Update: First thing I'm working on is my birth certificate. If it tells me I'm 1 of 1, I'll casually ask my Mom who the girl in the photos is. Tl;Dr Dad left when 3, I think he and Mom agreed to split me and twin and never talk again.
First, I want to share some suspicions I have. Second, I know this will sound like the plot of The Parent Trap. Please don't write me off. Let's start with the basics. Dad left when I was 3. From what I've gathered, it was a non violent yet ugly situation of loathing between the two. Mom has only talked about it once, and I suspect she regrets telling me.
My earliest two memories include a girl. In the first, we're in a room in my maternal grandparents house, deciding that we're shy and don't want to talk to people, so when they ask us our age, we'll simply hold up three fingers. I'll never forget that moment, partly because I think it's the first time I ever held up 3 fingers at the same time. It was a new sensation. But she was there. A girl. I've ruled everything out. My grandmother's peers, neighbors, none of them had kids that age. There's simply no reason for this girl to exist. She's in another memory, a similar one, probably from the same time. This was one I forgot until recently. I work in marketing now.
There's an old indoor sports center with two soccer fields/hockey rinks and a gym. In addition, there's offices, old arcade games, a place for concessions, and a day care center. They've been closed for a while but were planning a big upswing . Our agency was going to give them a push, and I visited a little under a year ago to take some stills. As soon as I walked in, the memory hit me. My grandmother dropping us off at the day care center inside. Us. I remembered it so vividly. Most of the lights were off, so the indoor fields looked like a dark ocean. The gym lights were on, and she must've been going to physical therapy. And she dropped two of us off. I know it was the girl from my "three" memory. It stuck with me, but I didn't chase the thought. It just must've been some girl. After all, there's no pictures of her, and no family member had ever brought it up. Then again, it's the exact same situation with my Dad, whoever and wherever he is. Could he have taken her and my Mom got me? I want to pursue this because one of the last things my grandmother ever said to me before she passed last fall sent chills down my spine -- she was talking through the window of her home, and I was masked up and keeping my safe distance. She knew things were winding down, and her mind wasn't very sharp anymore. But, she said "you've grown up so much. You were so small, back then, both of you were". I instinctively replied, "both who?" But, she recoiled from answering as if she remembered not to say something. We helped clean her house after she passed away, Mom and I, and I dug through some photos. Photos I had never seen but didn't tell me anything new, except for the same girl in the background of 3 of them. She's swimming in the pool, running in the park, and searching for Easter eggs at church. Is it her? I don't know. There's no pictures of my Dad, and if they wanted to keep my potential sister a secret I can understand she wouldn't be in any -- but would it be possible that my grandmother kept some where she was slightly in the picture, whether intentional or not? What should my first step be? Talk with my Mom? I dk.t want to seem crazy to her. I have a step-dad, but we're not too close since he came into the picture when I was a pre-teen.
Who knows if he knows anything. I imagine my Dad and Sister are out there somewhere. Do you think I have enough to support that belief?

Hi everyone!
Me and my girlfriend are heading for 3 weeks to korea jn April for the first time. We want to do a round trip, but also have some longer stays at particular places so that we don't get the feeling that we are traveling all the time.
We are aiming for more balanced trip (City life, nature hiking and relax). We’re also thinking about renting a car, since the korean countryside is not very accessible by public transport. Is that a big improvement in this schedule or can we do without it?
Itinerary:
Day 1: Seoul no big activities planned due jet lag
Day 2: Seoul Gyeongbokgung Palace and Changgyeonggung palace, Bukchon Hanok Village and evening at Namdaemun Market. Cheonggyecheon rivier walk.
Day 3: Day trip to DMZ
Day 4: Seoul Jogyesa temple, Gwanghwamun Square, Myeongdong shopping. Leaving to Sokcho at night.
Day 5: Hike in seoraksan park, maybe staying at the mountain shelter (can we store our luggage somewhere in Sokcho?)
Day 6: Hike in Seoraksan Park during a day, Sokcho seafood feast at night, staying at Sokcho.
Day 7: Traveling to Gangneug (2 hours). Visiting Canola festival in Samcheok maybe Haesindang park if we have time. Staying at Samcheok or Gangneug.
Day 8: Quick visit to the Unification Park in Gangneug if there is time. Traveling to Andong (3 hours) and and staying there for a night.
Day 9: Hahoe Folk Village, back to Andong. Traveling to Gyeongju (3 hours)
Day 10: Gyeongju and Yangdong Folk Village. Staying at Gyeongju for one more night.
Day 11: Traveling Gyeongju - Busan
Day 12: Busan
Day 13: Traveling from Busan to Jeju (Ferry or plane?)
Day 14: Jeju
Day 15: Jeju
Day 16: Jeju
Day 17: Jeju
Day 18 Jeju (flight to Seoul)
Day 19: Seoul (day trip to Suwon?)
Day 20: Seoul
Day 21: Seoul
Day 22: Seoul
Day 23: Flight back to the Netherlands

No, not the bunny, but another person seen briefly behind Sam and Tara. What was the extra in the park scene wearing? Was it a round hat/a hood/that weird ostrich pillow thing? There's just a quick shot of him but it's hard to miss him as it looks like he's wearing a big helmet thing. Is it just a hood that looks weird or an ostrich pillow or something else that's in now?
Anyone else notice this?

