35 comments/ 90418 views/ 50 favorites TBFC: Comforting Bethany By: Comproser The glass vibrated against my forehead as I leant against the window, letting it loll and sway with the motions of the train. The green scenery flew by as it took back home to London from Cambridge, where I attended university. The family had been so proud of me to get in, and now I didn't want to go back. It all came down to Jessica in the end. Until last week, she'd been the best thing that had happened to me. Outgoing and gorgeous, I'd never understood why she'd gone for someone like me. Of course, it all made sense now. She was using me to keep up a front, while she slept with as many people as she could behind my back. From the moment she met me, she'd planned out everything she would use me for. I wouldn't be finding out the rest of her plan though -- that had been thwarted by my surprise visit. I'd decided to take her out without telling her, one last outing, one last love making session before we left for the summer. I'd only thought of it before I walked out the door. And then, as I walked onto her corridor in the dorms, I saw her kiss him goodbye, and it no chaste peck on the cheek. This was with tongue, and his hand down the back of her pants. I choked, quite loudly looking back, and walked off as fast as I could. I guess she's figured out it was me who interrupted them since then, I was understandably I think, frosty with her when I next saw her. Oh, she doesn't know how much she's affected me. I might be physically weak, but I've never cried in public. My mind has always been disciplined and strong. It's been my only saving grace. Amongst all my weaknesses and failings, I at least had fortitude, and an unparalleled game face. I finally lifted my head off the window, and kept my eyes open. The train was slowing down, I'd at last arrived home. The rest of the trip was uneventful, and I was quickly walking up the path of our garden, to our rather large house. A mansion I suppose really. It had wings at any rate, and enough rooms for all of us. My parents where rich, private schools and only the best universities would do for them. I suppose they did love me and my sisters in their own way. It'd just be nice to see them once in a while. "I'm home", I called out as I entered the house, and waited for a response. There was none, so I walked up the stairs, and into the right wing of the house. We had our side, our parents had their own. It was convenient for business parties my parents hosted, to have us little ones out of the way. I opened my room, and looked around it. It was the same as I'd left it, our maid Amy was nothing but excellent. Everything cleaned and put back exactly. She was sweet, a few years older than me, but ever so shy. I quite liked her, I've never really treated her like a servant. I've even took her out at the weekend from time to time. Just as friends, though I've always thought she was beautiful, but I'm not sure the feelings are reciprocated. It was strange me for me, even stranger than for others in a position like mine. I don't think anyone else is or has been in a situation quite like mine. I am a single brother amongst six sisters, three older, three younger. What made this unusual, was that five of my sisters where by their nature, not entirely girls. They were hermaphrodites. Naturally born, fully functional... well, to different extents. As far I knew, they were all capable of at least one role in conceiving a child. It's baffled scientists, they wrote the eldest of as a freak of nature, one in a million. Yet, the same thing happened three more times, and they've yet to understand how. So I'm the only boy, but not the only one with a penis. And with 6 out of 7 being girls, I think only 3 have a vagina. I'm not sure, I, understandably I think, haven't clarified. So, it's weird being me. But then, it's probably far weirder being them. I'm not the one with mixed genitals. Chrissie thinks that's why our parents are so distant, the couldn't cope with their children being inter-sex. But the rest of us disagree: if they had a problem with it, they'd have stopped fucking having us. There's seven of us, if there was that much of a problem, they'd have worked out contraceptives before they got to me, the fourth child. So no, they definitely wanted us, but didn't want to deal with us past about four. Which is pretty confusing, because they're the years where kids are the smelliest and most time consuming. Really, I've given up trying to understand them, they can be as confusing and contradictory as they like, I've got my sisters and Jessica, and that's all that matters... well, did. I don't have her any more now do I? A great loss and a loss of nothing at the same time, I mused. It depended on the angle. It turns out she was never worth anything, even though it felt like she was. And it felt like there was worth, even though there shouldn't have been. I was still grumbling and arguing with myself when I walked into the bathroom. And as I stepped in, staring at the ground whilst shaking my