Hi guys. I wanted to share few thoughts I feel are making me go insane in my mind about my condition. I was born with scoliosis, 6 cm smaller than usual at birth and neither then or now I wasn't able to do the proper treatment (physical therapy or surgery) I am now 22 years old and feel very stiff, but i don't feel any pain!!!! Just that my back isn't as much as flexible like other's backs. I'm so afraid, you have no idea.
In my country where I was born, it's not that easy to get the money needed for surgery. I don't have any funds. I'm not sure if I should do surgery though, because my back is *almost straight, but in the Lower back is the spine is bit twisted inside, so i find it hard to do normal crunches. My back will only curve from the thoracic area and up, the lower zone won't curve at all. I feel like if I'm this stiff, maybe yoga/pilates/stretching would improve my flexibility ? Please help with advices, this would me my only possibility at least until i have the necessary funds to go to surgery if needed. Please help 😭😭 I really am so afraid, I want to live a long life, I don't want to hate my body anymore, I don't want my body to paralyse all of a sudden.... I hate I was born this way, and I'm crying my Heart out now, because there's never been someone who can literally help me at least make me feel better emotionally, and I'm just stuck with my inner demons

Hi guys. I wanted to share few thoughts I feel are making me go insane in my mind about my condition. I was born with scoliosis, 6 cm smaller than usual at birth and neither then or now I wasn't able to do the proper treatment (physical therapy or surgery) I am now 22 years old and feel very stiff, but i don't feel any pain!!!! Just that my back isn't as much as flexible like other's backs. I'm so afraid, you have no idea.
In my country where I was born, it's not that easy to get the money needed for surgery. I don't have any funds. I'm not sure if I should do surgery though, because my back is *almost straight, but in the Lower back is the spine is bit twisted inside, so i find it hard to do normal crunches. My back will only curve from the thoracic area and up, the lower zone won't curve at all. I feel like if I'm this stiff, maybe yoga/pilates/stretching would improve my flexibility ? Please help with advices, this would me my only possibility at least until i have the necessary funds to go to surgery if needed. Please help 😭😭 I really am so afraid, I want to live a long life, I don't want to hate my body anymore, I don't want my body to paralyse all of a sudden.... I hate I was born this way, and I'm crying my Heart out now, because there's never been someone who can literally help me at least make me feel better emotionally, and I'm just stuck with my inner demons

"What was that!?" Kellista demanded as soon as the creature fully disappeared. "You said you would summon your salamander!" The effort to dismiss the familiar had knocked Culleo back on his arse and again all he could do was wheeze. "You did issue a command, right? One that it ignored?" Lithia, the younger Lyc prompted. "Yeah, he did. And whatever it was, it wasn't taking orders." Kellista confirmed. "Alright, but before we get ahead of ourselves, is that match over?" Lirren asked, looking over to Kalivine. The Dovkin took a moment before nodding. "I already saw everything I needed, and I'm sure we would all rather focus on this more pressing matter. Get the medbot." Lirren went to do as instructed, and Turri cheerily bounced over, somehow not at all tired from all the exertion from moments ago. "You saw what you needed? That means you have an answer then? How'd they do?" He looked over to the two kobolds who were the entire purpose of the battle. "Their tenacity impressed me. This fight was clearly stacked against them, they knew better than to meet us head on, so they went for a bold strategy." Turri shot Kellista a thumbs up. "I also like how aware they were. Even when locked in combat, you" he nodded to Kellista "were still aware of your surroundings, and managed to help your teammate while minimizing the risk it posed to yourself." Kalivine gave a sigh of relief as the medbot started its work. "And it's rare to see someone cast anything while that exhausted, let alone a summoning." Turri walked over to Culleo. "Hey, ya hear that? Big ole Kal says you're cool!" He said as he pulled the lizard to his feet. Culleo could only huff in response. "Aww he's all tuckered out!" Oh Break you! Culleo tried to curse. "Ho, Huff you" Culleo actually said. "I love you too. So!" Turri said, dropping Culleo with a thump as he turned his attention back to Kalivine. "That mean they're in?" "Not necessarily. As much as they can push, the fact that they needed to push so hard is a major concern. My familiar shouldn't have caused so much trouble, I myself am hardly warmed up, and that summoning, which was at the center of their plan failed so poorly it might have made things even worse for them. I don't like that one bit. Then there's also the matter of how you-" "Oi, Kal! Sorry to interrupt but we got a little somethin' you should see!" Lithia called out.
Turri and Kalivine looked over to where she was standing, and noticed the bag at her feet. "That's... Yeah it is, isn't it?" The bag wasn't too interesting. Sure it was an awkward size, and the lettering wasn't in a language any of them knew, but besides that it looked like an average old bag. Of course, it was the fact that it was there that made it interesting. "Guys, what do we do?" Kellista asked. "Can't you just send it back?" Lirren said, looking to Culleo. The medbot had made its rounds by this point, so he could finally start speaking properly. "But- but I already did! I ended the spell and sent the familiar back! Now that I've done that I'm no longer tethered, so can't summon or dismiss them anymore." They all exchanged nervous glances. That thing had ignored summoning orders, stared ALL of them down, and had tried to cast something before being dismissed, not to mention how it went from stock still to lightning fast reflexes in the blink of an eye. And now its bag was here.
"Well? Let's open it up!" Lithia reached for the bag and everyone else was too stunned to stop her. Unzipping it, she upturned the bad, dumping its contents onto the ground. "So, what do we have here? Some clothes by the looks of it." Lirren was first to speak up. "Lithia! What are you doing!?" "Uhh, checking out our sweet new swag. Obviously!" Turri answered for her. "Come on. Ooooh, what's this?" Turri, being the birdbrain that he is, was immediately distracted by the shiny piece of metal that had tumbled out of the jumble of clothes. He picked it up and started examining it closely, eyes expanding rapidly. "What are you...? Ah ha!" Pushing a knob that turned out to be a button, a solid 'Ka-chink!' made everyone flinch as a simple yet elegant blade popped out. Turri's eyes expanded even wider and a grin made it to his beak. "Oh this one's totally mine!" Culleo considered saying something, not liking how something he summoned was now being robbed. "Hey what're these?" Oh great, now Kellista was in on it too. She found a small pouch of brown spheres. Taking a sniff, she must have liked what she smelt because she popped the thing in her mouth. "Hey! This stuff tastes good! I think I found some candy!" She said, rolling the brown sphere around her mouth. Everyone turned at that, and Kellista realized the folly of showing off her prize as everyone went for a piece.
In the turmoil of grasping hands, squawking and muttering, and a couple pinched fingers, Lithia was the first in and out. She was terrifyingly nimble despite her size, and she brought up her prize to take a sniff of her own before her eyes widened. "Nobody eat these!" She suddenly howled at the group. Everyone stopped in shock as Lithia lunged towards Kellista, who was more than a little shocked when the Lyc twice her size picked her up like a toddler. "Spit it out! Spit it out now!" She said, shaking the kobold. Kellista opened her mouth and let the brown ball of goodness drop onto the dirt, ruining it. "Hey! Let her go!" Culleo drew his rapier and pointed it to the one threatening his friend. Lithia hardly even noticed the second kobold, but still did as asked. "What was that about?" Turri asked. "Those aren't candy. At least I don't think so. They're laced with caffeine!" With that grand statement the others quickly dropped theirs, Lirren caught a whiff from his own and yep! Caffeine. It was subtle, hidden under a network of sugar, but it was there. His joined the other on the ground.
Kellista had never been so glad to be shaken like that. She was about to swallow the thing! Two seconds later and she would have ingested poison, and she didn't like her chances at that point. "Th-thank you for saving me." She said, still a little shaken from being a little shaken. "Don't mention it!" Lithia replied with a grin. "But now I want to know why our guy had a bag of poisonous sweets on him. Any ideas?" The group exchanged glances, and Kellista piped up again. "I think he was an assassin!" All eyes turned on her and she almost felt the weight of their collective gaze. "Well think about it! What have we found? A disguise, poison you'd willingly eat, a concealed knife," Turri was still fiddling with it, and there were now several bits of metal sticking out at odd angles. "Which we now see comes with a lockpicking set! Honestly Turri put that down before you release a toxic cloud or something!" Kalivine, who had been nodding along interjected "and some kind of access card" while holding up another find. "Exactly!" Kellista cut back in. "And where is this all stored? In a nondescript bag that could just be left somewhere! Come on guys, you saw how it moved! It hardly made a sound and was getting ready to fight, regardless of its summoners instructions! Like it actually thought it could take us all!" Kellista was panting by the end of her little presentation. "I think she's right. It was also powerful enough to bend a summoning to its will like that. I'm just glad you were able to send it back. I don't even wanna know what it was planning." Lirren said. Turri sighed and dropped the knife, and they all came to the same conclusion. After a few quick seconds everything was back in the bag and nobody wanted to touch it anymore.
"So what do we do now?" Culleo broke the silence, "should we tell someone?" Kalivine nodded. "Definitely report this. I think Mr. Folksen is in today. He'll know what to do." With someone to pin the responsibility on a plan of action, the group headed to the main campus building.
.....
After he finished inspecting the ground and distinctly not crying in the fetal position over lost chocolates, Micheal slowly picked himself up, dusted off his clothes, and began to walk home. What sucked was that even without his bag, he was still weighed down because of the detachable weights he had wrapped around his wrists and ankles, and now that he had let himself cool down, his limbs also felt like lead. He gave a mental sigh as he trudged along. The journey was slow and painful, but at least uneventful. As his house came into view, Mikey noticed that he still felt the imprint of his bags strap on his hand and shoulder. Kinda weird, because 'the incident' as he started referring to it as happened nearly 20 minutes ago now, and the imprint he could see was still in his hand. Focusing on it, he could still feel the fibers that made up the strap! He stopped and leaned over, looking closely at his palm. There's nothing to see, but he definitely feels his bag, not the imprint, but the actual strap like it was in his hand. "Wha...?" Closing his fingers and yes, there was something. It wasn't physical though, but almost like a breeze in his hand. He gave it a gentle tug and- "wait No! Not AGAIN!" started seeing spots in his vision.
Michael materialized back in the field with his eyes shut tight. "Come on! Are you kidding!? Why!?" He didn't care that he was making a scene in the middle of a pack of monsters, that eye thing simply couldn't be the only mode of transportation between worlds. His vision cleared however, and he saw that the field was now empty, which meant no dragon to eat him, and no kobold to send him back. But wait! His bag was here! Relief flooded through Mike as he found all his stuff was still there! Even the chocolate! "Oh, there is a god!" He said, popping one in his mouth. He stopped as he saw something, a half-eaten chocolate on the ground, clearly spat out. 'So, it's not that they didn't rob me, but team dragon is just too good for my stuff?' he thought with just a little indignation. Bad mood back firmly in place, Mike took a look at his surroundings. Now that there were no distractions, like a dragon in his face ('no, I willnot let that go any time soon!'), he could see the 'field' was the unkept land kind more than the soccer field kind, and this field was surrounded on three sides by buildings that were old enough that they might be ruins, and weren't styled like anything he had seen on earth. Knowing werewolves roamed the area, it was starting to feel like a monster town. Behind him however, stood a thick stone wall with a spiked fence on top of it. Although he had no chance to climb the wall, it did nothing to hide the grand, Cathedral looking structure behind it. The structure seemed to be carved out of marble, and was clearly maintained in stark contrast to the rest of the area. Looking up, Michael took back 'cathedral' and went with 'super palace' because this place was utterly massive. Sure, the base of the building was on par with Notre Dame but at higher levels instead of tapering out like most buildings do, it became larger and infinitely more extravagant. Seeing how he had literally been summoned here, Mike was clued in on the existence of magic, but the blatant disrespect for the laws of physics above his head confirmed that wizards were probably a thing. As the main body of the building went higher and higher, it seemed to thin out and seperate into a tangle of towers, courtyards, balconies and a whole lot of castle parts he didn't have words for, all forming a beautiful balance between chaotic and symmetrical. There were bridges that went to sections that didn't have anything under them, straight up floating islands, stairs that were rows of floating steps, and landings that looked like they disagreed on what way was down, all loosely forming a cage around a main structure that he could hardly see thanks to all the clutter around it. There was nothing on earth, even in games or movies that compared to the ridiculous levels of architecture going on in front of him. Seeing such beauty and grandeur so remarkably displayed in front of him, Michael was filled with deep emotion.
That emotion was pants-wetting fear. What the heck!? Was he trespassing on a literal god's doorstep!? Or, judging by the surroundings, was this some sort of local superpower that basically owned the very air he was breathing!? No, probably not, they hadn't aimed anything at him or yelled through a microphone that he needed to vacate immediately or be forcibly removed, but still! Michael stood there for several minutes, staring with a blend of terror, curiosity and fascination. He wasn't even sure how long it had been when he saw a new monster, one he did not have a name for, casually strolling towards the castle. Upon seeing the creature, it struck him that he was standing in broad daylight in the middle of a field in downtown monsterville. Luckily whatever it was hadn't noticed him yet, and he intended to keep it that way. He ran into the most deserted looking part of the ruins, hoping to keep eyes off him.
.....
"So after he dismissed it, we noticed the bag hadn't gone back, so we took a look and it was clear the creature was a rogue of some kind." The six of them were gathered in an office several floors high in the school, and were busy relaying the events that had transpired concerning the summoning to one of the few teachers that were still available to speak with.
"How can you be sure? What was in the bag?" Professor Folksen, an older Kaikku and notable scholar asked.
"Well, the bag itself was unremarkable, but there was a concealed dagger and a caffeine based poison along with a simple disguise. And the dagger also had a set of lockpicks built into it too. When we realized what we were looking at, we decided to put everything back and come to you." Kellista continued, describing the scene quickly to the professor.
"You made the right call. With any luck your friend will pull their bag back, find their items intact and decide seeking retribution would be a waste of time."
"Sorry sir, pull their bag back?" Culleo asked.
"Indeed Mr. Zirrkus, this isn't the first time a familiar returned home without everything. The tether that allows them to find their way back to their own dimension remains until every piece returns with it. only then does the figurative door close and prevent them from coming back unprompted. Your friend has probably already taken their things back and has forgotten about this whole thing." Mr. Folksen said reassuringly.
"But wait, if there's still a tether to this world, couldn't it come back instead!?" Culleo asked with panic rising in his voice.
"No no, that won't be an issue. When a familiar is partially returned like in this case, the mana of its homeworld acts as an anchor, any attempt to pull itself back through without the summoners assistance would just pull everything to its origin. Even if it did have a way to come back, you've given it no reason to seek you out."
"But this thing managed to circumvent my summon, couldn't it find other workarounds if it could do that?" Culleo was struggling to keep his voice in the same octave.
The old scholar shook his head. "That would require a monumental misunderstanding of magic. There may be some things we've forgotten about mana since the jolt, but this comparison would be on the same level as worrying that gravity might fail because someone was able to hack your comm. It has no reason to return and even if it did, there would literally be all the mana in a world holding it back. You can relax dear Culleo, it's not going to seek out vengeance against you."
Culleo tried to calm down, he did his best to consider his mentors words and see the clearly laid out logic, but his nerves just wouldn't go down. He had a mantle of dread over his heart that just wouldn't abate. Ragged wisps of the tether seemed to remain, so faint they just might be his imagination, but something inside him was screaming that this wasn't over.
Seeing the apprehension on his pupil's face, Folksen tried another approach. "Come now, you said this duel took place on the eastern field, yes? Well let's go check it out." The old bird had clear signs of aging, wrinkles, loss of feathers and colour, but it did nothing to slow him down as he briskly made his way to a nearby window. "Now where, ahh! I can see scorchmarks. That's where you fought, yes?" He called as the young, spry and physically fit students caught up. Kalivine confirmed. "Yes, right over there. The creature was summoned by those two gouges" he said, pointing to some damage in the turf. "And what do you see?" Folksen asked. "...the bag is gone." Lirren answered. "Exactly. And what do you know? No assassins at our throats. The tether has been severed, we don't need to worry about them coming back. Now I want you kids to get home early tonight and have a good night's sleep. The school year officially starts tomorrow and you don't need to let this keep you up all night."
Culleo nodded numbly. Seeing the empty field had only made the icy grip on his heart squeeze tighter, but everything was exactly as professor Folksen had said it should be, and he couldn't find any reason to doubt it. "Alright teach, that sounds like a good idea, I'm headed out before this lot gets me into any more trouble." Turri said before giving Culleo a clap on the shoulder "Cully! You two need a ride? Don't worry about it, it's no biggie!" He didn't even wait for a response as he grabbed Kellista's hand and began leading the two kobolds out to a landing pad and a few minutes later had the two on his back as he flew through the night. Even two on his back, kobolds were sufficiently smaller than kaikkus that Turri was able to glide most of the way.
"This whole thing really is eating at you, huh?" Turri asked, and it took Culleo a moment to realize he was being addressed. It was starting to get into the evening, but people were milling about, so Turri had taken them higher than strictly necessary to give the kobolds some privacy. "...I'm not really sure why, but yeah. Everything that Professor Folksen said made sense, and this kind of thing doesn't normally bother me, but I just can't shake this feeling..." Culleo trailed off as he considered the problem. "I bet you're just stressed from not getting an answer!" Kellista interjected, "We've been working forward to getting a spot with the Divvani faction for months now and we didn't even get an answer! It's just nerves, man!" Culleo had honestly forgotten about that, but Kellista was right. They just threw everything they had in an all or nothing battle that would probably have an effect on the rest of their lives, and didn't even know if they had won. As Culleo looked forward as best he could into the headwind, he really hoped his friend was right.
_________________________________________________________ Authors notes
Alright, I know I already broke my 'once a week' promise by posting this, but don't expect a habit of it! I'm just a little ahead in my writing and I'm sticking with that standard.
The first shall be previous and the next shall be in a week or so.

