#Hidden Brain podcast

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

What would Socrates Do?

Click on the image above for the podcast

Hidden Brain podcast is hosted by Shankar Vedantam

Humans have wrestled with questions about identity and purpose for millennia. So it’s no surprise that the insights of people who lived hundreds or even thousands of years ago have stood the test of time. This week, philosopher Tamar Gendler explores how three great thinkers from ancient Greece understood the human psyche, and what we can still learn from their wisdom today.

Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.

[beatrice-otter]

So here's the question: which is more important? Being pure in our righteousness, or getting people we disagree with to support our policies? Because the two tend to be mutually exclusive. The Hidden Brain podcast has been doing a great series on how to deal with conflict and influence people politically, and this episode in particular is very thought provoking.

[katriniac]

Randomly recommended podcasts!

I love podcasts, but I don't get to listen to them as frequently as I wish.

There are some really amazing ones out there I learn so much from, and others are very entertaining. I thought I'd share some of my favorites with y'all. Not all of these are current shows. In fact, some haven't added a new episode in over a year. But I myself may have only just recently discovered the show and therefore it's new to me.

I'll break this up into different parts due to Tumblr's photo limitations. I have no idea if these podcasts are available everywhere, but I subscribe to them via Google Podcasts.

Part 1: Creativity, Imagination, Neuroscience

:readmore:

Imagination Radio

Scientific Imagination

Parallel Lives

All in the Mind

Creativity in Captivity

Into the Impossible with Brian Keating

Imagination Desk

Creative Chats Podcast

Creative Pep Talk

Hidden Brain

[eggwhiteswithspinach]

Why I love it: Similar to Invisibilia, Hidden Brain focusses on "invisible patterns", which usually refers to psychology or sociology. Whereas Invisibilia uses anomalies to pique our curiosity about what ordinarily happens, I find that Hidden Brain urges us to reflect on the ordinary things we never think about or have fixed beliefs despite not ever questioning them.

#HiddenBrain x #podcasts

[frogeyedape]

Is it a conservative mindset?

See, I was just listening to Hidden Brain (thank you Shankar Vedantam) US 2.0 episodes (aired Jan 29-Feb 26, 2024) and it seems like it's not conservatives-only mindset--"this is also more broadly a problem in leftist spaces in general," as you yourself said. What if it's a problem of political polarization instead? What if it's a problem of strong commitments to *any* political or ideological stance, rather than just a conservative problem?

US 2.0: Not at the Dinner Table presents the radical notion that the extreme political divide in the US today is not actually a matter of Democrat vs Republican, or left vs right. It's a matter of *strong political feeling, identity, and action* vs *a majority of Americans who don't live & breathe politics every day.* See, the voices of people who are strongly engaged in politics--be that queer politics or otherwise--dominate news media & social media, leading to a feeling that anyone who is politically involved must engage with politics at the same intensity. Yet the majority of Americans don't have the time, energy, and/or interest in engaging with politics every day, for every minor local election--so they think they're the minority, and perhaps deprioritize politics even more. Meanwhile, the very vocal minority of strongly engaged people are very good at yelling at people who disagree with them, and so strongly opinionated that they often don't even agree with people who hold their same basic stances. "Yes we're both on the right/left, but you perform the wrong right/left viewpoints/reasoning." So the minority is loud, strongly divided along political lines, critical of nuance, you might say reactionary...and this is true on both the right & the left.

what's so striking to me about younger queer generations rn isn't the lack of knowledge about queer history, but the complete unwillingness to engage with it, when confronted with an identity or history they haven't heard of before they react with disgust rather than curiosity. (for example) instead of asking where the leather pride flag came from and what the leather community is and represents they immediately question the need for something like that to exist, not even willing to listen and learn from both elders and peers. this is also more broadly a problem in leftist spaces in general, being reactionary is somehow the default now, and anything that's different or unknown must be an attack and bad. really hoping y'all manage to grow out of this deeply conservative way of interacting with the world.

[roguestarsailor]

THIS IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE EPISODE!! Needed this one and what the speaker is saying is so true. Especially the if you don’t say no the small things you end up blowing up and making the entire relationship bad (whoops).

