TORTS CD 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TORTS CD 2 - Research Paper Example Later on the information of 2 witnesses, police started investigating and tracking the movement of Mr. Holden. According to the 1st witness said that Holden not ever finished selling marijuana later on his before reported arrest, and that he was then dealing both oxycodone and marijuana. The witness furnished extra information about Mr. Holden (Steele, 2012). According to another witness Mr. Holden kept on dealing marijuana, many pounds at particular time period. He further informed the task force about Mr. Holden that he recently dealt marijuana from his home. Later on task force track every movement of Mr. Holden for twenty days or more through the GPS system. In this case the superior court ruled the decision of lower court and passed a decision that the usage of GPS for tracking the movement of people without any warrant is against the right of privacy of people. Anonymous (2011). Delaware Court Rules Against GPS Motorist Tracking.  The Truths About Car. Retrieved  from

Education Essays Innovative Curriculum Students

Education Essays Innovative Curriculum Students Innovative Curriculum Students Introduction Many people argue that it is very much critical to design and also to deliver a good curriculum and it is in this curriculum that should be established to ensure that it has inspired and also at the same times challenged all the students so that they can be in a position to prepare for the 21st century challenges. The innovative curriculum is supposed to equip all students with humble knowledge and it is through this knowledge that the students will be in a position to face the future challenges come the 21st century. There is a going on project by many schools and it is in this project that these schools are participating together to ensure that they have made a good curriculum for the 21st century. (Schneider, 1998). Due to the modern technologies, it is important to come up with an innovative curriculum that is supposed to incorporate all areas of learning to ensure that education has been made easy for the students and are also in a position to succeed in life since it is in this innovative curriculum that students will be in a position to learn in all dimensions including music as a curriculum in most of the schools. Music is one of the subjects whereby intensive innovation has to be established. This is because most of the student’s talents have not been realized since there is no much which has been done in the music world. The many activities which are related to this project have demonstrated how power to innovative can engage many people including leaders who are said to be involved in the development of this curriculum in rethinking the role of education to many learners. (Schneider, 1998). Literature review Music can be defined as the manifestation of the human spirit which is similar to human language. Many people have agreed that there is a clear connection between music and academic achievement. As a result, you find that music is one of the most important curriculums which should be introduced in schools. The 21st century innovative curriculum should incorporate music as a curriculum in most of the schools simply because music has many roles in most of the societies. Music is said to incorporate arts and art can be seen as a language that all people can speak and is said to cut across racial, social, cultural, economic and educational barriers. This innovative curriculum is supposed to encompass music. Many students usually recognize the importance of music although is difficult to generalize the percentage of the students who are participating in music at the higher levels of education. The participation by these students is said to vary on the size of the school. Out of research which was done, it was found that the rate of students who participate in music in the large schools range from 5 percent the total number of students and in the magnate or small schools are thought to range from 35 percentage of the students who register for that course. (Cox, 2000). The required general music programs say in the K-6 is said to be less vibrant than it was at the mid of the 20the century. In the elementary schools, there was a reduction in the curriculum time during the 20th century and one of the said causes for the reduction in the budget curriculum is lack of funds. It is argued that there were no enough funds to support this curriculum in the elementary schools.97% of the public elementary schools are said to offer music instructions to the students. It is out of the 97% schools that offer music instructions that only 75% of them are taught by specialist in these elementary schools and only 8% are taught by classroom teachers only. So, it is out of this concern that an innovative technology has to be established in the 21st century and this technology is supposed to ensure that there has been improved performance by the music students. This is said to help these students to learn widely and also to be taught by specialized. Music plays so many roles in the societies and one of these roles is entertaining. Many people are usually known to spend most of their free times in listening to music. As a result, you find that music is one of the industries whereby many young people have invested so much. The basics of music depend on proper learning at the elementary schools. So you find that if the students are not taught well, then it becomes quite hard for them to succeed in the music world. Music can also be used to educate people. You find that most of the art which people do usually carry with them important information and the audience for this music is said to benefit a lot from it. So, it is out of the many advantages of music that an innovative curriculum is required for the 21st century and this is in order to help the music world to fully develop. The project in this case is innovating on implementing the scoring rubrics which are supposed to assess the performance of these students. (Cox, 2000). Scoring rubrics Scoring rubrics can be defined as a descriptive scoring scheme and are said to be developed by teachers and this has been