This story may not seem super crazy or ultra-paranormal to anyone else, but it was an extremely compelling personal experience.
In May of 2019, my sister died in a car accident at just 20 years. She drove a blue Volkswagen Beetle, and she loved that car. I was still in high school when this happened and a couple weeks after her death, I went back to school again. I survived the day but by the end of it, I felt so weak & worn down and just wanted to cry. As I was coming home, I walked up my driveway and noticed a strange bug. It was a beetle, the exact same shade of metallic blue as my sister’s car, in the now-empty space where she used to park it. I had never seen a beetle like that before and haven’t seen one since, but it was truly one of the most beautiful & mesmerizing bugs I’ve ever seen. It was a small but very powerful reminder that she was still around, and she clearly wanted me to know.
I stared at the beetle for a bit, and I think that was the first time I truly, genuinely smiled since she’d passed. In that moment, my weakness turned into strength, my cynicism into hope, my hatred for the universe into faith. It was still very rough for a while after that, but I firmly believe that one symbolic experience is what gave me the power to continue, even though I’ve come close to not continuing.
It’s been over 4 years and I still have tears streaming down my face writing about this, so I apologize if I seem a little all over the place.

I has now been 10 years after I took my last drink. When I started down this road, I had zero expectations. All I had was hope that maybe I could shake the liquid demon bitch that had taken up residence in my body and mind, and towards the end, completely taken control of virtually all aspects of my life. No, I never got a DUI and I never went to jail. Yes, I still had a home, a job, a relationship, my children, and my health (all barely). But I was snowballing fast, and it was only a matter of time, and probably a short amount of time at that. The night I realized that I had become almost exactly like the person I feared the most, the person who originally facilitated my turning to drinking to escape, was the night I decided NO MORE. I was not going to be that raging, angry, resentful person anymore.
…and I let go.
Today, I am at peace. I am at peace with the course of my life and the path that I am on. I like, no....I love and accept myself. And even though I have had lots of stones, rocks and boulders thrown in front of me since I started down this road, I still try to find a piece of gratitude in every obstacle. My heart lifts with joy on almost a daily basis from the simplest and basest of things, because it's the small things that add up to make our lives, from the very beginning... starting out as one tiny, single cell. I have learned that my spirituality is drawn from these small things.
I could not have come so far on my own...I know this. I found my seed of hope while I was still drinking, in the rooms of AA. The hope grew each time I heard someone share about living a sober, whole and full life. I didn’t attend long after getting sober, but I made sure to go back for this coin. That path was not for me. SD was my main go-to for 2 years and I am forever grateful for the folks here. I have gone from a person who thought they didn't need anyone to someone who realized that I am human, and as such, I need others to help learn and thrive and grow. I need to give what I've learned back to others in hopes that they too can find that place inside to be able to let go and find peace.
If I could pass along one piece of wisdom that I have learned along the way to someone just starting out on their own journey it would be this: Acceptance. When I say I "let go", I really didn't know what I meant at first. All I know is that on the third day of my withdrawals, while still laying in bed because I was too scared to leave for fear that I would get in my car and go to the store, I said those words to myself over and over and over...thousands of times. Some part of me was fighting to survive and knew what it was doing, because I consciously didn't.
But when I let go, I let go of the struggle. I let go of the fight inside myself - with one part waking up and saying "I'm not going to drink tonight" and the other part saying "fug it" and pulling into the liquor store every evening after work. I let go of the resistance within myself that really didn't want to quit drinking...my addict. My dark passenger. I accepted that regardless of how I got here or what I encountered along the way, THIS IS WHO I AM. I am an alcoholic and I cannot, will not, EVER take that first drink. One day at a time does not work for me. One day at a time gives me too much wiggle room. There is no other option for me besides just plain and simple, I'm done. I'm a non-drinker. By accepting this fact, I was able able to begin life again, with complete and utter wholeheartedness. And here I am now, truly living and loving this life I have built.

So when I was psychotic I had so many stories being told in my head and the entire time i was channeling through my mouth. There was a story of a Heavenly island turned hedonistic paradise where heroin was smuggled to the island and adults indocrinated their kids by shooting them up in the stomach, a story of a hellish origin of life that it all started in chaos and a gladiator arena and the winner became god. A story of Odin and the Norse gods being the true gods and I believed every single story, at the time I was desperately searching for the true God.
When I bowed down to Odin because i thought he was angry things got bad, I ended up getting what could only be called an adrenaline attack, where fear and energy built up and built up where I thought GOD was gonna flood the earth again or even nuke the world, after that it's almost like I lost my free will I got down on my hands and knees and did a symbol with my hands almost like this 🙌 but with my finger tips touching and I said "everybody go holm" and it all felt scripted while saying this I ended up seeing in my minds eye very vivid scenes of people getting in cars or getting on motorcycles to go to safety it was more vivid and detailed than real life. The end of the scene showed cosmo and wanda from fairly odd parents cackling maniacly.
I said more but the details are blurry. I ended up getting up and busted out a window screen and started running, hid in a random car and parkoured over a railing it felt like I had super human agility and I ended up back where I started, when I walked in and sat on the couch what could only be described as tv lines like on an old TV appeared and a pentagram of baphomet appeared in the air, then came this hot and humid feeling then then this stench that could only be described as poop, vomit, urine, and death could be smelled and I didn't even gag I ended up getting carted away in an ambulance but I'd like to know if anyone else has a similar experience or knows what this could've been, alot more happened in the following 30 days but if you want more details I'll answer in the comments, thanks.

Yesterday I had multiple people ask me to post this, and their comment has 552 likes at the time of me writing this, so I have spent the last day and a half editing, and adding information so it's up to standard. Overall, it has taken me close to a week to make. It probably isn't perfect, but I will edit it if I notice any mistakes. I hope you enjoy ❤
I would like to start this off by saying that this is an incredibly long write-up. This case spans 54 years, and this write-up is over 8650 words long, and is in fact so long that it exceeded the character limit, forcing me to make 2 parts. u/that1guywiththehat has already covered this case, and their write-up is much shorter. I will link it here, and you can check it out if you'd like. They did a fantastic job. 😊
https://www.reddit.com/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/g3wqcc/after_18yearold_annette_craver_vail_vanishes/
Secondly, this write-up borrows EXTENSIVELY from "Gone," a 35,500 word book about the life and crimes of Felix Vail. It contains information that you simply cannot find anywhere else, and I'd estimate that around 80% of this write-up uses it's information. While it's extremely long, being over 4 times the length of this write-up, it is well worth the read. I will also link it here so you can check it out if you'd like.
https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/felixvailgone/2016/12/29/felix-vail-gone-one-wife-dead-two-other-missing-jerry-mitchell/95895894/
Now with that out of the way...

PART 1:

MARY HORTON:

​
Born on the 16th of February 1940 to Floyd and Lillie Horton, Mary was popular, beautiful, and well liked. She became homecoming queen at Eunice High School and wrote for the school newspaper. After graduating she began attending McNeese State University where she was so popular that all 5 sororities invited her to join. She eventually chose Chi Omega.
https://www.clarionledger.com/gcdn/-mm-/d313713be82928fb5c54a52348e9f0b6fbe9ca88/c=0-232-3288-4617/local/-/media/2016/12/27/JacksonMS/JacksonMS/636184665129485321-mary-horton-0001.jpg?width=300&height=401&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp(Mary Horton from 1957, as Eunice High School homecoming queen.)
A FATEFUL ENCOUNTER
In 1960 she began dating William Felix Vail Sr, who goes by Felix. He was 6’, slender and in the words of another sorority girl “looked like he’d been touched by heaven.” In her diaries and messages to friends, Mary spoke of being happy and excited. However, not everything was sunshine and rainbows for the young couple.
On June 20th, 1960, Mary confided in a friend “I really do love Felix, but I don’t think that I like him anymore. He really is sweet, but we don’t see eye to eye on things.” She requested that a friend set her up on a date with another man in the hopes that Felix would leave her.
In response to this date, he came to Mary saying he suffered from a disease. She asked what disease he had. He meant Mary.
The 2 had a conversation that Mary described as ‘Felix doing all the talking, and her just listening.’ He told her that he had changed, and she said that she had too.
The 2 began dating again, but Mary continued to see other people. She attended a house party with Kelley McFarland, who afterwards heard that Vail was so angry he ‘wanted to kill him.’ McFarland tracked him down, eventually meeting him in dark woods. The 2 exchanged no blows, and they went their separate ways.
After this incident, Mary described herself as “miserable” and Felix as “jealous”, although she reiterated her love for him. There was reportedly an incident at a pool party where Felix “walked up to Mary and just slapped the heck out of her,” according to Mary’s high school boyfriend Leonard Matt.
Despite everything, Mary continued to defend him, calling him a “wonderful person.”
THE MARRIAGE
On July 1, 1961, in Eunice, Louisiana, Mary Horton and Felix Vail got married.
https://www.clarionledger.com/gcdn/-mm-/3a212b032aef874dfc60297c45f3a63946f5aeee/c=0-304-1765-2658/local/-/media/2016/12/28/JacksonMS/JacksonMS/636185193505145184-1022maryhorton003.JPG?width=300&height=401&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp(Mary Horton in her wedding dress, July 1st, 1961.)
In the fall of that year, Mary began her job as a second-grade teacher at Moss Bluff Elementary School. That December, she found out she was pregnant. Another teacher, Myrtis Quinilty said Felix didn’t want a child.
Her sister-in-law, Sue Jordan, told Mary the only reason Vail believed she wanted to get married was to have a baby, and not because of him. Mary blamed herself, saying “I can see, looking back, from many things I said how they could have been misunderstood.” Mary insisted that the couple were happy but did comment on how unattractive she felt while pregnant, a sentiment that Felix shared.
On their anniversary, Mary gave birth to William Felix Vail Jr, who they called Bill.
https://www.clarionledger.com/gcdn/-mm-/c701d4cdc0e5ff127e79b575a1c137adfa57d585/c=0-0-180-240/local/-/media/2016/12/28/JacksonMS/JacksonMS/636185195986996911-TCLBrd-08-11-2016-ClarionLedger-1-A001-2016-08-10-IMG-636047953682196834-M-1-1-G0FAJ00I-L860703094-IMG-636047953682196834-M-1-1-G0FAJ00I.jpg?width=180&height=240&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp (Mary holding Bill in 1962)
Within a month, Mary suspected that she may be pregnant again. At this time, strange things began to happen in the couple’s apartment. One morning, the couple awoke to find their front door had been removed from its hinges. Another time, they found the front door of their apartment wide open. Nothing was stolen.
Mary began receiving threatening calls. The couple concluded that whoever was calling must be watching them because the caller only ever did it when Felix wasn’t home.
Mary spoke with her mother about divorcing Felix. Her mother, a devout Catholic, urged her daughter to stay and work things out. It would be a fatal mistake.
MARY'S DEATH
On October 28th, 1962, at 7:30pm, Felix Vail drove up to Shell Beach saying that his wife had fallen in the water of the Calcasieu River while they were running trot lines. It took 2 days to find her body, close to where Vail had said she disappeared.
Her funeral was held on October 31st. Vail never paid a cent for it.
On November 4th deputies arrested Vail at work, hauling him to jail and questioning him. He refused to take a lie detector test. The coroner ruled Mary’s death an “accidental drowning,” a sentiment not shared by the officers who found her body, or the community at large. Days later, Vail was released without charge, as the D.A declined to prosecute.
Months later, he picked up his son, Bill, from the Louisiana home of his late wife’s aunt and headed for Mississippi. According to Bill years later, Vail told him that he and Mary were out fishing, that a boat had come by and caused a big wave and knocked her out of the boat. Mary didn’t know how to swim, had no life jacket (despite being afraid of water) and so immediately sank and drowned. He said he had almost died trying to rescue her.
I will go further in depth into Mary’s death further down this write-up when I go through the investigation that followed, decades later. There are more details that I will cover there.
ROBIN SINCLAIR:
In this section I will cover his relationship with a girlfriend between the murders of Mary Horton and Sharon Hensley. Vail was a full-time scumbag and I want to illustrate that, as well as show some of the other lives he’s impacted, and other people he’s hurt. I will be covering multiple instances like this one. If you only want to read about the 3 murder victims, feel free to scroll down, I have them clearly marked for convenience.
AN 11 YEAR AGE GAP AND A DEAD-BEAT DAD
In 1967, Vail met a 17-year-old Robin Sinclair at a bus stop in San Diego. (Vail would have been 28 at this time. Large age gaps will be a theme in this write up.) She was spending the summer there with her sister, and the 2 began dating. When summer break ended, she left without him, returning home to San Francisco.
In October of 1968 while attending an Iron Butterflies concert, Vail appeared again. Sinclair took it as a sign that the 2 belonged together. He had his young son Bill, and the 3 bounced from place to place together. Sinclair would later describe how Bill was poorly looked after, neglected and that Vail would even give the young boy drugs. Bill would later recount his father giving him LSD as a child.
While watching over another couple’s home during the Christmas holidays, she learned she was pregnant and shared the news with Vail. He said, “Well, I don’t think you’re emotionally stable enough to handle the pregnancy.” The next morning, Vail and his young son had vanished. A friend told Sinclair that he went back to Mississippi, that it was time for his son to go to school and that he didn’t want to be with her.
Heartbroken, Sinclair would move in with her parents. In August of 1969 she gave birth to her daughter, who she named Simone. She wrote Vail an angry letter, and 2 months later he showed up on her doorstep. She told him to leave, and that she never wanted to see him again. She never did.

