I'm allergic! Also I didn't know u couldn't be in the room with it when it's curing. I had some orders n had 5 or 6 things curing n fell asleep in the room with it. I had already burned my face badly n broke out on the backs of my hand n arms but I was wearing gloves so idt it was the epoxy. I woke up two days later with epoxy inside my skin. I was completely covered in it n I had proper ppe. I didn't wear a ventilation mask. I thought u only had to have it in well ventilated area when mixing n I took it outside to mix it. Long story short. Id recommend to anyone not to handle any type of resin if they are allergic. I tried uv resin and it made it come back. When it come back it does it with a vengeance worse every time. I wouldn't wish what happened to me on anyone. I've been sick since January n it makes me not be able to breathe. I couldn't walk talk or breathe after taking a shower n washing my hair. I paralyzed me for about an hour n caused me to hurt all down my left side. Drs can't or won't help me. I guess it was build up in me n poisoned me long term exposure. I had places on my stomach I couldn't get off n I take steroid pack n soon as I got done it would come back just like I poured it over my whole body. U could even see pour marks. Its been a living nightmare. I caught pneumonia. My neck swells n I end up in the hospital.my whole body is swells but when my necks swells I can't breathe. Taking a shower makes my neck swelling go down. Its done some crazy things to me. I put peroxide on my chin n it made it swells out the size of a pool ball n turned red as a coke can instantly. Set me on fire. Idk the drs believed me. I called poison control they didn't believe me.. I've been to my family dr she said come back in August. Ive thought i was dying a few times. Only thing I found to get it out of my skin is fast orange n shop towels. I t had to take 4n 5 hours shower just scrubbing my body. I have ut in my teeth. I can taste it all the time but when I shower it's worse. I've had my skin turn different colors. My lips black n eyelids purple. I'm still talking funny n that last time I used resin was middle if March. People please do research n find out all about it before u use it. I wouldn't want anyone to go through what I've been through. I love epoxy art n im currently looking fir a good alternative. It broke my heart to have to stop using it. I started using it in October n I didn't have any problems until I got some off ebay. I was just getting my business started. If anyone knows a good kud friendly preferably lol please let me know. If anyone has went through this crazy stuff n have any advice please let me know. I'm slowly getting better but I'm just guessing my way through this. Thanks advance n I hope this also helps someone else. Its terrifying.

Introduction
1. Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
· This will be my first dog but not my partners. He grew up with dogs and has had them for most of his life.
2. Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?
· Reputable breeder would be my preference.
3. Describe your ideal dog.
· Medium or large sized, willing to go for hiking and backpacking trips with me. Ideally a dog that we can take to the crag when we’re climbing. One that is friendly with cats.
4. What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
· Right now we are considering a labrador retriever, an aussie shepherd, or a toller, mostly because I have really nice experiences with these breeds. I am open to other breeds as well. My partner has had huskies, malamutes, flat coated retrievers and pointers
5. What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
· Obedience and catch for fun.
6. Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
· No I just want a new family member.
Care Commitments
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
· A few hours everyday.
8. How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
· On weekdays, up to two hours. On weekends, three to five hours, possibly more depending on what activities we are doing. I work from the office 2 days a week but otherwise I am home. Our backyard is connected to a huge forest with lots of hiking trails and lakes, and I live in a very quiet and dog friendly neighbourhood. There will be lots of hikes and swimming, if that’s what they’d like to do.
9. How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
· I groom my long haired cats regularly and will be open to doing the same for my dog. Anything that is too complex will be done by a professional.
Personal Preferences
10) What size dog are you looking for?
· Medium or large.
11. How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
· Minimal barking, and slobber. Shedding is fine, I’m used to it.
12. How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
· It would be great if they can go off leash while hiking in the forest, but its not a big issue if they need to remain leashed.
Dog Personality and Behavior
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
· I love snuggles but I also get lots of snuggles from my cats so it doesn’t really matter either way.
14. Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
· Would like a dog that’s eager to please.
15. How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
· No aggressiveness
16. Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
· Ideally not.
17. Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
· Excessive barking ideally would be avoided,.
Lifestyle
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
· For 2 days I will work from the office, where they will be left alone for 4 hour stretches. Otherwise they will not be left alone.
19. What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
· Feed or walk him if I’m outside or studying inside.
20. Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
· Yes I have 3 norwegian forest cats.
21. Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
· No
22. Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
· We own our house.
23. What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
· Sweden. No laws that I know of but I do know that breeds like pitbulls can be frowned upon.
24. What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
· Summer is around 20 degrees celsius. Winters there is snow and can be anywhere between negative 15 degrees celsius to 5 degrees celsius
Additional Information and Questions
25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
I would like to get a puppy so they can learn to be around cats from a young age.

1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
I have always been around dogs including growing up with dogs and taking an active role in training and care. Family dogs have included two mutt rescues, two Goldens, and currently two Havanese (which I take care of when they can't travel with my parents).
2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?
I'm open to rescue but would likely need a puppy (as I need to be able to train and socialize early on to get what I'm after)
3) Describe your ideal dog.
A clingy couch potato that doesn't regularly need a lot of stimulation outside of hanging out with me.
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
It never would have been on my quick list, but looking at my needs no breed comes up more than a Bullmastiff. My concerns are the drool (I'm OCD), and with the size with regard to lifespan, food costs, and physical control- I have a bad back, but that's going to be an issue with any size poorly trained dog and most activity will likely be off leash.
I loved our Goldens and either one would fit nicely into my needs (save the long hair). But I'm worried we got lucky with low energy Goldens (they often didn't get daily activity and yet no behavior or health issues)- so because of energy levels they aren't on my list right now.
I like many of the pitbull breeds, they are a great size, I like the idea of combating the image of the big scary pitbull- but like Goldens they aren't on my list because of worries of energy levels.
I'm not inherently opposed to labs.
I always adored Corgis but I don't think they are a match to my needs (barking, energy levels, small).
I don't want to overly worry about energy levels, obviously most dogs out there don't get the ideal activity levels and they do fine. But it also feels risky going with breeds known to be higher energy.
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
Basics- sit/stay/come/heel/bang
6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
No
Care Commitments
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
I cannot commit to daily walks or fetch, but I'm home all day (and not WFH) so I will be attentive to pooch's needs and he will always get a lot of attention if not activity. I'm prepared for the fact that no two dogs are alike, and things like activity/engagement levels will adjust over time based on my dogs individual needs and his behavior.
Ideally he would spend all day with me, including multiple visits a week to my parents- where he can take advantage of a fenced yard and socialize with their two Havanese (which he would begin right away).
8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
Not a believer in dog parks. I think I mostly answered this question in the previous.
9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
Similar to exercise I will respond to his needs. I'm not commiting up front to weekly baths and daily tooth brushing, but if his behavior or the vet indicates an area to focus I will do so. On a regular basis I mostly anticipate brushing weeklyish, nails regularly, ears/teeth etc. as needed. It will be more difficult, but the same stuff I keep up with already on my cat.
Personal Preferences
10) What size dog are you looking for?
It doesn't really matter though I'm not usually into smaller dogs.
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
Barking must be minimal due to apartment living. Shedding and slobber are what they are, like anyone I would prefer zero, some is ok, with the right dog I will learn to love his slobber right? Lol
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
Fairly but I'm a believer that virtually any dog is capable of this with decent training.
Dog Personality and Behavior
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
I already have a cat, he gives me plenty of personal space to fill with a pooch!
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
Eager to please
15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
A bark is fine, but it needs to stop quickly both by command or naturally. Window placement means he wouldn't actually have much visibility to the front yard and cannot see people at the door.
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
No, but he will be socialized with other dogs on a regular basis right out of the gate. This is an example of where I would be apprehensive about rescuing.
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
Not that come to mind
Lifestyle
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
Just for quick errands or appointments, an hour or two here or there.
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
No one else in the home.
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
One cat, he has some exposure to adjustments including dogs, and I'm prepared for a slow introduction process. I'm able to block off an entire room for him with his box and he has lots of vertical options (Jackson Galaxy wouldn't be disappointed).
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
No
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
No
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
None that I'm aware of but my vet (family friend) will let me know when I talk breeds with him.
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
Fairly temperate with the odd spike in heat or cold, nothing unusual.
Additional Information and Questions
25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
I'm disabled and there is a potential for a service dog. I don't think this route is worth pursuing though as the main physical service that I would benefit from is with waking (one goal with a dog is bringing some schedule and routine to my days), which any dog is inherently going to do. Otherwise the dog would mostly be serving emotional support needs (eg: providing pressure and comfort during panic attacks will be appreciated, but no need for a dog that can like alert to oncoming attacks). With that limited scope it doesn't seem like it would be worth the time and money to pursue, especially with people in much greater need out there. But, I guess I'm curious if anyone thinks that's worth pursuing.
26) Feel free to ask any questions below.
If I'm not mistaken puppy season is well upon us, if I do have to lean more into rescuing and look for a puppy- other than the obvious behavioral signs what should I look for? Are there mixes to avoid, a certain cutoff age I should set for myself, etc?

