Denver Nuggets outside ace Jamal Murray's shot did not go in at all. In particular, five 3-point shots were attempted, none of which passed the rim.
Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. struggled, but Murray was in a slump. The LA Lakers were not a team that could win without Murray's support.
Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and D'Angelo Russell attacked inside and outside. In the end, Denver fell behind by 20 points at one point in the third quarter.
However, the LA Lakers could not kill Denver's last breath. A series of failed attacks gave room to chase, and thanks to Jokic's hard work, Denver ended the third quarter by trailing by 10 points, 69-79.
The fateful fourth quarter.
Murray survived. Rather than using unreasonable outside shots, he used a thorough 2-on-2 systematic movement with Jokic. He broke under the goal after receiving a handoff pass. Because Jokic was standing on the outside, Jokic's match-up opponents, Rui Hachimura and Anthony Davis, had no choice but to check the outside defense. Jokic's 3-point shooting ability is excellent.
This gap was pierced through the bottom of the goal one after another.
In the middle of the fourth quarter, LeBron James made two consecutive 3-pointers to cut off Denver's pursuit. However, Jokic persistently attacked the bottom of the goal. The scene of getting a basket count by breaking through the post-up defense of Davis, one of the best defenders in the league, was a highlight. It was a clear scene that proved why Jokic is the best big man in the game. In the end, Denver succeeded in tying the game with Michael Porter Jr.'s 3-pointer.
The score was tied 95-95 with 1 minute and 15 seconds left in the game.
The LA Lakers, who lost in Game 1, were also desperate. Russell scored 2 points with a bold breakthrough. However, Murray responded with two points on free throws following a foul by LeBron James.
LeBron James took the lead again with a breakthrough, but Murray, who found his shooting sense, responded with a step-back mid jumper. The final attacks of both teams remained. LeBron James shot a 3-pointer, but missed. Michael Porter Jr. grabbed the rebound. Although Denver had time remaining, coach Mike Malone trusted his players and let the game proceed.
Denver's last offensive option wasn't Jokic. Murray caught the ball and moved to the side. Just before the buzzer sounded to end the game, Murray took an exquisite step back and then threw a mid jumper. Davis, who knew he had no choice but to shoot, gave the contest with all his might. Murray's high-angle mid jumper passed through the rim, and the buzzer immediately sounded, signaling the end of the game.
The Denver Nuggets defeated the LA Lakers, 101 to 99, in the second game of the 2023-2024 NBA Western Conference playoff quarterfinals (best of 7 games) held at the Denver Ball Arena on the 23rd (Korean time). It was a thrilling victory that overturned the gap by as much as 20 points.
It was a game where the power of the defending champion was felt. The performance of the LA Lakers, who were at a loss, was not bad. Anthony Davis (32 points, 11 rebounds), LeBron James (26 points, 12 assists), and D'Angelo Russell (23 points) struggled.
For Denver, Nikola Jokic achieved a triple-double, including 20-20 (27 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists), Michael Porter Jr. scored 22 points (6 3-pointers), and Jamal Murray scored 20 points. Denver has won all 2 games of this series.
In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Orlando Magic 96-86 and won their second straight game. Donovan Mitchell led the victory with 23 points and 9 rebounds, and Paulo Bankero contributed with 21 points for Orlando.
The New York Knicks, led by Jaylen Brunson (24 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists), defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, led by Tyrese Maxey (35 points, 35 points, and Joel Embiid (34 points, 10 rebounds)), 104 to 101, and won their second straight win. .
Controversy arose over the decision. Philadelphia is ahead 101-99 with 25.2 seconds left in the game. When Philadelphia attacked at the end line, New York used a strong full-court press. Maxie, who received the pass, was momentarily double-teamed by New York Brunson and Josh Hart. Hart momentarily pulled Maxey's uniform down and held his arms behind his back, causing Maxey to fall to the court. However, the referee did not blow the whistle. In the end, New York, who took over the offense, succeeded in turning the tables with DiVincenzo's 3-pointer.
For more Info, here: 안전한카지노 사이트

The Foundling Who Was Befriended by Wolves
The elder of two brothers was very expert at catching eagles.
He would cover a hole with leaves and brush, place on top the carcass of some animal, and hide underneath until an eagle settled on the brush to eat the meat.
Then he would seize the bird’s legs, draw it inside, and kill it.
Once he caught a big red eagle, but not wishing to kill such a bird he let it fly away.
The younger boy now begged permission to catch eagles also.
The elder refused him three times. The fourth time he consented, but warned the lad not to touch a big red eagle.
So the boy concealed himself in the trap.
One of the smaller eagles soared down and began to eat the meat.
The boy caught and killed it without difficulty.
Another settled on the trap, then a third. Those also he killed.
Then came a big red eagle. Forgetting his brother’s warning and tempted by its bright feathers, he seized its wing and tried to drag it down.
The eagle, however, was too strong. It pulled him out of the trap and carried him far away.
His brother looked for him that evening, saw the gaping hole in the trap, and knowing what had happened sat down and wept.
He wept and wept, until he shriveled up and became a tiny baby again.
An old woman who was traveling to one side of a party happened to hear the baby cry.
She picked it up, wrapped it in her blanket, gathered some of the feathers that were strewn about, and hurried on to rejoin her people.
In the party were her ten sons.
As the eldest was pitching his tent that evening, she said to him, “Back yonder on the hill I found a little baby and brought it along with me.
May we sleep in your tent tonight?”
“No”, he answered gruffly. “The child will disturb us too much.”
She approached the second son, the third, the fourth; each rejected her in almost the same words.
Last of all, she approached the tenth and youngest.
“Yes, mother, come in and bring your baby with you.
He will be a little brother to me.”
So the old woman lodged with her youngest son, to whom she gave her eagle feathers.
The years passed by, and her baby grew into a sturdy youth.
One winter the Indians set up their tents beside a large pond and began to scour the countryside for buffalo. Not an animal could they find anywhere.
Before long their supply of food ran low, yet they would not move away, for they still hoped that one or more herds would appear in their neighbourhood.
While they were idly waiting, the chief of the band tried to capture two foxes that had made their dens in the vicinity, but the animals were too cunning for him.
Annoyed at the failure, he sent a crier round the camp to proclaim that the man who brought him their skins might marry one of his daughters.
All the best hunters went out to try their skill but failed — the foxes outwitted every one.
One day the boy brought some sticks into his foster-grandmother’s tent and began to make a bow and arrows.
She said to him, “What are you going to shoot, my grandson?”
“I am going to try for the foxes.”
“Foolish boy. If the best hunters in the camp can’t catch them, you certainly will not succeed.”
“I can at least try. It may be that I can shoot them with my arrows.”
The grandmother only laughed; she said no more.
Unnoticed by anyone in the camp, the boy slipped away the next morning and hid near one of the dens.
A fox emerged and wandered away.
As soon as it disappeared, he planted a circle of pointed sticks around the hole, then hid again and waited.
Not long afterwards the fox returned, spied the watching lad, and darted for its hole.
The sharp sticks pierced its neck and killed it. The boy killed the other fox in exactly the same manner and, concealing the furs under his coat, he started for home.
As he trudged along, snow fell and obliterated his tracks so that no one discovered where he had been.
Outside his tent he stopped, glanced quickly round, and concealed his furs in a heap of firewood.
Then he went inside and sat down without saying a word.
His grandmother looked up and asked:
“Where have you been?”
“Oh, I just went out and caught the foxes.”
She laughed again.
“Oh, but I will prove it,” he said.
And going outside he plucked a few hairs from the furs and brought them in to her.
“You shouldn’t pull the hair out of our dogs,” she said. “The weather is very cold, and they need all their fur.”
Three times he brought in scraps of the fox fur, and each time she declared that he had pulled them out of the dogs.
The fourth time he brought in the furs themselves.
The old woman gazed at them in amazement.
At last she said, “My grandchild, you have been very lucky.
But you are too young to marry one of the chief’s daughters.
You had better give the furs to one of your brothers.”
The boy did not answer.
In the evening she told her younger son what had happened.
Loudly he voiced his praise and said to the boy:
“Don’t give the furs to anyone else.
Take them to the chief yourself.”
At dawn the people discovered that the foxes were missing and informed the chief, who walked through the camp crying before every tent, “Who killed the foxes?”
No one answered him. None of the hunters could produce the furs, and no one thought of the poor orphan lad.
Greatly perplexed, the chief retired to his tent again.
The sun had reached noon when the old woman, concealing the furs under her robe, stole inside the tent and sat down humbly at the right of the door.
The chief looked up and said to his family, “This old woman has never visited me before.
Feed her well, and then let her tell us what she wants.”
They fed her, but instead of announcing why she had come, she quietly slipped through the door and returned home.
“I brought the furs back,” she said to the boy.
“You are such a poor wretched orphan that I was ashamed to tell him.”
Before he could reply, her own son spoke up, “You did wrong, mother.
You should have told the chief.
Go back now and give him the furs.”
The old woman went out slowly.
Presently she returned with her message again undelivered.
He sent her a third time but shame still sealed her lips.
Driven back for the fourth time, she sat with bowed head inside the doorway vainly trying to muster up her courage.
At last she rose to steal outside again but as she stooped to pass through the door, the fox’s tail slipped down into view below her robe.
With one bound the chief pulled it away from her, seized the other fox fur also, and cried, “Now — which of your sons was it that killed them?”
“It was my foster-grandson”, she murmured.
“I was too ashamed to give you the furs before.”
The chief sat down in silence, and his elder daughter turned her face away in disgust. But the younger girl cried out, “If her grandson has killed the foxes, I will marry him.”
So the younger girl returned with the old woman and married the youth, while her sister remained with her father.
Three days passed without incident.
On the fourth, the youth said to his bride, “Tell your father to build the pound higher and to keep a sharp watch, for tomorrow I am going to drive in some buffalo”.
The girl carried his message to her father, who issued the necessary orders to his people.
He was a wise old man and realized that the orphan possessed great medicine-power.
Most of the hunters, however, ridiculed the youth, and the boys in the camp pelted him with clods when he started out at dawn for the hunting grounds.
All that morning the camp waited expectantly.
A party that left before the orphan had returned empty-handed and reported that there was no sign of game. The sun was already low when a watchman excitedly signaled that a large herd of buffalo was approaching the pound, driven by someone he could not distinguish.
It was the orphan, who, having changed himself into a wolf as soon as the camp was out of sight, had rounded up the animals and now in his proper form was herding them toward the corral.
Glowing with pride, the old chief shouted to his followers, “Come and watch my son-in-law drive in the buffalo.”
As the last of the buffalo stampeded into the pound, the Indians closed the barrier, mounted the ramparts, and shot them down.
Not one escaped.
Then they butchered them and divided the meat and hides among all the families in the camp.
Next day the youth drove in more buffalo, and still more on the third day.
At daybreak on the fourth he said to his wife, “Tell your father to strengthen the pound, because in today’s herd will come the biggest animal he has ever seen.
That animal he must reserve for me to kill.”
The herd he drove in that day was even larger than the three earlier ones.
He did not stay to watch the massacre, but retired to his tent, where he ordered his wife to comb and dress her hair.
Then from behind his sleeping place he mysteriously produced two beautiful costumes, one for her and one for himself.
Arraying themselves in these garments, they proceeded to the pound, where the hunters had killed all the buffalo except the giant animal he had specially reserved for his own arrows.
He shot this last buffalo, and his wife carried the meat in a precious otter skin to his tent.
There she disdained to wash the skin, but scornfully threw it away, for now she and her husband were so prosperous that even an otter skin possessed little value in their eyes.
Henceforth the camp recognized the orphan youth as its leader and promptly obeyed whatever commands he issued through the old chief, his father-in-law.
Yet there was one person who hated him — his wife’s older sister, the girl who had scorned him in the days of his poverty.
If her parents offered her meat from any buffalo he had driven into the pound, she flung it to the ground in contempt.
Constantly did she spy on his movements in the hope that her “medicine”, which was a mole, might be able to work him some injury.
Now the youth frequently visited a hilltop above the camp and often slept there.
One day the girl discovered him asleep and sent her mole-spirit to tunnel the ground under his body.
The mole did its work so well that the earth collapsed and precipitated him into a deep pit, from which he could not get out.
Then day after day his sister-in-law climbed the hill and mockingly threw dirt in his face.
In vain he cried for mercy and begged her to help him out, or a t least to tell his people.
She merely derided his misery. Not knowing what had become of him, his people concluded that he had perished.
Even his own wife gave up all hope and went into mourning for him.
Now that they had no one to drive the buffalo into their pound the Indians moved away.
Then a wolf that was prowling for food round the deserted campsite discovered the youth, and howled.
Soon a whole pack gathered about the pit.
The mother wolf said to them:
“Whoever succeeds in extricating this man may take him for her son.”
The animals scratched vigorously, but no sooner had they loosened the earth all around than the old wolf herself caught hold of him and pulled him out.
She adopted him as her son and allowed him to join the wanderings of her pack.
At night, because he no longer owned a blanket, the wolves made a soft mattress for him by spreading their tails together on the ground; but within two or three days they killed a buffalo, whose hide provided him with a warm robe.
This pack of wolves roaming in the vicinity spoiled the hunting of the youth’s people, who set traps to catch them.
But the youth protected his companions by breaking the traps.
The old chief awakened one night and listened to their howling.
“Hark,” he said. “I seem to hear a man calling to those wolves.”
He roused the hunters, who intercepted the pack and seized the youth as he ran in front of it.
The prisoner tried to bite them, but they said, “Don’t bite. You haven’t yet changed to a wolf.”
They then led him quietly home, where he settled down again with his wife and people.
Every night thereafter he lay awake in his tent, listening for the howl of his foster-mother.
For several nights he could not hear it.
Then one day he saw her skin drying outside a hunter’s tent for she had wandered away from the pack and had been caught in a trap.
The youth sent his grandmother to ask for the skin.
When she handed it to him, he grunted over it four times, at the fourth grunt it became a live wolf again.
He set the animal free and it returned to the prairies.
Thus he repaid his debt to his foster-mother.
He now resumed his hunting and rounded up a large herd of buffalo.
As the animals trotted over the plain, he called to a young heifer, “When my arrow strikes you, leap over the rampart of the pound and flee to that tall poplar beyond the hill.
Then lie down and die.”
The Indians slaughtered all the buffalo he drove into the pound except the young heifer, which leaped the rampart and fled over the hill.
The youth shouted to his wife, “Come with me.
We will follow it”.
“Let me go too”, cried his sister-in-law.
“Yes, you may come”, he answered.
So the two women accompanied him to the dead heifer and watched him butcher it.
“There is your load,” he said to his wife. “Carry it to our tent.”
“Give me a load also”, his sister-in-law demanded.
“Yes here is a load for you too.
You can use the intestine of the heifer for your pack-strap.”
The two women started back with their loads but had traveled only a very short distance when the intestine broke and the elder woman’s pack fell to the ground.
While she was retying it, her sister walked on and disappeared over the top of the hill.
Then the youth, who had lingered behind, began to howl like a wolf.
“Why do you howl like that?” his sister-in-law asked anxiously.
Without answering he turned his back to her and howled three times again.
Suddenly a pack of wolves appeared –his foster family.
They pounced on the woman and devoured her.