Buy a few , get a discount! Paypal ok
13 hours secret soldiers HD Vudu - 3
21 bridges 4K Itunes - 4
22 Jump Street HD MA - 4, SD MA - 2
48 hours 4K Itunes/hd Vudu - 6
Another 48 hours 4K Itunes/hd Vudu - 6
50 shades collection(all 3 movies with unrated versions) HD MA - 12
50 shades of grey unrated HD MA - 4
Aladdin HD GP split - 3
Aladdin (live action) HD GP split - 3
Alien Covenant 4K Itunes(will port) - 5
Amazing Spiderman HD MA - 4
Amazing Spiderman 2 HD MA - 4
American Hustle HD MA - 4
American reunion HD Itunes(will port) - 4
Anchorman 2 HD Vudu - 4
Anna Karenina (2012) HD Itunes(ports) - 4
Antman 4K Itunes(ports) - 5
Arrival 4K Itunes - 4.50
Atomic Blonde 4K Itunes(will port) - 5
Avengers Endgame 4K MA - 5
Avengers Age of Ultron HD GP split - 3
Avengers Infinity War HD GP - 3
Babylon 4K Vudu/Itunes - 7
Bad moms HD MA - 3
Battleship 4K Itunes(ports) - 5
Baywatch 4K Vudu/Itunes - 5
Beauty and the beast 2017 HD GP split - 3
Big Hero 6 HD GP split - 3
Birdman HD MA - 4
Birds 4K Itunes(ports) - 5
Black Panther 4K MA - 5
Black widow HD MA - 4
Blue Jasmine HD MA - 4
Bohemian rhapsody HD MA - 4
Bourne Identity 4K MA - 6
Bridge of Spies HD GP(will port)split - 3
Brooklyn 4K Itunes(ports) or HD MA - 5
Cabin in the woods 4K Itunes/HD Vudu - 5
Call of the wild(2020) HD MA - 4
Captain Marvel HD GP - 3
Captain Phillips HD MA - 4
Carol HD Vudu - 4
Cars 3 HD GP split - 3
Christine HD MA - 4
The Choice (2016) HD Vudu split - 3
Cinderella (1950) HD GP split - 4
Cruella 4K MA - 6, HD MA - 4
Daddy’s home 1,2 HD Vudu - 4 each
Danish girl HD Itunes(ports) - 4
Dawn of the planet of apes 4K Itunes (will port) - 5
Deadpool 4K Itunes(ports) - 5
Deepwater horizon 4K Itunes - 5
Dirty Grandpa HD Vudu/Itunes - 4
Divergent HD Vudu split - 3
Django unchained HD Vudu - 4
Dredd (2012) 4K Itunes - 5
Do the right thing 4K Itunes(will port) - 5
The doorman 4K Itunes/hd Vudu - 5
Dora and Lost City of Gold 4K Itunes/HD Vudu - 5
Dracula untold 4K Itunes/HD vudu - 5
Dredd HD vudu - 3
The Duff HD Vudu - 4
Dying of the light HD Vudu - 4
Edward scissorhands HD MA - 4
Elysium HD MA - 3
Ender's game 4K Itunes/HD Vudu - 4
E.T. 4K Itunes(will port) - 5, HD MA - 3
Eternals HD GP - 3
Ex Machina HD Vudu - 4
The fast and the furious 4K Itunes( ports) - 5
2 fast 2 furious 4K Itunes(ports) - 5
Fast and Furious: Tokyo drift 4K Itunes(ports) - 5
Fast Five HD MA - 3
Fast and furious 6 ext 4K Itunes(ports) - 5
Fate of the furious 4K Itunes(ports) - 5
Fences 4K Itunes - 5
50 shades of grey HD MA - 3
50 shades darker HD MA - 3
Flight HD Vudu/Itunes - 4
Florence foster jenkins HD Itunes/Vudu - 3
Free guy HD MA - 3
Frozen HD GP split - $2
Fury HD MA - 4
Gemini man 4K Vudu/Itunes - 5
Get out 4K Itunes(ports) - 4
Ghostbusters 1+2 HD MA - 6
Ghostbusters 2 HD MA - 3
The Gift HD Itunes(will port) - 4
Girl on the train HD MA - 3
Godzilla 2014 HD MA - 4
Grand Budapest Hotel HD MA - 4
The Greatest showman HD MA - 4
Guilt trip HD Itunes - 3
Heat (1994) 4K Itunes(will port) - 5
Hell or high water, wind river, sicario HD Vudu - 6
Hell or high water 4K Itunes - 4
Hercules (2014) HD Vudu - 3
Hidden figures 4K ITunes(ports) - 5
Highlander 4K Vudu - 5
Hitman's bodyguard + hitman's wife's bodyguard 4K Vudu - 8
Hocus Pocus HD GP split - 3
Holiday Inn HD MA - 4
Hot Fuzz 4K Itunes(will port) - 5
House of 1000 corpses HD Vudu - 5
Hugo HD Vudu - 4
Hustlers 4K Itunes - 5
I, Frankenstein HD Vudu/Itunes - 3
The incredible hulk HD MA - 4
Incredibles 2 4K MA - 6
Inferno HD MA - 4
Inside Out HD GP split - 3
Interstellar 4K Itunes/Vudu - 5
The interview (2014) HD MA - 4
Invisible Man 2020 HD MA - 4
Iron Man 3 HD GP split - 3
Jackie 4K Itunes(ports) or HD MA - 5
Jarhead 2 HD MA - 4
Jaws HD MA - 3.50
Jeff who lives at home HD Vudu - 4
John Wick 4K Vudu/Itunes - 5
John Wick 1&2 HD Vudu - 5
Judy (2019 Rene Zellweger) 4K Itunes - 5
The Jungle book HD MA split - 6
Jungle Book (2016) HD GP - 3
Jungle Cruise HD GP split - 3
Juno SD Itunes(ports) - 2
Jurassic Park 4K Itunes(ports) - 5
Jurassic Park 3 4K Itunes(ports) - 5
Jurassic Park Lost World HD MA - 3
Knives Out 4K Itunes/Vudu - 5
Legend (2015) HD MA - 4
Les Miserables HD MA - 3
Let’s be cops 4K Itunes(will port) - 5
Life (2017) HD MA - 4
Life of Pi 4K Itunes(will port) - 5
Lightyear HD MA - 4, HD GP - 3
Lion King (1994)4K Itunes(ports) - 5, HD GP split - 3
Lion King (live action) 4K MA - 5
Little mermaid 4K Itunes(ports) - 5, HD GP split - 3
Logan lucky HD MA - 3
Lone Ranger HD MA - 4
Lone survivor 4K Itunes(will port) - 4
Looper HD MA - 4
Luca 4K MA - 8
Lucy 4K Itunes(will port) - 4
Madagascar 3 HD MA - 4
Maleficent HD GP split - $3
The Martian Extended edition HD MA - 4
Mary poppins HD MA - 4
M3gan(Megan) HD MA - 8
Megan Leavey HD MA - 3
Mile 22 4K Itunes - 4
Moonrise Kingdom HD MA - 4
Mother's day (2016) HD Itunes(ports) - 3
Mr Holmes HD Vudu - 4
Mulan (live action) HD GP split - 3
Noah HD Vudu split- 3
Nocturnal animals HD Itunes(ports) - 4
Nonstop HD MA - 4
No time to die 4K Itunes - 5
Now you see me 1+2 HD Vudu - 6
Now you see me HD Vudu - 3
Oblivion 4K Itunes(will port) - 5
Oz the great and powerful HD MA - 3
Paranorman HD Itunes - 5
Perks of being a wallflower HD Vudu - 3
Pitch perfect HD MA - 3
Pitch perfect 2 4K Itunes(will port) - 4
Plane 4K Itunes/Vudu - 8
Planes trains and automobiles 4K Itunes/HD Vudu - 5
Playing with Fire HD Vudu - 3
Pompeii HD MA - 4
The post HD MA - 5
Precious cargo(Bruce Willis) SD Vudu - 2
Predator (1987) HD MA - 4
The predator (2018) 4K MA - 5
Pride prejudice and zombies HD MA - 5
Psycho HD MA - 3
Quantum of solace HD Vudu - 4
Quiet Place 4K Vudu/Itunes - 5
Rambo: First blood part 2 4K Itunes/HD Vudu - 4
Rambo Last blood 4K Itunes/HD Vudu - 5
Red 2 4K Itunes - 4
Resident Evil first 4 movies HD MA - 15
Resident evil: retribution HD MA - 4
The Revenant 4K Itunes(will port) - 5
Robocop (2014) HD Vudu - 4
Robocop 2 HD Vudu - 5
Rocketman HD Vudu split - 2
Ron's gone wrong HD GP split - 3
Safe (Statham) HD Vudu split - 3
Sausage party HD MA - 6
Scarface HD MA - 3
Scorpion King 3 HD MA - 5
The Shallows HD MA - 4
Shape of water HD MA - 4
Shaun of the dead HD MA - 3
Sicario 4K Itunes/Vudu - 4
Skyfall HD Vudu - 4
Sleeping with other people HD Vudu - 5
Snatched 4K Itunes(will port) - 4
Snow White and the seven dwarves HD MA - 5
Snow White and huntsman HD MA - 4
Sorry to bother you HD MA - 5
Soul HD MA - 4
Spartacus (1960) HD MA - 3
The Spectacular Now SD Vudu - 2
Spiderman HD MA - 4
Spiderman homecoming HD MA - 3
Split 4K Itunes(ports) - 5
Spy unrated HD/4K Itunes/MA - 4
Starship troopers 4K MA - 5
Star Wars A New Hope HD GP - 4
Star Wars Empire Strikes back HD GP - 4
Star Wars Last Jedi 4K MA - 6
Star Wars the Force Awakens 4K ITunes(will port) - 4
Straight out of Compton HD MA - 4
Strange World HD MA split - 5
Suburbicon 4K Itunes - 5
Suicide Squad (2016) HD MA - 3
Super 8 4K Itunes - 5
Taken 2 HD MA - 4
Ted unrated HD MA - 4
Ted 2 unrated HD MA - 4
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) 4K Itunes/hd vudu - 4
Terminator dark fate 4K Itunes/hd vudu
Terminator Genysis HD Vudu split - 2
That awkward moment SD MA - 2
Theory of everything HD Itunes(ports) - 4
Thor Love and Thunder HD MA - 4
Thor Ragnarok 4K Itunes (will port to MA) split - 5, HD GP - 3
Thor Dark World 4K Itunes - 5, HD GP split - 3
Total recall (1990) 4K Vudu/Itunes - 5
Toy Story 1,3,4 4K Itunes(ports) 6 each, HD GP - 3 each
Training day 4K MA - 6
Transformers 4 Age of extinction 4K Itunes /hd vudu - 4
Transformers 5 last knight 4K Itunes /hd vudu - 4
Turning Red HD MA - 4
Umma HD MA - 5
Underworld Blood wars HD MA - 4
Valerian and city of thousand planets HD Vudu - 4
Venom HD MA - 4
Vice (Bruce Willis) HD Vudu - 4
Victoria and Abdul HD MA - 5
Warcraft 4K Itunes(ports) - 4
Warm bodies SD Vudu - 1
West Side Story 4K MA - 5, HD GP - 3
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot HD Itunes - 3
The Witch HD Vudu - 4
Wolf of wall street 4K Itunes /hd vudu - 5
World war Z HD Itunes/Vudu - 4
X Men first class 4K Itunes(ports) - 5
X Men Days of future past 4K Itunes(will port) - 5, Rogue Cut - 9
Zookeeper's wife HD Itunes(ports) - 4
.
TV shows:
10 days in the Valley S1 HD Vudu - 8
Game of Thrones HD GP split S1,2,4, - 5 each
Manhattan S1 HD Vudu - 8
Strike Back S1 HD GP split - 7
Veep S2 HD GP split - 5
White Queen S1 HD Vudu - 8
.
Sony Pictures Movies Anywhere reward - 5, current options:
Annie
Armored
Boogeyman 2
Buck and the Preacher
Julie & Julia
Little Man
Not Another Teen Movie (4K)
Starship Troopers (4K)
The Suburbans (SD)
To Sir, With Love (4K)
.
Universal Pictures Movies Anywhere reward - 3.50 , current options:
9 - HD
Reservation Road - HD
Josie And The Pussycats - HD
Jarhead 2: Field Of Fire (Unrated) - HD
Jarhead 2: Field Of Fire (Rated) - HD
The Great Wall - 4K
Fifty Shades Darker (Unrated) - 4K
Fifty Shades Darker (Theatrical) - 4K
Empire - HD
Eastern Promises - HD
Definitely, Maybe - HD
The Boy Next Door - HD
American Pie (Unrated) - HD
American Pie (Theatrical) - HD
About Time - HD
Paypal ok

I don't know if this is the right place for this post, but I really need to write down everything that happened and to share my experience with someone else who can understand my struggles.
Long story short, the other day I quit my new job after only a couple of months because I'd simply had enough. The job itself required me to complete a lot of extra courses during my free time and the paycheck wasn't great, but it was actually a decent job.
However what really made me want to run away was the environment I was in. Just to give you an idea, on my second day at this new company one of the colleagues I had just met committed suicide by jumping off a bridge. The atmosphere was gloomy and everybody was really distressed. At first I obviously thought this was just an incredibly tragic coincidence, but then I realised that depression, stress, harassment and subtle bullying are a constant at this place. I will never know what exactly was going on in this person's private life, but in hindsight I'm pretty sure the workplace she was in also played an important part in her decision to take her own life.
As days went by, I started noticing episodes of sexual harassment, little strokes and unwanted physical contact, unsolicited comments about my or other women's look, colleagues making crude comments on the women passing by. One of my female colleagues warned me about a specific co-worker who kept telling me I had beautiful eyes. She said he tried to follow me in the bathroom but luckily she was able to stop him. She then went on to explain he's been formally accused of stalking by a former employee, the trial is still ongoing. A co-worker from another department snapped in front of me and other girls because he couldn't stand his boss anymore. He went on to insult her and wish her physical harm for five minutes straight. These are just a few of the many negative episodes I experienced during my time there. Towards the end I was simply appalled and also scared. Scared to become sad like them, scared for my mental health, scared for my safety.
In all fairness I must add that my direct supervisor was very kind. He said he was very happy with me and with how I worked. He also told me I could speak to him frankly if there was any problem, but soon I understood he had told me so because he was very aware of how problematic his employees are and even though he tries, he isn't really able to change the situation.
So that was it. I handed in my notice and here I am, trying to cope with all that happened, relieved that I don't have to go there anymore but at the same time beating myself up for not pulling through. I feel like I should have done so for my career and for my supervisor. I haven't got a new job lined up and even if I am actively looking for a new one, there aren't many opportunities that look better than the job I just quit. I am also afraid I will find an equally degrading environment and that I am simply not fit for any kind of job out there. Maybe I am just too weak to face all this? Or maybe I am just too proud to accept it?
Sorry for venting so much, but I've been feeling really miserable about this whole situation. I hope the future holds something good for me but right now I feel so confused and worried.

As Kita and Raya reach the second door to the second floor amongst the rattles of gunfire, they burst through the door into a waiting room.
At the other end of the small room is a large, booming, door that eclipses the entryway they'd just used. Villainous door- Kita called it. Definitely one of the best uses of coin. If she had an organization like this, the office door would be her first order of business.
She steps a little closer to the door and raises her arm in the air. Admiring the inscriptions on the door one last time before casting a push spell.
The doors completely shatter, and erupt from their hinges as they fly out towards the centre of the room. Raya raises her rifle and scouts ahead of Kita- It's empty. Not a single person was in the room.
Kita's eyes flare. The kid isn't here. "Where else would they take him?" She asks Raya.
"I'm not sure," She answers.
The footsteps of raiders from the floors below clang louder as they approach. It's decision time. And she needs to make it quick.
"Why do you even care about this kid?" Raya asks.
"I think he knows something about the dark one,"
It's likely. Not many people have had their souls taken by the dark one. She needs to learn everything she can. If pure strength and an army still resulted in her death in past lives, then she may have to approach this all very differently. She just needs a clue and this kid could give her one.
"We need to find out where they're taking him," Kita orders.
"So we fight?" Raya asks.
"Leave one for questioning,"
They both pass up at the far end of the room, facing the wide entryway in preparation for the ensuing raiders.
"How many souls?" Raya asks.
"Seven,"
"Keep the shield up," Raya orders, reloading her gun. "I'll handle them,"
Raya crouches beside Kita, aiming down her sights as Kita casts the spherical shield around the both of them. Kita's not so sure this will work, but Raya seems so certain, it would be well worth it if it does.
The clatter of boots keeps getting louder as the snaking sound draws nearer. It sounds like over a dozen people are on their way up here. This is overkill, is she really that much of a threat? From the raiders' point of view, it does make sense that they would want to kill her after finding all of their prisoners and many of their friends dead. Not to mention she stole their princess, who is seemingly a more high-value prisoner.
These bastards aren't ready for the havoc Kita's ready to ensue upon them. It's felt good, killing these bastards. Her body has no tension, it's totally calm and content with the situation, despite how sticky it is. They should've just let her go, and shut up about whoever the hell that Chevo guy is. Now when that bald prick comes back here he'll find everyone's dead. Burning the place down might be the icing on the cake. She'll see how she's feeling when the time comes.
Two raiders appear around the corner, raising their guns as they notice Kita and Raya. Without much delay, Raya fires two shots into the first raider's chest, and one more into the second's forehead. The raiders behind them start swarming into the room, but with each one that enters, Raya fires one or two bullets in quick succession. She'll run out of ammo soon, and these raiders keep on coming.
Kita puts a hand on Raya's shoulder, preparing to cast a spell. Awaiting the click of Raya's gun.
Six left. She'll be running out of souls soon. Kita needs to make a move that'll get both of them out of here. Staying here to question one of the assholes could put them in more danger than Kita is willing to expose herself to.
Click.
Kita drops her shield the moment the last bullet collides with the raider inside the room. That same instant she casts a spell using five of the remaining six souls.
Invisible. Her mind echoes.
A momentary ripple of the light in the room leaves her questioning whether it worked. The next set of guards step into the room with squinting eyebrows. Looking straight through Kita and Raya as they glance around the room.
Raya stands up, slowly strapping the gun over her shoulder with a similar look of confusion gleaming in her blue eyes. Kita keeps a firm grasp on Raya's shoulder as the two of them shuffle toward the door- in sync, and trying not to make a sound as more raiders step into the room.
Judging by the look on Raya's face, this is the first time she's seen this spell. It's high value, but also high cost. Not to mention the spell is easily wasted by making a noise or colliding with someone. As they reach the staircase, they glance downstairs to where a handful of raiders await instructions from the raiders already in the room.
Each of their footsteps has a focused effort of silence being applied as they slowly make their way up the stairs. They aren't being followed- not yet anyway. And the raiders below are still trying to figure out what's just happened. It's clear people of this world aren't familiar with magic. Did they even know it exists? Raya and the old lady are the only people who knew of Kita's magic, but that's because she's met them all before. Are there other people with magic? Why would Kita be the only one? Assuming she is would only put her at risk- Establishing complacency or narcissism. It's smarter to assume she isn't the only one.
As they reach the first floor, they open the stairwell door to step into a massive tent. One Kita doesn't remember seeing from the top of the canyon. It's on the ground since the dirt room with the occasional rug spits dust with each of their steps. Everything in the room looks like the old technology. Glass panels sit on every desk, each with a board of symbols before it. Weapons and small devices sit on all the tables scattered throughout the room… Could they have built this place? No- The raiders must have found this bunker, or whatever it is. No one has the resources or knowledge to pull this off. Especially not some gang of thieves.
"Follow me," Raya says to Kita, sprinting out of Kita's grasp. A shimmer of colour and light in the tent and they're no longer invisible. She runs after Raya, who is pacing towards the entrance of the tent. The warm glow of the setting sun on the horizon is the first thing she sees before Raya put her arm out, stopping Kita in her tracks. Her eyes adjust to the light when she realizes she's stood at a cliff's edge. A massive protrusion on the canyon wall creates an isolated bed where their tent sits above the bunker that expands down into the wall of the canyon.
"What is this?" Kita asks, confused by the sheer scale of architecture that must have been required to build in this manner.
"I'd guess it was built by the old humans," Raya responds.
"What for?"
Raya shrugs, "This may be where the raiders found their weapons. If I had to guess, I'd imagine it held strategic importance to its creators,"
Kita basks at the scale of the canyon as well. Looking to her right at the neverending corridor, then to her left- where the subtle glow of lights radiates from around the bend of the canyon. She walks towards the pathway on her left, a small walkway carved into the side of the canyon that leads toward a makeshift bridge.
^{AUTHOR'S NOTES
Read ahead on RoyalRoad [https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/68702/soul-stealer-anti-hero-reincarnation-fantasy](https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/68702/soul-stealer-anti-hero-reincarnation-fantasy})
^{Kita's thoughts - Post Chapter 10
"I'll just pee right here"}

Jackie Jensen, "The Golden Boy", was a superstar athlete in the 1940s who seemed destined for greatness as the heir to Joe DiMaggio... only to be supplanted by a different golden boy, the great Mickey Mantle.
Jensen would eventually live up to the hype, but with the Red Sox -- but his career prematurely because, as baseball expanded to the west coast, his fear of flying made road games unbearable!
The Yankees between 1947 and 1964 were utterly dominant, winning 15 pennants and 10 World Series. And it wasn't just the major league team that was successful. The Yankees of this era were loaded up and down the system, from Rookie ball to their two Triple-A teams!
With such a loaded major league roster, the Yankees had many talented players stuck either on the end of the bench or in the minors who would eventually find an opportunity with other teams, including Bob Cerv, Vic Power, Gus Triandos, Lew Burdette, Jerry Lumpe, Bob Porterfield, and Bob Keegan, who would all be All-Stars with other teams. Clint Courtney would be the 1952 A.L. Rookie of the Year runner-up after the Yankees traded him to the Browns, and Bill Virdon was the 1955 N.L. Rookie of the Year with the Cardinals (and then Yankee manager from 1974 to 1975!).
But the most talented player who just couldn't find the playing time in New York was Jack Eugene Jensen, born March 9, 1927, in San Francisco. His parents divorced when he was 5, and he grew up poor, his mother working six days a week, 12 hours a day. Jensen said the family moved 16 times between kindergarten and eighth grade -- "every time the rent came due."
After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Jensen went to the University of California in 1946 on the G.I. Bill. There he became one of the most famous college players in the country, leading Cal to the Rose Bowl. In 1947, he was the starting fullback as well as the team's top defensive back, and in 1948, he rushed for 1,000 yards and was an All-American.
He also was a tremendous two-way baseball player, pitching and hitting for the Golden Bears in 1947 as the won the very first College World Series, beating a Yale team that had George H.W. Bush playing first base. In 1949, he was an All-American in baseball, too.
His blond hair, good looks, and athletic accomplishments earned him the nickname "The Golden Boy."
Halfway through his junior year, Jensen left Berkeley to turn pro. Jensen would later say he couldn't risk playing a career-ending injury playing for free while teams -- baseball and football -- were trying to sign him to big-money contracts.

"There was a money tree growing in my backyard. Why shouldn't I pluck off the dollars when I wanted to?"

