My husband (27M) and I (38M) are doing a trip across Europe at the moment. He’s American and I’m British and we reside mostly in the UK. We’ve had experiences with boomers (too many experiences) but our travels across Europe have been something else.
95% of these boomers were, it seemed, American.
Ok some examples. Brace yourself. Here we go:

1. Venice. A city of tiny islets connected by bridges and where water taxis, gondolas and walking over bridges is commonplace. On approaching a very narrow bridge, I noticed a clump of people. As we got closer I saw a woman shouting, and then I heard her. She’s American, standing with her arms outstretched as to block access and she was SCREAMING: “Don’t walk on this bridge!! WE ARE TAKING PHOTOS ON OUR CELLPHONES!” Behind her, her friends were all posing while simultaneously struggling to operate their phones. Obviously people were just ignoring her, so she’s becoming irate. By the time we got to her I can’t help myself (I never have been able to) so I said: “Get fucked lady.” I think my backpack might have hit her as I pushed past her. Ooops.
2. At a water taxi station, a group of 8 or so boomers didn’t have the correct tickets to scan to get on the taxi taxi so they just PUSHED the ticket barriers until they gave way so they could board. This was noticed by the taxi boat staff, however, and they the departure of the boat was delayed while they had to phone the police.
3. On a taxi gondola (one that goes directly across a canal, not one that takes you on a romantic tour) a boomer boarded after us. The ‘driver’ tells him in clear English to sit down. He doesn’t comply, instead choosing to parade up and down causing the gondola to destabilise and even for water to come aboard, even before we’ve left the port. He has the absolute temerity to tell the driver to “KEEP THIS THING STEADY! I'M TRYING TO TAKE PHOTOS YOU IDIOT!” The driver tells him to either sit down or leave. He reluctantly obeys but as he sits down mutters something like “… won the second world war!”
4. We went to an ultra high end restaurant on our final night in Venice and at the table next to us are a couple of American boomers. The man had a very unusual complexion, looking like he’s spent far too long in the sun. When their bill came, he threw a FIT because they won’t accept AmEx. “This is FUCKING OUTRAGEOUS!” He screams at the waiter who is about 18 and doesn’t really understand what is being said to him. “WE USE THIS CARD ALLL THE TIME AT HOME!” I leaned over and said: “Errrrrr, so in Europe AmEx isn’t often accepted because of the very high transaction fees. Perhaps you could-“ to which he snapped at me: “Mind your own fucking business! Nobody asked you or your boyfriend.”
5. In Zürich, we had to contend with a boomer who kept getting in the way of us taking photos. It was like he was deliberately standing in our way. At one point he seemed to almost accidentally touch my husband. Eventually I said: “hey bro, we’re trying to take a picture of us together. Can you give us some room?” To which he snapped: “You don’t own this hill you know!!”
6. We had a 7 hour train journey from one country to another. We had a first class reservation. Once we boarded, we found two boomer couples sitting around a table, which our two seats were part of. I explained we had a reservation. One of them said: “Well you can’t have, we have this table.” I produced the reservation and said: “You can clearly see it says we are in this coach, in first class, in these seats. Can I see YOUR reservation?” They refused, with the man from the other couple saying: “You don’t even look like you can afford first class tickets, son. Why don’t you run along before I get security?” I turned to my husband and said: “Go and get someone.” He did so, and they spend the next 15 minutes berating me, saying I’d be “very embarrassed” when I am told to leave the train. One of them even said: “Yeah they’ll show you up like the poor you are.” Husband returned with ticket inspector who looked at our tickets and then asks them to produce theirs. They argue briefly, and upon being threatened with removal from the train, produce tickets for second class with no reservations. The inspector tells them to leave the first class section “immediately or this will be a matter for the police” (which she said in French so I had the great pleasure of translating). They reluctantly got up to go and made a HUGE huff and puff about it. One of them pulled his bag off a luggage rack and managed to hit a child sitting near the rack with it, and then verbally abused the child’s parents when they dared to complain. At the next stop the train stopped for about 30 minutes and announcements were made that there was an “unexpected delay”. The ticket lady from before came to tell us that the four of them had been asked to leave because of their behaviour in second class, refused to do so, and therefore the police were brought in.
7. In Prague, went to a very old family owned restaurant. One of the family is a university student who happened to get talking to a boomer couple. He’s studying computing science and artificial intelligence. They tell him he is “contributing to the end of humanity”. The male boomer adds: “I was teaching people how to use Microsoft 20 years ago, I know what computers can do! And this is very dangerous….!” Needless to say, this 19 year old who understands only basic English is very confused.
8. In Milan, a boomer couple walked past me in a shop and I heard the woman say: “Fucking useless, this Italy. Everyone here speaks in foreign.”
9. In an airport to travel from Germany to Zürich, a boomer couple decided to start regulating the line to board the jet. They stood in the way of the gate desk, letting only older people past and holding younger people back. I snapped at once: “What are you doing? Get out of the way, man” and as I walked past him I heard “… elders first! Elders first!” When I was on the jet and seated, the wife came up to me ONCE WE WERE IN THE AIR and said I had been “very disrespectful” to her husband and “you are now required to apologise.” My husband, seeing I was on the verge of committing a murder, said: “Look, you got your moment of glory earlier in controlling the queue. Take your pound of flesh and fuck off.” She then snaps: “OR WHAT?” to which my husband calmly replies: “Or we make a complaint right now about your disruptive behaviour onboard an aircraft. Don’t tend to like that, the Swiss.” And then he sits down and instantly puts his AirPods in and turning away from her. I had to look out of the window so she didn’t see me smiling.
10. In Milan we visited a museum showcasing technologies through the ages. It was enormous, and very comprehensive. In one display case they have an original Macintosh from 1984. As I stand looking at it, I became aware of some raised - distinctly American - voices. “What the hell!! Are they saying they MADE the computer?!!? WE MADE THE COMPUTER.” I can’t resist (again) and turn to him and say to this group of 6 boomers: “Actually, ladies and gents, the modern inventor of the computer is Alan Turing, an English guy who broke the German’s Enigma code during World War 2. This Macintosh is here just because of its historical significance-“ I didn’t get any further cos he cut me off with “UGH. So it’s the ENGLISH stealing our tech now!”

I am writing this because we were both have been genuinely taken aback by what we have experienced. I have travelled extensively in Europe and never quite come up against this before, so I don’t know if it means that the Boomer problem is getting worse or what.

Where the body is, the eagles will gather together. - Luke 17:37
Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18, Daniel 7:27)
Still, the demonic realm is fighting against Him and His armies. (Ephesians 6:12, 1 Corinthians 10:20-24, Leviticus 17:7, Psalm 106:37)
They fight for territory in the hearts of men. (Daniel 2:35) Their weapons are lies and warped logic. The battle is to conquer the human soul. (James 1:8, 1 Kings 18:21)
Jesus likened the hearts of mankind to a farmer's field. (Matthew 13:38) The logic we're exposed to has the potential to change us and use us to propagate it. (Mark 4:14, Romans 12:2, Leviticus 18:30) The logic we receive is the seed we're sown with. (Hosea 8:7, 1 John 3:24, Luke 8:15) We discard "propaganda" we don't agree with.
What we propagate, proves who we allowed to sow our hearts. (John 8:42-44, Luke 6:45) Our heavenly Father's logic is the bread-corn, the wheat. (Isaiah 53:10, Hosea 2:23, John 1:12, John 12:24) It benefits life. It's purpose is to sustain life and make it enjoyable. (Isaiah 55:2-3) The enemy's logic is the counterfeit. It looks like wheat at first, but does not pass the test of nourishing others. (Matthew 12:34, Romans 10:2-3, Isaiah 58)
It takes from the common ground and uses the energy it receives to stand tall while it can . It provides nothing of value. (Matthew 13:39, Deuteronomy 32:17)
When a person speaks, it is always to influence the world around them. We are wise to separate from those with bad logic, so that we are not contaminated by it. (Matthew 5:30, Genesis 19:12-13, Isaiah 52:11, 2 Corinthians 6:17)
When the harvest comes, the poisonous weeds are thrown out to keep them from contaminating what is good. (Matthew 13:30, 1 John 3:15-18)
As God's creation, we were made to work together to sustain life. Once sin entered our experience, we became divided. The Bible explains that this division is between the living and the dead. Because God is eternal, He sees death long before we do. His word teaches us to see the spiritual cancer of sin, so we can avoid the death it brings. God made us alive, and He wants us to stay that way. Those who accept our Creator's logic don't unite with this world, they only pass through it. (John 11:26, Hebrews 9:27, Isaiah 57:1, Genesis 5:24) Like harvested grain, our Father saves life-bringers for the age to come. (Luke 17:22-37) When Jesus said, "I am the bread of life," He gave us an example to follow. (John 6:35, John 6:51, Romans 12:1, Psalm 16:7-11, Psalm 17:13-15, Matthew 10:25)
Death is not only a state, it is a system. This system devours itself and anything that gets in its path. Jesus explained how this death-system operates. He said, "Where the corpse, (a body lacking His Spirit) is, there the vultures will be gathered. (Galatians 5:14-15, Proverbs 18:21) A carrion-eater sees something dying and does not help it live. Instead it takes advantage of its neighbor while it can. Those who feed on death are blind to the path of life. (Job 15:14, Matthew 13:15-17, 1Timothy 4:1-2, 2 Corinthians 4:4) Their logic has transformed them and robbed them of truth. (Matthew 13:19, Proverbs 25:26) They thirst for blood like a deer thirsts for water. Their logic is unclean. (Matthew 10:16, Job 39:27-30, Psalm 42:1*)
When Jesus entered the justice system of men, He did so, knowing it would cost His life on earth. (1 Corinthians 4:5, Matthew 16:24-26, Isaiah 53) His sacrifice and example show us how to break free from the system of sin and death. (Luke 9:22-27) Jesus lived out the logic of God and proved it was good when He overcame death. (John 11:25, Genesis 5:24, 2 Kings 2:9-11, Mark 16:6)
This is the good logic that will make us fit for eternity. It is God's prayer - what He asks of us.
Listen, you who rule with God (Shema, Yisrael) (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Mark 12:29-31)
The Lord our God, the Lord is One. (God is not divided by death-bringing logic, this truth is what makes God eternal Numbers 23:19)
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind. (be united with His logic and become eternal John 8:32, John 17:21-26)
And love your neighbor as yourself (treat the body of others as you do your own body. Leviticus 19:18, Ephesians 5:28-30, Deuteronomy 15:7-11, Proverbs 19:17)
Today, if you hear His voice, follow it into a new life with Him. He loves you. He gave up everything to have you with Him forever. There is no better time to separate from death than right now.
Scripture references:
Luke 17:37

Where the body is, the eagles will gather together.

Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
Matthew 28:18 NKJV

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Daniel 7:27 NKJV

27 Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.'

The demonic realm still fights against Messiah's Kingdom in our hearts.
Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

1 Corinthians 10:20-24 NKJV

20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? 23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. 24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being.