Saying no to a small thing can even preserve relationships in the long term and help not build resentment. I’m still thinking about this episode as it relates to me personally and it’s great!

[podcastthings]

Hidden Brain: One Head, Two Brains

You often hear people saying that the left and right hemispheres of your brain controls different functions in your life. This episode explains that indeed your left and right brain each serve different purposes, but they need to work in sync for you to be able to navigate the world.

To put it simply, your right brain is responsible for the "big picture", and your left brain is responsible for the details. This is definitely aligned with our impressions of each side of the brain. If you're a "left brained" person, you are more logical and organized, and if you're a "right brained" person, you are more communicative and creative.

They gave a famous example of the character Sheldon from Big Bang Theory who is a stereotypically left brained person, and he is unable to comprehend sarcasm.

Strictly my own assumption with no scientific basis or research: does that mean people with Asperger probably have some sort of a right brain deficiency? Asperger is characterized by "significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, and activities". They are unable to read nonverbal cues from people, and they pay close attention to minute details in a restricted interest.

How about if you were left brain deficient? I think of people who cannot complete a series of tasks that require complicated steps, and who often have their heads in the clouds.

I wonder if these things can be trained. If you're someone who has a hard time organizing things, it seems like you should be able to write out some 5-step for yourself to follow so that some task that you may need to repeat in the future would be easier to you over time. I'm not sure how the opposite would work though. It often seems like it's difficult to get people who pay too much attention to detail to see the big picture.

The guest Iain McGilchrist mentions that our world is currently dominated by left-brain thinking, which seems to be true. Everything needs to have a precise rule or method, everything is black and white, no room for creativity or "thinking outside the box".

I think I've been guilty of that myself at the previous job, always trying to come up with solutions for the immediate problem, failing to construct a comprehensive outline of how the entire system could work. And then thinking that since this solution works for now, it is the only solution, not trying to come up with alternative ways to make things work. Or maybe I'm just too lazy to think of anything else, lawl.

There was an interesting example in this episode discussing music. What is music? It is the notes and the gaps (silences) between the notes that make up the rhythm and melody. If you simply look at a piece of music just by its individual notes, it means nothing. And how are you supposed to view the gaps, then? But if you don't have the gaps, it also makes for a weird piece of music. When you listen to music, you don't just listen to the individual notes, you listen the whole piece performed together as a whole. Ah, music is wonderful. But anyway, funny to think about how the "simple" things in our lives are so complicated. (By no means saying that making music is simple.)

[wouldnt-give-a-fig]

"When I reflected on his way of striving versus mine, it became evident to me, really, that the big difference is that when he had created the things he created in his workshop, he took the things to where they were going to live. And left them there. He didn't loiter for validation, he didn't need that 5-star review. And as far as he was concerned, they just needed to exist way more than he needed to be loved or recognized or appreciated. "And that is the thing about high standards: they really don't need to come with insecurity. Only perfectionism grafts them together . . . Whenever I'm back home, I visit the places where my grandfather's carpentry is still installed. Because all the banisters and stairs and window frames that he brought into the world are really evidence of a man that had a vocation way bigger than himself. And of course, none of those things bear his name, but they're used and enjoyed by hundreds of people everyday. And I think just knowing that gave him an incredible sense of pride and accomplishment. And that's a wonderful way to live."

Thomas Curran, from "Escaping Perfectionism" Hidden Brain Podcast

[ramyeongif]

Hidden Brain About: a conversation about life’s unseen patterns Length: 30-60 minutes Episode Examples: how buying choices aren’t rational when in scarcity mindset; the proliferation of false beliefs, including a powerful story about a woman who changed her mind about being anti-vaccination; the importance of funding local journalism & what happens if local newspapers disappear

#HiddenBrain x #podcasts

[unofficialchronicle]

“We are primed by evolution to be very concerned about being accepted by our group. We all have a very strong need to belong. If Im understood, then I dont have to worry about my true self coming out and getting kicked out by the group. Whereas if I feel like the group doesn’t know me, then Im constantly having to monitor and protect my status.” —(social psychologist) Harry Reis. From an Episode of Hidden Brain called “What Makes Relationships Thrive.”