Reddit: u/smooth-option-4375 Discord Name: Swag Name and House: Waymar Corbray of House Corbray Age: 24 Cultural Group: Andal Appearance:
A tall man, lean yet muscular after the fashion of a professional athlete. He has the build of a knight who favors lithe dexterity over sheer strength.
When garbed for battle he is an intimidating figure, wearing a mail hauberk and chausses covered with a blackened steel cuirass, with a white surcoat emblazoned with the sigil of his house: a black raven in flight carrying a red heart. On his limbs, he wears steel vambraces, darkened black, enclosed around his forearms and simple should guards. On his feet, he dons hard leather boots with steel toes, that rise to meet steel leg greaves.
On his side swings a scabbard that holds his ancestral longsword, its pommel housing a dark red ruby in the shape of a heart. The guard as simple as it is ancient.
Though young he has a well-worn face, making him appear some years older than he ought to. Hardened from long hours in the sun and scarred from battle. He has piercing blue eyes, and cheeks rough with stubble.
When on the road, he will be found with a travel-stained cloak and hood, tied to his shoulders. Never far from his side is his massive, pitch black destrier Warlord, who stands at the considerable seventeen hands high at the shoulder.
Compared to most nobility he makes a pitiful sight, his armor is darkened, scratched, and dented. His clothing torn and mended a dozen times over. Dressed in hardy cloth and wool rather than more extravagant furs and silks. Despite his outward appearance however, he bears the heart full of valor and chivalry.
Trait: Strong Skills: Andal Knight (e), Swords, Water Dancer, Riding Talents: Etiquette, Heraldry & Tourney Lore, Outdoorsmanship Starting Titles: The Wayfarer, Hastiluder of Hearts Home Starting Location: [Starting Event]
BIOGRAPHY:
Ser Waymar Corbray was born into the noble house of Corbray in the year 1 AC to the Raven Knight, Lord Corwyn Corbray and Lady Ellyn Hightower. The pair spared no expense with any of their children despite the houses less than robust financial situation, thinking of it as the most sure of investments.
Lady Ellyn, a woman of refined taste and abnormal learning saw to it that Waymar (and the other children) were all well versed in etiquette and had a firm grasp of the intricacies of court life. In particular she bonded with Waymar, Corenna, and Tristan by sharing her love of literature, music, arts, and story telling. This had the dual purpose of sharing her loves but also ensuring the children grew up knowledgeable and well-rounded nobles.
On the other hand, Lord Corwyn focused on their martial educations. Where Colmar received the lions share, especially in terms of governance and lordship, Waymar was free to pursue and focus solely on knightly pursuits. Lord Corwyn himself, well known across the seven kingdoms as 'The Raven Knight' was both a superior commander and deadly swordsman, teaching the now famous Ser Rolland his art.
One of, if not the first momentous events that shaped Waymar's life was the birth of his younger brother Tristan. Tristan grew up with great difficulty, small, frail, and lacking the ability to speak many considered him ill-fated and treated him with contempt. Waymar however quickly developed a deeply engraved sense of guardianship over Tristan, and the two grew inseperable. Each day Tristan would attend his brothers studies, and each night Waymar would regale his brother with stories of epic heroes, fell deeds, and legendary champions.
The second was the Mooncrest Tourney, where Waymar entered in secret as a Mystery Knight: The Knight of the Wild Wood. During the tupinaire, Waymar encountered his elder brother and defeated him soundly. He went on to fight and overcome the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Malwyn Blackwood. Earning himself a knighthood when his identity was later revealed, for scoring seven strikes in seven seconds, with each strike having the force of three men'. This day was one of the best and worst days in the young Waymar's life: It was the day he was knighted by a living legend and it was the day a rift was formed that would never heal, between the two brothers.
The third was young Tristan's plan to study at Oldtown. In an attempt to separate the ever more violent Colmar and the young Waymar, Tristan convinced his parents to allow him to study at Oldtown and to take with him a small entourage for security. Amongst them was Waymar who, during there travel entered into the Strawberry Hall tourney.
His showing there was impressive if varied, fairing well in the melee, tupinaire, and archery contest, even going so far to claim first in the footrace. Unfortunately an administrative error meant that he was disqualified from the joust, his match timing being changed at short notice and the heralds unable to contact him in time to advise him of such.
This was however the start of his errantry. Taking near a year to return to Heart's Home where he stayed for only handful of weeks before departing again.
Now a man grown, Waymar travels Westeros following the tourney circuit, participating in as many as he can. The knight has earnt himself the moniker ‘The Wayfarer.’ A mocking title meant to demean him and his families fortune as he would walk rather than ride from place to place, lacking the funds to have a second horse and unwilling to tire his treasured destrier “Warlord.” Despite its original purpose, he bears the title with great pride.
Unbeknownst to lords and commonfolk alike, even those within the Halls of Heart’s Home, Waymar has been sending his earnings home to his younger brother who has been named Castellan of Heart’s Home, though for what purpose only the pair could know.
TIMELINE:
10 AC — Lord Corwyn and Lady Ellen marry. 3 BC — Colmar Corbray is born, eldest son of House Corbray and Heir to Hearts Home. 1 BC — Corenna Corbray is born, second eldest of House Corbray. 1 AC — Waymar Corbray is born, second eldest son of House Corbray. 6 AC — Lord Corwyn leads a band of knights against the Root Father & the Sons of the Tree. 7 AC — Trisan Corbray is born. 10 AC — Waymar attends the Maiden Bay tourney and begins his dream of becoming the Greatest Knight in the Realm. 14 AC — The Cavaliers visit Heart’s Home to secure recruits and sponsorship. 18 AC — Colmar Corbray marries XXXXX of House XXXXX at age 21. 19 AC — Mooncrest Tourney is held, Waymar enters as a mystery knight defeating his elder brother Colmar. 19 AC — For excellence with arms and unyielding valour Waymar is knighted by Ser Malwyn Blackwood, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. 20 AC — Ser Waymar rides under Ser Godric Royce against the mountain clan raiders of the Burned Men clan, his first battlefield proper. 20 AC — Corenna Corbray marries Marq Grafton of Gulltown. 21 AC — Tristan leaves for Oldtown, intending to study at the Citadel and stay with their cousins. 21 AC — Waymar enters Strawberry Hall Tourney with mixed results, being suspiciously disqualified from the Lists. 22 AC — Janyce Swyft and Tristan Corbray become betrothed. 22 AC — The first piece of the Winged Knight armour is found, the quest for more pieces begin. 22-25 AC — Waymar travels Westeros largely by foot, earning himself the moniker Waymar the Wayfarer. 25 25 AC — Start Date

FAMILY TREE:

Auxiliary Character -------------------------
Name and House: Tristan Corbray
Age: 18
Cultural Group: Andal
Appearance:
A young man with who looks as young as he is, Tristans black hair is unruly and quite long, resting on his neck and usually covering his ears. Despite his inability to speak, Tristan has a warm and genuine smile. His eyes are a deep thoughtful blue, with freckles adorning his nose and cheeks. His skin pale, indicative of the long hours he has spent inside studying. Despite being called timid he moves and dresses with a quiet confidence and grace that comes from self-awareness. For Tristan, his silence is not a barrier but instead a weapon. Tristan is not the most striking nor handsome man, but he bears a comfortable and approachable appearance that endears him well with others.
Trait: Erudite
Skill(s): Scrutinous, Scholar (e)
Talent(s): Mechanisms, Puzzles, Arts & Music, Cyvasse
Negative Trait(s): Mute
Starting Title(s): The Timid
Starting Location: Starting Event
BIOGRAPHY:
A ferociously keen mind, Tristan is a maester born, with an endless appetite for puzzles and mystery and an eerie ability to calculate. Despite being considered a fool for much of his early life, he has blown away his detractors with his prodigious intelligence. At the age of 15 he entered the Citadel to study, and in just three short years has earned himself no less than 8 links being: black iron, copper, both yellow and red gold, silver, brass, lead, and pewter.
With his father’s recent illness, he has been summoned back to Heart’s Home and named Castellan of the Castle and aide to the Lord. Rumours abound as to how his elder brother has taken this, having shortly afterwards departed on a quest for the Wing Knights legacy.
Supporting Characters -----------------------------
Name and House: Martyn Rivers Archetype: Trader (+4 bonus to Trade)
In his youth Martyn Rivers was a sellsword in the riverlands. He first entered service with House Corbray prior to the battle of Misty Moor. Later, he returned to permanent service after the Riverlands went up in flames. Lord Corwyn took him in first as a trade caravan guard, but in the years since he has reached the lofty heights of seneschal.
Name and House: Maester Dormund Archetype: Scholar (+2 lore searches, +1 treating others)
Maester Dormund has served House Corbray for three generations, serving first serving Lord Corwyn’s Father Corswain and now advising the young Master Tristan. He is one of the few that both knows of, and understands Master Tristan’s sign and short hand conversationally, the others being his mother, sister, and favourite brother.

I am a teaching assistant. I’ve been 19 for a reasonably short amount of time. I work while taking community college courses, and have $11117 in my savings account from my job (was a sub, am now an assistant and have been one since January. Next month I receive a dollar raise, becoming an assistant means I work daily. I should have more saved after I’ve been paid through the end of this month.) I’m admittedly not positive that this is what I see myself doing for my entire life, but also don’t know what I want to major in and am partly here because it’s supposed to be a learning experience for me.
I have grown up in, and still live in, an area that has a very large white population (and a sizable population of one specific non-white ethnic group that is not black. I am from a place that has a low population of black people.) I am a black woman who is from a low income family, and have grown up in an apartment complex (my parents allow me to live with them and not pay rent, which is what has helped me save my money.) I look: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6IR_UzLjTM/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== and https://www.instagram.com/p/C6z0F4bptE4/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== and https://www.instagram.com/p/C6IW3nlLufV/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
I have noticed, ever since graduating from high school, that I am no longer terribly attracted to white men. I pass average looking white men on the street, and there’s no attraction present. I have felt attraction toward average and above looking black men, particularly those who are dark skinned, although I felt very strong attraction toward a light skinned 1/2 black 1/2 white boy in my senior year of high school (had colored eyes and was commonly considered to be above average/conventionally attractive. I also had a crush on another mixed boy who was slightly above average as a freshman, yet average by the time he was a junior - I was no longer attracted to him after he became average, and also started to dislike him because he had criticized my physical appearance behind my back.) The non-black men I have been attracted to were Mexican/Latino, yet were typically above average (I occasionally feel attraction toward an average looking Mexican/Latino man. Occasionally.) I will admit that I am very specific about what I like. I have found Jake Gyllenhaal attractive (about two years ago I was wildly attracted to him when watching Donnie Darko,) and had a crush on David Bowie in middle school, but think I was more attracted to white men then than I am now. My only boyfriend, two years ago, was black, and was what I think of as average looking. The white men I have typically been attracted to have had blonde hair and blue eyes, but I don’t know why.
I’m introverted. I do have to interact with people because of the nature of my job, but I have no friends. Whenever I am not working, I generally watch television (as of right now, that has typically been “Laverne and Shirley” and “twilight zone” - I’ve actually been marathoning twilight zone every year since I was about 11 or 12 ever since my middle school science teacher turned on two episodes, “eye of the beholder” and “number 12 looks just like you” for our class. I’ve always wanted to introduce a group of youth to the series in that manner, because I remember that it actually got me hooked on the series.)
Black men in my area typically take out and prefer white women, or otherwise seem to be colorists. In high school, I remember that black boys specifically dating white girls was a “thing.” I don’t really tend to receive attention in my area, I have not received any attention this year. However, I also recall that the lighter skinned girls who looked mixed (1/2 black 1/2 white) didn’t struggle to date even if they were average, whereas it seemed that the darker skinned girls who weren’t above average were undeniably having a much harder time.
My mother was above average at some point in her life (always average without makeup, which is the case for most women,) average throughout my childhood because she gradually became overweight, and would now likely commonly be considered a little below average (in part due to things such as colorism yet also because she has always smoked cigarettes and has gained a lot of weight whilst never leaving the apartment so she is unhealthy looking now.)
View Poll