Leviticus 17:7 NKJV

7 "They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations." '

Psalm 106:37 NKJV

37 They even sacrificed their sons And their daughters to demons,

Evil influences fight to divide us against God's eternal logic. God's logic of love works to unite us.
Daniel 2:35 NKJV

35 "Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Daniel 2:44-45 NKJV 44 "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. 45 "Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold--the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure."
James 1:8

8 a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.

1 Kings 18:21 NKJV

21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word.

Jesus likened the hearts of man to a farmer's field.
Matthew 13:38 NKJV

38 "The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.

Logic has the power to change us and use us to share it.
Mark 4:14 NKJV

14 "The sower sows the word.

Romans 12:2 NKJV

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Leviticus 18:30 NKJV

30 'Therefore you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the LORD your God.' "

*The logic we receive is the seed we're sown with. We discard "propaganda" we don't agree with.
Hosea 8:7 NKJV

7 "They sow the wind, And reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no bud; It shall never produce meal. If it should produce, Aliens would swallow it up.

1 John 3:24 NKJV

24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Luke 8:15 NKJV

15 "But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

What we propagate, proves who we allowed to seed our hearts.
John 8:42-44 NKJV

42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 "Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

Luke 6:45 NKJV

45 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Our heavenly Father's logic is like the wheat of our field. He supports life and makes it worth living. He makes sacrifices in order to see us thrive.
John 6:51 NKJV

51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

Isaiah 53:10 NKJV

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

Hosea 2:23 NKJV

23 Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they shall say, 'You are my God!' "

John 1:12 NKJV

12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

John 12:24 NKJV

24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

Isaiah 55:2-3 NKJV

2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. 3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you--The sure mercies of David.

The enemy's logic is the counterfeit lifestyle. It entices us to promote ourselves, regardless of whether we preserve and support life.
Matthew 12:34 NKJV

34 "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Romans 10:2-3 NKJV

2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

Isaiah 58:1-14 NKJV

1 "Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins. 2 Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God. 3 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?' "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. 4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. 5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the LORD? 6 "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. 11 The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. 13 "If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, 14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken."

When we fail to recognize community above self-promotion, we drain life of what makes it valuable, without a way to recharge that energy. Selfishness is how we unite with the father of lies and death.
Matthew 13:39 NKJV

39 "The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

Deuteronomy 32:17 NKJV

17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did not fear.

When a person speaks, it is always to influence the world around them. We are wise to separate from those with bad logic, so that we are not contaminated by it.
Matthew 5:30 NKJV

30 "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Genesis 19:12-13 NKJV

12 Then the men said to Lot, "Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city--take them out of this place! 13 "For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it."

Isaiah 52:11 NKJV

11 Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the LORD.

2 Corinthians 6:17 NKJV

17 Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."

When the harvest of our souls comes upon us, those with toxic logic are excluded from the age to come. This is to keep them from bringing death into heaven the way they brought death into the earth.
Matthew 13:30 NKJV

30 'Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' "

1 John 3:15-18 NKJV

15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

Those who accept our Creator's logic don't unite with death, they only pass through it. Some avoid it altogether.
John 11:26 NKJV

26 "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

Hebrews 9:27 NKJV

27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

Isaiah 57:1 NKJV

1 The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil.

Genesis 5:24 NKJV

24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 NKJV

17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Like a farmer harvests grain, our Father saves life-bringers for the age to come.
Luke 17:22-37 NKJV

22 Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 "And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Do not go after them or follow them. 24 "For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. 25 "But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 "They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 "Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 "but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 "Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 "In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. 32 "Remember Lot's wife. 33 "Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it. 34 "I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left. 35 "Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left. 36 "Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left." 37 And they answered and said to Him, "Where, Lord?" So He said to them, "Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

Genesis 25:8 NKJV

8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.

Matthew 13:47-52 NKJV

47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 "which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 "So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 "and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth." 51 Jesus said to them, "Have you understood all these things?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." 52 Then He said to them, "Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old."

When Jesus said, "I am the bread of life," He gave us an example to follow.
John 6:35 NKJV

35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

John 6:51 NKJV

51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

Romans 12:1 NKJV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Psalm 16:7-11 NKJV

7 I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. 8 I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. 10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 17:13-15 NKJV

13 Arise, O LORD, Confront him, cast him down; Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword, 14 With Your hand from men, O LORD, From men of the world who have their portion in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children, And leave the rest of their possession for their babes. 15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Matthew 10:25 NKJV

25 "It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!

Death is a system which devours itself. Jesus explained how this death-system operates. He said, "Where the corpse (a body lacking His Spirit of life) is, there the vultures will be gathered.
Galatians 5:14-15 NKJV

14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Proverbs 18:21 NKJV

21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

A carrion-eater sees something dying and does not help it live. Instead it takes advantage of its neighbor while it can. Those who feed on death are blind to the path of life. Job's "friends" didn't acknowledge God's power to make people holy.
Job 15:14 NKJV

14 "What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous?

Matthew 13:15-17 NKJV

15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.' 16 "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 "for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 NKJV

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

2 Corinthians 4:4 NKJV

4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

Those who accept death as "part of life" cannot break free from sin because of their polluted logic. Garbage in, garbage out. We thirst for what we love.
**Matthew 13:19 NKJV

19 "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

Proverbs 25:26 NKJV

26 A righteous man who falters before the wicked Is like a murky spring and a polluted well.

Matthew 10:16 NKJV

16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Job 39:27-30 NKJV

27 Does the eagle mount up at your command, And make its nest on high? 28 On the rock it dwells and resides, On the crag of the rock and the stronghold. 29 From there it spies out the prey; Its eyes observe from afar. 30 Its young ones suck up blood; And where the slain are, there it is."

Psalm 42:1 NKJV

1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.

When Jesus entered the justice system of men, He did so, knowing it would cost His life on earth. His sacrifice and example show us how to break free from the system of sin and death.
1 Corinthians 4:5 NKJV

5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one's praise will come from God.

Matthew 16:24-26 NKJV

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Isaiah 53:1-12 NKJV

1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked--But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Luke 9:22-27 NKJV

22 saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day." 23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels. 27 "But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."

Jesus lived out the logic of God and proved it was good when He overcame death.
John 11:25 NKJV

25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

Genesis 5:24 NKJV

24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

2 Kings 2:9-11 NKJV

9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?" Elisha said, "Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." 10 So he said, "You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so." 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

Mark 16:6 NKJV

And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.

Jesus' logic makes us fit for eternity. He shows us that love is the only way to live and thrive forever. Jesus is the Word of God. He is the same yesterday, today and forever
Listen, you who rule with God (Shema, Yisrael)
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NKJV

4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Mark 12:29-31 NKJV

29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31 "And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

The Lord our God, the Lord is One. (God is not divided by death-bringing logic, this truth is what makes God eternal.
Numbers 23:19 NKJV

19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind. (be united with His logic and become eternal.)
John 8:32 NKJV

32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

John 17:21-26 NKJV

21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 "I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 "O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 "And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

Love your neighbor as yourself (treat the body of others as you do your own body.)
Leviticus 19:18 NKJV

18 'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

Ephesians 5:28-30 NKJV

28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.

Deuteronomy 15:7-11 NKJV

7 "If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother, 8 "but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs. 9 "Beware lest there be a wicked thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,' and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you give him nothing, and he cry out to the LORD against you, and it become sin among you. 10 "You shall surely give to him, and your heart should not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your works and in all to which you put your hand. 11 "For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.'

Proverbs 19:17 NKJV

17 He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given.

When I was 18 I met my ex-boyfriend (24M), we'll call him Dick. Conveniently I met him at a traphouse as he was selling wed at the time. I was pursuing my bachelors (which I completed) and also started my career in an office job, two completely different worlds. Well, I took a liking to him because he was so my type, I wasn’t necessarily seeking a relationship but I shot my shot very confidently and we fell hard for each other (I’m talking moving into his father’s home a week of knowing each other, ironically his dad was a director with a nice home and it gave me an excuse to move away from my toxic family). We were together 24/7, but things were quite toxic because I guess I was quite immature and insecure (think crazy Latina), and he was not really the best influence. However, we loved each other very much, he was my first love. It became sort of obsession for me. Well 2 years into dating (after we got kicked out of his father’s complex due to fighting and had to move to my mom’s home) we had a huge fight and he left *radio silence. I then found out that he was now dealing with ccaine after hanging around a new group of guys who do the same thing. I had zero self-respect and kept trying to contact him, until I moved out to a nice apartment on my own at 20. We somehow started seeing each other again and he wanted to move in with me, so we got back together, but things were’nt the same. With his newly found job and friends, he started to stay out late nights pretty much every day, I’d find condoms in his bags and ask who they were for, and he said his friends, I’d believe him. I’d find him talking to girls on his phone and I’d confront him, and he always said it’s not what it looks like, they’re just “clients” or “friends”. I 100% believed him, because I could not fathom my best friend is capable of doing this. He started to embarrass me in front of others in public, as if he didn’t want to be around me. My mental health was deteriorating and my anxiety through the roof to the point I can’t breath. One night he never came home and I had a suspicion he was at a hotel, I left home at 3/4am and went to that hotel and saw his car in the parking lot. When he came home the next morning he said he slept by his friends house but later admitted to solicitation for one of his friends but he had nothing to do with it. : So I had enough and got him to share his location. After this he again did not come home and I saw his location was at his father’s house, I went there and waited for them to come out, it was him, his friend who is wanted by police, and two known prostitutes. Despite this, I stayed. Fast forward I am now 24 years old and we are continuing to argue almost on a daily basis at my apartment. I was yearning for his love and felt so alone, he didn’t want to take me anywhere. One Friday night (Sept 2022) I was I wanted to do something with him (I was home alone), he said he was at some bar and I came to meet him. He acted as if I almost never existed. Well, we met two tourists who were his clients and he asked if I can stay at the bar with them and he’ll be back later. : Naturally I got so upset because NO, I don’t want to stay here with these two strangers. Well this led to a huge argument in the car, and eventually it go physical. He ended up pushing me out of the parked car and drove over my leg which ended up being skinned at the back. Then, radio silence. A few days later I found him at my apartment packing up his stuff, I cried. He didn’t care, and he said something along the lines of “that’s why I cheated on you because I don’t care”. Naturally I was heartbroken, but I was tired of chasing him. I was so angry at him for doing me the way he did. I was tired of choosing him over me. So after that day I never contacted him again. A week later I hear that he was seen at a bar with a 17-year-old girl on his lap (he was 27 at this time). In November 2022, he “accidently” messaged me at 5am, but I ignored. I later found out that he was still dating that 17-year-old, and he has been with her I believe on and off since then. In June of 2022 (while we were still together), his buddy was sentenced to 6 years in prison as they found cell phone conversations suggesting he was a cke dealer, his buddy said the police presented many exchanges between him and Dick as they worked together, this resulted in an investigation on Dick which we were unaware about. I told Dick maybe stop altogether and lay low, but no one could stop him. The investigation came to light in 2024, when police informed him of this and put a monitoring device on him while they investigate further. Shortly after, about January 2024, police respond to a tip (apparently by one of the neighbors) that Dick was harboring dugs in a hedge behind their complex. Police found about half a brick and hence a search for Dick ensued. I guess Dick got word of this and so he cut off his monitor and went on the run, he was renting a rural house and stayed there with his gf for months until the police raided the home. They found lbs of ccaine (apparently bricks which I assume a couple kgs), an unlicensed firearm, other hard drgs, and a large quantity of cash. As of February 2024, he has been charged with intent to supply ccaine and tampering with an ankle monitor and has been in remand since then. However, he seems to not be phased at all, which is slightly alarming, as it just shows how much he’s accepted his life now, and it’s almost as though he gets a thrill from this. For context, when we were together he got into a high speed chase with the police and got convicted for supplying marijana, he got 2 years suspended sentence as it was his first ever charges, luckily that night I decided to go out with my gfs instead of joining him. I thank the universe and God for keeping me safe through the 4 years I was with him, because I could have been caught up in the mix. I am grateful that he left me because I wouldn’t have been strong enough to do it on my own, I really do feel like my angels were keeping me safe because it was 4 months after the breakup that police made it known they were onto him, and about 1 year after that he was raided and went to prison. I can’t imagine what would happen had I stayed. Moral of the story, a man can fck your whole life up, so be careful and be strong when you feel something doesn’t feel right listen to your gut feeling. My regret is that I didn’t have the self-respect to leave him on my own, I wish I did and I wish I did it the very first time I knew I should of, it would have spared me a lot of embarrassment. Today, I have a great career and a successful business, I am travelling and in the best shape of my life. My mental state is probably the healthiest it’s ever been and I am now surrounded by positive, healthy people who look out for the best for me. Thank you for listening to my story, I just wanted to get this off my chest.
TL;DR - my ex caused me severe emotional pain and anguish, but now I’m in the healthiest state I have ever been. He is now in prison because of what he did.