Jensen considered a number of offers, including from the Yankees, before signing a three-year, $75,000 contract with the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League. Jensen said he thought he'd face better competition in the Pacific Coast League, the top minor league of the era, than he would at the bottom of the Yankee farm system. He was right about it being more of a challenge -- he hit an unimpressive .261/.317/.394 in 510 plate appearances with the Oaks.
At the end of the year, the Oaks sold his contract (and that of Billy Martin, another Northern California kid) to the Yankees.
That same year, Jensen married his high school sweetheart, Zoe Ann Olsen, an Olympic diver. (By age 18, she had won 14 national diving championships and a silver medal in the 1948 Olympics.) "Together they looked like a Nordic god and goddess," Sports Illustrated reported. Nicknamed "the sweethearts of sports," they were the Dansby Swanson and Mallory Pugh of their era. More than 1,000 people attended their wedding.
Jensen would start the 1950 season not in the minors but in the Bronx. He joined the Yankees in a time of flux. They though they'd won the 1949 World Series, the Yankees knew they had to make some changes, with 35-year-old Joe DiMaggio nearing the end of his career. And their heir apparent was not Mickey Mantle -- at the time an 18-year-old shortstop playing in the Class C league, the equivalent of A-ball today -- but the 23-year-old Jensen.
But Jensen disappointed, hitting just .171/.247/.300 in 70 at-bats, and only starting in 13 games. Watching from the bench most of the season, Jensen would later lament the lost year of development, saying he'd have been better off playing every day in the Pacific Coast League.
The Yankees won the pennant for a second straight year, and in the World Series he once again was left on the bench. His only action was as a pinch runner in Game 3 as the Yankees swept the Phillies. That "Moonlight Graham" appearance would be his only taste of the post-season in an 11-year career.
The following year would be DiMaggio's last, and Mantle's first. Jensen began the year as the Yankees' starting left fielder and proved he belonged, hitting .296/.371/.509 through the end of July... and then, shockingly, was demoted to Triple-A and replaced with previously forgotten Yankee Bob Cerv.
I can see why they called up Cerv -- the University of Nebraska stand-out was tearing up Triple-A, leading the American Association in batting average (.349), home runs (26), triples (21), RBIs (101), and total bases (261) -- but why demote Jensen, who had a 140 OPS+ in the majors? Maybe the Yankees felt the brash 23-year-old needed to be taken down a peg. In any event, Cerv hit just .214/.333/.250 in August and was sent back to Triple-A, but Jensen also was left down there. He hit .263/.344/.469 and was recalled after the Triple-A season ended, only getting into three games (he went 3-for-9).
Mantle, too, had started the season with the Yankees, and after hitting .260/.341/.423 through the middle of July, was sent down to Triple-A. But he hit .361/.445/.651 in 166 at-bats, and unlike Jensen was back in the bigs by August 24. He would play pretty much every game the rest of the season, hitting .284/.370/.495 in 95 at-bats.
The torch had clearly been passed -- Jensen was no longer the heir apparent to DiMaggio. In the World Series that year, Mantle was the starting right fielder, and Jensen wasn't even on the post-season roster.
Jensen was so disappointed with how the Yankees had treated him in 1951 that he talked to the San Francisco 49ers about switching to pro football, but ultimately decided to stick with baseball.
Never shy about what he said to reporters, Jensen told The Sporting News on October 24, 1951:

"I felt so badly about the treatment that I received from the Yankees that, although I was in New York at the end of the season, I didn't feel like sticking around to even watch the club play in any of the World's Series games."
"I do not feel the Yankees were justified in sending me to the minor leagues. When I was shipped to Kansas City, I was doing as good a job as any Yankee outfielder and better than some of them. I was hitting .296, which was ten points better than Hank Bauer and 30 points better than Joe DiMaggio, Gene Woodling and Mickey Mantle. Yet Casey Stengel didn't give me the chance I felt I deserved."

Despite blasting his manager in the press, Jensen was still the property of the Yankees. That off-season, teams were circling, hoping to pry away the talented but disgruntled outfielder. There were newspaper reports of offers from the St. Louis Browns, the Detroit Tigers, the Philadelphia Athletics, the Washington Senators, the Cleveland Indians, and the Boston Red Sox -- with one rumor being Ted Williams to the Bronx in exchange for Jensen and several other players. (A Red Sox scout called the rumored deal "a lot of hogwash.")
Sportswriters spent the off-season speculating whether DiMaggio would retire, and if he did, whether Jensen or Mantle would take over as the center fielder, as there were still concerns that Mantle, who had hurt his knee in the 1951 World Series, wouldn't be fully recovered by the start of the season.
On Opening Day, April 16, 1952, it was Jackie Jensen in center and Mickey Mantle in right. Jensen went 0-for-5 with a GIDP; Mantle, 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, and a stolen base! Seven games into the season, Jensen was 2-for-17 (.118) and found himself on the bench. He'd never play for the Yankees again. On May 3, the Golden Boy was traded to the Washington Senators along with Spec Shea, Jerry Snyder, and Archie Wilson in exchange for Irv Noren and Tom Upton.
In two years with the Senators, Jensen hit an impressive .276/.359/.407 (112 OPS+), but the team was terrible, and Jensen wasn't happy. Still just 26 years old, he later said he had almost quit after the 1953 season... particularly after a harrowing flight to Japan for a series of exhibition games with a squad of All-Stars that included Yankees Yogi Berra, Eddie Lopat, and Billy Martin. That experience gave Jensen a lifelong fear of flying, a phobia that became so intense eventually he could only fly with the help of sleeping pills... and a hypnotist!
He might have quit if not for the trade on December 9, 1953, that sent him to the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Mickey McDermott and outfielder Tom Umphlett. He was homesick, he hated flying, and he now had two little kids at home. Red Sox general manager Joe Cronin convinced Jensen to come to the Red Sox, telling him that Fenway Park was tailor made for his swing. Cronin was right: Jensen was a career .279/.369/.460 hitter, but .298/.400/.514 at Fenway.
It was in Boston that Jensen finally lived up to the hype, becoming a two-time All-Star and winning the A.L. MVP Award in 1958 and a Gold Glove in 1959. During his seven seasons in Boston, he hit .282/.374/.478 in 4,519 plate appearances. In his MVP season, Jensen hit .286/.396/.535 (148 OPS+) with 31 doubles, 35 home runs, and a league-leading 122 RBIs. During his peak with the Red Sox, 1954 to 1959, Jensen's average season was .285/.378/.490 (127 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 26 home runs, 111 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, and 3.6 bWAR. During those six seasons, no one in the American League -- not Mickey Mantle, not Ted Williams, not Al Kaline -- had more runs batted in than Jackie Jensen.
Of course, Mantle was the far better player -- even in Jensen's MVP season, Mantle had more runs, hits, home runs, walks, and a 188 OPS+ -- but Jensen's 127 OPS+ between 1954 and 1959 would have been an upgrade over the aging Hank Bauer's 110 OPS+ in right or the left field merry-go-round of Norm Siebern (113 OPS+), Irv Noren (107 OPS+), Enos Slaughter (103 OPS+), and previously forgotten Yankee Hector Lopez (101 OPS+). Casey Stengel would later say the Jensen trade was the worst one the Yankees had made while he was manager.
Despite his success, Jensen was sometimes booed by the Boston fans, just as they sometimes booed Ted Williams. There even was an article in Sport magazine, "What Do They Want From Jackie Jensen?", taking Red Sox fans to task for their unreasonably high demands from the Golden Boy. In 1956, in a game at Fenway Park against the Yankees, the hometown fans were razzing Jensen so much that teammates had to restrain him from going into the stands after a fan. Later that same game, Williams misplayed a wind-blown fly ball from Mantle, and the fans booed lustily. The very next play, Williams made a leaping catch at the scoreboard to rob Yogi Berra of a double. But Williams, still furious, spit into the crowd. He was later fined $5,000.
And Jackie was unhappy to be away from home. He and Zoe Ann had bought a house near Lake Tahoe, where they could both ski and golf year-round, as well as hit the casinos. They also had a home in Oakland, and a restaurant there, and each year Jensen hosted a pro-am golf tournament. But the marriage was struggling. Zoe Ann, once nationally known for her Olympic exploits, was frustrated to be a stay-at-home mom in the shadow of her famous husband, and Jackie became angry if she engaged in her favorite outdoor hobbies, suspecting there were men around.
Jensen's fear of flying also had become even more intense. Sometimes he was so drugged up that he had to be carried on and off the plane, fueling rumors that he was a drunk. Other times he took trains or even drove while his teammates flew.
Once again Jensen was talking about retirement, and in Spring Training 1957, the Red Sox allowed him to train with the San Francisco Seals, Boston's Triple-A team, rather than having to go to Florida. But he was still miserable. That year, he told Sports Illustrated:

“In baseball you get to the point where you don’t think you have a family. It just looks like I’m not built for this life like some ballplayers. You are always away from home and you’re lonesome, and as soon as I can, I intend to get out.”

The 32-year-old Jensen announced his retirement after the 1959 season, and he spent 1960 home with Zoe Ann and their children and running his restaurant. But he returned in 1961. After hitting just .130 in April, Jensen took a train from Detroit home to Reno, determined to quit once again. After a week away, he rejoined the team and had six hits in his next 10 at-bats. By the end of the season he was at .263/.350/.392, and this time he quit for good.
After leaving baseball, Jensen invested in real estate and a golf course, but lost most of his money. He then got a job working for a Lake Tahoe casino, was a national spokesman for Camel cigarettes, Wonder Bread, and Gillette, and even tried selling cars. Ironically, Jackie found himself on the road almost as much as he had been as a ballplayer. In 1963, he and Zoe Ann divorced, remarried, and then divorced again.
In 1967, Jensen became a TV sportscaster, married his producer Katharine Cortesi, and eventually teamed up with Keith Jackson calling college football games for ABC and a college baseball coach, first at the University of Nevada-Reno and then at the University of California, and he managed the Red Sox team in the New York Penn League in 1970. In 1977, Jackie and Katharine moved to Virginia and started a Christmas tree farm while he coached baseball at a military academy. About five years later, on July 14, 1982, he died of a heart attack at age 55.
You Don't Know Jack(ie):

• How good would Jackie Jensen have been as a Yankee? Maybe not great. He was a career .279/.369/.460 hitter, but just .238/.326/.398 at Yankee Stadium, which -- especially in that era -- was famously death on right-handed batters. Fenway Park was much more to his liking!
  
• Born in San Francisco in 1927, it's no surprise Jensen's favorite player as a kid was Joe DiMaggio, who made his debut with the San Francisco Seals when Jensen was a 5 years old. When Jensen made his major league debut, on April 18, 1950, DiMaggio went 3-for-6 with a triple in a 15-10 win over the Red Sox. Two weeks later, on May 3, Jensen made his first start, playing left field and batting second, and DiMaggio was in center and batting fourth.
  
• Jensen wore #36 at Cal. When he came up with the Yankees, he was first issued #40, then switched to #27, and finally to #25. (With the Senators, he wore #8, then #4; in Boston, he first wore #30 but primarily wore #4.) Currently, #40 is worn by Luis Severino. Other famous 40's include Chien-Ming Wang (2005-2009), Andy Hawkins (1989-1991), and Lindy McDaniel (1968-1973). #27 has been worn by Giancarlo Stanton since 2018; prior to him, it was worn by Austin Romine (2016-2017). It also was the number worn by Bob Wickman (1993-1996), Butch Wynegar (1982-1986), and Woodie Held (1954-1957). Gleyber Torres has worn #25 since 2018; it also was worn by Mark Teixeira (2009-2016), Jason Giambi (2002-2008), Joe Girardi (1996-1999), Jim Abbott (1993-1994), Tommy John (1979-1989), and Joe Pepitone (1962-1969).
  
• Jensen is one of six major leaguers to graduate from Oakland High School, but the only Yankee. Cal has sent 83 players to the majors, including twenty Yankees -- most notably, early 1990s pitcher Chuck Cary, 1930s infielder Lyn Lary, and 1990 A.L. ROY runner-up Kevin Maas.
  
• The Yankees during spring training in 1951 tinkered with the idea of using Jensen into a pitcher. Jensen had been a star pitcher at Cal, including pitching in the 1947 College World Series, and had pitched in a winter league that off-season. But he was bombed in a handful of spring training innings -- while crushing as a hitter -- and the Yankees decided to leave him in the outfield.
  
• College teammates said Jensen wasn't afraid of flying at Cal. His second wife Katharine said the phobia came from a near-miss experience on a flight early in his baseball career -- he looked out the window and saw another plane coming straight at him! The two planes managed to avoid each other, but he was never comfortable on a plane again.
  
• Billy Martin, who also had grown up in Northern California and was Jensen's teammate on both the Oakland Oaks and the Yankees, was merciless when it came to teasing Jensen about his fear of flying. In 1953, on a flight from Okinawa to Honshu to play a series of exhibition games in Japan, the plane ran into a bad storm and was bouncing pretty hard. Jensen, who wouldn't get on a plane without the help of tranquilizers, was blissfully sleeping through the turbulence. Martin found a lifejacket and put it on, then stood over Jensen and shouted "We're going down!"
  
• Arthur Ellen, a hypnotist that Jensen had used to try to cure his fear of flying, believed Jackie wasn't aerophobic at all. It was really a fear of losing his family. "Subconsciously, it developed as a good reason to leave the Red Sox and go home," the hypnotist said.
  
• Jensen is featured prominently in Norman Rockwell's famous 1957 painting, The Rookie. Jensen is the one seated on the bench tying his shoe in the middle of the painting. Standing behind him is Ted Williams, and sitting on the bench next to him is pitcher Frank Sullivan (#18). Wearing the catcher's mitt in the foreground is Sammy White, and the player with his hand over his mouth to the far right is Billy Goodman. Jensen, Sullivan, and White had gone to Rockwell's studio in Massachusetts to pose for the painting; the images of Williams and Goodman were based on photos. The shirtless player was one of Rockwell's assistants, and "the rookie" holding the suitcase was a local high school student!
  
• Boston sportswriters named Jensen the team's MVP in 1954, when he hit .276/.359/.472 with 25 home runs and 117 RBIs. I guess they were tired of giving the award to Ted Williams, who hit .345/.513/.635 that year, albeit in just 117 games as he had broken his collarbone in spring training. Williams didn't qualify for the batting title that year because he had only 386 at-bats... mostly due to his league-leading 136 walks. The rule was subsequently changed from at-bats to plate appearances.
  
• After Jensen was acquired by the Washington Senators, manager Bucky Harris -- who managed the Yankees when they won the 1947 World Series -- pulled him aside and told him he was the right fielder and he'd hit third. "No pep talk, no nothing, but he made it sound like I was the right fielder and third place hitter for a long time to come," Jensen later recalled. "It made me feel good." The 1950s Senators had a number of ex-Yankees and several of them told reporters that Harris was a much more low-key, hands-off manager than Casey Stengel, and Jensen agreed. "With Stengel it was always 'watch for that curve ball' or 'watch for that change up'," Jensen said. "Bucky leaves you on your own up there." But Jensen would later say Stengel was the smartest manager he'd ever had.
  
• Stengel obliquely mentioned Jensen in his famously long, rambling testimony before the Senate Anti-Trust and Monopoly Subcommittee on July 8, 1958. Asked about legislation that would exempt baseball from federal anti-trust laws, Stengel said about 7,000 words without really saying anything. The hearing was held the day after the All-Star Game -- the Stengel-managed A.L. All-Stars won, 4-3 -- and in the American League starting lineup were Jensen and two other ex-Yankees, Bob Cerv and Gus Triandos. Stengel was asked if the Yankees were going to continue to "monopolize" the World Series, and his confusing answer: "Well, I will tell you. I got a little concerned yesterday in the first three innings when I saw the three players I had gotten rid of [Jensen, Cerv, and Triandos] and I said when I lost nine what am I going to do? And when I had a couple of my players I thought so great of that did not do so good up to the sixth inning I was more confused but I finally had to go and call on a young man in Baltimore that we don't own and the Yankees don't own him and he is doing pretty well and I would actually have to to tell you that we are more the Greta Garbo-type now from success. We are being hated. I mean from the ownership and all we are being hated. Every sport that gets too great or one individual -- but if we made twenty-seven cents and it pays to have a winner at home why would you have a good winner in your park if you were an owner? That is the result of baseball. An owner gets most of the money at home, and it is up to him and his staff to do better or they ought to be discharged." After befuddling the committee with answers like that for 45 minutes, Stengel was excused and Mickey Mantle called upon. His opening statement: "My views are just about the same as Casey's."
  
• Casey Stengel later said Jensen plus Spec Shea, Jerry Snyder, and Archie Wilson to the Senators for Irv Noren and Tom Upton was the worst trade the Yankees made during his tenure. But in reality it was pretty much a wash for the Yankees. Jensen, in two seasons, would be worth 4.9 bWAR for the Senators before being traded. Shea, a right-handed pitcher who had been an All-Star with the Yankees as a rookie, pitched four years in Washington and was worth 2.9 bWAR. Snyder was a good-glove, no-hit infielder worth -0.1 bWAR in seven seasons with the Senators. (You must have a really good glove to last seven seasons with a 55 OPS+!) Wilson, at one point seen as a good prospect but now a 28-year-old minor league journeyman, only played 26 games in Washington before being traded. In exchange, the Yankees received the 27-year-old Irv Noren, an outfieldefirst baseman who played five years in New York and was an All-Star in 1954; he was worth 7.9 bWAR, making the trade essentially even by bWAR. (The other player the Yankees received, minor league infielder Tom Upton, never made it back to the bigs.) Prior to the 1957 season, Noren was traded to the Kansas City Athletics as part of a monster 13-player trade that included Clete Boyer, third baseman of the early 1960s dynasty!
  
• The two players Washington got from Boston for Jensen, Mickey McDermott and Tom Upton, were both future Yankees. McDermott was a left-handed pitcher whose father, Maurice McDermott, had played in the minors with Lou Gehrig. Mickey was just 25 years old at the time of the trade but had been in the majors for six seasons, going 48-34 with a 3.80 ERA (114 ERA+). In two years with the Senators, McDermott went 17-25 (but with a 3.58 ERA), then prior to the 1957 season was traded to the Yankees as part of a seven-player deal; he went 2-6 with a 4.24 ERA as a swingman, and closed out the Game 2 win in the 1956 World Series. After that one season in New York, he was part of the trade with the A's that brought back Clete Boyer.
  
• Umphlett, a 22-year-old infielder, was traded back to the Red Sox in 1955, and then the Red Sox traded him to the Yankees in 1962 for infielder Billy Gardner. He would spend 1962 and 1963 in Triple-A for the Yankees, then ended his career in the minors with the Minnesota Twins -- the team that had been the Senators until 1961.
  
• In 1956, the anthology television show Cavalcade of America had an episode called The Jackie Jensen Story. Jackie had a cameo as the adult version of himself, but the 30-minute episode was focused on Jackie's teenage years and the influence of his middle high school coach, a man named Ralph Kerchum who became a father figure. The coach was played by Ross Elliott, a Bronx native whose most memorable role might have been as the director in the Vitameatavegamin episode of I Love Lucy.
  
• Jensen's MVP in 1958 broke a string of four straight MVP awards for Yankees -- Yogi Berra in 1954 and 1955 followed by Mickey Mantle in 1956 and 1957. Nellie Fox of the White Sox won it in 1959, and then the Yankees won it four years in a row again -- Roger Maris in 1960 and 1961, Mantle in 1962, and Elston Howard in 1963. Then a long drought -- the next Yankee to win it would be Thurman Munson in 1976.
  
• Going by bWAR, Mantle should have won it a third straight year in 1958 -- his 8.7 bWAR led the league, followed by Frank Lary at 6.7 and Al Kaline at 6.5. Jensen's 4.9 was 10th that year. Of course, they didn't have bWAR back then!
  
• Jackie won a Gold Glove in 1959; it was just the third year of the award's existence, or he might have won more. "Right field in Boston is a bitch, the sun field, and few play it well," Ted Williams said. "Jackie Jensen was the best I saw at it." Jensen was renowned for his throwing arm -- he twice led the league in assists, and twice led the league in double plays as an outfielder. One Yankee scout said he had the best arm he'd seen since previously forgotten Yankee Bob Meusel, usually said to have the best cannon in baseball history until Roberto Clemente came along.
  
• Jensen was well known for his brashness, especially compared to Mantle's aw shucks attitude. Mantle, asked if he thought he could beat out Jensen to replace DiMaggio in center field, humbly replied that there were three positions in the outfield and he hoped to win any one of them. Jensen, on the other hand, vowed he'd "out-run, out-hit, and out-throw" Mantle, an arrogant answer that didn't go over well with teammates. Joe DiMaggio, asked what he thought of the duel for his old job, quipped that Mantle was "out-quoting" Jensen.
  
• When Mantle was asked what he thought about Jensen's quote, he replied: "I don't know what to make of that guy." Jensen would later say he was misquoted, but reports of his cockiness would follow him throughout his Yankee years. Later in life, Jensen said people mistook his shyness and anxiety for arrogance and rudeness.
  
• According to Sports Illustrated, Jensen is the only player to have played in the East-West football game, the Rose Bowl, the World Series, and the Major League All-Star Game. I'll take their word for it!
  
• As a freshman at Cal, the first time Jensen touched the ball -- on a punt return -- he ran it back for a 56-yard touchdown. Cal quarterback Charles Erb said they'd never seen anything like it. "He was all over the field, dodging and leaping over guys. The rest of us just stood there on the sidelines with our mouths open. Finally somebody said, 'Who in the hell is that guy?' "
  
• Jensen is one of two "forgotten" Yankees in the College Football Hall of Fame -- the other is 1960s catcher Jake Gibbs. (Other Yankees in the College Football Hall of Fame include John Elway, who was in the Yankee minor league system before joining the Denver Broncos, and Deion Sanders, who was on the Yankees in 1989 and 1990.) Jensen also is a member of the Cal Hall of Fame, the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, and... ugh... the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.
  
• Despite his speed -- Jensen led the league in triples in 1956 and in stolen bases in 1954, and was in the top five in stolen bases in six seasons -- Jackie also was prone to grounding into double plays, leading the league in 1954, 1956, and 1957. His 32 GIDPs in 1954 was the major league record until Boston's Jim Rice hit into 36 in 1984, which is still the single-season record. Rice also had 35 in 1985. Jensen's 32 is tied for third with four others. The most by a Yankee? Dave Winfield with 30 in 1983, which is tied for 14th.
  