Hey guys,
I have a 6 month old pup, he's a pitbull/lab, (SPCA so unsure but potentially also short hair Burmese), he's a great pup, he's 60 pounds and loves to chew.
My partner (his mum) recently left for two months, and he's super anxious so he's chewing hard. He likes to chew up his bed, but im trying to prevent this, because beds are expensive and if he doesn't stop that's gonna cost alot. I've been walking him when he's extra anxiou, but also hoping to get him positive chewing alternatives. He doesn't like fake bones, painfully disinterested in Benebones
He loves braided bully chews, but those things are expensive. Wondering if anyone has suggestions on where to find bulk braided bully chews? (Or other chews that just last a while)
As I'm typing this out He destroyed a braised bully chew in about 15 minutes
Any other advice on how to help my pup while he's struggling is more than welcomed!! Thanks guys

I am a teaching assistant. I’ve been 19 for a reasonably short amount of time. I work while taking community college courses, and have $11117 in my savings account from my job (was a sub, am now an assistant and have been one since January. Next month I receive a dollar raise, becoming an assistant means I work daily. I should have more saved after I’ve been paid through the end of this month.) I’m admittedly not positive that this is what I see myself doing for my entire life, but also don’t know what I want to major in and am partly here because it’s supposed to be a learning experience for me.
I have grown up in, and still live in, an area that has a very large white population (and a sizable population of one specific non-white ethnic group that is not black. I am from a place that has a low population of black people.) I am a black woman who is from a low income family, and have grown up in an apartment complex (my parents allow me to live with them and not pay rent, which is what has helped me save my money.) I look: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6IR_UzLjTM/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== and https://www.instagram.com/p/C6z0F4bptE4/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== and https://www.instagram.com/p/C6IW3nlLufV/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
I have noticed, ever since graduating from high school, that I am no longer terribly attracted to white men. I pass average looking white men on the street, and there’s no attraction present. I have felt attraction toward average and above looking black men, particularly those who are dark skinned, although I felt very strong attraction toward a light skinned 1/2 black 1/2 white boy in my senior year of high school (had colored eyes and was commonly considered to be above average/conventionally attractive. I also had a crush on another mixed boy who was slightly above average as a freshman, yet average by the time he was a junior - I was no longer attracted to him after he became average, and also started to dislike him because he had criticized my physical appearance behind my back.) The non-black men I have been attracted to were Mexican/Latino, yet were typically above average (I occasionally feel attraction toward an average looking Mexican/Latino man. Occasionally.) I will admit that I am very specific about what I like. I have found Jake Gyllenhaal attractive (about two years ago I was wildly attracted to him when watching Donnie Darko,) and had a crush on David Bowie in middle school, but think I was more attracted to white men then than I am now. My only boyfriend, two years ago, was black, and was what I think of as average looking. The white men I have typically been attracted to have had blonde hair and blue eyes, but I don’t know why.
I’m introverted. I do have to interact with people because of the nature of my job, but I have no friends. Whenever I am not working, I generally watch television (as of right now, that has typically been “Laverne and Shirley” and “twilight zone” - I’ve actually been marathoning twilight zone every year since I was about 11 or 12 ever since my middle school science teacher turned on two episodes, “eye of the beholder” and “number 12 looks just like you” for our class. I’ve always wanted to introduce a group of youth to the series in that manner, because I remember that it actually got me hooked on the series.)
Black men in my area typically take out and prefer white women, or otherwise seem to be colorists. In high school, I remember that black boys specifically dating white girls was a “thing.” I don’t really tend to receive attention in my area, I have not received any attention this year.
View Poll