Kyoukai Problem

Kyoukai, who was probably the best character in Kingdom in the first half of the manga, has been incredibly stale and static as a character over the last few hundred chapters. She is essentially the secondary lead in the story with Ei Sei sidelined in the war arcs and Karyo Ten simply not as compelling as the other 3 leads, this is unacceptable. It's like Hara has no idea what to do with her and she is only present in the story to interact with Shin or kill cannon fodder, completely stifling her character's potential as one of the all time great characters. Her motivation to fight and remain alongside the HSU is not narratively compelling enough if she is destined to become a 6GG.

Shin doesn't need to kill Houken

Shin killing Houken has no narrative impact beyond avenging Ouki and Duke Hyou. Shin's goal is to become the greatest general under the heavens and killing Houken, who is not even a general, does not further his character or his goals. Barely anyone mentions the fact that he killed Houken and people's view of Shin, allies and enemies alike, remain unchanged after the deed proving that the moment had no long-lasting narrative impact which is horrible considering that it was supposed to be an extraordinary moment. Besides, Shin had already killed two generals in Chougaryuu and Gakuei and had done enough to earn a promotion.

Kyoukai and Houken Parallels

Kyoukai has far more similarities with Houken than Shin does. Early in the story, they were both incredible mystical fighters who have obtained their strength away from the battlefield. They are the two most powerful characters in terms of martial might while simultaneously lacking weight, which is critical in raising their strength. They were both loners who struggle to connect with others, failing to see the value you can gain from others. However their characters diverge when Kyoukai learns to accept her companionship with Shin and the HSU while Houken continues to fail to see Ouki's point and refusing to develop as a person. Given how much Kingdom values "weight" as a concept, Kyoukai should be rewarded for forging her new path while Houken should be punished for refusing to adapt which is far more thematically satisfying than what we got.

What Should've Happened

By simply reversing the sequence of events, this can easily work. Instead, have Shin engage Houken first and have him fail. He is weaker than Kyoukai and should not be able to slay Houken at this point as his "weight" at this point should not be enough to overcome their difference in martial might. Shin puts up a decent fight, gets injured, and gets saved by Kyoukai before Houken can finish him.
Like what happened, Kyoukai and Houken's fight could have commentary by Riboku and Kaine who were watching. While initially shocked by how Kyoukai is beating Houken, Riboku begins to understand what is going on. He explains to Kaine how he can see that Kyoukai has far more conviction in her eyes than Houken does.
From Houken's perspective, he is just as shocked as he can't believe that someone he basically defeated at Bayou has surpassed him in this moment. However, unlike his fights with Ouki, Houken finally learns his lesson in his final moments. He wasn't able to understand why Ouki beat him, but by witnessing the context surrounding Kyoukai's motivation to protect Shin and the others to defeat him, he finally learns his lesson. Ouki's vengeance doesn't come in the form of Shin but by the fact that in Houken's final moments, he finally understands and acknowledges to himself that Ouki was greater. In this way, Houken's character is fully utilized as a tool to illustrate the concept of "weight" and his character development at his very end makes it far more satisfying.

Consequences

Kyoukai needs to kill Houken far more as her biggest kill was Ryuutu who was only a strategist. However, the victory comes with a cost. By going too far in her priestess dance, Kyoukai can no longer access her priestess dance and is nerfed but is still relatively strong.
The consequences to Kyoukai makes Shin extremely guilty for not being able to take out Houken himself. Despite accomplishing a lot, he is incredibly hard on himself fueling his further hungriness and motivation. He feels that he is holding Kyoukai back by keeping her in the HSU and pushes her away to an extent. This puts a strain in their relationship and can explain why they don't officially get together.

Kyoukai's Character Arc

Kyoukai's started as a young, wandering assassin who only lived to fulfill her quest for revenge. Her journey from transforming into an outcast to finding a new family and home in the HSU gave her a reason to live and wish for a future that she could not have imagined. However, that should not be the limit to her goals.
After getting nerfed, she struggles to find her new identity and live up to her newfound reputation. When she loses her ability as one of the best fighters in the world, she loses her self-confidence and must struggle to find ways to overcome it and continue to grow as a general.
To compensate, she would have to grow as a leader, where she is sorely lacking compared to others like the trio. She tends to formulate plans that put herself in high-risk situations rather than rely on others. To overcome this, I think having Kyoukai serve alongside/under Yotanwa in some of the Zhao campaigns would help her grow as leader.
Yotanwa can finally serve a proper role in the narrative as a direct mentor figure to one of the leads instead of a just a plot device and there no better general to learn from to develop leadership skills than Yotanwa. She can gather insight on how Yotanwa was able to unite a ragtag group of mountain tribes into a formidable army. She can teach how she is able to inspire her allies and get the best out of her troops consistently while revealing how she was able to turn previous enemies into allies. Developing this relationship is critical to successfully transform Kyoukai into a 6GG in the future.
However, that is not even the most profound effect it can have on the story. With Qin's wars of unification fully underway, there will be a lot of warriors and generals who will lack purpose once their leaders and states fall. Do they accept their new realities or fight to the death in alongside their generals and countries (most notably, Riboku's vassals)? Their situations are not too different from the time when Kyoukai planned to kill herself after killing Yuuren and join her sister in the afterlife.
To fulfill Kyoukai's character arc, she must realize this and decide to save these folks. She must decide that although they are officially former enemies, these people deserve to be given a future and a new home just like what Shin and the HSU did for her. That new home would be in the form of Kyoukai's army. A large proportion of Kyoukai's army when she reaches 6GG will be formed from warriors of fallen states as well as marginalized groups. This fits in perfectly with Sei's vision for a unified China and Kyoukai's success in forming such an army would be a political and symbolic victory in itself by reaffirming Sei's dream. The obviously challenge would be can Kyoukai actually convince these folks to fight for her and by extension, Qin, their former enemies and this is where Yotanwa's mentorship would come in handy.

The Pitch
It is an Age of Chaos.
Good King Omund is dead, and with him died the rule of law in the land. The Duke of Bedegar is dead, his family ambushed and murdered. The Wild seeks to take back everything that once belonged to it. The remaining dukes fight to preserve what civilization is left, but they are distant and isolated. The roads are in disrepair, danger lurks around every corner.
Ajax, called Invincible, now rules here. He pits the different peoples of Vasloria against each other. Elves and men and dwarves; no one quite trusts anyone. This is Ajax’s goal. Religious institutions are outlawed, their churches left in ruin. The old orders are disbanded or subjugated, few continue their attempts to keep the peace and protect the people. The Iron Saint binds the land.
You are a recently founded band of ratcatchers, problem solvers, necessary but apart from proper society. You overwintered in the inn of the Green Dragon, a quiet place in the town of Arlone, east of Bedegar Keep. Now, with the onset of spring, you can set out again towards fortune, glory, honor, hope, or any other grand imaginings. How did you come to be here? Why can’t you go home and live a normal life? What do you want to make of yourself?
The Caelian Road goes south, the way engulfed by two wodes, a savage wilderness where Elves hunt those who enter. Monsters walk the wood. Civilized people do not go there. To the east lies the Dutchy of Faroe, a narrow pass for fools and traders flanked by high mountains teeming with serpents and warring tribes. The Overmen watch keenly from their high aeries for dissidents and outlaws. The vast sea to the west is traveled rarely, only the Overlord’s ships and the less-sane of the Vanirmen dare the dark waters. Things dwell in the deep. North is the powerful Dutchy of Dalrath, with the impenetrable Great Wode beyond. There Civilization and the Wild fight in open war, stone and steel against fangs and demon-flames.
In Bedegar, many small towns sustain themselves against the ever encroaching wilderness, old traditions and ancient pacts seeing new light in the trying times. Some people band together for safety, others stand on the shoulders of the drowned. All will be tested soon enough.
The Campaign
I'm planning to start with a sandbox style of game seeded with lots of classic, modern, and homebrew adventures. Very much D&D-ish pulp fantasy, but with a bit more narrative bits and the pulpy Savage Worlds system.
Some self direction, some encroaching events, lots of interesting roleplay, delving into the wilderness, and the freedom to get yourself into trouble. It’s up to you which fires to put out or threads to pull, and there’s no way to solve every problem or get every treasure. Players will have the opportunity to become embroiled in duchy politics, build alliances, save enemies, join guilds, and fight lots of crazy shit. Later on the threads will turn more towards a linear adventure, as I want to run The Red Hand of Doom once the PC’s have gone around and have a reputation.
Player Buy-In: The pulpy style of play where the GM just drops you in a town with a bunch of hooks and a wild land, then you have to work out your own shit out has to sound cool. Being interested in having your own goals and ambitions and working to fulfill them is always helpful, but just wanting to pull on threads also works. Likewise, wanting to engage and invest in other player's characters and NPC's is the best. Your characters should give a shit, they don’t need to be selfless paragons, but they should be connected to the local area enough to care what happens to it.
Logistics
System: Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE), with some Fantasy Companion content and a bunch of my own homebrew. Those new to the system are welcome.
Format: Mostly over Discord voice with SavageBot to handle dice/cards. Owlbear Rodeo for battlemaps.
Date/Time: Looking to have a session zero on Friday the 17th, at 7:00 PM CST. Following sessions will be weekly on Friday's at the same time. Sessions will typically be around 4 hours long. This will be a long term campaign, so regular commitment will be required.
Number of Players: Currently three have joined up, two from old campaigns and one new player, looking for probably one or two more.
Feel free to ask questions, if interested DM me with your preferred name/pronouns, your level of experience, a bit about yourself, what you like in a game, and your Discord.