I've been working on this story for... 3 months? 4? who knows, with my ability to keep track of time I could have started this yesterday, anyway, this is a story that has sci-fi elements, and some fantasy, although the fantasy stuff is mainly dragons so lets say adventure for now, (cause I don't know shit about genres, I just wrote the story) , Keep in mind, this has been written in free time, of which I don't have a lot, so if you don't like the story it is probably my fault, here is a look at:

Dragons wing

I slowly drift from my sleep and think to myself, ow, why is everything warm? I check the thermostat and see that it is at a temperature as cool as Canada and when I turn back to go back to bed so that I can sleep in, I see that my stuff has been knocked over? Oh sorry, where are my manners? I'm James O’Maley, I put everything back into place, and lay down on my bed but nothing is comfortable! I just decide, you know what, whatever, I’m just gonna get ready for work, and with that i get dressed, everything feels harder to put on, but it really hits me when I go to brush my teeth, when I looked into the mirror, I saw that their were, wings on my back, and a tail, growing out my butt like a lizard, I obviously spend several minutes having an existential crisis about this shocking revelation, and I decide to look at what these wings can do, I open a window, crawl out, with some difficulty and some slamming the window on my tail. I go to the edge of the fire escape railing, hop on, and jump, and I flew, higher and higher, until i nearly flew into a mountain but that's when I suddenly breathed fire, from my mouth, and bore a hole straight through the cliffside, I could spend all day flying, breathing fire, and fiddling with my tail, but I began to feel as tired as if I’d just gotten back from lifting weights with tigers, I landed on a cliffside and fell asleep. When I woke up I wasn’t on the cliffside anymore, there were monitors and scientists all around me. I tried to show some sign that I was awake, but I was chained up! I spent several moments struggling to get free, I must be free, I am not something they can chain down! I struggle, I roar, I attempt to move my head enough to burn the surrounding area, but I can’t, until someone finally talks to me,
“Hello there, James, please forgive us for our caution, but with your kind we can never be too careful.” I can see the scientist, I read his name tag, Dr. Crane William, I roar out
“My kind!? Get me out of these chains!” I breathe fire, claw, kick and swing my tail, trying to free myself, until I see two other people watching, one with weird whiskers, a long tail and a smug look on his face, and the other with a similar appearance to me but her wings are her arms. The next few days go by, until the two finally decide to talk to me, and in those days, My face becomes a snout like a komodo dragon’s, the one with the whiskers opens his mouth first and I already hate him
“Would you look at that, he’s even uglier up close!” I glare at him with absolute hatred, that seems to anger him more,
“What are you mute or something? Speak before I tear you apart!” he takes one step closer and that's all I need, I Bite his shoulder and use his head to break the chains on my right arm, I continue to break the rest of them with ease, and tell whiskers
“You want to fight? Let’s fight!” I leap on top of him, clawing at his face, he tries to slash me with a blade on his tail but I grab it and stab the wall with it, until I feel a burning sensation in my veins, The girl had bitten me! She looks at me with sadness,
“Sorry about this,” I look at her and drift into unconsciousness, when I wake up next I’m in some kind of, medical wing, ha, wing, as I look around I feel that my mouth is bound shut, but other than that, I can move my body, I get up off the gurney and just when I think it looks nice, whiskers shows his face,
“Well thanks a lot freak, now I’m on probation with Dr. Crane.” I motion to my mouth and he seems to have enough brain cells to understand what I mean
“Ha! You got the boot, Lily had that on her when she wouldn’t stop biting staff, I’m Ryan Mist.” I just walk away and try getting this muzzle off, That's when Crane walks in,
“Well, I must say it has been a while since we’ve had to use the boot, Ryan, your behavior was unacceptable!” I can tell that Crane is annoyed, and right as he finishes his sentence, click, the boot falls off my face and clatters to the ground. I don’t bother trying to fight Ryan again, I’m just happy to be able to talk!
“Well that’s a lot better, now, talk, I want answers.” I growl, Crane and Ryan seem surprised that I got the boot off but they talk, turns out, I’m what’s called a dragonkin a Human who has dragon genes in their genome, Lily and Ryan are also dragonkin, although they can’t breath fire, Lily has fangs and a venomous bite, turns out she’s the girl that bit me, and Ryan just looks weird, apparently we are the only dragonkin who evaded the organization that Crane works for, Called ‘Kadmus,’ into adulthood, Lily being found at 22, ryan at 20, and me at 24, on top of that, we are the only dragonkin who have survived that long, it’s at that moment that I notice Lily looking at us from behind some glass, I decide that I’ve heard enough and open the door, and I leave the room.
As I leave the room I can tell that Lily was not expecting me from the look on her face, I start a conversation with her, trying desperately to be friendly and not notice all the scientists glancing at me nervously.
“Hey, Lily, Right?” I say in the friendliest tone I can, “I’m James.” Lily looks at me with a calculating look before answering
“Hello, yeah my name is Lily, Lily Megan.” she clearly is wary of me, but I can tell a few things about her, making herself look small, clearly smarter than she lets on, seems shy,
“How did you get it off?” Lily breaks into my train of thought with the question,
“What?” I ask her, confused,
“The Boot, how did you get it off?” She gestures to the room where Crane and Ryan were having an argument, but more specifically to The Boot, laying on the ground
“Oh that? I once took a lockpicking class when I was younger.” I explain
“Huh, you mind teaching me that sometime?” She catches me off guard with that one, I can tell that she is being genuine so I agree, And we begin working out what time works best.

The next few weeks go by in a flash, but I’ll summarize it for you, I ended up getting my own room like Ryan and Lily, I start teaching Lily how to pick locks, and we end up having a few game nights where we played games like charades, poker, even monopoly, lets just say that we will never play monopoly again. However, the most important thing of all, we ended up finding another dragonkin! We aren’t sure what dragon ancestor he has, but we think he’s another eastern long tail, like Ryan, the new guy’s name is Dillian, He’s great, absolute goofball, he’s from Australia, and according to him, his family has never been anywhere but the land down under, weird, but the guy’s like a little brother to me, so it’s cool, and that catches you up. “Hey Dillian!” I lean my head into his room, “Wanna come hang out with the rest of us? It’s movie night!” Dillian just looks at me, unreadable, 