[<< First] [< Previous] [Next >] [Patreon] [Discord]
Synopsis:
Juliette Contzen is a lazy, good-for-nothing princess. Overshadowed by her siblings, she's left with little to do but nap, read … and occasionally cut the falling raindrops with her sword. Spotted one day by an astonished adventurer, he insists on grading Juliette's swordsmanship, then promptly has a mental breakdown at the result.
Soon after, Juliette is given the news that her kingdom is on the brink of bankruptcy. At threat of being married off, the lazy princess vows to do whatever it takes to maintain her current lifestyle, and taking matters into her own hands, escapes in the middle of the night in order to restore her kingdom's finances.
Tags: Comedy, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, Copious Ohohohohos.
Chapter 239: Standing Start
A wine bottle rolled against the side of my boot.
Amidst a gallery of stunned faces and open mouths, it was easily the second most lively thing here.
The first was a clockwork doll clutching at her stomach in pain.
“Ahahahha~ ahahaha~ ahah … uck … ack … ughh … ahahaha~”
I pursed my lips.
Still, I said nothing.
For one thing, this was precisely what happened when one ate the mouldy cinnamon rolls combined with any grass growing by the side of the road. If Apple refused to eat something, then so should she.
But for another–
“What … What is this … ?”
It was because the first response was reserved for the baroness.
Her words came out in a quivering tone, matching the disbelief upon her face.
Frankly, she had to do better than that.
Only the wine from the bottle I nudged away dribbled into the soil. And also the line of drool from a comatose farmer. But I didn’t want to think about that.
Still, it was an excellent benchmark. Until her tears could properly overpower the sour aroma from the Château de Riaré Hensoise, I would deem her bawling to be incomplete.
She had a long way to go.
“How … How are you still …” she began, slowly rising from her seat. “This … This is impossible–”
I offered a tidy smile alongside a flick of my hair, relishing in the moonlight adorning my figure.
“I agree. It shouldn’t be possible. But I assure you, my skin is 100% natural.”
“E-Excuse me … ?”
“No magical enchantments. No unicorn elixirs. No witchly glamors. Just a healthy sleep schedule of however many hours I desire and a diet of fresh strawberry shortcakes.”
The baroness mouthed silently at my secrets being revealed.
A strange way of offering her gratitude. Other princesses hounded my door for this knowledge. Given her pale, blotchy skin and lips as dry as a pond in a desert, she should be pleading for more.
Instead, she pointed at the fallen drunk beside us.
“This … This shouldn’t be possible … no, wait … the clockwork doll … did she–”
She suddenly snapped towards Coppelia, her eyes widening.
“Uuh … ahaha … ugh, it hurts ... ahaha … it hurts so much … ahaha … my tummy … aha … oh no … I’m … I’m seeing daisies … aha … I … ugh … I think I need help …”
Coppelia hugged her stomach, writhing like a freshly hatched caterpillar. Her eyes darkened as hiccups of laughter assailed her defeated form.
The baroness pursed her lips.
Then, she turned to Renise instead.
“Did you–”
“A-Amazing! … I … I have no idea what you did … but it wasn’t just wonderful … it was beautiful! The colours! The warmth! It was like a rainbow come to life!”
With a smile worthy of any attendant, the maid brought her hands together in polite applause. Naturally, to be praised for my brushwork was nothing new to me. Nor was the sight of stars shining in her eyes with greater brightness than any in the night sky.
Why, that even came whenever I left my bedroom.
“You … how did … how did you defeat him … ?”
The strands of the baroness’s golden hair began to frizzle as she turned towards me. All I saw were her tonsils. Bright red and healthy. She should be pleased.
“This was … this was no common man … do you know who he is … ?”
Without offering a chance to ignore her, she stamped a foot, pointing at the fallen drunk with maddened jabs. The man offered no defence, now as spent and drained as the bottle beside him.
I raised a brow.
“Indeed, I do. He’s a farmer who made poor life choices. And between leaving his farm and offering his pitchfork to an overly ambitious baroness, the greater was you. My congratulations on being the superior mistake. I acknowledge your triumph.”
Bwam.
The baroness promptly slapped her palms down on the table.
“This man … is Willem of Hagel,” she said, her teeth gritted together. “A man desperate and cursed.”
“Yes, well, to be a peasant is a dire thing. But it could be worse. At least he isn’t nobility.”
A mouth further widened before me.
Indeed, this was a terrible time to realise her affliction. But I was no famed angel of healing for nothing. There was a cure for ambition. And it involved copious amounts of tears.
I was still waiting.
“There is no world in which you should have been able to defeat him … not if half the tales about him prove true … he is a famed opponent … all the while you are … you are …”
Suddenly, her eyes left my face for the very first time.
No longer feeling that my cheeks were in danger of being poked, she swept her eyes upon my person, as though hoping to find some blemish to signify I was as false as a field of corn.
She stopped at the sword by my side.
And also–
“A copper ring,” she said softly.
Suddenly, my 29th house of cards I was subtly constructing collapsed.
… T-The ring!
The blot on my finger! The insidious badge of shame! The symbol of the Adventurer’s Guild!
Why, I’d taken it for granted that my masterful disguise was impervious! But this was no ordinary noblewoman I was seated across!
This … This was one I’d previously sat across before!
I’d made a terrible mistake!
I was mesmerising! A beautiful princess as charming as I was modest!
There was utterly no scenario in which I’d be forgotten!
I … I should have removed the copper ring!
“O-Oho … ohoho … w-what copper ring?” I said, my hands vanishing below the table at a speed con artists could only nod at. “Ah, do you refer to the ruby inlaid ring I often carry on my hand? The one which changes colour depending on the longitude and latitude? In that case, you may very well have briefly spied something which resembled a copper hue. But it is in fact a thing of unparalleled beauty and craftsmanship. Not a disgraceful copper ring.”
The baroness slowly looked up at me, her eyes blinking.
“No. I wasn’t mistaken. I … I recognise that ring. It is a copper ring, the same size and shape as those worn by … adventurers.”
My mouth widened in horror.
At once, I immediately sought a plant pot or a heavy book. Something to immediately erase the past few seconds of her memory.
Why … if she knew my secret, then the shame would haunt me all the way until I’d found something weighing at least equivalent to a standard hardback!
“I see,” she mumbled, as much to herself as me. “I understand now …”
The baroness removed her palms from the table.
She stood up straight, a hard expression upon her face. One which calculated with each passing moment the optimal way to exploit this devastating information.
Then, she took in a deep breath–just as I began assembling the playing cards into a thick pile.
“… it must be a legendary artifact.”
As I began eyeing her temple … I blinked in non-understanding.
“Excuse me?”
She nodded, her frown harsh enough to permanently crease her skin.
“To wear such a plain, ugly and shameful ring … one which utterly demeans your history, your worth and your pride, destroying any semblance of dignity you possess–”
My hand went to my stomach, struck by as much pain as Coppelia had experienced in a single moment.
“–indeed, to wear a ring so easily mistaken as one belonging to adventurers, the vermin of the world … it must be a truly terrifying artifact.”
I blinked.
And then–
“Ohhho … ohoohho! You … You see the truth of it!”
The baroness squeezed her fists by her side.
“I knew it.”
I nodded, my bangs bouncing against my forehead.
“I-Indeed … ! This ring I carry on me … it is a masterful item of supreme quality, passed down along generations of my family! Why, its appearance matching those of rings worn by adventurers is no coincidence! Theirs are based on this very design! Although they have since tarnished it, it was forged back in the first days of the kingdom when copper was greater than gold! Poured within it is knowledge now lost to time! A power beyond compare, called upon from the depths of the Royal Vault!”
The baroness sucked in a hateful breath.
“Then that explains it,” she said with bitterness ringing throughout her voice. “You were able to defeat such a powerful adversary through the use of your family’s ancient heirlooms.”
“Indeed, this powerful ring with a rare ability I cannot disclose defeated a terrifying farmer! Therefore, there’s no need for you to relay any suggestion that I’m anything but a princess, as far removed from the Adventurer’s Guild as hygiene is to their members!”
The baroness gave no response.
A respite which lasted far too short.
“... I see, then it means the plan continues. Different, yes. But I’ll not be deterred.”
She smiled, the familiar sight of aristocratic opportunism mixed with an utter denial of facts shining within her grey eyes.
I could only react with horror.
“Plan?” I replied, convinced she was well and truly several sandwiches short of a picnic. “Do you mean the plan currently lying in a fallen heap beside us? Did you not just say I defeated your farmer? Your only plan now is to decide which part of the ground you wish to offer your forehead to.”
The baroness shook her head with renewed confidence.
“I think not. To defeat Willem of Hagel, you must have expended every effort you had available. Not a crumb of power could be spared, for to underestimate him would have resulted in your certain loss. Meaning …”
Without hesitation, she gave a multipurpose wave of her hand.
“... You’ve nothing left but a sword you cannot wield, and two retainers against all of mine. One of whom is incapacitated. The other a maid.”
She continued to keep her hand raised. Her simple call to arms.
It took several moments before she cared to even look around her.
A sad thing.
If she had, she would have realised the curiosity of her hoodlums was less than their prudence.
She would have noticed the eyes without loyalty, seeing only the fallen figure of a drunk they’d been led to believe was more than a farmer now watering the ground with his drool.
And she would have noticed the state of her dress, as dishevelled as her ambitions as those she relied upon slinked away in search of newer gutters to inhabit, following instincts she could learn as the last of their feet shuffled into the darkness.
The baroness paled.
It was far too early for that. She had no idea Apple was currently resting in her tavern, and wouldn’t be helping her haul all of the goods which needed delivering to a place less damp than here.
But I could sooth her forthcoming backache with a smile, at least for the assistance already provided.
“You have my gratitude,” I said, brushing a speck of … countryside from my lap. “For so long as the nobility continues to concoct slapdash schemes with no hope of success, the kingdom can continue to assign blame on you when all else goes wrong. When the mobs come calling and heads start rolling, it ensures a steady queue of necks can be offered before ours are reached. That is why the nobility continues to exist, you see, despite the ceaseless treason. So allow me to offer a word of advice when next you wish to survive in a position of responsibility. When fleeing, the best defence isn’t to run faster–it’s to trip the person beside you. And this means better hiring practices.”
I glanced pointedly around me.
All this empty space and not even a single eyepatched second-in-command to use as a distraction? An amateur mistake. One the baroness now realised as her mouth opened wordlessly, the realisation of her solitude only now dawning upon her.
Yet all it invited was a newly wrought defiance.
“I do not mean to flee,” she said, her fists tightly clenched. “I am Arisa Sandholt. And even should I be captured here, you would not be afforded a night’s rest. I am not alone. Whether tonight or tomorrow, this kingdom will fall. I am not alone in planning its demise.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Oh, please. Planning my kingdom’s demise is what everyone does.”
“What?”
“If it’s not being actively planned, it’s because someone’s in the middle of planning how to formulate a plan. And then once they’ve finished planning, they wonder why their plan didn’t work as planned. This is not a cause for concern. It’s a sign the world is still spinning the correct direction.”
The baroness feigned a dignified silence.
It was far too late, of course. By default, nobility had no dignity.
Still, I accepted the effort, and filled the silence with a tidy clap of my hands.
“Now, since you’ve no intention of fleeing, you can be useful instead. I’ll require a full inventory of your stock. I intend to requisition every single item you have in your possession. Every grain. Every crown. And every odd piece of tableware, carpet, candleholder and painting you might have.”
I pointed at the barn. A tragic thing to requisition. But if I was fortunate, it’d grow lacquered tiles and bay windows in the short steps between here and there.
Suddenly, the baroness’s eyes widened. The needless defiance dropped alarmingly from her face.
“Wait … what do you mean by that?”
I paused for a moment, puzzled by her reaction.
This was hardly the complicated part.
“I mean exactly what I mean. This should come as no surprise. I will be emptying every corner of the property you’ve misappropriated, including whatever manner of tunnels you’ve carved for your use. Rest assured, I’ll be employing the talents of my retainers extensively. With or without your cooperation, every single inch of your abode will be inspected by myself for the Royal Treasury’s benefit.”
She blinked between Renise and Coppelia. Although one was dressed as a maid and the other now appeared to be napping on the ground, their skills when it came to matters of unearthing valuables in my kingdom’s underbelly was not one I doubted.
Nor, from the way the baroness gulped, did she.
“I can do it,” she said suddenly.
I looked at her in confusion, uncertain what ploy this was.
“... Excuse me? Do what?”
“The items of value. I can bring them out. There’s no need to personally see to such a thing yourself.”
“While I’m in full agreement, I can hardly trust your reliability in this manner. And besides, I’ll hardly be playing the mule. I shall be supervising while closely assessing every item.”
Once more, the tonsils came out.
An appalling disregard of decorum. There was only one time that nobility was permitted to look so horrified in my presence. And that’s if they were copying my own after I discovered a list of marriage suitors posing as a napkin beneath the dessert spoon again.
“E-Even so … as the one who wronged you, I insist on not troubling a princess any further. If you give me a few moments, I can acquire the most important valuables for you in a fraction of the time you’d spend on finding them.”
“A few moments to hide them, you mean. No, I’m afraid that anything you wish to stuff beneath a floorboard will need to be appropriately examined first.”
I leaned away in mild alarm as a bead of sweat ran down the baroness’s face.
A moment later–
She finally did what only someone in her position could.
Adhering to the instincts of all nobility, she swept up her dress and suddenly dashed away.
Except it wasn’t towards the dark forest, to be lost amidst the shadows and the jaws of whatever awaited her there. It was back towards the barn.
I watched as she stumbled several times before even reaching the steps.
“... A desperate sight, no?” I said, with a sad shake of my head. “To throw away all semblance of the image she’d hoped to craft. Now she flees like a frightened towngirl. She should know that escape is now impossible.”
Beside me, Renise let out a hum.
Far from chasing after the baroness, she collected the pack of cards I’d assembled for memory wiping purposes. She began to build a house of cards.
I looked at her in puzzlement. She gave a strangely pained smile in reply.
“I believe we can offer her a few moments.”
[<< First] [< Previous] [Next >] [Patreon] [Discord]

Jon Wylde, PC

Reddit Account: death-ace
Discord Tag: shellshock3d
Name and House: Jon Wylde, House Wylde
Age: 55
Cultural Group: Stormlander
Appearance: Jon is an older man whose years haven't quite caught up to him yet. He is tall and broad with thick muscled arms and wide shoulders. His hair is black mixed with white and he keeps it well maintained, if long. He has a large mustache and mutton chops. His eyes are blue gray and constantly narrowed under heavy brows.
Trait: Inspiring
Skill(s): Tactician (E), Andal Knight, Swords, Malicious
Talent(s): Training hounds, Woodcarving, Hunting
Negative Trait(s): N/A
Starting Title(s): Steward of the Stormlands, Lord of Rain House
Starting Location: Opening event
Alternate Characters: if I try to alt this iteration someone shoot me
30 BC: Jon is born as the first son of the lord and lady of Rain House.
25 BC: Jon's younger brother Ormund is born.
19 BC: Jon begins squiring for Argilac Durrandon, the Storm King and is knighted by him at a future date.
12 BC: Jon's father makes a match for him with Cassandra Tarth to strengthen House Wylde's alliance with House Tarth. It was a political match but love grew from it quickly.
12 BC: Jon and Cassandra's first son Harlan is born.
10 BC: Tristan is born to Jon and Cassandra.
7 BC: Aelinor is born to Jon and Cassandra.
2 BC:Jon's son Lyonel is born. At the same time Aegon's conquest of the Stormlands begins. Jon's father dies during the Last Storm while Jon is leading troops elsewhere. Jon is one of the first people to surrender to the Targaryens after Argilac Durrandon falls in battle.
1 AC: Jon's daughter Coryanne is born. Jon also begins to kindle a friendship with his new lord paramount, Orys Baratheon.
7 AC: King Aegon the Conqueror dies. Orys Baratheon is pronounced regent of the seven kingdoms. Due to Jon's loyalty and his friendship with Orys, he's asked to be steward of the Stormlands in Orys's stead. Jon readily accepts. In the same year, Jon's first grandchild Ravella is born.
13 AC: Jon sends his son Harlan and his family to Dorne during the war in the Stepstones to act as his diplomatic envoy. The war in the Stepstones is a success and the Stormlands gains some of the islands under Tarth and Estermont.
15 AC: Jon loses his son Harlan and his brother Ormund in the Kingswood massacre. He declares the entire year a year of mourning in the Stormlands, no tournaments or parties are to be held.
17 AC: Assassins disguised as bandits attempt to kill Jon Wylde on the road. He and his guards slaughter them all instead. No one ever found out who hired the assassins.
20 AC: Another assassination attempt that failed. The assassin was tortured until he admitted he was hired by members of a noble house in the Stormlands. Jon Wylde has the second and third sons of that house killed in a public hanging at Storm’s End.
23 AC: Another assassin makes an attempt on Jon Wylde’s life and poisons his supper. There is a mix up and Jon Wylde’s wife, Cassandra Tarth, is killed instead. This assassin was the only one who was never found.
25 AC: Current day. Jon Wylde is traveling to King’s Landing for the festivities and has encouraged all lords and ladies of the Stormlands to join him.
House Wylde