SHARON HENSLEY:

​
Sharon Hensley was born on December 20th, 1948. Growing up in the state capital of Bismarck, North Dakota, she dated football players and belonged to the high school’s 'Demonettes', an award-winning dance team founded by a former Rockette.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT-drYY1YZjqadja6gpHI_j8-zHNTiww7XDLwZ3pq-m&s
(A photo of Sharon Hensley.)
She graduated in 1966, and attended Bismarck Junior College, where she took classes in dance and acting, performing in a play with her older brother, Frank.
In 1967, aged 19, Sharon discovered she was pregnant. Wanting to escape her hometown, she followed her brother Frank and other classmates to San Francisco. After arriving, she stayed in a home for single mothers, where she gave birth to a girl she named “Cherry” after the popular Neil Diamond song. She told friends she wanted to keep the child but was unable to. Two years after leaving for California, Sharon was in jail and her mother, Peggy, headed there with a $5,000 cashier’s check to bail her out. When she returned, Sharon wasn’t with her.
“She said she had lost her daughter,” her younger brother Brian would later say. “She cried almost every night. She was never the same after that.”
MEETING VAIL
While house-sitting in a high-rise apartment, Vail would meet his future girlfriend, Sharon. She was 20, and attractive, having even modeled in her teens. They became friends, and then started a relationship despite the 10-year age gap.
While hitchhiking across California, Vail would confess to Hensley that he had killed Mary, something his son Bill overheard. Because of this, Bill would later go to the police to report his own father for murder. The police at first didn’t believe Bill, but after camping out on the front steps, one detective listened. He told the detective that he was hungry, tired of using the drugs his father gave him, that he wanted to go back to school, live like other kids, and that he had overheard his father admit to killing his mother.
At a beach along the Merced River, police found his father and Hensley, carrying a bag of LSD capsules. Police charged the couple with LSD possession and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Vail received a six-month jail sentence, plus three years’ probation, after pleading guilty to a lesser charge of LSD possession.
California police shared their information with Louisiana authorities. Once again, the district attorney in Lake Charles once again passed on prosecuting Vail for murder. Another fatal mistake.
Bill returned to Mississippi to live with his grandparents, who then gained full custody. On January 23rd, 1971, Vail and Sharon showed up in the driveway. Bill thought Vail was there to kill him, and his grandmother had to reassure him that he was safe.
The father and son eventually sat down and had a talk. Vail told Bill that he didn’t blame him for the time he spent in prison, but instead blamed Sharon, which the young boy found strange because “she had nothing to do with it.”
The family wondered how the couple could even legally be in Mississippi if they were supposed to be on probation in California. They couldn’t. After a visit from the Sheriff, the 2 were smuggled out of town and given enough money to get back to the West Coast.
In the Summer of 1972, the couple appeared unannounced at Sharon’s childhood home in Bismarck. The more the family saw of the couple, the more horrified they became. Sharon wore a mini skirt with no panties and had armpit hair and leg hair "like a man." She had been losing weight and losing clumps of hair.
Her younger brother Brian said it felt like his sister had been brainwashed. If someone asked her a question, “either Felix would answer the question for her, or she would look at Felix while she was giving the answer.”
The couple left then North Dakota and traveled to Mississippi, where they stayed with Vail’s family. On the dairy farm the family owned, they helped paint the home. The couple also sunbathed in the nude, drawing the ire of neighbors.
Peggy Hensley received a telephone call from Sharon, who said she and Vail were heading to New Orleans and then to Miami to make pornographic films. She believed it was a cry for help as “what daughter tells her mother she’s going to do a porno?” Sharon’s parents wanted to travel down to get their daughter back but couldn’t. (The 2 did end up shooting pornographic scenes together, but I won’t get into any of that.)
In early 1973, Sharon called and talked of traveling to South America with Vail, where they would eat natural foods and write a book. It was the last conversation the family would ever have with her. Soon after, she would send her final letter. It contained a photo of her holding a pen, captioned “making travel notes.” It was the last picture ever taken of Sharon Hensley.
https://www.clarionledger.com/gcdn/-mm-/94195697544ea2e63b0b95e33a6de88a8b4f1e2b/c=0-50-399-276/local/-/media/2016/12/28/JacksonMS/JacksonMS/636185487179588030-Sharon-Hensley.jpg?width=399&height=226&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp(The last photo ever taken of Sharon.)
THE DISAPPEARANCE
In March of 1974, Peggy received a letter from Vail, claiming he was in West Florida. He wrote that he last saw Sharon about a year before in Key West, with an Australian couple that was traveling around the world. All he recalled was the first names of the couple (John and Vanessa), who were talking with Sharon about “island hopping around South America, the West Indies, --- Hawaii for a while, maybe a couple of years in the Philippines, then India, Egypt and the Mediterranean islands and coasts. I don’t know which of these (if any) they decided on or in what order.” Peggy didn't believe a word of it.
In the fall of 1975, Vail’s mother wrote to the Hensley family, saying that her son was surprised the family hadn’t heard from Sharon during that time. Interestingly, Vail told his mother the names of the couple that Sharon left with were Frank and Sally, different names than he had given a year earlier. Vail explained to his mother that before Sharon left, she had burned all her identification cards, got new IDs, and declared that she would become a completely different person.
Bill recalled his father mentioning Sharon. “He said she would never bother anyone ever again.” The words upset Bill, who believed his father had just confessed to another murder. “There was not a soul I could tell about it because I had had my experience in court when I was 8, no one would believe me. It would be my word against his, and no one would believe a 13-year-old.”
​
SHARON CAMPBELL:
I want to talk about this relationship because of the egregious age difference. For reference, Campbell is only 4 years older than Vail’s son.
While riding a bus to north Mississippi in 1975, Vail sat next to 17-year-old Sharon Campbell. Despite being literally twice her age, he commented on how fit she looked, saying "he needed someone like her to keep him fit." In spite of this, she felt flattered and shared her telephone number with him. Not long after she got home, Vail appeared in a yellow Volkswagen bug.
Vail said he wanted Campbell to travel with him, and she told him the only way her parents would allow it was if they got married.
On July 24, 1975, they did, honeymooning in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
In court years later, she would tell prosecutors that they never consummated the marriage because “he was unable to obtain an erection.” (This isn’t relevant, I just wanted to include it out of spite because fuck this guy.)
Several weeks later, she went with Vail to visit his relatives in Louisiana. There, she said a niece told her, “You probably need to know that he killed his first wife --- they arrested him. We all believed that he did it, he drowned her out of a boat.”
Campbell didn't believe them, telling herself that he would be in prison if he was a murderer. But as the months passed by, she concluded that he “had no value in the female gender,” and that “he hated women.”
She later traveled with Vail to his parents’ home in Montpelier. While there, he was outdoors working on the Volkswagen and Campbell walked closer without him noticing. He opened a compartment, and she said she saw “sinister, surgical looking saws of all shapes and sizes in a neat formation.” To her, the sight screamed evil. “It scared me. I said, ‘I’m not going anywhere with you.’” She left, annulled the marriage, and never looked back. It was likely the best decision she ever made.
After the divorce he would marry a woman named Carolyn in 1977. The relationship would end after he cheated on her with a woman named Alexandra Christianson during a double date. When Carolyn called Vail’s mother and asked her if the behavior surprised her, she simply replied “no.”
After being served the divorce papers, Vail smashed his car into her MGB Sports Car. A month later he would call her saying “I love you.” She did not reciprocate. She would later describe Vail as “mentally deranged.”
​
ALEXANDRA CHRISTIANSON:
Alexandra is the woman Vail cheated on Carolyn with. She eventually got married to him in Mexico after he officially divorced Carolyn. Not long after their marriage, she heard that Vail was cheating on her.
After a motorcycle accident, he came to rest up at her condo in Costa Mesa, where she confronted him about the cheating. He reportedly got agitated and said, “you know my first wife died.” When she replied saying he’d told her she drowned, Vail shot back “I could have saved her, but I chose not to.”
After telling him to leave, she went to have a shower. While in the shower, Vail attacked her, wrapping his hands around her neck. Hearing her screams, Alexandra’s young brother came in, grabbing Vail and forcing him to the ground. Vail then left.
Soon after this, she found out she was pregnant. The child was still-born, and Alexandra was heart-broken. She would later lead important investigators to witnesses that were used in Vail's eventual trial.
In part 2, I will cover Vail's final victim Annette Craver, and the lengths her mother went to to finally secure justice.
Here is Part 2:
MY SOURCES:
https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/8284?nav
https://charleyproject.org/case/annette-michelle-craver-vail
https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/local/felixvailgone/2016/12/29/felix-vail-gone-one-wife-dead-two-other-missing-jerry-mitchell/95895894/
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5796622/mary-elizabeth-vail
https://charleyproject.org/case/sharon-hensley
https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/20525?nav

Animosity, "The Black Page" (2005)
Chaos, all I see is madness, how the hell could anyone let this shit happen?
---
I think there is a strong case to be made that Animosity was one of the first proper Deathcore bands in the United States. Animosity released their first EP, Hellraiser, in 2002, and their first album, Shut It Down in 2003, on Tribunal Records. However, it was their 2005 album, Empires, with the single, "The Black Page" that really launched their career.
Empires is an absolutely slamming buzzsaw of an album; basically every track is a banger, with notable entries like, "Commoditism", "Holy Shackles", "The Black Page", and "Plutocracy". If you've ever wondered what teenage angst looked like in an early 2000's American suburb, just watch "The Black Page" music video (linked above). The music video is a kind of time capsule for the early days of the genre: young guys (16-17 years old) with a singular focus on jamming, and tearing a house apart in the process, with wild, ballistic energy. You can hear all the hallmarks of the genre forming in Empires, minor ascending tremolo lines, slamming non sequitur breakdowns, a weird infusion of hip hop / nu metal sounds, two middle fingers for the elites, and a kind of desperate urge to just make it happen - these guys are shooting the video in what looks like the fucking backyard of a duplex.
Animosity offers an unforgiving blend of thrash and hardcore in the vein of death metal and is undoubtedly one of the progenitors of the genre. Go listen to Empires (2005) today.
A note about "Forgotten Favorites":
I've noticed there are a lot of OG metal fans on this sub, and I recognize that for many of you these so-called, "Forgotten Favorites", aren't forgotten at all, and you've kept these songs in your daily rotation for years. I just want to remind everyone that there are also new listeners on this sub, fans who are just going to their first metal concert, who just heard Lorna Shore for the first time on TikTok, who don't know anything about where this genre comes from or its maligned early days. For OG fans, "Forgotten Favorites" is mostly a nostalgia trip, but for new listeners, I hope it provides some historical context and a stepping stone to explore the genre in more depth.

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Below is a rundown of the main shipping choices you’ll get at most retailers. Keep in mind that if an order is large enough you will be forced to use one of the more expensive options, as SAL shipments have lower size and weight restrictions.

• Unregistered SAL: Sometimes referred to as uSAL, is usually the cheapest method. It does not come with any tracking or insurance. Usually takes up 2-4 weeks for delivery.
• Registered SAL: Sometimes referred to as rSAL, is insured for the declared value up to 6,000 yen. It comes with a tracking number and usually takes 2-4 weeks for delivery.
• EMS: This method of shipping is much faster than either SAL options, usually arriving within a week of shipment. EMS shipments are insured for the declared value up to 2,000,000 yen.
• Airmail
• E-packet
• Surface: Shops don't offer this very often. It's an actual cargo ship and slow as a result.
  
• DHL: Becoming more available as an alternative to EMS on AmiAmi and other sites. Can be less expensive than EMS and of comparable speed, but may be more reliant on the specific geographical area being shipped to. The price is also determined by the size of the box. Offers their own tracking.
  

3. I placed two+ orders for figures at different times. Will my items be shipped together, or will I have to pay shipping twice?
Most shops will ask you to pay shipping on a per-order basis, but here are some that will allow combined shipping:

• Amiami: You can combine orders here, as long as the orders ship in the same month. It doesn’t matter if the item is new or preowned. Any preorders that are set for that month can also be combined with other orders for that month. However, be aware that if the preorder gets delayed, Amiami will remove that item from that month’s shipment and place it on a new order. To combine orders on Amiami, use the “Combine Orders” feature under “My Account”.
  
• Hobby Search: Hobby Search will let you combine orders that release in the same month, but you cannot combine in stock items with preorders. If you want to combine multiple preorders, or multiple in stock items, you can do so using the “Order Recombination” feature on your account page.
  
• HobbyLink Japan: At HLJ, you have the option to send paid orders to their “Private Warehouse”, where you can store them for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to ship the items, you simply select which items to ship and HLJ will combine them into one shipment for you. To use this, just select the “Private Warehouse” option as shipping when you order.
  

If you’re unsure about whether or not a shop we haven’t listed will combine your orders, please refer to their individual FAQs.
4. When will I get charged for my preorder?
Most Japanese shops charge you once the item is in stock and ready for shipment. When that happens, they will send you an email asking for payment. Some shops (mostly overseas ones), will allow you to pay for the item up front though, if you’d like. A few with that option are:

• Big in Japan (Japanese store)
• Tokyo Otaku Mode
• Anime Island
• Crunchyroll

Keep in mind that overseas stores will likely get the figure a few months after Japanese ones, so pay attention to the release date stated on the website you are buying from so as to avoid that confusion.
5. Should I expect to pay customs fees when importing figures?
That depends on where you live. Here’s a quick rundown:

• Australia: 10% GST is now assessed up front.
• Canada: Minimum declared value for charges is around CAD$20 for regular shipments, and CAD$60 for gifts (gifting something only seems to lower the declared value by about CAD$40, not deplete it completely). When using Amiami, try their Small Air Packet option. It comes with tracking, gets there in about the same time as EMS, and is better at avoiding customs.
• European Union: As of 1st July 2021, VAT has to be paid on all goods imported from outside of the EU. Retailers are supposed charge VAT for purchases under €150, however many Japanese retailers currently do not, so VAT will be charged when your order arrives in the EU. Orders that are >€150, VAT and duty will be charged by your local customs.
• UK: As of 1st January 2021, VAT is to be charged by retailers for orders <£135. However, customs isn't currently charging VAT on parcels valued at <£135, even if the VAT hasn't been paid. Goods >£135 will have their VAT and duty calculated and charged by customs.
• Mexico: Minimum declared value for customs fees is USD$300 for shipments by post, and USD$50 for shipments by courier.
• United States: A shipment has to have a declared value of USD$2,000 before customs starts hitting you with fees, so you most likely won’t have to worry about them at all.