“Okay, your loss.” I try to hide how unnerving that look felt, but something doesn’t feel right. I go back to the lounge, where Ryan, Lily, and Crane are all waiting for me,
“Sorry guys, Dillian, isn’t up for it.” Lily looks at me disappointed,
“Aw man, and we're even watching Dune!” I just look at her with a sad look, but Ryan manages to lift the mood a little bit,
“Last time we let Crane pick the movie!” Crane just glares at Ryan, I can tell he’s about to lecture him so I just start the movie, around one hour in, boom, everything is blurry, and there is dust swirling, everything hurts. I see Lily and Ryan helping evacuate the scientists, I don’t see Crane anywhere! But that's when I see it, Cranes lab coat, soaked red and underneath a piece of rubble, I try to run towards it, but I can't stay on my legs, I call out,
“CRANE!” My friends hear me, they rush towards me and they see the lab coat, Lily tears up, Ryan is too stunned to speak, then we hear it, we hear him. Dillian, he’s laughing, laughing at the lab coat, laughing at us, My head snaps toward him, I feel the rage burning, my wings flare out, fire rises in my throat, I grab Dillian by the collar, and I roar,
“Do you think this is funny?!” Dillian just keeps laughing, “Crane is deadI!” Dillian looks at me, and he finally stops laughing, he pushes me off and spikes erupt from his skin, his tail wraps around my throat, and he growls,
“Don’t touch me you cretin, my ancestors were nearly wiped out by yours, I’m just returning the favor.” I look at him confused, Ryan seems to have been just as confused as me because he asked,
“What do you mean? The Eastern long tails have never had an issue with the Flying flame drakes.” Dillian just flicked his wrist and one of the spines shot out and nearly sliced Ryan’s head off!
“Do not compare the Wyrms to those foolish sky beasts! They have ruled the land for centuries!” Dillian roars, at this point I finally manage to choke out,
“Wyrm? Like the dragon inside the mountain Wyrm?” I struggle against his tail, I finally get a claw hooked under it and pull, it takes all of my strength to get my head loose and retreat, and then I see Dillian fully for the first time, pale skin covered in red spines and a long tail that could probably crush a normal humans windpipe, if I wasn’t a dragonkin I’d be dead.
“So, you do have a brain. Indeed, my ancestors were the Wyrms, Masters of the land, and the only dragons to be nearly forgotten by time, if it weren’t for the colony under Australia, I would not be a dragonkin.” Dillian snorts, and after saying his piece he leaped up, dived down, and bore through the earth, I try to go after him, but Lily holds me back,
“James you're hurt, and you would not stand a chance against him in your current state!” I hate to admit it, but it’s true, I would not stand a chance against Dillian, oh man, my leg hurts, I look at my left leg and I see that it has a shard of metal sticking out of it, and then everything feels heavy, I hear Lily yell out my name, but she sounds so far away, I don’t try and fight it, I just let the darkness envelope me, at least in the dark I can’t hurt, when I wake up I’m in the medical wing ha, it’s still funny, I have a bandage around my leg and then it all rushes back to me, Crane’s lab coat, Dillian laughing, the rage, everything, replaying over and over in my mind, I immediately try and stand up and I find a lot of difficulty in that, but I manage to stumble off the bed, I avoid putting weight on my leg, and I use my wings when necessary,
‘Well it’s about time you woke up, and here I was thinking that we had wasted time and resources.” I spin around to see a lady in a suit and glasses looking at me with a look of disdain,
“Hello, I am Dr. Leanne Vern, but you can call me Leanne. I am your new head researcher, I hope you are ready for your next few tests, Dr. Crane wasted a lot of time ‘bonding’ with you.” It’s right as she finishes that sentence when I feel the urge to make it her last, I feel rage burning under my skin and I glare at her with every last ounce of anger possible,
“What.” Either she didn’t get the memo or she is just a jerk, because she did not care, but either way I continued,
“Do you think that now is a good time to either ridicule Crane, or tell me that you need to run tests on me? I am not your lab rat” I grab her collar “I am not something you just get to boss around, If you say something like that again I will send you straight to the underworld where you belong.” I shove her back and go look for Lily and Ryan, I find them in the cafeteria, I get some food and sit down across from them,
“Mind if I sit here?” It clearly lightened the mood, but not even Ryan found the humor to reply, but we started to talk turns out I had been knocked out for two weeks, when I asked about Dillian Ryan tensed up, he explained to me that Dillian goes by ‘Death Wyrm’ now, he’s spent the last two weeks tormenting the city, and eventually I brought up Leanne,
“That Dr. Leanne is a jerk though, when I got out of the medical wing she just introduced herself, told me that she would run some tests and insulted Crane.” Lily seemed to agree because she replied,
“Yeah the first day she got here she told me I was ugly, and had me escorted into the testing chamber and forced me to fly for as long as I could or else I would get shocked.” Upon hearing this I feel rage flare up inside me, I flare out my wings and fly straight towards Leanne's office,
“You threatened Lily with being shocked?! What is wrong with you?” Leanne just looked at me stone faced and told me,
“You dragonkin are nothing but freaks that look interesting, you should not be treated like humans, you are tools.” I just stand there, shocked until the dam just breaks, I roared, I grabbed her by the collar and I slash her face with a claw,
“Tools? TOOLS?! The only tool in here is you! First you insult Crane, someone who died only two weeks ago! Then I learned you threatened one of my friends with a shock if they stopped playing your sick little game!” I feel the fire rise in my throat, I open my mouth, but then I see the look in her eyes, fear, absolute, paralyzing fear, I hesitate, and think to myself, oh my god, what am I doing? I release Leanne and walk out of the room, as I’m leaving I hear Leanne bellow from behind me,
“Where do you think you’re going?” I glare back, I don’t need to answer her, but because I know she will hurt my friends if I don’t I tell her what I’m doing, I explain.
“I’m going after Dillian, don’t try to stop me.” I can tell that Leanne is angry, I can feel her eyes shooting daggers at me, she clearly disagrees with me,
“Oh no you don’t, listen to me you bloated gecko, we did not spend millions tracking you down for you to play superhero!” I just walk away from her and go to the cafeteria to tell Lily and Ryan, they of course freak out at me, saying that I should not go after Dillian, that he’d kill me, and that I should stay here, but I look at them with all of the emotion in the world, I tell them
“Look, I know that Dillian would probably kill me, but I at least might tire him out enough for the police or military to stop him, but it’s more than that, I can’t let him hurt innocent people.” Lily and Ryan look at me, Lily hugs me, and tells me,
“Don’t you dare die or I will kill you.” I look at her, And I say to Ryan,
“I hope she’s joking.” Ryan looks at me and punches my arm,
“You are a good friend man, I hope you live through this.” I look at Ryan and Lily, knowing that this might be the last time I see them, I hug them both, and I flare out my wings and I fly off.

As I sped off towards Dillian, no, Death Wyrm, he stopped being Dillian when he killed Dr. Crane, one thought was going through my mind, am I going to survive this? It doesn’t really matter, as long as Death Wyrm gets what he deserves, when I arrive in the city I look around from above first, I decide to stop by my old apartment, I remember when My dad helped me find this place before he died, it has looked weird since I had my stuff moved into my room at the Kadmus site, I decide to sit down on the floor, when all of a sudden I hear a click and a secret safe opens from the wall. Inside I find a video message to me from my dad, along with an envelope, with the words for when I’m gone written on it, I look through the envelope and I find an old Kadmus keycard for my dad, so that's what his work was, I knew he was secretive but damn, A few other papers that talk about dragons, turns out, Kadmus had been looking into the dragons for years, although these papers are odd, as if my dad had prior knowledge of the dragons. The ball drops when I play the video message it says, 

>Hello, James, if you are watching this then I’m probably dead. In the envelope that you have found alongside this message, there is also my old keycard, it will give you full access to any Kadmus site. Along with my personal notes on the Flying flame drakes, the Eastern long tails, the Wyverns, and some vague knowledge of a supposed fourth dragon species, including some vague diet, and possible weaknesses, but if you’ve already read them, then that means you have seen that the Flying flame drake notes are more definitive, that’s because I am also a dragonkin, I only inherited physical strength from our ancestors, but I have a feeling you will have more characteristics, but I am saying this because you need to know the history behind our ancestors, and the rest.<
I look at the message and wait for it to continue, until a small piece of paper slips out of the metal box that is the message, when I open it I find out that in the beginning of the dragons, there were supposedly four species, the Flying flame drakes, the Eastern long tails, the Wyverns, and the Wyrms, until the Wyrms struck out, they had felt as though due to there inability to fly, that the other dragons thought less of them, the dragons were forced to lock away the Wyrms deep beneath what would one day be called Australia, and then man arose, and along with them the first dragonkin, Tiamat, a Flying flame dragonkin, as my dad called him, but the humans lived in fear of the dragons, eventually driving them to the bleeding cut edge of extinction using their advancing technology, eventually humans all but forgot about dragons, reducing them to myth or fairy tales. That was more or less all that was written, I committed all of this knowledge to memory, and then I heard a loud boom and some maniacal Dr. Doom esc laughing, I peer out of the window to see Death Wyrm, tormenting people, I leap out of the window and into the air, getting a good angle before dive bombing Death Wyrm, breathing fire on him and slashing him with my claws,
“Hey Dillian, did you miss me?” I laugh, I tried to pull a Ryan and joke myself into feeling confident, and it kinda helped, Death Wyrm roars out in rage,
“Why didn’t you stay out of my way?” He whips his tail up, shooting spines out at me, although thanks to my practice I manage to dodge them, I decide to not make a joke and just stay quiet for now, I remember something a security guard once told me, if the enemy is in range so are you, don’t just talk, actually attack, I know that I am in range for a fireblast but Dillian doesn’t know that, I shout out,
“Those spines must really hurt, but not as much as my claws!” I suddenly make a sharp turn and get in close with my talons, I first duck beneath Death Wyrms hook, and slash at his stomach, I then dodge a spine shot, and quickly follow up and through with a tail whip, knocking him off balance, then quickly blast fire right at his feet, but I didn’t see that Death Wyrms tail had grabbed my leg before it had already thrown me two blocks away, I was getting up when I felt a Burning pain in my arm, when I looked to see, it was one of Death Wyrms spines, It had only penetrated the outermost muscle tissue, I would heal in a few weeks but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hades, I rip the spine out and breath fire on the wound in order to cauterize it, when I suddenly feel Death Wyrms tail around my throat, choking me, and I am all of a sudden pinned to a wall, with my mouth bound shut, great it’s the boot all over again, I see Death Wyrm, he’s grabbing the spine I ripped out, he walks towards me, and he gives me a small speech,
“You know James, if you weren’t so noble I’d actually have let you join me, I never wanted to kill you, but you leave me no choice.” He lifts the spike up, when all of a sudden he is blasted back seemingly by a freakishly strong gust of wind, wait, that's a thermal updraft, I turn to see the best sight I could have seen, Ryan and Lily! Ryan opens his mouth first and I couldn’t be more thankful for his humor,
“Nobody treats James like that but me!” He then flies into battle riding on a thermal, while Lily freed me, she slices through the binding on my mouth and I immediately ask,
“What are you guys doing here?” Lily opens her mouth to answer but Ryan cuts in with being thrown into a wall
“Me and Lily are saving you, idiot, speaking of which a little help here?” Me and Lilly help Ryan up and we all get ready for a fight, but before we can charge in, Lily hands me a headmic,
“Here put this on,” I do as she says and suddenly Leanne's voice buzzes in through the speaker,
“Well it’s about time,” I am just happy to have some help with knowing my surroundings,
“Whatever happened to ‘we didn’t spend millions tracking you for you to play superhero?’” If Leanne heard me she didn’t answer, I just started to run towards Death Wyrm, before I took off alongside Lily and Ryan, I felt a familiar rage build up in my veins, I allow the rage to drive me forward, I feel the heat, the fire, rushing to every vein in my body, building along with all of the rage in my life, I gather my thoughts, a raging body is good for combat but a raging mind is bad for victory, when this feeling washes over me, I finally feel calm, I feel at peace, I never want this feeling to end, I open my snout, and unleash a twisting, flowing, blooming tunnel of flames,wounding Death Wyrm and distracting him long enough for Ryan to swing in with a bladed tail to his back, followed by Lily, biting into Death wyrms tail, as Death Wyrm roars I dive in and I do something unexpected, I talk to him,
“Dillian, I thought of you as a little brother, but you killed someone I cared about, I am sorry but, we need to take you in.” Death Wyrm roars, he writhes, up until Lily’s venom takes hold and he falls to the ground, defeated, a news reporter had been, well reporting, nearby and walked up to me, and asked me for an interview,
“Under normal circumstances I would agree, but not right now.” I wave as I signal to Ryan, it takes an embarrassingly long time for him to get the hint that I want him to create a thermal under Death Wyrm in order to transport him, but he follows my lead, and before we know it, we are flying toward the Kadmus site, but as we fly, I yell behind me,
“Hey, go ahead, I’ll… I’ll catch up.” Lily looks at me while Ryan just zooms ahead, no questions asked,
“Okay what are you doing?” I just look at her, feeling conflicted about telling her about my dad, for all I know this could get me in trouble, or worse, I make a split second decision,
“I… I think I saw something.” surprisingly it works, I swoop back towards the city and back to my old apartment and I grab the message from my dad, his keycard and the papers, I then fly off with them clenched between my arms and my body, I then fly into the Kadmus site, and discreetly go to my room, in order to hide them, I then get out of the site, and fly back into it acting like nothing happened, and to my surprise, there was a celebration waiting for me, there was cake, and wine, and even a nice Irish whiskey, eventually I asked about Death Wyrm, and turns out he was placed in a secure facility, deep under the site, and that anyone with high enough clearance could go down there, I decide that that is probably for the best.
After the celebration, I go into my room, and pull out the message, I look over it, Dad was a big fan of puzzles, so maybe this message is a puzzle? After several minutes fiddling with it, the message began to whir, and it then showed a place for a fingerprint, gotcha, I placed my thumb on the finger print and it pricked me, like I was getting my blood drawn. After that a key fell out of the message box, and a keyhole on the side, I of course used the key, which then played a different message,