head, I was greeted with a shriek. "Aaaah, Sebastian!" My neck nearly broke with how fast I whipped my head up. My younger sister Bethany, the fifth child, was sitting on the toilet, but with the lid firmly down I noticed. She was staring straight at me, her blue eyes wide with fear. Her blonde hair was wild and unkempt, her mouth open in shock. Her blouse was undone, with breasts out on display. At least one was, the other was grasped in her hand. It was nicely sized, probably a C cup, with a small but hard, lovely pink, pale nipple. And there in her other tiny hand, was frankly, a massive penis. I mean, I knew she had one, but I'd never actually seen it. And it was huge! Her balls hung low beneath it, equally big. Her tights and white panties where down near her ankles, the ensemble finished of with a pair of cute feet, still encased in her black pantyhose. I came to my senses as I felt my cheeks burn, and I quickly ran out and slammed the door behind me. I leant back against the door, and my legs gave way, so I sat, arms propped up on my knees. "Holy shit," I breathed, trying to get to grips with what I'd just seen. My sister half naked, wanking off to goodness knows what. As I sat there, I noticed something uncomfortable against my leg. Crap, I thought, closing my eyes. I was hard. I'd found this arousing. "Shit," I should not find my sister attractive... and a hermaphrodite... Well, is there a reason I shouldn't be attracted to hermaphrodites, I asked myself, getting up off the floor. I walked to my room, evaluating my sexuality. I've never been attracted to guys, and I'm still not really. No, but imagining Jessica with a tool like that... well, she seemed as hot with it as she did without it. So I'm bisexual I guess, but not bisexual like any other bisexual. Girls and hermaphrodites, and I suppose transsexuals as well. I can live with that I suppose, collapsing on my bed. I won't introduce myself as that of course, people would misunderstand. But, perhaps friends once I know them better, I could let them know. Or I could keep it to myself, it hardly matters who I fancy. I lay there in thought for probably twenty minutes before I realised; I should really apologise to my sister. I went to the bathroom first, I did need it after all. While I was there, the images of my sister struck me again, I shook them of before washing, and walking to her room. "Beth," I called, knocking on her door. "Go away," she said, loudly, although muffled. I sighed and started turning, before stopping. I'm not sure if what it was, but I thought I heard something in her voice. Looking back, I'm glad noticed, for so many reasons. "Beth?" I called again, although it more of a question then. "Leave me alone!" she shouted, and this time I heard it clearly. There where tears in her voice. She'd been crying. Banking on the fact that she forgets to lock her door all the time (just like that sexy time in the bathroom, the thought rose unbidden in my mind), I tried the handle, and it opened easily. "Not till you tell me what's wrong," I told her, closing the door behind me, and striding over to her. She was lying face down, head in her pillow. As I stood next to the bed, she looked up at me, her face wet with tears, smothered over her face by pushing it into the pillow. I sat down on the bed, and put my hand on her shoulder. She tried to pull it away, but I grabbed harder and pulled her over to me. She tried to fight me, but I was stronger. I might not be a strong guy, but I'm still stronger than a girl. She failed to resist, and I had her sitting next to me, with my arm around her. She carried on sniffling, before giving up completely, and throwing her arms around me. "It's not fair," she said through the tears. "What's not, Beth?" "Love Bastion. I'm going to be alone for the rest of my life," she wailed, her tears picking back up. I rubbed my hand up and down her back reassuringly. "No you're not, you've got nothing to worry about," I told her gently. She laughed in response. "I've got a dick, that's plenty to worry about. I like girls sure, but I don't know how much, I've never figured I out. I've tried, but I just can't flirt with them, or tell them about me. And guys? They're disgusted with me, just like you," she told me, hitting me to emphasise her last point. "I'm not disgusted with you Beth." "There was disgust on your face. Trust me, I recognise disgust," she laughed hollowly. "I told you, you do not disgust me. In any way. It's me, I'm disgusted by me," I told her. She stopped sniffling, and looked up at me. "I don't care if you've got a dick, or that you've got balls... I care that you're my sister. It's... it's incest that bothers me." "Incest?" she asked, her voice small. "We're siblings, wanting to fuck you is wrong," I smiled. "You want to fuck me?" she asked in surprise. The smile dropped from my face, replaced with shamed embarrassment at what I'd said. "I, didn't say that," I said around the lump in my throat. "But if I uh, did, that'd be wrong." "I don't have a vagina 'Bastion, would you really want me?" I