• Jensen lost most of his baseball earnings through a series of bad investments. His ex-wife, former Olympian Zoe Ann, later became a blackjack dealer in Reno to pay the bills.
  
• Jensen had four appearances on the popular show Home Run Derby, and set a record for most home runs in one match when he defeated Ernie Banks, 14-11, in Episode 24. The 25 combined home runs also was a record. He took on Mickey Mantle in Episode 3, with Mantle winning, 9-2, then defeated Rocky Colavito, 3-2, in Episode 25. He rematched against Mantle in Episode 26, with Mantle winning again, 13-10. Jensen set another record in that contest when he became the only player to hit four home runs in a row, and then a fifth home run in a row. That episode was supposed to be the season one finale, but it turned out to be the last episode of the series: The show's host and producer, Mark Scott, died of a heart attack at age 45, shortly after the last episode aired, and two months later the show's 64-year-old director Benjamin Stoloff also died. Rather than replacing them, the show was cancelled.
  
• Jensen's last game came against the Yankees, on October 1st, 1961, at Yankee Stadium. He appeared as a pinch hitter and popped out to shortstop Tony Kubek. In the 4th inning of that game, Roger Maris hit his 61st home run, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record!
  
• Jackie and Zoe Ann had two sons, Jon and Jay, and a daughter, Jan. Jay's son, Tucker Jensen, was a pitcher in the Blue Jays farm system in 2011 and 2012.
  

In 1958, Jensen told Sports Illustrated that the biggest thrill of his career wasn't being an All-American or an All-Star, it wasn't winning an MVP or a World Series. "The biggest is having played in the same outfield with both DiMaggio and Williams."

I’m sure this has been done before, but I just finished listening to their entire discography and I thought this would be fun to do.
Disclaimer(s):
Many, if not all of these ranking are very close.
Just because I rank a song low/last, does not mean I hate it or dislike it, I like every Starset song.
These are ranked exclusively by personal opinion.
I will explain why I ranked the number one song on each album.
I’ll happily expand on any ranking in the comments if desired.
I’m spirit of keeping my reasonings short, I have left off most instrumental based reasoning.
Transmissions

1. It Has Begun
   
2. Dark On Me
   
3. Down With The Fallen
   
4. My Demons
   
5. Antigravity
   
6. Carnivore
   
7. The Future Is Now
   
8. Telescope
   
9. Halo
   
10. Point Of No Return
    
11. Let It Die
    
12. Rise And Fall
    

Why: ‘It Has Begun’ has a nice contrast to it, the softer pre-chorus bits and the louder chorus. I think Dustin’s vocal performance on this song is also really solid, the pronunciation of certain words and the growl he gets really stands out to me on this one. This is also an amazing song to experience live, Dustin talks to the audience during the musical build up to the song’s climax. This song frequently gets stuck in my head, and I find myself listening to it more than the other ‘Transmissions’ songs, thus I ranked it number one.
Vessels

1. Ricochet
   
2. Die For You
   
3. Everglow
   
4. Bringing It Down
   
5. Monster
   
6. Unbecoming
   
7. Telepathic
   
8. Satellite
   
9. Back To The Earth
   
10. Starlight
    
11. Frequency
    
12. Into The Unknown
    
13. Last To Fall
    
14. Gravity Of You
    

Why: This album as a whole was very hard to rank, I found myself constantly rearranging the list. All of these are extremely close. However, ‘Ricochet’ was always in the number one position. Ricochet was one of my first Starset songs (I started listening about a year before ‘Divisions’ came out), and it quickly became one of my favorites. For awhile now, Ricochet has been in my top three Starset songs. I really like the progression of the song, and the bridge is easily one of my favorites. I relate to it quite a bit, and this song helped me get through quite a few personal struggles. I have a strong personal connection to this song, and thus I ranked it number one.
Divisions

1. Diving Bell
   
2. Other Worlds Than These
   
3. Manifest
   
4. Trials
   
5. Faultline
   
6. Echo
   
7. Perfect Machine
   
8. Telekinetic
   
9. Where The Skies End
   
10. Waking Up
    
11. Solstice
    
12. Stratosphere
    

Why: As soon as I first heard ‘Diving Bell’ it rocketed to the top of my favorites list, and it has stayed there ever since. I love this song. The progression of the song, and the gradual build up is amazing. I adore Dustin’s vocal performance on this song, especially the chorus and bridge. The bridge alone on this song would still be number one to me. ‘Diving Bell’ also has a really good outro, and is a perfect ending to an album. This is another song that I personally connect with quite heavily. This is my favorite Starset song, thus I ranked it number one.
Horizons

1. Something Wicked
   
2. Infected
   
3. Leaving This World Behind
   
4. Devolution
   
5. Tunnelvision
   
6. Earthrise
   
7. Disappear
   
8. Alchemy
   
9. Icarus
   
10. Dreamcatcher
    
11. This Endless Endeavor
    
12. The Breach
    
13. Symbiotic
    
14. Annihilated Love
    
15. Otherworldly
    

Why: Similar to ‘Diving Bell’, as soon as I heard this song, it was straight into the top three for me. This song has phenomenal progression, and once it kicks in, oh boy it’s good. This song is home to my favorite Starset lyric: “I am not well / Repent, I’m guilty” and this is another song where Dustin’s vocal performance is killer. I think this is yet another perfect ending to an album, haunting and open-ended. This song has lived in my top three since it’s release, thus I ranked it number one.
Bonus
Album Openers

1. A Brief History Of The Future
2. First Light
3. Unveiling The Architecture
4. The Order

Why: Dustin’s talking voice is fucking hot lol. Plus, I really like the lore behind Divisions.
Acoustics/2.0s/Reimagined

1. Trials - Reimagined
   
2. Telepathic - Acoustic
   
3. Die For You - Acoustic
   
4. My Demons - Acoustic
   
5. Let It Die - Acoustic
   
6. Bringing It Down 2.0
   
7. Satellite - Acoustic
   
8. Starlight - Acoustic
   
9. Ricochet - Acoustic
   
10. Halo - Acoustic
    
11. Point Of No Return - Acoustic
    

Why: The ending to this song gives me goosebumps, that ~21 second scream is awesome. Big fan of the soft intro progressing into the very climactic ending. Overall a very cool song

Usually around the first of the month we have a batch of price changes and this month is no different. According to the "How to Become a Contract Liquor Agent" document, "The Agent must also complete price changes that occur at the first of the month..."
Number of Price Increases: 2 Number of Price Decreases: 136 Number of New Products: 44 Number of Status Changes: 4
I plan to reply to this post throughout the month if I notice other significant changes happening or at the end of the month before the next update to keep the changes in one place. Here's a link back to what changed in May 2023: American Whiskey, Brandy, Canadian Whiskey, Cordial, Gin, and Irish Whisky, Rum, Scotch, Tequila, and Vodka.
For each category I've sorted by the amount of the price increase or decrease. New products are shown first, then price decreases are shown in decreasing order followed by price increases in increasing order. At the end are products with other changes unrelated to price.
Current product status is indicated on each line as follows. OHLQ hasn't publicly explained what these things mean but I've included my best guess below.

• A = Active
  • Regularly supplied and available for purchase
• D = De-Listed
  • No longer carried by OHLQ, may still be available in some stores or the warehouse. Sometimes considered a Last Call product
• I = Inactive
  • Discontinued by the supplier or otherwise unavailable to OHLQ
• S = Special Order
  • Regularly available but in limited supply. Not available in very many stores
• V = Value-Added-Pack
  • Bottle comes with some kind of extra gift like a glass/mug/etc

American Whiskey

• New Products
• [S] 1776 STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY BARREL PROOF ($44.99 / 750 ML)
• [S] 1776 STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY BARREL PROOF ($44.99 / 750 ML)
• [S] ANGELS ENVY ($28.99 / 375 ML)
• [S] BUCKNER'S 15 YEAR OLD SINGLE BARREL BOURBON ($299.99 / 750 ML)
• [A] FOUR DOGS BLACK DOG BOURBON RYE ($58.95 / 750 ML)
• [S] H.DERINGER BOURBON ($106.99 / 750 ML)
• [S] HEAVENS DOOR 10 YEAR DECADE SERIES 02 STRAIGHT RY ($99.99 / 750 ML)
• [A] HIGH N' WICKED THE JUDGE STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY ($89.99 / 750 ML)
• [S] HIGH WEST BARREL SELECT CASK STRENGTH ($69.99 / 750 ML)
• [S] JACK DANIELS 10 YEAR OLD ($74.99 / 700 ML)
• [S] KNOB CREEK RYE 7 YEAR ($39.99 / 750 ML)
• [S] KURVBALL ORIGINAL BBQ WHISKEY ($1.99 / 50 ML)
• [A] NEW RICHMOND GRANT WHISKEY ($47.47 / 750 ML)
• [S] OLD PEPPER SINGLE MALT SMALL BATCH ($54.99 / 750 ML)
• [S] OLD ROUTE 8 SINGLE BARREL CASK STRENGTH BOURBON ($114.99 / 750 ML)
• [A] SCOTTY'S APPLE WHISKEY ($39.99 / 750 ML)
• [A] SCOTTY'S PEACH WHISKEY ($39.99 / 750 ML)
• [A] SEVEN BROTHERS CASK STRENGTH BOURBON ($59.99 / 750 ML)
• [A] SEVEN BROTHERS CASK STRENGTH MALT WHISKEY ($59.99 / 750 ML)
• [S] WILDERNESS TRAIL BOURON WHEATED PRIVATE BARREL ($65.99 / 750 ML)
• [S] YELLOWSTONE HAND PICKED BARREL 119 PROOF ($64.99 / 750 ML)
• Price decreases
• [A] ERNEST SCARANO DISTILLERY 10 YEAR ($750.00 / 375 ML) - $2,000.00↓
• [A] KARRIKEN SPIRITS JD WAYNE BOURBON ($64.04 / 750 ML) - $17.93↓
• [A] WHISTLEPIG RYE 10 YEAR ($79.99 / 750 ML) - $10.00↓
• [S] HIGH WEST RENDEZVOUS RYE ($74.99 / 750 ML) - $5.00↓
• [A] WHISTLEPIG PIGGYBACK BOURBON ($45.99 / 750 ML) - $4.00↓
• [A] BASIL HAYDEN BOURBON ($39.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] BASIL HAYDEN DARK RYE ($39.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] JEFFERSONS MANHATTAN RTD ($26.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] OLE SMOKY CHERRIES ($19.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] OLE SMOKY HUNCH PUNCH ($19.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] OLE SMOKY MOONSHINE PEACHES ($19.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] OLE SMOKY PEPPERMINT MOONSHINE ($19.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] OLE SMOKY SPIKED APPLE ($19.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] OLE SMOKY WHITE LIGHTNING ($19.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] WILD TURKEY 101 ($46.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $3.00↓
• [A] WILD TURKEY LONGBRANCH ($36.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] JIM BEAM APPLE ($15.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] JIM BEAM FIRE ($15.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] JIM BEAM HONEY ($15.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] JIM BEAM ORANGE ($15.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] JIM BEAM PEACH ($15.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] JIM BEAM VANILLA ($15.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] RED STAG BLACK CHERRY ($15.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] HOWLER HEAD ($27.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [A] JACK DANIELS ($49.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] JACK DANIELS FIRE ($49.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] JACK DANIELS HONEY ($49.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] JIM BEAM ($16.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [A] JIM BEAM ($34.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] JIM BEAM APPLE ($34.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] JIM BEAM HONEY ($34.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] JIM BEAM PEACH ($34.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] JIM BEAM PET ($34.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] JIM BEAM TRAVELER ($16.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [V] JIM BEAM WITH CLEVELAND INDIANS HIGHBALL MUG ($16.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [V] JIM BEAM WITH HIGHBALL MUG ($16.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [A] MAKER'S MARK ($54.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] RED STAG BLACK CHERRY ($34.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] TWISTED TEA WHISKEY ($14.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [A] WESTERN RESERVE CARIBBEAN CASK RYE WHISKEY ($62.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [A] WESTERN RESERVE SHERRY FINISHED BOURBON ($62.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [A] ELIJAH CRAIG RYE WHISKEY ($32.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] ELIJAH CRAIG RYE WHISKEY ($17.99 / 375 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] ELIJAH CRAIG SMALL BATCH ($32.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] ELIJAH CRAIG SMALL BATCH ($17.99 / 375 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] MAKER'S MARK ($24.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [V] MAKER'S MARK WITH SHAKER ($24.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] OLE SMOKY ($19.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] OLE SMOKY BLUE FLAME ($19.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] WILD TURKEY 101 ($24.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] WILD TURKEY 101 RYE ($24.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] WILD TURKEY 101 TRAVELER ($24.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] WILD TURKEY AM HONEY STING ($21.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] WILD TURKEY AMERICAN HONEY ($21.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] BRECKENRIDGE HIGH PROOF BLEND BOURBON ($52.99 / 750 ML) - $0.24↓
• [A] BRECKENRIDGE PORT CASK FINISH WHISKEY ($52.99 / 750 ML) - $0.24↓
• [A] BRECKENRIDGE RUM CASK FINISH WHISKEY ($52.99 / 750 ML) - $0.24↓
• [A] WESTERN RESERVE SMALL BATCH BOURBON ($36.95 / 750 ML) - $0.04↓
• Price increases
• [A] BUZZARD'S ROOST CHAR 1 RYE ($49.99 / 750 ML) - $4.00↑
• [A] BUZZARD'S ROOST CHAR 1 BOURBON ($63.99 / 750 ML) - $9.00↑
• Changed products
• [S] CLERMONT STEEP AMERICAN SINGLE MALT ($59.99 / 750 ML) - Status changed from Active to Special Order

Brandy

• Price decreases
• [V] HENNESSY VSOP JULIEN VAP ($59.99 / 750 ML) - $4.00↓
• [A] HENNESSY VSOP PRIVILEGE ($59.99 / 750 ML) - $4.00↓
• [A] REMY MARTIN 1738 ($57.99 / 750 ML) - $4.00↓
• [V] REMY MARTIN 1738 SHAKER ($57.99 / 750 ML) - $4.00↓
• [V] REMY MARTIN 1738 W JIGGER ($57.99 / 750 ML) - $4.00↓
• [A] REMY MARTIN 1738 ($28.99 / 375 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] REMY MARTIN VSOP ($48.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] COURVOISIER VS ($41.99 / 1 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] REMY MARTIN VSOP ($25.99 / 375 ML) - $2.00↓
• [A] COURVOISIER VS ($17.99 / 375 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] E & J VS ($11.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] MARTELL BLUE SWIFT ($49.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓

Canadian Whiskey

• Price decreases
• [A] BLACK VELVET ($8.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] BLACK VELVET ($17.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $1.00↓
• [A] BLACK VELVET APPLE ($8.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] BLACK VELVET PEACH ($8.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] BLACK VELVET TOASTED CARAMEL ($8.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] BLACK VELVET TOASTED CARAMEL ($17.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $1.00↓
• [A] BLACK VELVET TRV ($8.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] BLACK VELVET ($4.99 / 375 ML) - $0.50↓

Cordial

• New Products
• [A] CROOKED FINGER APPLE PIE LIQUEUR ($43.12 / 750 ML)
• [A] CROOKED FINGER LEMONADE LIQUEUR ($34.69 / 750 ML)
• [V] JAGERMEISTER ALUMINUM SHOT CUP VAP ($25.99 / 750 ML)
• Price decreases
• [V] GRAND MARNIER CORDON ROUGE 750ML ROCKS GLASS ($37.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓

Gin

• New Products
• [A] LOST BRIDGE APPALCHIAN GIN ($34.99 / 750 ML)
• [S] SIPSMITH LEMON DRIZZLE ($36.99 / 750 ML)
• Price decreases
• [A] AIREM GIN ($20.99 / 750 ML) - $10.00↓
• [A] THE BOTANIST ($69.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $5.00↓
• [A] SEAGRAMS EXTRA DRY GIN ($10.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] SEAGRAMS EXTRA DRY GIN TRV ($10.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] SEAGRAMS LIME TWISTED GIN ($10.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] SEAGRAMS WATERMELON ($10.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] LUX & UMBRA LONDON DRY GIN ($24.99 / 750 ML) - $0.21↓
• [A] VIM & PETAL ($24.99 / 750 ML) - $0.21↓

Irish Whisky

• New Products
• [S] GREEN SPOT QUAILS' GATE ($99.99 / 700 ML)
• [A] METHOD AND MADNESS JAPANESE MIZUNARA ($3,300.01 / 700 ML)
• [S] TEELING WONDERS OF WOOD PORTUGUESE OAK ($99.99 / 700 ML)
• Price decreases
• [A] JAMESON ($24.99 / 750 ML) - $4.00↓
• [A] JAMESON COLD BREW ($24.99 / 750 ML) - $4.00↓
• [A] JAMESON ORANGE ($24.99 / 750 ML) - $4.00↓

Rum

• Price decreases
• [A] APPLETON 8 YEAR OLD RESERVE ($29.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [A] APPLETON ESTATE SIGNATURE BLEND ($19.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [A] APPLETON ESTATE SIGNATURE BLEND ($34.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] BLACKHEART ($12.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [A] KRAKEN BLACK SPICED RUM ($29.49 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] ADMIRAL NELSON ($14.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] ADMIRAL NELSON SILVER ($14.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] MALIBU ($14.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [A] MALIBU BLACK ($14.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• Changed products
• [D] BACARDI RESERVA OCHO SHERRY CASK FINISH ($32.99 / 750 ML) - Status changed from Active to De-Listed

Scotch

• New Products
• [A] ABERFELDY 15 NAPA VALLEY WINE CASK ($69.99 / 750 ML)
• [A] DEWARS DOUBLE DOUBLE 21 MIZUNARA ($149.99 / 750 ML)
• [A] LOCH LOMOND THE OPEN SPECIAL EDITION 2023 ($44.99 / 750 ML)
• Price decreases
• [A] AIREM SINGLE MALT WHISKEY 14 YEAR PX CASK SE1 GRAN ($69.99 / 750 ML) - $44.00↓
• [A] GLENMORANGIE SIGNET ($249.99 / 750 ML) - $16.00↓
• [A] GLENMORANGIE 18 ($129.99 / 750 ML) - $10.00↓
• [A] GLENMORANGIE AZUMA MAKOTO LE ($129.99 / 750 ML) - $10.00↓
• [A] FAMOUS GROUSE ($21.99 / 750 ML) - $4.00↓
• Changed products
• [S] AO SUNTORY WORLD WHISKY ($59.99 / 700 ML) - Status changed from Active to Special Order

Tequila

• New Products
• [S] CORAZON EXPRESIONES FRENCH OAK ANEJO ($79.99 / 750 ML)
• [S] CORAZON EXPRESIONES WELLER 12 ANEJO ($79.99 / 750 ML)
• [S] LOS MAGOS SOTOL 6 YEAR RESERVA ($293.09 / 750 ML)
• [S] LOS MAGOS SOTOL BARREL-AGED WHISTLEPIG EDITION 1 ($65.03 / 750 ML)
• [A] PLUMA NEGRA JABALI ($149.99 / 750 ML)
• Price decreases
• [A] MEZCAL VAGO ESPADIN ($54.99 / 750 ML) - $20.00↓
• [A] MEZCAL VAGO ENSAMBLE ($74.99 / 750 ML) - $5.00↓
• [A] HORNITOS PLATA TEQUILA ($36.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $3.00↓
• [A] HORNITOS PLATA TEQUILA ($24.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [V] HORNITOS PLATA TEQUILA GIFT SET - 2 SHOT GLASSES ($24.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [A] HORNITOS REPOSADO ($25.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [A] LUNAZUL BLANCO ($23.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] LUNAZUL BLANCO ($37.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $1.00↓
• [A] LUNAZUL REPOSADO ($23.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] LUNAZUL REPOSADO ($37.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $1.00↓
• Changed products
• [A] CAMPO BRAVO PLATA ($19.99 / 1 Liter) - Status changed from Special Order to Active