Hello James, and I know it's you who will be watching this, at the time of making this message I am about to help you “find” an apartment, this is one that will only play for other people if you give them access and get a blood sample, the key you used is a one of a kind, and allows you full access to pre-recorded messages, and answers for certain questions, I hope that there will come a time when you don’t need it, but, knowing you, you will probably forget what the messages say within an hour, but anyway, I hope that this helps you greatly, here is a list of topics that the message box can give you data on.< The video then becomes like an interactable encyclopedia, where I can read the list at my own pace, I skim through it before my eyes lock on one entry, Dr. Crane Williams, I open the entry and i read about Crane, turns out, he was my fathers research partner and close friend, and the two of them met in college because they had managed to win a competition that landed them tuition for any college of their choosing, and they became friends after my dad stopped somebody from messing with Crane, there was a whole lot more there about Cranes upbringing, his family, his education, but I had to cut it short when Leanne entered my room, unannounced,

“What are you doing?” She glared, in her usual condescending tone, I am not in the mood for this “Jump off a cliff.” I growl, as I tuck the message away, but she sees it, and by the look on her face she could tell what I was looking at, “Let me guess, a message you don’t want anybody seeing?” I hate her but damn it she can connect the dots well, “Was it obvious?” I don’t bother denying it, she’ll just be a jerk about it, “No, I’m just used to being lied to, who's the message from?” Leanne nods at the message box, 

“It’s from my dad, he apparently worked at Kadmus and was friends with Crane.” The fact that my dad both worked ant Kadmus and was friends with crane seem to shock her, what’s really shocking though is what she asks next,

“Was your dad by chance Shane O’Maley?” I look at her, confused, “He was, why?” Leanne immediately seems to get shell shock, as she starts to geek out, “James your father was pretty much science royalty, I would have done anything to speak to him, oh my god I insulted the dead friend of Shane O’Maley, and of his son!” I feel angry that she brought that up again, but now feels like I can get something good out of this, “Ok I’ll make you a deal, if you only do tests with me and the other dragonkin willing to do so, and make sure not to do things like threatening to shock us if we don’t do what you want, I’ll tell you stories about my dad, deal?” It was almost impressive how quickly she answered, 

“Deal! Shock threats, exhaustion tests, and anything else like that is gone!” I am really happy that I can do stuff like that. That is the best ability ever.*1
*1 WIP

Hey guys,
I have started photography in December 2023 and have watched hundreds of videos and taken over 25.000 pictures. I started getting more confident with using lightroom and also started to learn about the basics of photoshop to also master the basics. I constantly shoot in manual mode and have also covered the technical basics. But my progress has kind of become stuck where it is.
I have realised that I actually don’t really know what the next step is. I have a Sony ZV-E10 (I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to focus on photos or videos) and a Sigma F1.4 30mm and I practise shooting nearly everyday and trying different editing styles by taking movie frames and recreating their look.
I know that I need to work “how to see the light” more but I wanted to know what you guys did when you were in my position.
What is the next step to get better?
Any tips are appreciated! Feel free to ask questions!
Thankyou!

I am a fashion design major in college and looking for a laptop to run various programs very well. So I need a laptop that runs CLO3D, adobe illustrator, and any drawing programs very well. I am also a bit of a gamer and want to call my friends and play a lot since I transferred to a different state so I miss them a lot.
LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE

• Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:
  $700-$1000 USD
  
• Are you open to refurbs/used?
  No, only brand new
  
• How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?
  Battery life is important, Build is important I don’t want a flimsy laptop
  
• How important is weight and thinness to you?
  A little bit
  
• Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.
  N/A
  
• Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.
  CLO3D, Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Valorant, Roblox, Discord
  
• If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?
  

Valorant 60+ FPS

• Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
  Touch Screen is preferred but feel free to recommend that some are not
  
• Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.
  CLO3D is very important program, no Apple products, good cooling, will last me years,
  

1. What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games (ex: resolution, FPS, settings) or programs you will be using.

Multi-use. Mainly Solidworks, Davinci Resolve, Photoshop, Asseto Corsa, and then having 45 Chrome Tabs open.

2. What is your maximum PRE-TAX budget before rebates and shipping?

$2000 CAD

3. When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.

End of Summer

4. What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ex: toweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)

Tower.

5. If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? How old are they? Brands and models are appreciated.

Corsair Mouse and Keyboard. 1080P/FHD ACER monitor. May replace with something 4k down the road, Id like to have the ability to run 2 or 3 monitors.

6. Will you be overclocking (ex: CPU/GPU/RAM)? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line?

If its something simple and done in the background sure.

7. Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, VR, VirtualLink, tensor cores, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)

BT/WiFi and maybe a 2tb SSD. Also a C Drive over 250 GB for the love of God. Nothing too fancy beyond this.

8. Do you have any specific case preferences (ex: mITX/mATX/mid-towefull-tower sizes, styles, colours, window or not, LED lighting, etc.), or a particular color theme preference for the components?

The smaller the better within reason and nothing flashy. It will be hidden away so no need for LEDs.

9. Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? Note: some post-secondary students can get Windows 10 for free.

I can order this through work if needed.

10. Will you be upgrading this PC in the future (ie: will you swap out better parts later on or will you build an entirely new tower later)? If so, when?

Id like it to last for 3-5 years without upgrades. I will eventually swap out parts as needed if possible.

11. Do you have a brand preference? (ex: AMD/Intel for CPUs, AMD/NVIDIA for video cards, etc)

No

12. What are the specs of your old PC / laptop? Do you want to see if it can be upgraded instead? If so, paste its build from PCPartPicker here.

Something Dell Vostro with a mid-tier i5 and a sad GTX660.

13. Extra info or particulars:

Just looking for info on something that will be a solid PC, that is all about performance and not looks.
Of note: I am absolutely fine buying used gear where it makes sense, and I generally buy high/top tier products from the last 2-3 years for other areas of my life. Not sure if this translates with computers. Also, I have no idea if I need a watercooled system but they do concern me for fear of a leak happening.

​
https://preview.redd.it/jqojxg9vj34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=adb3251dedc7300ae527b1724b3846532999e715
Welcome to our comprehensive review article featuring the latest and greatest in A2 Handguards. In this roundup, we will be taking a closer look at some of the top products on the market and sharing our insights on their features, performance, and overall value. Join us as we explore the world of A2 Handguards and help you make an informed decision on which one suits you best.

The Top 18 Best A2 Handguard

1. Durable AR-15 Atlas S-One Handguard for Enhanced Performance - Experience optimal strength and stability with the Aero Precision Atlas S-One Handguard, featuring Aero's Taper Lock Attachment System in a sleek, lightweight design for your AR-15 setup.
2. Midwest Night Fighter M-lok, Fits AR-15, Black Handguard - Midwest Industries' Night Fighter M-lok Handguard provides a sleek and durable design for your AR15, with a black finish and MI-NF10 compatibility.
3. Midwest Night Fighter 9.25" Handguard for AR Rifles - Experience ultimate precision with the Midwest Industries Night Fighter 9.25" Handguard, meticulously designed for AR rifles and backed by its exceptional quality and reliability.
4. Premium Carbine AR-15 MLOK Rail System with Anti-Rotation Technology - Enhance your precision and durability with Mission First Tactical's MFT Extreme Duty 10" MLOK Carbine Rail System, featuring an anti-rotation technology, IR anti-reflective coating, ultra streamlined appearance, and a steel non-timing barrel nut.
5. Strike MLOK Rail 13.5 FDE Handguard - Experience unparalleled durability and adaptability with the Strike Industries Strike MLOK Rail 13.5 FDE handguard, designed for avid shooters of all skill levels.
6. Blackhawk Handguard Fix 15" Anodized Finish - Experience the perfect match with the Q QSERT Handguard - The Fix 15", seamlessly combining top-notch compatibility and innovation for your ultimate handgun enhancement.
7. Stylish Blackhawk Handguard for Motorcycle Protection - Touratech DEFENSA Handguards offer robust protection and comfort for your bike's levers in a lightweight, durable design, featuring a modern matte finish and various customization options.
8. Samson SXT 9" M-LOK Precision Handguard - Experience the sleek and durable design of Samson SXT 9" M-LOK Handguard, now in black, perfect for enhancing your firearm's performance.
9. Durable Enduro Handguard Kit - Polisport Touquet (Green) - Protect your ride with Polisport Touquet Handguard Kit, featuring advanced 'Bright Durable Polypropylene' technology for unbeatable color and durability, tailored specifically for Enduro races.
10. UFO Handguard Black - High-Quality and Durable Off-Road Plastic Protector - UFO Ho03638-001 Handguard Black: High-quality, authentic replica handguard in black, offering durability, Italian craftsmanship, and easy installation.
11. Universal Handguard for Motocross and ATV Protection - JFG Racing Motorcycle Aluminum Hand Guards provide ultimate hand protection, reduce fatigue, and fit all handlebars.
12. UTG Pro Model AR-15 Super Slim A2 Handguard - Lightweight & Slim Tubular Profile - Experience superior handling with the UTG Pro Model 4/15 Car Length Super Slim Drop-in Handguard, featuring a custom fit for AR15s, lightweight construction, and a continuous mounting platform.
13. MFT EXT Duty Free Flt RL MLOK AR-15 A2 Handguard - 18 Inches - Experience the top-rated MFT EXT Duty Free Flt RL MLOK for your AR-15 carbine, featuring a durable black finish and A2 handguard, backed by a solid 5.0 rating and two positive reviews.
14. Mil-Spec A2 Handguard for Optimal Stability and Durability - The Midwest Industries G2 Drop-In Handguard, with its lightweight yet sturdy design, features four anti-rotation QD sockets for push-button swivels, making it the perfect choice for mounting scopes and accessories on your 1913 mil-spec firearms.
15. Midwest Forearm 2-Piece Drop-In Gen2 Handguard - Durable and lightweight, the Midwest Industries Gen2 Two Piece Drop-In Mid-Length Handguard is a reliable choice for any gun, featuring four anti-rotation QD sockets and high quality 1913 mil-spec rails.
16. AR-15 Foundation Handguard for Rigid Accessory Mounting - Bowden Tactical's J23007 Foundation Handguard offers a 1.3-inch I.D., MAGPUL-compatible MLok slots, and a robust 4140 steel barrel nut for exceptional durability and accessory compatibility in your AR10 & AR15 builds.
17. The Fix 11" Anodized A2 Handguard - Upgrade your weapon with the sleek and durable Q QSERT Handguard The Fix, perfect for A2 Handguards and featuring The Fix's innovative Q SERT mounting solution.
18. Probend A2 Handguard Bar Pack - Enduro-Style Protection - Experience unparalleled protection and comfort with the high-quality, injection-molded Cycra Probend handguards, featuring integrated composite bumpers and CNC-machined 6061 billet aluminum Probend bars.