was about to say no, but her eyes caught me. So wide, innocent, and full of hope. I let the breath I'd drawn deflate, and I tussled her hair. "Yes sis, I really would. Do actually," I admitted awkwardly, but honestly. "But we can't no matter how good you looked." I patted her on the head, and shifted to stand up, because that was something I never in my life thought I'd admit or even be in denial about, on three or four different levels. That I'd want to fuck my sister and/or a hermaphrodite. And that I'd admit it out loud, to them? I'd never even thought about it in passing disbelief, it'd never crossed my mind before now. But here I am, telling my inter-sex sister I think she's completely fuckable. Yeah, I was definitely leaving. If I stayed, it would get out of hand. I was however stopped, by her hand on me. "You think I'm... attractive? Sexy? Even with this thing? You think I looked... that, it looked... good?" I could hear her lip trembling in her voice. Such naive... hope, and joy. Of course, I couldn't bear to make her cry again, could I? So I stayed. "You're beautiful Bethany," I told her, as I relaxed my motions to get up. I turned back to face her, and noticed she was a lot closer than before. I started to feel hot and cramped, and I could feel my dicks tarting to stir. I put my arm round her shoulder, and leant my head on hers. "And anyone who tells you otherwise is quite simply wrong." She gave a small, choked chuckle. "That's a lot of people 'Bastion. Every guy I've been with. They've all rejected me, called me a freak." Her hands gripped me tighter as she said this. They loosened as she continued, "I put my head in their laps to prove I they meant something to me, but the second I dropped my skirt, and bent over for them, they where gone." She sniffled some more. "Beth! You're still young! You don't need to worry about doing that for them." Even as I told her this, I felt my self getting even hard with the thought of her pretty head in my lap. I carried on regardless of the images pervading my thoughts, "actually forget young, you should never have to do that to prove anything to them." "I know... I guess I wanted to feel worth something. To prove it to myself." "Oh, Beth..." "Bastion... would you... would... would you let me go down on you?" "What?" I couldn't believe ears. Now, my cock started trying to rip itself free of my boxers. "You know what I am... so... if you let me... I'd feel like it was okay. Okay to be what I am." I sat there stunned in silence. My beautiful, wide eyed sister had just asked if it was okay to give me a blowjob. I noticed her lips where fuller than normal, and very, very moist. Her tongue darted out slightly, and licked them. The room felt even hotter than it already did. I closed my eyes to try and wipe the image from my mind, but I failed. Her licking her lips in anticipation of sucking me, entering her mouth as she put her hand in her panties... "You have no idea how much I want that right now, Beth, you really don't." My voice was hoarse. "So... you want me but you don't? I can't? I'm not quite good enough?" she asked, and nearly broke my heart. I opened my eyes, and hers where the widest and saddest they'd been all night. Crystal blue, and tearing up. I couldn't believe it, a girl crying, because I wouldn't let her suck my dick. I had to do something, this was my little sister, feeling worthless because of the pricks at her school. They'd damaged her so badly, her brother telling her she couldn't suck his disk was making her fucking cry. Assholes. So, there was only one thing I could do. Let it get out of hand. That thing I was trying to prevent. Although, this wasn't going in the direction I thought it would be. "We're related Beth. But," I said, bringing my hand up to cup her cheek, "with such a sad face, you've convinced me. I can't let you keep that look on your face. I'm not letting you cry again tonight. You're not sucking me off though," I told her, and enjoyed her look of confusion. "You're a wonderful girl, how many guys have rejected you, even after you've already sucked them off?" "Five, but I don't understand..." she said, her voice small and confused. Thankfully, it had stopped wavering now though. "You've given five guys blowjobs, and... did you uh swallow?" I asked her, and she nodded. "Even the first one?" "I've never spat any out..." she admitted, and looked away her cheeks turning red. I marvelled that it was only now she'd started blushing. My cheeks had been flashing crimson since I walked in on her. "You've done that for five different guys, but they all rejected you. You gave them love, and swallowed their sperm, and they pushed you away. And yet you still want to go down on me? Bethany, you're such a beautiful, kind girl. You're a giver, and never really taken anything. You're a wonderful little sister," I said, taking my hand of her cheek and playing with her hair again. "As your big brother, It's my job too make you as happy as possible. And you seem to think that giving me a blowjob would make you happy. And it might. But