6. The figure I want is an exclusive, how do I go about ordering one outside of Japan?
You have three options for this:
A. Big in Japan is known to stock exclusive figures and ship to other countries. Usually the price is higher because they build in their proxy fees, but it’s easier than worrying about using a forwarder or proxy service. If you live in the US, Crunchyroll, Right Stuf, and Tokyo Otaku Mode also get exclusives sometimes, but out of the states the shipping can get expensive.
B. Forwarding Services: A forwarder is someone who you ship an exclusive item to so that they can forward the package on to you, usually for a flat fee + shipping. When using a forwarder you still make the purchase yourself, and enter their address into the shipping field. When the box arrives at the forwarder they will then stick your address onto the package and send it on its way.
Some popular forwarders are:

• Big in Japan
• Tenso

Be sure to read each sites instructions on forwarding carefully!
C. Proxy Services: With a proxy, you tell them what the item you’re looking for is and they will purchase it in your stead. This is handy for when a company doesn’t accept foreign credit cards, or you’re having trouble navigating a Japanese website.
Some popular proxies are:

• Big in Japan (Won’t proxy for Yahoo Auctions)
• From Japan

Again, be sure you thoroughly read through each sites proxy instructions.
7. I see a bunch of really cheap figures that ship from China on ebay. Are those okay to buy?
Generally, no. They’re most likely bootlegs. If you want a second opinion on that, feel free to ask in the Bootleg Megathread that’s always stickied at the top of the sub.
8. What’s a bootleg, and how can I avoid buying them?
A bootleg is a counterfeit figure often made using rejected molds of the official product. They are usually priced significantly lower than the genuine article, and in order to make their profit, bootleggers use lower quality materials and have less attention to detail- resulting in a substandard figure.
The Bootleg Megathread that I mentioned in question 7 is a great tool to avoid buying any bootlegs. It has a few tips and tricks to avoiding them to begin with, and a few more on how to spot them if you’re worried you might already own one.
9. Does anyone know when figure X is going to be released? How do I know if it was delayed?
My Figure Collection (sometimes referred to as MFC) does an excellent job of staying on top of information like release dates and delays. If you’re curious about an upcoming figures release date, check there first. This information can be found directly under the “Releases” section on a figure’s entry. If you only see a month and a year in that section, it means the release date has not yet been announced by the manufacturer, and there is still a chance the figure could be delayed.
If you make an account on MFC you can also subscribe to comments, changes, and pictures via a checkbox on the right hand side of a figure’s listing. Subscribing to any of these things will allow MFC to send you an email anytime the subscription in question updates. Subscribing to “changes” is a great way to keep up with release dates and delays, among other things.
10. The figure I want is long sold out at normal retailers! What’s the best place to pick it up in the aftermarket?
A list of reputable retailers can be found under the “Shops” section of the /AnimeFigures sidebar. They all sell legitimate products, and many of them also sell figures second hand. However, the most frequently suggested second hand sites are Mandarake and Amiami- who has a preowned section that they update every night save Sundays and Japanese holidays around 1PM JST and again around 6PM JST.
AmiAmi grades their pre-owned items on a letter scale. The general consensus from buyers is that their ratings are conservative, so unless the item and/or packaging is specifically indicated as having significant flaws, pre-owned items from them are usually in at least as good a condition as their rating suggests.
Note: When you search Mandarake, you’ll get the best results by using the Japanese characters for whatever you are searching. If you don’t know them, you can find them on MFC by clicking on any of the “details” in that figure’s listing.
11. Amiami has a figure I’m interested in labeled as “For sale in Japan only”. Does this mean I can’t order it without a proxy or forwarder?
No, you can still order it. Amiami’s English site has that warning on many items, and it’s mostly meant to inform you that this product was made for a Japanese market, and as such, will have Japanese speaking/writing in it- so don’t expect any instructions to be in English. If Amiami doesn’t want foreigners buying a certain product, they won’t even list it on their English site.

Displaying Your Figures

12. What display cases do you recommend?
If you live near an Ikea try out one of these:

• Detolf *
• Klingsbo
• Billy (Often used with Morliden doors and glass shelves.)

*If you decided on a Detolf, you might find that there is a lot of wasted space. Here are a few tutorials on raising the shelves or and adding extra ones in.

• Using metal clips
• Using acrylic supports and PVC pipe

If you don’t live near an Ikea, Amazon has a few display options, though they are more expensive. Also keep an eye on your local Craigslist (or your country’s equivalent) and stores near you that are closing up.
13. What lighting do you guys recommend?
Ikea’s Dioder LED strips were discontinued after a long run. A current version is the Vattensten, if you're inclined to buy your case and lights at the same time.
LED strips have become very commonly available in recent years; most hardware and home furnishing stores carry a selection now. Just make sure that the lights don’t get too hot!
14. What are those clear plastic boxes that I see under everyone’s figures in their collection posts, and where can I get them?
Those are called risers. Most of us use standard acrylic risers like these. Some other, easy to find things that have been suggested are:

• Plastic picture cubes
• Card Deck Boxes
• If you’re feeling adventurous, try making your own!

Check your local hobby store for the first 2 options, or your local hardware store if you want to make your own.
Another common suggestion is to visit The Container Store if you have one near you. They have a lot of things to choose from that can suit a variety of needs. Be sure to check out their standard acrylic risers, their Amac boxes, and the various display cases they sell (baseball cases, mini car cases. hockey puck cases, etc).
15. Should I keep my figures sealed?
That is, of course, up to you really, but here are a few things to keep in mind when debating this question:

• Keeping it sealed can actually damage your figure. PVC figures usually have something called plasticizer in them, and that plasticizer needs to be able to breath. If a PVC figure isn’t exposed to oxygen, after a period of time the plasticizer starts to break down and form a sticky substance on the surface of the figure. Simply opening your figures and taking them out of the box prevents this from happening. If you happen to find plasticizer goo on one of your figures, Kahotan has a handy guide for dealing with it.
• Unlike some other figure markets, keeping an anime figure sealed won’t raise its value by a whole lot. In fact, because of the plasticizer problem mentioned above, your figure could actually be in better condition if you open it versus keeping it sealed.

Finding the Right Figure(s) for You

16. What are "scales" and "prizes"? What is the difference between them?
Those are classifications for figures based on a few factors.

• "Prizes" are generally more simply produced figures which are intended to be given as prizes for playing arcade games. They are inexpensive and lack the detail of scale figures, though some prize figure lines have standouts which may approach lower-end scales in quality. That is uncommon and often depends on the individual figure.
• "Scales" are called such because they are nominally designed to be proportional to the dimensions of the character which they are based on. They are generally of much better manufacture and materials than prize figures, allowing for more detail in painting, accessories, or complex poses.
• "Trading" figures appear in gashapon machines or as blind boxes on shop counters, often as sets which include multiple characters. As suggested by the class name, the randomness encourages trading. They are usually very inexpensively-produced, though as with prizes, some series are better than others.
• "Non-scale" encompasses a variety of other categories. It is often used to describe poseable figure lines such as figma and Nendoroids.

In recent years producers such as Good Smile Company attempted to further bridge the gap between prize quality and scales by introducing figure lines which are intended to be moderately-priced while retaining a higher level of detail than the typical prize figure, to varying levels of success.
17. There are so many figure companies! Who makes good figures?!
Obviously this is a very subjective question, but as a general starting point, here are a few well renowned figure companies:

• Alter
• Max Factory
• Good Smile Company
• Kotobukiya (usually hit or miss for people. Use your best judgement based off of the prototype)
• Flare
• Stronger

18. I really love “series X / character X”- how can I check if any figures were ever made for it?
My Figure Collection can be your best friend here. Simply do a search on the name of the series or character using the search bar located at the top right of the screen, and all associated figures pop up!
Alternatively, if you’re looking at a figure’s MFC entry, most of the text under the “Details” section can be clicked on and used to run a search.
19. How can I commission a custom figure?
None of the major figure companies (Alter, Kotobukiya, Good Smile Company, etc.) will take a commission for a single figure. This thread has a few websites in it that you can check out, or you can look into garage kits. Some kit painters would be willing to resculpt, frankenstein together, or otherwise modify kits for the right price.
If you're looking for help completing a garage kit, /brushforhire may be useful.

Keeping Up with New Announcements

20. How can I keep up with figure news (announcements, updates, etc.)?
Most people use a MFC combined with any or all of the following news sites:

• Neko Magic
• Alter’s Blog (In Japanese)
• Kahotan’s Blog (Only GSC and their sister companies)

Many figure companies are active on Twitter, so following them there is recommended for quicker news.
To use MFC for this I’ll quote question #9.

If you make an account on MFC you can also subscribe to comments, changes, and pictures via a checkbox on the right hand side of a figure’s listing. Subscribing to any of these things will allow MFC to send you an email anytime the subscription in question updates. Subscribing to “changes” is a great way to keep up with release dates and delays, among other things.

Most companies have one or more Twitter accounts. Some examples: Good Smile Company sales, Good Smile's USA branch, Max Factory, AmiAmi Hobby News.
21. Everyone’s excited about something called Wonfes….. what the heck is that?!
WonFes (short for Wonder Festival) is a biannual figure expo where many figure producers (both large and small) show off new sculpts and updates to figures already under way. Most companies save their most exciting announcements for WonFes, so we all look forward to the expo whenever it rolls around! Winter Wonder Festival is usually held in February, while Summer Wonder Festival is usually in July. The event has also spread to Shanghai, in the late spring.
22. One or two (or 15) figures were announced at WonFes that I’m really excited about! How can I keep track of their progress once the event is over?
MFC is always really quick about getting new WonFes announcements (or any others throughout the year, for that matter) listed in their database, so we suggest using that. To find a figure from the event you can search any number of things, including the name of the character or the name of the show. You can also use the tag search to search “WonderFestival 20xx_[season]” to see all items announced at that event.

The 1950s Yankee dynasty had some great hitters -- Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Moose Skowron, Hank Bauer, Gil McDougald, just to name a few -- but the key to going to eight World Series between 1950 and 1959 (and winning six of them) was a pitching staff that led the league in ERA in five of those 10 seasons -- and in the top three in all 10!
Whitey Ford was the ace of the staff, going an unbelievable 121-50 (.708 W%) with a 2.66 ERA (140 ERA+) between 1950 and 1959. And that was with Casey Stengel often skipping Ford against weaker teams to save him for tougher match-ups, meaning that most of those wins came against top competition. In 1956, for example, the Chairman of the Board had 10 starts against teams with losing records, and 20 starts against teams with records of .500 or better. He went 7-1 with a 2.27 ERA against the losers, and 12-5 with a 2.59 ERA against the winners!
But behind Ford were some pretty good if less famous pitchers, including Allie Reynolds, Eddie Lopat, Tommy Byrne, and Bob Grim. And another, even lesser known hurler won two rings as a key member of the Yankee rotation: Tom Sturdivant.
A hard enough thrower in his youth that he got the nickname "Smoke," by the time Sturdivant reached the Yankees he was called "Snake" because of the way his pitches moved. He threw a curve that broke away from right-handed batters, a screwball that broke away from lefties, a sinking fastball, and a looping change-up. All were good pitches, but none of them was great. Ted Williams was asked how Sturdivant was so successful without overpowering stuff, and he replied:

"Maybe he hasn’t got a thing. But I notice one thing. He keeps winning."

Eventually he did find a thing, though. Particularly later in his career, Sturdivant became known for his knuckleball. He would call it his "money pitch." He also complained about the pitch like an unruly pet, saying "it just won't act right 'til late in the season."
Born in Gordon, Kansas, on April 28, 1930, Thomas Virgil Sturdivant grew up in Oklahoma City and attended Capitol Hill High School. Sturdivant was signed by Yankee scout Tom Greenwade, who also signed another kid from Oklahoma, Mickey Mantle. Like Mantle, Sturdivant was signed as an infielder. But Sturdivant also was a pretty good pitcher as a teenager, as Greenwade told a reporter:

"Used to be a high-school pitcher in Oklahoma City, you know. And one of the greatest. He set some kind of record. More than 100 innings without being scored on."

Sturdivant struggled to hit his first few seasons as an infielder in the minors, hitting .246 in 281 at-bats in 1950. He then spent all of 1951 and much of 1952 in the U.S. Army, and -- as happened to most major leaguers drafted into the service -- spent most of his time playing baseball for a base team. (As Whitey Ford once said: "Army life was rough. Would you believe it, they actually wanted me to pitch three times a week!") Sturdivant's success pitching in the Army, as well as a leg injury that cost him some of his running speed, convinced him he should ask the Yankees to try him at pitching.

"I knew I wasn't getting anywhere, batting .246 in Class B, so I decided I'd better try something else if I wanted to stay in baseball, which I did, badly."