As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Reviews

🔗Durable AR-15 Atlas S-One Handguard for Enhanced Performance

​
https://preview.redd.it/azhjqowvj34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=01f9bed427981c850e1790e5b1d730ebd470ec85
I recently gave the Aero AR15 Atlas S-One a spin, and let me tell you, it didn't disappoint. The slim profile of this handguard makes it a great choice for those who prioritize size and weight. It packs a punch when it comes to strength and stability thanks to Aero's durable Atlas attachment system.
And let me tell you, the Aero Taper Lock Attachment System (ATLAS) is both functional and visually stunning. The mirrored tapered locking nuts evenly distribute the clamping pressure, and the ratcheting detent makes the design secure while providing a positive registration during installation. Oh, and those hardware mounting parts? .
They're included, which makes life all the more convenient. Overall, it's a winner in the looks department and certainly does its job.

🔗Midwest Night Fighter M-lok, Fits AR-15, Black Handguard

​
https://preview.redd.it/4ehmey9wj34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=942653f3fb3f1995620b8ce8dac23768e2f753ce
The Midwest Industries Night Fighter handguard is a sleek and durable accessory for your firearm. I've been using it for a few months now, and it definitely fits the bill. This handguard adds an extra layer of grip, making my firearm even more comfortable to handle in different environments. The black finish not only looks striking but also provides protection against wear and tear.
However, I did face some minor issues recently, like the occasional loosening of the attachments after continuous use. But overall, this product has proven to be quite reliable. Using it with my AR-15 felt smooth and seamless, with no discomfort or hindrance in my shooting experience. For someone who's looking for a tactical and handy attachment, this M-lok handguard is worth considering.

🔗Midwest Night Fighter 9.25" Handguard for AR Rifles

​
https://preview.redd.it/s3hgn3lwj34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36448b1758e072476d25fc8ce7e8e7a7f3994c22
As a seasoned shooter, I can hardly imagine finding a better handguard for my AR rifle than the Midwest Night Fighter 9.25". This sturdy product not only adds a striking aesthetics but it also serves the essential purpose of keeping my AR rifle safe and secure, especially during nighttime operations.
I particularly appreciate its durability, attributed to its high-quality construction featuring M-lok technology. The design is thought well, ensuring a perfect fit and impeccable balance for my AR rifle. However, I must admit, it weighs a bit more than anticipated, which makes handling slightly challenging at times.
One negative experience I had was when I tried to assemble it all by myself and struggled a bit in the beginning. However, once I got the hang of it, it started to make sense.
Overall, while it may not be the lightest tool in the shed, the Midwest Night Fighter 9.25" provides a secure hold to my AR rifle. I would recommend it to someone with a knack for tactical rifle gear.

🔗Premium Carbine AR-15 MLOK Rail System with Anti-Rotation Technology

​
https://preview.redd.it/jsllru3xj34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c54bb1f28466754d468d5d85016ad182b3792aff
As someone who's had the chance to use the Mission First Tactical Extreme Duty Carbine Rail System, I must say - it's a game-changer for AR-15 enthusiasts. This 7-sided M-LOK rail system is sleek and stylish, with an anti-rotation tech that makes it incredibly dependable.
The anti-reflective coating is a thoughtful feature, reducing glares and reflections that could be a nuisance in various lighting conditions. The steel non-timing barrel nut adds durability to the mix, and the ultra-streamlined appearance just seals the deal.
Of course, like any product out there, it's not perfect. The only downside I noticed was the need for some minor adjustments during assembly, which might be a bit of a hassle for first-time users. But overall, this MFT Extreme Duty Carbine Rail System is a reliable and stylish addition to any AR-15 setup.

🔗Strike MLOK Rail 13.5 FDE Handguard

​
https://preview.redd.it/sdsgk0fxj34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=80402a01780bfc6b08baab6b83c6a16e80682529
Just recently, I had the chance to give the Strike MLOK Rail 13.5 FDE a try, and let me tell you, it was quite the experience. This handguard, crafted by the skilled team at Strike Industries, is designed to stand the test of time, thanks to its top-notch components.
During my time with the rail, I found myself impressed by the sturdiness and precision it offered. The MLOK system was particularly noteworthy, providing a secure and streamlined connection to my firearm. On the downside, I did notice that, despite its durability, the rail could be heavier than some other options on the market.
Overall, the Strike MLOK Rail 13.5 FDE proved to be a reliable addition to my arsenal. Its robust construction and user-friendly design make it a solid choice for shooters of all skill levels.

🔗Blackhawk Handguard Fix 15" Anodized Finish

​
https://preview.redd.it/bt825k0yj34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=24e652521dd6b08f540bb92db4938673fdbb1c99
As I delved into using the Q SERT Handguard The Fix 15", I was impressed by how seamlessly it compatible with the Fix system made by the same brand. The sleek black anodized finish perfectly matched my firearm's aesthetic, making it a stylish addition that blended in well.
However, I did encounter a few minor hiccups during the attachment process. It wasn't as straightforward as I had hoped, which resulted in some frustration at first. On the bright side, the sturdy construction of the handguard provided a strong grip, offering a great improvement to my firearm's stability.
In conclusion, the Q SERT Handguard The Fix 15" proved to be an adequate solution for someone looking to upgrade their grip while maintaining their firearm's elegant appearance. With time and patience, it could be a great addition to your arsenal, but don't expect it to be a walk in the park.

🔗Stylish Blackhawk Handguard for Motorcycle Protection

​
https://preview.redd.it/pik3ny6yj34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=48d388a0998929725ce11c93275a386629df056f
I recently tried the Touratech Defensa Silver Handguard Bars for my KTM/Husqvarna. This handguard gave me a sense of security on my rides, providing durable protection for both my levers and myself. The high-strength aircraft-grade aluminum exoskeleton structure was forged for maximum impact resistance, making it a reliable choice. Plus, the sleek, textured matte finish complemented the modern angular design, giving the bars a stylish touch.
On the other hand, I found that the plastic shields could be more securely attached. Sometimes they would slide out of place, which was inconvenient during my rides. However, the optional integrated plastic shield structure, known as Defensa Expedition, did provide added protection and comfort. This feature was definitely a highlight, as it shielded me from rain and cold air on cooler rides.
Overall, the Touratech Defensa Silver Handguard Bars provided me with a balance of protection and style, making them a solid choice for adventure motorcyclists.

🔗Samson SXT 9" M-LOK Precision Handguard

​
https://preview.redd.it/mbygiqnyj34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a25c93e0233217ebe6fe300d1bf083a71a30e491
The Samson SXT 9" M-LOK handguard is a sleek and sturdy addition to any firearm. It seamlessly attaches to the gun's barrel, thanks to the M-LOK system, and gives the gun a modern touch. The black finish complements any gun it's mounted on, giving it a professional and tactical look.
One of the things that really stood out to me during my experience with this product was its ability to stay secure even when facing recoil. I've had other handguards slip or loosen during firing, but not this one. It just stays put, firmly attached to the gun.
On the downside, I did notice that it's not as lightweight as some other options out there. Its sturdiness comes at a cost, I guess you could say. But overall, I think it's a small price to pay for the added security and durability it provides.
In summary, if you're looking for a reliable and sturdy handguard that can withstand a good amount of wear and tear, the Samson SXT 9" M-LOK is definitely worth considering. It may not be the lightest option on the market, but its solid construction and M-LOK system make it a great choice for those who value security and stability.

🔗Durable Enduro Handguard Kit - Polisport Touquet (Green)

​
https://preview.redd.it/8lrxwn6zj34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e0600e7354dd2fc402e7418b89efa55bef440e9
The Polisport Touquet Handguard Kit, a Green gem designed for motocross enthusiasts, has become a staple for those seeking tough and reliable protection. Handcrafted with their patented Bright Durable Polypropylene technology, this bad boy boasts impressive durability, color retention, and UV ray resistance. The bolt holes are perfectly pre-drilled for the ultimate fit. The plastic pieces feature a high gloss finish and an on-target color palette that truly captures the soul of the original part.
However, installation isn't quite a walk in the park. You'll need to get crafty with drilling accelerator tubes and ensuring a snug fit that won't interfere with your controls. Radial master cylinders and ASV clutches may struggle with the tight fit, raising concerns for potential pinching and seizing. In the end, though, this protective handguard excels in offering robust protection against those inevitable spills, even if it takes some elbow grease to make it work.

🔗UFO Handguard Black - High-Quality and Durable Off-Road Plastic Protector

​
https://preview.redd.it/cgaemxlzj34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=106c5764fb5422927f3bd4b10320221251f00042
I recently had the chance to try out the UFO Handguard, and let me tell you, it exceeded my expectations. First of all, I was drawn to its original factory shape, which matched the look of the genuine model perfectly. It blends seamlessly with the rest of my gun setup.
The durability of this handguard was a pleasant surprise. I took it for a spin off-road, and it held up like a charm. UFO's use of high-quality plastics produced in Italy definitely paid off.
Another thing I appreciated was the wide range of colors available. While I opted for the classic black, I've seen photos of others in vibrant hues that really make their guns stand out.
The installation process was a breeze, too. The plastics are drilled ready for easy mounting, and the flex and lightweight design made it feel incredibly comfortable while in use. With the 100% Made in Italy guarantee since 1977, I had no doubts about the longevity and performance of this handguard.
A quick note though: the images provided are more of a suggestion rather than a perfect representation of the actual product. But overall, my experience with the UFO Handguard has been top-notch. Highly recommended for anyone looking to upgrade their gun setup.

🔗Universal Handguard for Motocross and ATV Protection

​
https://preview.redd.it/pe9gyy80k34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2aa81d3ac9ae6ed67b3df07d24ec212a79a8792a
I had the opportunity to try out these JFG Racing Motorcycle Universal Handguards a couple of weeks ago, and I must say, they've been a game-changer for me. Riding off-road ATVs always comes with its fair share of hazards, and these handguards have been a lifesaver in protecting my hands from brush, rocks, mud, and cold wind.
The combination of PP Plastic and Aluminum Alloy used in making these handguards brings a robustness that I've never come across in other handguards I've tried in the past. They offer a substantial shield, giving me the confidence I need when tackling the roughest terrains.
One of the best things about these handguards is the extra room they provide. It's been a blessing for me, allowing easy access to brake cables and other devices without having to worry about cramming them in.
However, despite all the positives, there is one drawback I've observed. They aren't as streamlined as I'd like them to be. While protection is vital, aerodynamics have their importance, and the added bulk to these handguards does make a difference, albeit slightly.
Overall, with their robust design, ample space for additional devices, and their effective protection against off-road elements, these JFG Racing Handguards make a compelling choice for any adrenaline junkie out there.