Ravella Wylde, AC

Name and House: Ravella Wylde, House Wylde
Age: 18
Cultural Group: Stormlander
Appearance: A young woman, now grown, Ravella has the height of her grandfather standing at an impressive 5' and 9''. She has an athletic build after years of riding horses and hawking in the rain wood. Her skin is pale and smooth with no blemishes. Shiny black hair frames her face, always pulled back in a long braid. Her eyes are amber brown in color and framed by long lashes. She tends to wear more simple gowns but wont hesitate to show off if the occasion calls for it.
Trait: Ruthless
Skill(s): Devious (E), Animal Taming
Talent(s): Dancing, Hawking, Horse Riding
Negative Trait(s): N/A
Starting Title(s): Heiress of Rain House
Starting Location: Opening event
Alternate Characters: if I try to alt this iteration someone shoot me
7 AC: Ravella is born to two loving parents! Her grandfather becomes steward of the Stormlands.
13 AC: Ravella moves to Sunspear with her mother and father for a short while. She makes friends with Nymia Martell while she's there.
14 AC: Late in the year Ravella and her family move back to the Stormlands.
15 AC: Ravella is still in Rain House when news comes of her father's death in the Kingswood massacre. As an 8 year old it takes her a while to process what it means for her father to be dead.
16 AC: Ravella's mother becomes more distant and stops taking care of her, spending most of her day locked in her room in bed. Her grandmother takes over her care.
19 AC: Ravella's father begins grooming her to take over as his heir one day. She begins learning all sorts of things from her maester, from numbers and writing to history and geography.
23 AC: Ravella's heart breaks once more when her grandmother is killed. She takes it just as hard as her grandfather but neither one of them shows it.
24 AC: She begins sneaking off into the rain wood more and more often to get away from the pressure of her duties.
25 AC: She goes to King's Landing to attend the Princes birthday celebrations.

NPCs

Tristan Wylde Warrior (Swords)

• Jon's oldest living son.

Lyonel Wylde Castellan

• Jon's youngest son.

Coryanne Wylde Medic

• Jon's youngest daughter.

I am a teaching assistant. I’ve been 19 for a reasonably short amount of time. I work while taking community college courses, and have $11117 in my savings account from my job (was a sub, am now an assistant and have been one since January. Next month I receive a dollar raise, becoming an assistant means I work daily. I should have more saved after I’ve been paid through the end of this month.) I’m admittedly not positive that this is what I see myself doing for my entire life, but also don’t know what I want to major in and am partly here because it’s supposed to be a learning experience for me.
I have grown up in, and still live in, an area that has a very large white population (and a sizable population of one specific non-white ethnic group that is not black. I am from a place that has a low population of black people.) I am a black woman who is from a low income family, and have grown up in an apartment complex (my parents allow me to live with them and not pay rent, which is what has helped me save my money.) I look: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6IR_UzLjTM/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== and https://www.instagram.com/p/C6z0F4bptE4/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== and https://www.instagram.com/p/C6IW3nlLufV/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
I have noticed, ever since graduating from high school, that I am no longer terribly attracted to white men. I pass average looking white men on the street, and there’s no attraction present. I have felt attraction toward average and above looking black men, particularly those who are dark skinned, although I felt very strong attraction toward a light skinned 1/2 black 1/2 white boy in my senior year of high school (had colored eyes and was commonly considered to be above average/conventionally attractive. I also had a crush on another mixed boy who was slightly above average as a freshman, yet average by the time he was a junior - I was no longer attracted to him after he became average, and also started to dislike him because he had criticized my physical appearance behind my back.) The non-black men I have been attracted to were Mexican/Latino, yet were typically above average (I occasionally feel attraction toward an average looking Mexican/Latino man. Occasionally.) I will admit that I am very specific about what I like. I have found Jake Gyllenhaal attractive (about two years ago I was wildly attracted to him when watching Donnie Darko,) and had a crush on David Bowie in middle school, but think I was more attracted to white men then than I am now. My only boyfriend, two years ago, was black, and was what I think of as average looking. The white men I have typically been attracted to have had blonde hair and blue eyes, but I don’t know why.
I’m introverted. I do have to interact with people because of the nature of my job, but I have no friends. Whenever I am not working, I generally watch television (as of right now, that has typically been “Laverne and Shirley” and “twilight zone” - I’ve actually been marathoning twilight zone every year since I was about 11 or 12 ever since my middle school science teacher turned on two episodes, “eye of the beholder” and “number 12 looks just like you” for our class. I’ve always wanted to introduce a group of youth to the series in that manner, because I remember that it actually got me hooked on the series.)
Black men in my area typically take out and prefer white women, or otherwise seem to be colorists. In high school, I remember that black boys specifically dating white girls was a “thing.” I don’t really tend to receive attention in my area, I have not received any attention this year.
View Poll