developed in order to help these evaluators in accessing the student’s efforts. The scoring rubrics are usually employed when a judgment of quality is required and this drive is said to evaluate a broad range of subjects and activities of these students. So, it is with this innovative curriculum that most of the student’s efforts will be in a position to be accessed and hence leading to a greater performance by these students. So, it is through this organized learning that most of the students will be in a position to realize their many goals and aims in life. This is because the learning process will have been made easier for these students. In order to achieve this innovation, the school has to use the scoring rubric since this involves making some of the subjective judgments about the quality of student’s work. This is because so many people are usually uncomfortable when using the subjective judgments and have found that a good set of scoring guidelines can be of great importance to these students when assessing their performance. (Instrumentalism. 2001). A good scoring rubric is said to help in the following: 1) It is argued that it is going to help many teachers to define excellence and also to plan on how to help students in order to achieve it. 2) It will also communicate results and also goals to the parents of these students and also others. 3) It will also communicate to students what actual is said to constitute excellence and also how to evaluate their own work. 4) Help teachers to be more accurate, inconsistent and also unbiased in scoring. 5) To document various procedures which can be used in making important judgments about the students? Several ways for implementing this project For the 21st century innovative curriculum to be successful, there are several strategies which are to be employed to ensure that it has succeeded. Strategies and good plans are to be established to ensure that the established innovative curriculum has been made successful. A question has to be answered when implementing this strategy. How is this innovation being led and who are the leaders to the innovation? This question is very much important when implementing this project. This is because one knows the leaders to this innovation that we will be in a position to implement it. This scoring rubric is said to organize the scoring criteria for the students. (Instrumentalism. 2001). Rationale of the project The innovative curriculum for the 21st century is said to help these students to have improved performances in their studies. It is through this project that the students will be in a position to develop great desires in education and hence improving on their performance. This innovation is also thought to help students to use the modern ways of learning and this is by using the necessary tools which are required for this. (Henderson, 2002). Recommendations for addressing diversity The activities which are related to this project has demonstrated how power to an increased innovation engages leaders who are said to be involved in this curriculum development in rethinking about the education purpose of this curriculum. It is through this innovative technology that many students will be in a position to realize their many hidden talents. This is because their performance in this case can be accessed hence leading to a greater success in life. (Henderson, 2002). Conclusion Innovative curriculum is thought to help many students to succeed in their many goals and objectives. The innovative curriculum is supposed to equip all students with humble knowledge and it is through this knowledge that the students will be in a position to face the future challenges come the 21st century. This project by many schools is said to benefit many schools who use it and it is in this project that these schools are participating together to ensure that they have made a good curriculum for the 21st century. Reference Instrumentalism. 2001. â€Å"2001 Survey of School Music Budgets.† Instrumentalist (August):34–38. Gaff, J. (1999): The General education: The changing agenda. Washington. Association Of American colleges and universities. Schneider, C. (1998): Contemporary understandings of education. Washington. Association of American colleges and universities. Bergeron, K and Philip, V. (1992): Disciplining music. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Cox, R. (2000): Are musical works discovered? The Journal of Aesthetic and art Criticism. Engh, B. (1993): Loving it. Music in Roland Barthes. University of California press. Giles, J. (1990): Theorizing music’s affective power. Toronto: Institute for Canadian Music. Henderson, M. (2002): Music as lifestyle. Journal of American Folklore.

Francis Of Assisi - Brother Son Sister Moon Essay -- essays researc

Francis of Assisi - " Brother Son Sister Moon" Crisis and conversion: While Francis is sick and dreaming, he has images of nature which represent the happiness and peacefulness. He also has images of war which help him understand that it isn't the greatest thing†¦ neither is it the most honorable. Francis has many great conflicts with his father. Francis' father is very materialistic and possessive. Francis' father did not honorably earn the money, he bought the "loot" from the crusades for a small price and sold them to their rightful owners for a much higher price. Father expects a lot of Francis. He expects Francis to be just like him†¦ a so called businessman, who is profitable, but not in an honorable way. Francis' father sends him to war so Francis can get bring his father back a triptych. Francis and his father have different views of life. Francis believes in freedom, believes that a person does not have to be rich to be prosperous, and he would rather be poor like Jesus then be rich, which Jesus was not. He thinks that the rich are misrepresenting Jesus because the rich are placing the poor behind themselves. Francis thinks that Jesus represents the poor as well as the rich†¦ "all men are created equal". Francis can't help but to feel scared of lepers in the beginning. After all, being scared is a normal human trait. Being in a big, bulky, helmet must feel awkward. It feels like your being closed in. Francis also...