🔗UTG Pro Model AR-15 Super Slim A2 Handguard - Lightweight & Slim Tubular Profile

​
https://preview.redd.it/lpxj40s0k34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ae35062133678445a2c80f1c1f1d46e2e88c4e1
The UTG Pro Model 4/15 Car Length Super Slim Drop-in Handguard is a must-have for your AR15, fitting seamlessly with standard delta ring assembly, barrel nut, and round handguard cap. Its lightweight, slim tubular profile offers improved handling and a top rail that extends to the upper receiver provides a continuous mounting platform.
The removable two 2-Slot and two 4-Slot rail sections allow for customization at various 3, 6, and 9 O'clock positions, while precision machining from aircraft aluminum and black anodizing ensures durability and a sleek finish. The simple installation process makes it easy to upgrade your AR15 without the need for gunsmithing.
The positive reviews from users highlight the product's value, ease of installation, and impressive features, making it an outstanding choice for anyone looking to enhance their AR15 experience.

🔗MFT EXT Duty Free Flt RL MLOK AR-15 A2 Handguard - 18 Inches

​
https://preview.redd.it/z7s9jv81k34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0dd31d1895ec42ca9127387ea47b4d73d774b822
The MFT EXT Duty Free Flt RL MLOK has been my trusty companion for the past six months as I've been enjoying my time at the range. The anti-rotating tabs have provided a secure and steady grip, ensuring that my rifle remains sturdy and aligned. Its sleek, black finish has never failed to impress and has added a touch of class to my setup.
One downside I've noticed is that it's somewhat heavier than the standard A2 handguard, but the modularity offered by the M-Lok system has been a lifesaver. The ability to switch out attachments has provided me with the freedom to customize my rifle to suit my preferences.
Overall, I've been quite pleased with my experience using this handguard. The combination of its durability, aesthetics, and flexibility has made it a reliable and essential piece of my gear.

🔗Mil-Spec A2 Handguard for Optimal Stability and Durability

​
https://preview.redd.it/vzhl29r1k34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21f733c05bdb6548b550d73fe7ecd5df8fbf80d0
I recently had the chance to try out the Midwest Industries G2 Drop-In Handguard, and I must say, it has become a solid addition to my daily carry kit. The Gen2 design with four anti-rotation QD sockets for push-button swivels is quite impressive and has made switching between accessories a breeze.
One of the most noteworthy features that I appreciated was the incredibly lightweight construction while maintaining a robust lock-up, thanks to its monolithic continuous top rail. It has allowed me to mount scopes effortlessly and has made the overall experience incredibly smooth.
The high-quality 1913 mil. spec rails, T-marked for location, are a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship that goes into this handguard. Constructed from 6061 aluminum with a hard coat anodized finish, it has held up exceptionally well and continues to look as good as new even after prolonged use.
Compatibility-wise, the G2 Drop-In Handguard has proven to be versatile, working seamlessly with most gas piston systems. The 100% Made in the USA aspect also adds a nice touch of authenticity to the product.
While there were no significant cons during my experience, I did find the installation process to be somewhat tricky, which might be a cause for concern for some users.
Overall, the Midwest Industries G2 Drop-In Handguard is an excellent choice for those seeking a high-quality, durable, and adaptable handguard for their firearms.

Buyer's Guide

Welcome to our buyer's guide for A2 Handguards. In this section, we will cover important features, considerations, and general advice to help you make an informed decision when purchasing an A2 Handguard for your firearm.

Materials

​
https://preview.redd.it/8n9tmax6k34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1cb0e0d41051de91db3676986f13a86de8367454
A2 Handguards are typically made from durable materials such as aluminum, polymer, or carbon fiber. These materials offer different levels of strength, weight, and heat resistance. Consider the environment in which the handguard will be used, and choose a material that suits your needs best. For example, aluminum handguards might be a good choice if you'll be using the firearm in a damp or humid environment, as they are less prone to corrosion compared to polymer.

Size and Compatibility

Make sure to check the size and compatibility of the handguard with your firearm before making a purchase. A handguard that is too small may not provide adequate support, while a handguard that is too large could interfere with your ability to use the firearm comfortably. Some A2 Handguards are designed for specific models or calibers, so be sure to choose the appropriate handguard for your firearm.

Design and Aesthetics

Aesthetics play a role in the overall look and feel of your firearm. Consider the style and design of the handguard, keeping in mind factors such as the material, texture, and any additional features, such as integrated slings or rail systems. Choose a design that not only looks good but also functions well for your needs.
​
https://preview.redd.it/6pts0dd7k34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c8818eb796a07c54e8e90e521060313b2c40a05

Installation and Maintenance

Ease of installation and maintenance can greatly impact your overall satisfaction with the A2 Handguard. Look for handguards that come with clear installation instructions and are compatible with your existing mounting system, such as Picatinny or Weaver rails. Additionally, consider the overall durability of the handguard and the ease of cleaning or replacing components if needed.

Budget

Lastly, consider your budget when selecting an A2 Handguard. There are handguards available at various price points, with different features and materials. Determine the balance between cost and functionality that best suits your needs.
Choosing the right A2 Handguard can greatly enhance your firearm's performance and comfort. By considering factors such as materials, compatibility, design, installation, maintenance, and budget, you can make an informed decision and find a handguard that meets your specific needs.

FAQ

​
https://preview.redd.it/78qqb4d8k34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e0e21f058cc8146f5a72981559f27f9432759f1

What is an A2 Handguard?

The A2 Handguard is a type of mounting system designed specifically for firearms. It provides a secure and sturdy platform for attaching equipment, such as tactical lights, laser sights, and bipods, to the firearm.

What is the difference between an A2 Handguard and other handguards?

Other handguards may differ in design, materials, and features such as rail systems, weight, and compatibility with specific firearms. The A2 Handguard is made for specific firearms, ensuring a proper fit and optimal functionality. Make sure to check the compatibility of the handguard with your firearm before making a purchase.
​
https://preview.redd.it/4olb16v8k34d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=74f38a2c1a0af2fb2fbcb59227795ba6c7c47021

What are some of the benefits of using an A2 Handguard?

• Additional mounting points for attaching tactical equipment
• Secure and sturdy platform for your equipment
• Easy to install and remove
• Improved ergonomics for better grip and control

Is an A2 Handguard easy to install?

Yes, an A2 Handguard is generally easy to install, as most of them come with detailed instructions. However, it's essential to follow the manufacturer's guidelines and use the appropriate tools to ensure a proper installation.

What materials are A2 Handguards made from?

A2 Handguards can be made from various materials, such as aluminum, polymer, or a combination of both. The choice of material depends on the desired weight, durability, and appearance of the handguard.

Are A2 Handguards compatible with different firearm models?

While A2 Handguards are primarily designed for specific firearms, there might be some compatibility issues with aftermarket accessories or customizations. Make sure to check the manufacturer's compatibility guidelines before purchasing.

How do I clean and maintain an A2 Handguard?

To clean and maintain your A2 Handguard, use a soft cloth and mild cleaning solution. Avoid using abrasive materials, which can damage the finish. Regular cleaning and maintenance can help prolong the life of your handguard and keep it looking great.
As an Amazon™ Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Free edits for all

Was playing American Stacks on Chumba earlier today and I normally do $1 spins with some $2 spins mixed in on that game, but I was on full tilt and was doing $5 spins. Hit a bonus early on and only won like $45 out of 15 free spins. Just brushed it off and kept playing. Hit another bonus on my $5 bets like 10 spins later. I fucking retriggered TWICE for a total of 45 free spins. Not once did I get any of the screaming eagle wilds added and only got one chance on a progressive spin. It was the snakes for the mini and of course did not land any addition snakes.
45 spins later and I ended up with $55. Pretty sure more than half of that was just from triggering the bonuses. Ended up losing the rest on goblin grand chasing that massive grand price. That’s probably why no one is winning in Chumba anymore, they have had several grand jackpots over a million dollars lately. I mean hell, the Major jackpot on goblin grand was at $40k this morning. No one is winning these things and I routinely see them get higher and higher now.

I am NOT OOP, OOP is u/Capable_Goal_6116
Originally posted to TrueOffMyChest
My husband got a vasectomy and didn’t tell me
Trigger Warnings: accusations of infidelity, emotional abuse and manipulation, betrayal
Original Post: May 18, 2024
Throwaway bc my husband knows my main. I don’t know what to do. My (31F) husband (32M) - fake name Chris, and I have been married for four years, together for six. When we first got together we had several long talks about how we both wanted a big family. I wanted to be very upfront that child free is not an option, and I said I wanted to have at least four kids. I’m an only child and know how lonely it is, I also said I wanted to have them about a yeayear and a half apart so they could grow up close.
He always wholeheartedly agreed to this and often made jokes like “whether we have 4 or 6, have as many as we want, it’s your call since you pretty much have to do all the work” and on our wedding day before we left the reception for our honeymoon he whispered “can we get outta here and get started on baby #1?” I loved how excited he seemed. To be clear I didn’t go off my BC until about two months after we were married and I got pregnant soon after with our first daughter Joy.
Joy was a happy pregnancy, long birth, but she was a beautiful, healthy baby. She went through colic which was trying, but other than that she was a happy first addition according to me. I noticed Chris became distant during my first pregnancy, but when I asked him about it he just said he had a lot in his mind being a new father. He said he was still excited, but something changed. For reference, we both work full time, I make about 20K more a year than him, and the five bedroom house that we live in was a gift from my mom who was very excited to be a grandma to many. My job is fully remote, but still offers maternity leave, and I have a nest egg savings for emergencies, and feel it’s important to mention this because I know finances can be a major stress factor when it comes to having kids, but not for me and Chris.
Then Joy came out perfectly, Chris had three months of paternity leave and was home with us for majority of that time. My mom visited a lot, and paid to have cleaners come. There were still a lot of long nights and it was tough for me to breastfeed, but overall nothing unexpected. Chris still seemed distant, but always helped with Joy. We have an agreed open phone policy, so I did check his phone quite often but didn’t find any sign of cheating. He goes through my phone whenever he wants too. I asked if he found me unattractive while pregnant and he assured me no, he loves me and he’s excited for our family.
Fast forward a year after, we’re sleeping through the night and I am back to work, saw my doctor and was cleared to try for bundle of joy #2, and Chris seemed very enthusiastic at this point. He even downloaded an app to track my fertility cycle so we could make the most of my ovulation times.
We had a lot of fun and he was always very passionate, but six months of trying with no pregnancy I started to worry. I’d voice my concerns and Chris would brush them off, so I tried to be patient, but then almost two years passed and Joy is growing up by herself.
I broke down to my mother crying and she agreed to come with me to the doctor to get checked out. I was very emotional and scared, but the doctor assured me everything is fine and that I should be able to conceive without any issues.
I went to Chris with this knowledge and he was very upset I went to a fertility specialist. I explained I thought something might have gone wrong during my last pregnancy, concerned that I was maybe blocked or infertile somehow. He said why not wait and “just let nature take its course” and I said “our little girl is almost three, and growing up by herself.” I reminded him of our plans and he just nodded and said all we can do is try. I asked if he would see a fertility specialist and he got angry, saying there’s nothing wrong with him and we don’t have the money for fertility treatments anyway. This confused me since we do have money, we have my savings and are doing pretty well.
When he went to sleep I decided to go through his phone again and went back through his calendar and call logs. I noticed about eight months after Joy was born there was a blocked day indicating he’d taken off from work, but it was in the middle of the week and I don’t remember any sort of special occasions behind why he’d take this random day off. I went through the call logs and found an office number about a week before and when I googled the number a local business where you could get a vasectomy appeared! I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. I instantly felt cold all over then started to panic.
I woke him up and confronted him. He just stared at me while I went off and admitted babies were harder than he thought and he felt like my first pregnancy took forever.
I couldn’t believe it. I packed my things, Joy and her things and drove to my mom’s house. She is in distress with my sudden appearance and my inability to stop crying. I finally told her yesterday morning what happened and she’s just beside herself. I don’t know what to do, but every time I think about how during sex Chris would talk to me about giving me a baby and he’d had the vasectomy the entire time. I feel so disgusted and stupid. I can’t believe my little girl is going to grow up alone. Chris has been blowing up my phone, but I just keep letting it ring and haven’t read any of his texts.
Edit: to those saying I “coerced” my “poor husband” into agreeing to a big family, nope. I was always open and honest about my dreams, told him it’s okay if he wanted different things, and he not only repetitively agreed and accepted, he also helped me plan, nest, put together the nursery and enthusiastically participated in conversations regarding having multiple children around friends and family, and always said we’d have at least 4. That was our number. Him getting a vasectomy behind my back was a complete shock.
Also, we’ve both always agreed to the open phone policy. I never “betrayed his trust” by going through his phone since I always had his consent to do so and he has mine. We even have the same phone pass code. I never wanted to be in a relationship where we kept secrets from each other. I know other couples feel different, but this is another thing he always 100% claimed he agreed with me on.
I vaguely remember one week where he actually turned me down for sex claiming he had a “head cold” and he didn’t join me in the shower like usual during that time, but I didn’t think anything about it. And no, men never need a wife’s signature to get vasectomy.
Comments
FantasticAnus: There's nothing wrong with child number one changing his mind, but he should have been open and honest about that and said that he wouldn't be having any more children, and then it would have been up to you as to whether you could live with that, or move on from him.
What he did, however, was duplicitous and manipulative. I don't think I could stay with a man who was so willing to keep such an enormous lie from me, one which impacts me, my daughter and my future enormously.
MyUsernameIsMehh: He has every right to not want more kids, you have every right to want more.
What he did not have the right to do was fool you for years. Men who have had vasectomies but hide it and "try for a baby" are beyond disgusting. Their wives think something is wrong with them, they go to specialists and sometimes spend a LOT of money on fertility treatments.
He's a spineless little shit (pardon my words, but it's true) who pushed you to have breakdowns over this.
He had every right to get a vasectomy, he didn't need your permission, but he had NO RIGHT to hide it and pretend you two were trying for another child.
 
