while Xander and Dawn turned towards the books. In privacy Kennedy took Willow's hand and the two of them sat in silence until Willow shook herself, determined to face up to her challenge.
In the cave Buffy was angry. The demon had latched onto her through the intensity of her emotions for both Spike and Angel and it was niggling away at those darker parts of her that she had tried to put behind when she ended things with Spike. It taunted her with Angel and what she had lost there and brought up memories of the many and varied parts of her life that she wanted to keep shrouded in darkness.
At first she refused to look, trying to place obstacles between herself and the thoughts the demon provoked, until the man's voice spoke to her again: "Fear, deceit and betrayal are the pathways the demon will use to take possession of your soul." The reminder was timely and terrifying, but the effect of the words was tangible to Buffy as the truth hurt the demon and gave her hope. She could do this. All she needed to do was counter the lies the demon told her with truth.
She steeled herself and opened her eyes to what the demon showed.
She watched two sets of memories unfolding side by side. On the one hand was the perfect love she shared with Angel and on the other the violent passion she shared with Spike. The associated feelings pounded through her and she was furious that the magic she had with Angel was being tainted by her sordid behaviour with Spike. As she tried to separate the two, she fought the demon, dreading what was coming in both sets of memories.
They happened at the same time. The demon produced the moment she was betrayed by both her lovers at the same time and the pain she felt as it surged within her couldn't stop her fear of seeing it happen. She lived through it as she had before and began shaking violently under the torrent of pain and despair.
Spike and Angel were once again held hostage by the demon and were unable to help her, but she caught a glimpse – just a brief glimpse – of Spike as he struggled to get near her. It was enough to focus her and she tried to find the real Angel.
Under the onslaught of the demon she was bowed, trembling and barely able to find her feet, but when she focussed on Angel, she clung to the truth of their love. She held herself still under the savage attack of the demon as it tore into her and focussed everything she had into her conviction that she and Angel were everything. Her antics with Spike were a distraction and his betrayal was proof that they'd never had anything real. Her relationship with Angel was real and he would never have betrayed her was it not for the demon within him. Like a mantra she spoke of their undying, perfect love, fighting to loose the demon's hold on her.
Suddenly, Buffy felt strong. She stood upright, feeling power flowing into her as she gazed at Angel, knowing that their love was pure, eternal and true. Her breathing eased and she felt that she was past the worst. She could do this. She smiled at Angel, wanting to share her victory with him and was startled to see how distraught he looked. He stood, unmoving, as she became strong. Spike, meanwhile, was working himself into a frenzy. She could hear a steady stream of profanities emitting from him and she turned to him to reassure him. The bleached blond vampire was struggling through the mist and yelling at Angel to help her. Angel remained still and only shook his head as he whispered: "Buffy, I… I love you."
Delighted, she smiled at him and knew that what they had was the most wonderful, magical, special love the world had ever known. The demon that had been steadily worming its way into her gave a little wriggle of glee as it prepared to take the last strike to the center of her soul and she felt it. Some part of her rebelled – fought to survive – and in that moment Buffy's heart broke in realisation as she saw through the lie.
Everything froze as she saw with perfect clarity the deceit within her that powered the demon. It recoiled, as hurt as she was by her brief, devastating honesty.
Impulsively she tried to reject it, fight against it, denying the nature of the beast that rode her and willing her own wishes to be true but she felt its power rise in her again as she did so and was forced to confront the truth. She and Angel had loved, but it had been merely a first love on her part and a relief from torment on his. Had it run its course, who knows what would have happened.
In reality, she had experienced the worst betrayal she could imagine at the hands of her first love and everything that had followed had been fed by her need to believe it was worth it. As things got worse, her love for Angel had become cemented and her hatred for Angelus had developed. The demon lashed out to divert her with memories of sex with Spike – that first time after a brutal fight, how she had betrayed herself by dancing in the darkness. Briefly she tried to excuse it, but her falsehoods fell unformed. In this fight lies weren't her weapons to wield, so she took up the truth. She had been alone in the dark for too long and she'd needed someone like Spike to stand beside her. It wasn't shameful; it was human. While he was safe, she was never tempted to do more than exchange a few kisses but once he was a danger to her, she couldn't resist that urge to be vulnerable, to feel in danger - the adrenalin surge and will to survive that erupted every time she felt herself to be at risk in his arms was addictive.
She felt it spasm and retreat marginally before re-issuing its attack. Spike was behind her, touching her, and his mouth was on her neck, yet she felt no fear. The demon prompted that this was the soulless Spike and she felt with certainty: He would not hurt her. Spike, unlike Angel, could overcome the demon that drove him when he loved. Angel was led by the beast whenever it surfaced. Even knowing she was hurting didn't give him the strength to overcome his monsters. Truth after shattering truth drove through her and she saw herself with horror.
She hadn't cared for Spike – she had truly been addicted, as Willow was, to the feelings that came with her actions. After a short while though, she had begun to feel real emotions. She almost liked him and one day she trusted him. She didn't realise it until Riley told her he was the Doctor and she felt betrayed. She'd had to cut it off. When he'd attacked her – the memory was crystal clear and she flinched involuntarily – she'd felt shock, horror and deep, searing betrayal. Some part of her had believed in his love, his avowal that he wouldn't hurt her, and that moment had deeply damaged her. She slumped in her chains, sweat coursing down her body as the fight ebbed out of her.
Before the demon could even start testing avenues by which it could find its way back to her, she began volunteering her own truths and shutting down its options.
Spike's love, initially, was a demon's love. Not impossible. Not for him. It was impossible for Angelus who was too selfish and motivated by his own pleasure to give anyone a piece of himself. The nature of Angel's feelings for her were suddenly cast into doubt in the stark light of realisation; he was happy when they'd had sex, not when they'd admitted their love. What had turned him? Was it the depth of his love for her, or was he gratified by the pleasure he'd found with her, the first woman he'd had in decades and the only woman he'd ever wanted to love? She saw Angel before her and saw him slipping away. She tried to explore her new feelings further but couldn't get a firm grip, so gave up the notion and simply acknowledged that their love had been real, but not the grandiose, perfect thing she'd so desperately wanted it to be.
Spike flowed into her consciousness to replace everything else and she felt the urge to avoid this part, but the demon lurked, waiting for an opportunity. She refused to give in to it.
She watched him, carefully. The demon portrayed him with that wicked grin, inviting her to be bad, teasing and enticing her to play on the dark side. Her memory played different versions: a gentle hand on her shoulder when she cried, a bruised and bloody protector, a demon who would put his own happiness on the line to regain his soul and a man who would put his life on the line to protect her. They were equally real; Spike, she knew, had his flaws but underlying all his interactions with her since Dawn came into her life was a single driver. "He loves me." The words were spoken out loud and with a certainty that she couldn't disguise.
The demon frantically produced memory after memory of searing shame, hurt, despair, disgust and self-loathing that she blamed Spike for and she shook her head. "No," she shouted, finding the strength to find a fighting stance for a bare second before falling into mumbling. Once again she hung limply from the chains, no longer physically able to hold herself up under the weight of her struggle, "no, Angelus wanted me to feel that. Spike... Spike tried to give me what he thought I wanted. I could stop him any time I wanted... I wanted to feel that way. wouldn't let myself be happy with him... it betrayed how special Angel and I were."
Spike faded out of the cave and Buffy felt the demon lashing around, shrinking, frantically seeking a way to overpower her again but becoming increasingly ineffectual. Each time it threw a lie or unwelcome truth at her she was able to bat it away or accept it easily. The most harrowing fear had been faced, the dearest falsehood exposed and the deepest, festering betrayal had been lanced.
Buffy was completely alone now, but she felt a new strength – not the power the demon had offered, but a new feeling of certainty. The demon changed tack; mocking her, it desperately revealed the plans of the First to her and asked if she would be the one to defeat it. "Maybe not," Buffy answered, hanging in her chains. Her head lifted and her eyes glared out into the open cave, resolute and more than a little angry, "But I'm going to try!"
Spike's body relaxed. They'd put him in the corner, facing the wall and out of the way, so his expression was unnoticed by the others. He stared vacantly for a second before understanding dawned in his eyes and pure joy began to take over. It lasted less than a second before it was replaced by concern and hesitancy. Just because she'd admitted it there didn't mean she'd carry it through here. And just because she'd admitted as much as she had didn't mean she wanted a relationship to form between them.
Behind him the portal opened and he span, alert, to watch the transfer. Robin launched the demon into it and moments later Buffy appeared looking shell-shocked. Knowing what she had been through Spike moved forward through no conscious will of his own to offer support, then hesitated before crossing the edge of the circle.
Buffy's eyes were blank as she stared at her gathered friends and family. She looked around them all then returned her gaze to Spike. He didn't say anything, just kept his eyes on her in watchful understanding. She stepped out of the circle, walking straight into him, wrapping her arms around his ribs as a ripple of shock passed around the room. He hesitantly raised his own arms, one to lay around her waist, the other hand cupping the back of her head. He rested his own head against hers with his eyes closed feeling relief that she was OK, a flicker of joy that she had turned to him and the overwhelming love that drove him to give her anything she needed without expectation. They stood in a silent tableau for a few moments before he, unable to contain himself any longer, murmured questioningly: "Love?"
She raised her head and looked into his eyes with genuine remorse. "I'm so sorry Spike."
He stroked her hair back, accepting her words as rejection, and although the sadness was visible in his eyes he simply shook his head and said, huskily, "Nothing to be sorry for, love. You already made me happier than I deserve and I won't push it."
She shook her head in turn; "No!"
He dropped his hands and stepped back from her, speaking gently. "It's OK, love. I won't... I know."
"Shut. Up! Spike." Her words were snappy and direct, an air of irritation overtaking her remorse. "I am sorry. I'm sorry for what I did to you. I'm sorry for hurting you and blaming you. I'm sorry for being so angry at you for overcoming your demon when Angel couldn't, even for me. I'm sorry that I was so absorbed in my own little world that I refused to acknowledge your sincerity. I kept writing it off - I kept writing *you* off - because if you were right, if you were able to love me as a demon and a man, it meant that what I had with Angel was less important than I thought it was." She paused for breath. He didn't dare speak, but his expression was wondering. For a second it looked like she would say something more, but she held back and looked around the group.