After debating for weeks about where to go for our first trip to Europe, my girlfriend (33f) and I (37m) decided to go to Spain in Spring of 2024
She knows a Texas version of Spanish and we love the culture, food and architecture. Not only that it is also one of the more affordable options.
We both picked a favorite location and we will be planning our trip around that. I picked Granada to see Alhambra and Moorish history and she picked Barcelona for the architecture.
I've explained to her that an itinerary like this would most likely involve skipping Madrid which is a hard pill to swallow.
I need help with what else to skip.
Day 1-3
The itinerary I had in mind involves flying into Barcelona in the morning and visiting the city center when we get there. Then explore for the next two full days.
Day 4-8 Andalusia
Here's where the question marks pop up.
Day 4. We could fly into Seville in the morning which would give us the afternoon to explore.
Day 5 Explore more of Seville
Day 6 Rent a car and drive to Ronda. Then arrive in Granada.
Day 7 Explore Alhambra.
Day 8 Arrive in Malaga and relax before flying out.
Andalusia feels rushed to me and I feel like we would need to adjust our itinerary. I've thought about skipping Ronda on Day 6 and instead of renting a car, train hopping from Seville to Cordoba for a day trip then hopping on a train to Granada that evening. But we would have our luggage with us while exploring Cordoba. At least with a rental we can leave or luggage in the car.
I know everyone says to avoid a rental car but they said the same thing when we went to Yucatan MX and we love having the freedom. If we rent a car I would see if there was an option to park at a bus or train terminal in the bigger towns.
I know I'll need to make sacrifices but what are the right ones!? Should I skip Seville and go straight to Cordoba and Granada? Should we just do less days in Barcelona?

On tv and movies, people talk about California (particularly LA) as a dream destination cause of the beaches and the frequent sunny weather, but now, it is one of the most hated destinations due to the increased cost of living and the abnormally high homelessness there. One year's worth of rent for a studio apartment would sometimes cost more than the full amount to buy a mansion in other states (Kentucky for example). I live in Wisconsin, and now, it is getting expensive, even in the rural town I live in. Homeless has increased in big cities like Madison and Milwaukee, and even in the rural areas now, there are homeless. A lot of people say it is cause of Californians moving here, but that is cause the increase in population means an increase in supply and demand, which calls for higher costs.
Back when millennials were growing up, California used to be dream destination from what my parents told me. My paternal grandpa used to live there when my dad was a teenager. He said back then, it wasnt as expensive and homeless werent that high. Back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, California used to be praised. Back then, I used to want to live there even if it meant I had to give up the snow. I was born in Wisconsin and still live here. Now, I do not cause of that nature. New York, which many claim to be as bad as California, is still one place I would like to move to as I visited a year and a half ago, and it was appealing.
I spent two months in Nashville one summer on a trip when I was 15. People there had a problem with Californians too from what I heard. This was back in 2019, so it made sense.
On YouTube, I see people from states like Texas, Arizona, Florida, Tennesee, Nevada, Colorado, and Utah complaining about these Californians, cause its a supply and demand thing, so the same can be said for any state moving there.
California is the most populated state nearing forty million people with Texas being the second, but under thirty million. Even then, it is not the most densely populated, so no idea why it is so expensive there, even in the small suburbs not near the ocean. Florida is said not be as expensive even near the coast in big cities.
I do understand New York City being expensive. Hawaii is really ecpensive too despite Florida has a similiar climate to it.

Hi all,
Before I got on my most recent flight, I spent a lot of time on this forum reading other people's experiences and trying to take what I could from exceptional commenters like the several pilots who frequent here. Now that I'm home from my two flights, I thought it might be helpful to give back to this community that had given much to me. Here's my story:
Despite having flown (25+) times in my life, my fear of flying developed very early in my childhood and has plagued me ever since. Despite knowing the safety and statistics, I've let it hold me back from experiences I have dreamed of my whole life: Parisian cafes. English pubs. Icelandic hot springs – all of the wonderful things life has to offer when you travel. When my new partner came along a few years ago, we bonded over travel, especially international travel, and my reluctance to get on flight not only was bound to impact our relationship, but also continue my pattern of self loathing and missing out. Despite my reservations, we booked a trip to London and Paris, and the minute the "buy" button was pressed on the tickets, the dread set in. Only this time, I wad adamant I was getting on the plane and there was nothing stopping that. All I could do was prepare. Here's a list of what I did:

Things I Did

• I went through an online hypnotherapy session specifically focused on flight. I'm not sure this was helpful in the actual getting on the plane, but it certainly helped me identify where the feelings of fear and need for control came from.
• I worked with my own personal therapist on EMDR and brain spotting about flying and my experiences with it. This included going through the flight in my imagination, both to and from Heathrow, and talking through each piece. Sitting with the moments that made me nervous and talking myself through them. Each time we did this my anxiety lessened.
• I enrolled in the S.O.A.R program with Captain Tom Bunn. I went through his full guaranteed program which included video lessons, therapy appointments, group therapy, and at-home work. I did everything to a "T" including actually buying a mini plane (with my airline's logo) and suspending it in jello to learn how rough air impacts (and most importantly, doesn't impact a plane).
• I watched as many youtube videos as I could of successful plane takeoffs and landings. Takeoffs were a big trigger for me so those were my focus. I learned how everything worked, the jargon and processes (v1 - rotate-positive climb - gear up!). These really helped me understand how things worked, how regimented the processes were, and how pilots are prepared for anything and have emergency procedures worked out if an engine, or two, should fail.
• I also listened to fear of flying hypnosis while I slept, though I'm not sure this did anything.

You may be saying to yourself: wow, that's a lot of stuff! And yes, it was. But I wasn't going to prevent this horrible fear keep me earthbound anymore and stop me from seeing the places I want to see before the end of this mortal coil.