Campaign of Fur & Fang
Act:1 We are here for you “To be honest with you Mr. Speaker, as representative of my fair species, I must inform you and everyone at home watching this debate, that the Lycans only wish to help humanity with our gifts. We are here for you. Yes, times are very scary, especially for the human population that sees not one but two of cultures most feared mythical creatures in the fresh and not just frightening tales and big budget motion pictures”.
(The Rep. of the Lycans, Mr.Olaf Corvin starts the proceedings strong with a voice that demands one’s attention with his deep soothing tunes and leadership-like inflections)
“Why thank you, Mr. Corvin, for your small intro, as we all know, we are here tonight for a debate of most importance. According to the peace treaty signed by both the Lycanthrope and the Empusa. A treaty that ended thousands of years of bloodshed and horror that came into focus for humanity in the past 50 years. Both Lycans and Empusas decided that their treaty was holding both sides at bay but no more, both sides came to a way to end this fighting once and for all. Oddly enough, you both decided on a campaign in the vein of an election, one that is between the Empusa, vampires for the common human knowledge, and the Lycanthropes also known as werewolves. This will consist of a 3-night debate between Mr. Olaf Corvin for the Lycans and Ms.Elisabetha Harkin for the Empusa. At the end of the 3 nights, humanity will vote on either side on who is the dominant species, thus eliminating the other and holding power over us all. This first night will be for Mr. Corvin and the Lycan’s then the 2nd night will go to Ms. Harkin for her argument for the empusa. This being the first night we shall start with you, Mr. Corvin. So I’ll start with the question all of humankind wants to know. Just why did you and your kind think we (humans) should vote for you since we have dealt with werewolves for decades, that we know of at least? Do we have a chance in hell, pardon my speech, of continued existence”?
(The Speaker is direct and surprisingly unnerved by the intense presence of Mr. Corvin being, his stare alone is enough to make your hair stand on end.)
“First off, Thank you all for your cooperation, I know this is uncommon for anyone let alone all of you watching here and at home. So to answer your first part, Mr. Speaker, I have seen centuries of bloody battles both as a human and as a Lycan and one thing has remained constant, no matter who is doing the fighting, blood on both sides will fall and innocent lives will be lost to the violence…to end that I felt this was the better more humane way to go about it.
“So, Mr. Corvin, are you saying that this “Debate” is to determine who is to RULE over all of humanity and use us as nothing more than food and labor”?
“No, both the lycans and empusa met on neutral ground and under special conditions to ensure that no side had an advantage over the other and to hopefully come to a fair compromise to ending the rivalry that has hindered not just the Lycans, not just the empusa Mr. Speaker…but all that calls Gaia home. To the concern and the outlook for humans, do not worry, for we do not condone forced labor among anybody, although if humans wish to share in culture and knowledge we are more than willing to. We wish and welcome it. As for food, hmm, yes we do eat…meat but that's not to mean that we strictly eat humans, on the contrary many of my kind eat animals and most vegetation that the great Gaia provides us all. Not unlike humans do. Don’t forget Mr. Speaker, we lycans have learned to live among humans for generations and hope to continue to do so. Only this time, not to hide what we are and grow together”.
“Well said Mr. Corvin but on the point of what you just said about living with humans for generations. You and others have heard the legends and stories regarding depictions of were…excuse me, Lycans, throughout history and in many different cultures. My question for you is, of most of these claims and even eyewitness accounts of your kind…SLAUGHTERING humans by the thousands in the name of your God Gaia, some as recent as decades ago right here in the country alone. How can we (humans) expect to co-exist with the Lycans after all their destructive actions”?
“The horrors that humanity has both witnessed and have been a part of are not unknown to my kind. We (Lycans) want to set the record straight, as you humans have said. History has been looking at us Lycans as like a plague, a horrifying virus that is contracted through a bite on a full moon, all that isn’t true. You won’t be turned through a bite or a scratch for us. To be one of us, you must first denoise all ties to materials, all bonds for greed, to truly understand freedom…the true freedom of no restrictions to your bond to the Almighty Gaia for she has given us this blessed freedom. Us, yes my family, my pack if you will, have seen the glory of Gaia on that glorious day so many many centuries ago when she took pity on my ancestors. Seeing them in chains of iron, beaten by their masters with barbed whips and prodded with their silver-tipped rods, the great Gaia saw out of all this display of cruelty and hatred that she began to weep”. (Corvin stops and takes a minute to compose himself, turning away slightly from the crowd hiding a small swell of tears.)
“Are you telling me... that to be counted among your kind, to become a Lycan in your community one simply can’t just be bitten but has to fully give themselves over to your way of life? That is truly a far cry from the movie monsters of old have portrayed. It sounds like it is more than some affection contracted from a bite or a curse, sounds like it’s more of a religious act than anything. What is the history of your kind then? Help us understand what the path of Gaia means and how it’s the true path to walk in life”.
“Well, Mr. Speaker, the first thing to learn from us is that under the guiding hand of Gaia, we (Lycans) have lived together with no sense of division amongst our own. No civil wars between ourselves, no reason to, when we all share a common goal of pleasing the great Gaia. Her ways are not strange to anyone honestly, she first bestowed these charges to our progenitor, my father, over 324,000 moon phases ago. It was on that night my father fell in battle against his rival and at that moment, she gave him a choice. Either turn away from the folly of the false gods and temptations of man and follow the path of her grace and in doing so will unite him with his enemies and end the wars that drove them to kill and taint the grounds of her body, or to simply deny her and embrace the world as one big lie and die alone on the ground and to be nothing more but a footnote of the grand story yet to be told”.
“So he chose her over death, to be her devoted one. Her avatar to bring out and show that she is the way to peace and prosperity. Whereas others only want to destroy and claim pieces of her through war and death. She gives it freely to her children. That is what it means to be one of us. Unlike my opposition, who brings death to all, they have the sink of death on them and should not be allowed to continue…I’m sorry Mr. Speaker. I wish to not have it end the way they offer and truly wish for peace for all who LIVE…and share the gift that has given my kind such a grander way of life”.
(Corvin drinks something from his ornate flask & after a moment makes his claim for why his kind should win over the Vampires)
“To all of those who still don’t wish to join us or are skeptical, Let me make it plain as spring rain. We offer you no chains or servitude, we offer you a way to live by us not under. If you decide to choose us over them I promise you this…People will live and live well within. But, I do warn you all, if you do choose Gaia and her gifts, they come with rules and rules that help with holding everlasting peace. Rules are what separates us from the savageness that has been shown by others not blessed by Gaia. Rules are fairly simple to practice”.
( The Rules Corvin laid out were as he said, simple, yet I fear they are not ones easily practiced among most humans. 1. All those who reside on blessed Gaia must swear an oath to not cause her any harm, which includes pollution of any kind. 2. All who receive Gaia’s blessing are to at no point shed the blood of her blessed ones.[Lycan] 3. Once a year an offering to Gaia is MANDATORY. Anything offered up must be prepared for her glory and must be taken with the utmost respect and care. (examples from anything from a blood offering to a prized crop of that year.)
“With this, I offer you true purpose and a life worth living. No more war, no more famine, or even the threat of a short mortal life can be a distant dream with the gift of Gaia”.
“I’m sorry to repeat myself Mr. Corvin, but are you telling us that if we choose you we will no longer be humans? Forgive me sir, but if the humans out there didn’t want and refuse this “gift of Gaia” as you call it, then what comes of them”?
“Mr. Speaker, make no mistake, Not everyone is a good fit for most humans and the gift Gaia offers is not something easily given, but rest assured that we do not wish to persecute nor do we have any intention of hurting anyone without cause. If you don’t have the gift or refuse it as you say, Mr. Speaker, we simply wish to not have the continued harm that has already been done to our beloved Gaia. we will cease all harmful pollution that all your factories, workshops, and all the mining, It all ends under our rule. Life will return to simpler times When the sky above wasn’t flooded with false lights made to blind you from the glory of the stars that blanket Gaia like a grand tapestry”.
“So, you are saying you would see an end to all of our functionality, as we know life, and drive us back centuries in technology and advancements in medicine? This feels like a subject that would cause much strife among humans, it may even be fair to say that this declaration you just put out there, might just make you seem more of a threat to what we hold dear. Forget about phones, the internet, and neon lights. What about the people whose very life is prolonged through this technology? Like a child who lives on dialysis or in a village somewhere far away, that has no access to fresh water or healthcare that would help them. Are you telling me that under your rule as a Higher species, what you offer us is a fair replacement”?
“The simple answer to that Mr. Speaker is yes. But I’ll go a bit further in explaining it for you and everyone watching here and at home. To all those who are fearful for your life as you know it, when the rule of the Lycans is secured, our first action is repairing as much damage as possible including the humans that are at the worst. The ones who are forgotten by their own but not so easily forgotten by our blessed mother Gaia, will be the ones who have earned the gift of Gaia. She has spoken of this directly, she sees all and has a place for the ones no one loves, the ones life has done wrong by. She will embrace them and on to her, they will find peace. As for their practice, you humans have done in the name of “progress” need not fear either. We will not cut your way so swiftly, we will show you the better path through example and have you see that your harmful, hateful ways that have been around since Cain threw the first stone are not the true ways to live on Gaia. Don’t think you will continue this without a gilding hand. We will be that guiding hand and as the hand of Gaia, you will see your harmful ways are not worth the cost”.
“Thank you, Mr. Corvin, for your time tonight. We sure have a lot to reflect on with what you say. The people here, myself included, have never truly given enough thought about just how much we harm the planet…Gaia, my apologies. Your words stir quite a few mixed feelings for us and your proposal is one we shall very much consider. Just one last question before we adjourn for the week. If/When the Lycans take full control, do you plan on completely whipping out the opposition”?
{Corvin lowers his head and looks at his soal powered wrist watch and then drinks again from his ornate flask]
“To that I have only one thing to say” {Corvin smiles and looks directly into the hard camera as it zooms in closer, more distinct features show on Corvin's face. Bushy yet maintained brow that is furrowed into an angle that shows his distaste for his vampire opposite.}
“To my opponent, our agreement will stand whether we win or lose this race but win we win and WE WILL WIN. We expect you and all your kind to do what is promised and hand yourselves over to us so that we can return you to the embrace of Gaia that all your kind has turned away from. Yes, Gaia has not forgotten you as well. She sees all and will welcome you with open arms. Thank you all for your time and my Gaia bless you all”.
{Corvin waves and walks off stage right as the curtain draws and the crowd murmurs and scatters. We truly have some thinking to do and I for one will say that sleep for me tonight will not come to me easy, that for sure. That’s going to conclude our broadcast here come back in a fortnight when we have the pleasure of hosting the Representative for the Vampires, Ms.Elisabetha Harkin.}

Before I start, hi mods, I’m practically begging you to keep this up, I have nobody to talk to about this at all and nobody that wants to for that matter. I really need this, it’s my last resort. Please. My account is basically a burner for when I need it, hence the lack of karma. Not a bot I swear lol.
Anyhow, hi, I’m rein- a 20 year old woman. Sometimes I don’t feel like a woman… more like a girl, especially when I second guess my ability to cope with stressful situations such as this. I used to like dogs up until maybe fifteen… that’s the age my mom got rid of our small senior dog to get two new puppies. An English bulldog and a German shepherd. This was also the age I got perused on my horse by three pitbulls. When I tell this story, nobody believes me at this part: but when my horse got tired from running and threw me off into some bushes, I watched her turn around when I regained my composure, stand her ground in front of me and fight off the pitbulls, until two of the three grabbed her throat and tore it out right in front of me. The third one ran away and got shot by police. I truly believe my horse, who was going to get put down a. Week later (she was old, scheduled euthanasia. It was gonna be our last, peaceful ride together.) saved me. I left with only a concussion and trauma. The other two shits died. My horse was a heavy Belgian draft mare, her huge hooves made quick work of them- but not quick enough. She was old and tired.
Anyhow. I hated dogs ever since. All of them. But especially pitbulls. The new ones at the time my mom got would further cement this in my brain.
It’s absolutely a nightmare to live with them day to day. I’m always woken up early in the morning by claws ticking on the wood floors. I’m in the basement, so I can hear it through the ceiling. I can also hear the bulldog snoring and struggling to breathe through the ceiling. I’m autistic. Noises such as these make me want to scream, cry, or punch someone. Another noise like this is the constant barking, at the same people every single day. When I get woken up by that, I genuinely have panic attacks. My heart starts racing and I can’t stop it.
The house is a constant mess. It smells like pee, always, because no matter how much we let the malformed excuse of a creature bulldog out he will go out of his way to pee on everything. Theres hair everywhere (my parents let them on the furniture and in beds) everything stinks, it’s embarrassing when people come over and you can just see in their face they know it smells. My clothes are constantly found and chewed (I’m not allowed privacy. The dogs can get my stuff.)
On top of this, they’re both aggressive. I can’t walk into the kitchen without getting my legs bitten and the slippers of my feet grabbed (sometimes along with my foot) my mom says it’s because they sense the devil in me. My parents think I’m the worst person alive because I actively voice my dislike for them often, because living in this house makes me sad and disgusted. Of course there’s more to it than the dogs but this isn’t the sub for that. They’re a big part tho. The bulldog once attacked my brother, grabbed onto his junk and wouldn’t let go one day. My grandma had to use excessive force to get him off and she still had to pry his jaw with all her strength off. My brother almost died because of the blood loss. Vascular area, if you get my drift. He has a bite history, lots of bite history, but all the people he bitten must of been dogs nuts too because they never got reported.
Same: The German shepherd lunges at random people and attacks our guests at Christmas parties. People laugh it off. She knocked my Baki (Croatian grandma) off my deck, broke her finger and ran my dad over on the ice rink. He hit his head so hard falling backwards I thought he died.
One time I wrote a whole document trying to explain my feelings in thorough detail. I spent months on it, practically begging my parents to get rid of them. How it would make all of us happier and healthier. I was called selfish and beaten by my mom. I snuck out that day and sat on the train tracks. But when I heard it coming, I chickened out. People saw me. Nobody tried to help. They just took pictures.
I have been depressed for a long time. I recently got diagnosed with bpd too. People say therapy dogs are healing, but dogs are the opposite for me. I want to move out and be independent, but I royally fucked up my life in my early teens- giving me 10k in debt. Because of my mental issues, I also genuinely can’t hold a job because I can’t handle working. Or understand basic labour concepts, I’m dumb. I’m just dumb. I can’t do anything. I’ll never be able to escape these dogs in this economy, I can’t have my quiet clean life like I want. I concluded a few days ago that ending my life is the only option. Point blank. It’s not worth it to try. Try to pay off my debt, find work, even if I do I’ll be well past my 20’s and even lawyers in my country are struggling to make ends meet. Me, who can’t even find basic work, will not be able to make ends meet. Ever.
Why did it have to be me. Why do I have to live with these hellspawn and also be fucked up on top of it. Where’s the fucking funny in this joke.