"I'm sorry to the rest of you, too, for the things I said this morning. I was scared because even though it's been tough so far it's only going to get tougher. But now... I know what we're up against now and we need to throw everything we have at it, including the things we're afraid of. I don't have time for fear any more.
"Willow, I need you to work with Giles and the coven. I need to know you can control your magics and support us. All those people who've been telling me for years they want to patrol? Well, now they get to. We need to train everyone available to us." She looked up at Spike and said: "You've been having trouble because you aren't a killer, William. I need to teach you how to be a Slayer."
His eyelids flickered as she said his name but otherwise he didn't respond. She reached out, took his hand and reassured him "You can do this. We can do this." Turning to face the group as a whole, she informed the room; "We can do this together."
Xander moved first, reassuring Buffy that they would do everything they could before taking Willow and her quietly spoken fears from the room. The others gradually dissipated, some with questions, some without until only Buffy and Spike remained, still hand in hand. He lifted their joined hands and looked at them significantly, before casting her a questioning glance.
"Spike, I..." She looked around, as if searching, before looking back at him, "Can we talk somewhere private?"
"The basement should be free." She nodded and led him there. There was an awkward moment as they navigated the first few steps down but she never once asked him to let her go and he wasn't about to volunteer to.
Stood in the middle of the basement she still couldn't find the words she sought. After a few false starts he interrupted her, stroking her hair back with his free hand: "No pressure, love. I've got hope now. I can wait forever."
"I don't want you to wait any more." Her whispered words broke mid way as she choked on the emotions waging war inside her.
"What do you want?"
Suddenly it was so easy for her to reach up and kiss him. The merest, gentlest whisper of a kiss completely different to their previous lustful embraces. His eyes closed involuntarily, but he made no move towards her. When she dropped away from him, his eyes opened slowly, remaining heavy lidded and she held eye contact before moving in for another kiss. Her free hand crept up around his neck as she deepened the kiss and leaned into him. His spare hand held her at the waist, splayed against the small of her back, the cold burned into her consciousness.
She pressed herself fully against him, refamiliarising herself with the feel of him. She was unsurprised to feel something else - the certainty that she had nothing to fear. The last time she had been so close to him it had gone horribly wrong, but now she knew for certain he would only follow her lead. The pain and guilt he had felt still burned in him and she didn't want that any more than she had been tempted to move further than a few kisses when they had both believed him to be leashed by his chip. She was only interested in an equal, not a supplicant.
She pulled back and caught his face between her hands. "Spike, it's OK. We've both made mistakes. We've both hurt each other. I'm here now and I want to be here, with you. I trust you. Spike, I.. I ..."
Still the words wouldn't come but he didn't need them. "I can wait," he repeated. "Take your time."
But her words had made a difference, because now he reached out to her and took control of their kiss. Spike curled his fingers through Buffy's hair, relishing the silken feel of its tangle between his fingers as their lips met, parted and the kiss deepened. He felt a burning rush of happiness as he embraced the feeling of his soul being redeemed by this woman and her forgiveness of the act he still reflected on as the only truly wicked thing he'd ever done. His fingers threaded through her hair where it fell from the band she'd tied it with, combing their way to her shoulders, tracing their way down her back until finally reaching her waist.
He wanted to feel her, all of her, so he pulled her until she was flush against him and she shuffled to meet him. His legs were splayed in his usual arrogant stance so hers tucked nicely between his for a few minutes as they learned each other's flavour once again. She began with her arms entwined around his neck, but soon she became conscious of all that she wanted to feel again and her hands felt too empty, so she slid them down his neck to begin exploring his perfectly formed body. The muscles in his shoulders were tightly corded as he held her and she felt in his restraint the strength of his desire to crush their bodies together being tempered by his unwillingness to hurt her.
Her hands slid down over his chest, feeling the hard tightness of his torso and with her eyes closed her memory gratified her with a stream of visuals from all those times he'd teased and taunted her about how good looking he was and how much she wanted a piece of him. Wanting the feel of his skin she tugged up the t-shirt he wore out of his pants and ran her hands around to his back, stroking, caressing, massaging, anything, just to touch him and feel the way he responded to her.
He followed her lead, consumed by his urge to be closer to her. He began to run his hands around the waistband of her skirt, before stopping and letting her go. He continued kissing her but she was startled by the sudden distance between them and broke off to protest. He paused, hands in midair to grin that wicked grin at her, "Don't worry, love. You've got me wherever and however you want me," then hastily pulled his shirt off before tugging his T shirt over his head.
Before his hands returned to her, she whipped off her own jumper and they resumed their embrace, the heat between them rising with each new level of intimacy. He ran his hands over the skin on her back, absorbing the feel of her ragged breathing, the rise and fall of her chest and the constant pulsing of her blood through every inch of her body. With his eyes closed he could feel her body being flooded with hormones driving her desire and noticed the lack of adrenalin that had been present every other time. Afraid it meant she was less excited, or in some way unwilling, he hesitated. She responded by swinging one of her legs to sling around his narrow hips and he noticed that her blood was flowing to all the right places. She was excited, but in a wholly different way.
He moaned and answered the allure of her swollen nipples by flicking open the clasp of her bra. As she eagerly shook it off, he lifted her to wrap her legs around him fully and caught one swollen peak in his mouth. She was momentarily driven back to the very first time and a thought that they'd best not do that damage again flickered through her mind. It was soon drowned by her pleasure and her hips began to undulate against his in time with the movements of his mouth. He caught hold of her and leaned back to look her in the eye;
"I am all in favour of that particular idea, but if you don't slow up, little Spike isn't going to wait for you."
She smiled. "I think you'd better take me to bed then, because I do NOT want to miss out."
Obeying immediately he carried her to the bed and laid her gently down before him. He gazed down at her in awe and she, blushing shyly, made no move to hide herself from him. He leaned over her, stroking his hand from her neck to navel and back to cup her breast. Her hands moved to the waistband of her skirt impatiently, but he prevented her. Instead, he gently tugged her arms until her hands were clasped above her head and returned to his adoration of her torso. She moaned and gasped under his tender ministrations until she trembled in his arms. He unfastened the buttons on her skirt and gently slid it and her panties down her legs simultaneously, stroking her legs the whole way down. Feeling the cool air of the basement swirling whenever he moved, Buffy shivered and closed her eyes, like him relying on her specialised senses to take their loving to a new place.
He moved up her body, kissing her gently as he went, picking on all of her most sensitive spots – the inside of her ankle, behind her knee, her upper thigh. There he stopped and she arched her back, offering herself up to him with her eyes closed. When he didn't take up the offer, she opened her eyes, confused. He loomed above her, looking her straight in the eyes as he ran his fingernails up her inner thigh, until he reached that point at the apex where her labia met. Her eyes dilated almost fully as she stared up at him. He stroked the seam as though it were the petals of a delicate flower and she opened to him.
Passion between them had always been intense, but now it was personal and he relished this moment of pure openness between them. For the first time he could feel it was important to her that it was him doing this, no one else. The thought hit something inside him that he hadn't even realised was there. Drusilla had loved him, but only through the haze of her insanity and underlying obsession with her sire; any thoughts Harmony was capable of were totally self-centered and Anya had been in love with Xander. This, now, was the first time he'd lain with a woman where he was the whole world to them, as she was to him. Overwhelmed, he stopped the movement of his fingers, rested his hand on the cluster of curls that were gradually accruing dampness and lay over her to kiss her gently. "I love you," he murmured, only now recognising the true depth and sincerity of his own words. "I love you and I always will."
She reached up to his face and pulled him towards her for a long, sensuous kiss. After a few moments, his fingers slid down once again to touch the hot, wet center of her being and he played gently, caressing her, mimicking the motion of their tongues with his clever fingers.
Soon she pulled away from him and groaned; "I want you, Spike! Please!"
Only too happy to oblige he leaped up, struggled out of his jeans and shoes and returned to her arms. He lay over her and, pausing only slightly to ensure he wouldn't hurt her, entered her. The two of them lay still, adjusting as she adapted to his coldness, and he to her scalding heat. He moved over her, thrusting slowly at first, burying himself as deeply as possible within her with each stroke, listening for every caught breath, learning every beat of her heart, timing himself for the maximum impact. Her tension built, urging him faster and faster and she heated still further in his arms until she could take it no more and the two of them cried out together.
He collapsed above her. Not from exhaustion so much as shock at the intensity of the experience. The words may never come, he knew that, but he knew with absolute certainty that he was her one as much as she was his. They lay for a long time, her breathing heavily, he revelling in the beat of her heart as it slowed and entered a slumbering state. Not wanting her to be uncomfortable, he rolled them both onto their sides and watched her while she slept, cradled in his arms.
In Los Angeles Angel had revived surrounded by his worried friends. He looked around them as Buffy had and disregarded the questions they pelted him with. For a long time he was grateful for their concern but eventually he couldn't bear it any more, he stood and walked away in silence. Walking out into the hallway, he shut the door behind him, the gentle click resounding in absolute silence. As he walked he cursed himself. He had stood and watched as the love of his life was consumed by a demon. Worse, it had been able to consume her because of his flaws. For long minutes he was tempted by the evening sunlight slanting through a nearby window, but eventually he gave up the idea, bitterly acknowledging his own cowardice.
He wanted to be close to her and called the house. Andrew answered and reassured him that both Buffy and Spike were fine.
"Can I talk to her?"
"She's a bit... busy right now. But we'll tell her you called."
Obliged to be satisfied, Angel hung up. As the sun set he stood alone and desolate, wondering just how much he had really lost.
Labels: Buffy, fanfic, Fiction
What you want (Chapter 2)
#200wordtuesday "Never Again"