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Being Kind to Yourself

Hidden Brain podcast is hosted by Shankar Vedantam

Self-criticism is often seen as a virtue. But psychologist Kristin Neff says there’s a better path to self-improvement — self-compassion. She says people who practice self-compassion are more conscientious and more likely to take responsibility for their mistakes.

Kristin Neff is an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin's department of educational psychology. Dr. Neff received her doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley, studying moral development.

Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.

Additional Resources BOOKS Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself, Kristin Neff, William Morrow Paperbacks, 2015 

Fierce Self-Compassion: How women can harness kindness to speak up, claim their power, and thrive. Kristin Neff, HarperCollins Publishers, 2021

The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A proven way to accept  yourself, build inner strength, and thrive. Kristin Neff, Guildford Press, 2018 

Kristin Neff’s website

Kirstin Neff TED Talk

[garudabluffs]

“Friction is the psychological force or the set of forces that resist change. Frictions take different forms, and we often don't see them. We often don't talk about them, but in essence, frictions act as drag on innovation and change.” — Psychologist Loran Nordgren

Success 2.0: Getting to the Top and Staying There

There are plenty of talented people in the world. So why do only a tiny percentage of us reach the highest peaks of achievement? This week, we conclude our “Success 2.0” series by talking with researcher Justin Berg about whether there’s a secret recipe for finding — and sustaining — success.

LISTEN 57:37 https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/success-2-0-getting-to-the-top-and-staying-there/

[beatrice-otter]

Hidden Brain Podcast just did an episode about being kind to yourself, and it was really good.

[whateverloomis]

🩸PAINting🩸 (Billy Loomis x Stu Macher x AFAB reader ft. Art the Clown)

This was freaking crazy to write and I mean that in a good way. I hope y'all enjoy this fucked up mini fic 😩

Warnings: Poly ghostface, major character deaths, gore, blood, SMUT, shower sex, fingering, making out, masturbation (male,) teasing, Art is kinda horny lol, no pronouns used, unedited

"Sounds like you want to fuck him." Stu said from his seat across your bed.

You gasped in disbelief at his accusation. All you wanted was to know what it's like to be chased and stalked by Art the clown. After hearing about pthe victim and her brothers attack it's all you've been investigating for your podcast about crime and horror. It peaked your interest and you don't know why. It's like his darkness consumes you.

Little did you know, the famous clown was hidden behind the door listening to every bit of your conversation. He was amused with your obsession and it excited him so much more than he already was to get his hands on you and dismember every single limb of your pretty little body, and both of your boyfriends too.

You were laying between Billy's legs on your bed while talking to Stu about your little obsession. Once he heard Stus comment about you wanting to fuck Art, Billy chuckled in your ear and you craned your head to glare at him.

"Ugh, I don't want to fuck him! I'm just curious that's all. About his kills and why he's so intricate with his displays of horror."

"That sounds disturbingly artistic." Billy says behind you and your eyes light up, "Exactly! Ugh, Stu c'mon! Get me an interview with the victim for my horror podcast. I'll make it worth your while." you said and Stu lifted his eyebrows suggestively.

You stood up from between Billy's legs and he let out a little groan of complaint. You gave him a lingering kiss before walking over to Stu and straddling his lap, "C'mon, I'll be good. Please?" you begged and pouted in order to further convince him.

He gave Billy a knowing look before agreeing to your little offer.

•

You don't know how you ended up in the dorms shower pinned against the cold tiled wall making out with Billy while he finger fucked you under the hot water, but there you were.

For some reason you chose the men's locker room showers, and thanks to the open layout Stu was able to watch you and your boyfriend devouring each other.

He was under his own shower head washing off the remaining soap that ran down his toned abdomen. He was glistening as the water washed everything away.

You were now making eye contact with him over Billy's shoulder as he rubbed his cock slowly at the sight of you two.