Update: May 24, 2024
Some of you made some comments about my mom gifting my husband and I a house, paying for occasional cleaning services implying that Chris feels somehow emasculated by this, also implying I am “too financially dependent on my mom.” I make very good money, I have a sizable savings and don’t need any help, my mom was excited to buy this house for us as a wedding present. My dad passed away when I was young, he was wealthy and left my mom everything, so she shares his love since I’m her only kid. I make more money than Chris and always have. Yes his name is on the house, so yeah I’m gonna get screwed over in the divorce.
Some of you complained I “broke his trust” by going through his phone. He goes through my phone too. We have the same passcode. Some comments called this agreement between us unhinged, which to me is bizarre. Chris, I thought, was my soulmate, my husband and best friend. We don’t have secrets. I thought. Isn’t that the whole point of marriage? To finally have one person in the whole world you can tell everything to? To always be on the same team? Obviously I was wrong, and as many of you pointed out, that kind of love, trust and openness doesn’t really exist, and none of that matters now.
Chris and Joy seemed fine to me, but in hindsight there’s always been a hesitation on his part. I always thought it was just typical since the short while my dad was alive in my life I don’t really remember him being affectionate or warm. He was nice and played with me sometimes, but I don’t remember being held by him very much. I asked Chris many times if everything was okay when I noticed he was distant. He always said things were great, and give an excuse; just tired, work is draining, no big deal.
We’re in the US, and here a man can go get a vasectomy at any time. I don’t know what Chris told his doctor. For all I know he took his wedding ring off and gave a sob story, or probably just walked in and asked for the procedure. It doesn’t matter.
I’m really thankful for my mother. She’s heartbroken for me, and like many of you, she already knows my marriage is over. There’s been a lot of long nights of me crying that she’s endured.
I’m numb when I’m not crying, and keep getting this creepy feeling that nothing matters. We’re getting a divorce. I finally called Chris and he sobbed he was sorry, said he might be able to get it reversed. I’ve read a lot about vasectomies since my last post, and sometimes it can’t be reversed. It’s always a risk.
Again, it doesn’t matter. It’s not actually about the vasectomy. It’s that the person who I thought was the one person in the world that I could trust, that I was on the same page as, literally writing the book together, made this decision without me and kept it from me and the lied for years. I really thought what we had was true love. Now I’m pretty certain that doesn’t even exist.
Chris has not offered any explanation. He cried, begged my forgiveness and said again that he could get it reversed. Even if he can, the rest is irreversible. He never once answered my question. It’s really painful to talk to him, so after three times of asking and him each time dodging answering, and begging forgiveness, I finally just said to please leave the house and told him he’d hear from my lawyer.
He texted that he’s packed and left, and I haven’t heard from him since. He never once asked about Joy.
My lawyer says I might wind up paying alimony, but I might be able to get the house since it was a gift from my mother and Chris has never made any financial contribution. He also says Chris committed a kind of infidelity since he went behind my back to have this life altering procedure and admitted it, so that might help me.
To everyone telling me it’s gonna be okay, and I can still have more children…all of that seems impossible right now. My heart is broken. I’ve never experienced such sadness and the only relief is when I’m playing with my daughter. Her happiness is infectious. She is blissfully unaware, having the time of her life at grandma’s, but unlike her father she actually asks where’s da da?
I called work and took a medical leave of absence. I found a therapist.
My mom has offered to stay with me for a while, as well as hire a nanny.
Comments
BrightAd306: I agree with you. It’s not the vasectomy. It’s lying about it and defrauding you. Wanting your money, but not being a true partner.
Listen to your lawyer. Do what he says, and you’ll come out the other side. Even if you pay alimony, it won’t be forever
DangerNoodleDandy: I agree. The vasectomy and the fact that he hid it are a symptom of a greater issue.
 

DO NOT COMMENT IN LINKED POSTS OR MESSAGE OOPs – BoRU Rule #7

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT OOP

I am NOT The OOP is u/RAkindoflosthere
Planning to ghost him after finding out he’s cheating on me
Originally posted to Infidelity confessions rant self
TRIGGER WARNING: infidelity, property damage, emotional manipulation, mentions of sexual assault
Planning to ghost him after finding out he’s cheating on me March 4, 2022
Found out my boyfriend was cheating a few weeks ago. Been spiraling since. Literally only running off of vengeance and pure disgust.
I got this weird gut feeling and checked his phone while he was asleep. Those 20 minutes locked in the bathroom felt like years, and the shame keeps me from talking to anyone about it. I moved across the country to be with him, so I’m all alone. No friends or family here.
He woke me up the next morning with kisses and breakfast and has been doing so a lot, lately. Probably the guilt.
He even bought me flowers for the first time ever. After me hinting at wanting them for years.
He thought my quiet crying was out of happiness. He even brought up buying a house for us, something with enough space for potential future children.
I’m still going through the motions. Making his breakfast and protein shake everyday, packing his lunch, making sure dinner is almost ready when he comes home from the gym.
What makes me the angriest is that I really, genuinely thought he wouldn’t do something like this. He watched his father cheat on his mother and father children out of their marriage, all while she struggled with infertility her entire life (my partner isn’t her biological son) and never had her own. She dedicated her life to the two of them and passed away of ovarian cancer shortly before we met.
Sometimes I think about whether she regretted staying with her husband or not. We have a small shrine in her honor and something makes me look at and expect guidance. I love the man she raised and hate the one her husband did. But they’re both him, and he’s a grown ass man more than capable of self control, so I decided to walk away.
Next week my car will be picked up and shipped back home, and I got first class tickets for me and my dog on his dime. He’ll come back home from work and everything I brought will be gone, along with me.
The only thing I think I might regret is not somehow being able to see his reaction when he walks through the door and realizes what’s going, lol.
RELEVANT COMMENTS
Future_Ad8467

I'm sorry you're going through this. It's the hardest thing to let go. As hopeless as it can feel sometimes, it does get better. Take your time in the beginning, but I think it's therapeutic to confront him, eventually. Ghosting doesn't provide closure for you. In my experience, confronting the problem, head on, gave me a sense of closure. I try to take everything that happens as a life lesson. Good luck with everything

OOP

I personally don’t believe in closure. I got all that I needed when I realized he was untrustworthy

~
Odd_One_9972

Do you have access to his phone/computer? Install a keylogger, then you can not only see what he's saying to you, but to the other APs as well. I put a keylogger on my ex's phone/computer when I caught him cheating. He was such a dumbass, and seeing the shit he was saying, the lies he was spewing, made me grateful I dropped his ass.

OOP

I do, but I don’t think it would make a difference for me. His entire “relationships” with the APs was lies.

Everything from his name, age, college degree, occupation, city, height, and dick size. He even told one he was married and his wife was pregnant with twins. I almost had a heart attack thinking I was an AP too and he had a family out there somewhere.

~
Suspicious_Bear_6634

If he can go after you, you should probably leave a note or a sign that you're leaving him because of his cheating. Seeing that you up and left without a known reason (from his pov) might push him to follow you home. If he knows the reason and knows that he has no chance in hell in getting you back, it might delay a possible confrontation.

OOP

you’re right. I’ve been considering just leaving a sticky note with a list of all the different girls names and the apartment key beside it. Simple and effective

Suspicious_Bear_6634

Fuck, multiple girls?? Draw a little middle finger beside them while you're at it. And make sure there are little to no supplies (food, toiletries, cleaning stuff) left and leave the house dirty so that he can appreciate how much you did for the asshole.

OOP

7 of them to be precise. I’ll have to rush and get out within a certain time frame but I might just settle for shrimp in the curtain rods. He’s really sensitive to smells lol

I lied to my boyfriend everyday and saved the money he gave me March 4, 2022
Almost every day my boyfriend sends me money for lunch, gas, something. I thought he was just really kind. Turns out he was cheating and giving me $$ made him feel less guilty, as though he didn’t beg me to move across the country with him where I know no one.
Once I found out I wanted to immediately confront him but was scared of the outcome since the apartment was only in his name and again, I know no one here.
Now I just save every dime of what he sends to be able to pay for the $3000 moving fees to go back home without hurting my own pocket too much.
Breaking my heart, destroying my ability to trust & scaring me off from men I can handle, but messing with my finances? Nah. never.
The transport company is coming next wednesday to take my car, and my plane tickets for me and my dog have been bought. Gonna keep up my happy act and do the usual cooking of dinner and scrubbing his back and poof on Wednesday like I never knew him. Its the only form of revenge I could do that wouldnt haunt me. Good riddance!

Edit: A few asked for details. There’s 7+ other women, everything he told them was a lie. Name, age, height, city, occupation. All of it.
The only common denominator was that he bought us all the exact same lingerie set for his birthday in January. 🙃 And specifically requested I hang it up in our closet where it’s viewable. Forgiveness is not on the table. He’ll be surprised, but I doubt he’ll be hurt.
RELEVANT COMMENTS
purejones

I look forward to it, how did you find out if it’s not too personal?

OOP

Woke up randomly in the middle of the night and “he’s up to no good” was all I could think about. I sleep like a literal baby and never, ever wake up like that. Took his phone and locked myself in the bathroom while he was asleep and found it all.