you know what'd make you even happier?" She looked thoughtful for a minute, before shaking her head. "If I gave you a blowjob instead." And there, I'd said it. I couldn't believe I was even considering it. Neither could she, from the look on her face. Her eyes were open even wider in shock, and her jaw had actually dropped open. I smiled, and leant into her face. I softly bit her lower lip, before opening my mouth to hers, and closing my eyes. The kiss was very hesitant, I'm not sure she'd yet fully understood what I'd said, so I didn't keep it up for too long. As I drew back, she still seemed dazed, her eyes were still open. I'm not even sure if she'd blinked. I chuckled, and slid to the floor in front of her. As I hit the carpet, she seemed to come back to her senses. "Really?! You'd... you'd do that for me?" I ran my hands up and down her calves. "I'm down here aren't I?" I said, as I took my hands of her. "Why don't you show me what I'm dealing with?" I asked her, and winked. She blushed again, but stood up, albeit with shaky knees. She put her hands under her skirt and slowly pulled her tights down, to just under her knees. Her legs where pale and untanned, a creamy, healthy white. They looked very soft, I could feel my mouth watering at the sight of them. Which was good, I reflected, It needed to be shortly. Her panties came into view, I hadn't even realised she'd started on them. She sat down even as I looked up, and there it was, a visible tent in her skirt. I looked up at her face, which was looking straight at me. Her chest seemed to be moving a lot, her breathing looked short and fast. She look so nervous, yet so excited at the same time. Her hands where still on her skirt, so I looked back down at it, and put my hands on her thighs. I was right, they where soft. Incredibly soft, and warm to the touch. God, I thought to myself, just feeling her legs was erotic. I had never been so turned on in my life. It was only a short pause before she pulled her skirt back, and revealed herself to me. It was glorious. Her massive erection was ramrod straight, and pointed up at the ceiling, throbbing and twitching with her heartbeat. It was incredibly long, longer than mine, I now realised. And thicker too. Sitting in front of it, I was starting to have doubts I could do this. Her testicles sat below it, which too where bigger than mine. They where hairless I noticed, but heavy. Each separate nut looked to be nearly the size of my entire sack! I looked up at her again, and it seemed she'd seen the fear on my face, so I reassured her. "Don't worry, I still want to do it for you. It's just... Your cock is fucking massive, Beth." She smiled at me, and put her hand around it. "Christ, the tips of your fingers barely meet each other!" She started moving her hand up and down, the foreskin revealing the head. It bulged, it's rim the widest point of her already wide dick, and the skin slid back to hide it, her hand rising up to cover it as well. As she dragged the skin up, I noticed her ball sack pivot slightly upwards. I sat there mesmerised by the sight of her masturbate. As she carried on, a drop of pre cum pooled out of the head. Before she could bring the foreskin up to crush the bead, and spread it out, she stopped, and lowered the dick to point it at my face. I parted my lips and leant forward to kiss it. "Ooh Bastion" she moaned, and I saw her grip her dick tighter. I reached out with my tongue, to taste her pre-cum. The hot dick twitched beneath it as I scraped the liquid off, and god it tasted good. And pungent, strong, yet sweet flavour, which filled nearly my entire mouth with only the one drop. I licked my lips at the taste of it. With me still kissing her cock head though, my tongue circled the tip of her penis, making her groan adorably. She started wanking again, the skin enveloping the head again, and meeting my lips. In a way, you could say it was kissing me back. I pursed my lips, before opening, and enveloping her head in my mouth. As I put it in, I realised I'd misjudged her width, and then I did so twice. But my mouth was big enough, and my lips closed behind her tip, resting it on my tongue. As I licked it, her hand shot off her dick onto the bed beside her, and she awkwardly thrust up slightly. I say awkwardly, because it barely went further into my mouth, she was pushing in the wrong direction. It actually scraped across my teeth, although I'm not sure she noticed, because after staying like that for a couple of seconds, she relaxed again, with a great sigh. I licked it some more, and more sweet pre cum came out of the tip. I barred it from the back of my mouth with my tongue, and swallowed the build up of saliva that had pooled there. I started swirling my tongue around the entire tip, liberally coating it in preparation. The foreskin gave way slightly to my ministrations, and as I did this, the flow of pre cum increased, enough to pool in my mouth. I figured I produced an above average amount of pre cum, but this was ridiculous. Although, I wasn't complaining, it tasted divine. I