You whined pathetically imagining Stus cock buried in your sopping cunt, but instead you felt Billy slip inside you, filling you up to the brim, and oh what a nice surprise it was.

Your leg was slightly over his torso to accommodate his lean figure as he pounded into you.

"Fuck, fuck, yes... Billy please... Stu..." You moaned both of their names and they loved hearing you beg for them at the same time.

Stu was jerking off at the same speed as Billy was fucking you, imagining he was the one filling you up instead.

As the three of you fucked each others brains out Art was right behind the same wall you were pressed against. He loved hearing those sweet little moans of pleasure coming out of you, and he couldn't wait to hear the ones he'd get out of you once he inflicted agonizing pain all over your body.

He laughed quietly, in his usual mime manner while he pulled the gasoline cord to the chainsaw he chose as his weapon for the night.

Your moans echoed all over the locker room, as well as the obscene sounds of Billy pounding you, plus Stu fucking his hand which got even more intense. Every sound mixed together until it was too late to realize that Art had already turned the chainsaw on.

He walked in with the weapon and penetrated Stu with it, cutting him straight through the middle. Blood splattered everywhere and painted the walls crimson red.

Letting out a guttural scream, you pushed Billy away from your body.

Art mocked your scream and ran towards Billy with the chainsaw. He tried to chop your boyfriends head off but the boy was quicker and dodged the attack, knocking Art down and pushing the chainsaw towards the clown, but there was no use.

Art pushed Billy away and pinned him against the floor, the chainsaw ready to slice him open exactly like he did with Stu.

"NO, STOP! BILLY!" You screamed and Art moved the chainsaw towards your boyfriend slowly, almost teasingly.

"YN, run! GO!" Billy yelled at you before Art finally sliced him open from start to end. His body is ripping open like a paper being split with your hands.

You were crying and screaming, in a shocked state that didn't allow you to move. You observed as the clown continued to cut body parts off your boyfriend and throw them at you, almost trying to get your attention.

You finally came back to your senses and grabbed a towel, quickly wrapping it around your body before running towards the door.

In typical horror movie fashion, you slipped before reaching the exit and Art pulled you towards him by your ankles. You were ready to die. To be found chopped into little pieces like both of your boyfriends who were completely unrecognizable. They were just a pile of flesh, bones and a pool of blood. However, the clown didn't do the same to you. No. He turned the chainsaw off and threw it aside.

Art removed your towel and ran his gloved hands from your cheeks, to your tits, down your torso and over your thighs leaving a blood trail on your skin. Billy and Stus blood.

He admired your body before smiling wide and poking your nose, leaving a small dot of blood.

You were crying silently and trying to avoid his gaze, but he wasn't having it. Art was suddenly annoyed at your avoidance so he picked you up over his shoulder and took you away to God knows where.

To torture you and worship your body with pain and agony.

[eggwhiteswithspinach]

Listening to Hidden Brain re: Overcoming Stage Fright

[joelsprettyprincess]

Thank You, Mr. Miller

Dbf!Joel Miller x f!reader (NSFW)

Joel lets you crash at his house following his birthday grill. You give him an incredibly wet, sloppy, desperate....gift.

Tags: facefucking, rough oral, choking, spit kink, degradation, facial, big fat age gap (college age/mid 50s), no outbreak, modern au, birthday Joel, pet names (babydoll, pretty girl)

Wordcount: 3.4k

Notes: This is not lore accurate in the slightest, I just really wanted to write about giving Joel head. Please be gentle in criticism, I haven't written for an audience in a long time. And minors DNI OBVIOUSLY!!

"You ready?! We're gonna be late!" your father called up to you.

You were putting the finishing touches on your makeup. The occasion was a grill at your father's college friend's house for his birthday. His name was Joel Miller.

You'd met him a couple times before; he and your father sometimes got together to crack open some beers.

Ever since you first met Joel, he hadn't left your mind. He was tall and rugged with a dark tousle of hair. His daughter, Sarah, was a little younger than you. Your father had mentioned that she'd just moved into her college dorm.

