My partner who I'll call Matthew (19M) and I (20F), together for nearly a year, had discussions before we began dating about my military plans, which he seemed fine with. Matthew, originally from my hometown but now in Virginia for college, lacked a job, a car, and basic motivation for anything. His dream of playing Overwatch competitively contributed to his academic struggles, though he lost interest after high school.
In the first half of our relationship, I secured a job at a new restaurant and got my boyfriend a position as well. I worked as a bartender while he was a host/server, but he lost his job within a week due to poor performance and never got a job again. This pattern of avoiding responsibilities persisted throughout our relationship, with him showing little interest in adult tasks like job hunting, chores, or furthering his education. While I didn't initially mind being the sole breadwinner, it became a bigger problem later on.
Around November, one of Matthew's friends, alias name Jacob, visited town and rented an AirBNB for their group hangout. However, Jacob didn't invite Matthew to stay overnight, only to visit during the day. When I offered to drop Matthew off and pick him up later and pick up his dinner tab, Jacob refused to let me join, claiming his friends hated me. This sparked an argument between me and Matthew, where I refused to send him to hang out with people who hated me openly and Matthew insisted I let him go regardless, saying things like "You're supposed to be there for me".
We end up breaking up after this because I realize that among this (and other things, like getting mad at me for not performing up to his standards in casual Overwatch games / being a hypocrite in other games) he was childish and immature. Few months later, February, we get back together after some reconciling. However, things took a turn for the worse.
Matthew became absorbed in Final Fantasy Online while attending college in Virginia neglecting his classes and homework because he deemed them a waste of time. Despite his struggles, he asked for help with his assignments while I juggled a full-time job and military preparations. Amidst this, I lost my military job and considered returning to college. Matthew offered to help me secure an esports scholarship, but I was hesitant as I prioritized academics. I landed a new military job in the medical field, which was perfect because I planned to pursue medical after military duties. However, Matthew's response was dismissive and belittling (ex. "You don't really know what's going on) as he felt abandoned despite knowing my military ambitions from the beginning of our relationship.
I visited him recently, likely for the last time before leaving for BMT on July 9th. We planned a trip to New York, with me flying in. Despite asking him to clean his apartment room and to earn some extra money through DoorDash, his place was a mess upon my arrival, with litter strewn across the floor, dirty laundry everywhere, and weeks-old trash accumulating. He also mentioned having only $40 to his name. During our stay, he showed no initiative, spending his days gaming while I covered all expenses for our New York trip, including tolls, gas, train tickets, and the AirBNB. My hobby of collecting anime figures was of no importance to him as he refused to accommodate my interests and demanded equal spending on himself no matter where we went.
The tipping point came with the release of the Destiny DLC. Despite knowing the demands of the game and his need to focus on school and his collegiate Overwatch commitments, he persisted in wanting to play. His friends, who only engaged with him for gaming, exacerbated the situation. Despite my attempts to reason with him about the importance of other priorities, he remained obstinate. Eventually, I relented and bought him the DLC to appease him, despite my financial constraints and due to his incessant nagging.
On the day of the release, he woke up early, solely to be prepared for the raid in Destiny. While this wouldn't typically be an issue, it highlighted an issue where he neglected to wake up early during my visits, hindering our plans. Instead, we often spent our time indoors, with him frequently sleeping in until late afternoon.
Upon returning from work (4-10, he woke up at 12 maybe even earlier my time), I expected him to take a break from gaming, but he continued playing for hours without pause, probably with no attention to things like his homework assignments / eating food.
I told him that we need to talk, where I express my frustration, telling him that he's a bum and that he needs to grow the fuck up. He responds defensively, accusing me of being impatient and cruel. His emotional reactions during arguments, including crying and tantrums, are a recurring issue. Upon browsing his Discord messages one time on a whim, I stumble upon his conversation with Jacob, where he discusses the ease of ending our relationship due to it being LDR and even mentions holding my cat "hostage." Confronting him with this information only led to defensiveness.
As the conversation ended he said the convo was "so disappointing and sad" and that "I was childish for making a big deal bc of a game" and that he "endured so much and still stayed". I feel like I've definitely been harsh at times before, and maybe I could've been more stubborn on things that upset me instead of letting it slide and I have a tendency to be cold/dry and say really mean things when I am upset. I also understand that he is younger so he is bound to be less mature but I feel like he is making no attempts to listen to what I'm saying so I have to be harsh to get a point through. And for him, he's never had a guiding figure as his mother was working and dealing with issues of her own and his father was never in the picture. He has ADHD and has a hard time focusing on things and struggles to express his emotions without blowing up. He also tends to be a major hypocrite, getting upset at me for things he'd belittle me for if I were to be upset.
AITA?