John Milton Essay

John Milton published the first edition of Paradise Lost in 1667. This epic poem introduces a series of supernatural themes. It is the retelling of the Biblical story of Adam and Eve’s first sin. The basis of the text is Christian theology; specifically, Protestant Christian Theology. What is unique, even controversial, about Milton’s method of proselytizing the Christian message, is not so much the use of the epic poem structure per se, (which is traditionally reserved for classic and pagan subject matter), but that he introduces the archenemy of God as a sympathetic character. This is a repugnant concept for Milton’s Christian audience. In fact, John Dryden (the first literary critic to comment on Paradise Lost) in 1697 criticized the poem for having the villain take center stage and defeat the hero (p. 214). However, it will be argued instead that Milton’s use of this technique is to highlight the cunningness of Satan and our own willingness to accept the tale as probable. This sentiment is echoed by Stanley Fish who claimed that the poem tempts the reader in the same way that Satan tempted Adam and Eve. In the remainder of this essay, Books II and III will be examined to note the ways Milton compares and contrasts, God, Satan, Heaven and Hell to amplify his subversive technique of casting Satan as the tragic hero of Paradise Lost. In Book II of Paradise Lost, Satan is introduced to the reader as a rationale character that is capable of questioning God’s authority and judgment. For example, the debate in Hell is one of the great set pieces of Paradise Lost. In this scene, Satan’s appeal is in his use of classic political rhetoric: he states that both his and that of his fallen Angel’s rebelliousness and pride, are justified: â€Å"†¦with what eyes could we Stand in his presence humble, and receive Strict laws imposed, to celebrate his throne With warbled hyms, and to his Godhead sing Forced hallelujahs, while he lordly sits† Milton constructs this profane polemic by utilizing the heroic epic genre to introduce Satan in a countercultural way. He not only disturbs literary conventions but religious conventions too. Such a representation of a heroic Satan as a tragic Prometheus figure challenges the discourse of traditional Judeo-Christian notions of injustice and subordination. However, Milton lived during the dawn of the Renaissance; a time when science began to question religious dogmas. Satan, therefore, is all the more impressive to the skeptical Seventeenth Century audience, because he too, like the new Renaissance man, uses logic and rationalism to argue against accepted ideas and the status quo. In this way, Milton’ Paradise Lost can be viewed as highly controversial in the way he subverts the literary conventions and religious dogma by transposing a pagan literary technique on Christian revelation. But these techniques are not meant to subvert Christianity. Likewise, Milton is not attempting a ‘Dan Brown’ type revision of Christian theology. Instead, what Milton aims in achieving is to highlight Satan’s imperfect logic (even scholasticism) from God’s omnipotence. Thus, whilst Milton’s Satan is eloquent in speech, he is forever fallen. In contrast, Milton’s God remains highly mysterious and beyond logic; he also reigns triumphant and glorified in Heaven. In the opening of Book II, Satan’s rhetoric reaches a climax in The Council meeting held in Pandemonium (Hell). A debate is being held as to whether or not to attempt recovery of Heaven. Instead, another proposal is accepted. That proposal is to seek revenge against God. And through this revenge, Milton establishes Satan as a forlorn figure, as Satan alone undertakes the voyage to find the prophesized world were he can enact his revenge as a tragic hero. Whilst on his travels, he encounters Sin and Death. They are his offspring and guard the gates of Hell. They also serve as a profane inversion of God’s Trinity: a technique Milton often uses to help facilitate the contrasting and comparing of God and Heaven with Satan and Hell. Arguable, this strategy of parody and subversion is effective in showing the reader that despite all his oratory powers and intelligence, all that Satan is ultimately capable of performing is an imperfect imitation of God and his Kingdom. This comparison serves to accentuate Satan’s tragic status and also his futile pride. Another way Milton recasts Satan as a tragic hero, is through his depiction of Satan as a solitary