The last time you had seen Joel was last November, at Thanksgiving. He and Sarah had come over to share a meal. Sarah was friendly but pretty quiet, and you two hadn't hit it off like you thought you would.

Joel...was a different story. Your brain replayed the limited interactions with him over and over, looking for a hidden meaning. Some days you swore he gave you meaningful looks, and other days you yelled at yourself for believing that a man like him was into a girl like you. Someone half his age.

So why were you getting all dolled up, when it would be hot outside and no one would be looking anyway? The same reason you'd bought a whole new sundress for the party, and even shaved. You secretly hoped one man in particular would be looking.

Your father yelled your name again. "Coming," you responded quickly, and added a final bit of mascara. You grabbed your white crossbody bag off the bathroom doorknob and slung it over your shoulders, completing the look. Clomping down the stairs in your wedges, you followed your father out to the car.

It was just you and him going. Your mother didn't feel good enough to go, claiming she "could feel a cold forming." More likely she wanted to avoid being stuck being in the car for an hour. Not that you could blame her.

Still though, you were definitely looking forward to the grill. Even if that excitement was tinged with anxiety.

Soon you and your father were bundled into the car. He was driving since he knew the roads better.

Actually, you'd never been to Joel's house. It was always him coming to see your father, not the other way around. You wondered what his house was like. Probably not big. Traditional? Modern? Cluttered? You had no idea.

Maybe you and Sarah would become better friends. You guys could at least talk about college.

20 minutes had passed and you were already getting irritated. Your father had elected to put on the most boring podcast known to man, one about the economy. A man with a way-too-cheerful voice was going on and on about GDP and supply-demand.

Putting on your headphones, you distracted yourself by switching between Twitter, Tumblr, and TikTok. The holy trinity.

And this was how the next half hour was spent: scrolling. Not very productive, but there really wasn't much to see except the highway. Thankfully it was pretty empty on this route; apparently Thursday afternoon wasn't a popular time to travel.

However, this bout of good luck ended as soon as you neared Austin. Traffic went from almost non-existent to congested within a minute. Your father sighed and turned off his podcast.

"Now comes the hard part," he sighed.

The next 15 or so minutes were wasted just inching through traffic. Everyone was trying to get to their exits, and people kept changing lanes at the last minute, or getting into the wrong lane, and the frustration was palpable. You were really glad you weren't driving.

After what seemed like forever, the two of you finally broke free from the highway and got onto a regular road. Soon you were zipping towards Joel's house at a nice speed.

"Did you bring a present?" you asked your dad.

"Nah," he remarked. "Men don't really need 'presents.'"

You scoffed a little at that. "Alright."

Now the sights were a little more interesting. Austin was bustling with activity.

You drove through the urban area for perhaps 5 minutes, then your dad turned and the buildings and crowds thinned out.

Eventually the two of you reached a nice suburb with rows of houses.

Within two minutes, your dad pulled up behind a bunch of other cars that were parked around what was obviously Joel's house.

"We're here," he announced (kind of uselessly).

It was pretty small, as you'd guessed. It was mostly made of brick, just one story, and the front porch was pretty bare bones.

But you could hear voices and music in the backyard. There were some people going up to the house, and the front door was wide open.

You and your father got out of the car and made your way up the sidewalk to Joel's house.

The door was covered with a screen. You opened it and stepped inside, your father closing it behind you.

"Joel," he called. "We're here."

There was no answer. You looked around the room.

It was pretty normal. Your average American house. There was a worn looking green sofa, a brown loveseat that didn't match the sofa at all, and directly in front of you was the kitchen. To the right was a little hallway.

Both the sofa and the loveseat were occupied by various people. "He's outside," someone said.

You and your dad walked into the kitchen, where the back door was. Stepping out onto the patio, you could see there were quite a few people here, of all ages. They must be his neighbors, you figured.

You heard a familiar voice shout your father's name. To your right was him. Joel.

"Joel!" your dad exclaimed, and they quickly embraced.

"Hey, little lady," he greeted you, smiling. Oh, that smile. It could mean a thousand things.

"Hey," you greeted him more shyly than you'd like. "Happy birthday."