Friendship break ups are so much worse than relationship breakups March 5, 2022
I’ll be single again pretty soon and I’m looking forward to it but also not. Like yay! I finally can cook when/how I want to and don’t have to split chores and can do everything on my own my way.
But thats the only good part.
I’ve been on my own since I was 16 and I’ve turned out (mostly) fine, I have a paid off house and car, cute dog, debt free, and I’m finishing up my masters degree at 25. It could be worse.
But I’m lonely. I’m not on speaking terms with my family and had a huge fall out with my lifelong friends a couple years ago. I haven’t tried making friends since bc part of me hopes one day I can find a way to fix that friendship.
Plus I’m moving around so much that making friends is pointless. I’m not good at long distance anything.
I never prided myself on romantic relationships- sure, they’re cool, but a loving group of women was always where I found the most peace and understanding and that’s what I want the most.
I guess I’m just going through things right now and I really wish I had people I trust to talk to. Friend breakups hurt the most.
RELEVANT COMMENTS
OOP when asked how she had a house at a young age
OOP

Neither. I lived with my friends and their parents until college started. Already had a scholarship. Just worked 3 jobs until I was 22 and lived frugally.

~
Dufusbroth

The maths for time and money aren’t working out on this end but there is also a lot of variable/info that is missing.
It took my 7 years to payoff my house and I was contributing to it like it was an emergency. Qualifying for a home and paying it off in that amount of time without help seems nearly impossible. I’m so curious about the formula here! I need a lesson in finance from OP. When I broke it down on it just doesn’t seem possible except from a financial windfall counting even a frugal cost of living along with an accounting for taxes paid, etc… and that did not include the cost for transportation, medical, groceries, blah blah blah

OOP

The house was a 70k foreclosure and is 4bed/4bath. I was a golf caddy, gentlemen’s club bartender and occasional hostess, and notary signing agent. Along with selling stationary items on etsy. Also my scholarships paid for quite a bit of my home in general- they never specified what kind of housing for them, just housing. I lived in 1 room and rented out the other 3.

Dufusbroth

That’s the info I was looking for- thanks you! That is very smart. Good going! Good luck with your situation- so interested how he reacts to your departure

My current relationship has made me realize the thin line between love and hate. March 9, 2022
I found out my boyfriend of almost 4 years was cheating. We’ve lived together for 2 years and I’m leaving him tomorrow. He just doesn’t know yet. And won’t until after I’m gone.
As mad as I am, as betrayed as I feel, I still love him. All I really want is to wake up tomorrow and this all be a nightmare. I don’t enjoy this slice of reality.. that the person I loved the most has looked me in my eye and lied to me for who knows how long.
and every time I do it I’m left wondering how many times he did it. How many times did he wine, dine, and fuck other women and come home to me? How many times have I been the stupid girlfriend who trusted her boyfriend blindly? How many times have I been some woman’s laughing stock? Did he fuck us back to back? Did his friends know? Did they look me in my fucking eye and really not say anything? Did he love them? How many times did he tell me he loved me and meant it? When did he stop meaning it? Did he ever even mean it the first time?
I’m not a master manipulator. Unlike him. I’m just composed because I’ve never had any other choice. Emotions got you beat or worse when it came to my parents and I’m more than aware I have a shitload of trauma to unpack but I can’t.
Not in the self pity, woe is me, its too hard, but no. I probably just can’t. Therapists here are wildly westernized and once I start with the short list they’ll probably just charge me double. Maybe triple. And the last time I tried he kept trying to convince me I enjoyed my own assault.
Maybe I got cheated on because I’m emotionally inept. My intimacy levels are quite limited. The few times he asked about my childhood I either a) brushed him off or b) told him one thing I thought wasn’t that bad and he was so shocked I held out on the actually bad parts.
And that’s where the hate comes in. He knows what it’s like to grow up feeling unwanted. He knows what it’s like to lose your parents young. He knows what it’s like to feel like your entire life has been horrible event after horrible event.
But he still did this to me and I don’t get how he could. I could never cheat on anyone, let alone someone who’s shared such personal things with me.
I haven’t so much as made eye contact with another man since we met… other people were just other people and we were us.
I don’t know. I just don’t see being able to date again. I had deep seeded trust issues long before this and growing old by myself with 30 cats genuinely sounds nice. Hell, great even. At least I won’t always be wondering when the betrayal will come.

(Update) Leaving partner of 4 yrs after finding out he was cheating March 10, 2022
Transport company came and picked up my car. Sold whatever big furniture I brought for low prices. Took his dog to the park and played with him a bit, got him a dog cupcake and took him back to the apartment.
Movers started coming for the rest of my stuff and I hadn’t prepared for our property manager thinking we were both moving out and we hadn’t given them the required vacancy notice. She came to talk to me right as my uber was coming and I told her what was going.
Unfortunately they had already called him bc only his name on the lease. He’s called and texted me a few times but I haven’t replied. His work day won’t be over for a couple of more hours.
I left my apartment keys, and anything he’s ever bought for me that I hadn’t sold already. Didn’t feel like taking that stuff with me. While packing I remembered we bought a pet camera that shoots treats on the entertainment center and turned it back on. I promised myself I’ll disconnect from it by midnight tomorrow but I have my own predictions about how he’ll react and I just gotta know for sure. Yeah, it’s fucked up. Sue me lol
I actually forgot to leave a note and was running out of time before my uber came and just left the lingerie set he was so obsessed with on the bed. He’ll figure it out eventually. Or not.
I’m at the airport now with my dog and just waiting on my flight. I wish I could say that I feel free but I don’t. Just tired.
Thank you all for the well wishes and thank you more to all of the other women who reached out with similar stories. I think I might’ve caved and stayed if you all hadn’t.
RELEVANT COMMENTS
Suspicious_Bear_6634

What did he say on the text when they informed him that things were being moved out?

*OOP

Just that he got a call from property management and asked if I ordered something big and if anything was going on.

Pet Cam Update March 14, 2022
Update: I turned it on for about ten minutes after I got back to my home and unpacked. He wasn’t there, but everything was a mess. There was a hole in the wall, furniture flipped over, papers everywhere, the kitchen looked like a tornado went through it.
I deleted all of my other social media accounts but didn’t block his number. The first two days he called me over 200 times. Lots of novel ass text messages and him admitting to some shit I didn’t even know about yet. Quite a few calls from his dad and friends too.
I didn’t reply to any of them
THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT THE OOP
DO NOT CONTACT THE OOP's OR COMMENT ON LINKED POSTS, REMEMBER - RULE 7

(and also how my teachers and friends saved my ass so many times🫶)
TL;DR at the end
NOTE: this is purely my own personal experience
to provide some bg info, in sec 1 i managed to barely sneak into an ip sec sch with one of the lowest cut off points - my psle score was literally 1 above the cop. by upper sec, i was failing all my subjects consistently (save for english) due to a slew of family problems and resultant mental health issues. i SHOULD have been retained in sec sch or forced to transfer to the o-level track bc i didn’t meet the promotion criteria to the affiliated jc, but my teachers chose to turn a blind eye and let me go on anyway. i was such a hopeless student (chronic absenteeism and outbursts) but in hindsight, i’m still grateful they made this concession for me because had i taken the o-levels, i probably wouldn’t have been able to go anywhere
in jc1 (2021), i never watched any lectures or did any tutorials. i was still just as hopeless as ever. anyone could tell i was still mentally unstable, still having family issues and that acads took a backseat in my mind. i didn’t have good relations with my teachers since i was such an unmotivated student. my support networks were non-existent (my closest friends were also struggling anyway). so it was not much surprise when by the end of the academic year, i had scored a measly 8.75rp (B in GP and U for everything else). still, instead of being directly retained, i was still given the chance to sit for some provisional advancement exams but ofc i failed da sht outta those anyway and actually got retained.
i think retaining made something click in my mind. despite all the past years of getting away with shit grades and not caring about school, i never truly suffered any “true” consequences since concessions were always made for me. but getting retained was now a tangible consequence i had to face. also, being placed into a new batch without the same faces from the past 5 years also helped me care less about people’s opinions and i could truly focus on myself. that said, i’m really grateful that it was in my jc that i retained. not sure how the support for retainees in other jcs are like, but i was put into a structured programme for retainees at the start of the year where we got to attend enrichment activities and head start lessons. also we were assigned to teachers that we could turn to for support :)
my family problems still persisted, sure, and school was still a scary place for me, but less than it had ever been. because i didn’t have pw or mt to worry about anymore, i also had a lot more free time in school. my friends who promoted shared lesson materials and answer keys with me, and also offered to teach me sometimes, which made getting through tutorials so much easier bc whenever i got stuck i knew i had help.
talking about external help, it really defined my retainee journey. i am immensely grateful to my friends and teachers who pushed me along. i was a pw slacker and i still got an A anyway bc my group mates carried… it’s something i still feel guilty about and i definitely didn’t deserve that A. i’m still friends with my pw mates till this day which im really grateful for. in my second jc1 year, because i actually started putting effort into my studies, it became much easier to build a rapport with my new teachers. moreover i think they had to keep an eye on me anyway since i was a retainee lol but i was able to form close relationships with them and they became an integral part of my support network as well :’)
in jc1 (2022) myes, i went into the exams with low expectations - maybe straight Ds and i would’ve been happy. i ended up scoring As for all my subjects except a B in one, which were completely unexpected since i only ever saw Us on my report slips. this kickstarted a “virtuous cycle” for me and i began to take pride in my academics. by the end of my second jc1 year, i had attained a perfect score in my second round of promotional examinations!! my friends and teachers were all really proud of me and i was really happy at that point in time :)
i also began to get more opportunities in school, like leadership positions and the chance to participate in competitions or lead events since i finally had my sht together. these all helped me with my portfolio building as well :’)
around a levels period, smth rly disruptive happened at home and i thought that perhaps the past 2 years of work would come crashing down. it was hard to study at home w everything that was going on. i left every paper unconfident. at that point, i was aiming for a pretty competitive uni course which was kind of unrealistic since i was a retainee, but i dared to dream big and since i had finally pulled myself together i thought that there was no harm in trying. however i thought my a levels score wouldn’t end up making the cut since i felt like my papers all went rly badly ;-;
for the 3 months between my last paper and a level results release, i avoided thinking about my score as much as possible. i kept all my notes and tutorials in case i ended up having to retake my a levels. on the day itself, i didn’t even show up to school to collect my results in person as i was so convinced that i had done badly and that i would end up crying in front of my classmates and teachers. in fact i even waited until the next day to open my results online. but lo and behold, i had attained a perfect score. i was so elated that i could actually apply for the course i wanted :’)
fast forward through the months, i submitted my applications and personal statements + portfolio and my teachers’ referee reports, received my interview invites, went for them, and then received my acceptances from the two local universities offering the degree i wanted. :’) everything truly worked out the best way they could have. circling back to the topic of help, i received a lot of support from my teachers and even reddit strangers during my uni applications haha
and that’s why, in retrospect, retaining was truly the best thing that could have happened to me. i don’t think it’d be far-fetched to say that it literally changed the trajectory of my life. i learned how to have a proper work ethic, took away a strong support network of friends and teachers, and honed important skills like leadership. i still cringe when i think about how much of a problem student i used to be, but it is only because i let things ever get that bad that now i know how important it is to stay on track.
i’m really grateful that as much as retaining is a taboo subject in jc, that i wasn’t discriminated against for having been a retainee. it might seem weird and like im making “retainee” my whole brand, but it was truly a turning point in my life and i wear it like a badge of honour almost.
i’m now excitedly waiting for uni to start in august. ٩( ᐛ )و
TL;DR: retaining helped me gain a proper work ethic and form a strong support network. my mental health also improved by leaps and bounds. i ended up scoring well at the a levels and was accepted into my desired uni course. so quite literally, retaining changed the trajectory of my life for the better🫶