Results

The day came and the 8 hour flight lay ahead. I experienced quite a bit of anticipatory anxiety which included some vomiting at home (my anxiousness manifests as nausea). But I combatted that with sour candies (recommended by my therapist) which seemed to really help. We got to the airport early and went through all of the annoying security procedures which is even more interesting with international flights. To be supportive, my partner upgraded our seats so we had access to a lounge where waited to board. As soon as I got on the flight, I found the head attendant and explained I was a nervous flyer and asked to meet the pilot, which the S.O.A.R. program recommends. They couldn't have been nicer and the pilots even more so. They shook my had, thanked me for trusting them, and even offered to let me sit in the cockpit which politely refused. I went back to my seat and a funny thing happened: the nervousness went away. I put on my headphones and started watching an episode of Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown and before I knew it were were heading toward takeoff. I thought in my head (v1-rotate-positive climb-gear up) and had prepared myself for the sensations to expect (the elevator-type falling feeling) that were all normal. They all happened right on schedule, and soon we were airborne and I was completely fine. The flight was fantastic and when I arrived in London, I was both thrilled and proud.
The flight home caused some pre-flight anxiety as well, but the same thing happened. New attendants, new pilots, but all were wonderful. My fear was gone once we were on the actual plane. The crew took good care of me and even presented me with wings and a handwritten note to say how proud they were of me. Now, I'm back home with the post-vacation blues – why did I allow this fear to stop me for so long?

What Worked for Me

As I laid out earlier in this novel, I did quite a bit of work to help, so I can't point directly to what worked and what didn't. But here's what I believe made the biggest impact:

• Talking things through with a therapist. They can help you understand, reframe, and get to the root of the fear.
• Learning how the plane works. Once you understand how exactly things work and that planes just can't fall out of the sky, and can fly on one engine, etc, you'll be in much better shape.
• Accept the anxiety for what it is. Accept that you have it and it's never going to be totally gone. However, know that you can control it and even help it go away.
• The S.O.A.R. program which helped me understand why meeting the pilots was such an important thing. As soon as I spoke to them, I know they were in control and that I would be safe.
• Youtube videos of takeoffs. These made me actually excited to get on a plane and feel it's power. It it showed me the control the pilots have.
• Being honest about my fears and not letting the embarrassment stop me. Both times i met the pilots, I told them I was embarrassed that i had to be here but I was committed to getting through these fears and both times they were really nice. They even provided me suggestions of things to do in London!
• Having a supportive partner who is patient and understanding and willing to help. You absolutely do not NEED this, but it can be a big help.

Conclusion

I was exactly like you. I thought everything that worked for others wouldn't work for me. I thought my plane would be the one in a billion that crash. I thought it would just fall out of the sky. I thought I would never do it or that I would freak out on the plane. And, less that 24 hours ago, I was eating beef short ribs 39,000 feet in the sky without a worry in the world despite some rough air that made it hard to drink my coffee.
If I can do this, if I can get though this, you can too. You can open the world up to yourself and you can get on the plane. It is not impossible.
I know this was a novel-length post, but I hope it might help others as previous posts have helped me. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out - I would be happy to answer them!

My older sister watched Janet Jackson and Madonna on TV
I watched Rugrats, Ahhh Real Monsters, Hey Arnold!
Was too young for Jurassic Park, but did see the sequels in theaters (arguably too young for the 2nd one)
Nu metal and boy bands were big in the music scene when I got older
Had a cellphone in highschool
Loved Mario Kart but played one person shooter games in college
Been in debt since graduation, underemployed too

Sunday I went to the Show Me The Body show with Jesus Piece, Scowl and Zulu and had a blast. After 15 + years of not going to live shows and living my adult life in the void, I realized that I was missing out big time. That part of my life that had somehow faded away was the one thing I can call my own. That being said... that fucking pit. Really my only gripe is when Jesu Piece came on and I found myself suddenly surrounded by big imposing bodies. Instinctively, I decided to park my 140 lb ass on the sidelines and watch the story unfold. And unfold it did. And to be fair, it was all good. You are big, I am big, let’s all pummel each other and have a beer afterwards... all good. But this one dude, short and stocky, 5 ft 3 maybe 220 , came out of nowhere, threw the biggest roundhouse kick I ever saw and smacked some poor soul right in the mouth. This guy literally folded himself in half to get his foot up three. I mean, as impressive as that was, being on the receiving end of that would end anybody’s good time. Obviously, this person seems to be schooled in some kind of martial art. And to me, it looked like this guy's only reason for being there was to Steven Seagal someone in the throat and get away with it. Is this the norm now? Should I not be offended by this?
Anyway... let me know what you think. Some insight would be appreciated. Thanks