Vodka

• New Products
• [A] A.M. SCOTT DISTILLERY ORANGE CREAM VODKA ($29.04 / 750 ML)
• [A] A.M. SCOTT DISTILLERY STRAWBERRY VODKA ($19.99 / 750 ML)
• [A] A.M.SCOTT DISTILLERY BIRTHDAY CAKE VODKA ($19.99 / 750 ML)
• [A] CANDELLA DISTILLERY POTATO VODKA ($38.30 / 1 Liter)
• [A] CRYSTAL HEAD BONE BOTTLE ($52.99 / 750 ML)
• [S] HIGH ROCK VODKA ($23.99 / 750 ML)
• [S] MUTINY ISLAND VODKA ($19.99 / 750 ML)
• Price decreases
• [A] AIREM VODKA ($17.99 / 750 ML) - $12.00↓
• [A] IRVINE'S PRECISION DISTILLED VODKA ($18.99 / 750 ML) - $3.88↓
• [A] TRULY PINEAPPLE MANGO ($14.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] TRULY STRAWBERRY LEMONADE FLAVORED VODKA ($14.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] TRULY WILD BERRY FLAVORD VODKA ($14.99 / 750 ML) - $3.00↓
• [A] BROKEN SHED VODKA ($19.99 / 750 ML) - $2.00↓
• [A] DEEP EDDY STRAIGHT VODKA ($27.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] DEEP EDDY LEMON VODKA ($27.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] DEEP EDDY RUBY RED VODKA ($27.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] NEW AMSTERDAM ($19.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] PINNACLE CHERRY ($17.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] PINNACLE VODKA ($17.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] PINNACLE WHIPPED ($17.99 / 1.75 Liter) - $2.00↓
• [A] NEW AMSTERDAM ($11.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] NEW AMSTERDAM PEACH ($11.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] NEW AMSTERDAM PINK WHITNEY ($11.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] NEW AMSTERDAM WATERMELON ($11.99 / 750 ML) - $1.00↓
• [A] NEW AMSTERDAM ($2.99 / 200 ML) - $0.50↓
• [A] NEW AMSTERDAM PEACH ($2.99 / 200 ML) - $0.50↓
• [A] OYO VODKA ($17.49 / 750 ML) - $0.32↓
• [A] OYO HONEY VANILLA ($24.99 / 750 ML) - $0.21↓
• [A] OYO STONEFRUIT VODKA ($24.99 / 750 ML) - $0.21↓

First Prev Next Royal Road Patreon
u/KieveKRS and u/coldfireknight providing the Trash certification of quality! Everyone thank CFK for their contribution!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Are you sure about this?” Comms called through the short-wave, Willin’s headset crackling only slightly louder than the pouring rain. It was distorted and covered the timbre of his voice, but it worked.
He checked the batteries on his guns, both pistol and rifle topped off. The pistol was secured into the holster on his hip, the rifle slung across his chest over the heat-plate designed to dissipate any plasma that might hit it. His armour wouldn’t do the best against kinetic armaments—it was never designed to go against a railgun—but military personnel were rarely given those anyway. Too inefficient.
“As sure as I can be,” he replied, checking his harness. Two spare batteries, four ration packs, water, the transmitter that fed into his headset, some assorted tools for unlikely scenarios, and a knife tucked into his boot. The footwear was typically used for traversing hostile environments or boarding operations—the material thick and cumbersome—but it worked just fine for him. He had gotten used to wearing it.
He opted not to bother with the helmet. It would limit his senses in a place like this, the EW field making even the most basic function disorienting. Tech adjusted the physical scope on her rifle, though her favourite weapons were the two Compact Anti-personnel and Rapid Discharge systems she had attached to her hips—the CARDs being designed to switch between rapid-shot clusters to suppress a wide area, and a single-fire mode better suited to more precise requirements. The larger weapon was mostly for show—there was hardly a reason to carry an Anti-Material Rifle to begin with—but it didn’t hurt to counter possible armour.
The purple-furred female’s true weaponry rested both on and under her armour, her augments and the equipment linked to them making her a mobile Electronic Warfare platform. Though much of her abilities would be limited in scope here, she was still more than capable of supporting him. He would be relying on her to dissuade any action against them, as well as using her modifications to keep them in the loop.
She looked like an oddly-coloured female, but she was closer to a walking EMP and scanner rolled into one.
“Short-wave is stable, if a bit distorted,” Willin continued, flicking some of the water off his fur. “Tech will try to keep the signal clean, but no promises. Comms, Nav, you two are keeping the craft warm and ready.”
“Understood, Leader,” Nav replied, their androgynous voice warbling slightly. “Estimated time-frame?”
“Long enough for you two to figure out the ration-packets.”
Comms laughed over the headset. “Nav would rather lick the floors.”
“Just don’t get too distracted with each other while we’re gone,” Willin teased through his smirk, Tech rolling her eyes at him.
“The same could be said for you, Leader. Don’t get too caught up making ‘friends’ with the locals.”
“Or Tech,” Nav added dryly. Their tone hovering between annoyance at the jibes regarding Comms and Nav’s occasional fling, and amusement at the suggestion Tech was interested in pursuits of the flesh with the crew at all. She might be, but she had a habit of dropping the thermostat of whichever room belonged to whoever made the comment, so it was safer to just assume she was off-limits.
“Cold room,” Tech responded casually as she adjusted her audio interface, Nav sighing loud enough for it to be picked up. Comms laughed in a way that suggested he was thankful for Tech’s assistance in ensuring Nav would be seeking a warm bed for the moon. Willin shook his head, hoping that they didn’t need to extract in any particular hurry.
It was easier to get in the air when your two remaining crew weren’t otherwise occupied.
“Batteries green. Supplies green. Short-wave sufficient,” he reported, receiving confirmations from Tech. “Operation is to establish communication with local Grand Hunter and receive compliance, information on other packs, and facilitate reintroduction to structure.”
“Alternative is to report pack as non-compliant and pursue other Grand Hunters,” Tech added, repeating what they went over earlier. “My augments are heavily limited, but we should be able to deal with it.”
“Are you sure that you two can manage hostilities?” Comms asked, his voice faltering slightly. Though they had been assigned to the scout craft at random, they had grown rather close as a unit over their time. If it wasn’t for the professional obligations prohibiting it, they might have all decided to move into a den together—they were that intimately familiar with each other. As it was, they would likely be reassigned to serve elsewhere after their current mission was complete.
Such was the life of those like them.
“Tech has more equipment under her fur than our ship has installed—weakened or not,” Willin assured the male. He shot a pointed look at the female. “She’s also under direct order to return in the event things become too dangerous. Alone, if required.”
Tech scowled, but nodded anyway. Comms grunted their understanding. “Leader?”
“Yeah?”
A moment of pause. “Nothing. Come back, okay?”
“Will do my best, Comms. Nav, keep an eye on him.”
“It will be done, Leader. Stay safe.”
He placed a paw to his headset, hovering over the button to cut the transmission. “You too.”
“Ready to go?” Tech asked, slinging her AMR over her back and re-securing her CARDs. Willin double checked his auxiliary equipment, hoping that he didn’t need to use any of it. Nodding, he gestured for her to follow, the two leaving behind the craft to slip into the woods.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Something up?” he asked, raising a brow at Tech. The female was fidgety, restless and scanning their surroundings more than required. She might have heard something, but the thunderous hiss of rain drowned out most everything—it was part of the reason they waited for it.
She wore a reluctant expression, her eyes flickering to the silver and gold trees for a moment. “Prox’ is going wild.”
“Proximity sensor effected?” he queried, feeling the weight of his weapons tug on his body. Tech nodded.
“It’s weak. I think the ‘spike is messing with it—along with everything else—but it’s reporting…a lot.”
“Moving?”
She shook her head, a paw twitching over a CARD. “Not until we go past them.”
He joined her in looking around, shaking off water uselessly. “Wildlife?”
“This stealthy?”
Willin shrugged. “The message mentioned that it was different.”
“Details would have been nice,” she grumbled in return, waving her paw to get him moving again, though she kept one on her weapon.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Visual,” he reported, lowering the rifle from his shoulder. “Anything?”
Tech shook her head, still on a swivel. “Prox’ is still lit up, but at this point it might be less distracting to shut it off.”
“Keep it. Rather have it telling us things are around all the time than miss something big because we got annoyed.”
She sighed, tapping her audio interface twice to change the song she had playing. “What do you see?”
“Low fences, but dense buildings. Lots of traffic despite the weather. Looks like they’re used to it. Think they know we’re here?”
“Doubt it. Gear?”
He shouldered his weapon to look through the scope. “No guns, but lots of melee. Armour seems to be a mix of leather and metal. Can’t say what kind.”
Tech pulled her AMR to look, Willin shifting to keeping lookout. “No guns…” She shot him a look. “I’m not sure if that’s reassuring, or worrying.”
He shrugged. “The less I need to get shot at with, the better.”
“The goal is to not give them reason to.”
“Well, I can’t be perfect all the time.”
Tech laughed, the banter easing her nerves. “You’d have to start, Leader.”
With a roll of his eyes, he patted her shoulder with the back of his paw. “Let’s get moving. Diplomacy doesn’t do itself.”
The purple-furred female sighed, likely biting back another quip as she nodded.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It went better than expected. So far, anyway.
They had approached the settlement proper, received what could be described as a ‘lukewarm’ welcome, then were told to follow several Lilhuns donning black leather and far too many daggers. Their escorts kept a close eye on the guns that they brought, but no one had made any comments about them yet. It was encouraging, but also worrying.
“Still nothing?” he muttered, quiet enough to not be heard by the others, but loud enough for Tech. She seemed hesitant, glancing over to one of the taller structures as they passed through, but gave a subtle shrug.
“Static is messing with my augments,” she grumbled. “Could be none, could be a few snipers. I can’t tell.”
He exhaled heavily. It was a bit of a blessing that her modifications were working at all, but it was easy enough to see that she felt bare without all the little tweaks she had gotten used to.
Willin never actually got the chance to learn all the tricks she was capable of—it was against policy to ask and she never saw fit to talk about it—but of the ones he did know; her proximity sensor, jammer, and ship integration were her favourites.
It was hard to board her ship if she knew where you were, locked up your gun, then spaced the room you were in, all without closing her game. He was pretty sure she was disappointed that she had only gotten to do that once.
“New ones, the Grand Hunter will see you soon,” an escort informed them as they drew near the Atmospheric Entry Craft that acted as a den for the one they were here to meet. They didn’t know the name yet, nor were they given the chance to do more than say why they were there. He had gotten as far as saying he was from the United Military before the people welcoming them scurried off to get someone else.
He busied himself by inspecting the buildings leading up to the AEC, some being a respectable three floors. Newer constructions seemed to differ in method, the beams a charred ashen colour rather than the same odd silver wood. Why they had elected to burn the materials, he didn’t know, but it seemed to be what they decided to do.
A surprising amount of the population carried a curved stick over their shoulder, the ends tied together by a string. Some attached lengths of a similar material to their leathers, one end made with a small loop as it dangled. The catch they carried to what looked to be a hunter’s lodge suggested it was used during their hunting, but he couldn’t fathom how.
Dragging his attention from the crowd, he eyed the large shuttle.
The massive main doors looked to have been damaged, though a structure had been attached since, leaving the stuck-open entrance to seem less like the result of a hard landing. The gentle hum of the internal power generation was absent, the required energy for what was still working being drawn from large solar panels that had been installed into skylights in the ceiling. The cloud-laden weather dimmed the light that illuminated the inside, but it was serviceable enough. Whatever power was produced, it was being funnelled somewhere that wasn’t servicing the majority of the craft.
Wide halls were populated by Lilhuns and spotted with doorways, the majority propped open since they were programmed to shut in the event of a power outage, lest explosive decompression eject whomever was occupying the room—along with anyone nearby in the hallway, should they be so unlucky.
It was customized, that much was obvious. Several rooms that would have been sparsely populated with anything other than beds were instead modified into training rooms and gyms. Densely packed barracks contrasted against large storage areas filled with various goods, pelts and metal weapons lining various shelves. Newer accommodations had been installed for more of those curved staffs, smaller pointed sticks stacked in piles nearby.
They progressed deeper and deeper into the confines of the shuttle, the common sight of the local pack trickling away, none seeming to have business this far in. Gruffer and more observant Lilhuns became the only people they saw while the hallways narrowed into tighter quarters, what might have fit cargo vehicles now only allowing a few shoulder widths, doorways becoming less common. The wary eyes and darkened clothing paired with the occasional dyed fur of those they passed—black seeming to be the dominant colour.
“In here,” an escort grunted, jabbing their jaw towards an isolated door. A paw was held out as they tried to step forward. “Weapons.”
Tech’s paw twitched towards one of her CARDs, the act of Willin relinquishing his pistol and rifle stopping her from snapping it into rapid-fire and burning the air with plasma. She glared at him for a few seconds before doing the same, the escort smirking.
“You will have them returned. The Grand Hunter is not so desolate as to pilfer the possessions of those who come merely to speak.”
He wasn’t worried about it. The guns were coded to them and Tech could fry them if it came down to it. Well, he wasn’t sure if she could do it with the warp-spike messing with things, but the lock should be enough. The knife in his boot went unnoticed, so it wasn’t like he was completely unarmed anyway.
Tech followed suit, subtly glaring at him the whole time. He shrugged, there wasn’t much they could do about it. They were the ones seeking an audience with the most influential person here.
Satisfied, the escort pulled the door open, the quiet whirring of the unpowered servos accenting the air. They revealed a larger office adorned with little but the most base necessity, a wood and steel desk covered in papers, a chair seeming to be the only extravagant item within—though it was purely for the ergonomics, rather than any aesthetic reason—and the male sat upon it was leafing through a collection of documents while twirling an orange needle-like object in his paw.
The distinct lack of any guards to protect the Grand Hunter was surprising, but that took a back seat to the owner of the room.
Dark grey fur, a clouded eye that retained its sharpness, scars peeking beyond the confines of his leather clothing—the thick hides sporting metal scales sewn onto them. An ear flicked in their direction, the membrane cut at several points. He placed down his papers, leaning forward in his chair as he clasped his paws on the desk, a friendly smile donned that failed to convey anything but malice.
“Greetings, new ones,” the male offered in a cheery tone, the low rumble and gravelled texture of his voice carrying both humour and curiosity. He focused on Tech for a moment, his eyes narrowing over the affable expression before he regarded both of them equally. He gestured to the seating opposite of his desk some small distance away. Close enough to meet, yet far enough that it was made abundantly clear who was in charge.
Willin bowed his head politely, walking the distance and sitting where he was provided. Tech followed suit after a brief hesitation, her unfocused eyes snapping to him with frustration. His raised brow was met with a longer blink—her augments were reporting something that made no sense again.
“Now then,” the dark grey-furred male said, moving some of the documents on his desk to a stack. “What might bring you to me?”
“Forgive me, Grand Hunter…” Willin opened, prodding for a name.
The male simply maintained his attentive posture instead of providing. Willin adjusted his sleeve and decided it was more important to continue than dig for information that he could get by asking anyone who lived in the settlement.
“As for why we’re here; we represent the United Military, responding to a distress call. We have forwarded the request and were tasked with ascertaining the state of affairs before the fleets arrive to assist.”
The Grand Hunter nodded. “Yes, that much I could have surmised from your clothing alone.”
Tech raised a brow as the dark green-furred soldier forced a smile. “Of course. More specifically, we would like to speak with you about what you know of the others of your station, as well as discuss the reintegration of your pack.”
The smile of the grey-furred male widened. “You wish to make a deal?”
Tech’s gaze flickered to several points in the room, her brow furrowing as she jettisoned a huff in frustration. Willin took a moment to consider his plan of action, nodding when he didn’t see the harm.
“I believe we can come to an arrangement. Within reason, of course.”
The Grand Hunter chuckled as the needle he was playing with disappeared at a flick of his wrist. “Of course, of course. Deal, agreements, arrangements, contracts.” The emphasis on the final item tickled something in the back of Willin’s mind. “Itemize it. What do you seek of me? It is rather disorganized to ask without quantifying, no? So…messy.”
“We want information on the other packs. Who leads them, number of members, where their settlements are,” Tech stated tersely, ignoring the disapproving glance Willin gave. “We also need to work on integrating those packs back into the UM—preferably with yourself setting precedent.”
The male’s face grew thoughtful. “As well as forgiveness, though that will cost quite the amount.”
Willin frowned. “Forgiveness? For not knowing your name?”
The Grand Hunter returned a blank stare, a dangerous grin spreading slowly. “Tell me, new ones, do you know of Avalon?”
Tech’s face hardened, her answer slow and cautious. “We do, though only through description.”
The male’s voice fell low. Quiet, yet powerful. His elbows on the table suddenly felt like a far greater threat than any armament. “Do you know the debt your superiors have incurred?”
“I don’t believe we have even had the chance to introduce ourselves,” Willin interjected, noticing Tech’s discomfort, her eyes darting around the room nervously.
“You need not,” the Grand Hunter remarked smugly. “You are forbidden from giving your names, no? Locked behind titles of station, merged and scattered at the whims of your masters. Soldiers who do not exist, yet sit within my office.”
Tech pawed for a CARD, forgetting that she had been disarmed at the door. Willin felt the weight of his knife pull on his boot. The male chuckled as he leaned back in his chair.
“But, given that you did not flee, I will give the benefit of the doubt regarding the debt. Though, it will make offering you more than your lives difficult.”
“What debt?” Willin pressed, receiving a flippant wave of the male’s paw.
“It matters not. I have more pressing matters than hearing why I should join the ranks of that which I supersede.”
“Matters such as?”
The Grand Hunter raised a brow. “You are being given the opportunity to leave whole, new one. I advise you to accept.”
Willin shook his head, ignoring Tech’s pointed look. “We need information. From the message we received, not everyone is as well off as you, and we intend to amend that. What can we trade for it?”
The male clasped his paws over his stomach, passively humouring them. “What do you offer? You may seek the details of the others, but I am not inclined to merely supply it.”
“Supplies, priority cooperation when the UM arrives.”
A chortle sounded out. “We are self sufficient. Such matters little.”
“Is there anything you would want?”
The Grand Hunter smirked, placing a paw on the table as the other produced another needle—this one a more yellow hue, the specifics of its shape blurring as it spun between his claws. “Your superiors asked me a favour. Data. How far could they push the Lilhun body before ligaments broke, the mind following shortly after? How twisted can we shape the psyche of kits?”
The temperature of the room seemed to chill, a twitch of the male’s lips pulling his muzzle into a slight snarl.
“They sought my kit to participate, after a time. Unfortunately, her will aligned—despite my reservations. In return, she would be wiped from the records. Ephemeral, never having existed to begin with. Never suffering the whims of those who became drunk on sending my Blades to their end, never finding their other.” The gravel to his voice turned to broken glass. “Yet your betters violated the agreement. Broke the contract. They pulled her into your service, hid the fact from me, and had the gall to fabricate a story to coincide. Were it not for a particular series of favours I was owed, I would have been still planet-side in our system instead of here.”
The dark grey-furred male smirked, his demeanour relaxing. “It seems she has found what she sought. Without need for my meddling, at that. A shame, really. I had several competent males selected—those who could wield what she had become. Those who might give her what her blood-mother failed to gain.” He paused for a moment, a fraction of longing piercing through the scarred exterior. “Regardless, all I would have wanted has been gained. She is content, and I am crafting that which shall accept her when she is ready. Your military will only muddy that which I have achieved, were they to dig their claws into my work.”
“Their actions are separate from ours,” Willin countered, thankful that the impending conflict had seemingly resolved itself.
“Grand Hunter,” Tech addressed the male, an eye flicking to the ceiling for a fraction. “We were able to see that there are a fair number of settlements, but we need the information to do our job.”
“And your task would interfere with my own,” the grey-furred male reiterated, a polite—if bored—expression returned.
“What if we could ensure that it didn’t?”
The disinterest in the male’s eyes slipped into curiosity. “You seek to trade sovereignty for information? You hold such power?”
“We do,” Willin confirmed, surprised that Tech would offer. “Though you would be disregarding the support of the United Military, we could arrange an agreement of territory on this planet. It’s not as if we could populate the entirety of it within several of our lifetimes anyway.”
The Grand Hunter stared, each moment more uncomfortable than the last. Eventually, he smirked. “Information and the disregarding of the sins your betters inflicted upon me, for sovereignty…and a singular favour.”
“Favour?”
“Indeed,” he replied confidently, reaching into his desk to produce writing implements and paper. “You see, my kit has pledged herself to someone of curiosity. I thought him worthless. Weak. Yet he has performed a duty befitting her Sheath, and I suppose I should reward it.”
Scribbling ceased, impeccable penmanship crafting a contract that was slid forward on the tabletop. He continued after gesturing for Willin to approach.
“Seek him last, give him what information you have gathered, then heed his request,” the male said through his smirk. “I do so look forward to seeing what becomes of it.”
The dark green-furred male perused the document, stipulations and all finely articulated, as if the Grand Hunter lived and breathed transaction. A few points needed to be addressed, mostly possible abuse cases within the fine print, but it was surprisingly fair. There was some worry about the otherwise excessive cost of breaking the contract, but Willin figured that it would be reasonable enough considering the circumstances.
Signing, he gestured Tech to do the same as a witness, the two of them representing the UM for all intents and purposes. It was hardly the first time they had made agreements like this, though trading such a large area on a planet they held no prior influence on was a first.
The Grand Hunter confirmed the terms and conditions with them one last time, smiling when they both nodded.
“Good! Now, for what you seek.” The male rummaged through a few drawers, producing a series of papers that were lined over the desk towards them. “The non-aggression treaty, as well as what my Blades have observed from their scouting.”
Willin read over each, the documents sorted by Grand Hunter, then by who they had under them. His brow raised at a few reports, but questions could wait. The male seemed happy to let them read, so he wanted to take advantage of it. Tech scanned over everything when Willin was done, her augments allowing her to commit the information to a digital memory for future reference back on the ship.
“There are quite a few names marked with this,” Tech noted aloud, pointing to a symbol next to several of the Grand Hunters and their extended packs. The grey-furred male nodded.
“Those have been eliminated or subsumed.”
Willin frowned, parsing the documents again. Mi’low, Toril, and a few others were designated as such. Looking through, only about four seemed to be free of the distinction. He looked questioningly to the male, a grin returned with a separate stack of paper, titled with a single name.
Hasen.
The notation was rather dense, though not in information that Willin was expecting. Instead of settlements or High and Low Hunters, it was laden with mentions of those belonging to the previously marked Grand Hunters. His eyes widened as he connected the dots.
“Hasen is trying to be a Master Hunter.”
“Correct,” the male confirmed cheerily. “He is integrating other packs into his command and eliminating those who refuse. It has become quite an issue as of late.”
Though Grand Hunters could be assigned the moniker by owning territory and a willing pack—assuming they have the force required to defend it—a Master Hunter must own magnitudes more. It was typically achieved by integrating Grand Hunter packs and their subservients through mutual benefit, but taking it by force was a lesser used method.
Given that he had already either taken or purged several, it wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to assume he would press it to include here.
Willin heard Tech curse under her breath, their promise of sovereignty obligating them to interfere. To allow a member of the military—stranded or not—free action against the grey-furred male’s territory would be the same as endorsing it, now that they were aware. It would be hostility by the UM in all but name, and the consequences that had seemed somewhat extreme before now hung over their heads like an executioner’s axe.
A dark, deep chuckle broke the two of them out of thought. “Contracts, new ones,” the Grand Hunter started, a cold Void pooling in his eyes, “are not to be thought trivial. Do not break them.”
“It was a trap,” Tech snarled, jabbing a claw at the report in her paw. “You set us up.”
“Did I?” the male asked innocently. “You offered self-governance, non-interference, and non-aggression.”
“You withheld information!”
The Grand Hunter smiled, a shiver sent down Willin’s spine. “You agreed without doing proper research.”
Willin held a paw out to stop Tech from storming the male. “The contract is signed, Tech.”
“It’s invalid!” she snarled at him, receiving a cold look in return.
“Do you want to be the one to tell command that we allowed damn near genocide of a crew we were here to assist, just because we were too stubborn to adhere to an agreement?” he countered calmly. “This ‘Hasen’ is wiping almost a year's worth of survival, botanical, and every other specialized knowledge gained, just because he wants to control a section of a planet. This doesn’t change anything, it just means we know what we’re going into.”
“I like him,” the Grand Hunter opined with a grin. “He sees the value that my proposition offers.”
“What’s stopping us from just tearing up the contract right now and leaving you to your fate?” Tech barked.
“Your companions in your craft—quite the ship, might I add—would be a notable starting point.”
The two of them paused, eyes widened. The dark grey-furred male laughed again.
“Your proximity sensor has been reporting since you landed, no?” he asked, pointing to the equipment on Tech’s harness. “It must have been rather vexing, yes? Is it the warp-spike? Is it some army of the unknown? The uncertainty of never confirming what it tells you. The whispers of doubt that follow.”
“I’m surprised you recognized what it was,” Willin replied with a level tone. He didn’t like where this was going. The male offered a smile.
“Wildlife here is especially elusive. Skittish. Ceasing all motion while predators are near and silencing themselves.” Tech and Willin exchanged a glance as the male waved a paw dismissively. “It makes for rather intensive training for my Blades. To hunt without disturbing them. My kit was a natural in such regard, but others have slowly approached such a threshold.”
He folded his paws on the desk. “Your ship is currently being observed by them now, weaponry trained on the defences you thought so adequate. Surely you noticed the lack of guns, yes?”
“The distress message mentioned the lack of them was due to how urgent evacuation was,” Willin added cautiously.
“Yes, quite. I made sure to lock the armouries after taking enough to establish my power,” the male confirmed with a half-shrug. “Among those were rifles not dissimilar to the rifle that the purple one there brought with her.” He leaned back in his chair. “Sufficient to pierce the hull and whoever occupies the space behind it, no?”
Tech’s eyes unfocused, snapping to Willin with a fear behind them. The Grand Hunter spun his quill, unconcerned by the events.
“Your short-wave has been temporarily disabled. You can not warn them.”
“Threatening us to compliance?” Willin asked without emotion to his tone. He needed to keep things from escalating.
“Ensuring you understand the consequences of your actions,” the male replied plainly. “When one barters with Avalon, know that breaching such is grounds for death. Of you, and whoever I need to send with you.”
“They didn’t sign this,” Tech argued, kept in line by Willin’s demeanour.
“But you did,” the Grand Hunter returned coldly. “Honour your signature, or regret such in the Void.”
Tech took an enraged step forward, stopped when her throat pressed against a dagger that was slipped in from behind. Willin felt the pressure of a knife to his own.
“Patience, new ones.”
“You took advantage of the interference to sneak assassins into the room?” Willin noted.
“No, my Blades were always here,” the male refuted lazily, nodding at Tech. “She noticed, but was unable to trust what her equipment told her.” He chortled for a moment. “Quite the annoyance, proximity sensors. I feel rather blessed to have the warp-spike rendering them little more than meaningless noise.”
“So this is it? You kill us now, our friends when they refuse to cooperate, then steal what we brought?”
The pressure on his neck faded with a wave of the male’s paw, the assassins being nowhere to be seen.
“Of course not!” the Grand Hunter exclaimed, his voice returning to its affable cadence. “You now know how futile it is to go against me. Fear not, I see no merit in hindering you. As long as you honour your portion of the contract, I will honour mine. It is a certainty that Avalon was founded on.”
Tech rubbed her neck, glancing questioningly at Willin. He gave the male a wary glance, but closed his eyes to concede. They were just going to get everyone killed if they tried to back out of something they had already agreed to.
“Then we have come to an understanding,” the dark grey-furred male announced happily. “As a show of faith, do you have any questions where I might provide clarity?”
The two soldiers glanced at each other, Tech begrudgingly giving Willin the floor. He gestured to the smallest stack of papers. “Who is this? There’s next to nothing about him. Are you withholding information against your contract?”
The Grand Hunter smirked. “That, new ones, is all I could gather from my Blades.”
“You have Lilhuns disappearing in the room a moment after holding a knife to our throats, and they couldn’t scout a settlement?”
“Isn’t it interesting?”
“Enthralling,” Tech commented dryly. The male tapped a claw against his head.
“Think, new ones. What might render my Blades little more than a mild inconvenience?”
Willin’s eyes narrowed. “Other Blades? Better Blades?”
The dark grey-furred male held an expectant smile. “None have been seen, save for my kit.”
“Your kit’s mate is the Grand Hunter? I don’t see one Blade deterring this many,” he admitted, flicking through the pages. Overt, covert, and disguised. None got very far.
“Thus why I believe the male is owed a favour,” the Grand Hunter explained. “I gave them four Blades as a gift. They have become more.” A predatory look of elation cracked through the veneer. “There exists no better Sheath than a Blademaster. Let alone one who surpasses my methods. If she is to succeed me, I would rather no other to accompany her.”
“Says here that he’s an alien,” Willin noted aloud, trying not to voice his surprise. “I’m skeptical.”
“Oh, please do be. It will make hearing about what he asks of you that much more amusing.”
“Any ideas what he might look for from us?” Tech spat, still irritated.
“Oh, I might have an idea,” the male answered cryptically, sliding a small tablet of silver wood across the desk. Willin picked it up to inspect it, two foreign scripts scratched into the surface. With a questioning glance, the Grand Hunter nodded, Willin stashing the tablet into a pouch. “He seeks that which others might not, for reasons as foreign as he himself is. I have little doubt that something related to that trinket will be his wish.”
“Then why visit him last?” the purple-furred female pressed.
“Because it will influence his decision.”
“Which is enough reason for us,” Willin declared with a warning scowl at Tech. She held his gaze before looking away in annoyance.
“Then our meeting is finished,” the male announced, gesturing to the door. It opened, the whirring of servos giving way to the distant ambient chatter of the hallway. Two of the black leather-clad escorts entered the room and awaited them.
“Is there anything we should know that may have not made it to the report about him?” Willin asked before leaving, turning naught but an ear for the response.
The Grand Hunter hummed for a moment. “Do mind your manners surrounding his kit,” he offered. “Or do not, it matters little to me if you survive past honouring the agreement.”
Tech stopped at the doorway, glaring at the male as Willin exited. “We never did get your name.”
His brows raised in interest. “You saw my signature.”
“I would rather hear it from you,” she insisted coolly.
A toothy smile spread over the male’s muzzle. “Grand Hunter Trill; Blademaster of Avalon, Sire of Phantom, and—if I remember correctly—the Weighted Scale, Aspect of Balance.”
“’May he who barter with the Void fear its ire,’” she recited, conviction in her words.
“’Yet he who uphold bathes in its blessing,’ yes,” Grand Hunter Trill replied with a knowing look. “Consider it, new one. To be crushed under the obligations you fail to upkeep, or revel in that which you covet. Do be warned; though I let you and your party leave—” his eye gained a sharp edge. “You are never beyond my influence.”
“May the sun treat you well, Grand Hunter,” she replied tersely, spinning on her pad to leave. Willin glanced back as he waited for her to pass him, seeing nothing but the door closing behind her.
Their weapons were returned, each in the same state as they were confiscated, save for a familiar knife. He scowled as he shifted his footing to reveal that the comforting weight had been removed from his boot. He begrudgingly accepted the blade, tucking it back into the sheath as the Lilhun smirked at him, his mirth at the dark green-furred male’s displeasure evident.
They were escorted out of the shuttle, a pause afforded long enough for Willin to flick up his hood before they continued to the outermost edge of the settlement. As soon as they were outside of the fence, their escorts turned and quickly faded into the buildings.
A crackle came over the headset.
“Leader! Tech! We thought something may have happened,” Comms shouted into the earpiece, genuine worry coating his words.
“Were you unsuccessful?” Nav added, the sound of a small distance between speaker and microphone suggesting they were sharing.
Willin adjusted the strap of his rifle and started walking, Tech following after a lingering glance at the settlement. “We got what we came for, but it might have cost us.”
“It was simply a meeting, no?” Comms asked to clarify.
“If you can call being strung along by an Aspect ‘simple,’ then yes,” Tech growled.
“Aspect?”
“Balance,” Willin provided through a sigh. “Weighted Scale.”
“Receive your heart’s desire at a heavy sacrifice,” Nav commented after a moment, likely referencing something. “What did you give them?”
“Sovereignty and a favour to be paid out to another Grand Hunter.”
“That does not seem too unreasonable,” Comms voiced curiously.
“We’ll talk about it when we get back. I have a feeling that the hole was dug too deep to see the bottom quite yet.”
“There’s a battle brewing,” Tech notified the crew, adjusting her audio interface. For once, it was completely silent. “We got dragged into it.”
The short-wave fell silent.
“What do we do?” Comms questioned quietly, the crackle of the distortion pitching his voice slightly.
Willin snorted, exhaling slowly.
“We made a deal with Avalon, Comms. We honour the contract.”
Next
A/N: Folded and made a Patreon. You can do the thing there, but i don't have anything to offer. Gonna move the rare AI Gen character art to it though, since it's the best i can offer.