character. For example, Milton notes that Satan â€Å"[e]xplores his solitary flight† (II. 647) alone to Eden. In contrast, God is supported by his Son in Book III. For example, God sees Satan flying towards this world and foretells the success of his evil mission to tempt man. God explains his purpose of grace and mercy toward man, but mandates that justice must be met nonetheless. His Son, who sits at his right hand, freely offers to sacrifice himself for man’s salvation. This causes the angels to celebrate in songs of praise. In contrast, this imagery accentuates the tragic and solitary nature of Satan’s banishment. A status further highlighted when he passes by the stairs of heaven on his way to earth: â€Å"The stairs were then let down, whether to dare The Fiend by easy ascent, or aggravate His sad exclusion from the doors of bliss† (III. 523 -525). In this way, Milton portrays God as some kind of celestial joker, dangling the stairs of heaven to Satan. This concept is of course an antithesis to the traditional precepts of God as merciful and benevolent. However, this scene does help Milton to engineer a sympathetic response from the reader towards Satan. And thus, Milton’s recasting of Satan as the tragic epic hero is complete. Another way Milton casts Satan as the tragic hero of Paradise Lost is through contrasting the depiction of Hell with Heaven. So, whilst Satan sits â€Å"[h]igh on a throne of Royal State†¦ exalted†¦ †(II. 1-5), Satan’s throne is made of â€Å"Barbaric pearl† (II. 4). God, however, sits on a heavenly throne in Heaven: A place that is immersed with precious stones (like diamonds) and light. Even Heaven’s pearly gates (â€Å"liquid pearl† III. 519) are contrasted to the pearls of Hell (â€Å"Barbaric pearl† II. 4). Nothing in Hell can ultimately compete with God’s creation. Milton continues to compare and contrast God and Satan in Book III. For example, in Book III, the infernal trinity, that is, Satan, Sin and Death are introduced as a perversion of God’s original Trinity. In this way, Milton parallels Book II and Book III of Paradise Lost to show no only that Satan’s dominion is an inversion and parody of Heaven, but more importantly, that imitation is the apex of Satan’s intelligence. So, not only is Hell unlike Heaven as it has flames, ice, whirlwinds, and volcanoes. Hell is deathlike and desolate like a â€Å"Desert Soile† (II. 270)). In contrast, Heaven is a â€Å"living Sapphire† (II. 1050). Moreover, Milton’s grotesque depiction of Hell as a place of death is reiterated by the paradoxical phrase, â€Å"life dies, death lives† (II. 624). Hell, therefore, is a place of contradiction, even moral confusion. Heaven in contrast is adorned with precious stones and metal of diamond and gold. It is a place of rejoicing and a place of light, â€Å"†¦since God is light† (III. 3-5). Through harnessing literary devices (which had been traditionally reserved for ‘virtuous’ pagan characters and by sagacious philosophers of ancient Greece), Milton ingeniously highlights the limitations of Satan and indeed humanity itself to understand God. Thus, the invocation in Book I, that is, ‘to justify the ways of God to Man’, is indeed Milton’s â€Å"inside joke†: For it is not Milton’s role to justify God to humanity, but rather it is the reader’s responsibility to overcome ‘temptation’ and see Satan as the villain described in the Bible. Thus, apart from creating a poem of dramatic appeal, it appears that Milton’s introduction of Satan as a hero in the epic poem format was an attempt to accentuate Satan’s irreparably fallen state (as indeed our own human folly in being susceptible to following humanist rationalism at the expense of Christian theology). In Paradise Lost, Satan is a tragic hero forever lost in spite of his attempts to overthrow God’s creation. According to Milton, Satan’s transgression is to think himself equal to God. And it is this transgression that makes his rhetoric ultimately hollow. References 1. Dryden, John. â€Å"Virgil and the Aeneid. † Dramatic Essays. Ed. William Henry Hudson. London: E. P. Dutton, 1921. 2. Fish, Stanley. How Milton Works. New York: Harvard University Press, 2001. 3. Fish, Stanley. Surprised By Sin. London: St. Martin’s Press, 1967. 4. Greenblatt, Stephen et al. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Eight Edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006 5. Milton, John. Paradise Lost: A Norton Critical Edition. Ed. Gordon Tesky. London: W. W. Norton, 2004.