swallowed the sweet liquid, and captured the next spurt on my tongue. I slipped it out to coat my lips, lubricating them. I drew my tongue back in, and slid my lips forwards, letting the cock further into my mouth. TBFC: Comforting Bethany Bethany moaned and practically squealed, her legs quivered on either side of my face. I slowly leaned further into her pelvis, before I felt the tip of her cock touch the back of my mouth. I was prepared though, my gag reflex started up, but because I was moving so slowly, I barely felt it before I moved back the other way. As I massaged her shaft with my lips, they twitched, impossibly trying to become a smile as I listened to her gasped moans and harsh breaths. It felt good, knowing I was making her make those sounds, that it was because of me she was feeling such a rush. I plastered my tongue to the underside as I drew my head back again, and inserted my tongue into the opening of her foreskin, teasing the underside of her head. "Sebaaah," she squealed at the top of her lungs. She couldn't even say my name, I was now robbing her of basic coherence. I twitched again, trying to grin, and took my hands of her knees, moving them to her groin. I placed my right hand around her shaft, marvelling at the thickness (this was in my mouth?), my left cupped her nut sack, and holy shit, I never knew testicles could be so heavy. I could feel the weight of them as I hefted them up, and caressed them, rubbing each massive ball in my palm. Even with them at my finger tips, I could scarcely believe human testicles could be so huge. And on a hermaphrodite no less, not even a full blooded male. I gripped her thick rod, and started jerking her off as I blew her. She writhed and groaned, her squeals reaching new fervour. The pre cum had slowed down now, it was still spurting, but not with the same incredible volume. It was more akin to my own, admittedly plentiful production. I felt tempted to speed up, to bob my head up and down her shaft like a man possessed, I felt possessed. I however, kept it slow, tantalising, and above all loving. I did however, pick up the pace slightly, and started slurping a little bit. As I sucked harder, my cheeks compressing inwards to massage her head, her hands found their way into my hair, and starting toying with it. I could feel her need to press my head down, and shove her prick into my throat. I was impressed with her restraint, and was slightly worried for the health of my breathing. I let her though, I trusted her not to choke me to death on her dick. I shifted my hand further up her penis, before pulling it down to keep the same motions it had before. The difference now, was the spongy head was free of it's sheath.s "S, Sebastian... I'm going to cum," she whined, her hips shifting with barely restrained desire. I glided my lips over her shaft, and again felt it touch the back of my throat. This time though, I pressed slightly harder, taking I would guess two thirds into me, before I had to give in. The gigantic girth was too much for my throat. I withdrew, this time completely, and took it out of my mouth with a pop. I carried on licking and kissing the head between words. "I'm glad Beth. Do you want to cum in my mouth? I want you to. I want you to feel what you did. I want you to receive what you gave Beth," and reached down to lick her balls. They tasted like sweat I noted, but with something else I couldn't quite name. The overall effect was a tangy, slightly salty taste I decided, as I tried to fit her sack in my mouth, and failed. I decided I'd had to have a better look at these later, and licked from behind her nuts up her shaft, over her ridge and up the slit of her head. I closed my lips over the top of her glans, and put the tip of my tongue beneath her opening, and starting sucking and undulating. I scratched the back of her testicles with my nails, and pumped her shaft harder than I had before. I felt the head throb, and her voice rose into a crescendo. Raw liquid heat blasted out across my tongue and into my throat, a gigantic, forceful stream. Dear god I thought, as blast after blast shot out of her dick. I was expecting a big load, but holy shit, I had to swallow some to fit the rest of it in my mouth! It was thick, and creamy, literally creamy. It didn't taste like anything I was expecting, it was tangy, far tangier than the pre cum, and actually slightly sweet. But more than that, it was strong, possibly the strongest thing I've ever tasted in my life. And delicious. In fact, it might have been then I decided it was my favourite taste in the world. Finally, as my cheeks started to bulge slightly, she had finished. I pulled my mouth of, sealing it shut, and letting her dick flop down, spent. "Oh Christ Bastion, that was amazing," she cried, looking down at me, eyes half lidded. It took her a few seconds to open them properly. As she looked at me, I had an idea. I nuzzled her softening cock with my nose, trying to lift it up. I managed it, and pinned her cock to her stomach with my neck. "Uh, what are you doing?" she asked, clearly