Hello,
I have a new matress from Yatas Bedding the model is Cool Action.
I am in Eastern Europe, I don't have access to a lot of matresses that are not total garbage and that don't break the bank.
I got it because it has pocket springs, is a medium(which is very hard to find apparenrly here) and it has some soft foam on top(I don't like memory).
The last two weeks have been a nightmare. At first, I had it on a curved slat bed, which made it very weird feeling, like it was too soft. You could even see the curves on the top of the matress. At first I thought it sagged in the middle.
Then I got a straight slat set, installed it and the matress now seemed firmer. But then I slept on it and my God, the pain I woke up with in my spine right above my hips. Turns out my hips sink in too low.
Now, I've noticed the matress softened up mainly around that area, that the shoulder area is still pretty stiff. I tried pressing it multiple times a day to force it to soften up but it isn t really working.
My question is: is it worth it to keep going and try to break it evenly? Have you encountered this situation? Maybe if it softenes up at the shoulder area too it'll feel better and the weight will be evenly distributed?
Or is what's happening a sign that I have yet another shitty matress on my hands and I should move on? 😅
And yes, I have a slightly sensitive back mainly from all the shitty matresses I've been trying in the last 4 months.
Thank you!

Well the June hols are basically here and everyone is either incredibly motivated or feel impending doom sensing that history is about to rewrite itself or that the holidays are going to disappear in the blink of an eye, I decided to share some tips that I picked up as a fellow unmotivated individuals. (Especially those who have exams right after the hols)
I know we all have heard of your typical tips like: Schedule every second of your day! Pomodoro! Sacrifice your first-born child to the bell-curve gods! Or something… I’m not going to repeat those tips. If those traditional methods work for you, great for you! If not, then have a read.
I myself have been switching between various methods over the years as they lose effect after some time for me so don’t be too discouraged or come back flaming me after a certain method fails. A lot of these were just stuff that worked for me that I wish I knew earlier. Do also feel free to share your own tips and methods in the comments!
General Tips: 1. Your environment determines your brain Tidy up your workspace! At the end of the day, leave the books and worksheets you need on the desk for the next morning. Keep books you will be needing close to you so you won’t get distracted during your “journey to the textbook” 2. Study outside A change in environment does wonders sometimes. Look for a nearby CC, library or cafe! Stop being cooped up at home you nerd. 3. Go outdoors Go for a walk! Exercise a bit. Seriously. Stop cooping yourself up at home. I know you will feel guilty for “wasting time” but trust me you aren’t, the breath of fresh air everyday helped me to reduce burnout. 4. Keep your phone in view yes i know this is contrary to most believe but if you experience more anxiety without your phone, keep it away but in view instead. Use notification blockers etc to keep it silent or app blockers to prevent your access to distracting apps. (depends on person!) 5. Do not take breaks If you are already in the zone, dont stop! Continue studying until you feel tired etc. DO NOT BREAK YOUR FOCUS! But if you aren't in the zone yet, feel free to take breaks. 6. Music music while studying isn't for everyone and may not be suitable all the time. I myself, depending on mood, switch between a few different types and vibes, sometimes I layer different types too! Try to change up your playlist between your normal songs, lo-fi beats, background noises etc! I myself love listening to mild typing noises layered with a bit of lo-fi, but when I already have a song stuck in my head I just listen to songs.
Methods: 1. Yeolpumta Need to feel pressure from your peers? Download Yeolpumta with your friends and create a group. Its an app that can act as a timer while you study, also acts as an app blocker while you study. You can also see in real-time which of your friends are studying and nudge those that arent. (Cons is it can feel very competitive over time because some people are legit scary) 2. Body doubling/ study buddy Get someone to passively watch over you while you study, this can be a friend or anyone. (Rmb to stay safe though!) This can be done in real life or over video calls. This more of holds you accountable to your promise to sit at this desk for the next 2hrs etc. The person can be studying too or just doing anything else (as long as they dont distract you instead). If you are like me and have no friends :’) Google for body doubling or “study with me” videos that show the view of the person themself (not just the book etc), seeing someone remain focus can give a subconscious motivation to focus, or just study in an area with a lot of other people studying. For me I found a 12hr one and challenged myself to see how much of the 12hrs I completed everyday. 3. To-do, Doing, Done for those who get bored easily, you can try to do multiple tasks at the same time. This can be done physically on paper or whiteboard or digitally. Split the space into 3 sections, label the top with To-do, Doing, Done and move tasks between sections as you go about your day. This helps to cure the boredom a little, for best effectiveness do choose subjects that are similar though! 4. 3 tasks a day For those that easily backlog or get overwhelmed when seeing a packed schedule, this method can help! This is my favorite method! It may seem inefficient but ngl most times I have trouble even completing 3 tasks so :p Rather than packing your schedule tightly, determine 3 main assignments/tasks you want to complete in one day (if the task is really simple then ofc increase the tasks and vice versa, rmb it's all adjustable to your needs!) If you complete them before the day ends, then you can of course "steal" tasks from the next few days! 5. Chapter summary some hate this because you lose some details by doing so, some swear by this. I personally like creating small summaries of chapters and usually end up studying the summaries instead of the actual textbook/sch notes. I prefer this over the usual "rewrite notes" method. I do this for practical worksheets too, I write a small summary of the main learning points of the worksheet on a small post it and stick it to the first page, this wastes lesser time when I'm revising as I do not need to reflip through the whole thing unless I am very unsure of the concept. 6. Buffer time if you die die must do a schedule of every second of your day, add buffer time between each task! This reduces the chances of having backlog!
Anyways while I'm at it I'm also going to share the typical signs of burn out - Frequently feeling tired or drained - Recurring pains/ headaches - Changes in sleep habits - Changes in our appetite - Taking longer to complete tasks - Sense of failure or self doubt - Avoiding responsibilities - Cynical outlook I know we are all typical kiasu students but I'm telling you DO NOT try burnout, its not fun… The last thing you ever want is to burn out in the middle of exam period!
Some tips on how to prevent: 1. Know when to stop don't overdo studying! Find your limit and settle there, my own limit is studying is 12hrs a day for a few days straight, beyond that I begin burning out and take a long time to recover. 2. Take breaks Toilet breaks and food breaks should not be your only breaks! Scrolling your phone isn't the best form of break either! It's better to go out on walks, move your body etc. You can even go online and look for quick workout warmup stretches. 3. Act productive for those that feel anxious taking breaks, there are ways to "trick" yourself into feeling productive. Rearranging your table, creating your schedule for the next week, decorating your schedule etc are good ways! They are essential things you need to do but are not studying technically! (This is not an excuse for procrastinating pls) 4. Happy productivity have a method of studying that you love? Example maybe you love making mindmaps. Then between study sessions, schedule some time to make a mind map. The key is to release some dopamine between sessions! You still get boring essential work done but you also get to feel good yet productive at the same time!
Anyways that's all I have from the top of my head, I hope this helped :p As usual all methods vary depending on how you and your brain works best! But if you are lost then give some a try and find the best method for you :) If they still don't, try to get to the root of what's exactly distracting you rather than passing it off as "I just can't focus". If you have any other tips please share below!
Anyways jiayouz to everyone! Make full use of your holidays! Work hard play hard!

I posted it again because I had some fix some flair errors
Honestly don’t know what to feel anymore
To start I make six figures and I live in a lake house it’s pretty massive at has everything you could ever need in a house, and it’s location is probably the best part of the house. But onto my problem.
My wife (32F) told me that we needed to talk basically she admitted that she had been cheating on me for that past 2 months. She had been feeling guilty and shame for days and that she couldn’t believe what she was doing. To point out my wife is incredibly beautiful. Nice curves and fit body, beautiful eyes and her personality is just someone you wanna be around with. She’s basically someone you can easily have a conversation with. Which is how the affair started.
She met AP at a work party and they flirted and exchanged phone numbers. I knew this because she told me but I took it as a good thing since I wanted her to have friends and have people she can rely on. Flirting turned into sexting then sexting into PA I read the messages it was perfectly clear that she was liking attention but at the same time the messages showed that she felt guilt.
What hurt the most is that AP has been in my home. She assured me that they didn’t have sex and I told her.
“Ha, like that makes everything fu**king better”
Something that really pissed me off is that she once she took my boat for drive with him and they didn’t come back for over 3 hours, she did of course ask and I said yes because at the time I thought they were just friends. She said she just wanted to show him around, and to find out they had sex on the damn boat. I asked her if she still in contact with AP and she said not anymore but at that point I didn’t know what to do anymore because I had so much weight on my shoulders with the 2nd problem I’m about to tell you.
My 2nd problem is that I have or once “had” a friend group straight out of HS back then they would call it a “Guild” or “Brother Hood” I think nowadays it’s called the boys or something sexual like I see in the internet. The group consisted of 5 people.
Thru out the years we kept in contact my house was basically our location to always meet up because I was somewhat in the middle of the map and the easiest place to get to. It was basically our hang spot they would come and they would bring there wife’s/gfs we would have a cookout,go fishing, campfire, canoe, paddle boarding,jet ski. All the activities you can think of we would do it. It was basically like that movie grown ups. That was until I got news that 2 of them had died in service years ago. 3rd one had passed away in a car crash. Then the 4th which was 1 month ago that he had passed away because they had found his tumor late and that he didn’t have much time. I was pretty close with his husband so knowing that he still had him was good.
But now that all this stuff is happening everyday I go to bed knowing that my friends that I considered family are dead and my wife the only person I thought I had support can’t be trusted. I walk around my home and just sit around in silence not knowing that my wife was having a Affair with a man that I let in my home. I just feel really scared of the loneliness and silence. Some days I just go on my paddle board in lay down and drift off into the lake to see what would happened.
Tbh I just wanted advice on what I should do about my situation and the situation with my wife
TLDR: Wife cheated and I found out that I’m the last person alive in my friend group.