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 24

Seth had chided me for being late, but with five daughters, the Mortensens were always running late. So no one, except Seth, really paid much attention to my tardiness. Likewise, with so much chaos, no one really noticed that he and I didn't talk much. The girls spoke more than enough for all of us, and I took some comfort in their presence. As always, they couldn't get enough of me, crawling all over me and tugging at my sleeve to make sure they had my undivided attention. I enjoyed it all in a bittersweet sort of way. Convinced Seth and I were on the verge of a break-up, I mostly kept thinking that this would be the last time I would hang out with this wonderful family. Andrea provided us with an equally distracting birthday/Thanksgiving meal. Terry and Seth had helped her, it turned out, but I still marveled that they had pulled it off while still managing the little ones. I said as much to Andrea. â€Å"Parenthood makes you the ultimate multitasker,† she informed me. â€Å"You'll see what I mean when you have kids.† I smiled back politely, not bothering to tell her there'd be no kids for me. â€Å"Besides,† Terry said with a grin, â€Å"we understand you're already sort of a superwoman. Seth was telling us about some crazy shindig you threw together at the bookstore?† â€Å"Uncle Seth said it was cool,† added Brandy. â€Å"It was a fest,† I corrected, glancing at Seth in surprise. I couldn't figure out at all what his feelings were for me. He'd invited me over and had apparently been singing my praises. None of that jibed with the fallout I expected from the Bastien incident, nor his initial stunned reaction to it. Seth opened presents after dinner, the bulk of which were books and more contributions to his wacky T-shirt collection. â€Å"Where's your present?† Kendall asked me. â€Å"I left it at home.† We all hung out and talked after that, my apprehension mounting as I wondered where this evening would lead. When the party finally disbanded, Seth asked me if I wanted to go somewhere. I took a deep breath. It was now or never. â€Å"Let's go to my place.† Once back there, we stationed ourselves on my couch – at a proper distance – and talked about everything except our relationship. I told him about my new position and got his congratulations. He told me about some interesting fan comments he'd received at the signing. When this had gone on for nearly thirty minutes, I couldn't take it any more. â€Å"Seth, what's going on?† I demanded. â€Å"With us.† He leaned his head back against the couch. â€Å"I wondered when we'd get to this. Can't avoid it any longer, huh?† â€Å"Well, yeah. This is a big deal. This isn't like a dispute over where to go for dinner†¦this is us. Our future. I mean, I†¦you know. You know what I did.† â€Å"I do.† He studied my ceiling for a moment, then turned his amber brown eyes on me. In that moment, I almost understood why he always seemed to be staring somewhere else. When he turned his eyes directly on you, it was a hard and powerful thing. They were electric. â€Å"Aren't I allowed to forgive you?† â€Å"Er†¦no. Well, I don't know.† This conversation echoed the one I'd had with Bastien earlier. He had said the same thing, and after weighing everything, I'd decided it wasn't worth being mad at him. Was it so easy to forgive the ones you loved? â€Å"I won't lie, Thetis, it hurt. It still does. But, in some ways†¦well, it's only one step away from what you normally do.† â€Å"A big step.† He laughed. â€Å"Whose side are you on? Are you trying to turn me against you?† â€Å"I'm just trying to make sure you stand up for yourself.† â€Å"You're always worried about that. Don't worry. I'm not a complete doormat.† â€Å"I didn't mean that. I just†¦I don't know. I'm not very good at this dating thing.† â€Å"I know that. Neither am I. I've done plenty of stupid things in my past relationships. I deserve a few karmic turnabouts. Of course, that doesn't mean I want this to become an ongoing thing, but one mistake†¦one mistake I can forgive. If I haven't had much practice dating, you've got to be even worse after, what, how many years of casual, uh, flings?† â€Å"A lot,† I replied vaguely. For some reason, I was reluctant to tell Seth my age. He picked up on that, his eyes narrowing ruefully. â€Å"And right there. That's another thing. Almost worse than what happened. You're doing it again.† â€Å"Doing what?† â€Å"You don't tell me things. Things about you. It's like you're afraid to show me who you are. But like I said, that's what love is. You open yourself up. I want to know you. I want to know everything about you. Sometimes I feel like no matter how strongly I feel about you†¦I still don't know you at all.