text:
YMCA's future unclear with site due to be converted into student housing
By Ryan Merrifield @rmerrifieldWN Senior reporter
Henwick Road student accommodation by DJD Architects
THE future of the city's YMCA facility and its residents remains unclear with the current building set to be converted into student accommodation.
Property company Purple Frog was given planning permission to turn the Henwick Road site into a 149-bedroom student block last summer, and hoped it would be up and running next year.
But we understand the charity has no firm plans on where it will move to, with the building currently housing a reported 75 residents, many of who suffer from mental health problems.
A spokesman for Worcestershire YMCA said: "We are currently exploring a number of housing options within Worcester city, that will enable us to expand our accommodation offer within the city once we move from the Henwick Road site."
A 19-year-old former resident, who did not wish to be named, said she had been told by staff that the new accommodation would be on the other side of the River Severn.
She had allegedly been told it would be much smaller than the current site with "just the rooms and flats".
A spokesman for Purple Frog said: "The owner and developer of the site, PFHD (Worcester) Limited, are working closely with the YMCA to ensure a smooth transition between their occupation of the site and the development stage.
"This a unique opportunity in Worcester and a very exciting project," they continued.
"PFHD looks forward to sharing more information about this exclusive development in the coming months."
The plan, as of last July when it went before the city council, was for the listed building, which dates back to 1868, to house 87 students and a new building to provide 62 bedrooms and be largely screened from the road.
The scheme also features a gym, a cinema room, study facilities, laundry service, communal spaces, en-suite rooms and 42 studio flats, all built with the city's growing student community in mind.
The plan then was for the entire scheme to be completed ready for the University of Worcester's 2020/21 student intake.
A university spokesman said as it is not a UoW development and so they did not have any further information about the scheme.
A city council spokesman, similarly, said the city council is not playing a role in this.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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'Change Is Coming,' Parkland Student-Turned-Activist Says16:37
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Brian AmaralTwitter
David Hogg, gets a pat on the back from Matthew Deitsch, as student survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. addresses a community rally for common sense gun legislation at Temple B'nai Abraham Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018, in Livingston, N.J. Speakers include survivors Hogg, Deitsch and his brother Matthew Deitsch. (Rich Schultz/AP)
Students at Marjory Douglas Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida are set to return to school after a gunman killed 17 of their classmates and staff.
Nothing will be the same again for the survivors of America's latest school shooting.
"I will never be satisfied until every single person that is supported by the NRA or the gun lobby or any lobby that promotes the endangerment of the American public and our democracy, until those elected officials are out of office," David Hogg, a 17-year-old senior and survivor of the shooting, told On Point Monday on our latest show about the shooting.
Hogg and Michelle Lapidot, a 15-year-old freshman, joined us to talk about how they're continuing to push for change after the shooting.
Gun politics in the past few years have seemed to hit the same impasse: After every massacre, calls for change on gun control, and then resistance from those who argue that cracking down on law-abiding gun owners will do nothing to stop criminals and madmen.
Students like Hogg and Lapidot are trying to break that pattern.
"I want people to know that change is coming and you can either be on the right side or the wrong side of history," Hogg said. "But if the past is any given as to what the right side of history is, it's the side that agrees with people, and the side that makes people come together and learn to love each other, not the side that hates."
Here are some more highlights from our conversation, hosted by Jane Clayson:
During the shooting, David interviewed some of his classmates:
David: "It was absolutely horrifying to have to interview my friends, but I knew that if I died there and our souls were left behind spattered across their classroom in our own blood, hopefully some of these congressmen would see, essentially, the writing on the wall. You look back at history and realize what what really happened here, and realize maybe if we died hope their voices unlike our souls would carry on and hopefully echoed through the halls of Congress and across the nation
Jane: "What were the students saying to you?"
David: "They were saying essentially that they can't believe that politicians like Marco Rubio and Governor Rick Scott and various other people who continue to allow this to happen continue to be supported by the NRA."
What the students are pushing for:
Michelle Lapidot: "We want to see gun control. We want to see security that is willing to protect us. They want to see better construction that won't be able to get shot through."
On whether teachers should be armed, as President Trump has proposed:
David Hogg: "There are so many people that should have stepped in that were armed, trained police officers that didn't. How can we expect teachers to do the same thing?"
On Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and his recent appearance at a CNN town hall:
David: "It's almost like Marco Rubio is a professional dancer because he's amazing at sidestepping questions. If you noticed when we asked him about the NRA and whether or not he would take donations... he would not give us a simple yes or no answer, even though we asked him multiple times. Will you take donations from the NRA? He said he will continue to take donations from the NRA. But he said it in like a five sentence answer in an effort to distract the American public."
On canceled meetings with Florida legislators:
David: "We were supposed to have a day full of constant meetings, and person after person at the Florida legislature canceled on us, and that's because they want people in Florida to forget. This session's almost over and they just want to get reelected with NRA backing."
On baseless claims that David is a 'crisis actor':
David: "To those people that have been saying this stuff I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry to you that you've lost enough faith in America to believe that we would have actors out here doing this type of thing."
Michelle on the prospects for some reforms:
Michelle: "I really I don't think that they're going to do it, just because they're all receiving so much money and backing from the NRA. But I know Rubio at least, he did support raising the age limit, but as far as I know, it really does not seem like they are going to be doing anything as of now. So we keep making more noise."
On recently going back to the school:
Michelle: "As I was walking through the high school it was really nice to see police there and to see security and to see how seriously everyone was taking it now, and I guess they realize it's not a joke but I'm not going to feel safer — I'm just going to feel closer with my peers."
This segment aired on February 26, 2018.
Brian Amaral Twitter Digital Producer, On Point
Brian was a digital producer for On Point.
About On Point