I had some more weird shit happen last night.
I took my two dogs for walks, I normally walk Fin toward the park where I have had these experiences, and I walk Booger the other direction toward downtown.
On my walk with Fin, about a block away in the direction I was headed, I saw 3 or 4 deer calmly walking toward the park. Most nights where something "weird" happens to me start like this. The deer seemed completely unbothered by me as I approached. They kept walking toward the park but stopped every few steps to look back at me, as if they wanted me to follow them. Then, as Fin and I reached where the deer were, I notice about 10 or more other deer waiting as well. They all start walking together, calm, but still looking back at me every few feet. On my way toward the park i smell the stench of rotting meat, I know the smell very well as I used to be a butcher. It was strong. Like someone plugged my nostrils with rotting ground meat or something. At the same time I smell this stench, I get the chills. Fin's hair stands up and he gets more nervous. I can feel the air around me get colder.
As we continue walking I look down an alleyway that cuts the block in half and, if you would walk down the dark alley, would spot you out where I eventually walk back home. I was two blocks away from the park, when you reach the park you can either turn around and walk down the same road, you can continue into the park, or you can continue on the road which turns left. Looking down that alleyway you are looking at the part of the road that continues left, which is the way I take every night on my way back home.
What I saw I tried to convince myself wasn't real or maybe I just saw something else and my brain tried to convince me it was this.
A large, muscular, pale, hairless, creature (?) that was moving fast. So fast I could barely see it, I saw the motion down the alley about two blocks away. The exit of the alley on that side has a street light directly above it, it wasn't standing still, it was moving and it was moving fast. The only reason I'm positive what I saw wasn't deer or something normal is because of something I saw later that night that I will write about when I talk about my walk with Booger. It solidified that what I saw was something I wasn't supposed to see.
In the meantime I convinced myself I was making stuff up and being a pussy. As we approach the treeline of the park, the large group of deer move to the side of the street where the neighborhood is, while I'm on the side with the treeline. I noticed something in the clearing. A lone deer, separate from the large group across the street, staring directly at me.
I have my flashlight pointed at him, and I even hung up my call with my wife to use my phone to take video of this moment.
This lone deer doesn't even have micro movements from breathing. The other deer across the street were constantly readjusting.
You might be thinking to yourself "oh yeah, deer do that with bright lights shining at them. Deer in headlights always act like that." Just wait.
Fin starts to pull very hard and acts anxious, nearly knocking me over, I turn to look across the street towards the large group of deer for at most 3 seconds before quickly turning around to face the lone deer again.
In those 3 seconds, that lone deer is easily 30 feet closer to me, still not moving, staring directly at me. I have this on video, I have pictures. I felt weird, I felt unsafe. I've lived in rural Iowa my whole life, I am and have always lived outdoors. This didn't feel normal. I was scared.
I back away while shining my light at the deer, once I get a block or so away, he finally turns around and calmly walks into the tree line.
The whole way home I feel like I'm being stalked, not just watched, but like something is following me.
Here is a link to that video of the deer getting closer to me: https://youtube.com/shorts/S1l2FRxKO58?si=Dv8362ajs7DR8UWw
Now, I went home and sat for a bit and tried to talk myself into believing it was all coincidence. After nearly 20 minutes, I started to walk Booger, my smaller chi mix.
The entire walk was nice and very enjoyable actually, I had my earbuds in and was talking to my wife about what I saw in a joking way.
"Man I'm such a pussy, I really scared myself for no reason" I said.
At the end of the walk I turn to go down our alleyway, as I leave from the garage on our walks.
I stop speaking from what I saw on the opposite end of the alley. My wife heard me stop.
I want to preface this with I did not have any substances, including alcohol, for weeks up to that point. The most I ever do in that department is a few beers or I'll use some weed to ease anxiety if life is getting hard. I have no mental conditions that will cause me to hallucinate, the most I have is a personality disorder resulting from trauma that I've been overcoming quickly this last year.
I saw two, large, muscular, pale, hairless creatures walking like apes at the end of the alley. The same thing I thought I saw with fin, this time not going fast, much closer, and it felt intentional. I saw them walk across the street very slowly, staring directly at me. These were not deer.
They didn't have long faces like deer, they didn't have fur or tails, they didn't walk like deer. They weren't slender like a deer. My first thought was honestly that I was looking at two hairless male lions. In the middle of Iowa.
I stood there, paralyzed with fear, well after they had left my sight. 15 seconds later, I finally get the courage to walk the few feet into the garage, when I take my first step, I see a third one. Slowly meandering across the street. Staring at me. Booger noticed him too, and started growling.
I ran to the door and watched the garage shut all the way.
The entire night, Fin guarded the bedroom door. He never does that. He sat staring at the door all night. Booger stared at the windows all night. He never does that either.
This happened to me yesterday night, Monday, May 13, 2024.
I don't know what to think.

I had some more weird shit happen last night.
I took my two dogs for walks, I normally walk Fin (large, all black German Shepherd) toward the park where I have had these experiences, and I walk Booger (chi terrier mix) the other direction toward downtown.
On my walk with Fin, about a block away in the direction I was headed, I saw 3 or 4 deer calmly walking toward the park. Most nights where something "weird" happens to me start like this. The deer seemed completely unbothered by me as I approached. They kept walking toward the park but stopped every few steps to look back at me, as if they wanted me to follow them. Then, as Fin and I reached where the deer were, I notice about 10 or more other deer waiting as well. They all start walking together, calm, but still looking back at me every few feet. On my way toward the park i smell the stench of rotting meat, I know the smell very well as I used to be a butcher. It was strong. Like someone plugged my nostrils with rotting ground meat or something. At the same time I smell this stench, I get the chills. Fin's hair stands up and he gets more nervous. I can feel the air around me get colder.
As we continue walking I look down an alleyway that cuts the block in half and, if you would walk down the dark alley, would spot you out where I eventually walk back home. I was two blocks away from the park, when you reach the park you can either turn around and walk down the same road, you can continue into the park, or you can continue on the road which turns left. Looking down that alleyway you are looking at the part of the road that continues left, which is the way I take every night on my way back home.
What I saw I tried to convince myself wasn't real or maybe I just saw something else and my brain tried to convince me it was this.
A large, muscular, pale, hairless, creature (?) that was moving fast. So fast I could barely see it, I saw the motion down the alley about two blocks away. The exit of the alley on that side has a street light directly above it, it wasn't standing still, it was moving and it was moving fast. The only reason I'm positive what I saw wasn't deer or something normal is because of something I saw later that night that I will write about when I talk about my walk with Booger. It solidified that what I saw was something I wasn't supposed to see.
In the meantime I convinced myself I was making stuff up and being a pussy. As we approach the treeline of the park, the large group of deer move to the side of the street where the neighborhood is, while I'm on the side with the treeline. I noticed something in the clearing. A lone deer, separate from the large group across the street, staring directly at me.
I have my flashlight pointed at him, and I even hung up my call with my wife to use my phone to take video of this moment.
This lone deer doesn't even have micro movements from breathing. The other deer across the street were constantly readjusting.
You might be thinking to yourself "oh yeah, deer do that with bright lights shining at them. Deer in headlights always act like that." Just wait.
Fin starts to pull very hard and acts anxious, nearly knocking me over, I turn to look across the street towards the large group of deer for at most 3 seconds before quickly turning around to face the lone deer again.
In those 3 seconds, that lone deer is easily 30 feet closer to me, still not moving, staring directly at me. I have this on video, I have pictures. I felt weird, I felt unsafe. I've lived in rural Iowa my whole life, I am and have always lived outdoors. This didn't feel normal. I was scared.
I back away while shining my light at the deer, once I get a block or so away, he finally turns around and calmly walks into the tree line.
The whole way home I feel like I'm being stalked, not just watched, but like something is following me.
Here is a link to that video of the deer getting closer to me:
https://youtube.com/shorts/S1l2FRxKO58?si=Dv8362ajs7DR8UWw
Now, I went home and sat for a bit and tried to talk myself into believing it was all coincidence. After nearly 20 minutes, I started to walk Booger, my smaller chi mix.
The entire walk was nice and very enjoyable actually, I had my earbuds in and was talking to my wife about what I saw in a joking way.
"Man I'm such a pussy, I really scared myself for no reason" I said.
At the end of the walk I turn to go down our alleyway, as I leave from the garage on our walks.
I stop speaking from what I saw on the opposite end of the alley. My wife heard me stop.
I want to preface this with I did not have any substances, including alcohol, for weeks up to that point. The most I ever do in that department is a few beers or I'll use some weed to ease anxiety if life is getting hard. I have no mental conditions that will cause me to hallucinate, the most I have is a personality disorder resulting from trauma that I've been overcoming quickly this last year.
I saw two, large, muscular, pale, hairless creatures walking like apes at the end of the alley. The same thing I thought I saw with fin, this time not going fast, much closer, and it felt intentional. I saw them walk across the street very slowly, staring directly at me. These were not deer.
They didn't have long faces like deer, they didn't have fur or tails, they didn't walk like deer. They weren't slender like a deer. My first thought was honestly that I was looking at two hairless male lions. In the middle of Iowa.
I stood there, paralyzed with fear, well after they had left my sight. 15 seconds later, I finally get the courage to walk the few feet into the garage, when I take my first step, I see a third one. Slowly meandering across the street. Staring at me. Booger noticed him too, and started growling.
I ran to the door and watched the garage shut all the way.
The entire night, Fin guarded the bedroom door. He never does that. He sat staring at the door all night. Booger stared at the windows all night. He never does that either.
This happened to me yesterday night, Monday, May 13, 2024.
I don't know what to think.