Honestly don’t know what to feel anymore
To start I make six figures and I live in a lake house it’s pretty massive at has everything you could ever need in a house, and it’s location is probably the best part of the house. But onto my problem.
My wife (32F) told me that we needed to talk basically she admitted that she had been cheating on me for that past 2 months. She had been feeling guilty and shame for days and that she couldn’t believe what she was doing. To point out my wife is incredibly beautiful. Nice curves and fit body, beautiful eyes and her personality is just someone you wanna be around with. She’s basically someone you can easily have a conversation with. Which is how the affair started.
She met AP at a work party and they flirted and exchanged phone numbers. I knew this because she told me but I took it as a good thing since I wanted her to have friends and have people she can rely on. Flirting turned into sexting then sexting into PA I read the messages it was perfectly clear that she was liking attention but at the same time the messages showed that she felt guilt.
What hurt the most is that AP has been in my home. She assured me that they didn’t have sex and I told her.
“Ha, like that makes everything fu**king better”
Something that really pissed me off is that she once she took my boat for drive with him and they didn’t come back for over 3 hours, she did of course ask and I said yes because at the time I thought they were just friends. She said she just wanted to show him around, and to find out they had sex on the damn boat. I asked her if she still in contact with AP and she said not anymore but at that point I didn’t know what to do anymore because I had so much weight on my shoulders with the 2nd problem I’m about to tell you.
My 2nd problem is that I have or once “had” a friend group straight out of HS back then they would call it a “Guild” or “Brother Hood” I think nowadays it’s called the boys or something sexual like I see in the internet. The group consisted of 5 people.
Thru out the years we kept in contact my house was basically our location to always meet up because I was somewhat in the middle of the map and the easiest place to get to. It was basically our hang spot they would come and they would bring there wife’s/gfs we would have a cookout,go fishing, campfire, canoe, paddle boarding,jet ski. All the activities you can think of we would do it. It was basically like that movie grown ups. That was until I got news that 2 of them had died in service years ago. 3rd one had passed away in a car crash. Then the 4th which was 1 month ago that he had passed away because they had found his tumor late and that he didn’t have much time. I was pretty close with his husband so knowing that he still had him was good.
But now that all this stuff is happening everyday I go to bed knowing that my friends that I considered family are dead and my wife the only person I thought I had support can’t be trusted. I walk around my home and just sit around in silence not knowing that my wife was having a Affair with a man that I let in my home. I just feel really scared of the loneliness and silence. Some days I just go on my paddle board in lay down and drift off into the lake to see what would happened.
Tbh I just wanted advice on what I should do about my situation and the situation with my wife
TLDR: Wife cheated and I found out that I’m the last person alive in my friend group.

Hi guys
Its gonna be a longer post.
Some background:Im 27 years old healthy and active guy. My symptoms started 2 months ago. i havent had sexual relationship in 2 years due to my anxiety and depression because of things that happened and happening in my life. So in early january this year i finally got into a relationship but that time i completly lost my sex drive and thus my erection quality suffered. Before i first slept with my new girlfriend i went to a uro to rule out phyisical causes of this Erectile Dysfunction. Everything was good and concluded its just my mental state so he prescribed cialis and viagra and said try each one to regain my confidence. Tried both on seperate occasions and found that cialis is much better, but more importantly it turned out it really was in my head. My penis worked really well from this point in early january till end of march and i got my sex drive back. I still kept using cialis sometimes when stress was really high in my life.
So One morning in the end of march i woke up and wanted to do a quick morning session with my girlfriend but while i was getting an erection it was painful and in semi erect state it had a curvature of like 60 degree to the left. When i reached full erection it got straight and after like a minute the pain subsided. I also noticed a harder more dense part on the left side of my flaccid penis shaft.
Before all of this me and my girlfirend were on vacation for two weeks. Because its a fairly new relationship we had a lot of sex in this two weeks like 5-6 times a day at least. So i thought maybe i just used it too much amd it will get better.
Regardless i went to see a uro just in case on the third day. He didnt really know what it was said maybe the beggining of peyronies maybe just a mild injury. So prescribed me NSAID and told me to get back in two weeks if its not imrpoving. Immediately started reading this forum and started supplementing L-arganine, l-citruline, q10, e vitamine, paba, and daily 5 mg cialis. Pain almost fully dissapeared in 1 week and my erections were as good as ever but at the end of week two the hardness of the left part of my penile shaft and the semi erect curve remained so i went back. He concluded that the firmer part of my penis is smaller but lets do an MRI.
MRI was done in May 11th. Around this time i still could get an erection for penetration and keep it but noticed that i cant "flex" it as hard as before. (The feeling when you kegel during erection). Curve wasnt really worse during erection so all was kinda good still.
This is when the worst part started. MRI results were sent to my uro who said some scarring can be seen on the left side but he said it probably will get better so just wait it out. I asked for a contact to a peyronie specialist which he did gave me. I asked for an appointment just a few days later. In the meanwhile i read the MRI results and it stated i have a part in my penis in the left corpus cavernosum (2,8cm x 0,7 cm) which looked different and could be fibrosis which was devastateing news because by that time i read a lot in this forum and on other sites and knew corporal fibrosis is much worse than peyronies. I went to the specialist two weeks ago he read the MRI told me that it must be a mistake because fibrosis is very rare so he did a doppler ultrasound and regardless found the harder spot where he concluded my tunica is in good contition but deeper inside my left side of my penis there is some scarring but said otherwise the blood flow in this area is good which is good. (He did doppler in flaccid state). After he prescribed me vitamin e and cialis daily (these two i already took for almost 2 months) and he also prescribed Potaba which i know didnt really worked for most of you. But it doesnt matter cause this treatment is for peyronies not corporal fibrosis but i give it a try. Told me to take these for 3 months and get back. He also reassured me that he is sure it will heal over time so i should not worry and the Erectile Dysfunction im experiencing is in my head.
Im still going to get a 3rd opinion in a few days but im just devasteted because in the last 2 weeks my erection quality is really bad. Like i can get and erection while my penis laying on my stomach but as soon as i lift it or stand up it starts to deflate like a ballon. And im sure theres a mental part to this cause im stressing on this so so much all day everyday but i think something is not right.
So im asking for some advice or hope or similar stories if any of you had any experience like this.
Also what could be the cause. I read that priapism can cause this at my age and as i sated i tried viagra and cialis as well in the past months but never full dosage. Like max 40-50mg viagra or 10mg cialis. I cant remember having priapism. Is it possible to have priapism in my sleep and i didnt noticed it? Like for 4-5 hours which caused fibrosis then i woke up and by that time the erection subsided?
Also if i had priapism which caused corporal fibrosis shouldnt it be causing Erectile Dysfunction immediately after? Because after the onset of the symptoms i had an excelent erection quality for a month and a half. Like some of the best i ever had. And it started to deteriorate a month ago but got really bad in the last two weeks.
Im really devasteted and dont know what to do or where to ask for help because its not peyronies in my understanding but guessed i give it a try on this forum. Thank you for your time and for you answers advance.