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Hilary Putnam
Hilary Putnam was born on 31 July 1926 in Chicago, Illinois, and died on 13 March 2016 in Arlington, Massachusetts. He received his BA in 1948 from the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in mathematics and philosophy. He received his PhD in philosophy at the University of California at Los Angeles in 1951, working with Hans Reichenbach. Putnam taught philosophy at Northwestern University in 1952–53 and at Princeton University from 1953 to 1961, and then he was professor of philosophy of science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1961 to 1965. He became professor of philosophy at Harvard in 1965 and remained there the rest of his career. In 1976 he became Walter Beverley Pearson Professor of Modern Mathematics and Mathematical Logic; later he was also named Cogan University Professor. He retired from teaching in 2000. A bibliography of his writings was published in 2015.


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Panamanian reggae singer takes a break
PANAMA. After touring the US and winning a Billboard, Nigga takes a break in his natal city of Chitre. He invites Panamanians to vote
The biggest winner in the latest Latin American Billboard Awards, Felix Danilo Gomez "Nigga" ,arrived in his birthplace Chitre, earlier this week, for a short break before hitting the road again.
He will be making a continental concert tour taking in Central and South America, the United States and Canada.
Nigga said the company that represents him recommended him to come to Panama instead of returning to Mexico City, where he normally lives, because the International Airport Benito Juarez in Mexico City would be closed until the swine flu outbreak which threatens to turn into a worldwide pandemic is under control.
The renowned Panamanian singer regrets he will not be in Panama for the elections on May 3 given his career responsibilities, but he has registered to vote through the Internet.
"We need to vote, Panamanians are responsible for the building a good path for the future of this country. Panama is a great country and the people need to go out and exert their right on May 3," he said.
On his groundbreaking participation in the Billboard Awards, where he won 8 out of 13 nominations, outdoing Luis Fonsi, Mana, and Enrique Iglesias, Nigga says he is proud to have achieved so much success with the single "Te quiero," song with which he conquered the international market.
"We wrote a big song in the history of music with the Panamanian record Romantic Style ( his first solo record) and we are happy.
"We haven't stopped working and we are going to keep at it.
"I thank the Panamanian people who have been supporting us all along," he said.
According to media reports from Mexico City, the government has banned massive concentrations of people, which has forced the singer to cancel some of his concerts until the outbreak is under control.