He returned from the Army in time to pitch 86 innings with the Yankees' Double-A affiliate, the Beaumont Roughnecks, and went 3-3 with a 3.56 ERA. His days as an infielder were over.
Sturdivant went 10-7 with a 2.98 ERA in Double-A the following season, and 8-9 with a 3.57 ERA in Triple-A the year after that. Yankee pitcher Allie Reynolds, a fellow graduate of Capitol Hill High School in Oklahoma City who had gone 20-8 for the Yankees in 1952, had retired after the 1954 season. That winter, he worked with Sturdivant and told him he might make the Yankees in spring. Sturdivant's hard work that off-season impressed manager Casey Stengel. "We learned that he can be a fighter, and that's what we want with this club," he said.
He made the team out of spring training and made his major league debut on April 14 against the Red Sox at Fenway Park -- Boston's home opener. Bob Grim started the game and was bombed for five runs on seven hits through six innings. Sturdivant entered the game in the 7th, with the score 5-2, and gave up another run. The Yankees battled back in the bottom of the 8th, scoring two runs on back-to-back singles from Elston Howard and Jerry Coleman to make it a two-run game, but Sturdivant gave up a two-run single in the 8th to pitcher Ellis Kinder to put the game out of reach again, and the Yankees lost, 8-4.
In 33 games that year, Sturdivant posted a 3.16 ERA and a 1.302 WHIP, not bad for a rookie. He didn't give up a lot of hits, but he did walk 41 men in 68.1 innings. Stengel didn't mind that, though. In a 2020 article, "Big Walkers", Bill James wrote about how Stengel employed a strategy of "pitching around" power hitters. When a slugger was at the plate, pitchers were coached to work the edges of the plate, not giving him anything good to hit. He might chase pitches and strike out... he might hit something off the end of the bat... or he might walk. Any of the three, in Stengel's opinion, was a better outcome than throwing a pitch down the middle to a guy who could hit it 450 feet.
As a result, the Yankees often were near the top in walks allowed -- but also in fewest home runs allowed. And also in double plays. And also, not coincidentally, in earned run average.
In his five seasons with the Yankees, Sturdivant walked 221 batters in 524.1 innings (3.8 BB/9), but only gave up 45 home runs (0.8 H9). He also induced 44 double plays. James, in looking at what made the Yankees successful in the 1950s, discovered that they had a huge differential in HR-GIDP. In 1955, Sturdivant's first year in the league, the Yankees hit 175 home runs, and grounded into 101 double plays (+74). Yankee opponents had 108 home runs, and grounded in 145 double plays (-37). In 1956, the Yankes were +86, their opponents -53.
James wrote:

This is not a typical championship team pattern. In many areas, the 1950s Yankees were just an ordinary team. They really had only one outstanding starting pitcher, while Cleveland usually had three or four. But the Yankees huge advantages in Home Runs vs. Double Plays enabled them to win almost every year.

Sturdivant rode this strategy to back-to-back 16-win seasons, going 16-8 with a 3.30 ERA (118 ERA+) in 1956, and 16-6 with a 2.54 ERA (142 ERA+) in 1957.
After those two great seasons, though, Sturdivant's career went up in... well... smoke.
In Spring Training 1958, he held out for a raise, eventually signing for $18,000, a $4,000 raise from what he'd made the year before. He gave up 10 runs in his first two starts of the year, and then missed a month with a sore arm. When he came back, he was hit hard in his next three starts, and was banished to the bullpen. After a pretty good month (8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K), he was put back into the rotation, and went 3-2 with a 3.31 ERA in 32.2 innings, but his arm still wasn't quite right, and he missed some time in August due to a heel injury. He was on the World Series roster in 1958, but didn't pitch.
All off season there were rumors that Sturdivant was on the trading block, and after another slow start -- 0-2 with a 4.97 ERA, and still bothered by his sore arm -- he was dealt to the Yankees' favorite trading partner in the late 1950s, the Kansas City Athletics. "Snake", along with Jerry Lumpe and Johnny Kucks, was dealt for Ralph Terry and previously forgotten Yankee Hector Lopez -- a pretty good deal for the Yankees, as Terry and Lopez helped the Yankees to five straight pennants and two championships between 1960 and 1964. Lumpe, a little used utility player with the Yankees, proved to be a solid regular for the Athletics and then an All-Star with the Tigers in 1964. But Kucks, an All-Star with the Yankees in 1956, was done, going 12-21 with a 4.78 ERA (84 ERA+) in two seasons with the Athletics, and was out of baseball after the 1960 season.
Sturdivant would hang around another five seasons, and pitch for six different teams! He went from the Athletics to the Senators -- not the original Senators, who were now the Twins, but the expansion team founded in 1961 that would become the Rangers in 1972 -- then the Pirates, the Tigers, back to the Athletics, and then rejoined Casey Stengel on the Mets in 1964. Over that stretch he went 21-20 with a 4.16 ERA and 1.301 WHIP as a swingman.
The 34-year-old Sturdivant announced prior to the 1964 season he was running for the Oklahoma State Senate and that he'd quit baseball if elected in November. The Mets beat him to it, though, releasing him in May after he posted a 5.97 ERA in 28.2 innings. Maybe more as a campaign ploy, in July Sturdivant signed with the Oklahoma City 89ers. He went 6-3 with a 3.89 ERA and 1.365 WHIP in 74.0 innings. He lost the election, and retired from baseball.
After that, Sturdivant owned a trucking company and tried to drum up support for the Hall of Fame case for his old mentor Allie Reynolds.
In 2000, the 69-year-old Sturdivant was in a serious car accident. Someone -- he never learned who -- found him on the roadside, thrown from his truck after it had rolled five times. When the ambulance arrived, they thought he was dead. They strapped his body to a stretcher and loaded him into an ambulance.
Sturdivant told sportswriter Brian Jensen:

"When we were driving to the hospital, I was in the back and they had me strapped down and I guess when I came to, I raised my head and I said, 'hey could y'all call my wife for me,' and the driver almost jumped out of the van. It just wasn't time for me to go."

He had broken his back, both hips, his pelvic bone, his tailbone, multiple ribs, and had a punctured lung. He never recovered.
"I don't have a life," Sturdivant said. "You know, I have a hard time remembering a lot of stuff and I'm kind of slow. I kind of have little spells where I pass out and have a hard time walking straight."
Sturdivant died on February 28, 2009.
Smoke Show:

• According to a 2010 article in Sports Illustrated, Mickey Mantle hurt himself while playing golf with Sturdivant in 1957. Sturdivant must have been having a better game than Mantle was, because at some point the Mick threw his putter in frustration. The putter hit a tree and knocked off a large branch, and then either the putter or the branch landed on Mantle's leg, giving him a nasty cut. Mantle missed five games due to what the Yankees told reporters at the time was "shin splits."
  
• Another key starting pitcher for the Yankees in the early 1950s: Forgotten Yankee Vic Raschi, "The Springfield Rifle." Raschi had one of the all-time great lines about pitching: "My best pitch is anything the batter grounds, lines, or pops in the direction of Rizzuto."
  
• Sturdivant wore #47 all five years he was with the Yankees. He was, according to baseball-reference.com, the first Yankee to wear the number. The number is currently assigned to Frankie Montas; prior to that, it was worn by Jordan Montgomery. Other #47's include Ivan Nova, Shane Spencer, Dave Silvestri, and Roy Fontenot. Luis Arroyo, the Yankee closer from 1960 to 1963, wore #47.
  
• In addition to Tom Sturdivant and Allie Reynolds, the other graduates of Capitol Hill High School to play in the majors were 1960s outfielder Don Demeter, 1950s infielder Jerry Snyder, and 1980s outfielder George Wright, though none played for the Yankees. The Yankees signed another pitcher out of Capitol Hill High School, a righty named Bob Shipman, but he never made the majors despite going 32-14 between 1953 and 1955 in the Yankee system.
  
• Demeter later became a pastor in Oklahoma City, and Sturdivant was a member of his church!
  
• The Yankees almost released Sturdivant early in the 1956 season. Hoping to sneak him back down to the minors, the Yankees put him on waivers, but Detroit manager Bucky Harris put in a claim for him. Harris had been the Yankee manager prior to Casey Stengel, and after leaving the Yankees went to the Senators, where he had picked up a number of former Yankee pitchers -- Bob Porterfield, Fred Sanford, Tom Ferrick, and Spec Shea. (They also acquired previously forgotten Yankee Jackie Jensen.) For whatever reason, ex-Yankee pitchers on the Senators seemed to dramatically improve. Now Harris was on the Tigers, and wanted Sturdivant. Thinking Harris must know something, the Yankees pulled him back. Apparently Harris did know something, as Sturdivant went 32-14 with a 2.88 ERA over the next two seasons!
  
• In the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Sturdivant started Game 4, and did what he usually did: He gave up six walks, but no home runs, and got a double play. He went the distance and the Yankees won the game, 6-2, to even the World Series at two games each. After the game, the Associated Press called it "the best pitching job in the series." Sturdivant's glory was short-lived, however: the next day, Don Larsen threw a perfect game.
  
• The infielder turned pitcher because he couldn't hit was a pretty good hitter for a pitcher in 1956, when he hit .313 with a double and a triple in 64 at-bats. Overall, though, he hit just .183/.208/.195 in 364 career plate appearances. Moving to the mound was a good decision!
  
• No relation, and spelled differently anyway: Tyler Sturdevant, who pitched in the minors for the Indians from 2009 to 2015. He finally made his debut with the Rays in 2016, at age 30, with a not-bad 3.93 ERA and 1.309 WHIP in 18.1 innings. The following year he was in the A's system, but he never got another trip of the Show.
  

Sturdivant remained a Yankee for life. After his playing days were over and he was living in Oklahoma, he was an early adopter of a subscription service that allowed him to watch Yankee games!

hi so i’m taking the mcat for the 3rd time now and i’m getting really anxious about how it’s gonna go. When I was doing my practice tests i was getting 510+ but then when the real deal came, i didn’t even break a 500. This happened twice. And now i’m starting to think like what if it happens again? Is it all worth it?!?!? It seems like after putting so much time and effort, it’s just not working out!
For my first take (it was second year summer, studied 3 and a half months but was working and took orgo in the summer) - I heavily focused on content for the first 1.5 months since it took a long time for me to get through the material. I had a strong understanding for chem but everything else was pretty new to me - I did about 10 practice tests (all of AAMC + Blueprint FL and Diagnostic tests) all ranged around 505-515 - I bought uworld and did some questions but didn’t end up finishing all of it. - I did the JW cars daily but that’s about it until I reached AAMC material - I found that I didn’t review my practice exams properly- I didn’t make any anki cards and gave up on having a log system of tracking my mistakes - I did the miledown anki but i started like only one month before my exam and i don’t think it worked the best
For my first retake (third year summer): - I studied full time for 3 months and took about 12 practice exams. All ranging 510+ and in the range i wanted. - I didn’t make anki cards for my mistakes but I reviewed the exams with more time - I finished all the uWorld questions and thought it helped me - I didn’t memorize the physics equations properly so i did my chem section on the actual exam, I freaked out and started guessing for all the questions - I also tried doing JW daily and did about 3-4 passages a day. - I also did a bunch of Jack westin questions to solidify my knowledge but i started doing this near the end of content review
Right Now (my SECOND RETAKE): - Studying for 2 months only - Doing 3 passages daily for CARS, made my own anki flashcards while going through Kaplan textbooks, did 30 questions on Jack Westin for each chapter i did while doing content review. After that, I reviewed my anki flashcards every day. Occasionally i would read the miledown review sheet for stuff i was confused on. Tried watching youtube videos to solidify any hard concepts. Focused on memorizing all physics equations (i also just finished taking the second physics in april so i remember stuff from it) - For the last month, I’m just grinding by doing questions from the AAMC and really trying to know every single question they ask and the reasoning behind it - I’m reviewing the Anki miledown deck and set a deadline so I can finish it before my test date. Which means i’m doing about 1000 cards a day :( But i’m finding Anki to be super helpful - I’m continuing to do 3-4 passages a day for CARS - I think i have to do about 8 practice exams only - I’m also going through the miledown review sheet and kaplan review sheets to make sure i am remembering everything - Unfortunately all of this takes me about 10-12 hours of studying a day. Somehow idk how i’m not burnt out yet but i’m just telling myself that i’m giving this my last try
Does anyone have any tips on anything I should do or change ? My goal is a 510+ ideally a 515. I have been getting it during my practice tests but i’m scared that going from less than a 500 to 510+ seems unrealistic. Ugh this has been a long journey and to everyone struggling too i’m rooting for you guys ❤️

... if I put a strip of metal on the back of my phone case to attach it to a magnetic phone holder in my car, when I hold the phone in my hand, I feel like the piece of metal is stinging my fingers, not like sharp edges cutting, more like burning....is that a thing?