confused. Making sure I had eye contact, I told her, by swallowing. About half her load exited my mouth, and down my throat, bulging out against her cock as it went down. With my neck pressed against it, she could feel the cum go down. Her eyes widened, and her dick twitched, and stopped deflating. I smiled, now capable of it, my mouth not stretched out with jizz. I leant back and opened my mouth to shower her the cum I had left. I played with it, swishing it around my open mouth, before with difficulty, swallowing some with my lips still wide open. I got another quarter down, before closing, and finishing the rest with a smile. With that, she practically broke, and leant backwards and collapsed on the bed. I pulled myself up, and sat beside her. "Did you enjoy that?" I asked her, grinning far wider than I probably should have been. It felt like it was going to break my face. Actually, that could have been the aches, I noticed my cheeks where actually kind of sore, my sisters dick was seriously thick. "Uhhhh..." she replied. I chuckled, and lay my self down beside her. "That was amazing... thank you thank you thank you," she cried, hugging me, before breaking down and actually crying. "Hey, I told you to stop crying, I just sucked you off to stop you from crying," I said, rubbing her back. "I know," she chocked out between sobs, "I'm just so, happy." I held her close while she let it out her system. Her cries died down, and I just held her there, probably for half an hour I just layer there with her in her arms. I noticed the room was getting dark, the sun was going down it seemed. I got up off the bed, and knelt next to her again, and started to pull off her tights. "Bastion?" "You can't sleep in these, you'll be uncomfortable," I told her, pulling them over her feet. Such sexy little feet I mused, rubbing my hands over them. I broke away, and threw the tights across the room, and pulled her panties back up. I let her take over dressing herself for bed, as I quickly discarded my own clothes. "Foot fetish, brother?" she sounded coy, which was new for Bethany. "Only cute ones like yours," I smiled, and turned back round. She was clad only in white cotton, and looked damn sexy. I could feel my dick stirring again, but I firmly ignored it. I clambered onto the bed, pulled up the covers. She grabbed them as well, and sat next to me. Shortly, she was pulled up against me, under the warmth of the quilt, her ass pressing against my erection. "Hey, you're hard, you've not came yet," she realised, and squirmed. I held her tight though, and said, "In the morning Beth." "But... you're hard now." "And I can stay hard all night, ready for the morning. This is about you," I said, rubbing her stomach. "Not about me, you. And while you might enjoy it, I mean, I did, surprisingly, that can wait." "So... you... enjoyed it?" "Oh yes. I never knew I was attracted to herms, or I guess trannies. I mean, I've known you all my life, your my sister. I've never thought about you like... well, like that. But seeing you with your cock in your hand when I barged in, was just so arousing... well, I guess I've always been that way, but never realised." "... Really? Just like that?" "Like what?" "You've accepted it?" I shrugged at her question. "Well, the evidence was pretty damning. I stare at you, and get hard. Pretty obvious." "I guess... thank you again, big brother. That was amazing. Nothing has ever felt so good in my life. Oh god, the way you swallowed it," she practically moaned, almost like I was attached to her with my lips again. "I never knew it was so, so, such a turn on to see your load go down someones throat. And to feel it enter you, your neck on me... god Bastion how did you do that?" Yeah, she was joining me in being hard again I think. My dick was aching at this point, but I was steadfast; if she wanted to return the favour, she could wait till morning. "I don't know how I did it Beth, but I wasn't that good, I only got you half way in." "It was more than enough, god it was so much more." "Heh, I love you sis. I think that's how I did, I think that's why it felt so good for you. Now shush, it's early, but it's been a long day, and I've just tired myself out." She chuckled, but complied, mostly. "Good night, Bastion." "Good night Bethany." It was there, lying with my sister I started falling asleep, that I realised. This is it. I was over Jess. I had just given a blowjob, had received no sexual release of my own, yet had enjoyed the experience more than anything I had done with Jessica. I had found out I liked cock, found out I liked transsexuals, sucked of my sister, swallowed my sisters sperm, and I felt the best I had felt all year. Possibly the best I'd felt for years. This, was making love I decided, as I pulled her exhausted form into me more, and let sleep claim me, Bethany's breathing lulling me into a sweet sleep. ---- This is my first upload here, so please comment and let me know what you think. If I've made any mistakes or inaccuracies, let me know so I can improve them. Thank you for reading.