He chuckled. "Ugh, don't remind me. Gettin' closer to death ain't no cause for celebration."

Your dad hooted in response.

"Tommy's helpin' me grill, over there," Joel said, pointing to his brother on the other side of the yard. You couldn't help but notice how big and veiny his hands looked-

You shook your head a little. Get a grip.

Joel was explaining some things, but you weren't really listening. Your senses were being overloaded with this man in front of you. That was the best way to describe him- he was very masculine. Big, broad shoulders, a solid build, and his beard made you imagine unspeakable things.

Eventually you asked about Sarah. "I'd love to catch up with her," you said.

Joel shook his head regretfully. "Ah, she's not here. She has class today. She goes to the University of Houston, dunno if your dad told you."

"Oh, that sucks." You nodded. "Well, you can tell her I say hey."

He smiled. "Will do."

For the next half hour, Joel, Tommy, and your dad tackled the grills and made a huge amount of burgers and hot dogs. Tommy made sure everything was organized so everyone was served in an orderly fashion.

You got a cheeseburger, plus some dangerously salty fries and sat at one of the folding tables to enjoy your meal.

Of course everyone here was a stranger, so you were expecting to be left alone. When someone sat beside you, you involuntarily jumped.

It was Joel, and he laughed. "Sorry, baby, ain't mean to scare you like that."

"Oh! Ha, no, you're good," you squeaked, quickly wiping your mouth. Gosh, could you be normal for one second?

"How's college? You're a sophomore now, right?" he asked.

You nodded. "Yeah. It's going pretty good, even though my classes are getting harder."

"Remind me of your major again..?"

"I'm undeclared right now. Just doing my generals."

Joel nodded his approval. "You know, I never even finished college."

That caught you off guard. "Oh. Wait, really? Then..."

He shrugged. "I dropped out. Didn't have the discipline or the intelligence. I went into an apprenticeship instead."

"Oh, that's definitely a unique path," you remarked.

"Now, don't you drop out," he said sternly. "You're a smart girl."

You laughed. "Not that smart."

"You got a boyfriend?" he asked suddenly.

Trying not to act shocked, you casually answered, "Nah. I don't."

"Good. You're too good for those boys. Too pretty."

You and Joel continued to chat about school and careers for a bit. Your gaze kept darting everywhere; looking at him was like looking at the sun. He was just a halo of light and focusing on him for too long made you nervous.

Finally he left, needing to attend to someone, and your brain ran at a million miles, replaying the conversation, criticizing your voice and responses, deducing anything meaningful from Joel's words. Did he mean something more when he mentioned a boyfriend? Or was he simply curious? Ugh...this stupid crush was driving you insane.

A couple hours passed, and the party slowly died down. By this time it was about 6pm. People started leaving; walking home or maneuvering their cars out of the puzzle that was the driveway and street.

To your dismay, you found your father curled up on the loveseat, way drunker than he should be.

"Guess he had a couple too many beers?" Joel said, chuckling.

You sighed. "I'm really sorry. I dunno what he was doing all this time. I should've checked on him."

"S'okay," Joel assured you. "Do you know the way home?"

"Ah, no..." you admitted, embarrassed. You'd barely been paying attention on the drive home.

"Hmm." Joel crossed his arms and thought. "Well...then you can't leave, can you?"

Oh.

Your heart skipped a beat. "Uh– um...I guess not? But I don't want to impose. I can try to find my way back."

But Joel shook his head. "Your dad would be mad if I sent you out there. It gets dark quick these days, y'know. I'd hate for you to get in trouble on the way back. Look...we have a guest room you can use." He looked at your dad again. "I suppose he'll be comfy right there."

Your dad was drowsy, laying on the couch, still in his day clothes.

"There's a bathroom you can use, right across from Sarah's room. I'll show you. If that's okay with you?" He looked for your consent.

"Um...well, if it's not too much trouble," you said.

"Oh, of course not!" Joel insisted. "You can even wear some of Sarah's clothes; y'all are about the same size. It'll be no trouble at all, baby."