Hanazuki and Miyuki hadn't returned.
That didn't bode well. And although Impero retained her lazy, almost laid-back disposition, one could see the unease crinkling at the corner of her eyes, her brow dipped into a frown as she mulled over what happened – before, after only a brief delay, sent out a team to check up on them.
The main fleet was starting to become a bit stretched, however. Although they were several dozen in number over half of them were spread out in a forward fan shape as they progressed towards their main objective. As such only four could be spared to go hunt for their missing Destroyer duo – a party consisting of four cruisers; two light and two heavy. Enough firepower to handle most of what the island had thrown at them thus far, but not so much that it granted them overconfidence.
Not that she'd ever fall prey to overconfidence, Birmingham thought to herself.
The red-haired cruiser wandered through the forest with fast strides, her jog slowing as she took a moment to assess her surroundings. She was near the junction where Hanazuki and Miyuki had gone – a fact confirmed when she spotted the bushes nearby had been trampled by rudder-ended boots, the tracks still fresh. However there was no signs of a struggle, indicating that if there was anything wrong then it happened deeper into the forest.
Birmingham glanced behind her. Boise followed close behind her, shy and skittish, whilst a step behind was Maya and Ashigara – two Heavy Cruisers from the Sakura Empire. She could appreciate Maya's seriousness about the matter, especially with her skilful swordsmanship, but she was a little more sceptical about Ashigara's. Though a Myouko-class cruiser she seemed rather skittish in this environment; chasing shadows and flinching at every distant shell fired. She wasn't scared per se, but it was clear that the nigh-suicidal onslaught of monsters had rattled her slightly.
As if sharing the same thought Maya looked back at her companion, nudging her. ''Relax. Stay focused.''
Ashigara started a little but hurriedly nodded; drawing in a cleansing breath and managing to regain some of her nerve. Birmingham hummed at that and looked ahead, silently leading her companions further into the woods. It wasn't long until the land descended into a natural basin, and a quick search yielded results, albeit not the ones they were hoping for.
Torn clothes. Broken bits of rigging. Even blood, in some cases. The girls had been attacked here, of that there was no doubt, but the absence of bodies was unnerving.
''Either they managed to escape and went further in, or they were dragged off.'' Maya made her thoughts clear, staring pointedly at Birmingham. They had to go further.
Grimacing Birmingham nodded her assent, continuing to lead her small sortie group ahead. It almost felt weird leading two Heavy Cruisers, given flagship roles usually went to the capital ships, but she wasn't complaining – maybe Impero thought she had better commanding skills. That, or the carrier was just too lazy to do an in-depth assessment of their skills and just gave her the role on a whim. Which, considering they needed to find their missing comrades ASAP, she supposed was somewhat warranted. Find the injured first, bicker about command roles later.
Shaking her head to dispel the thought Birmingham focused on the other end of the basin, reaching it soon enough. Vines, moss and other bits hung from the slanted rock but it felt surprisingly firm, refusing to budge when she tugged and emboldening her to use them as climbing tools – grunting as she hauled herself up bit by bit. The others followed her carefully, making sure not to overload the edge of the basin lest their combined weight cause the dirt and stone to crumble, but in the end they all reached the top of the basin without issue.
''Where to now...?'' Boise spoke up, her face-mask muffling her voice somewhat.
'Where to indeed.' Birmingham frowned, looking about. Unlike before there was no convenient trail of blood, just a vast green in all directions, broken up only by the thick wood of the trees.
Ashigara broke the quiet. ''Do you think they went down to the coast? It's not that far, and if they got on the water they'd be safe from the monsters.''
''Possibly.'' Maya conceded with a frown. ''But if so, then they would've given us a signal of some kind.''
''Maybe they did, but just after we left?'' Ashigara floated the idea.
Birmingham frowned, however; her eyes scanning the grass in the opposite direction of the ocean. Now that she looked closer she could spot finer details she'd initially overlooked; the grass trudged down by monster footprints, partially hidden by the overgrowth. When she did a little loop around their area though she noticed a second trail, one that went towards the ocean.
''Two paths.'' Birmingham voiced her thoughts grimly. ''...this almost smells like a trap.''
''Doubtful.'' Maya weighed in, thumbing the handle of her katana idly. ''These monsters don't seem to have enough intelligence for that. Ambush? Yes. Luring in with footprints? That's too advanced for them.''
Birmingham had to agree with that. Though some of the monsters that had attacked them showed intelligence, it was of the more bestial kind. Encirclement, probing attacks, wave attacks, that sort of thing. Primitive and basic but effective in some sense; if they kept it up for long enough they'd eventually run out of ammo, not that the monsters could know that. Still, something like luring stragglers away from the main fleet felt a bit too above their intelligence level.
''Should we split up then?'' Birmingham murmured. ''The whole reason Impero sent us together was for you to support us...''
''True.'' Maya sighed. ''Still, I'd rather not have to backtrack and look in two places at once, especially when their lives on the line. Every second we spend here is another that could be their last.''
A grimace marred Birmingham's visage and she nodded. ''Fine. You go check the one nearer the coast, we'll go further inland. Ripple fire into the sky if you find them, we'll meet back up here, or fall back into the basin if attacked.''
''Sounds good to me. Good luck.'' Maya turned and fast-walked down the other faint path. ''Ashigara, let's go. You take the lead.''
''R-Right!''
Birmingham watched the Heavy Cruiser go, almost wanting to go back on her word and stick with them – but she quashed such feelings. Time was of the essence here – what did safety matter if they only found Hanazuki and Miyuki's remains? Nodding at that she spared a sharp look at Boise, earning a shaky nod from her peer, before as one they fast-walked towards the deeper parts of the forest.
'Please be safe, you two...'
X-x-X
Boise wasn't sure how long they'd been walking. Five, ten, fifteen minutes?
The forest around them grew slightly thicker but otherwise it remained identical to the section of forest before it. From time to time they'd pass near a river but monsters seemed to lurk near it, either for a drink or drawn in by the sound, she didn't know. Regardless they kept their distance and sneaked around what monsters they could, both to avoid detection and to save ammo.
Just as Boise was beginning to worry that their search was fruitless, though, they discovered something new – a burrow. That in itself wasn't the weirdest thing – the monsters probably had to sleep somewhere – but what was notable was that a Lizardman crawled out of the depression in the ground and skittered off into the forest, no doubt to look for more prey. The pair of them stayed still in a bush, not a breath escaping them until the yellow-scaled Lizardman was long out-of-sight, allowing the pair to breathe freely.
''S-Should we check it out...?'' Boise tentatively asked. The idea of going into a burrow was a highly unsettling one, especially if the monsters came back, but after searching for so long this was the most likely place for Miyuki and Hanazuki to have been taken to.
Birmingham grimaced, then nodded. Quiet as she could she crept out from their hiding spot and crouched low as she crossed the tiny clearing. The burrow was just next to a tree; the thick roots spreading out in all directions and with some foliage hanging over it like camouflage, doing little to hide the depression in the dirt that went down like a slide. It was about as slippery as one too; her footwear struggling to get a firm grip on the dew-covered grass, forcing her to get down on her hands and knees and crawl down.
Darkness quickly engulfed her as she passed under the hanging roots, only the dim gloom of the sky outside to light her way. As her eyes adjusted though she was surprised to see this was not some tiny dirt burrow fit for a single, but an entire, expansive room that networked into others. Shy of about six feet high and probably about eight or nine feet wide in diameter it was unsettlingly spacious, though then again considering the size of the Lizardmen she supposed they'd need a bigger burrow than a traditional lizard.
However she could hear something. A distant noise, faint but repetitive. Breathing? No, it was sharper than that. Wheezing. Wounded? Maybe.
Grimacing Birmingham rose to her feet, waiting for Boise to join her before she began to trek towards the leftmost tunnel. It was painfully narrow, forcing her to de-summon her rigging just to fit through, not that her rigging would do her any good underground. She'd sooner bury herself alive than kill anything outright. The thought sent a chill up her spine but she tried to ignore how defenceless she was right now – she'd been in situations like this. Situations where firepower wasn't enough, so stealth wasn't just an option, but a necessity.
The tunnel grew slightly narrower, eventually tapering off but with dirt piles around the floor, as if it was still being excavated. However Birmingham's main focus was on the suspicious sound, her footsteps slowing and growing quieter as she neared the edge of a doorway; the arch having nothing to hide her as she poked her head around-
-and found Hanazuki and Miyuki.
Naked.
With Lizardmen on top of them.
The sight made her freeze up, shocked silent. For a long moment she just stood there and watched as the two lizards mating-pressed the naked Destroyers into the dirt; harsh smacks of flesh mixed with their animalistic grunts. However while Miyuki was worryingly silent, unconscious, Hanazuki was not – soft, defeated whimpers escaping her every time the Lizardman pressed its cock down into her depths, squelching its fluid out of her but not pushing any of its eggs out.
Birmingham got over her shock quickly though, anger soon to take root. Was it because these monsters all seemed to be male, was that why they'd taken two Ship-Girls and... bred them? To repopulate their numbers? The prospect was worryingly high but Birmingham soon crushed such thoughts; silently walking out into the small, enclosed space, one just big enough for her rigging to manifest.
She wouldn't be able to shoot it, but that didn't mean she was defenceless. Far from it.
Rearing her right hip back she tensed – and then just as the leftmost Lizardman raised its head she swung, smashing the side of her rigging into its head. Its skull dented inwards and the creature fell to one side, thrashing, but she wasn't looking at it anymore; her eyes darting to the right Lizardman. It noticed her and had the benefit of her being a foot or two away, pulling its glistening cock from Miyuki's abused folds as it stood.
Then Birmingham was in front of it, punching it straight in the throat. The humanoid staggered and clasped as its throat, gargling in surprise, but its moment of surprise was enough for her to smash her rigging into it and knock it down. It was dazed but far from dead, forcing her to stomp down on its head – gritting her teeth as she put every ounce of strength into it.
Thud-!
Thud-!
Thud-!
'Die dammit!' She could hear the other Lizardman, injured but alive, rising back to its feet.
Finally one more brutal stomp crushed the creature's skull in properly. She felt sick as blood and viscera spurted up her shin but anger and fear was a good deterrent; keeping her last meal down as she spun – just in time too, as the other Lizardman staggered over to her, claws out and a snarl on its dented face, bone poking out from between uprooted scales.
Until Boise stepped in, squeaking as she rammed into its side. It hit its head on the dirt wall and fell between Miyuki and Hanazuki, snarling and shifting, but a solid kick to its skull from Birmingham made a disgusting crack sound, and its head went limp, Broken skull, snapped neck, she neither knew nor cared. All that mattered was that it was dead.
Birmingham released a heavy breath. ''Thanks.''
''I-It's fine.'' Boise answered but sounded shaken. Birmingham didn't blame her – whether because of her own actions or the sight of Hanazuki and Miyuki, this was just... just a mess.
She squirmed as she felt blood dribble down into her shoe. 'Don't think about it, get these two out and signal Maya. Move.'
Her own orders helped motivate her and she hurried over to Hanazuki, leaving the unconscious Miyuki to Boise. When she knelt by the pink-haired fox-girl she winced at the array of still-bleeding cuts marring her body, be it on her medium-sized breasts, along her stomach and sides or even on her hips and thighs; the creature's claws clearly having held her many a times. She pointedly ignored looking at the overflowing whiteness leaking out of the Destroyer's pussy too, instead taking her cape off and draping it over Hanazuki.
''We'll get you out.'' Birmingham said shortly as she tied the cape.
Hanazuki tried to say something but was too overcome by emotion – relief, fear, anxiety and shame, all of it twisting into a sobbing mess that tugged on Birmingham's heartstrings.
Alas just as she scooped the fox-girl up she heard it – movement, outside the burrow. The sound made her nearly curse and she hurriedly evaluated her options. Only one way in or out, using her guns would likely bury them alive – and for all Ship-Girls were lauded for their strength they still needed to breathe – whilst the Lizardmen had no such issues; equipped with claws that were well-suited to cramped spaces like these. And with them carrying Hanazuki and Miyuki they wouldn't be able to fight beyond maybe a kick at best, and she hardly doubted that'd be enough to do anything but baffle a Lizardman.
She drew in a breath and hissed through her teeth, pulling Hanazuki close to her chest. If they were going to escape they couldn't find – and couldn't hide either. No, they needed to run. To brute force their way through. No riggings, no weapons. Just sheer momentum to blitz past them.
''Boise.'' Birmingham whispered, watching as the bustier cruiser gently cradled Miyuki. ''When I leave this room we run. Don't stop to fight, don't try and help me if I fall, just charge straight past anything in your way until we get to the surface. We can't fight them down here.''
Boise gave her a worried look and she felt Hanazuki clutch at her, but when the bustier woman hesitantly nodded Birmingham moved – fast-walking into the hallway and darting down the corridor, building speed as she gave up stealth and just charged. The noise attracted attention and she heard skittering-
-and then a Lizardman was there, leaping from its hiding spot with a snarl. It didn't get the chance to grab her before Birmingham ran bodily into it, Hanazuki crying out in fear as she was squished between them – before her momentum knocked the monster onto its back. Birmingham didn't stop to attack it though and kept running, reaching the slope out and running up it-
But she'd forgotten. It was slippery, uneven. Boots wouldn't grip easily, especially going up.
So when her boots slipped out from under her Birmingham couldn't deny the jolt of fear that shot up her spine, losing her grip momentarily until she grabbed at the uneven mass of dirt and grass, nearly dropping Hanazuki had the Destroyer not been holding onto her so tightly. Using her newfound handhold she propelled herself up further, hearing Boise behind her-
''Hwah?!''
When Boise screamed in fear. Birmingham jerked her head to one side, looking back, and very nearly cursed as she saw Boise be dragged back by her shin – the Lizardman she'd left behind already recovered. Instantly her plan was in tatters; if she kept going she was leaving Boise and Miyuki to their fate, and if she stayed she'd likely be blocked off-
Too late; another Lizardman at the top of the slope lunging down at her. Birmingham had no choice but to fall back, throwing Hanazuki to one side and hearing the fox-girl land with a pained yelp, but she ignored that for now – her attention fully on the monster lunging down at her, landing just shy of her thanks to her momentum throwing her back. However by the time she stood it was there, throwing itself at her faster than she could summon her rigging and snatching her wrists, pinning her down.
Panic rose up within her, memories of what happened to Hanazuki and Miyuki mere minutes ago flashing through her mind. With force she kicked her legs out, hitting the monster's stomach but the scales killed most of the force, its hissing snarl sending a chill up her spine – and a pained cry fled her lips when it tightened its hold, threatening to crush her wrists with its strength.
Then it suddenly shifted both her arms up, pinning them together with just one hand – freeing its other and allowing it to rake its claws down her front. Cloth gave way frighteningly easily and soon her dress was in two parts, splitting open down the middle and laying bare her dark blue underwear, the thought heating her cheeks up. However that same embarrassment turned into fear as she saw the Lizardman's cock swell between its leg, long and thick, prompting her to try and kick it in the groin – but the creature had enough sense to block such attacks, ripping her panties off at the same time.
'No...' Birmingham felt dizzy as her nether regions were exposed to the damp, musky air, her struggles becoming even more vicious as the monster leaned over her, the tip of its dick rubbing against her folds.
Rubbing, not penetration. Teasing her. Taunting her.
Birmingham gritted her teeth, her breathing short and fast as the bulbous tip of its shaft rubbed against her pussy lips, went high and rubbed up her groin before coming back down again. Her struggles did little to stop it but it gave her some minor amount of confidence, of control; her legs closing as much as she could with it between them, hips lifting and falling as she kept it away from her private parts as best she-
The tip teased her opening – and Birmingham screamed as it suddenly went in. It felt thicker than she expected, parting her virginal walls and hilting inside her in a single, harsh thrust, knocking the air out of her. The pain came a second later but she barely had a moment to soak it in before the monster yanked its cock halfway out only to slam right back into her deflowered pussy, forcing a shout of pain out of Birmingham.
She struggled once more, kicking and twisting and flailing, but the Lizardman just snarled in her face and kept moving, roughly burying itself into her. It didn't care that her legs flailed on either side of its hips, that her hips lifted and fell unevenly in some attempt to make its dick slip out – it just kept pressing its body down against hers and mated with her, thrusting its thick girth into her and making Birmingham cry out in pain.
''Gh! Mnph-!'' Biting her tongue until it bled Birmingham threw her head from side to side, enduring the stabbing pain in her loins – the deep, repeated impacts to her cervix as the Lizardman had its way with her.
As it defiled her.
She tried to push it out, to ignore it as best she could. Even when the Lizardman hissed and snarled in her ear Birmingham didn't give it the satisfaction of hearing her cry out, her teeth on her tongue as she took the pounding – its meaty cock spearing between her despoiled petals and hilting in her innermost parts, sending jolts right up her stomach and banging her head on the dirt, but she didn't react. She just laid there and took it like the good little broodmare it wanted her to be, waiting for an opening, a chance to knock its lights out and get help.
She felt it throb inside of her quickly, its shaft swelling against her sore insides and its tip kissing her depths, the realisation hitting – and no sooner had it before the Lizardman snarled and impregnated her. A flood of warm fluid poured into her depths, thick and sticky like semen but lacking sperm. In their place though she felt many tiny eggs push up into her womb, nestling against her depths in a torrent, nearly making her sick as she realised she'd been claimed, just like the others.
Even if she escaped this hole, the monster's seed would remain within her, making her its unwilling mother for its brood.
Birmingham was torn from her thoughts though her wrists were released – and no sooner had they been freed did a meaty hand grab her hair, yanking her upright. The cruiser cried out in pain but it gave her some weird clarity, feeling more than seeing space behind her. Her opening. She called upon her rigging and it manifested, finally having the space, her guns trained and ready to fire-
But she never saw the Lizardman behind her. The moment it spotted her rigging it attacked with vigour, seething out a wet breath as it raked its claws through her turrets, instantly incapacitating them. Birmingham flinched and tried to fire but her guns wouldn't operate – and to her despair they were reduced to metal scraps within seconds, literally ripped off of her. The only reason she wasn't pulled back with them was the iron grip on her hair, and the dick she was still impaled upon.
As if to remind her of that the Lizardman holding her sneered in her face, shifting both hands to her hips and holding tight... and Birmingham froze as she felt a second cock poke her ass.
And then she screamed as the other Lizardman eagerly buried its cock in her ass – up until a third, sneering Lizardman came up to her left, shoving its cock in her mouth and pulling her hair, forcing it to pleasure it as its kin began to fucked her other holes, using her not solely for breeding, but also their own animalistic pleasure.
Her fate, forever, sealed.
X-x-X
Boise was just climbing the slope, her pace fast, when she felt the clawed hand curl around her ankle.
Then suddenly she was yanked back down, Miyuki tumbling from her grip as she instinctively reached to grab onto something. Nothing was to be found, however, and soon she found herself thrown to the dirty ground – the Lizardman on top if her. Boise flinched back, crawling back, but the monster just grabbed her left thigh and forcefully lifted it up – its other hand going up her dress and grabbing her crotch.
Before with the harsh tear of cloth it ripped her panties off. Her heart skipped a beat – but unlike Birmingham she didn't have the fight, the fire, to keep moving. She froze up completely, paralysed with realisation and terror as the Lizardman got on top of her, and only when she felt something rub against her vagina did she snap out of it and begin to move-
''Agh!''
Then it was inside of her. Thick and solid it pushed apart her virgin insides, the pain sharp and intense enough to nearly make her black out for a split-second – her mind purged of all thought as the monster cock slammed into her, deflowering her. The shock lasted for just a few seconds though; banished the moment the monster dug its nails into her raised right thigh and began to fuck her properly; short, eager pumps burying it into her pussy.
''A-Ah! N-No, stop- mn!''
Her face mask muted her voice somewhat and gave it an echoing quality, making her pained cries all the more haunting as the monster pistoned itself into her, its flesh smacking against her own repeatedly and harshly. Through the tears in her eyes she spied multiple more Lizardmen returning, either drawn in by the sounds or the attack on their home, and to her despair a terrified Hanazuki was shoved up against the wall, her limbs flailing as he pleaded – before a thick, girthy cock forced itself into her defiled pussy, making her wail as the monster eagerly began to mate with her. Miyuki too wasn't spared, the unconscious girl rolled onto her front before the Lizardman began to mate with her prone-bone; smacking her small rear with every harsh thrust.
Boise was brought back to her own predicament though as another Lizardman knelt by her face. Its large clawed hand grabbed her mask without warning and pulled hard, lifting her head with it, prompting her to reflexively pull back... until with a harsh snap her mask's straps broke, causing it to fly off and to the side. Boise opened her mouth to cry out but before she could do that something touched her lips – and then something thick shoved itself into her mouth. Boise's eyes bulged and she cried out in alarm, the noise muted as the two Lizardmen eagerly began to spitroasted her on her side, their scales smacking against her flesh and filling the quaint burrow. Her thigh began to bleed from how harshly the monster gripped it but the pain was nothing compared to the ache in her loins, its dick slamming up against her cervix relentlessly.
''Mmph~! Mrph!'' Boise frantically flailed her hands about, trying to grab and push, desperation hastening her motions but hampering her aim.
Until eventually the Lizardman defiling her mouth just grabbed her wrists and held them down, snarling as it slammed between her lips, hurting her teeth and thrusting down her gullet, choking her. Her raspy, spluttering breaths did little to deter the overgrown lizard from face-fucking her though, bruising her nose with every harsh impact and sending stars flashing behind her eyes; not helped by the thick shaft plunging up into her womanhood.
Suddenly her left wrist was freed – the reason becoming evident as the newfound claw raked at her chest, ripping the cloth apart and revealing her large, squishy tits to the monsters. Boise barely had the time to feel self-conscious before her right tit was grabbed and squeezed harshly, forcing a muffled cry out of the cruiser as her tit was manhandled, her head shaking as best she could with a dick going down her throat.
Then suddenly she was forced onto her back completely, the Lizardman coming with her as it straddled her collarbone and grabbed her head with both hands, hissing in delight as it forced its meaty cock down her throat. Boise's eyes watered but she could do nothing but take it, her eyes soon screwing shut just so she didn't have to look at the monster's groin – acutely feeling its balls hitting her chin over and over again. The other Lizardman between her legs didn't relent either, its girth parting her abused folds and raking her tender insides with every pounding thrust, its cock smooth but uncomfortably girthy, stretching her virginal sex out with every thrust.
''Mn! Mmph! H-Hn-!''
Then suddenly the one between her legs hissed; and then came. Boise spasmed as she felt jets of warmth pour up into her womb, the foreign sensation terrifying – made all the more so as she felt numerous eggs pour into her baby chamber. The one mounted on her face though kept going, snarling and hissing as it face-fucked her, seeming to slow down even just to endure it.
The reason why though became evident as the Lizardman between her legs pulled out – and the one on top of her pulled its dick out of her mouth, got between her legs, and then plunged inside. Its clawed hands grabbed her hips and it savagely pounded her, fucking cries of pain out of Boise but no resistance beyond that – lacking the strength to. The will to.
And so when the Lizardman soon emptied its balls inside of her, hissing with primal satisfaction as it laid its eggs inside of her defenceless womb, Boise could only lay there, defeated and exhausted by the ordeal, her pussy sore and overflowing with white fluid.
The breeding process, continuing on.