When I (36F) was younger, my parents would take my siblings and I on a trip for our 10th birthday. It was our family tradition and they want to continue with my kids, Sadie (9F) and Jamie (6M). Sadie will be turning 10 soon so my parents told her that they will be taking her and Jamie to Disney.
They’re only paying for my kids, so my husband Sam (34M) and I have decided to save up to join the trip and make memories together as a family (us, our kids, and my parents). Everything was fine, but my husbands sisteSIL Emma (29F) heard about the trip and wants her daughter Avery (10F) to also join along and has been forcefully trying to get her way even after I’ve said no countless times.
Emma is a single/teen mom (dads not in the picture), so it’s been very difficult for her to be able to provide Avery with certain experiences and opportunities that my kids have been given. Since Avery just turned 10 and didn’t have a party/big gift, Emma thinks Avery is entitled to a Disney trip too because my parents (who are in no way related to her!) are taking Avery’s cousins. I thought this was so rude of her to even ask because why would my parents pay for her daughter’s trip when she’s not their grandchild? When I told her this, she then kept insinuating that since Sam and I are paying for ourselves to go, we could probably save for Avery to go too.
I love my niece and feel guilty she isn’t able to have such experiences, but it should not be a financial burden my husband and I have to constantly bear. We already help a lot by buying groceries, babysitting, pay for sports teams, school supplies. When I sternly told her my parents won’t be paying and that my husband and I don’t want to or have to pay either, she then had the audacity to drop the “we’re all family/it takes a village to raise a child” card on me. I HAVE HELPED HER SO MUCH, Sam and I have just lost it on her because she isn’t even appreciative of what we’ve already done to help her provide necessities for her child yet she always wants to ask for more.
Not once has she suggested paying for some of Avery’s plane ticket, park pass, hotel. She just wants us to bear this cost so her daughter can live a life she can’t provide for. I know it sounds terrible, but I hate having to be the one who has to feel guilty and pay up so that Avery can live like our family when Emma won’t even try to pay for some of it. I told her my final decision is no unless if she wants to pay for Avery, then I don’t mind taking care of Avery on the trip and will let her come along which Emma said no to because she can’t afford it.
Now my daughter is saying Avery told her I ruined “THEIR” trip and Avery “hates” me. I think Emma already told Avery she would be coming on the trip before even speaking to me and now had to tell her she can’t go anymore because I “won’t let her”. On one hand, Sam and I want to stand our ground and won’t pay, but also don’t want to ruin ours and our kid’s relationship with our niece. AITA?

Hey there, very new to this experience.
I have only ever had 10 year+ cars with varying levels of dependability. My circumstances have changed and now I can afford to buy a $30K car outright, if I wanted to. With these new resources, I can actually entertain options I have always thought were off the table.
To start: my partner used to have a 2017 Subaru Crosstrek, which we enjoyed quite a bit. It had enough trunk space so that I could fit my massage table in the back (for work.) Also, I quite enjoyed driving it, finding it easy to parallel park in the city but also excellent for camping trips. Because I am familiar with Subaru, I’ve limited my search for now but am open to suggestions. I found the outback and forester slightly too big, btw.
However, I am finding myself overwhelmed by some of the variables. I know I would prefer a newer vehicle, something I could depend on for years to come. I have the poor person’s anxiety about having a car that will need constant repair, which is why I am leaning newer. I am just having a hard time deciding: do I finance a 2023? Do I chill out with a $25k 2021? I have never financed a car before but I have great credit so I imagine that path would be more or less smooth for me.
A wrinkle that is stressing my brain: a mechanic friend of my family is offering to sell me a car wholesale price, which would include an inspection of the car itself for my peace of mind. I value this option but cannot tell if I am overvaluing this option.
So, help! What are your opinions? I would love guidance. Thanks!

I have been dating this girl for about 3 months talking for maybe a little more. Anyways things were good and I guess the honeymoon phase was great. But over time I found flaws and there were a lot of issues that I never brought up to her that I did not like. For example she would talk about her ex a lot, or at times criticize me because I was not always the best communicator but I did try, even though I only dated her for 3 months I told her things that no one else heard. Even my older ex with who I was with for almost 2 years did not know.
She suffered from mental issues, bipolar, depressive, maybe borderline personality. At times she would not talk, or just lay in bed all day, I could never be around her and fully be myself, I felt like I was walking on egg shells because sometimes a joking comment would just ruin her mood for the whole day. Like one time we raced each other in the park just for fun, I jokingly said "run faster", I did not mean it in any rude way, my tone was happy/joking like, but she took it the wrong way, stopped running, and then I felt bad. She does have poor control over her emotions, and naturally I like to joke as my personality. I remember we were having a great weekend for the most part, but then there was an external problem with one of her friends, she cried and pretty much did not talk to me even though I was only trying to be supportive.
In all this lead me to tell her that I was loosing feelings for her because I could not see myself with her long term. This made her cry, depressed and but I was being honest. And we talked about it, but I was not going to break up with her but one thing she asked before starting the relationship was to be honest. This all just slowly gets worse, she would constantly bring up the fact that I said that to her and "How can she ever be with me knowing in the back of my head I had no feelings for her", she would tell me this a few times a day when we would hang out.
I just could not do it, that initial happiness and joy to see her, became nothing. Those drives to get her and hang out at times felt like chores, I was happier to leave her and go back to my place than to be with her. I felt bad and guilty because she had so many characteristics that I want, she was so easy to trust and never made me feel like she would cheat on me, she was open, smart, but the negatives were too big in my head.
This lead to us breaking up, she begged me to stay, I felt like shit, I felt guilty. She called my friends and said that she just wants me to "love her" and she would text them so much that they had to block her. I felt guilty, sad but then angry. I have never felt like that in any breakup before.
Fast-forward now, its just a cycle of me missing her, then hating that I met her, then sadness, then wanting to get back together. I stalked her socials, I know I shouldn't, but she was hospitalized for 2 weeks after our breakup, she is now posting a lot of things about healing, and missing me but also knowing her self worth etc. I feel sad, I want to talk to her, I want to get back together but I do not know why. I know how I felt in those moments and I know I had no feelings, but I still miss her.
It is strange because my first breakup I just felt so sad but got over it. My next one was so easy and it was a mutual breakup. But this last one is just particularly hard. It opened up a lot of emotions and feelings deep down. I never though about going to therapy but am now on a waitlist. I just don't know what to do. Its funny there is this girl which pretty much told me she liked me a few weeks ago, and we text, and before this relationship I would have loved to take her out, but now its like I dont even care.
I dont know exactly what I am asking here, more of venting, but just want to know if anyone else felt like this and if anyone has any advice.