Chapter 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY&t=310s

Traveling the country is never an easy task by oneself. Your truck breaks down, you can't get any sleep, you can't charge your phone whenever you want to, but you're free do whatever you want as long as you maintain your budget. Jacob Rissen had arrived at Garden City, Kansas to make some money for his next adventure. He'd been here for a few weeks and would soon be leaving. Whether it was the bright lights of All mart or the fact that he'd been at the register for six hours, Jacob Rissen was beginning to get a painful headache. He lived a mostly stress free life except for when his truck needed fixing. If ever the stress built up or he made enemies he'd say his goodbye's to his friends and leave for the next town. It was a skill he'd gained from his time in the Marine's having to make friends quickly and say goodbye at some time afterwards. He hadn't been a model Marine by any standards and no one looked at him for leadership. Jacob stayed under the radar easily hiding his true self which is where he made his peace. If anyone was to look to him for advice just because he took the job shortly after high school he'd have to question their inferiority complex. After three years of duty he'd been removed due to a 'personality disorder' but knew it was for the best. That had all been two years ago but he had yet to develop past that point in the civilian world. 

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" Jacob asked as the customer finished loading their groceries onto the belt. He only half listened to the customer's answer sure that if there was an actual problem he could fix it. Several plastic bags were quickly filled with the customer's selections. Looking up to see past the customer he saw his boss judging him yet again. Cassie was a skinny girl of twenty three, one year and a few months younger than himself. He knew that she was watching to make sure he was careful with the glassware unaware that even at his speed he tried his best to keep the customer's satisfied. She'd recently changed her disposition to him and would watch him several times during the day surely wondering why he worked so hard. A promotion could be easily obtained but he wasn't interested in something so permanent. Stress wasn't something he planned to have in his life so avoided it as best he could. He switched from job to job every few months so had to work harder than most to keep good job references. In the time it took his boss to charge one customer, Jacob's line was quickly finished leaving him time to rearrange the candy bars and face the soda bottles in the cooler. He had no problem with pushing himself harder than anyone else knowing that he had to make up for the past months he'd been free from a job.
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.

Chapter 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY

Traveling the country is never an easy task by oneself. Your truck breaks down, you can't get any sleep, you can't charge your phone whenever you want to, but you're free do whatever you want as long as you maintain your budget. Jacob Rissen had arrived at Garden City, Kansas to make some money for his next adventure. He'd been here for a few weeks and would soon be leaving. Whether it was the bright lights of All mart or the fact that he'd been at the register for six hours, Jacob Rissen was beginning to get a painful headache. He lived a mostly stress free life except for when his truck needed fixing. If ever the stress built up or he made enemies he'd say his goodbye's to his friends and leave for the next town. It was a skill he'd gained from his time in the Marine's having to make friends quickly and say goodbye at some time afterwards. He hadn't been a model Marine by any standards and no one looked at him for leadership. Jacob stayed under the radar easily hiding his true self which is where he made his peace. If anyone was to look to him for advice just because he took the job shortly after high school he'd have to question their inferiority complex. After three years of duty he'd been removed due to a 'personality disorder' but knew it was for the best. That had all been two years ago but he had yet to develop past that point in the civilian world. 

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" Jacob asked as the customer finished loading their groceries onto the belt. He only half listened to the customer's answer sure that if there was an actual problem he could fix it. Several plastic bags were quickly filled with the customer's selections. Looking up to see past the customer he saw his boss judging him yet again. Cassie was a skinny girl of twenty three, one year and a few months younger than himself. He knew that she was watching to make sure he was careful with the glassware unaware that even at his speed he tried his best to keep the customer's satisfied. She'd recently changed her disposition to him and would watch him several times during the day surely wondering why he worked so hard. A promotion could be easily obtained but he wasn't interested in something so permanent. Stress wasn't something he planned to have in his life so avoided it as best he could. He switched from job to job every few months so had to work harder than most to keep good job references. In the time it took his boss to charge one customer, Jacob's line was quickly finished leaving him time to rearrange the candy bars and face the soda bottles in the cooler. He had no problem with pushing himself harder than anyone else knowing that he had to make up for the past months he'd been free from a job.
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.