I recently joined this community to share my story hoping to hear some good advice/feedback from some genuine kind hearted people to fuel me on staying on the right track also to share and let people know that they arent the only person in this hard fight and battle against gambling. As i am still young i come from a family who basically had to struggle to make ends meet. So for me to save for a whole year working hard and then to gamble it all away in just a matter of 4months to me is just ludicrous. It all started after i took a vacation trip and came back to my hometown. When i got back i had to spend a couple more thousand on top of the money i had just spent on vacation in which i thought, what are some ways other then slaving myself at work again just to get this back? And sure enough i had the wrong friend in my ear telling me to place a bet. I think my worst thing was winning my first bet because after winning, when i would bet again and lose, i became numb and figured since i made a good amount off one bet that it would happen again and then when it didnt i began putting more and more money down and then losing that. By the way the money i was losing, i would have never in my life have risked gambling let alone spending it if i was in my right state of mind. To me losing 200$ was alot before i started gambling But after winning and losing 200$ it began to seem like a 1$ to me. And i think this is where the gambling disorder comes to play at. Its like my brain was altered. Altered me to lose a whole year of savings damn near half of my yearly salary. And currently i am grateful in this medical facility i work at they off bonus pay called incentive. I have now signed myself up to do doubles every single day working 16 hours a day up until july 15th just to attempt to make it all back in one month and hope to never make this stupid mistake ever again. I am currently down 13k and only make 35k average a year. I did the math and with me working every single day from now up june 7th until july 15th i should be able to make everything i lost gambling if not something close to it if i can just save my money and not gamble! My only advice to others out there is to never gamble. It isnt worth it. Gambling can literally be your worst nightmare as it has brought me to the lowest of the lowest point of my life currently. Not having money to barely eat daily nowadays, not having money to get up and go wherever i want and spend however much i wanted and not have to stress because i knew i had money left is driving me nuts. My whole plan for me saving all of that money for a whole year was to go to school i know that one day i will have to take responsibility in manning up and paying real bills other then just car insurance and phone bill so i was taking advantage of the grateful blessing that my mother was allowing me to still live with her without having to pick up any bills. But now i just set myself back and it feels like the world is on my shoulders. My whole motto was to work hard early on in my life so that i can chill in life later on. But now i just set myself back even more it feels like. The only part i can say is that with me losing my whole savings, is that i am not in debt with any credit cards, nor do i owe anyone money. No credit collections. So with me losing all of that money the only person i owe is me. 🙏 hoping i can turn this around i began to get worried and scared of myself because i have been doing things i would never do before i started gambling, like losing my whole paycheck and living paycheck to paycheck. This shit sucks but i know theres other possibly going thru way worst situations then i am. I pray for you if your reading this🙌. Love you.

I’ve had “feelings” all my life. I call them my alarm bells. After what happened to my family on Monday I’m starting to think it could be more than just knowing my body well or mothers intuition or coincidence.
Some of the bigger ones have been:

• about 3 weeks after a major surgery I woke up to “alarm bells” in my head screaming at me to go to the emergency room. I wasn’t in pain, just some swelling which my doctor said would be common for several months. I woke up my then boyfriend, now husband, and told him I needed to go to the ER, I didn’t know why I just needed to go. Once at the ER I put my foot down about getting some imaging and they gave me an MRI, my bladder had stopped emptying fully and all the old urine had built up, I was approaching rupture if left more than another day maybe two.
  
• when my daughter was a little over a year old she was crying and restless all night long. No fever no indication there was a serious problem except maybe bad gas, the alarm bells started and I started packing a bag, by the time I finished packing she had started vomiting and collapsed by the time we got to the ER there was blood in her urine, and her temp had gone through the roof. She had a kidney infection, minor in an adult, big deal in a child and had shown no symptoms until that morning
  
• a month ago, nagging voice in my head “you need to go visit your grandparents, you need to go visit your grandparents” they were in good health despite their age. This time I unfortunately ignored the alarm, the next week my aunt took my grandmother to get a hair cut and when they got home my grandfather had passed of a sudden cardiac arrest.
  

And the last one was Sunday and it was a series of alarms that have finally made me think it’s not a coincidence.
We have a car in the shop and have been getting rentals as I’m a stay at home mom because our daughter has autism and we go to speech, OT, and PT multiple times a week but my husband also needs a car for work. Because we only needed a car on Monday this week for Speech and then PT it was easier and cheaper to get a U-Haul pick up truck plus we had some larger things we needed to take to goodwill so win-win.
When checking out the U-Haul I almost skipped the extra $20 for the insurance as there is rarely another car on the road for our Monday drives and money is tight. The bells SCREAMED to get it. So I did.
We pick up the truck and there’s no back seat. I need a back seat for our daughters car seat so I figured I’d give it to my husband and id take my regular vehicle. Alarm again screams NO YOU TAKE THE TRUCK LOOK UP THE SAFETY GUIDELINES. So I look up if it’s legal to have a car seat in a single cab truck, it is. Then read the car seat manual, truck manual, and cdc, Red Cross, and transportation guidelines for how to do everything as safely as possible.
In the morning I get her in her seat and again it yells DOUBLE CHECK. So I make sure the passenger air bag is off, the seat is secure, etc.
While leaving PT we are rear ended on the interstate by a huge suv going about 80mph.
That suv would have destroyed my Ford focus. And there is no way my daughter and I would have gotten out uninjured, all I have is some mild soreness in my back and a seat belt burn on my neck. My daughter is fine. The pickup trucks bumped us destroyed and there is a hole in the back “trunk” door thing and drives weird now but the car that hit us folded like an accordion and their air bags deployed.
And those are only the bigger and more recent incidents they’ve happened all my life. It’s just seeming like too many to be a coincidence.