There was that word again. Baby. You couldn't tell if it was platonic or not, and it drove you crazy.

"Well, alright. Thank you, Mr. Miller."

"Joel," he gently corrected. "No need to be formal."

He showed you the bathroom and the guest room, then let you shower while he helped Tommy clean up the mess from the party.

As you cleaned yourself, the only thing on your mind was:

This is going to be very, very interesting.

After you got dressed in Sarah's room, you went to the guest room next door and looked around. It was simply decorated, with a double bed and a dresser by the window. You put down your bag and hoisted yourself onto the bed.

Okay. Okay. Taking deep breaths, you thought about your situation. You were basically alone with a very handsome man whose room was a 5 second walk away, a man who may or may not be interested in you, a man twice your age with a daughter the same age as you.

Totally fine, nothing to worry about. He definitely was not going to be on your mind all night.

Laying down, you tried to distract yourself with your phone again.

After about 20 minutes there was a knock at the door. You got up and opened it.

"We finished cleanin' up," Joel told you. He leaned against the doorframe.

He was so tall.

"That's good," you said. "Thank you for letting us stay here, seriously. I dunno what I'd do without you."

Joel gave you that sweet smile again, his eyes crinkling in the corners. "No problem, missy. If you're still hungry, we got plenty of leftovers."

"Oh, that's okay," you assured him. "I'm more than full. The food was really good."

You were trying to ignore the slightly musky, deep smell that was coming from him. And the way that his shirt clung to his chest and biceps. And the way he was looking at you...

"You need anything else?" he asked.

"You've done so much already," you chuckled. "I think I'm all set for the night."

He smiled and nodded. "Well, don't be afraid to ask."

Get a grip, you creep.

Joel was berating himself. This was so not good.

It was more than not good, it was horrible. His friend's daughter, the same age as his own daughter, was in the guest room all by herself and all he could think were dirty thoughts.

It was her fault! Those cute, innocent looks she kept giving him drove him up the wall. Her pretty body, her adorably nervous mannerisms.

All Joel could think about was how good her lips would look wrapped around his cock.

He was pretty sure she felt the same way but didn't want to push it in case he was wrong. Then he'd really be in trouble.

It was going to be a very hard night.

A couple hours passed. You felt too awkward to venture out of the room, so you stayed on the bed for quite a while. Soon it became dark, and you were glad you didn't have to drive.

Feeling thirsty, you decided to go to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

Your dad was passed out on the couch. Joel was in the kitchen as well. Dammit.

"Hey, babygirl," he said. "Need something?"

"Oh- yes, just some water," you requested.

He got a glass down for you. Passing it to your, your fingers touched, and you swore he kept his there longer than strictly necessary.

Joel watched as you got water out of the fridge. You took a nice sip, then sighed. "Thank you."

"Oh, you've got something, right there-" Joel stepped closer to you and gently wiped the corner of your lips with his knuckle.

You could only stare at him as he did this. He was so close you could see the gray hairs peppering his beard.

He let his finger stay there, and returned your gaze.

The two of you stayed like that for a second, just looking into each other's eyes.

Finally you broke eye contact and he stepped back.

"Th-thanks," you stammered.

He continued looking at you. "You're a real pretty girl, you know," he said.

You weren't sure what to say.

Joel took your chin in his fingers, and ever so softly brushed his lips against your cheek.

You made a small noise and he hesitated. "Is this okay, baby?" he asked.

You could barely breathe or blink or do anything but nod.

Putting one hand on your cheek, Joel leaned in and softly kissed you. After a shocked second, you reciprocated, pressing your lips against his.

He sighed, and pressed deeper, gently sucking on your bottom lip. You felt his tongue, and opened your mouth a little, allowing him in.

You stood on your tiptoes and kissed Joel back. He tasted so good, with a hint of toothpaste.

"Oh..." he mumbled, hands going from your face to your back. He backed you up till you hit the counter, and he softly growled, pushing his tongue in deeper.

His hands traveled further down to your hips, and he started caressing your ass.

"So fucking soft," he whispered.