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Frontier Hospitality | free spanking story
In a way, Brad couldn't blame Sarah for being out of sorts all the time. After all, he had brought her to this forlorn prairie in the Dakota Territory. Sarah was used to a pampered life in the busy city of Chicago, with its dances and restaurants and vaguely artsy parties. To make matters worse, her father had doted on her, fulfilling her every wish.
Now here she was in the middle of nowhere with no one to talk to but him, having to work like she never had before, keeping their little house clean, washing dishes, preparing dinners. These were not things Sarah was used to doing. She had had maids and cooks and servants for that sort of thing.
But Bradford Lee had been an ardent lover, and in a whirlwind romance they had wedded after knowing each other for only a few weeks.
Sarah's father had said to the young bride, "I hope you know what you're doing."
Sarah had laughed, not having the faintest notion what she was getting into, but certainly used to getting her way. She said, "Don't worry, Dad. It'll be just fine."
"I'll visit you," he said. "And of course you will always have a home with us, should things . . . not work out and you want to return home."
"I know, Dad," she replied, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek, before boarding the train to Minneapolis, then Fargo.
She was astonished at how enormous the golden prairie was, how desolate, and how utterly empty. With a buckboard, Brad had taken her and her impractical four trunks out to his homestead. Getting down, she looked with dismay at the tiny house they would call home. It consisted of basically two rooms: a bedroom and another room that would do for living room and kitchen. Her bedroom in Chicago was bigger than this whole house!
"Come next spring, after the crops are in, I'll build another house twice as big," Brad said proudly. "There are some trees down by the James River that will do just fine. They're ready for the cuttin' and planin'."
"But that is almost nine months away," Sarah wailed.
"We'll make do until then," Bard replied. "Besides, I don't mind the close quarters if it is with you," he murmured with a smile, putting his arms around her waist and giving her a long kiss, to which she responded immediately, feeling her nipples stir and tighten as she pressed against his powerful chest.
So they had lived in the tiny house for six months now. Gradually, though, Sarah's voice had grown more shrill and whining. She didn't make requests any longer, she made demands. Brad, recognizing that her background hadn't given her the temperament of a farmer's wife, was always willing to bend to her will He tried to fulfill her wishes, but he discovered the more he fulfilled, the greater became her demands.
The weather turned colder, and snow fell, which meant that Sarah had to stay around the homestead more and was kept indoors longer, which made her more irritable than ever.
There were several inches of snow on the ground when the stranger came riding into their homestead, one bitter gray afternoon. Snow was spitting out a sullen sky. Brad saw him coming and went out onto the porch. From inside, Sarah watched their breath billow in the frosty air.
"How far is to Fargo?" the stranger asked.
"It is nearly 25 miles," Brad replied. "Too far to make it by tonight. Besides, it looks like a real storm is brewing. Let's put your horse in the barn. You can stay with us."
"Much obliged," the stranger said with a tip of his black hat.
Sarah's husband led the stranger and his horse into the barn. A few minutes later they emerged, running towards the house through the snow that fell harder and harder.
Once inside the door, the stranger stamped his boots and shook out his heavy coat, taking off his hat.
"Don't get wet all over the place," she snapped.
Sarah noticed there was something about him that made him seem to fill the room. He was dressed all in black, the typical sign of a gambler, and he carried the gun with casual ease and a hint of elegance.
When he looked at Sarah, she could see his eyes were smoky, black with an opaque curtain. His hard, ruthless gaze made her suddenly feel intimidated. Instinctively, she felt here was a man who took what he wanted without so much as a thank you or please. Instinctively, Sarah knew she couldn't rule him as she had Brad and her father. She felt not as if his eyes were undressing her, but rather as if he could see her completely naked already. Sarah blushed. She felt herself moisten, and her nipples tingle. Could the men, she wondered, detect her arousal in the small house? For some reason that made her arousal even higher. She clutched at the collar of her blouse at her throat nervously, trying to shake the feeling off. She was acting like a mare ready for any stallion to mount, she admonished herself.
Sarah's husband came in right behind, stamping his boots. "Mr. Logan is going to stay the night, Sarah."
Sarah grumbled, "There's hardly room enough for the two of us."
Logan said, "It was gracious of your husband to invite me into your home. But if you'd rather—"
He let the phrase hang in the air, as if daring Sarah to banish him to the barn. Sarah was chagrined that this gambler showed better manners than she did, and she from the upper class of Chicago.
She mumbled something about there being enough to go around . . . barely . . . and left it at that.
As they ate a quiet dinner, the snowfall became a full-fledge storm. The wind shook the house and rattled the windows. Sipping coffee laced with spirits that Logan had provided, the two men talked for a little while, while Sarah did up the dishes. Then they turned in. Logan had a bedroll that he said would do him just fine by the stove.
As soon as Brad had closed the door to the bedroom, Sarah immediately berated him.
"How dare you invite a stranger into our house!"
"Sarah, what was I supposed to do? I could hardly let him freeze."
"You could have told him the barn was good enough for him."
"Sarah, we're in the middle of a storm, and he is our guest. And will you keep you voice down!?"
Suddenly she heard Logan's voice through the thin wall. "I agree with your husband, Mrs. Lee. Hospitality is the first rule of the frontier. If you don't stop acting like a spoiled child, I am going to take you over my knee and give you a good spanking for acting like a child."
"You wouldn't dare!" Sarah exclaimed.
"Don't try my patience, Mrs. Lee."
The walls were so thin that it was almost like Logan were in the bedroom with them. Sarah quickly dropped her nightgown over her head, to disguise the way his voice had of arousing her. Why was the idea of a spanking so arousing to her? she wondered. No one had ever dared thwart her wishes, however irrational or trivial. Her female cleft was actually damp with the image of being over his knee. Then she thought of her revenge.
Brad blew out the lantern and slid into bed with Sarah. She immediately started to kiss her husband, deeply and passionately.
"What are you doing?" he whispered.
"I want you," she whispered hotly, urgently, pressing her generous breasts against his chest. She slipped out of her nightgown and guided his hands to her breasts. She gasped when he massaged them, squeezing them hard, almost mauling them. Most of the time Brad was as gentle as a lamb, but this evening he was forceful. He bit her neck as he pinched her tits, twisting the nipples cruelly.
Sarah let out a whimper, loud and erotic. Brad smashed his mouth on hers, muffling her sighs and whimpers. Brad mounted her, pushing her thighs open.
"Yes, yes!" Sarah sobbed loudly, as Brad's thick cock penetrated her pussy.
She wrapped her slender thighs around his waist, holding him tightly in her velvety sheath, flexing her womanly muscles down there.
She felt her husband's cock spasm, then spray her pussy with his lusty juices.
Sarah cried out.
She fell back on the bed, panting, but oddly unfulfilled. Then in the distance, in the house quiet within, but with a howling wind outside, she heard Logan laughter. It wasn't brazen or loud, just a soft dark chuckle. Sarah's face went hot. She knew that he had caught her. That she had been acting, and not only that, but acting for his benefit, and he knew it
Angrily, Sarah rolled over onto her belly. She almost felt like crying with embarrassment. She had meant to make the dark stranger envious of what her husband had, envious of her wantonness. Instead, she felt like a child who had been caught stealing a cookie.
The next morning the storm showed no signs of abating. Sarah realized that she would be cooped up with that insufferable Logan yet one more day. Every time he glanced at her, she felt he was thinking of the night before. She had meant to torment him with her body, with fantasies of what would never bee his, but the reverse had happened. It was she being tormented, she who was on fire with desire. With each glance, she felt him accessing her body, deciding what he wanted to do with her if he had his way. Thankfully, her husband was there to stop it, or who knows what would have happened. Logan would probably have stripped her and had her on her back before she knew what was happening, whimpering like a bitch in heat!
At the thought of it, she felt her nipples tighten in response. What was this dark stranger doing to her? It was as if the imaginings of his mind were calling up her most primitive instincts. She wondered if he could be Satan himself. Maude Kittleson, the neighbor's wife, once told Sarah that the devil rode the prairies, dressed in black. That some nights she had an awful time quieting her carnal desires. What were they—those dark thoughts? Sarah had wondered at the time. Now she knew.
Confused and surly, Sarah took it out on her husband and on Logan whenever she could; angry for no reason whatsoever; gruff, short, churlish, she snapped at them throughout the morning. Nothing was good enough, nothing would suit her. Finally, about noon, Logan snapped.
"Mrs. Lee, I've warned you. If you can't act in a civilized manner towards your husband and me, you will only have yourself to blame."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" she flared.
"Act like a child and I will treat you like one, whether your husband approves our not."
Brad suddenly spoke up, tight-lipped. "Oh, I approve, all right."
"What two strong brave men to threaten a little lady."
"You're not little," he glanced at her breasts with something of a smirk, "and you're surely not a lady."
"Why, how dare you!" she exclaimed.
She had been standing near the gambler, and she rushed at him, pounding his chest. He grabbed her arms, then pinned her wrists behind her. She was panting, but he merely laughed, showing no exertion whatsoever. Against his chest, as he loomed over her, Sarah suddenly realized how big he was, towering over her.
"Would you mind, Mr. Lee, if I taught this 'little lady" a lesson?"
"Seems like she has been asking for it for sometime," Brad admitted.
"Aren't you going to protect me?" Sarah demanded of her husband.
"The only protection you need," he replied, "is from your own pampered self. Sarah, you've been wanting this for quite some time."
"Go ahead, Logan. Let's see if you can knock some sense into that spoiled head of hers."
"Glad to oblige you, Mr. Lee."
Somewhere in the recesses of her unnerved mind, Sarah thought it odd that her husband referred to the stranger as Logan, but Logan called her husband Mr. Lee, as if he respected him despite the fact that her husband was doing nothing to protect her.
Sarah screeched and kicked, but Logan was of such strength that he didn't notice. He carried her over to a work bench that Brad used and sat down. As he sat, he shoved the young wife, unceremoniously, tit-down on the bench. She lay across Logan's lap. She could feel her pussy dampening at the manhandling, so she lifted her hips slightly, only to realize that her butt was now sticking up in the air, providing an attractive target.
Sarah continued to flail and fight, but it was no use against Logan obviously superior strength.
With his left hand Logan held her down. She tried to bite his hand, but couldn't get to it. Logan laughed and shoved her long skirt up so it covered her head. Her undergarment was of cotton. She was sure both Brad and Logan could see the damp spot at her cleft, and she was glad her hot red face was covered by her skirt.
Logan yanked her undergarment down, though Sarah wriggled and struggled, screeching. She felt the cool air on her thighs and on her buttocks. A strange man was looking at her ass, and her husband was just watching.
She felt his palm on her butt. She had expected it to be rough and calloused, like a farmer's. On the contrary, his hand was smooth, the nails manicured, the hands, she supposed, of a gambler. He caressed the two inviting, quivering, rounded, pale globes. Pushing her thighs open, he felt her womanhood.
"I'll be damned, Mr. Lee, but I could swear she was enjoying this."
Brad's voice was a little husky. "I would have to agree with you, Logan. That lovely mound looks positively wet to me.
Dew drops of arousal flickered in her pussy hair.
But Sarah's punishment had just begun. Humiliation at the hands of the stranger was just the start. He raised his hand, and although it was a smooth palm, Logan brought it down with a tremendous force. Sarah howled in response. She'd never felt anything that powerful before. He raised his hand, and Sarah tensed. Then he brought it down a second time with even more force. Sarah's struggles were weakening. Tears sprung up in her eyes. She tried to gather her skirt and pull it down. But Logan was having none of it.
"Keep your head covered. When we want to use your face, we will," he ordered her.
It just kept getting worse and worse, Sarah thought with despair. She was just a piece of meat, an ass and a cunt for these men to gloat over. She wasn't even a person any longer.
But the humiliation was the least of her pain. Her buttocks were on fire as Logan rained blow after blow on them. In her struggles, sometimes he would miss her ass and strike the upper part of her thighs. Sarah wasn't sure if he was doing that on purpose. Because when he went a bit lower he was on the back edge of her plump pussy lips and that inflamed her desire even more.
Sarah was weeping now. Not so much from the pain as from the fact that they could easily see her arousal. She couldn't hide it from the two men. Her pussy was crying out for a cock to stuff into it, and she couldn't have denied it to them.
Her butt was on fire. She was sure it glowed red, but still the stranger continued. She weakened. She couldn't even howl any more. She was hoarse and out of breath. Still, he continued the spanking. She undulated her hips, and she wasn't at all sure if it was to get away from the relentless blows on her ass or was telling of a need that coursed through her body, deep in her core.
She couldn't deny it any longer. She wanted this powerful dark man to take her and use her helpless body until she was satiated.
Logan dipped a middle finger into her pussy. It slid in easy. He finger fucked her with a gentleness that at once surprised her and also aroused her.
From across the room, she heard Brad's voice. "The bedroom's in there if you care to use it."
"Think I will, at that."
Her will flared up for one last time. "You bastards!" she spit out.
Logan dumped her on the floor, unceremoniously.
"Crawl," he told her.
"Go to hell!"
He swatted her butt again, another stinging blow. "Crawl to the bedroom"
This time she did as she was told.
When they were in the room, Logan said, "Climb up on the bed.
She did as she was told.
"Now put your dress over your head. "We'd rather see your honest cunt than your rebellious face."
Sarah pulled up the dress, covering her face. Just the lower half of her luscious well-endowed body was revealed.
"You're a lucky man, Mr. Lee."
"Most of the time, I agree with you,' he replied.
That's a lovely little pussy, she's got."
Sarah's face burned with the humiliation.
The two men came over by the bed. She couldn't see, but she could tell that they stood on either side the bed, gazing at her feminine charms.
She heard sounds of them taking off their clothes. Then the bed creaked as two male bodies lay on either side of her. She could smell their masculinity. It overwhelmed what small resistance remained.
Hands from each side touched and caress her legs, massaged her ass cheeks, caressed her wet and wanton pussy. One hand flickered over her clitoris, while the other penetrated her sheath. Then another hand would caress her anus, while another squeezed her ass.
Brad spoke first. "You are a guest in my house. I insist on you going first."
"Mighty obliged to you," said Logan. And even though her face was still covered, she could detect a smirk in his voice.
The stranger pushed her legs open. He didn't have to use much force. In fact, he almost detected that she willingly parted her thighs. She knew she had no say in the matter, so why not just allow it to happen? But in the recesses of Sarah's mind she knew she was lying to herself. She was not a passive actress in this play. She wanted this to happen. She wanted to be completely controlled. Maybe in a way she was tired of herself, of the way she had been acting for years. Maybe, she finally admitted it to herself, she had deserved the thrashing she had gotten. The answer wasn't maybe. And she felt it, as the stranger penetrated her cunt. The answer was, "Yes," she hissed.
God, he was big, she felt, rising to meet him. Her pussy was almost smiling with delight. Still, she had some pride, and she wouldn't respond to this bastard, she wouldn't let him know what effect his rigid manhood was having on her helpless body. But involuntarily, she felt her pussy muscles fit to his iron shaft and begin to massage the rod.
Logan plunged into her with powerful strokes. With a velvety groan she felt her hips lift to match each thrust. She was panting softly. Her heart was racing. And her ass, her ass was tingling, sending a stream of hotness to her pussy that spilled over in scented nectar.
She found herself fucking him back, responding to his demanding body with demands of her own. She was lost in a welter of emotions and lust.
Sarah felt the bottom of her dress being pulled away from her face. Oh, god, they could see her biting her lower lip, see her eyes with that lost look of lust in them. She would be completely revealed to them.
She had thought when the dress was pulled away that it would be Brad in his gentleness doing it. Instead, it was Logan, and he was grinning down at her. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he thrust into her. The sweat dripped onto her face and with her tongue she tasted him. He leaned down and didn't so much kiss her as take possession of her mouth. Her lips were soft. Sarah opened her mouth immediately to his questing tongue. She sucked on it as if it were another cock.
Logan reached down, and with his two powerful hands he grasped the neckline of her long dress and yanked it open. Sarah gasped. Her two round pale breasts spilled into view. Her tits rose and fell raggedly as she panted. Logan reached down and pinched her right nipple until she cried out. Obediently, the nipple rose and distended. Brad, her husband, sucked on her left breast, lashing the nipple back and forth until Sarah whimpered from the pleasure engulfing her.
The young wife sighed. Without even realizing it, her long, slim legs had wound around Logan's back She had never realized that sex could be this wonderful.
Logan was pounding into her furiously now—a piston. The bed bounced under her. Sweat, she noticed, beaded on her voluptuous body as well. He rammed into her hard one last time. She felt his cock expand and shoot into her depths a flood of sperm. She climaxed with him, groaning, almost lifting him off the bed.
Panting, he fell to the side of her, and before Sarah could catch her breath, her husband was between her wide-spread and now slippery thighs. Her heart was still racing as he penetrated her. She felt his balls nestle against her puckered anus. A flood of Logan's cum oozed around his shaft and trickled down her inner thighs.
Brad had always been a gentle and considerate lover—too gentle and too considerate she now realized. All that was forgotten now in his powerful surge. He put her knees over his shoulders without asking her if that was what she wanted. It was what he wanted. Holding her thighs, he lunged forward, taking her relentlessly. From her massive orgasm with Logan, Sarah floated on a cloud of erotic abandon.
"Fuck me," she told her husband, like any whore would say to her client.
Beneath her husband's ruthless fucking, she writhed, hunching her hips, fucking him back. Brad reached underneath her and squeezed her ass cheeks. Sarah cried out at the exquisite torture. She shuddered. Her body, never more responsive, flowed through a series of mini-orgasms. She whimpered, her voice seeming distant, in helpless desire.
Her husband fucked her savagely until finally he exploded in her. She came so hard, Sarah clutched the sheets, tilting her head back and seeing stars. Finally, she collapsed beneath him. She felt the dampness of their cream between her thighs, cooling the fire of her butt. In the sensual aftermath, as their panting quieted, the three of them listened to the silence, listened to the storm raging outside.
Sarah had never felt so satiated in her life. Logan offered her his cock. "Clean it," he ordered her, and the thought didn't occur to her to disobey him or for that matter either male.
Eagerly, she licked the pungent flavor of herself from the semi-stiff shaft. Her pungent juices mingled with the salty flavor of his own cum. She continued to lick and pleasure his shaft long after it was necessary to clean him any more. Brad watched, a look of curiosity and arousal in his eyes.
"I trust, Mrs. Lee, that you have learned your lesson."
"Yes, sir, Mr. Logan."
"Good, because who knows how long this storm might last?"
"A good long time, I hope," she replied looking into his eyes, then taking both of their hands and putting them on her moist pussy. "You're in no hurry, are you? After all, we have to show you frontier hospitality."