Basically the title. Single 27M engineer in the auto industry looking at potentially selling or renting my house out in Huntsville and heading out to Greenville.
I’ve been a couple times in the past to visit primarily the downtown area for food, drinks, and to see Hamilton back in ‘19. It’d be nice to be back closer to mountains for hiking and to be closer to some better spots for kayaking.
How are things like traffic and apts/housing near or around the bmw plant (and is it possible to even find apts with garages? I’ll need one again when I’m finishing up the engine swap on one of my cars) Are there actually restaurants and grocery stores near the plant? Is dating around my age about as dead as it is in Huntsville? What are the general demographics as far as age, politics, and relationship status if you were to guess? Are there a lot of groups out there to get involved in things like hiking, yoga, or kayaking with others?

Eurosport coverage: https://youtu.be/YAu3pMgmvpU
This crash is often forgotten due to Allan McNish's accident in the same race, yet in the day time. This crash was in the complete darkness at 01:25. and there are two shots of it happening. One from the cockpit of Rockenfeller, and one from directly in front on the crash. Where you see two lights chasing forwards, one pair pull to the side and suddenly swerve to the left in a cloud of dust. And before you know it. A cloud of debris.
Entering the kink just after the mulsanne straight, the #1 Audi of Mike Rockenfeller went to overtake the #71 AF corsa Ferrari of Robert Kaufmann, Kaufmann tightened the line and Rockenfeller touched the grass on the inside and lost traction, this flung him into the side of the Ferrari, spinning him head on into the barrier in a shower of debris. At over 320km/h. The Ferrari also hit the barriers but to much less extremity than the Audi.
After the crash, Rockenfeller exited the car alone before the engine of the Audi burst into flames, and he walked away and climbed over the metal barrier and sat down between the two barriers, and he passed out there. So when the marshals arrived, they saw a monocoque and debris and tires, but there was no driver. And as it was pitch black here, and Mike had basically hid himself, they believed the driver was ejected from the car, and were concerned for his life. But it was only when a marshal stood on Mike, they realised he left the car on his own and then succumbed to the crash.
Both drivers were taken to hospital, and both recovered fully from minor injuries. There was a safety car for one hour and the race was soon resumed.

I am trying to do my homework and then suddenly it hit me, again, the realization that my dog is gone. He usually would keep me company, quietly laying on the floor next to me as I do my own thing. But today he is not here, and he has not been for almost 2 months. I just started crying and to release this energy I have to write this piece.
______________________________
He was more than just a pet; he was truly the best dog one could ask for. From the moment my husband brought him home as a shy "big" puppy, he quickly became a part of our family. His endearing character and unwavering loyalty earned him a special place in our hearts. His charm and charisma made him the center of attention everywhere he went.
When he fell ill, his decline was heart wrenching to watch. Once a robust and energetic dog, he rapidly transformed into a frail and tired soul. The illness stripped him of his vitality, causing him to lose a concerning amount of weight. The healthy glow in his eyes began to fade, replaced by a weariness that seemed to age him beyond his years. It was heartbreaking to witness this once vibrant being grow weak and fragile before my eyes. What started as a single lesion on his lips multiplied rapidly without signs of healing. In a matter of weeks, they spread like a cruel wildfire, leaving his body marked with twenty painful wounds. His suffering was unbearable to witness, and it pained me deeply to see him isolate himself, withdrawing from the family he adored. His dwindling energy made it rare for him to acknowledge our presence, a stark contrast to the high spirits that defined his earlier years. The decision to ease his suffering through euthanasia was too heavy to bear, but we know that prolonging his pain would be selfish and unfair. He deserved dignity and peace, even if it meant bidding him farewell sooner than we were ready. The weight of that decision was overwhelming. I hadn't experienced such pain in a long time; it felt as if a precious part of my soul was being ripped away, leaving a void that could never be filled. I found myself fervently hoping and praying for a miracle, wishing that there was some way to save him and buy a few more years together. The day we dreaded arrived. Emotions ran high as my husband carried him out of the car. It was a bittersweet echo of the day he first brought him into our apartment. We were led to a serene, pristine room where he laid on a soft blanket—his fondness for cozy blankets and pillows remained unchanged even on that stark moment. When the vet gave him the medication, he accepted it without hesitation, as if he understood the purpose and the relief it would bring. He gracefully slipped away; his expression tranquil as if he were merely in a deep sleep. I laid beside him and hugged his body as it slowly grew cold. I wanted to remember the way his eyes sparkled with love, the way his ears felt against my skin. With a heavy heart, I whispered my final goodbyes, hoping that somehow, somewhere, he would know how deeply he was loved. In that moment, I clung to the belief in a rainbow bridge where we would get to see his exuberant self once more. I love you, big dog! You will never be forgotten.

Eurosport coverage: https://youtu.be/YAu3pMgmvpU
This crash is often forgotten due to Allan McNish's accident in the same race, yet in the day time. This crash was in the complete darkness at 01:25. and there are two shots of it happening. One from the cockpit of Rockenfeller, and one from directly in front on the crash. Where you see two lights chasing forwards, one pair pull to the side and suddenly swerve to the left in a cloud of dust. And before you know it. A cloud of debris.
Entering the kink just after the mulsanne straight, the #1 Audi of Mike Rockenfeller went to overtake the #71 AF corsa Ferrari of Robert Kaufmann, Kaufmann tightened the line and Rockenfeller touched the grass on the inside and lost traction, this flung him into the side of the Ferrari, spinning him head on into the barrier in a shower of debris. At over 320km/h. The Ferrari also hit the barriers but to much less extremity than the Audi.
After the crash, Rockenfeller exited the car alone before the engine of the Audi burst into flames, and he walked away and climbed over the metal barrier and sat down between the two barriers, and he passed out there. So when the marshals arrived, they saw a monocoque and debris and tires, but there was no driver. And as it was pitch black here, and Mike had basically hid himself, they believed the driver was ejected from the car, and were concerned for his life. But it was only when a marshal stood on Mike, they realised he left the car on his own and then succumbed to the crash.
Both drivers were taken to hospital, and both recovered fully from minor injuries. There was a safety car for one hour and the race was soon resumed.

1. Overview of Digital Circuits. Transistors as Switches. Introduction to CMOS Technology. Logic Circuits Built from FETs. Information Representation in Digital Systems
   2.1. Overview of Digital Circuits
   Digital circuits, also known as digital electronics, is a branch of electronics that deals with digital signals which perform different tasks with various requirements. The input signal of these circuits is of digital form, therefore it is represented in 0’s and 1’s binary language format. These circuits are designed by using logical gates (AND, OR, NOT, NANAD, NOR, XOR), which perform logical operations. This provides the circuit to switch from one state to another, which leads to a more precise output. A typical digital circuit is constructed of a power supply, devices, and conduction nets. The power supply is needed to provide a constant and stable source of electric power to all devices. A digital circuit allows a controlled flow of electrons from the negative to positive side of the power supply, but only via the paths designed into the circuit. As these electrons flow to and from the devices in a given circuit, they can change deice properties in useful ways. In a digital circuit, power supply voltage levels are defined with two distinct values – ‘’logic high voltage’’ (LHV or Vdd) and ‘’logic low voltage’’ (LLV or GND). The Vdd and GND voltages are used not only to supply electric power to circuit devices, but also to represent information.
   2.2. Transistors as Switches
   A transistor is a miniature semiconductor that regulates or controls current or voltage flow. It amplifies and generates electrical signals in electric digital circuits and acts as a switch/gate for them. The basic concept is that the transistors are arranged so that they can be turned on or off by signals carrying either LLV or LHV. The most frequently used transistors are called ‘’Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors’’ or shortened MOSFETs. Most of the time these types of transistors are called only FETs. They have three terminals – source, drain and gate, which are respectively analogous to the emitter, collector and base of a Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT). In the FET, field effect refers to an effect that enables the flow of current and switches the transistor on. Electrons can’t flow from the n-type source to the drain because the p-type gate between them contains holes. But attaching a positive voltage to the gate creates an electric field that enables electrons to flow from the source to the drain. Therefore, an electrical connection is created between the source and the drain when the gate input is asserted. One kid of FET, called an nFET, is turned on when Vdd is present at the control input, and a second type, called a pFET, is turned on when GND is present at the control input. Individual FETs are often used as stand-alone electrically controllable on-off switches. For example, an nFET can be used to turn on and off an appliance if a power source is connected to the source such as a motor, lamp or other electrical component in an appliance and the load is connected to the drain. A signal applied to the gate could then turn the load device on or off. When the load device is on, gate = GND and when it’s off, gate = Vdd. In most cases only a few volts are required to turn on a FET, even if the FET is switching large voltages and currents, but those devices are typically rather large.
   Another way to use FETs is by arranging several of them into circuits that perform logic functions like AND, OR, NOT, etc. To do this the FETs are constructed on a single small piece of silicon and then interconnected with equally small metal wires. Circuits assembled in this fashion are said to form ‘’integrated circuits’’.
   2.3. Introduction to CMOS Technology
   CMOS technology is defined as the predominant technology for manufacturing integrated circuits. CMOS stands for ‘’Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor’’. It is common in microprocessors, batteries, and digital sensors among other electronic components. This technology uses both nFET and pFET to realize various logic functions like AND, OR, and INV, but also more complex ones as well.
   2.4. Logic Circuits Built from FETs.
   When building FET circuits to implement logic functions, four important rules must be followed:
   
2. pFET sources must be connected to Vdd and nFET – to GND.
   
   1. The circuit output must never be left floating. This means that the circuit output must always be connected via an on pFET or to GND via an on nFET.
   2. The circuit output must not be ‘’shorted’’. This means that the logic circuit output must never be connected to both Vdd and GND at the same time.
3. The circuit must use the fewest possible number of FETs.
   Shown below are the five basic logic circuits made with CMOS technology: NAND, NOR, AND, OR and INV.
   2.5. Information Representation in Digital Systems
   The signal in a digital circuit transports an output voltage from one device to another through its input connections. In a digital circuit, signals can be in one of only two states – either Vdd or GND. Therefore, all data operations combine two-state data inputs to produce two-state data outputs. Systems that use two-state data are known as binary systems, and a two-state signal is a binary signal. The set of voltage values Vdd and GND can be represented with ones and zeros, more precisely as 1 for Vdd and 0 for GND. One signal wire in a digital circuit can carry one binary digit of information, more commonly known as a bit. Thus, a group of signal wires can carry multiple bits. This method of representing data in digital systems makes it easy to use common logical and numerical techniques. For example, a binary system is used in logical gates like AND, OR, NOT and so on.
   