I had some more weird shit happen last night.
I took my two dogs for walks, I normally walk Fin (large, all black German Shepherd) toward the park where I have had these experiences, and I walk Booger (chi terrier mix) the other direction toward downtown.
On my walk with Fin, about a block away in the direction I was headed, I saw 3 or 4 deer calmly walking toward the park. Most nights where something "weird" happens to me start like this. The deer seemed completely unbothered by me as I approached. They kept walking toward the park but stopped every few steps to look back at me, as if they wanted me to follow them. Then, as Fin and I reached where the deer were, I notice about 10 or more other deer waiting as well. They all start walking together, calm, but still looking back at me every few feet. On my way toward the park i smell the stench of rotting meat, I know the smell very well as I used to be a butcher. It was strong. Like someone plugged my nostrils with rotting ground meat or something. At the same time I smell this stench, I get the chills. Fin's hair stands up and he gets more nervous. I can feel the air around me get colder.
As we continue walking I look down an alleyway that cuts the block in half and, if you would walk down the dark alley, would spot you out where I eventually walk back home. I was two blocks away from the park, when you reach the park you can either turn around and walk down the same road, you can continue into the park, or you can continue on the road which turns left. Looking down that alleyway you are looking at the part of the road that continues left, which is the way I take every night on my way back home.
What I saw I tried to convince myself wasn't real or maybe I just saw something else and my brain tried to convince me it was this.
A large, muscular, pale, hairless, creature (?) that was moving fast. So fast I could barely see it, I saw the motion down the alley about two blocks away. The exit of the alley on that side has a street light directly above it, it wasn't standing still, it was moving and it was moving fast. The only reason I'm positive what I saw wasn't deer or something normal is because of something I saw later that night that I will write about when I talk about my walk with Booger. It solidified that what I saw was something I wasn't supposed to see.
In the meantime I convinced myself I was making stuff up and being a pussy. As we approach the treeline of the park, the large group of deer move to the side of the street where the neighborhood is, while I'm on the side with the treeline. I noticed something in the clearing. A lone deer, separate from the large group across the street, staring directly at me.
I have my flashlight pointed at him, and I even hung up my call with my wife to use my phone to take video of this moment.
This lone deer doesn't even have micro movements from breathing. The other deer across the street were constantly readjusting.
You might be thinking to yourself "oh yeah, deer do that with bright lights shining at them. Deer in headlights always act like that." Just wait.
Fin starts to pull very hard and acts anxious, nearly knocking me over, I turn to look across the street towards the large group of deer for at most 3 seconds before quickly turning around to face the lone deer again.
In those 3 seconds, that lone deer is easily 30 feet closer to me, still not moving, staring directly at me. I have this on video, I have pictures. I felt weird, I felt unsafe. I've lived in rural Iowa my whole life, I am and have always lived outdoors. This didn't feel normal. I was scared.
I back away while shining my light at the deer, once I get a block or so away, he finally turns around and calmly walks into the tree line.
The whole way home I feel like I'm being stalked, not just watched, but like something is following me.
Here is a link to that video of the deer getting closer to me:
https://youtube.com/shorts/S1l2FRxKO58?si=Dv8362ajs7DR8UWw
Now, I went home and sat for a bit and tried to talk myself into believing it was all coincidence. After nearly 20 minutes, I started to walk Booger, my smaller chi mix.
The entire walk was nice and very enjoyable actually, I had my earbuds in and was talking to my wife about what I saw in a joking way.
"Man I'm such a pussy, I really scared myself for no reason" I said.
At the end of the walk I turn to go down our alleyway, as I leave from the garage on our walks.
I stop speaking from what I saw on the opposite end of the alley. My wife heard me stop.
I want to preface this with I did not have any substances, including alcohol, for weeks up to that point. The most I ever do in that department is a few beers or I'll use some weed to ease anxiety if life is getting hard. I have no mental conditions that will cause me to hallucinate, the most I have is a personality disorder resulting from trauma that I've been overcoming quickly this last year.
I saw two, large, muscular, pale, hairless creatures walking like apes at the end of the alley. The same thing I thought I saw with fin, this time not going fast, much closer, and it felt intentional. I saw them walk across the street very slowly, staring directly at me. These were not deer.
They didn't have long faces like deer, they didn't have fur or tails, they didn't walk like deer. They weren't slender like a deer. My first thought was honestly that I was looking at two hairless male lions. In the middle of Iowa.
I stood there, paralyzed with fear, well after they had left my sight. 15 seconds later, I finally get the courage to walk the few feet into the garage, when I take my first step, I see a third one. Slowly meandering across the street. Staring at me. Booger noticed him too, and started growling.
I ran to the door and watched the garage shut all the way.
The entire night, Fin guarded the bedroom door. He never does that. He sat staring at the door all night. Booger stared at the windows all night. He never does that either.
This happened to me yesterday night, Monday, May 13, 2024.
I don't know what to think.

Location: Boone, IA, USA
I had some more weird shit happen last night.
I took my two dogs for walks, I normally walk Fin (large, all black German Shepherd) toward the park where I have had these experiences, and I walk Booger (chi terrier mix) the other direction toward downtown.
On my walk with Fin, about a block away in the direction I was headed, I saw 3 or 4 deer calmly walking toward the park. Most nights where something "weird" happens to me start like this. The deer seemed completely unbothered by me as I approached. They kept walking toward the park but stopped every few steps to look back at me, as if they wanted me to follow them. Then, as Fin and I reached where the deer were, I notice about 10 or more other deer waiting as well. They all start walking together, calm, but still looking back at me every few feet. On my way toward the park i smell the stench of rotting meat, I know the smell very well as I used to be a butcher. It was strong. Like someone plugged my nostrils with rotting ground meat or something. At the same time I smell this stench, I get the chills. Fin's hair stands up and he gets more nervous. I can feel the air around me get colder.
As we continue walking I look down an alleyway that cuts the block in half and, if you would walk down the dark alley, would spot you out where I eventually walk back home. I was two blocks away from the park, when you reach the park you can either turn around and walk down the same road, you can continue into the park, or you can continue on the road which turns left. Looking down that alleyway you are looking at the part of the road that continues left, which is the way I take every night on my way back home.
What I saw I tried to convince myself wasn't real or maybe I just saw something else and my brain tried to convince me it was this.
A large, muscular, pale, hairless, creature (?) that was moving fast. So fast I could barely see it, I saw the motion down the alley about two blocks away. The exit of the alley on that side has a street light directly above it, it wasn't standing still, it was moving and it was moving fast. The only reason I'm positive what I saw wasn't deer or something normal is because of something I saw later that night that I will write about when I talk about my walk with Booger. It solidified that what I saw was something I wasn't supposed to see.
In the meantime I convinced myself I was making stuff up and being a pussy. As we approach the treeline of the park, the large group of deer move to the side of the street where the neighborhood is, while I'm on the side with the treeline. I noticed something in the clearing. A lone deer, separate from the large group across the street, staring directly at me.
I have my flashlight pointed at him, and I even hung up my call with my wife to use my phone to take video of this moment.
This lone deer doesn't even have micro movements from breathing. The other deer across the street were constantly readjusting.
You might be thinking to yourself "oh yeah, deer do that with bright lights shining at them. Deer in headlights always act like that." Just wait.
Fin starts to pull very hard and acts anxious, nearly knocking me over, I turn to look across the street towards the large group of deer for at most 3 seconds before quickly turning around to face the lone deer again.
In those 3 seconds, that lone deer is easily 30 feet closer to me, still not moving, staring directly at me. I have this on video, I have pictures. I felt weird, I felt unsafe. I've lived in rural Iowa my whole life, I am and have always lived outdoors. This didn't feel normal. I was scared.
I back away while shining my light at the deer, once I get a block or so away, he finally turns around and calmly walks into the tree line.
The whole way home I feel like I'm being stalked, not just watched, but like something is following me.
Here is a link to that video of the deer getting closer to me:
https://youtube.com/shorts/S1l2FRxKO58?si=Dv8362ajs7DR8UWw
Now, I went home and sat for a bit and tried to talk myself into believing it was all coincidence. After nearly 20 minutes, I started to walk Booger, my smaller chi mix.
The entire walk was nice and very enjoyable actually, I had my earbuds in and was talking to my wife about what I saw in a joking way.
"Man I'm such a pussy, I really scared myself for no reason" I said.
At the end of the walk I turn to go down our alleyway, as I leave from the garage on our walks.
I stop speaking from what I saw on the opposite end of the alley. My wife heard me stop.
I want to preface this with I did not have any substances, including alcohol, for weeks up to that point. The most I ever do in that department is a few beers or I'll use some weed to ease anxiety if life is getting hard. I have no mental conditions that will cause me to hallucinate, the most I have is a personality disorder resulting from trauma that I've been overcoming quickly this last year.
I saw two, large, muscular, pale, hairless creatures walking like apes at the end of the alley. The same thing I thought I saw with fin, this time not going fast, much closer, and it felt intentional. I saw them walk across the street very slowly, staring directly at me. These were not deer.
They didn't have long faces like deer, they didn't have fur or tails, they didn't walk like deer. They weren't slender like a deer. My first thought was honestly that I was looking at two hairless male lions. In the middle of Iowa.
I stood there, paralyzed with fear, well after they had left my sight. 15 seconds later, I finally get the courage to walk the few feet into the garage, when I take my first step, I see a third one. Slowly meandering across the street. Staring at me. Booger noticed him too, and started growling.
I ran to the door and watched the garage shut all the way.
The entire night, Fin guarded the bedroom door. He never does that. He sat staring at the door all night. Booger stared at the windows all night. He never does that either.
This happened to me yesterday night, Monday, May 13, 2024.
I don't know what to think.