text:
Crossroads: The Global Choice Between Good and Evil
Published on Feb 26th, 2018 – It's time to pick a side. Will it be for good or to give in to evil?
See Also: (Infowars) – BREAKING: Globalist Ignite An American Civil War!
Alex Jones lays out how Globalist forces are currently igniting an American civil war by turning partisan politics into a physical battle between conservatives and progressive, communist sympathizers.
Also: (Infowars) – Common Sense Conservatives And Constitutionalists Must Unite To Preserve Our Freedom
Ted Nugent joins Alex Jones live via Skype to call upon any like-minded, common sense Americans to come together in the face of the liberal lefts' assault on our basic, principle freedoms.
Where's The Economy And Market Going? Follow Interest Rates Gerald Celente of Trends Research hosts the 4th hour of The Alex Jones Show, says to keep a close eye on whether or not the Fed continues to raise interest rates See Also: (Infowars) – Where Are The Markets Heading?...
Grieving Parents Ask Trump To Do The Impossible: Ban Evil Published February 18th, 2018...
Hollywood Sex Abuse Epidemic Covered-Up By Media Infowars reporter Millie Weaver hits the streets of Austin, TX asking people what they think about the endless stream of sexual abuse scandals coming out of Hollywood for the past several weeks. To her surprise, most people interviewed are oblivious...
BREAKING: George Soros Funds Constitutional Convention To Overthrow The Republic Robert Brown of the John Birch Society joins Alex Jones to discuss George Soros and his attempts to overthrow the United States by providing millions to protester organizations that do his bidding. See Also: (Infowars) – Soros Drops Massive $18bil...
Wikileaks Exposes Collusion Among Facebook, Clinton, & Zuckerberg Julian Assange and Wikileaks have proven themselves to be true friends of freedom by continually exposing the corruption of the political elite....


text:
The Enemy of My Enemy
The Beauty of Maps: Medieval Maps
One Soldier Story: The Journey of American Sniper
Steve Jobs Man in the Machine
Extinction: The Facts
Fake Famous
Clash of the Gods: Medusa
Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle 1of2
Jeong Kwan
The Sun: God Star
Nature Weirdest
The Normans: Conquest
Fleetwood Mac Live in Boston 2of2
The Year Earth Changed
"Spielberg" Sort by
Twilight Zone: The Movie
This American science fiction horror anthology film was produced by Steven Spielberg and John Landis. The film's production achieved notoriety when the actor Vic Morrow and two illegally-hired child actors were killed in a stunt helicopter crash during filming of Landis' segment. The Movie leaves those involved in the making of the film cursed by the memory of the incident they witnessed.
Series: Cursed Films
In late 1944, even as they faced imminent defeat, the Nazis expended enormous resources to kill or deport over 425,000 Jews during the 'cleansing' of Hungary. This Oscar-winning documentary, executive produced by Steven Spielberg, focuses on the plight of five Hungarian Jews who survived imprisonment in Auschwitz. Though these survivors recount the horrors they witnessed and endured as a result of the Nazis' 'Final Solution,' their individual triumphs are a testament to hope and humanity.
Through exclusive interviews with actors, family, and the filmmaker himself, this unprecedented documentary pulls back the curtain on the remarkable career of Steven Spielberg. Featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, Liam Neeson, and many more.
The Mission Begins
The wartime contributions of five prominent Hollywood film directors during World War II are profiled. The documentary focuses on five directors – John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra, and George Stevens – whose war-related works are analysed by modern filmmakers, respectively Paul Greengrass, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Guillermo del Toro, and Lawrence Kasdan. In the first episode, John Ford's The Battle of Midway was approved directly by President Franklin D. Roosevelt while Frank Capra fights to get Why We Fight made.
Series: Five Came Back
What if aliens landed on Earth? Much of science fiction explores the moment of first contact – what will people do when the aliens land? From H. G. Wells' pioneering The War of the Worlds to Independence Day, Men in Black, and District 9, Invasion deals with our fears of alien invasions of earth. David Tennant explains the appeal of Doctor Who's Daleks and Cybermen while John Carpenter and Chris Carter explore the rich appeal of the paranoia fuelled by hidden aliens with The Thing and The X-Files. It also asks, what if the monsters were our own creation? With the aid of rarely seen animation tests, Phil Tippett takes us behind the scenes in the creation of the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park. But not all invasions are hostile. Peter Coyote and Richard Dreyfuss discuss the creation of Spielberg's spellbinding classics E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. There is more than one kind of invasion.
Series: The Real History of Science Fiction
The Beauty of Maps
Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle
Prehistoric America
Invisible Worlds
How Art Made the World
How the Universe Works Series 9


Plans have been funded for a new marina in Peshawbestown, Michigan, between Omena and Suttons Bay in Grand Traverse Bay. The marina will be within walking distance of the Leelenau Sands Casino. As of 2010, construction has been put on indefinite hold. There are no announced plans on when/if ever, construction will begin.
A news story regarding proposals to build windmills in Lake Michigan, off Milwaukee and Sheboygan.
An Earth-Day news report on future electricity generators that use wave power—some underwater and some on the surface.