† â€Å"I'm not very good at that part either,† I said softly. Seth pulled me into an embrace, crushing me against him. There was a fierceness in that motion, an unflinching sense of possession that stirred my blood. â€Å"You're my world right now, Georgina, but I can't go on with this†¦not if there's no honesty.† His tone was gentle and loving, but I heard the warning between the lines. I'd had my fuckup. The next time, I would not get such amnesty. This terrified me a little, yet I was proud of him and realized I had a lot more to learn about him too. He had every right to be laying down the law. He was not a doormat. I regretted my mistakes, and while I was glad to be forgiven this time, I didn't want Seth to waste his life on me if I couldn't ever treat him right. My young French lover, Etienne, had never recovered. I'd learned years later that he'd broken his engagement, staying forever single. He'd thrown himself into his painting, earning a small following. Several portraits of me – as a blond Josephine – still hung in private European collections. Etienne had not been able to get me out of his system, and it had made a mess of him. I wanted things to work with Seth so badly. I wanted us to be together and be happy for as long as we could manage it. But if we couldn't, I didn't want him to waste his life on me as that young painter had. â€Å"I love you,† I murmured into Seth's shoulder, astonished when the words just slipped out. And I realized then just how much I meant them. He inhaled deeply and held me even tighter, and I felt the love pouring off of him, even with no spoken declaration. â€Å"I'm pretty sure I don't deserve you.† â€Å"Oh, my Thetis, you deserve a lot of things. And honestly† – he shifted around and studied me – â€Å"as much as it hurts†¦I'm sort of glad that you, you know, had that chance with Bastien.† I frowned. â€Å"That chance to be with a copy of you?† â€Å"Well, no. That's still kind of weird. I mean the chance to have sex and, well, enjoy it. Every time I think about what you do on a regular basis†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He closed his eyes a moment. â€Å"I just envision you being raped over and over. And I hate it. It makes me sick. I'm glad you were with someone you cared about†¦even if it wasn't me. You deserve to have good sex for a change.† â€Å"You do too,† I said, overwhelmed by Seth's nonstop selflessness. â€Å"And you know†¦if you ever wanted to find someone and just, well, have sex for the fun of it†¦well, you could. You know, just to fulfill the physical need. I wouldn't mind.† I didn't think I would, at least. I uneasily recalled my slight jealousy over his correspondence with Maddie. He looked at me seriously. â€Å"I don't have sex just to fulfill a need. Not if I can help it. Sex may not be a requisite part of love, but it is an expression of love. It should at least be with someone you care about.† The answer didn't surprise me. In fact, it suddenly reminded me of something. â€Å"Hey, I've got something for you.† Despite our dire romantic status, I had nonetheless chosen twenty of the best pictures Bastien had taken of me and had Hugh print them this week. I hadn't known until now that I'd actually be able to give them to Seth. I found them in my bedroom, bound with a pink ribbon. â€Å"Your birthday present.† I started to hand the pictures over. â€Å"Wait,† he said. He opened up the messenger bag he carried his laptop around in. A moment later, he offered me several sheets of paper. I gave him the pictures. We sat in silence, each of us studying our respective offerings. For half a second, I thought he was sharing a manuscript after all. A few lines into it, I realized it was addressed to me. It was the writing he'd promised me a while back. The detailed exposition of all the things he wished we could do. Reading it, I sort of lost track of the world around me. What he'd written was exquisite. Some of it was like poetry. A beautifully crafted ode to my beauty and my body and my personality that made my heart swell. Other parts were brazenly explicit. Hot and steamy. They made O'Neill and Genevieve's elevator look like a kindergarten classroom. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as I read. When I finished, I looked up at him breathlessly. He was watching me, as the pictures had taken less time to peruse. â€Å"I take it all back,† he told me, holding up one of the shots. It showed me sitting crosswise in a chair, naked. My legs draped over the edge lazily, showing a nice view of my pink painted toenails. A hardbound copy of one of Seth's books sat on my lap. â€Å"Sex might be a requisite part of love after all.† I glanced down at the manifesto. â€Å"Yeah. It just might be.† We sat there a moment, then burst out laughing. He rubbed his eyes. â€Å"Thetis,† he said wearily, â€Å"what are we going to do with ourselves?† â€Å"I don't know. Do the pictures just make things worse?