My mother lives in a small rural town, on a short dirt road with only three houses. At the end of the dirt road is a locally popular park on the river. Because this town is small and rural, one of people’s favorite things to do is hangout by the river. I’m 40 and I still do it, even in the middle of the night. People have always hung out in the park on her road at night, even though it’s technically against the rules (open dawn to dusk).
Nothing has changed about the way people use this park. What has changed is my mothers old arthritic dog died last spring and my mother has a new dog that has to be walked at night before bed. Since she started walking her dog in the park at night, she’s been complaining about the cars she sees down there. Usually only one or two cars, never open partying, never loud, just people hanging out. I should also say that this park is the only place in town that offers free Wi-Fi, so many people will go down there just to access Wi-Fi…
Instead of complaining , she started calling the cops. Last night she called the cops on a lady who was there at 8pm. She wasn’t doing anything but sitting in her car.
She tells me this today, and I get pissy. Ask her where she gets off. She says “she’s breaking the rules.” I point out that her walking her dog in the park after dark is also breaking the rules, and that she’s being a hypocrite, and it isn’t her park to walk her dog in at night. She doubles down and says “the less cars down there the happier I’ll be”, and she had such a smug self righteous look on her face.
It’s been bothering me all day and I’ve been seriously considering calling the cops on her for walking her dog down there at night if she keeps up the self righteous hypocrisy.

I am honesty disappointed with my boyfriend. I told him explicitly i hated lies, doesn't matter how small they are, and the big issue is that he has a mania of telling he is doing something when he's doing something else. I don't know if we can go past this issue or if i even want to give him a chance to try to be better. It all started when he hang out with his ex to get closure. I didn't know he was going to smoke weed with her (+ another friend) because he never told me he would in the first place. He confessed that after coming home that day he thought if it would be better to tell me what he did or never say a word. He choose to tell me, then said what they talked about, how she is, what she does etc. I was upset he didn't tell me before going. I'm not the type of girlfriend that is constantly fighting over where the boyfriend goes, who is he with, what female friends he has, etc, and he knows that i wouldn't be mad or say he couldn't go. Then he lied again. He invites a friend to drink at a public place, just him and her, which i thought it was strange. But, according to the girl, she was even worried about trying to make a move on him because he know he is dating and doesn't want to do anything alike, so i know it was just a casual thing between friends. But he tols me he was working and after work he was hanging out with his friens. I am not stupid so i went through his phone and we had a fight. After all that, there was one night he was very late to get home. He usually smokes weed after college at night and the bus takes a long time to come. I asked him if he was coming home and he said he was in the bus already, then an hour later he sends me an uber notification saying he is coming home. I asked him again and he said he took the wrong bus and was too embarrassed to tell. At this point i am just sick of being lied to and i can barely trust a word he says but at the same time i trust he would never cheat on me but when it comes to lying it's different. Yesterday he confessed that he didn't go to college on Friday after i asked what did he do on friday, because a friend in common told me that class was cancelled that day, and he just confessed he couldn't go to college because the friend who was going to pay the bus ticket ghosted him. So he gave up going and stayed at a park with friends smoking and drinking. Another of his exes is now dating a friend of his (this he found out at the park for the first time), he also told me he is still angry at her even after so long, so he only went back home after she went to the restroom so that he wouldn't need to say bye to her.
And now I'm sick of these little lies even after he promised he is trying to change this behavior and that he doesn't want to lose me. But I'm feeling cols towards the idea of having a future with him. I keep thinking if he will ever stop doing this... I love him but not this little part. I know he is like this because he tries to avoid making people upset and also because his mother is a control freak who never let him hang out without getting yelled at but i just can't see this as an excuse to lie to me. What can i do?

I hate to ask this alongside all of the other questions about delivery, but I'm having a hard time determining if it is even allowed (I think it is now, at least for wine) and who delivers to Texas. Thankfully, in Houston, we are blessed enough to find most things, but would like to hit a site to get some of the miissing or harder to find options. Does Curiada deliver? Does Astor Wines? Any others that you use? I'm making a list of what I'm hoping to purchase and hopefully making it big enough to get free or reduced shipping.

I have used more Roo's, Marq., and Duke balls this season than in any other season, and I have a BW8 and C/P 7. While I'm currently at K2, it has been a real struggle for me. I will attempt Emperor the last couple of days, but am thinking that next season, if I reach K5, that would suffice and just park and not waste any more Roo's, etc., and more importantly TIME!! Not worth the trouble, LOL!! Shootouts have been real tough. You can ace it one time, and the next you lose big time for the same shootout course.
How do others feel about Kingdom this season?