I did EASE expansion with Dr. Kasey Li. This is what my EASE experience has been like.
This is a pretty niche and long post, but I’ve been going through this expansion process as a 32 year old woman, going through my first week of expansion. I figured I’d share my experience as I know how much I was eating up these posts during my research. I also made a video that's a bit less detailed if that is more digestible.
Here is a breakdown of my experience day by day.
Day 0, Wednesday:
Had surgery at Stanford hospital and aside from a mild billing heart attack they gave me, it was a great experience. Kind, knowledgeable staff, great bedside manner. After surgery I woke up and could immediately breathe better. Nasal breathing feels like moving from a coffee straw to a regular size straw. Swallowing and talking were out of the question with the TPD in my mouth though. Took about 90 minutes to wake up and then I was released.
The first night was ROUGH. I maybe slept for 4 hours. Woke up repeatedly with bleeding. Finally stopped trying to sleep and reached out to Dr. Li at 6 am because my mouth was FULL of congealed blood.
Day 1, Thursday:
I was supposed to have my first follow up appointment on Friday, but due to the bleeding Dr Li came in bright and early at 6:30 am. He responded to my 6am text within 5 minutes and was like “How soon can you get to my office? I’ll be there”. We rushed over and he gave me some local anesthetic injections and cauterized the surgical site. He made sure I was very comfortable and that the bleeding had stopped before sending me home. The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. Swelling got much worse this day. Had to ice pretty much constantly to keep it down. Definitely uncomfortable but I had really good pain management.
Day 2, Friday:
Had my official follow up appointment and he turned the device for the first time. Turning was weird but not painful. Gave me some more injections as I had had a bit more bleeding on the opposite side. The swelling got intense this day. My cheeks were huge and hot and I was having a bit more jaw pain. Dr Li said my pain and swelling would peak around 48 hours and that was definitely the case. I just took my meds, rotated between ice and heat and overall had a smooth day with some bleeding again over night.
Day 3, Saturday:
Woke up with more (but far less) congealed blood in my mouth. Texted him at 9:20 AM to see what I should do and he texted back immediately saying meet me at the office at 10. Performed injections to stop the bleeding, cauterize, rinse and repeat. He sends me home. Still eating only a liquid diet. Still swollen. But not uncomfortable like it was. Not really icing much at this point, mostly focusing on heat, and feeling pretty human. Can go on walks and had a tiny bit of pasta (the most solid food I’ve had at this point). There is a tiny bit of bleeding at one point but it stops quickly and I go about my day pretty much normal and for the first time have no bleeding through the night!
Day 4, Sunday:
Slept great, no blood. Swelling still very present but going down. Was able to walk around, get around the city, virtually no jaw pain until about 4 pm when truly out of nowhere my incision site where the appliance is placed starts bleeding AGAIN. I quickly try to gently catch the blood by packing in gauze trying to stop the bleeding and avoid going into the office as it was Mother’s Day.
It bleeds through the gauze for 1.5 hours and I finally reach out to Dr. Li. He once again responds almost immediately and tells me I can come into the office or try and stop it, but that his preference is always to see patients in person. I try to get it to stop for about another hour with a couple false stops, but I’m unsuccessful yet again, so I make my way to the office where he meets me at almost 8:00 PM. He is very kind and understanding and just says “Shit happens, I’m there for my patients”.
He injects me, cauterizes it again, tells me I should stop talking advil as that can be an anticoagulant and is just very kind and understanding. I was supposed to have my second follow up on Monday morning, but he turns my device for me for the second time that night instead to try and avoid me having to go into the office again the next day. Turning is still uncomfy but not painful. He waits with me to make sure the site is stable, and then waits with me outside while wait for my ride.
Day 5, Monday:
Woke up with no blood in my mouth, swelling still going down. Pain levels very minimal. Breathing feeling smoother. My left TMJ (which I’ve had issues with in the past is more crackly and sore than usual, so I’m watching that carefully. So far so good. Just staying in bed and hoping to make it through the day/night with no bleeding.
Impressions so far:
I’ve had the most bleeding of any patient Li has had by far. Not totally sure what that’s about, and I’m sad I had to be the first, but the way he responds and handled my case made me SO HAPPY I just spent the money and went with him. No other doctor I've ever had has given me this level of care.
He is expensive, but he is worth EVERY penny because when you’re his patient, you feel like a priority. I traveled for the procedure (meaning 3 weeks away from home) and was really out of my element and comfort zone and had more complications than most of his previous patients (he said about 5% have repeat bleeding after surgery, but that the amount I had was an anomaly.)
My breathing is better, and will continue to improve as I expand. Even with the TPD device in that is taking up most of my palate, I have so. much. more. space for my tongue. It feels really good! My bite is weird now that my upper jaw is larger and that’s going to take some getting used to. And my TMJ is a bit sore.
Things to avoid week 1:
No straws. No vigorous exercise. No lifting over 10lbs. No hot foods/drinks. No hard/chewy foods. No nose blowing. I’d recommend staying away from herbs like garlic or ginger as they thin the blood I don't know if that was part of my problem, he said sometimes these things just happen and there was nothing I did wrong, but I'd just recommend staying away from any foods that can thin the blood and research them ahead of time. I'm vegan, and now I know that a lot of fruits/veg can thin the blood. So if you're veggie like me or try to eat a lot of "health foods" tread carefully. Have lots of gauze on hand.
Ask me anything. I'm here for another 1.5 weeks and am pretty bored. Happy so answer any questions about Dr. Li or EASE!

hi everyone. got myself into a sticky situation and i know it doesn’t sound good but i have highish hopes. A little over a year ago I briefly met this guy at my job where I was working at the time. we briefly talked and introduced ourselves, which I assumed that he was attracted to me because why else would he have came up to me and introduced himself. This guy is a year younger than me and after I stopped working there, I didn’t see him much.
fast forward to this year, the day before my graduation I happen to see him out at the bar and I thought to myself why not be bold and talk to the guy because he’s super attractive kind and since I was leaving, I wanted to take a chance on him. Long story short we ended up hitting it off. He came to the other bar just for me. We ended up leaving the bar early and just spent all night one on one, talking, making out a little but nothing more. very flirty and amazing to say the least as we got to know each other rather thoroughly.
we’ve been texting ever since this night, so for about three days and it seems like the conversation is slowly dying out, after he asked me how my drive home was and I told him I have officially moved back to New York. Our school is in Pennsylvania and that’s where he lives as he’s a commuter. he told me “I’m glad I remet you when I did and now you’re a whole state away.” his is response time has gotten a bit slower although I haven’t been texting him for that long before so I don’t really know, but today i asked to chat on the phone and he denied saying that he was sick and I haven’t really heard from him since, I don’t know if I’m being delusional and thinking something like this is worth pursuing, but I wanna see him in person since we’re both off for the summer and live a little over an hour away from one another. He said he was down to do that in person but I’m getting nervous with the text messages. he did say his parents are on the more strict side but i don’t know if i scared him or did something wrong. What should I do?