Honestly don’t know what to feel anymore
To start I make six figures and I live in a lake house it’s pretty massive at has everything you could ever need in a house, and it’s location is probably the best part of the house. But onto my problem.
My wife (32F) told me that we needed to talk basically she admitted that she had been cheating on me for that past 2 months. She had been feeling guilty and shame for days and that she couldn’t believe what she was doing. To point out my wife is incredibly beautiful. Nice curves and fit body, beautiful eyes and her personality is just someone you wanna be around with. She’s basically someone you can easily have a conversation with. Which is how the affair started.
She met AP at a work party and they flirted and exchanged phone numbers. I knew this because she told me but I took it as a good thing since I wanted her to have friends and have people she can rely on. Flirting turned into sexting then sexting into PA I read the messages it was perfectly clear that she was liking attention but at the same time the messages showed that she felt guilt.
What hurt the most is that AP has been in my home. She assured me that they didn’t have sex and I told her.
“Ha, like that makes everything fu**king better”
Something that really pissed me off is that she once she took my boat for drive with him and they didn’t come back for over 3 hours, she did of course ask and I said yes because at the time I thought they were just friends. She said she just wanted to show him around, and to find out they had sex on the damn boat. I asked her if she still in contact with AP and she said not anymore but at that point I didn’t know what to do anymore because I had so much weight on my shoulders with the 2nd problem I’m about to tell you.
My 2nd problem is that I have or once “had” a friend group straight out of HS back then they would call it a “Guild” or “Brother Hood” I think nowadays it’s called the boys or something sexual like I see in the internet. The group consisted of 5 people.
Thru out the years we kept in contact my house was basically our location to always meet up because I was somewhat in the middle of the map and the easiest place to get to. It was basically our hang spot they would come and they would bring there wife’s/gfs we would have a cookout,go fishing, campfire, canoe, paddle boarding,jet ski. All the activities you can think of we would do it. It was basically like that movie grown ups. That was until I got news that 2 of them had died in service years ago. 3rd one had passed away in a car crash. Then the 4th which was 1 month ago that he had passed away because they had found his tumor late and that he didn’t have much time. I was pretty close with his husband so knowing that he still had him was good.
But now that all this stuff is happening everyday I go to bed knowing that my friends that I considered family are dead and my wife the only person I thought I had support can’t be trusted. I walk around my home and just sit around in silence not knowing that my wife was having a Affair with a man that I let in my home. I just feel really scared of the loneliness and silence. Some days I just go on my paddle board in lay down and drift off into the lake to see what would happened.
Tbh I just wanted advice on what I should do about my situation and the situation with my wife
TLDR: Wife cheated and I found out that I’m the last person alive in my friend group.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bayonetta in any shape or form. It belongs to Sega and Platinum and is published by Nintendo. Moving on, if you believe Bayonetta 1-3 are considered adult, insane, and over-the-top, then prepare yourself because this outline will go full throttle and hold nothing back. The plot outlines that I have planned for "Bayonetta 4" will be insane and push boundaries that I don't think any Bayonetta game has done thus far in absurdity and graphic violence. So please, prepare yourself for the insanity that is about to unfold before reading.
Bayonetta 4 Compendium
Prologue Part III Finale (2/2):
Heaven's Feel: The Outbreak of War Begins
The screen pans out to reveal multiple Sin Demons in the distance headed towards the aircraft, some even materializing on the very roof that the duo stood on.
"Are those-?!" Jeanne questioned, mouth agape.
"Sin Demons" Viola interrupts.
"They're all Sin Demons. I don't how or why, but if they get in our way, we cut them down!"
"Alright then, I suppose that this moment calls for special back up," Jeanne declared, turning her hips to summon a Umbran headset.
It was time to talk with the pilot.
"Enzo, I think you've earned a reward for having followed all of my orders-! I'll be granting you full access to all the missiles on this lovely slayer of mine!"
She then raised her left hand all the way up, sassily snapping her fingers.
VOOSH!
The screen shows multiple missile launchers loaded with AGM-114 Hellfire's springing out from the sides of the aircraft as well as the undercarriage opening, revealing a huge, M134 Machine Gun.
Enzo's voice could be heard panicking from the headset.
"What the FUCK?! I don't know how-!"
"There's a small pamphlet underneath your seat with all the necessary instructions. Read that and you'll be learning in no time!" Jeanne elegantly retorted.
Enzo grumbled to himself, scrambling to find the pamphlet. It was either that or death via plane crash.
Heaven's Feel: The Outbreak of War Ends
Heaven's Feel: Come on, Make your Move Begins
The screen cuts to Jeanne and Viola, readying themselves for battle!
The Sin Demons on the roof have fully materialized, taking their first few steps before shrieking at the duo.
The Book of Infernal Demons then appears on screen, revealing new entries: "Devourer of Will: Sin Apathy", "Wailer of Lament: Sin Despair", "Feaster of Petrification: Sin Fury", and "Husk of Boundless Animosity: Sin Spite".
Sin Apathy: It has a male, pitch-black body with draconic features, red eyes, and a black miasma surrounding it. It is able to stretch out it arms and use its venom-covered claws to dig into its enemies, inflicting a special poison capable of draining its victims will to live and organ failure.
Sin Despair: It has a tall, abnormally thin, female figure, with pale skin, dirty white hair, red eyes, and long red claws. It is constantly wailing and crying tears of blood from its torn-off face and becomes unhinged when approached. It is a vicious killing machine that uses ultra-sonic screams, and endlessly swipes at its enemies with its claws.
Sin Fury: It is a wyvern now, capable of releasing poisoned, black thorns that makes its enemy sluggish. Moreover, they're able to traverse through its environment at faster speeds because of their large wings. Lastly, its eye has been enhanced, being able to release magical shots that can permanently petrify opponents.
Sin Spite: It has a tall, bulky, male figure, with small, red wings, a long red tail, and red, scaley-skin. Additionally, it carries a golden trident capable of releasing waves of energy. It has black eyes and is able to gape its mouth at terrifying degrees, revealing the multitude of sharp teeth that it uses to chomp it enemies.
The book then closes before heading straight for the camera, cutting back to Jeanne and Viola.
Their backs are side-to-side as they pass through blood-red, demon-infested skies!
"We've got work to do!!" Jeanne screamed, summoning All 4 One!
"I couldn't have said it better myself!!"Viola yells, taking out Mab Dachi from its scabbard on her back.
Heaven's Feel: Come on, Make your Move Ends
Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness Metal
The screen then shows the duo separate to fight their own enemies.
Jeanne is lunged upon by four Sin Despairs in the air. They intend to gouge her eyes out and dismember her limb-by-limb!
"You bitches think you've got a chance?! Then so be it!!" she yelled, shooting multiple charge shots at them!
Almost all of them were disoriented, but one had dodged all the bullets, going ahead of the rest to kill Jeanne. However, it was met with an unexpected Heel Stomp from Jeanne that smacked it from above and onto the ground!
"You ugly bitch!" Jeanne yelled, running to the Sin Demon before using Combo 15!
During this, Jeanne was continuously pistol whipping the Sin Despair, releasing a Wicked Weave that knocked the demon up into the air before following it up with a devastating Wicked Weave that kicked it off the roof!
Despite this, Jeanne was not out of the clear as other Sin Despairs had regained their balance, now closing the gap with her as they prepared an ultra-sonic scream!
"HAAAA!!!"
"Shut the FUCK UP!" Jeanne retorted, jumping into the air before using Concussion Step to slam their asses to the side!
After that, she used Blink Charge to reach one of four Sin Fury's flying in the air, gracefully Air Kicking it down. However, when she landed on the floor, two of them descended upon her, shooting out balls of purple energy from their eyes!
"Hah! You worthless vermin!" Jeanne taunted, dodging at the last second before transforming into a kettle of red moths.
Ding!
Witch Time was now active as the colors of environment became a transparent purple and Jeanne sped up.
First, she used Full Moon Shoot to launch the Sin Fury that she knocked down into the air before using Tetsuzanko to push it towards the two Sin Fury's headed towards her. Then, she used Blink Charge again to reach that same demon, using Astounding Touch to kill the three with multiple punches!
Afterwards, she quickly used Heel Stomp on the remaining Sin Fury to get it onto the floor before using Gut Wrench Heel to finish it off!
FWOOSH!
Witch Time had ended as the colors of environment returned to normal and Jeanne landed on the floor.
The screen then showed five Sin Spites releasing spouts of red water from their mouths towards Jeanne!
However, she remained calm and poised, leaping into the air to avoid the oncoming explosions before yelling aloud with a powerful pose!
"ZILDAR VPAAH!"
Suddenly, a demonic bird had pierced clouds in the sky before descending onto the roof of the aircraft, opening its massive wings. It released a gust of wind that sent multiple Sin Spites flying backwards!
"So much for 'Sin Demon', how pathetic!" Jeanne laughed, gently touching Malphas as he vanished into particles.
The screen then cut to the front of the aircraft to show missiles being launched at Sin Demons in the sky, resulting in a never-ending number of explosions. Meanwhile, the M134 Machine Gun, was gunning down multiple Sin Demons that approached the aircraft!
Enzo is then shown in the pilot's seat growling as he pressed multiple buttons.
"TASTE THIS MOTHERFUCKERS!!"
BOOSH!
BOOSH!
BRRRRRT!!!
As for Viola, she was dealing with her own set of enemies.
Three Sin Spite's had released turquoise, diagonal slashes of energy towards her from their tridents in the air!
"Not on my watch!" she yelled, jumping into the air to avoid the attack.
She then used Shredder to reach the Sin Spite in the middle, quickly using After Burner Kick to stun it. Afterwards, she jumped on its body, going directly above it to use Star in the Black.
"These fuckers have nothing on me!" she excitedly yelled, releasing a barrage of darts that exploded on impact!
BOOM!
The Sin Spite's went down hard as the explosion damaged their wings!
Viola then aimed Mab Dachi downward, readily preparing her next attack!
"Time to die, baby!" she shouted, using Hungry Hi-Hat as she landed onto the roof of the aircraft, puncturing it with her katana!
Cheshire's ginormous head was seen coming out from a demonic portal and straight into the air! He had a devilish grin on his face, mouth drooling at the sight of the delicious feast that Viola had prepared for him!
The screen then cuts to three Sin Spites comedically trying to avoid his mouth. However, all attempts failed as his mouth grew wider in size. Afterall, Sin Demons were "beyond a delicacy" in Inferno, Cheshire thought. He didn't know when he would be able to devour one again. So, he wouldn't let a single drop of blood go to waste as the Sin Spites landed into his hypnotic mouth.
CRUNCH!!
CRUNCH!!
GULP!
Cheshire is seen wiping blood off his lips with joy before disappearing into particles.
Afterwards, Viola heads towards Mab Dachi, pulling it out from the roof before feeling a sudden stinging sensation on her back.
In response, she quickly does a back walkover, turning her head mid-air to see a Sin Despair.
"Jeez, these guys are aggressive!" she thought.
She then proceeded to sweep kick the Sin Despair, seeing it fall flat on its face before using Tom Tom Balloon to launch it in air!
Then she used Combo 11, following it up with a perfectly timed Bass Boost that thrusted the Sin Demon onto a group of Sin Apathy's as they stretched their hands towards Viola.
"I don't think so, assholes!"
CRASH!
All the Sin Demons were knocked down onto the floor. However, Viola wasn't done, Cheshire still had to have his fun.
"CHESHIRE!" she shouted, throwing Mab Dachi onto the floor.
A huge portal then formed from where the Katana landed. Cheshire emerging from it soon after!
He looked onward at the sight with jubilation before making a tall jump in the air. All he needed was one good pounce to end these Sin Demons!
So, he readied a new attack, Blue Tenka (点火). He would engulf himself with blue flames, turning into a ticking time bomb that would detonate the second he slammed onto something. Now, it would render him temporarily unavailable as he would die. However, his knack for theatrics made him want to take out his enemies with a bang.
”Knock'em them dead, Cheshire!” Viola screamed.
The screen then showed the Sin Despair and group of Sin Apathy looking at Cheshire’s ignited body with horror as he drew closer to them.
All Cheshire could do was look at their faces was a cheeky grin.
“It's over for these chumps!” he thought.
BOOM!!
A multitude of Sin Apathy’s flew off of the aircraft while others suffered a most horrible execution.
“Woo-hoo!” Viola cheered, giving Cheshire a thumbs up before running towards Mab Dachi to regroup with Jeanne.
Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness Ends
Heaven's Feel: He goes, She goes Begins
The screen begins to pan out from the aircraft, revealing that the trio was within proximity to the red creature. However, the atmosphere was becoming more unnervingly tense, the closer they got.
Furthermore, Jeanne and Viola were surprised when they saw various Sin Demons emerging from the red creature. It was almost as if the creature itself was a conductor of sorts, serving as an alternative to the Human World than those of the Gates.
Eerily enough, however, there was another situation at hand as hordes of Sin Demons had ceased to pursue them and were retreating.
The screen shows all the Sin Demons heads towards to the creature before getting into a strange formation and flying in place. They were now facing the trio with stoic expressions and readied battle stances.
"This behavior is... unnatural, especially for that of a demon. Why are they acting as its guards?" Jeanne questioned.
"Do they not want us to reach that thing all the way in the back that badly?" Viola replied.
Despite this, the duo became more preoccupied the entities head, realizing how it was solely focused on them. The Golem mask had no eyes, but the red Core at the center was shifting to indicate that it was looking at the aircraft.
Viola couldn't help but feel shivers down her spine at the unsettling sight.
"Jesus Christ... What the hell is all this?" Viola yelped, gasping at the sight.
As for Jeanne, she didn't know what to make of the situation. She was too busy analyzing the entity as best she could and was stunned by what she was saw at the very top. It was a golem, one that had shaped itself into that of a mask.
"What is this thing? I've never seen anything like it. Let alone the fact that it uses a Golem. However, that shouldn't be possible. Not without-! "
GARGLE!
GARGLE!
Heaven's Feel: He goes, She goes Ends
Heavens Feel: What Else, We Can Do? Begins
The screen shows to the shocked expressions of the duo as the entity began charging up an attack. Its body began to repeat the motion of an ocean wave. Then, a huge, demonic portal appeared from above the creature!
As a result, the two began feeling a strange sensation in their stomach's before starting to gag and fall on the floor. They felt their vision begin to blur, a loud ringing sound in their ears, and magic being sapped from their bodies.
"What is...happening?!" Viola sputtered, trying to cover her ears with her hands.
"Ugghh! This damned...monster!" Jeanne coughed out, hearing disconnected spurts of a distorted, female voice chanting in Enochian.
"DO O IA █ █ █ █ █ █... EGELIRCAS ECIFIRCAS... FAFEN NIIS!!!"
The screen then cut to the entity becoming a vibrant red before thin, slime tentacles emerged from its body, lengthening in size as they soar to multiple Sin Demons, touching their backs and merging with them!
The screen then cut to a Sin Insidious glowing a shiny red before growing even larger in size as red, metallic armor encased it.
The distorted female voice could be heard giggling before fading away, along with the demonic portal.
The screen then shows the terrifying face of a Sacrilege Insidious before cutting to the Book of Infernal Demons opening. It turned all the way to the end, revealing that page entries have been ripped off. The book closes thereafter as it cuts to the duo.
Suddenly, a loud screeching could be heard from all the Sacrilege Demons as they beamed towards the aircraft, making their way to it!
Meanwhile, Enzo remained unaffected by the strange sickness inflicted upon Jeanne and Viola, becoming distraught at the sight. He was screaming at the top of his lungs by what he was witnessing!
So, he began to check up on Jeanne and Viola, hearing them groaning in agony.
"Are you guys, ok?!! Jeanne?! Viola?! Answer me dammit, please!!" he shouted.
"We have to get OUT OF HERE!!"
The two were beginning to stand up as the pain in their stomachs subsided now that the voice was gone.
"Ugh! That was awful..." Viola said, picking herself up before looking at the entity.
"AAAAHHHH!!!" she shrieked, voice cracking as she stared at the Sacrilege Demons headed towards them!
"We have to get out of here*-*!"
Heavens Feel: What Else, We Can Do? Ends
The All-American Rejects: Real World Begins
"No! This is where we make our final stand Viola! The lives that have been lost can't be for naught!! This ends now!!" Jeanne interrupts, declaring her intentions before striking a pose, uniform coming undone!
"BRANSG ZUMVI!!!"
A portal appeared on the roof as a torrent of her hair went into it. Then, another portal formed in front of the aircraft as a huge, vicious turtle began pulling itself out of the portal.
The screen then cuts to the Book of Infernal Demons. It opens up to reveal one of Jeanne's new allies, "Deceiver of the Seas: Aspidochelone". It is a humongous, ungodly looking, dark-green turtle with a spiked shell, razor-sharp teeth, and black eyes.
"Go as fast as you can Enzo! It's time to go FULL THROTTLE!!!" she shrieked into her microphone.
Suddenly, the aircraft began accelerating to absurd speeds as a demonic portal beneath the demon disappeared and was replaced with an Umbran portal. This, in conjunction with the speed at which the aircraft went, kept the demon in place.
However, Jeanne wasn’t done yet. At the snap of her fingers, the Umbran portal began rapidly spinning, turning the demon into a makeshift drill. One that would ram down all the Sacrilege Demons that stood in their way!
She then began instructing Enzo to avoid a place crash.
"Follow my orders Enzo! If I say 'up' you go up, if I say 'left' you go left. Got that?!"
"YES!!" he obediently responded.
"Good!" Jeanne replied, turning to face a surprised Viola.
"As for you Viola, you're going to need to hold on tight!" she said, making a dramatic pose before staring at the red creature in the distance.
"If these mothafuckas won't give us an opening, then I'll make my own!!"
The screen then pans out in a manner similar to Space Harrier, showing the aircraft flying towards the red entity as Aspidochelone mowed down various Sacrilege Demons.
Meanwhile, Jeanne was making dramatic quotes as she ordered Enzo to move all throughout the sky, bobbing and weaving as she delivered Wicked Weaves with Madama Styx in a QTE to knockback Sacrilege Demons that approached the aircraft from its sides. As for Viola and Enzo, they were hanging on for dear life, wondering how Bayonetta and Jeanne did this for years on end.
Eventually, they reach the boss at the end, Sacrilege Insidious. He was more deadly than before, but Jeanne was not one to back down from a fight no matter how strong an enemy was.
It began to shoot ginormous, red lasers from the ends of its six wings towards the aircraft, all of which were dodged at the last second thanks to Jeanne's masterful instructions, leading to Witch Time.
Jeanne then closed the gap between the aircraft and the abhorrent demon to pierce its large, third eye.
This cycle would repeat itself until six eyeballs, each belonging to one wing, would start attacking the aircraft. In this case, when one eye approached, Enzo would use the aircraft's missiles and minigun to briefly stun the eye.
Afterwards, Jeanne would use multiple Wicked Weaves to punch the eye before ripping it from its socket and crushing it a gush of blood.
Later, when the last eyeball was removed, Jeanne figured that it would be a good time to end the monstrosity for good!
"Viola! What I'm about to do is very dangerous, I need you to protect me at all costs!" she shouted at a nauseous Viola.
"Yes Jeanne!" Viola replied, hands on her knees as she tried to keep her body standing.
Thankfully, she recovered in time, taking out Mab Dachi and preparing herself for enemies.
"Hopefully this will end all the shit that's been going on" she thought.
The screen then cuts to Jeanne as she prepares herself for the Demon Sin Ritual, Aspidochelone vanishing soon after.
"DO O IA JEANNE. CNILA D COMSELHA ODO ANANAEL. TURBS C BABLON ZONAC CIAOFI BALZARG. FAFEN NIIS!!" she screams, ripping her heart out as her costume comes undone.
She then begins to dance in a sensual manner, breaking it down and doing a split.
The All-American Rejects: Real World Ends
Bayonetta 3: Queen Magick Begins
Suddenly, a giant portal appears from behind the aircraft!
Queen Styx was then seen flying out of it with her butterfly wings in a horizontal manner, making her way towards the Sacrilege Insidious!
It was in that moment that a QTE appeared. Queen Styx began brutally pummeling the Sacrilege Insidious with her fists, gouging it large, third eye with both of her hands!
Then, she would begin tearing the Sacrilege Demon apart, ripping it in half!
PSSHH!!
The Sacrilege Insidious cried out its last breath by dying. However, Queen Styx was far from done from done!
She would use this opportunity to strike the red creature with the remains of the demon she killed!
Queen Styx slammed the slabs of meat against the red entity!
BAM!
BOOSH!!
The screen shows the creature remain standing, but its body was viciously trembling now. The core was now eyeing Queen Styx with hatred as she began taunting it with a stylish dance, ending off with a dramatic pose.
So, it began sending even more Sacrilege Demons towards her as she got up from the floor and began charging a purple Kamehameha. The Sacrilege Demons began picking away at Queen Styx's skin, but she didn't care. Jeanne gave her an order and she will follow it through to the end.
"KA...ME...HA...ME...HAAA!!!!" Queen Styx screamed, unleashing a humongous ray of energy close to point-blank range!
All that could be seen now was a gigantic, purple explosion eviscerating the red creature in its entirety, leaving behind an immense black mark on the ground as clouds of smoke and fire billowed in the air.
Or, at least, that was what Jeanne had hoped for...
Bayonetta 3: Queen Magick Ends
Heavens Feel: I Beg You (Instrumental) Begins
The red creature remained untouched…
The attack had failed to leave even a single dent on it!
Jeanne was left aghast at the site!
"How could it have failed?" she quietly stated, shock overwhelming her.
She started going pale, almost falling to the floor before Viola caught her in her time.
"It failed. I failed..." Jeanne repeated to herself over and over again.
"Jeanne! You have to snap out of it! Please!!" Viola cried out, voice going unheard.
In the Platinum Witch's mind, all she could think about was how one of her strongest attacks had failed. How Cereza, her best friend, her Umbran sister, would have overcome the fear that entered her body the moment she heard about Sacrilege Demons. How Cereza would have taken out the monstrosity with a blaze of glory. Not making a single mistake in the process. Cereza would not have failed the way she did!
"Cer...e...za..." Jeanne stuttered in a dream-like state.
All Viola could do was hold her as she stared at the escalating situation between Queen Styx and the red creature.
It had gone awry the moment Jeanne stopped dancing. Troops of Sacrilege Demons had begun attacking a vulnerable Queen Styx and feasting on her flesh!
She tried to wave them away with her arms but was overwhelmed. Moreover, two Sacrilege Insidious had emerged from the red entity, ready for revenge after Queen Styx slaughtered one of its brethren.
They released red lasers from the ends of their wings, striking her in the face!
"AAAHHH!!" she cried out, pools of blood pouring from her eyes as the lasers permanently blinded her.
However, it was this scream that snapped Jeanne out of her state. She began raising herself off the floor with Viola's help before looking on with terror, realizing that she had to do something now or risk Queen Styx dying!
"You bastards!! You'll PAY for this!!!" she shouted, gripping her heart even tighter and dancing with vigor.
Queen Styx was rejuvenated with strength and began to blindly claw away at her enemies with her nails with excessive force. She even attempted to use Royal Escort to keep some of the enemies at bay.
However, she was quickly stung by one of the tails of a Sacrilege Insidious, interrupting her attack.
This did not go unnoticed by the red entity as it decided to take advantage of the situation.
First, it released a red force field from its body, spreading throughout the vicinity before fading away.
Viola had noticed this, seeing the Sacrilege Demon become enraged.
"Great! As if shit wasn't bad enough already!" she complained.
Afterwards, the creature began using the slime beneath Queen Styx to shoot out immense slime tentacles to immobilize her.
One had immediately come out from behind, wrapping itself around her neck and pulling back with tremendous force!
She groaned in agony, startled by the sudden attack. However, the red creature wasn't done yet.
Queen Styx was struck again by other tentacles from all angles!
Two had latched themselves around her wrists while another four enveloped her waist, pulling her down and onto her knees.
"AAAHHH!!" she moaned, Sacrilege Demons eating away alive!
Jeanne was infuriated at the sight, gritting her teeth with such force that she could feel some break!
She would do everything possible to free Queen Styx and proceeded to screech the loudest she ever had!
"DESCEND TO DARKNESS!!!"
Her dancing became more rigorous and provocative than ever before as panic seeped into her body, painfully invigorating her muscles to free Queen Styx!
The screen then cut to Queen Styx resisting the restraints, managing to crush the tentacles on her wrists with her hands.
She was beginning to set herself free now. Things were finally turning up for her.
Heavens Feel: I Beg You (Instrumental) Ends
Ferry Corsten: Fire (Mike on Fire Ver.) Begins at 0:55
Meanwhile, Viola was left to deal with various Sacrilege Demons were able to land on the aircraft.
She was exhausted beyond belief but knew that she had to fight. It was that or have her soul mercilessly consumed. So, readied Mab Dachi and goes to strike a Sacrilege Fury.
However, the katana bounced off the demon as if it were invulnerable, leaving no mark on it.
"Holy shit! What are these guys made of?! " She exclaims, switching to her pistols before shooting the Sacrilege Fury.
DING!
TANG!
CLACK!
All of the bullets had ricocheted off the armor of the Sacrilege Fury.
Viola stared at the uninjured Sacrilege Demon with hopelessness, looking around as more began to surround her and Jeanne. However, she remembered would happen if she faltered now.
"Who will protect Jeanne if I'm down for the count?! Everything is riding on me now! I have to act quick or risk everything falling apart!" she thought.
So, Viola deciding that it was now time to use her fairy form, taking Mab Dachi out.
"Daddy, please give me strength!" she pleaded, stabbing herself in the stomach!
The screen then pans out to reveal a blinding light engulf Viola before revealing new fairy design. Her fur body was a mauve purple while her long hair was a seashell pink color. Furthermore, the stained-glass on her body were shades of the colors red, pink, and yellow. Lastly, the stained glass from her face was now gone and refitted as a gorgeous diadem on her forehead.
"It's time to get down to business!" she shouted, teleporting through various Sacrilege Demons to get to the middle of the roof before using Combo 2 to stun lock all of them at once!
Then, she teleported again to reach a Sin Fury in the air, using Combo 1 to stagger it before jumping off of its body to show off a new move, Crystal Drive.
The screen shows Viola create a large crystal in her hands with magic before throwing it down into the ground, impaling a Sacrilege Demon onto the floor. This is a process that she would repeat multiple times, sporadically teleporting from place to place and striking at different angles. However, it would all be aimed at the spot that she first struck.
Lastly, we see her teleport to the position that she first threw a crystal (briefly winking at the camera) before creating another crystal, one larger than the rest, and throwing it down to deal the finishing blow!
BOOM!
CRASH!!
The sounds of glass breaking could be heard as the impact from the last crystal caused a white explosion that sent multiple Sacrilege Demons off the roof!
”How’d you like that?!" Viola taunted, satisfied with herself.
Despite this, some Sacrilege Spites and Apathy’s had remained on the roof, but it wasn’t something that Viola couldn’t handle.
So, she teleported to one of the Sin Spites before having to dodge in the nick of time.
“Perfect!” She thought, preparing to make use of Witch Time.
Except, there was no Witch Time...
“What the-!” she shouted, faltering in attack before a Sacrilege Spite slammed her with its large tail.
Ferry Corsten: Fire (Mike on Fire Ver.) Ends
H. O. T. D: 07 Pursuit Begins
The attack was so strong that it deactivated Viola’s transformation and sent her flying towards Jeanne, knocking her down and onto the side the aircraft!
They were now hanging onto the aircraft’s railings as Sacrilege Demons began inching closer to them, resulting in the aircraft tilting to the side.
Enzo could even be heard yelling through the Jeanne’s microphone.
”What the hell is going on?! Why is this fucking thing TILTING?!” he raged, questions going unanswered.
Jeanne and Viola were now dangling on the plane's railing, arguing with each other.
"VIOLA!" Jeanne angrily yelled, grabbing onto the railing with her left hand and wrapping her right arm over it. She still had her heart in her hand and didn’t want to risk dropping it.
"What the fuck did you do?!"
"I don't know, ok!!" Viola yelled.
"I tried to use Witch Time, but it didn't work! It's like someone deactivated it or some shit!"
Jeanne could only roll her eyes in disappointment before seeing Queen Styx failing again. She had been so close to removing the bounds off her body. Now, that would never come to be.
However, the duo had more immediate matters to attend as Sacrilege Demons were almost upon them. They figured that they had to jump and fly to safety.
Although, it wasn’t until Jeanne tried summoning her butterfly wings that she was unable to.
“What the-?! I can’t… I can’t summon my wings!” Jeanne shouted with grave concern.
Viola tried to do the same with her fairy wings, but also couldn’t summon them.
The two had realized that they were in an even bigger predicament than before. Certain abilities of theirs were being disabled and they didn’t know how!
Jeanne and Viola tired selves could only look down at the red slime, seeing that it had almost engulfed the entire city beyond a fifty-mile radius. There was no time to think as Sacrilege Demons were ready to kill the two. They had to jump now!
So, they looked at each other with nodding heads and let go, bracing for impact as they went straight down!
BOOM!!
The screen pans out to reveal that Angel Slayer V4 had been blown to bits in a blaze of fire!
“ENZO!!!” the two screamed, worrying for his safety!
Just then, they see a mysterious figure briskly emerging from the explosion, flying towards them at the speed of sound.
H. O. T. D: 07 Pursuit Ends
H. O. T. D: 22 Saeko Shows Up Begins
"Rodin!" Viola gleefully yelled, noticing that Enzo was holding onto his legs.
The two take a sigh of relief before Rodin catches each of them under his arms.
“Thank you! You have no idea how much we needed this!“ Viola says.
”It’s my pleasure Viola,” he graciously replied.
However, Jeanne remained suspicious of his actions.
”Rodin, while I do appreciate the rescue, you’ve never been one to get involved. What changed?“ she questioned.
“Look, I don’t normally do this shit, just think of it a one-time exception. I’m doing it because I saw what you guys are up against. It isn’t pretty,” he answers.
”Can we please find somewhere to land?! Unlike you guys, I don’t magical powers to save my ass!” Enzo complained.
“Will you please shut your loud ass mouth up?! Don’t think I forgot about-!” Rodin responds before being cutoff.
”Ok, ok, I get it! Jeez, why is everyone ganging up on me today!” Enzo yelled, quieting down afterwards.
H. O. T. D: 22 Saeko Shows Up Ends
Heaven's Feel: Fears and Hopes Begins
The screen fades to black before transitioning to a toppled building on its side, panning out to reveal the ongoing chaos in the background with the Sacrilege Demons.
The were temporarily safe now thanks to Rodin. Enzo was even kissing the ground after being in the sky for so long.
“Viola, I think you’re gonna need these,” Rodin says, summoning a purple box onto his hands.
“It’s been a while since these babies were put to work, so I guess now is as good a time as ever,” he says, offering her the box.
Viola could only stare with visible concern as tears formed in her eyes.
”Rodin, I… I don’t think I can accept these. They’re…!” she stutters.
”Viola, if Cereza gave you Cheshire, then I see no reason as to why she wouldn’t let you use her guns. If you want to complete you’re training as an Umbra Witch, accepting these guns is a necessary step,” Jeanne tells her.
”Besides, those cheap props on you won’t last another second!” she joked.
Suddenly, a comedic scene ensues where all the Viola’s props on her hands and feet fall apart into pieces.
”Tsk…shitty cheap toys…” Viola sheepishly mutters under her breath.
”I… I guess you have a point Jeanne…” she reluctantly says, turning to Rodin.
She was quiet now, thinking about the consequences of her actions. Was she ready to become an Umbra Witch? The question dawned on for some time, but she realized that it was now or never. She had to stop the red entity for good.
”Thank you Rodin. I‘ll make good us of them,” she says with a small smile on her face.
She then opens the lid and begins taking each gun out one by one, equipping them on her hands and feet. It wasn’t anything dramatic, just business as usual.
”I only wish mummy was here to see it,” she thought.
Heaven's Feel: Fears and Hopes Ends
H. O. T. D: 02 Impulse Begins
BOOSH!
The camera panned out to show Queen Styx suffering. She had fallen onto the ground again and was restrained again with double the tentacles, ensuring that there would be no escape this time.
Jeanne could only watch in horror as Queen Styx was being eaten alive by Sacrilege Demons.
Multiple thoughts ran through her head about what she could do. She could dance, place her heart back into its cavity, or-!
”My, my, how sad is it to see princess Jeanne fail again,“ a voice mocked.
Jeanne looked at the red creature with a furious expression.
The screen then cut to the face of the red creature as a distorted, female voice was emitted through the Golem and heard all throughout Manhattan.
“Poor princess Jeanne, she couldn’t save her own kind, let alone her pet. These actions are, dare I say, more worthless than even Viola. Granted, a bottom feeder such as her has no hope for a future. Nonetheless, is it so wrong to expect more from the fabled ‘Last Witch’?” the female voice giggled, sarcastically ridiculing Jeanne and Viola.
”What is this bitch’s deal?! Does she have some vendetta against us?!” Viola shouted, turning towards Jeannes.
“I could say the same! How the hell does she know about my past?! Let alone my-?!” Jeanne replied, abruptly cutoff.
”That, princess, is my secret. One for you to never find out. You’ll be long dead before that. I promise,” the female voice declared with absolute certainty, stunning the two with the threat.
“Anyhow, it's time for your pet to be put out of its misery. Sin Demons were so last fall, wouldn’t you agree?”
Suddenly, a large tentacle began emerging from the creature's body, morphing into that of a sharp blade.
“DON’T YOU DARE!!” Jeanne yelled.
However, she was ignored as the blade plunged into Queen Styx's heart, putting an end to her as she fell onto the ground, absorbed by the slime.
Jeanne exploded with a blaze of acrimony, placing her heart back in its chest!
"YOU BITCH!!" she blared, beyond furious!
Viola was stunned by the barbarity of the action, wanting revenge!
H. O. T. D: 02 Impulse Ends
Bayonetta 3: Al Fine Begins at 0:53
She and Jeanne turned to Rodin, seeing him nod his head. They were going kill this abomination now!
So, he grabbed the two and began spinning at nauseating speeds, building a strong momentum before throwing them right at the red Golem!
A QTE then appeared as Viola and Jeanne launched a constant barrage of Wicked Weaves at the red core! They were punching so hard that they broke the QTE gauge, ending their stream of attacks with a Heel Stomp from above that smashed the Golem's core into bits!
Viola and Jeanne could then hear the woman's distorted voice cursing at them through the bits of the remaining core.
“If you think this is the last of me, think again! I’ll be back!” She curses, voice fading away soon after.
Bayonetta 3: Al Fine Ends
The screen then shows the red entity disintegrate, panning out in the sky to reveal that the slime that spread across Manhattan was evaporating.
The screen then cuts to Jeanne and Viola using their wings to lower themselves from the sky, landing onto the street. They had no doubt in their minds that the female voice was one behind everything.
Yet, with that in mind, all they could do now was look at what remained of the city. There were damaged roads, toppled buildings, and countless people missing.
They could only look at each other with concern, realizing that while the battle was won, more was to come. The sky was still blood-red and something else had remained.
The camera zooms in onto the duos faces before moving to the gaping hole where the convention center once stood. It then went all the way down, dramatically revealing a Gate to Inferno.
Things were not over, not in the slightest.
Prologue Part III Finale (2/2) Ends
​
New Infernal Demon Entry Unlocked:

• Apathy
• Aspidochelone
• Despair