Hello, thank you for reading and I hope you are having a great day. I know we are all looking for certain things here and, I was hoping to find a fun woman to hang out with and possibly have some fun with. I just want to meet someone fun to share some time with and see where it takes us. Ideally this would be a good friendship, hanging out, talking, and such but would love it to also include some snuggling up to some movies and even some kissing, love a good make-out session. Maybe even some breast play and pussy eating, love pleasuring a woman like that. If it gets a bit hotter then that well that is awesome. But for right now we could just make this an awesome hangout for a couple of people helping pass the days. What I am looking for does not have to include anything more intimate then just being friends,but hey we could all use a little extra comfort and fun. So yeah boiling this down, it would be a friends with benefits sort of thing, with a larger emphasis on the friends part.
Anyway, a little more about me. I am a 37 year old single white guy over in the Spring/The Woodlands area. I have my own place, so we can hang out there if we are comfortable with each other. I am a BHM but rather call myself a big cuddly teddy bear. I am fully vaxxed against COVID, have gotten my booster too (I know some people have very strong opinions about this topic so I just wanted to get this out of the way right off the bat), and am 100% DDF. I can share pictures, SFW kinds after we chat a bit as I do have a professional job. As for personality, well I am a bit of a nerd. I love tabletop gaming, and love to share that and my other nerdy interests with others. So is you ever wanted to lean D&D, Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, or another tabletop RPG like that I would be happy to teach you. I also enjoy Magic the Gathering as well, though I do not play it as much as I used to. Could always use another friend up for a few games. Well, that is a quick rundown of me.
As to what I am looking for, My big requirement is that you are a woman. I am straight, so that is just my preference. But yeah, as long as you are a fun person, then I think we will hit things off really well. So yeah, will wrap this up by saying thank you for reading and I hope to hear from you soon. Lets see if we can have fun together. And who knows, if we hit it off we could make this a regular thing too.
P.S. Oh and just because it does seem needed, please tell me a little about yourself. Just a hello really does not give me a lot to start a conversation with. Same with just asking for pictures. We can exchange those when we are both comfortable with each other.