The Hanging Tree By John Westrick

The ball streaked towards little Jimmy Hanson, covering the distance uncomfortably fast. The scrawny boy two sizes too small with the aviator glasses, cringed out of the way. It landed directly where he had been standing, and like that the game ended.
“Damnit Jimmy, you're supposed to catch the ball not hide from it!” a fat kid with a glove on one hand cried.
A skinny boy with glasses turned from the pitcher's mound to look at Jimmy disdain clearly visible on his face, “This is the third run you’ve allowed, and you wonder why we never let you play with us. You’re dog shit! Actually, I apologize to all loads of shit out there, you’re even more useless. I’d prefer to have Roger Morris on our team and he can’t see a damn thing with those bug eyes.”
An easy-going boy with blonde shaggy hair and a confident smile strolled up to Jimmy, extending his hand to assist, and said, “Here let me help you up. After all, you're the best player on our team. MVP hands down. Come on boys, give him a cheer!”
The boys chanted Jimmy’s name in a mocking parade of triumph.
“I don’t need your help, David,” said Jimmy.
Dirt smeared and face growing hot, the embarrassed boy attempted to climb to his feet. The hand extended to help, struck lightning-fast, catching the smaller boy squarely in the chest. With a groan of pain, the dirty boy hit the ground for the second time that afternoon.
“Well, if I knew you liked to eat dirt so much, I never would’ve offered to help,” said David, a wolfish smile forming on the landscape of his face.
A chorus of cruel laughter echoed all around.
“I hate you David Baxly,” said the wheezing boy.
David looked at Jimmy with disgust, giving him a savage kick to his left kidney. “Why don’t you do us all a favor and die. I doubt even your family would miss you.”
The rest of the boys walked away leaving the bleeding Jimmy whimpering on the ground.
No longer crying from pain but seething anger, slowly he began to crawl to his feet. “I wish I could go somewhere else. Just pick up and move and never have to see those shitheads ever again,” said Jimmy speaking to no one in particular.
It was thoughts of revenge that occupied his mind, half-baked plans, he didn't have the courage to act upon. No matter, it wasn’t revenge he truly sought, but a friend. The idea of having people look at him and truly see him. Humiliation for David Baxly was just an added bonus.
The bloody boy was still fantasizing about these things, when he found himself staring at the intersection of Jackson and main street in the sleepy town of Brookhollow, Tennessee. Brookhollow is like many rural towns, so tiny that it doesn’t even appear on the map. There are 876 residents in the tight-knit community, according to the 2008 census. Main street boasts one general store, a gas station, the town hall, and Debbie’s Diner.
It was on the outside of the later building that he saw the missing sign of Jack Dunkin, a 12-year-old boy from a neighboring town a few miles to the west. Jack was from Polk, a slightly larger town and known rival to Brookhollow. Even though Jack was in the same grade as Jimmy, they had never met.
Jimmy looked at the picture and saw that the boy had been missing for nearly 3 months. He wondered how his mom would react if he was missing that long; he reached the conclusion that she probably wouldn’t even notice. Ever since she took that job at Debbie’s to pay for the remainder of her husband’s gambling debts, she was hardly even home.
She was gone when he woke and didn't come back too well after he was asleep. The only time Jimmy had any communication with Laura Hanson was on Sundays. Even this small exposure was tainted by the bone deep exhaustion. She may have been present, even so, she wasn't there. Laura wakes, eats, drinks, uses the bathroom; yet she isn't really living. She reminded the boy of those cheesy horror movies they sometimes play late at night. The walking dead.
As little as his interaction with Laura, at least she still lived in the ramshackle motorhome right off the main highway. His dad, if he even still qualified to be called that, left some time back, draining the joint bank account and leaving the two of them penniless. Jimmy didn’t even know where he stayed, let alone had a phone number for the bastard. A few years back he received a postcard from him. He was shelled up in some two-bit motel in the thriving city of Las Vegas. On the back of the card was a charming little note, it said, “Jimmy, I wish you could see the city. Maybe you could come out and visit. I’d love for you to come and hang with my friends. Ps. Could you have your mom send me some money, I’m in a little bit of trouble here.
This led to his first real fight with his mom. He was adamant on going and meeting his father, thinking that if he got to know him he could change him. Bring him back. His mom wanted nothing to do with the man, nor did she want her son to be hurt again. The argument got heated and words were exchanged. In the end, he stayed, but some things chafe over time. Things were never quite the same.
If the boy was honest with himself, he would have to admit there is no one in his life. He has no friends in school, there is no one waiting for him at home, and he is not a part of any extracurricular activities. He goes to school, comes home, does his homework, makes dinner for his mom, and goes to bed. It has never occurred to him that he is lonely, the fact is he has never known anything else.
Jimmy doesn’t actually live in Brookhollow, his house is about two miles north up highway 29. He lives outside of the school’s jurisdiction, so he is unable to take the bus. He walks to school every day. The walk is peaceful and he actually looks forward to it. The boy possesses an overactive imagination and gets lost in his fantasies. A little less today, his ribs ache with every step. But not even this inconvenience can ruin the solitary 2-mile trek back home. He makes no turns, highway 29 is main street. All he needs to do is walk straight and he will arrive at his house.
But he is not walking in rural Tennessee anymore. He is a pioneer exploring the Great Frontier. Native Americans and wolves stalk him at night, he must be aware of the dangers that lie beyond every turn. He can see his way through any situation with the help of his trusty companion and best friend, One-eyed Pete. Pete used to be an outlaw that robbed and cheated people, but changed his ways when Jimmy saved him from being hung on the hanging tree.
A shutter runs through his body every time he remembers the hanging tree. It’s the largest oak he had ever seen. He loves to climb trees but would never dream of climbing that one. It is twisted, not a single leaf on its branches. If evil was ever a location, it would be at the heart of that gnarled tree. Jimmy doesn’t like to think about it. It always seems to ruin his mood. Poison his mind. His fantasies always turn darker when he thinks of the oak.
Suddenly he is aware of exactly how alone he is. A full mile out from the safety of the town. No one is nearby. It’s just him, the trees, and his own tormented imagination. He wishes he wouldn’t have thought of that tree. He wishes he had a dad to pick him up from school, but there is no rescue for him. In Jimmy’s experience, heroes only exist in the story books.
“The hanging tree is in your mind, Jimmy, it isn't real,” he tells himself over and over as if to ward away evil. And why not? For that tree is most definitely evil, the hideous villain in an insidious plot.
In the primal portion of his mind, he senses danger. The same skittish feeling the antelope experiences shortly before the concealed lion pounces and feasts on flesh.
“Trees don’t eat little boys,” murmurs the frightened boy.
“Maybe so, yet that oak could hardly be classified in the same league as other trees,” responds his own treasonous thoughts.
The boy's mind splinters; warring factions jockeying for supremacy. Paranoia seizes him, inky black hands clawing the air out of his lungs. A young boy unaware of the inward mutiny happening amidst his own wits, completely left to his own demented imagination. Yet, the stakes of this adventure are a great deal higher than any he has yet to experience.
His mother was fond of telling him, “What you think, you become.”
A truly awful thought slinks into his mind unbidden. What if the stories his mind conjures could gain reality too? The thought overwhelms the boy. His eyes shift back and forth searching for threats. Jimmy’s senses are keen to his surroundings. Every twig snapping, a creature stalking. Every bush rustling, a hungry beast ready to devour. Yet, the petty fears of a child's tormented mind pales to the unearthly wrongness of the hanging tree.
“What if mom is right?” says the concerned boy to the emptiness. At this unwelcome thought the boy slams his eyes closed in a futile attempt to banish the horrific idea.
“The hanging tree isn’t real,” says Jimmy, knowing in his heart this isn’t true. In the back of his mind, the boy is certain that the moment he opens his eyes, he will see it. He will see the strands of rope dangling from the gnarled branches. He will smell the smell of decaying bodies. He will hear the creak of rope swaying gently in the cool breeze.
The boy doubles his efforts in a vain attempt to keep his eyes closed. He sees red due to the strain he is putting on his muscles. He hears the steady pulse of his blood rushing in his head. The boy also understands that all this effort is for naught. He must open his eyes at some point. Jealousy creeps into the boy’s heart. Envy for the man born without sight. For the boy understands the moment he sees, there will be no coming back.
The moment has come.
Jimmy can no longer keep his eyes shut. Seconds before his eyes fling open, he feels the gentle touch of someone's hand on his shoulder. This touch startles him, and the boy throws wide his eyes.
Sure enough a few hundred yards in front of him, stands the abomination. A lone tree on the top of a bald, scarred hill. Not a living thing to be seen. No vegetation growing on the hill, no squirrels scuttling about, just a great oak, standing; an obscene gesture to the god of this world. The only fruit of this tree the decaying flesh of dead men, and likewise, the only cup the curdled blood of those hanging. A final meal set for the boy, an unholy communion.
The hand, whose was it? Was it even human? The little boy left visibly shaking at the touch of the unknown. Is this death? The icy grip of the Reaper himself here to harvest with his scythe. No marriage, no children, not knowing the pleasures of true friendship. Life cut short, a lamentable state of affairs.
It was in this line of thought, where true courage was mustered. A strength measured not by the size of his muscles or the amount one could lift, but the more impressive type, the type quantified in the amount of shit one can wade. Identified in the amount of crap hands dealt without bowing out altogether. Young Jimmy Hanson did the unthinkable, he turned and faced death looking it in the eyes.
Eyes, yes, but death perhaps not. It was no titan of horror, nor was it the poster child of demented evil. Child it was, but this boy was familiar. Not anyone from his class, yet he knew the boy. In a moment of clarity, he recognized him. It was the missing kid, Jack Dunkin.
He looked identical to the poster on the side of Debbie’s Diner. He wore the same black and white Van’s tee shirt, ripped blue jeans, and some tattered Nike tennis shoes. The thoroughly terrified Jimmy stood staring at the missing boy, mouth ajar.
Jack with an easy-going grin plastered on his face, said, “It's about time, someone comes looking for me. I've been waiting for you Jimmy, far too long.”
With an audible click the boy shut his gaping mouth and responded, “Ja- Jack, you've been missing for nearly three months. Have you been out here all along? Are you alone? Are you hurt?” Jimmy fired these questions in rapid succession, growing more suspicious with each word.
“I’ve been right here, waiting for you to come and play with me. You see, I am like you. I never had anyone to play with either. Now you are here, and you must stay with me,” said the bigger boy with a smile on his face.
Jimmy’s mind quieted, for the first time in his life he saw himself clearly. A boy with no friends, no father, hardly a mother, bullied every day, and no way of escape. Clarity revealed the harsh truth. A day had not gone by that he wasn’t lonely. There was no one in his life. There was no life for him.
The undersized boy looked at the other with longing in his eyes. He thirsted for a friend, like a man lost at sea. He hungered for companionship, like a man stuck in the wilderness. It wasn’t just a desire; he was desperate for a friend. If the bigger boy would leave, Jimmy felt as if his soul would tear in half. His heart would shatter into a thousand pieces unable to be put back together. The boys' eyes were a mirror reflecting the same sad truth, they understood each other. Both had lived, and neither had anyone to share it with.
The boys bound by shared hardships grasped onto each other refusing to let go. The combined burden of loneliness lessened by two backs, instead of one.
With few words exchanged, the two of them created soul ties. Not the ties of lovers, but of lifelong friends. The type one dies for. The rare type of friendship that most people never form in their entire life. It was rich. It was wholesome. Jimmy felt as if his life was complete. The one thing he always desired truly fulfilled.
Jack grabbed the smaller boy’s hand and guided him towards the tree.
Jimmy, not wanting to get anywhere near that monstrosity, tried to pull back.
“Don’t worry. The tree is a good place. It will take us to a new land filled with boys and girls just like you and I. No David’s or bullies like him,” said a smiling Jack.
“How did you know about David? You’ve been missing all this time,” said a concerned looking Jimmy.
“Jimmy, I hear whispers. My friends tell me things. They will tell you secrets too. If you want to be friends with me, that is.” The bigger boy looked down at his ragged shoes. He looked so pitiful and Jimmy was so starved for companionship, how could he not follow the boy.
Jack led the two of them to the scarred trunk of the tree. Here he let go of Jimmy’s hand, telling the boy, “Do exactly what I do.”
Jimmy’s fear bottled up deep in his guts. He felt as if he was going to explode. The tree was sinister and twisted. Evil through and through. Yet, the little boy had never had a friend. He was not willing to throw that away so easily.
Jack walked to the lowest hanging branch. He reached up and grabbed one of the dangling nooses. He wrapped it around his neck and looked at Jimmy. “Don’t worry, no pain is felt. The hanging tree is magic. You’ll close your eyes on this world, and wake up in a better place with me and all of my friends,” said a smiling Jack.
“Ja-Jack, I don’t think I can do this. It seems dangerous. I need to go back home soon. My mom will be waiting for me,” said a terrified Jimmy.
A heartbroken Jack looked at the smaller boy and said, “Jimmy, I can’t believe you would lie to me. Your mom isn’t home and she wouldn’t even notice that you are missing. Come with me. I am the only one who cares for you.”
Tears streaming down the smaller boy’s face, he responded, “Please don’t make me do it! This place frightens me. Can’t you just come home with me?”
“No! This world despises people like you and me. We weren’t made for it. We were made for the hanging tree. This is where you belong,” snarled the bigger boy.
Jimmy, eyes still running, reached with trembling hands for the dangling noose. He seized it. With one final glance at his friend, the little boy placed the loop around his neck. Immediately the noose drew tight. It felt as if the tree was hauling him up by it. The boy kicked and squirmed. Trying to shout for help, but his airflow was cut off. He managed to make a choking noise, then with one final twitch all was still. Still as the glassy surface of a lake on a spring day.
Little Jimmy Hanson had finally made a friend.
The two boys remained dangling together, gently swaying in the stale autumn breeze.