If you're a Sprint subscriber, $15 a month for a commitment-free 1GB tablet plan isn't bad. Of course, LTE tablets aren't much use on Sprint's network yet, considering there isn't much in the way of coverage. But if you need a way to connect and don't want to tether (for whatever reason), Sprint 3G is still probably good enough for email and some light web browsing.
The issue, of course, is that you'll need a Sprint-ready tablet with a mobile data connection, and pickings are on the slim side. The Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, iPad, and iPad Mini are the only currently-announced Sprint LTE tablets, and none of them are available yet. Though if you do buy one soon, they'll wave the activation fee as part of a limited time offer. Anyways, the new tablet plans are here - what do you think, still pretty useless as long as you know tethering exists?


Seville is the perfect place to take your TEFL/TESOL certification course and begin your adventure abroad. TEFL International Seville is an internationally accredited and moderated English Teacher Training Center. Here you can complete your four week teacher training course, making you eligible to teach English at thousands of schools around the world.
The TEFL International Seville school is in the heart of the city, surrounded by beautiful monuments, cobbled streets, tapas bars, and trendy shops. The city is one of the loveliest and most exciting in Spain. It is also the capital of the southern province, Andalucía, and is known for its rich, traditional Spanish culture and its witty, vibrant citizens. The students you will be teaching during the course are mostly from the area. Their friendliness and enthusiasm for English make learning to teach a very enjoyable process.
Beyond the classroom you will find Seville a great city to live and study in. It has all the entertainment and life of a big city – it is the fourth largest in Spain – whilst maintaining the convenience, intimacy and beauty of a small Spanish pueblo. In so many ways, it is a great place to take your TEFL Certificate in. We hope to see you here!


Min and I got up this morning and went out to brunch at Rogue's Harbor in Lansing. As always it was really good. After that, I spent much of the day preparing to leave tomorrow. I have a lot to get ready for. I am working at the hotel this week attempting to install a wireless high speed access system at the hotel. I have to take my laptop as well as my zaurus, a router and a wireless system. I will be very busy while I am in Schenectady.
Loopy has gotten his Linux desktop up and running well and is finally getting it work usefully.


text:
Centaurodendron es un género de plantas con flores perteneciente a la familia  Asteraceae. Comprende 3 especies descritas y de estas, solo 2 aceptadas. Es originario de Chile.

Taxonomía
El género fue descrito por Friedrich Richard Adelbart Johow y publicado en Estudios sobre la flora de las Islas de Juan Fernández  63. 1896.

Especies aceptadas
A continuación se brinda un listado de las especies del género Centaurodendron aceptadas hasta febrero de 2015, ordenadas alfabéticamente. Para cada una se indica el nombre binomial seguido del autor, abreviado según las convenciones y usos.
Centaurodendron dracaenoides Johow
Centaurodendron palmiforme Skottsb.

Referencias

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


In Feng Shui, the kitchen is considered the guts of your private home'"it rules your prosperity and your health. The 2 iron handles on the island that you just see in this photograph are from Restoration Hardware. Ooooh, after reading this lens I can't wait to renovate my kitchen – thanks for the nice ideas! For example, you probably have a small doorway between the kitchen and eating room, knock down a lot of the wall to create an archway.
A few of my cupboards from China have been prime notch, others have had handles which have began to come back undone and unsmooth surfaces. A simple seek for robin's egg or turquoise blue in the kitchen section on Amazon will bring you a host of other attention-grabbing objects for your kitchen.
You must do a e book this is absolutely the most great kitchen I've ever seen. Select a straightforward-to-assemble island that fits the fashion and house of your kitchen, and watch how briskly it becomes the brand new heart of your own home. While some issues, after all, get used more than others I do believe in using all my pieces; I open and use the cabinets every day!
I not too long ago added a small light fixture in my kitchen and cannot believe how the sunshine from this small fixture makes such a heat glow that may lights could by no means do. I'm going to make use of some of your ideas after we move and I renovate our kitchen.


text:
Country-by-Country Reporting – Compilation of 2021 Peer Review Reports : Inclusive Framework on BEPS: Action 13 Buy this book
Overview of CbC reporting requirements
Viet Nam has implemented the BEPS Action 13 (CbC reporting) minimum standard with seven recommendations for improvement.
First reporting fiscal year: Commencing on or after 1 May 2017
Consolidated group revenue threshold: VND 18,000 billion
Filing deadline: On demand
Local filing required: Yes
Surrogate parent entity filing permitted: Yes
First review of the domestic legal framework: 2018/2019
Area of implementation
Recommendations for improvement
Domestic legal and administrative framework
It is recommended that Viet Nam amend its legislation or otherwise take steps to ensure that enforcement provisions relating to the effective implementation of CbC reporting filing requirements are provided for as soon as possible.
Exchange of information framework
It is recommended that Viet Nam take steps to have qualifying competent authority agreements in effect with jurisdictions of the Inclusive Framework which meet the confidentiality, consistency and appropriate use conditions and with which it has an international exchange of information agreement in effect that allows for the automatic exchange of tax information.
It is recommended that Viet Nam take steps to implement processes or written procedures to ensure that the exchange of information is conducted in a manner consistent with the terms of reference relating to the exchange of information framework as soon as possible.
Appropriate use
It is recommended that Viet Nam take steps to ensure that the appropriate use condition is met as soon as possible.
The domestic legal and administrative framework
Viet Nam's 2018/2019 peer report recommended that Viet Nam take steps to amend its legislation or otherwise issue detailed definitions and requirements to bring it in line with the Action 13 minimum standard. Viet Nam has made these amendments by issuing a decree and this recommendation is removed.
Viet Nam's 2018/2019 It is recommended that Viet Nam take steps to amend its legislation or otherwise clarify that local filing in Viet Nam is only required in line with the minimum standard for Action 13. Viet Nam has made these amendments by issuing a decree and this recommendation is removed.
It is recommended that Viet Nam amend its legislation or otherwise take steps to ensure that enforcement provisions relating to effective implementation of filing requirement for CbC reporting are provided for as required by the terms of reference as soon as possible. This recommendation remains in place since the 2018/2019 peer review.
The exchange of information framework
It is recommended that Viet Nam take steps to have qualifying competent authority agreements in effect with jurisdictions of the Inclusive Framework which meet the confidentiality, consistency and appropriate use conditions and with which it has an international exchange of information agreement in effect that allows for the automatic exchange of tax information. This recommendation remains in place since the 2018/2019 peer review.
It is recommended that Viet Nam take steps to implement processes or written procedures to ensure that the exchange of information is conducted in a manner consistent with the terms of reference relating to the exchange of information framework as soon as possible. This recommendation remains in place since the 2018/2019 peer review.
Appropriate use of CbC reports
Viet Nam does not yet have controls in place to ensure the appropriate use of CbC reports.
It is recommended that Viet Nam take steps to ensure that the appropriate use condition is met as soon as possible. This recommendation remains in place since the 2018/2019 peer review.
https://doi.org/10.1787/73dc97a6-en
The use of this work, whether digital or print, is governed by the Terms and Conditions to be found at http://www.oecd.org/termsandconditions.