† â€Å"No. They're wonderful. Thank you. They're a good way of having you†¦even if I can't have the real thing.† An idea slowly coalesced in my mind. The pictures just involved looking. Looking was safe. And one didn't just have to look at a two-dimensional image. â€Å"Maybe†¦maybe you can have the real thing.† He gave me a quizzical look, and I hastily amended: â€Å"In a hands-off way. Come on.† â€Å"This seems dangerous,† he said when I led him to the bedroom. Sunset was filling the room with mood lighting. I pointed to a chair in the corner. â€Å"Sit there.† I moved to the opposite corner, hoping it was enough space. â€Å"What are you – Oh.† He bit off his words, swallowing. â€Å"Oh.† I slid my hands slowly up over my hips and breasts, over to the top button of my blouse. Slowly, deliberately, I unfastened the button. Then, just as carefully, I moved down to the next button. And the next. Then I unbound my hair, letting it fall messily over my shoulders. A striptease is all about letting go of self-consciousness. And it's about pacing too, I supposed. Admittedly, doing a show in front of Seth, whom I loved, moved into a realm I felt a little unfamiliar with. Nervous energy twitched inside me, but I didn't show it on the outside. I was on the stage, and I moved through my steps with sultry confidence, watching my own hands sometimes and making eye contact with him at others. This was part of my gift to him. He obviously liked seeing my body, even if, for the moment, he watched like one frozen, eyes wide and face carefully controlled. The blouse eventually fell to the floor, followed by the skirt. I'd had bare legs earlier today but had covertly shape-shifted on thigh-highs while we walked to the bedroom. Left only in those and a cherry-red bra and panty set made of satin, I languidly moved my body in smooth and alluring ways as I played with edges and straps. The stockings came off next, each one rolled down with delicate motions that let my hands slide against my own skin. Left in almost nothing, I savored the shining satin, trailing my fingertips over the bra and panty's surfaces. At last they peeled off too, and I was left in only my skin, left fully exposed and with a surprising heat burning in my lower body. I had turned myself on as much as him. I stood there a moment, like I was taking in applause before an audience, then started to walk across the room. â€Å"No,† he said, voice thick and husky. His fingers dug into the chair's arms. â€Å"You'd better not get too close.† I stopped, laughing softly. â€Å"You don't strike me as the assaulting type, Mortensen.† â€Å"Yeah, well, there's a first time for everything.† â€Å"So you liked?† â€Å"Very much.† His eyes were drinking me in, ravenous and needful. â€Å"That was the best thing I've ever seen.† Pleased, I stretched out my muscles, holding my arms over my head a moment before exhaling and letting my hands fall. As they did, I ran them down over my breasts and thighs in a careless gesture I didn't really even think about. Yet, as I did it, I saw his posture stiffen slightly and that fire in his eyes flare up. A slow, dangerous smile spread over my face. â€Å"What?† he asked. â€Å"I don't think the show's over yet.† I sat back on the bed, then slid myself up so I was propped up against the pillows in full view. Watching him and his every reaction, I moved my hands up to my breasts, feeling them. But these were not the touches that came with a sensual undressing. These were caresses of a different sort. A more urgent sort. I want to see you in the throes of orgasm, Seth had written in his missive. I want to see your whole body writhing, your lips open as you drink in your own pleasure. Only yours, no one else's. Just you, completely given up to ecstasy. I stroked my breasts, cupping them, feeling their softness and curving shape. My fingers moved and stroked my nipples, teasing them further, moving in lazy circles. I ran my thumbs over them, reveling in their sensitivity. When my breasts were finally taut and aching, I let my hands travel down over my smooth and flat stomach, examining and lingering on every part until I reached my thighs. Parting them ever so slightly, I slipped two fingers between the waiting lips so I could stroke that throbbing knot of nerves, moaning without even realizing it. Something about Seth watching aroused me more than I'd expected. I was dripping with wetness, aching and scorching. I slid my fingers over and over that burning, swelling spot, stoking the rapidly growing need. Arching my body, hearing the soft cries escaping from me, all I could think about was Seth's eyes on me. Doing this for him, was in many ways, more genuine than actual sex with Bastien-turned-Seth had been. This was as intimate as he and I could ever be. It wasn't exactly the same as the honest communication we kept talking