My girlfriend (F30) and I (F25) have been together for 4 years. We live 2 hours away from each other. She has meet a lot of my family due to them living in the same state as us, but I have yet to meet her family because they live in Texas. Though we haven't met, I do talk to her mom on FaceTime whenever my girlfriend talks to her so it's not like we have a bad relationship. My girlfriend and I have made attempts to go to Texas to see her but life always came in the way. And though my girlfriend has gone there to see her mom, it usually during the times her mom is going through something or a funeral and she doesn't want me to meet them during situations like that. I did try to meet her mom recently when I was staying over my girlfriends place because she is a truck driver and just happened to be driving through the state, but her mom expressed that she was tired and looked a mess so we didn't get the chance to meet. It was disappointing, however, she did say that she was planning on coming down on mothers day along with my girlfriends brother and his kids.
My mom usually likes taking trips during mothers day weekend and we usually celebrate it as a family the weekend after, so I told my girlfriends mom that we can see each other then. I told my mom about my plans to ensure she didn't feel any type of way about it too which she didn't). My girlfriends family was suppose to stay Friday to Monday morning and she asked if I could come that Saturday night because they were planning on going to see her grandfather 4 hours away. I have to take a bus in order to see her, so once she told me their plans, I booked my ticket the same day. For the past 2 months, my girlfriend has been working overtime in order to help prepare for their arrival and I tried my best to assist with that by buying things for her apartment.
Monday, the week they were coming down, my mom informed me that she was diagnosed with lupus. My mom almost passed away 4 years ago from a blood clot and ever since then, her health has kind of been all over the place. However, for 1 year, it did seem like everything was starting to become under control. So to hear she had lupus, did make me emotional. My mom told me that she was still okay with me meeting my girlfriends mom because she was still going to continue with her own plans. I informed my girlfriend about my mom's diagnosis and she was empathetic about the whole situation.
Fast forward to the day I was preparing to leave, I spoke to my girlfriend that morning and we expressed how excited we were for the overdue introduction in person. When I was in the middle of getting ready, my mom decided to have a conversation with me about mothers day. She expressed that she actually does want my sister and I to spend mothers day together with her because her health is starting to scare her and she doesn't know what will happen in the future. I don't see my mother crying often so to hear her breaking down, hurt me. I never want my mom to feel that she isn't supported so I decided I was going to spend mothers day with her. I called my girlfriend soon after and informed her what was going on. Her happy attitude soon turned to an annoyed one and said "I knew you weren't going to come." I asked her if she was upset and she said no and she loved me then got off the phone with me quickly saying she'll call me back. I texted her expressing how sorry I am and explained to her that it didn't feel right to just meet her mom after my mom broke down to me and up until now, I always had the intention of coming and would love to try and make a trip to her if we can. Though I won't be there in person, I told her that I would love to still speak to them through FaceTime. She told me " they're good, enjoy your family, love you."
I thought maybe things were okay but it feels like she is distant towards me. Whether she's busy with family or friends, she always makes time to at least text me and always calls me at night. The only times she doesn't is when she's upset. She did call me on mothers day that morning, but she asked if she could put my mom on the phone to say happy mothers day and then she hung up immediately after speaking to her. I tried not t jump to conclusions at first and just decided that maybe she'll talk to me after her family leaves cause she could be busy with them but I know they have left now and I still haven't heard anything. She has 2 phones, so even if something happened to her phone, she always makes sure to text me on her other one if something happened. Am I maybe overthinking things or aitah that could have handled things differently? I'm kind of lost on how to go about things and what to do.

i love reading about Big Stupid Romantic Gestures on /actuallesbians, because I like to picture myself in the stories and dream that one day I'll have a more poetic life. But also because they're usually uplifting and wholesome, and I need more of that in my life.
so it's kinda incredible, really, that I've finally got one of my own to tell.
Few nights ago, I get in from work, and, as usual, i'm dead on my feet. She, meanwhile, is already home, because she's got a normal schedule for normal people. and as soon as I walk in the door, she jumps up off the couch and takes my hand and says I need to follow her. So I drop my bag and my keys, and - feeling a little panicked - follow her out of my apartment, into the hall, and then down the hall to the stairs at the end (nobody uses the stairs, where the hell are we going?)
we start climbing the stairs. all the way to the top. Up there, behind a bunch of maintenance shit, is a locked door leading out onto the roof (well, one of two roofs, actually). But it's always locked, and always alarmed, so we've never had a chance to use it. Except for this time, because the building manager is there and he's holding it open, smoking a cigarette and looking down at his phone. And like, we're all friends and everything (I've been living in that place for years) so he just gives me a little nod and a smile, and then goes back to tapping away on his fruit combo or whatever. Sliding past him, we go out onto the roof - which is not a safe roof, by the way - and it's cool and breezy and dark; and in the corner, up against some AC duct, there's a wireless sound bar connected to an ipod nano (that's how old we are), playing something vaguely classical and fancy.
and as soon as i look at her, she puts her arm around my waist and we start slow-dancing in the middle of the roof, like we're at a prom or something. And Lukas (not his real name) slinks away and leaves the door wedged open with a bucket full of cigarette butts, so now it's just the two of us (and the people in the adjacent, much taller building) all-alone on the roof. And I'm completely breathless, so I ask her what the hell is going on. What's the occasion? She says no occasion, just that i should 'look up'. And so I do. But all that's up there is a featureless gray sky, blown out by the orange sodium of our neighborhood. She says there's northern lights up there, if you look hard enough. Which is unbelievable, but I believe her anyway. And so I'm squinting and not really seeing it; there's maybe the faintest hint of green, I'm not really sure. And then, like a pot of spilled ink, my eyes adjust and there's this wash of color. Faint and blurry, gone in a second. But I swear I saw it. And I'm like wowww, completely transfixed; and that's when she kisses me and tells me she loves me (i said it back without hesitation, btw) and we start moving in a circle to something slow and orchestral. All while high up above (I assume, because, if im being honest, I didn't see shit) the night sky was shimmering with an otherworldly glow.
After a while, blue danube comes on, which is one of my favorites, and we start twirling to that instead. and it cannot be overstated how bad we are at dancing, but we kept spinning and tip-tapping across the insanely dirty roof for another, I dunno, forty-five minutes before Lukas came back to wrap it all up. And the whole thing was, without question, the best moment of my entire life. No ulterior motive, no surprise announcement, no 'by the way, I ran over your cat earlier, hope this softens the blow' at the end. Just the distant sound of traffic and the crackle of a 128kbps harpsichord over in the corner. We didn't speak a word. I just lay my head on her shoulder, she brushed my hair a little, and halfway through she touched my butt. Chef's kiss perfection, the whole thing.
anyway, that's it. I dunno if anyone cares. but i had to write it down somewhere, just to get it outta my head. also, i think she paid lukas to let us up there, ill ask him when i see him. oh, and in the future, i will completely embellish this story to have us dancing a step-perfect waltz to a crystal-clear aurora in the shape of our faces. but for now, it was just a clumsy night in the city. and i liked it. she's the best.

So let me preface with this is just me complaining more so than wanting any guidance. But feel free to comment whatever I don’t care anymore at this point. A little about myself I’m in a very specialized trade. But for the sake of conversation let’s say I work on submarines in the defense sector. Anyway our primary goal is to do heavy invasive safety checks on these “subs” and make them new again. My company’s “culture” would be best described as a revolving door and a toxic shit hole. Between the unfair compensation and the shifty leadership always breathing down your neck, staying for any extended period of time, like I have managed to do, is no small feat. But momma didn’t raise no bitch. Also let’s not forget to mention the almost nonstop bigotry which for a decent human like myself is fucking exhausting, but I’m stuck. My co-human has an awesome job in our area and finding a job in this area in my field (without 10-20 years experience) is not an option. At least not right now. A couple more years maybe! But what has really got my tits in a knot is this new schedule change. You see my company spews this nonsense about “seniority” but they view seniority in two separate variants. Time at the company and time in the field. I am at the bottom of the pole give or take a couple people in regards to time in field but I’m in the top 50% if you look at time at the company. But none of that means anything, because this new schedule change reflects it. When I started we were working on a 4x10 schedule and the three days I got off were in the middle of the week. No biggie I was new, paying dues, it’s fine. Worked that for about nine or ten months while having ZERO shared off days with my co-human which sucked ass but you know, paying dues. Well that finally got old so I approached my boss and said hey ma’am, anyway we could shift my schedule around a little so that I could get at least ONE weekend day off? Which real quick we have a handful of job sites on the compound but they’re like permanent assignments. Back to the point, my boss counters with an offer, go to a new site and she will give me both weekend days and one adjacent weekday off. But I’d have to move sites, start a new project, learn a bunch of new shit, get new colleagues (which I was open to), basically a lot so I asked if I could have a few days to go over the pro’s and con’s with my co-human and get back to her with my choice, she happily said sure! Well I decided not to transfer being that I was just starting to get in my groove with my job on these subs. She said that’s cool no sweat thank you anyway. A week later she transferred me anyway but with only one weekend day off and two adjacent weekdays. That kinda pissed me off but the silver lining was now I finally have a day to sleep in and rest with my co-human. Well almost two months (give or take a few days) later because of one of the owners of the sub didn’t like that we were getting three days off, even though all of or respective schedules were staggered so there was constant production, they moved everybody to 5x8’s. Which before I found out what two days I had off I was excited for because now I didn’t have to wake up so early, but then I found out I got two weekdays (not Friday of course) off, bitch. So fast forward almost a year to today, yes I know this is long winded and if you’ve made it this far thank you, we get moved back to 4x10’s for some reason. I assume it’s because of everyone bitching about not getting three days off. But the real kicker is drum roll I got the worst days off, Tuesday - Thursday. So after almost a year of having no shared off days with my co-human, to having only one shared off day for a couple months, it’s back to zero again for me. Plus, back to the former detail of my workplace being a revolving door, almost 50% of the staff I started with have been replaced. Which IF SENIORITY FUCKING MATTERED then wtf?! I’m debating on talking to my boss and seeing if she can split my off days but as it stand now I’ll have to use my PTO to see my co-human. Which let’s touch base on that. I receive ten hours a month paid PTO, which sucks but it’s better than nothing, at least when we worked 5x8’s I would get an extra two hours a month so at least in twelve months, if nothing happened, we could take a three day trip together…. That’s if nothing happens. Now because we are back on 4x10’s I will accrue dick in extra PTO. So my choices are either burn my PTO every month, or not see my co-human except for a few hours a day. Also I am aware that I am lucky to have a job that gives PTO or even a job in general. I mean all the correctable bullshit aside I like my job, just today I’ve never felt more devalued as an employee. What should I do? Talk to the boss? She’s cool but a week or so ago when she asked everybody how we felt about going back I said hell ya! But I also specifically asked for at least one weekend day off if we did it in advance. Idk I’m lost.