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] [Part 9] [Part 10] [Part 11] [Part 12] [Part 13]
When my screams subsided, malevolent laughter filled the uneasy silence. Discordant, cruel laughter that sounded as though it bubbled from underwater. I turned around to see the macabre faces of the Kane sisters behind me, pressed against the window of their cottage, black teeth chattering.
“Where did they take him?” I demanded. My anger increased their delight.
“Where did they take him?” Margery mocked, my own voice coming out of her blackened mouth.
“Poor, poor girl lost her puppy!” Margaretta cackled.
I felt the rage rise within me, but I was utterly helpless. I knew they had the information we needed, but even if they were willing to speak, they could not be trusted.
Suddenly, their faces changed. Their dead white eyes widened in terror; their smiles had melted. Mina shrieked, a cacophonous cry that sent my hands to my ears.
It was René. Their eyes were fixed on him. His very presence caused them to tremble in fear.
“What is he doing here?” Margery hissed.
“Come back to hurt us again, he has!” Mina shrieked.
“Devil take you, vampire!” Margaretta cried.
I looked at René in astonishment. He wore an expression I had not seen before, a smile that was almost cruel.
“Well if it isn’t the old charlatan sisters!” He said. “I would have never guessed that she would still be keeping you around, but then again, she’s always loved the most pathetic of sycophants.”
“Be gone, vampire! Be gone!” They shouted.
“I would love nothing more. But you heard Nora. You have information we need. Where did they take the werewolf?”
Margery turned to me.
“Stay away from him, girl! Stay away!”
“He hurt us! He hurt us!” Mina moaned.
“How about we make a deal?” I said, thinking quickly. The sisters cocked their terrible heads in curiosity. “You can tell me your story. Tell me what he did. But in return, you must tell us where they took our friend.”
René raised his eyebrows, but did not protest.
“And I will know when you are lying,” he added menacingly.
The sisters looked at each other and began to nod eagerly.
“The girl says she will listen!” They whispered excitedly. I felt a pang of pity.
“Do you agree?”
“Yes,” they hissed, the glee returning to their voices. The door to the cottage opened.
I stepped inside with René close behind me. The sisters glared at him.
“Whatever you’re going to do, do it without drawing blood this time.” I said, remembering the claw marks in my wrists.
“No appreciation for the fine art of channeling,” muttered Margaretta.
The sisters gestured to the chairs at the table. René and I sat, but I kept my arms tightly crossed. The sisters closed their eyes and moved from side to side rhythmically, putting themselves into a trance. They moaned and their mouths opened, emitting a thick, ectoplasmic mist.
“Gross,” I whispered to René, who smirked in response.
The mist enveloped us and our ramshackle surroundings, along with the sisters, vanished. In their place appeared a mid-19th century parlor: a finely carved mantle draped in black crepe, the ornamental mirror on top covered with black cloth. It was night, the heavy damask curtains were drawn, elegant oil lamps were lit on a large oak table, also draped in black. The sisters sat at the table, very much alive, dressed in ostentatious displays of mourning, their wide skirts spread across the chairs they sat in, jet bracelets clattering at their wrists. Human hands wreathed by delicate lace grabbed those of an older man who trembled with emotion.
A small audience observed the séance, dressed for an evening’s entertainment. There was one man in particular, whose clothing was undoubtedly the finest, with a dazzling silver jacquard waistcoat. Though he wore a pair of blue tinted spectacles, I immediately recognized him as René. His brown hair was longer, combed away from his face and curling just under his ears. He was smiling, that same strange smile I had seen before.
The sisters made their usual dramatic entreaties to the Great Beyond and the crowd gasped when the spirits responded intelligently to their questions with a series of rapping sounds. The man begged them to contact the spirit of his young daughter who had perished in a carriage accident decades before. The sisters obliged, making contact through the rapping. With a flourish, Mina threw her head back and out of her mouth squeaked the voice of a small child. The man collapsed in tears. Women in the audience dabbed their eyes with their handkerchiefs. René was no longer smiling.
When the audience had shuffled out, René lingered. Margaretta gave him an unctuous grin.
“How may we assist you, sir?”
“I would like to schedule a…private appointment.” He lowered his glasses and fixed his grey eyes on her. Margaretta’s eyes widened. She stared vacantly as though in a daze.
“We are entirely booked. We are in such demand, after all. We leave Rochester for our world tour this Saturday.” Margery said. Mina peered at René over her sister’s arm and smiled. He winked at her.
“Such lovely ladies you are. Money should be no issue, of course. I think you will find that you are free tomorrow evening” he said slowly. Margaretta nodded.
“Yes, yes. We are.”
“Very good. I very much look forward to our session.”
“Yes!” Shouted Mina, clearly enamored.
René smiled and put on his top hat, taking his leave.
The next night, the sisters eagerly awaited their guest. René arrived with a veiled woman on his arm, wearing lace gloves, matching the sisters in a black silk gown. Mina looked slightly disappointed to see the woman, but the other sisters grinned at her obvious finery, expecting a hefty sum for their services.
“Ladies, I hope you do not mind I have brought my wife,” he said, almost unable to hide the sinister grin that crept across his face.
“Of course, of course, welcome, madam!”
The veiled woman made no response. René escorted her to the table and they joined hands. The sisters began their show: the room erupted in rapping.
“The spirits are many in the ether tonight,” Margery moaned. “To whom do you wish to speak?”
“I wish to contact the spirit of our deceased child.” René said, watching the sisters carefully.
“Ah yes, it is a child who has appeared before me now, a beautiful child!” Margaretta cried. “Child, rap twice for yes, or once for no. Are these your beloved parents before you?”
Two distinct raps were heard on the table. Mina made an exaggerated gasp.
“The child wishes to speak through my sister!” Margery shouted.
Mina began to speak in that same squeaking voice as the previous evening. René could no longer contain his fury. With one swift movement René rose and flipped over the table before them. He grabbed Mina by the neck.
“I have no child, you insidious swindlers!” He shouted. He dug his fangs into Mina’s neck and the sisters began to scream. The witch stood and removed her veil, green eyes glowing, black teeth grinning. She raised her hand and the remaining two sisters rose into the air. René threw the corpse of Mina at their feet. They sobbed hideously, begging the witch for mercy.
“I have no use for such talentless fools,” she said.
“We will do anything, we will be your most faithful servants,” they cried still suspended in the air.
“Ask them how much money they’ve bled from the grieving, how they’ve bankrupted their victims in the name of their lost loved ones!” René said, enraged, fangs bared. “Let me finish with them!”
The witch sighed. “Forgive my friend with his tedious sense of justice. Would you really do anything? Bind yourselves to me for all time?”
“Yes! Yes!” Margery and Margaretta cried.
“Idiots,” René muttered.
The witch curled her hand into a fist and the women began to cough, hands clawing at their necks. Their eyes rolled in the back of their heads. The body of Mina rose to join them. With a sickening snap, the necks of Margery and Margaretta broke and they joined their sister in death. The corpses’ mouths opened, so wide the jaws were broken and three familiar specters climbed out. The ghosts fell at the feet of the witch, making obsequies, hailing her their mistress.
The mist that had descended around the cottage dispersed, leaving the sisters glaring at us.
“Time to fulfill your end of the bargain,” René demanded. “We don’t have much time.”
They chittered angrily and turned their ghoulish heads to me.
“Girl! Have you nothing to say of the crimes of your beau?”
What I had seen had certainly shocked me, but it was something I could not bear to process at the moment.
“He’s right. Show us where they took Jake.”
“No lies.” René warned.