about, but in a way, I was opening myself to him after all. Exposing myself without inhibition. I kept expecting the succubus energy-need to pick up on this scam, but either the distance or the fact that I was doing this to myself continued to trick it. We'd found a loophole after all. As my fingers continued to rub between my lips, bringing me closer and closer to that crest, I moved my other hand down and thrust a couple of fingers inside of me. This elicited a moan of yearning, and I opened my thighs further, letting Seth get a full view. Faster and harder both sets of fingers worked, touching everything, building and building up that delicious pleasure until I felt like I couldn't take it anymore. Like I was going to burst. And then, I did. Sparks and lightning shot through my body, radiating from my core outward until every part of me tingled with life. I cried out again, loudly, my body writhing against the sheets as spasms racked my muscles. What had started as an ostentatious show had become something more. Doing this for Seth – with Seth – had reawakened something sleeping inside of me. I had lost control; my own body had taken over. When I finally calmed down, I lay back against the covers, my breathing shallow as I recovered myself. I could feel sweat all over me. And with that physical response, an emotional and almost spiritual one radiated through me as well. Like the experience had somehow lit a flame within me. One that hadn't died with the orgasm. One that had nearly gone cold once – long ago – but now shone fiercely. A moment later, I heard Seth stand up. Gingerly, he moved to my side, just barely sitting on the bed. We stared at each other, neither of us speaking, our eyes conveying all we needed to each other. He reached out a hand, like he might stroke my cheek, then pulled back. â€Å"I'm afraid to touch you,† he whispered. â€Å"Yeah. It might†¦might be wise to hold back on that for a little longer. Just in case it kicks in.† â€Å"I take back what I said earlier about the stripping. This was the best thing I've ever seen.† He crooked me a smile. â€Å"No, you're the best thing I've ever seen. Everything about you.† I smiled back. â€Å"We might have found a workaround.† â€Å"For you maybe. As it is, I'm, uh, feeling a little†¦uncomfortable right now. I'm glad you were able to get a release, at least.† I suddenly sat up, energized. â€Å"Well, why can't you?† His smile dropped. â€Å"What? Like in the bathroom?† â€Å"No. Right here.† â€Å"You're joking.† â€Å"No.† I could feel my lips turning into a mischievous smirk. â€Å"Fair is fair. Quid pro quo. I did it for you, now it's your turn.† â€Å"I†¦no. No. I can't do that.† â€Å"Sure you can. There's nothing to it.† â€Å"Yeah, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No buts. You're the one going on about openness and sharing. â€Å" â€Å"Whoa. That's not even the same.† â€Å"It is.† I rolled over so that I was not quite in a pouncing position, but pretty close. I gave him a smoldering look. â€Å"How do you think I was able to do all that? I thought about you. I thought about you being over me while I spread my body for you. I opened up to you. I let you see everything. I wanted you to have that part of me. Nothing held back. And now I want to see the same.† I leaned close, starting to tug his shirt off. â€Å"I want to see you come. I want to see you give in to that desire. I want to see your face when you touch yourself and think about me.† â€Å"And they say I'm good with words.† He closed his eyes for a moment. â€Å"I can't believe you can have this effect on me.† I pulled his Spam shirt over his head. â€Å"I'm waiting.† Seth stared at me, then carefully and hesitantly began taking off his pants. He tossed them on the floor and moved on to his adorable flannel boxers. He paused there, clearly nervous, and then removed them in a quick motion before he could turn back. I looked him over admiringly, seeing him naked for the first time. As my gaze lingered between his legs, I had to work to keep a straight face. Bastien hadn't done him justice. â€Å"This is going to be hard,† he observed. â€Å"It already looks hard to me.† â€Å"Stop making jokes.† â€Å"Sorry. Just relax, that's the key.† I sat back away from him, putting some distance between us once again. â€Å"Drop the self-consciousness. Just give in to how you feel.† He nodded and took a deep breath. â€Å"Thanks, coach. Can you move over to your side – yeah. There. And then, the hand†¦yes, put it right there. Perfect.† He shook his head, an almost comic look of misery and eagerness on his face as his hand slowly moved down. â€Å"I need a good view of you to pull this off, I think, so I can keep my eyes off me. If I pay too much attention to what I'm doing, the absurdity will hit. â€Å" â€Å"Well then,† I said, getting comfortable. â€Å"Don't look down.†