Long story short I (27f) met this guy (27m) 2.5 years ago. Its been a long journey, we have ended things three times bc of lack of commitment and him not being completely over his ex (always being me who initially takes the decision). I left him for the last time, at the beginning of last year but we reconnected around 4 months ago and started dating again. We are exclusive, text literally everyday, go out on dates, call each other names, plan trips outside of the city.. but its not a relationship, since we are not bf/gf and even though we havent recently discussed it, he is not in a relationship mindset and problably wont be
The thing is... I've noticed everytime we go out (usually once a week or once every two weeks, we dont even see each other that often), the next days he seems to be more distant. We sometimes argue when we meet, but even when that doesnt happen, the night could go perfectly well, and the next day through text he is not gonna be as sweet or talktative as he usually is, might take longer to reply and just feel more off. I feel like he feels we might be getting too intimate when we meet and that pulls him away? (we usually say ily, kiss, and say cute things while out, and we do have some drinks as well which makes everything more intense)... He then goes back to normal after a few days, but even the times Ive asked if everything is okay, he says it is…W its me who gets a little distant, he tries to know whats going on and starts being more present. I just dont get it though
Could you tell me why based on your perspective/experience ? Idk what to do this time

Hey all. Been having regular pains in my lower left abdomen area for about a month and a half now and not entirely sure why. I've been browsing the forums of various gut diseases on reddit, and figured I'd post on one to see what you all think.
32M, 6'0', 185 pounds. Non-smoker, casual drinker. Run 1-3 times a week. No regular medications or big surgeries in my past. I drink at least 3-4L water a day.
Other symptoms include:
-lots of gas, mostly burping but a little more farting too
-occasional sharp pains higher up on my left side at the chest area, but not as frequent as the abdomen pains
-Pain flares up more often when I'm sitting down, or lying on my right side in bed. Have resorted to lying flat on my belly in order to not experience pain in bed at night.
-unclear how much diet affects it. I had quite a few beers on Saturday and was in more intense pain throughout the night. However, I've had soda and 2-3 beers at one time before and it didn't seem to affect my pain.
I do have one theory as to what happened. Around the same time these symptoms started, I had started using Crest whitening strips on my teeth for about 30 minutes a day. I suspect I was accidentally swallowing a ton of the bleach in those things, since I produce a lot of saliva. I used them for about 3-4 days before I realized there might be a connection and I haven't used them since. However, the symptoms continued.
Went to a primary care doctor, who was doubtful of the strips being the cause. He pressed on my stomach but I felt no pain there. Blood work says liver, kidney, and thyroid are all clear. Doctor suggested it might be diverticulosis based on my description of my symptoms.
Also strange, but good, is my urine and stool samples are unaffected. I'm having no problems there. I do have quite an active bladder and have to go to the bathroom quite a bit, but that's been going on for years. The lack of any other symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, etc., makes me think it's not an actual condition and just trapped gas.
Any ideas or next steps? Could the strips really do that much damage to my insides, or am I crazy?
I understand changing my diet may solve these issues, but I'd like to confirm that I have to do that and see if there are medications I can take to even avoid doing that. What's really strange is how sudden these symptoms came on, which makes me think the strips are part of the problem, but maybe my gut just finally said enough's enough.
I have a follow-up with my primary care doctor in a few days.

Hello, my name is Lillian and I am looking for 1 trans fem player to join a ttrpg I am running on Roll20.Net. The communication for the game is handled via Discord [my discord name is lexshira]. Our game allows a lot of freedom for players for example one player we had recently who unfortunately had to leave the game due to schedule issues was Kryptonian Keyblade Master LOL.
What the Party Needs From This Posting: Someone who is math, organization and resource-minded who can aid the party in managing their HOMEBASE/RESOURCES. This would include helping manage the various departments of the base [Security, Logistics, R&D, Tourism/Economics/Treasury, Medical, etc.]
Game Info: The game is an adventure/horror game with heavy LGBT+ and Sex-Positive vibes and themes.
Since I live in Pacific Time then the playtimes will revolve around that. Game will be on Sundays starting at 1:30PM Pacific time.
Game System = The game system is my own creation but use the 5e Character Sheet as a base. In the spirit of honesty, my game system does have a learning curve as it goes beyond an RPG and contains elements/mechanics related to Community/Base Building/Management, Resource Management, Living World NPCs and Survivalism.
The Story = The story is based on my own mythologies but also draws influence and content from other sources such as a variation of Curse of Strahd, Murder House, Dark Sun, Cyberpunk, Elder Scrolls and Descent Into Avernus. Other Multimedia events and things likely to affect the world in some ways are things like Marvel Comic's 'Battle-World', House of M, and 'Secret Wars' events.
Game Setting = The game will take place on the newly forming world of Nouva-Terra. Nouva-Terra is a world born out of the ashes of Multiversal destruction. It is a world formed of the merged remnants of other realities and populated by the countless multiverse survivors of that apocalyptic merging.
Content Rating = Rated M due to violence, dark themes, heavy sexuality, and sexual themes of both a vanilla [Loving caring relationships, etc.] and of a disturbing nature based on context.
Gameplay Focus = Combat will be minimal but still present with most gameplay focusing on Player-Character Driven events and story with a focus on Interpersonal Intrigue, Political Intrigue, Mystery/Puzzle solving, Romance / Sexuality and Found-Family issues. There will also be focus on Survivalism and Community/Base Building/Management.
Game Frequency = Weekly or every other week.
NO ONE UNDER 18 YEARS OLD.
Currently Confirmed Realities That Have Already Begun Merging With Nova-Terra [Note the players do not need to be in any way familiar with any of this content but things from these realities exist in the game]:

1. The Prime Elder-Scrolls Timeline
2. The Prime Fallout Timeline
3. The MCU and Various Marvel Realities
4. Various DC Realities
5. The Prime Star-Wars Timeline
6. Various D&D and Pathfinder Timelines
7. The Prime Terminator Timeline
8. Various Zelda Timelines
9. Prime DBZ Timeline
10. Prime Star-Trek Timeline
11. Prime Code-Lyoko Timeline
12. Prime Kingdom Heats Timeline

Player Code of Conduct:

1. There is to be NO and I repeat NO PLAYER TO PLAYER Non-Con sexuality or Romance-Attempts.
2. There is to be NO UNPROVOKED PVP.
3. NO PROMOTION OF SEXISM OR HATRED OR ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES OR BULLYING BETWEEN PLAYERS.
4. There is to be no PLAYER TO PLAYER Kink-Shaming or Sexual-Judgment. We all have our kinks and it is important not judge. If you do not like a kink being shown in the game by another player then simply do not involve yourself or your character which those particular In-Game things happening.

TW: Domestic violence, miscarriage
First time on here. I am extremely fragile about this case, so please be kind. I am a female in my late twenties. I have changed a few things for anonymity. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions and can help or have a resource. I am located in the Carolinas.
To provide a brief overview of my situation, several years ago, I removed myself and my children from a domestic violence situation. Despite leaving, I have yet to receive any child support or financial assistance from my ex-husband. However, my main concern is the safety and well-being of my children, particularly my partially non-verbal severely autistic son, who requires specialized care and protection. I have done fine providing, but don't have much (if any) disposable income. My son is the only child he has rights to.
These events happened either in front of the children, or down the hall from them. My ex-husband has demonstrated a pattern of abusive behavior, including physical, mental, and emotional violence in front of the children. He has also made threats to kill me and kidnap the kids, and taken actions of harm towards me, and shown disregard and neglect for our son and his needs. Additionally, his abuse led to a miscarriage. I told him about the pregnancy, and I guess he decided it was his decision on if it was terminated or not.
Last year, I was not properly served with the divorce and custody papers, which were signed for at an address where I have never resided. I have diligently pursued legal avenues to ensure the safety of my children, including filing motions for dismissal and continuance to give me more time. I haven't heard back about the continuance. However, due to financial constraints, I have been navigating this complex legal process largely by myself. The final trial is coming up and while I am happy to be divorced, I have not had adequate time to prepare for the custody case. I have filed a Motion to Dismiss by Rule 12 which is set at the end of June 2024, as well as a Motion of Continuous for the custody trial, which was scheduled without my input for the end of this month, May 2024.
Recently, I was misled by an attorney who took advantage of my limited financial resources without providing meaningful assistance. Consequently, I find myself facing a final trial without proper legal representation. Despite my efforts to manage the paperwork and gather evidence over the past four years, I recognize the need for experienced legal counsel to navigate the complexities of this case effectively.
My children and I had an Order of Protection, and later a Show Cause. He was arrested at the time an incident happened between us requiring me to go to the hospital. During this order, I was required to communicate with him via email about my son, which I did, and even let him do video calls with him. However, once the Order of Protection expired, he became hostile with me, so I stopped reaching out due to my his behavior. Not to mention the mental harm it did on my children and I (PTSD). While I left open the main line of communication, I refrained from further contact out of fear for our safety and mental well-being.
I am deeply concerned about the well-being of my children, particularly my son, who has been subjected to neglect and emotional distress by the actions of his father, and the lack of his caring of what is best for the children, namely my son. He doesn't even know his birthday, and hasn't attempted to reach out in over a year. His family has never once tried to connect, and never particularly cared to begin with. I TRULY believe all of this is just to get to me because he knows that my children are the most important things to me, and as a true narcissist, doesn't care who is in the way, including young children.
I have diligently documented and compiled evidence to support my case, including copies of court orders and relevant documentation. I have prepared for this trial as though I will have to proceed alone. However, I recognize the limitations of my own legal knowledge and resources in securing a favorable outcome for my children's safety and welfare. I don't want this to come out badly for my son just because I don't have anyone. It's frustrating because I am providing everything for these babies, without help, and he is able to pay for an attorney no problem. Even if he couldn't, his family could.
I will take any comments on this that may help me. I have reached out to what seems like every legal aid group and countless attorneys. I am terrified...

Hello everyone, I am a high school guidance counselor. I'm the youngest (27) and the only African American. I don't think race plays a part in this but I could be wrong that's why I;m mentioning it. I have had a lot of personal problems that I encountered this year so much that I had to get a counselor last month to talk to because I have had quite the year. All of these past events have required me to take off work or explain to my coworkers the troubles I have been going through. And my supervisors and co-workers' response is "well if you need anything, please let us know and we will be glad to help". Because my life has been a mess for the past year, I usually just tell them what's going on for venting purposes and then go back to work, because what can they do besides listen. Well to put the nail in the coffin, I recently broke my ankle, and I am physically unable to do a lot of things that I was able to do before. My doctor said that I was clear to go to work and that I would just need to wear a boot and do crutches. When I recognized how hard it was going to be to get around I immediately notified my supervisor and told her that I was going to need significant amounts of help to get my work done and prepare for graduation. She told me that everything was fine and that she and the other counselors would help me with anything that needs to get done. For the last two weeks, we have been doing AP Testing and asked for accommodations to help make things easier for me such as giving me tests that start later in the day. At first my supervisor stated that it would be okay and that she would try to make that accommodation for me. Later that day, another counselor called me and said that she needed me to be on the schedule, regardless of my problems with my ankle, because she and my supervisor needed to make it equal for all counselors to test the same. She also said that instead of worrying about if I'm going to have problems with my ankle, that I needed to wake up early in the morning to make sure I wouldn't have any problems with testing. I then get a text from my supervisor saying that I needed to adhere by the following schedule regardless of what she told me earlier about accommodating to my needs. She also said that whenever I get from the orthopedic doctor that I needed to let her know what he said so they can adjust my schedule accordingly. I didn't say anything because I felt like I had to follow their instructions because they were the ones orchestrating everything regardless of our conversation before. During the first day I came in, it was agreed that someone would help me get out the car to get into the building. Everything seemed to go well the first day back. The second day, my co-worker came out and totally sounded like she had an attitude and was impatient with me having to come into the building. Since our high school is huge, I was only to be confined to the first floor to make it easy for myself, one of my co-counselors was supposed to get me a file that I was supposed to use for my seniors. I never got it. Throughout the day, I was faced with people not opening the doors for me when I needed it and was made to hop around despite the amount of pain I was in to get my work done. Adults (the counseling team) would literally see me struggling to do something and would do nothing, but thankfully the kids in my school helped me a lot. Later that day, I had to go to the doctor and I had left my things on the table for me to continue to work on Monday (today). When I got back to the office today, my things were gone. Turns out some unknown person, put my things in the students testing area where I couldn't get to them. I was steaming! Every adult in the counseling area knew that was where I was working and that those were my things. So this morning I had to wait almost thirty to forty minutes to get started on my work. I was texting my mom about how I was being treated by them. Before this happened this morning, I called my co-worker to help me get out the car again and mind you I was in severe pain, I could hardly stand. I got forwarded to voicemail, so I texted my supervisor to let her know that would probably take significantly longer to get into the building than unusual. She didn't respond. When I finally got in the building with the assistance of an older teacher, my supervisor literally walked past me and didn't say anything. I was damn near in tears. She straight up ignored me. Now back to the situation, with my things missing. She texted the group text asking where a certain task was, I texted her back personally about my situation with my materials being gone. She didn't react or respond to me at all. Then the same counselor that told me that I needed to get to school early in time for my test and forget my problems with my ankle came up to me this morning and asked me how I was doing, and I told her everything that was going wrong this morning and that I was in pain and I asked her what I was supposed to do. She went off somewhere else and told me just to wait until the student took a break to get my things. I was visibly upset. After like 30 minutes later, both of them came to where I was on each side of me and was like we canceled your test so you can go home and take care of you. I was confused because I never requested to go home, I just requested that I needed my things to get my work done. The counselor stated that well you can just take your work home with you. I told her that I wasn't going home because it took too much effort to get here this morning and log my large amount of stuff around on a broken ankle, just to turn around and go back home, and that I thought I needed to be here to test because that's what you guys needed me to do. They both started in on me talking about we're not your enemy here and that they were trying to help. Well, if they were really trying to help me I wouldn't be stuck in this situation that I'm in now smh. My supervisor then started asking me stupid questions about my ankle such as what kind of medicine I'm on and if they put me in a walking boot. So I got real upset and responded very snarky. She then looked at me and stated that she was sensing attitude from me and that she didn't feel like dealing with it this morning. I realize that I shouldn't have gotten that way but I have been trying to help out and be a helpful person on my team, but I've gotten nowhere. After I calmed down, I tried to talk to my supervisor to have a conversation about what I still needed to do. I told her that I was sorry about getting an attitude but I feel like no one acknowledging my needs and helping out with my responsibilities. She said that she was sorry I felt that way and got up and left.
I know this was really long, but I was I wrong in the way that I felt? I just feel like their energy just shifted towards me when I broke my ankle and I feel that they are not being helpful at all, and kind of being real trifling. Any feedback is appreciated.