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The Port of Meow. Tristan thought he wouldn’t be surprised by the world’s naming conventions after he’d heard terms like ‘Myana,’ and ‘Onyans,’ but this one struck him as funny. Maybe it was the lack of sleep from their conditions on the boat. Every time one of the girls said it, he laughed.
“There are so many people,” Destiny murmured as they entered the port city. “And all the buildings are so close together!”
Lara inhaled a deep breath. “Wind brings so many flavors with her. I have never smelled so many spices.” She pointed at one building, then the next, then a third. “Earth is the ruler here. Each one of these structures begins and ends with him.”
It really was incredible. The strips of buildings carried a spirit of older Chinese architecture, using a bilateral symmetry that stemmed from one focal structure into secondary components on either side—like wings on a giant bird. He was fascinated in middle school by Asian and Middle-Eastern design, and to see it dominating an entire island in a completely different world was mind-boggling.
Such an intricate, elegant city. Called the Port of Meow.
Tristan laughed.
Destiny gently touched his forehead with the back of her hand. “Tristan? Are you feeling alright?”
“Yes, sorry. I’m fine. Just tired.” Her skin felt cool against his. “I guess I did laugh at a weird time, huh?”
Destiny chewed her lip. “It isn’t just that. You’re very pale.”
Lara bent her knees and looked into his face. “My sister is correct, Young Master. I would advise we find a place to rest.”
A sure hand clapped him on his shoulder. Matt was suddenly beside him, his Party at his side. “Ready to get something to eat?”
Tristan’s chest tightened, and he licked his lips. He suddenly felt very dizzy. “C-could you show us where to stay? I’m not feeling well.”
Cannoli danced to his side, her hands deep inside her [Cat Pack]. “Poor Tristan! I may have a potion! Let me look!”
“That’s sweet of you, Cannoli, but we’ll take care of him,” Destiny said, favoring Tristan with a worried glance. “If we need anything, I’ll let you know.”
“The Spider Lily’s this way.” Ravyn grabbed Matt’s arm and tugged him away from Tristan. “Don’t crowd Tristan. He looks like he’s about to faint.”
Thanks, Ravyn.
Destiny hooked her arm through Tristan’s, and Lara copied on his opposite side. They made their way through the crowds together, drawing the eyes of almost every catgirl they passed.
The port was bustling with activity. Sailors and merchants loaded boats on the multitude of docks while vendors in tents hawked last-minute travel supplies and whatever ‘San Specials’ were. In the sprawling wings on either side of the center building, there were small restaurants, shops, an armorer, and a tailor. Excited murmurs and laughter echoed from all angles, making it hard to hear one another as they fought through the throngs.
It was nothing like Venicia.
It turned out the Spider Lily was the center building. An expansive inn lit by dozens of paper lanterns, with metal gates forged by geometric patterns. Opaque windows mirrored the gates’ rectangular motif, flecked with golden embellishments and pieces of colored glass.
Ravyn led them inside. Incense burned on a polished podium, and they were greeted by a pair of young women in high-collared dresses, their dark hair tied away from their faces.
“Welcome to the Spider Lily,” the woman in red said, bowing deeply. “You are Cailu’s companions, are you not?”
Ravyn made a sound between choking and gagging.
“You could say that,” Matt replied before Tristan could say anything. He nudged Ravyn with his elbow and offered a wry smile.
“Very good. I am Ayu, and this is Nalee. Your rooms will be free for the duration of your stay,” Ayu, the woman in blue, announced, copying her companion’s bow. “There are two suites on the second floor; one for each of you.”
Tristan exchanged a confused glance with Matt.
“Just two?” Keke asked first.
“Yes, miss. You will find four beds in each suite, as well as a full-service washroom. Is this not to your liking?” Nalee tilted her head to the side. “Perhaps we can find something more suitable?”
“No, that’s perfect. Thank you very much,” Tristan said with a wave of his hand. “It’s more than enough.”
“Excellent, sir. We have stationed Kaori and Ratu on the floor as well. They will retrieve anything you require. Food, drinks, travel necessities, you need only say the word, and they will bring it to you,” Ayu continued. “Should they fail to meet your needs, Nalee and I will both see this rectified.”
“Pardon me, miss, but how will charges for these items be collected?” Ceres asked.
“Cailu has assured us that he will settle your tab,” Nalee said. “It is not yours to bear.”
Tristan heard Cannoli mutter to Keke, “We can order anything?”
Keke nodded.
Cannoli took Buttons from her shoulder and looked at him excitedly. “We can get you so many peanuts!”
Ravyn cackled. That was the laugh of a girl with dad’s metal credit card in her wallet.
“We will not cause Sir Cailu to regret this generosity,” Ceres replied with a deep bow and pointed glare at Ravyn. “It is a great kindness, and we thank you.”
“I just need some water,” Tristan said, leaning his head against Lara’s shoulder.
Destiny raised her hand. “Can we please get our key? We would like to go up now.”
“Of course, miss.” Nalee retrieved a key on a delicate chain from behind the podium and handed it to Destiny. “Please enjoy your stay.”
“Why don’t we head off to the Golden Dragon first?” Matt suggested to his Party. “We can come back and check on them after.”
Ravyn gawked. “Did you not hear what the lady just said?”
“I did. And I’m with Ceres on this one. Come on.” Matt waved his group outside.
“Baka!”
Keke laughed as they filtered through the door.
“Let us go upstairs,” Lara said, squeezing Tristan’s arm.
“Yeah. Good idea.”
Destiny and Lara guided him up the two flights to the second floor, and Tristan’s vertigo grew worse. It was like a combination of seasickness and stepping off the teacup ride at an amusement park. The world would just not stop moving.
“Hello, sir. My name is Kaori.” A green-haired girl bowed in the hallway of the second floor.
“And I’m Ratu. Just let us know if you need anything at all.” A head of short blonde hair ducked deep with her bow.
“Thank you both,” Tristan replied, unsure if he had the energy for proper introductions.
Destiny unlocked the door to their room and pushed it open. The dark hallway gave way to a room of colorful screens and vibrant tapestries. The single room was bigger than the apartment Tristan grew up in—each bed could fit three people without an issue.
As soon as they were inside, Destiny knelt to help Tristan take off his boots.
“Y-you don’t have to do that,” Tristan said, embarrassment burning into his face.
“I want to,” Destiny said, continuing to untie the laces.
Lara moved to one of the beds, turning down the blankets with expert precision. The sheets fell with perfect symmetry, the rectangles laying parallel to the headboard. She smoothed the bottom layer and stepped back, looking expectantly at Tristan.
“Girls—” he began.
“Please. Let us use all of this etiquette training.” Destiny laughed, sliding the second boot from Tristan’s foot. “We can’t let Kaori and Ratu show us up.”
“Alright,” he relented. “Just this once.”
Destiny took his hand and led him to the bed.
He stared at the freshly pressed white sheet for a long time. “Will you two join me?”
Destiny’s eyes widened, and she hissed in a tiny breath.
Lara took his hand in both of hers, her airy voice taking on a tone of concern. “Young master, your current physical state will not allow you to perform—”
“That’s not what I mean,” he cut her off, a little harsher than he meant to. “I’m sorry. What I meant was… I just want to be close to you right now.”
“Of course, Tristan,” Destiny replied softly. “Here, lie down.”
They situated him in the middle of the bed, making sure his feet were under the blankets and tucking him to the waist. Lara was the first to slide under the covers, wiggling her way to Tristan’s right side. He hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her close until her head rested on his shoulder.
“You are very warm,” she noted.
“And you’re very soft.” Tristan chuckled. “Destiny?”
Destiny turned multiple shades of red. She held her hands tightly clasped in front of her apron, her gaze never resting on one place. “I-I’m sorry. Is this really okay?”
“Yes,” he said, holding a hand out toward her. “Please?”
Destiny nodded and lifted the covers with care. One leg pressed beneath, then the other. She shifted forward, taking Tristan’s hand and letting him guide her to his side. With a slow exhale, she relaxed against him, trapping his left thigh between her legs.
“You’re soft, too,” Destiny whispered, wrapping her tail around his ankle.
“And you’re wonderful,” Tristan murmured. “Both of you are.” He yawned and closed his eyes, already feeling the warm descent into sleep.
On a foreign island, in a stranger’s bed, Tristan felt more at home than he ever had in Nyarlea.
​
Destiny Pro Tip: I can't wait to try the food! And we can eat it in our room like a picnic! Oh! Shhh, he's sleeping.
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I'm so stressed and angry right now, everything has been a huge mess. My family has always been struggling financially since my mom has been the bread winner alone, as my dad doesn't speak English at all (my mom's English skill is about the typical immigrant level). My dad worked as a food delivery guy previously and often got held at gunpoint, robbed, and even had his car stolen 2-3 times. Which basically cancels out almost all the money he has earned. Just maybe 3 years ago, my dad's sister (who has experience of starting up 3+ restaurants before) suggested starting a business along with her nephew (my cousin). Compared to what my dad had to do before, this was obviously such a wonderful opportunity. So they ended up starting this business which I'll just call FoodPlace, where my aunt currently lives (~4 hours away by plane). It was split 40-40-20 (aunt-cousin-dad) for the shares. FoodPlace was such a success they won a local award, and had several news articles written about it.
Which sounds like things are working out, except the whole internal part is a mess. They all worked within the kitchen along with the other staffs, but my aunt and her husband deliberately gave my dad harder physical work because they were in charge of the "managing work". They keep him out of conversations too, although my dad does struggle with his cognition and conversing, I don't think they should've done that as he was a shareholder too. Eventually my cousin pulled out and sold his share according to the current value of the business. My family suggested to my dad to not buy half of that because we could already see that our cousin left because he could feel my aunt and her husband brewing trouble. But my dad, who's never really had the opportunity to provide for his family took the risk because this was the one time he actually was able to earn money, and even more than my mom. We were finally having money. He even ends up buying a house all the way over there, which we are still currently paying off.
But everything started spiraling down after my cousin left because at least he was also holding some power so my aunt and her husband couldn't really make too much trouble. Because now they have 60%, and my dad 40%, they're considered the owners and such. Their daughter embezzled money a bit here and there through usage of the business' credit card for personal matter. They started picking fights with my dad during restaurant hours. Complaining all he does is sit around but he hurt his back with the hard labor they gave him, and he was just sitting because the food prep at that time doesn't require him to be standing. When holidays rolled around, they wouldn't let him take days off to come home to visit us saying they are very busy. But they close the restaurant as they wish to go on vacations themselves. At some point they even had the audacity to ask my dad for the contract paper and thankfully no matter how much he struggled cognitively, he didn't give it to them, because that was his only proof of his share. They got so pissed after that. Fights escalated and we finally found out why. They were trying to kick my dad out, they had open another restaurant down the road. Exact same name and concept, just with a 2 slapped on it. So FoodPlace 2... without even notifying my dad of such and they are already mid negotiating the sale of the current business with the new owner. Basically the restaurant got so successful they wanted it all for themselves.
Fast forward to recently, just a few months ago. THEY SOLD THE RESTAURANT. Without my dad's signature. It was sold for 700k and they tried to do it without letting my dad find out, even had my dad teach the new owner all the recipes. When we found out we were furious and said we took part in this restaurant too. We invested our money, sweat, and blood into this restaurant too. My mom even helped out at the restaurant every time she went to visit my dad, without expecting or receiving any pay. We tried to demand our 40% cut of it as per contract, but they denied us saying they helped us and that that should be good enough. We said that's not right and demanded just our original investment back, even though she paid my cousin the percentage base off of their current value. She gave us a small check and said take this money. My dad did not accept it, but they ended up slipping it between the accounting stuff they handed to my dad which we found out only a few weeks later. Then they go around telling our family members (my dad's side of the family) about how we earned hundred of thousands (which we did not) and that we're being greedy for asking for money from the sale. And how they starting having marital disputes and their family is falling apart just because we are asking for the money that belongs to us, which they earned from the sale that they did without our consent. With this huge mess, and my parents already stressed enough, they figured they'll just cash the small check which was only about a tenth of our investment cause they said how about they pay us bit by bit. But we knew she was cunning and was trying to trick us, but we figured alright we'll trust her. The check bounced... Eventually we ended up having to get a lawyer involved because it was a huge sum of money that we put in and we just wanted our original investment back as we were still paying our cousin back every month for the half of his share which we bought. They went berserk and started yelling at us and crying to their parents about how the money belongs to them. As this was our first time dealing with lawyers, we thought we could just trust the process to them. But we basically ended up paying $4,500 just for them to send a single letter to my aunt saying we want to settle privately. As for why we are not taking this to court? My dad is naïve and holds family really close, he trusted his sister still after everything just up until this month when he found out all the lies she's been telling everyone. All my years of being alive, this was the first time I saw my dad cried. Not just once, almost every time now after he calls with his family. His mom doesn't care about him, tells him to just let it be. His brother acts kind says he'll help be a middle man in front of us, but then when he thought it was just the two of them scolded my dad and told him he handles everything on his own why is my dad unable to do it? Then proceeds to tell my dad alone that he will not be helping. Meanwhile we were put in a standstill because our lawyer told us my dad can't say anything or do anything because anything and everything can be evidence. Meanwhile, my aunt cleaned up their mess and said they retract the sale and now they're just selling it for $300k. We don't even know if anything is going on under the table, as they never gave my dad any power (as in he did not even have access to the card under the business even though she gave it to her daughter, and etc). Now they are trying to wiggle their way out by saying they'll negotiate with my dad if we cancel the thing with our lawyers??? If they didn't do anything illegal, there should be nothing for them to be afraid of. Obviously if we take it to court and had evidence of their dealings, we would definitely win. Although we have some, we don't have sufficient evidence and the cost and time it would take is not worth it for my parent's mental and physical health. Plus we were just trying to settle, we gave up on getting the percentage off current value long ago because this has been going on for months and my family is all stressed out from it. We just want our original investment back but they still want to keep going in circles. They also have the money and time to keep doing this but we don't. We barely had any to begin with, we took out loans and borrowed money to invest in this business. Why are they like this? They own multiple properties, even have rental properties and already own their big house in a nice neighborhood. It's not like we are asking for an unreasonable amount, just our original back now. They even kept trying to get my dad to travel back and forth to negotiate because their parents also currently lives where my family lives. Recently I was finally able to visit my dad to help sell the house and gosh the house was big and beautiful, we finally had our own home. I started breaking down because I just thought about how much he went through to finally buy us a house and how he must've been so lonely and enduring so much living here all alone with his cognitive impairment and not knowing English at all. And now we are getting ready to sell the house so that he can move back in with us back where we currently live and be a whole family again. I'm so stressed that I've been thrown into all this legal stuff because I have to help out as my parents have limited English unlike my aunt and her husband, and having to suddenly be an adult because my parents are already carrying so much responsibilities right now. At the same time I'm so angry for how manipulative my aunt, not really of their family just because I know they never really cared for my dad as he wasn't a very bright son/brother of theirs, but it's still absolute crap. I don't even know what to do now except that I have to work harder to find a job so that I can share the burden and not have it all lay on my parents especially my mom who almost basically raised us as a single mom and took care of us very well to make up for both parent roles and give us a good upbringing. There's already so much other personal matter going on and having this on top, I feel like my head is about to pop TT It's all too stressful
TLDR; My dad owns a restaurant business with my aunt (40-60 respectively). They opened a new restaurant with same name, just a 2 slapped on it and pick fights with my dad on purpose to kick him out. My aunt then sells the restaurant without consent of my dad for $700k. We want our rightful money back. They scream and throw tantrum. We want our original investment back. They manipulate and lie to everyone around them saying we don't deserve it, she loves her brother, she's offered so much help to my dad. We get lawyer involved, they retract their sale and now say it's sold for $300k. We have no evidence because my dad who was alone in this far away place alone to start this business with my aunt is cognitively impaired and trusted his sister. Still won't even give us our initial investment back.
TTLDR; My aunt is trying to scam my family, I'm stressed.