text:
Trustee's Office, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
Register Today for the 2016 EAIA Annual Meeting!
The Early American Industries Association is pleased to announce that our 2016 Annual Meeting will be held May 18th thru May 21st at the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill near Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Pleasant Hill is the site of a Shaker community that was active from 1805 to 1910. A preservation effort was begun in 1961 and Pleasant Hill with 34 original 19th century buildings on 3000 acres of land contains the largest collection of restored Shaker buildings anywhere in the United States.
East Family Dwelling, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
Shaker Village has an outstanding collection of Shaker furniture, diaries, clothing, and artifacts. You can learn more at www.shakervillageky.org. The peaceful small village setting on top of a gentle hill is a delight to the senses. During the meeting we'll be staying in these restored buildings with beautiful Shaker reproduction furniture. We'll learn about Shaker culture, architecture, and crafts.
Old Stone Shop, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
You'll have an opportunity to try your hand at making an Shaker oval box, a Shaker whisk broom and other Shaker crafts. We'll hear from experts on Shaker history, culture, and architecture. Pleasant Hill is about 25 miles from Lexington, Kentucky in the midst of an area known for it's rich history, horse farms, civil war sites, bourbon production and multiple nearby museums and historic sites. Take a look at the pictures and mark your calendars for the 2016 EAIA Annual Meeting at Pleasant Hill Shaker Village. As the schedule of events for this meeting continues to develop, we'll post more information.
Beautiful Shaker Artifacts and Architecture Abound At Pleasant Hill Shaker Village
A Brief Glimpse at the History of the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill
The Second Great Awakening, often called the "Kentucky Revival" began in the late 18th century and extended into the early 19th century. The Shakers based in New Lebanon, New York, sent missionaries west in 1805. By August of 1805, the missionaries had gathered a small group of adherents to the Shaker doctrines of Mother Ann Lee. In December of 1806, 44 converts to the Shaker faith signed a covenant agreeing to mutual support and the common ownership of property. They began living together on the 140 acre Elisha Thomas farm which became the nucleus of Pleasant Hill. By 1812, the village had grown to 4,369 acres and three communal families, East, Center, and West had been formed and a fourth, North was established for prospective converts.
Though poor when they started out, the Pleasant Hill Shakers were excellent farmers who made good use of their land and prospered. Their location adjacent to the Kentucky River allowed them to market their produce and products to multiple towns and villages. By 1816 they were traveling widely (even to New Orleans) to market their products. The Pleasant Hill Shakers made brooms, sold fruit, both dried and as preserves, raised and sold garden seeds and were widely known for their fine cattle, hogs, and sheep. By 1825, Pleasant Hill was a thriving community with stone and brick dwellings with glass windows (not all that common in 1825!) and stone sidewalks. By this time they also had a municipal water system, indoor pumps in their kitchens and horse driven laundry machinery.
Because Pleasant Hill was in Kentucky, the village experienced a lot of controversy and traffic from both Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. Shakers were opposed to slavery and were committed to pacifism. The Shakers at Pleasant Hill had started buying and then freeing them as early as 1825. They were sympathetic to the Union, which made them targets of anger, vandalism and some property destruction by many of their neighbors who were Southern sympathizers. They fed thousands of soldiers from both sides, and cared for the wounded particularly after the Battle of Perryville.
After the Civil War, political and economic changes as well as internal strife depleted the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill. Membership declined steadily. From its peak membership of almost 500, Pleasant Hill had only half that number by 1875. By 1900 the membership was down to 34. The Shaker community at Pleasant Hill was dissolved in 1910. The property changed hands several times and was used for a variety of purposes. The few remaining Shakers lived on the property until the last remaining Pleasant Hill Shaker, Mary Settles died in 1923. Following World War II, area residents showed renewed interest in the village. In 1962 a group of area residents led by Joseph Graves and Earl Wallace launched an effort to restore the property. By 1964 a non-profit corporation was formed and James Lowry Cogar who was the first curator of Colonial Williamsburg was chosen to oversee the restoration of Pleasant Hill.
An excellent book on the history of the Shakers is, The Shaker Experience in America, by Steven J. Stein, Yale University Press, 1992.


Under Armour athlete and principal ballet dancer Misty Copeland launched the fall collection Monday of her signature apparel line for the Baltimore-based sports apparel brand.
The apparel maker introduced the Misty Copeland Signature Collection earlier this year.
As a co-designer, Copeland wanted pieces that could go from yoga class to the office, "something that you can wear with sneakers or pumps, dressed up or down," Under Armour said.
The new offerings, a series of structured pieces designed to hug the body in a flattering way, incorporate the brand's "Breathelux" fabric for a sweat-wicking and lightweight material.
The fall line includes a crop top and legging set, a bomber jacket, a dress, sweaters and tank tops, with prices ranging from $50 to $180, available at Under Armour Brand Houses, at some Macy's and online.


text:
Photo Journey
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Grazzano Visconti: tiny Italian village that looks like a fairytale place
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Home Destinations Grazzano Visconti: tiny Italian village that looks like a fairytale place
Italy is a unique country full with villages, towns, castles and other touristic attractions of all kinds. Sometimes it is so good to leave the most famous and crowded places in order to get lost in a constellation of picturesque tiny villages. You may get the best surprise ever: these places are less known but often much more interesting! Just some kilometers away from Piacenza there's a fairytale village named Grazzano Visconti that proves this statement and will obviously steal your heart.
Grazzano and Luchino Visconti
Photo: Gregorini Demetrio, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
The history of Grazzano is closelly connected with famous film and theater director Luchino Visconti: his father, the Duke Don Giuseppe Visconti, decided to restore the ruins of a castle with its ancient splendor.
The reconstruction started at the beginning of the '900 — centuries after the year of the foundation of Grazzano (1395), sanctioned by a letter of donation of the land to Beatrice Visconti by his brother Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the first Duke of Milan.
The reconstruction from scratch
Photo: Shadowgate / flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Photo: Daniel70mi Falciola / flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Don Giuseppe decided to turn the old and decaying village into a small country with a magical atmosphere. He managed to build the whole village around the castle of Grazzano, also completely restored in the neo-medieval style. Only the Church of Saint Anna, which dates back to the 17th century, was preserved from the previous village. Today it is the private chapel of the Visconti family.
Park and the legend about Aloisa
Around the castle and the village there is a park full of wonders: classical and medieval architecture, scattering fountains, Italian gardens, pergolas and labyrinths here and there.
There's a legend linked with the park. According to it, a young woman named Aloisa lived in the village in ancient times. She spent her last days in pain for the betrayal of the man she loved. It is said that since then the soul of Aloisa wanders around the park in search of that kindness that was denied to her. It seems that even Don Giuseppe himself had a close encounter with her: one day she materialized in front of him in the park and forced him to create paintings and a statue, which are still visible in the park.
Photo: Michele Castagnetti (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Thanks to the legend, today Aloisa is the protector of lovers who visit the village. According to tradition, couples who visit the place, bring a bunch of flowers and place it at the foot of the statue in the park thus getting the protection of Aloisa in exchange.
An enigmatic recurring inscription
Visiting the village you can see coats of arms and engravings bearing the words Otla.ni.adrang.e.enetapipmi. This phrase, written in reverse, seems to say something like «keep away and look up».
Today the village deserves you attention not only for its medieval-style buildings, but also for numerous craft shops in the centre.
A tiny house for children
It can be found in the park and not only the children find it a great place to play in!
Grazzano Visconti is an amazing place that deserves your attention.
Based on: curioctopus.guru
Grazzano Visconti on map:
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text:
using Heimdall.Core.Commands;
using Heimdall.Mongo.Infrastructure;
using LibCore.CQRS.Commands.Handlers;
using LibCore.CQRS.Validation;
using MediatR;
using System;
using System.Linq;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace Heimdall.Mongo.Commands.Handlers
{
    public class RefreshServicesStatusHandler : BaseCommandHandler<RefreshServicesStatus>
    {
        private readonly IMediator _mediator;
        private readonly IDbContext _db;

        public RefreshServicesStatusHandler(IDbContext db, IMediator mediator, IValidator<RefreshServicesStatus> validator) : base(validator)
        {
            _db = db ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(db));
            _mediator = mediator ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(mediator));
        }

        protected override async Task RunCommand(RefreshServicesStatus command)
        {
            var services = await _db.Services.FindAsync(s => null != s);
            if (null == services || !services.Any())
                return;

            foreach (var service in services)
            {
                await _mediator.Publish(new RefreshServiceStatus(service.Id, command.Timeout));
            }

        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Starting with best intentions, I seem to have lagged in keeping this up-to-date. March has been a surprise, with a much greater number of guests than previous years. The weather has been generally good, and the extended daylight saving time (which has just ended) has made for long pleasant evenings. Trish has recently been walking up on the hills across the inlet, and has taken some nice photos looking down on the Lodge.
The royal spoonbills have returned to the Collingwood estuary, with a flock of more than 20 there.


This twelve-session live-online training course is intended to help transportation engineers prepare for the California Traffic Engineer exam to become a professional Traffic Engineer in California. The course includes a set of sample problems for each session with fully developed solutions to give examinees more opportunity to hone in their test-taking skills. The twelve sessions are designed to cover the topics identified on the TRAFFIC ENGINEER EXAMINATION CONTENT OUTLINE on the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists website. It provides strategies and techniques needed to manage time and solve exam questions under pressure, and apply required manuals, handbooks and references, such as California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD 2014), Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), Caltrans Traffic Manual, ITE Trip Generation Handbook and ITE Parking Generation Handbook to solve traffic engineering problems.
Throughout the course, practice exam problems and solutions covering all three main areas of traffic engineering-planning, operations, and design-are used. The course is taught by a team of expert practicing traffic engineers. We will be using our an online learning management system (LMS). The LMS allows ongoing online communication with the expert instructors throughout the training. Students will be given problem sets to work on in between online training sessions, which can be submitted online via the LMS.