Yesterday, on Mother’s Day, we had a dinner at my house, very casual . I thought the day went wonderfully. Everyone had a good time and there was almost no food left. My sister was taking my mother a plate and as she was leaving, I said her son (who is 17) wasn’t there with our mother’s gift yet that he was picking up for us. The little get together started at 2, and at the time, it was 6. She tried to call him a few times and he never picked up. She said that was it, she was no longer getting him a car. I said, she was overreacting. She said no, she wasn’t getting him anything else. I guess to me, it wasn’t a big deal. That happens all the time at family get togethers. People say they’re going to come and they don’t or they show up late, no big deal. Plus I had already spoken to mama earlier and told her I would bring the gift on Monday, she was like no big deal. I truly feel like if I hadn’t said anything about him not being there, none of this mess would’ve happened, so I feel responsible.
When he got there, he told me that he and his friends went out and had to wait over 2 hours before they were even seated, then the food took forever. His phone went dead and he charged it at the restaurant. He also said he’d called his mom several times to let her know but she never picked up. Now before my sister left, we spent a few minutes looking for her phone, and it wound up being in the car, so I believed him when he said he tried to call her. Also, every time he walks in my house, the first thing he does is reach for the charger because his phone is dying. I told him don’t worry, it’ll be ok. Just apologize to your mom and tell her exactly what happened, she’ll understand.
We talked this morning and she was still fuming about the kid, and I just didn’t say anything because I still thought she was overreacting. But I thought she and I were good. I mean we were joking and laughing when we got off the phone. She gets off work and calls me and says “Don’t get mad but I need you to have my back sometimes.” We’ve had this conversation before and all I do is give my honest opinion. And there are many times I agree with her, but she only remembers if I disagree with her. I was really confused and before I got two words out, she hung up on me. I tried to call her back but she wouldn’t pick up. I really couldn’t believe she would do that became that’s something our mother does, and we’ve both said how unfair it is that she gets everything off her chest then won’t let the other person talk. I texted her and told her I love her and to please not block me and i also said I couldn’t stop crying because I couldn’t. She replied “I’m upset..my son made a commitment. U could have at least told him, you disappointed your mom. Live with the consequences. Learn how to say no or learn how not to commit. I don't want to speak right now.” Then she said she felt betrayed. I replied I felt blindsided. Her reply was “It pains me you don't understand or try to. Have a good night.” How can I understand, she’s not talking to me. I replied that she’s right, we don’t need to talk right now.
I feel like she’s not being fair. I told him to apologize, so I don’t feel like I took his “side” But if it’s just me and her talking, why am I not allowed to give an opinion? Let me also point out she’s my older sister who has no problem criticizing me. She made a couple of comments yesterday about how I should organize my home and I bit my tongue. And she knows one comment she made really pissed me off because we made eye contact and she tried to hug me after she said it.
Anyway AITAH?

Hi everyone. First time poster, long time lurker.. I just wanted to share my experience and maybe seek guidance or comfort from people that know what I’m going through. Some background info .. I am 32 and have experienced 3 miscarriages since October 2023. My husband and I have been TTC since September 2023 and seem to have a very easy time getting pregnant but a very hard time staying pregnant. Each of my losses happened around 6 weeks. I have seen an RE and went through alllll the tests, everything has come back normal except I have factor V. My RE is suggesting I go see a hematologist to see if they would recommend lovenox injections for when I get pregnant again, for background I was taking a baby aspirin a day with my last loss. I guess I’m just posting to vent as I am obviously very thankful that there is nothing “wrong” with me from a medical standpoint but it’s also frustrating because I was hoping we’d get an answer from all these tests but RE seems to think IVF will be our best option.
Would love to hear if anyone has been through a similar situation and hear what worked for you. Sending all the love and baby dust to anyone reading this 🫶🏽

Hello Fellow Disc Golfers,
Milwaukee Disc Golf needs YOUR help!
Brown Deer Disc Golf Course, often considered the crown jewel of Milwaukee Disc Golf courses, is slated for some changes:
Holes 7A, 7B, 7C are currently removed. These holes had complaints due to safety, and there were questions about the red tape approvals needed to install them in the first place - though the parks executive director gave it a thumbs up.
Holes 3-5 and 17-18 are being removed in 2025 due to wetland protection, and beech trees. The proposed replacement holes are not comparable to what's being removed.
Please help us get our voices heard and send a respectful email to [Paul.Corrao@milwaukeecountywi.gov](mailto:Paul.Corrao@milwaukeecountywi.gov)
Or Call 414-257-PARK (7275) and leave a message, respectfully, about it.
Not sure what to say/write?
Something as simple as this could help: 'I don't like the changes happening at Brown Deer disc golf course'
Maybe ask chatGPT/AI to help you craft your message.
Copy/ paste some of this message if you want or need help getting started.
Express your concerns/give possible solutions. The sidewalk around holes 7A and 7B could be closed to walkers. They could put up more signage. They could redesign the water holes. Why does disc golf have to suffer? Why can't we cooperate and find an amicable solution? There's plenty of other space for walking in brown deer - there isn't plenty of other space for disc golf water holes.
The proposed redesign doesn't seem great either. Taking out 5 of the best wooded holes in the county while giving us mostly wide open field holes in return is not equivalent.
This is one of several courses that Milwaukee County requires us to pay to play, yet it feels like our voice and money spent are disregarded. We might be yelling into the void here, but what else are we going to do? 10 minutes or less of your time could help the course.
Please don't tag or message Paul on any personal socials. Use his parks email, full stop. Respect his personal/professional boundaries.

For context I still live with my parents, I move out in a month for college and I’m gay; I was openly gay and my mom didn’t seem to have a problem because she’s known my girlfriend the full 12 months we’ve been together and she’s always been supportive of us up until recently. My mother has been watching a lot videos called: “I died and went to hell videos” and that’s how this whole craziness started.
I was on my computer when my mother called me into her room and she began to tell me, “how God intended for men and women to be together” and me knowing where this was going was

1. Absolutely shocked she would say this to me

And

1. Angered by this decision to tell me some bullshit like that now.

So I obviously reacted negatively and I tried to leave and she forced me to stay and got all in my face, backing me into a corner forcing me to listen to her words. After she’s done I say “okay” and I head to my room pissed off by what she said. She come back for round 2 and continue to bother me, I actually don’t know what she said here because I blocked it out of my memory but, she basically said the same thing and she wouldn’t leave the fuck alone, which is a common theme with her she loves to come and bother me even further.
Flash Forward to Mother’s Day and I’m still pissed about what she said to me so I tell her about it and she takes it all the way to the edge no more dog whistling. In short, she continuously says “the devil is making you like girls”, “it’s against god”, and the kicker “your soul is in jeopardy. And all those words basically mean, “you’re gonna go to hell because you like women.” And she continues to get all in my face and I argue back with her and I honestly tell her that I’m probably not going to have a relationship with her. The argument got so bad while I was sitting on the bed she literally stood up on it to scream in my face. When she got down she threatened to hit me for “being disrespectful” so I got up and did the same thing to her and out of anger I bawled my fist and she hit my stomach and called me a bitch. Ironic that this all happened on Mother’s Day right? Anyways she then gets really in her feelings about me calling her a homophobe and continuously says she not a homophobe because she has gay friends or because she also had crushes on women and made out with one. (which is honestly beyond me) She kept telling me over and over again how the devil was making me like girls and she said if she was in my shoes she wouldn’t date at all, it would be her and Jesus alone if it meant her “soul was in jeopardy”. She tried to tell me that she loves me but I just don’t believe her because I personally don’t think if you love someone you love all parts of them all parts of their identity so what she said to me basically was, “I love you but… conditionally.” After the screaming match she told me to let it go and left and come back several times to bother me more.
I immediately called my older cousin who’s also a gay woman and she picked me up from the house and girls me how sorry was about the situation and I went to also visit my Uncle who’s a Pastor and he told me : “Regardless of all that religious crap I love you no less and God made no mistakes.”
Fast Forward to today, before school my older brother tells me that I have “let go of that small shit, and that she’s trying to help you” and after school, my dad talks to me about the situation and he says to me, “Do you think I like you being gay? No.” And he continued to talk about shit he went through in his life and how some people don’t have both parents and that my mom suturing her best and that I need to apologize to her for saying “I’m not going to talk to her again.” And he tells me again that I’m the Bible it says that being homosexual is wrong but you’re gonna do what you wanna do? Which I don’t even know what that means because they all apparently think being gay is a choice and I fully decided to make my life harder so I go through shit like this. And when I get to my dad’s house he tells me that I need to call my mother and apologize but I fully refuse to do so.
Anyways, Am I The Asshole like everyone is trying to make it seem?