Joel's whole body was pressed against you, and you felt him getting excited.

Finally you broke the kiss, needing air.

"Jesus, this is so fuckin' wrong," Joel muttered. "I'm as old as your dad, for crying out loud..." He shook his head. "And look how excited you got me."

You looked down. There was a noticeable tent in his pants.

"Wow..." you whispered. You had done that.

"C'mere," he said, and pulled you down the hallway to his room. He closed the door behind you.

"On your knees, babydoll." He started undressing, pulling off his pants and boxers. You obediently knelt on the carpet.

Joel pulled your shirt off and tossed it aside. You got your first good look at his cock.

First of all, it was big. You weren't inexperienced, but you hadn't encountered anything his size before. It was girthy, with prominent veins going from the groin to the fat, leaking tip. It had a slight curve.

Joel placed his hand on your head. "Open," he ordered, and you obeyed, slightly sticking out your tongue.

He placed his cock on your tongue. You slowly licked up, making him groan.

"Fuckk, yes," he gasped.

You focused on just the tip, licking and slurping at it. His precum was already leaking out.

Joel's hand shot out to grip your hair as you slowly service him, dragging your tongue across the tip and eventually taking it in your mouth, sucking it.

The only noises in the room were Joel's breathy groans and the wet, slurping noise from your mouth as you licked stripes up his fat shaft.

"Just like that, baby," he whispered, stroking your hair. "So fuckin' good."

You took more of him in, looking up at his tightly shut eyes and furrowed brow.

Joel pushed his cock deeper into your mouth, first gently, then he got more impatient and rougher, thrusting into your mouth with little regard to your comfort.

"Yes, fuck, take my fucking cock," he growled. He put his hands on either side of your head and started roughly facefucking you, panting and groaning. His balls slapped against your chin.

You moaned and could feel your mouth producing drool as Joel wildly thrusted into you. His cock kept nearly hitting the back of your throat, and you were gagging a little.

Your drool pooled and dripped down onto your bare tits.

"Agh- mghhrgh-" you gasped, barely able to form a coherent word or thought. The only thing that was going through your mind was cock.

"Choke on it," Joel growled. He was getting mean with it. His cock pushed into your mouth again and again, not stopping or slowing, even as you choked on it. You desperately tapped on his thigh to tell him to let up.

Joel reluctantly did so, allowing you to take several gasping breaths before coaxing it back in. He resumed the pace, a little gentler than before, but still brutal.

By this time he'd backed you up so your head was against the edge of the bed. He was using your mouth like it was a fleshlight, an inanimate object. He was pulling at your hair.

Your eyes were tearing. You couldn't even suck anymore, just had to lay there while Joel used you.

How long had he felt like this? This pent-up frustration?

"Yes, yes, fuck," he chanted, thrusts growing more erratic. He was close.

You deepthroated him a few times, going until your nose was pressed against the hair at the base of his cock. You made sure your lips gripped his cock.

"I'm close, babydoll," he moaned. "Gonna fuckin' cum all over your pretty face. You want that? Yeah?"

"Mmm," you groaned in agreement, blinking several times.

"That's right. Gonna fucking swallow my cum, right? You little slut. You've wanted this cock for a while, huh? S'why you're drooling all over it like a dumb whore."

The insults turned you on. Joel kept thrusting, chasing his release, and your eyes rolled as you struggled to take it all.

Finally, Joel let out a loud groan and pressed himself against your mouth, cumming hard onto your tongue. His hot thick load rapidly filled your mouth, and you moaned softly as his balls twitched. He slowly pulled out and stroked his shaft, letting out a second thick load onto your forehead. It slowly oozed down your face onto your nose and cheeks.

Joel remained where he was, riding out the rest of his orgasm on your face. Soon he'd splattered his cum all over, glazing your cheeks, nose, and lips. Some of it dripped onto your tits.

You inhaled deeply as you caught your breath, amazed at the amount he'd let out. You licked your lips, savoring the taste of his load.

Joel puffed too, slowly coming down from his high.

There was a long silence, then Joel breathed: "Best birthday ever.”