The sisters grumbled among themselves, but once again broke into a trance. A vision appeared before us. It was the river, a great gray mist hanging over it. A large, shadowy structure pushed its way through, revealing the towers of an elaborate stone castle. The castle was familiar to me. Around here, we call it Bellevue Castle, an abandoned Gilded Age flight of fancy on a private island that is now our most famous tourist site. During the winter months, it is closed to guests, leaving the island abandoned. The vision dissolved into smoke.
René stood up to leave.
“You’ll never reach him before dawn,” hissed Margery.
“Yes, yes, the sun is rising, revenant!” Margaretta cackled.
He ignored them. I followed him out, feeling their hateful stares at my back, leaving them to howl and complain among themselves. They had not been lying. The sky had lightened considerably, a thin line of orange had appeared on the horizon. René cursed and shielded his face.
“Let’s get to my cottage,” I said. We arrived just as I began to feel the sun behind me. René had bolted for the dark bedroom. I found him sitting on the bed, his face in his hands, shoulders tense with frustration. I was frustrated too. We’d been outmaneuvered and I feared for Jake’s safety. Would she make him the object of her retaliation? I was certain of it. But there was no way I could sail for the castle without René. I may have a death warrant, but I do not have a death wish.
“We leave as soon as the sun sets tonight,” he said, as though convincing himself.
“I don’t think we have a choice,” I said.
“Not if we want to find Jake.”
“Do you think…do you think we’ll be too late?” I didn’t want to contemplate it.
“I do not think she would kill him without us there to witness it. She wouldn’t deprive herself of the spectacle. We have to understand that she is anticipating exactly what we are planning on doing.”
“This is it then,” I said, trying to sound strong, though I felt like a fist were gripping my heart. René lifted his head and took my hands.
“I won’t let it happen,” he said. “I swear to you.”
“I don’t think that’s something you can promise, René.”
I pulled my hands back from his. It was hard to look at him, when Mina’s face flashed before me, eyes filled with terror just before he buried his fangs into her neck.
“I realize that you have not seen me feed before,” he said quietly.
“Feed? You make it sound so…casual.”
He raised my chin to his face, gray eyes resolute.
“I have spent many decades in utter misery, disgusted by myself, by what I am. That self-loathing is still with me and will be forever. But I cannot change the past and I cannot restore what I have lost. If I can channel this bloodlust, this propensity for violence, against those who have done evil, then perhaps through evil, I can accomplish something good, spare an innocent. This thought was the only thing that sustained me in that century of servitude by her side. This is something … something I hope you never have to understand.”
“I’m trying.”
“I know.”
“I’m going to take a shower.”
“If you return while I am at rest, remember—”
“You’ll look kinda dead. I know.”
He smiled sadly.
I was desperate for the warmth of the shower. The cold within me was not merely the effect of winter, but a numbness that I couldn’t shake. I tried to reach back to a couple months ago, before the sky had changed to that ghastly green, before the abyss opened before me. It was as though I were viewing another person’s life on a different planet. And yet the life I am living now does not seem like my own either. I am straddling the lives of two strangers.
I tried to imagine death. I tried to imagine not existing. Of course, I could not. Who can? I had to hope that there would be peace, that the spirits were not lying to comfort me. After all, I had already witnessed the existence of far more unlikely things.
The sound of the water soothed me. I stepped inside, relishing those first few drops, immersing my body, emptying my mind. The future didn’t matter. At that moment, I was alive and that was glorious.
I don’t know how long I had been standing there, when the water began to feel different. Thicker. Metallic tasting. I opened my eyes to find myself covered in blood, it was pouring out of the shower head. My skin began to burn, my hair falling out in clumps, my teeth loosening and I spat them out. I screamed.
I found myself on the floor of the shower, bruised but wet from water alone. My hands fluttered to my mouth, my hair. Nothing was amiss. I dragged myself upright, trying not to sob. She would take even those small moments away from me… I toweled off with trembling hands and allowed myself a brief glance in the mirror, too fearful of what might stare back if I lingered. Beyond some considerably dark rings under my eyes, I looked relatively normal.
Before, I had contemplated watching the full sunrise, sitting in the sunshine until eventually dozing on the couch. Instead, I went back to the dark bedroom and climbed under the covers of my bed. In my current state, my only comfort came in the form of the reanimated corpse next to me. I curled up beside him and fell asleep.
++
René woke me up at sunset. Despite everything, I actually felt well-rested and at ease. René prepared by downing a large thermos of blood. I secured my uncle’s knife under my coat in a leather belt sheath, my movements calm, almost mechanical. René handed me my silver bracelets and a wave of sadness passed through me.
“We don’t know what state he is in,” he whispered. I nodded and put them on my wrists.
We set sail in silence, the boat’s movements for once not triggering nausea. It was desperately cold on the water, despite the promise of spring in the near future. The cold struck through my gloves and burned my face. René was clearly not bothered by the climate; his coat wasn’t even zipped. He stared ahead with his brows furrowed, scanning all around us for ice and other enemies.
I thought of the summer and of the river crowded with life, with people laughing, speeding past each other on their boats, picnicking under the turrets of our destination, Bellevue Castle.
“Do you know the story of Bellevue Castle, René?” I asked.
“Manhattan hotelier wanted to build the grandest home in all of the Islands, but his wife died before it could be completed.”
“And in his grief, the husband asked all the workers to put down their tools and step away, leaving the castle a half-finished husk, a monument to lost love.” I added.
“I actually think he just ran out of money. I spent some time on that construction site in the 1890s.”
I laughed.
“Of course, you did. Don’t burst the bubble of anyone on the tourist board, alright? That place is a big money maker around here.”
It was good to smile with him, even if just for a moment.
As we neared the castle, a mist descended around us, just as in the vision of the sisters. The air felt heavy and old, as though rife with mildew and rot, difficult to inhale. The visibility severely decreased, but René was able to continue to navigate towards our destination, its hulking shadows barely detectible even by his eyes.
Our boat was hit by a wave, as though from the wake of a boat. René and I looked at each other, thinking the same thing: there was absolutely no one else on the river. A great creaking sound echoed all around us, the groaning of wood and metal. A veritable flotilla of ships and boats broke the surface all around us, arising from the depths glowing a ghostly green. There were wrecked wooden speed boats, steel-hulled freighters from the turn of the century, coal steamers, massive three-masted schooners, and frigates built for the wars of two hundred years ago.
No crew piloted these vessels, which groaned and sighed with the sadness of their years at the bottom. Something was weaving its way through the wrecks, howling through the air with the screeching of a cyclone. René leaned forward, craning his neck to spot it, when a rotting hand shot out of the water and grabbed his shoulder. He pulled it off, but another joined the attack, and another, until a great host of drowned, rotting corpses were pulling at him, threatening to board the boat.
I grabbed a paddle and whacked at them, but there were too many. They were pulling him overboard, despite our best efforts. I clutched his arm and with all my strength tried to drag him back in. The cacophony was approaching, my hair whipped around my face as the freezing winds accelerated. Something caught my boot and my grip on René’s hand slipped away. I was hurtled into the swirling air. I saw below me René’s struggling body dipping below the surface of the river, drowned dead glaring up at me lifelessly.
The whirlwind hummed with the cries of miserable souls. I was suspended among them, falling upwards and upwards until I could breathe no more.
x