Chapter 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY

Traveling the country is never an easy task by oneself. Your truck breaks down, you can't get any sleep, you can't charge your phone whenever you want to, but you're free do whatever you want as long as you maintain your budget. Jacob Rissen had arrived at Garden City, Kansas to make some money for his next adventure. He'd been here for a few weeks and would soon be leaving. Whether it was the bright lights of All mart or the fact that he'd been at the register for six hours, Jacob Rissen was beginning to get a painful headache. He lived a mostly stress free life except for when his truck needed fixing. If ever the stress built up or he made enemies he'd say his goodbye's to his friends and leave for the next town. It was a skill he'd gained from his time in the Marine's having to make friends quickly and say goodbye at some time afterwards. He hadn't been a model Marine by any standards and no one looked at him for leadership. Jacob stayed under the radar easily hiding his true self which is where he made his peace. If anyone was to look to him for advice just because he took the job shortly after high school he'd have to question their inferiority complex. After three years of duty he'd been removed due to a 'personality disorder' but knew it was for the best. That had all been two years ago but he had yet to develop past that point in the civilian world. 

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" Jacob asked as the customer finished loading their groceries onto the belt. He only half listened to the customer's answer sure that if there was an actual problem he could fix it. Several plastic bags were quickly filled with the customer's selections. Looking up to see past the customer he saw his boss judging him yet again. Cassie was a skinny girl of twenty three, one year and a few months younger than himself. He knew that she was watching to make sure he was careful with the glassware unaware that even at his speed he tried his best to keep the customer's satisfied. She'd recently changed her disposition to him and would watch him several times during the day surely wondering why he worked so hard. A promotion could be easily obtained but he wasn't interested in something so permanent. Stress wasn't something he planned to have in his life so avoided it as best he could. He switched from job to job every few months so had to work harder than most to keep good job references. In the time it took his boss to charge one customer, Jacob's line was quickly finished leaving him time to rearrange the candy bars and face the soda bottles in the cooler. He had no problem with pushing himself harder than anyone else knowing that he had to make up for the past months he'd been free from a job.
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.

Chapter 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY

Traveling the country is never an easy task by oneself. Your truck breaks down, you can't get any sleep, you can't charge your phone whenever you want to, but you're free do whatever you want as long as you maintain your budget. Jacob Rissen had arrived at Garden City, Kansas to make some money for his next adventure. He'd been here for a few weeks and would soon be leaving. Whether it was the bright lights of All mart or the fact that he'd been at the register for six hours, Jacob Rissen was beginning to get a painful headache. He lived a mostly stress free life except for when his truck needed fixing. If ever the stress built up or he made enemies he'd say his goodbye's to his friends and leave for the next town. It was a skill he'd gained from his time in the Marine's having to make friends quickly and say goodbye at some time afterwards. He hadn't been a model Marine by any standards and no one looked at him for leadership. Jacob stayed under the radar easily hiding his true self which is where he made his peace. If anyone was to look to him for advice just because he took the job shortly after high school he'd have to question their inferiority complex. After three years of duty he'd been removed due to a 'personality disorder' but knew it was for the best. That had all been two years ago but he had yet to develop past that point in the civilian world. 

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" Jacob asked as the customer finished loading their groceries onto the belt. He only half listened to the customer's answer sure that if there was an actual problem he could fix it. Several plastic bags were quickly filled with the customer's selections. Looking up to see past the customer he saw his boss judging him yet again. Cassie was a skinny girl of twenty three, one year and a few months younger than himself. He knew that she was watching to make sure he was careful with the glassware unaware that even at his speed he tried his best to keep the customer's satisfied. She'd recently changed her disposition to him and would watch him several times during the day surely wondering why he worked so hard. A promotion could be easily obtained but he wasn't interested in something so permanent. Stress wasn't something he planned to have in his life so avoided it as best he could. He switched from job to job every few months so had to work harder than most to keep good job references. In the time it took his boss to charge one customer, Jacob's line was quickly finished leaving him time to rearrange the candy bars and face the soda bottles in the cooler. He had no problem with pushing himself harder than anyone else knowing that he had to make up for the past months he'd been free from a job.
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.

Chapter 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY

Traveling the country is never an easy task by oneself. Your truck breaks down, you can't get any sleep, you can't charge your phone whenever you want to, but you're free do whatever you want as long as you maintain your budget. Jacob Rissen had arrived at Garden City, Kansas to make some money for his next adventure. He'd been here for a few weeks and would soon be leaving. Whether it was the bright lights of All mart or the fact that he'd been at the register for six hours, Jacob Rissen was beginning to get a painful headache. He lived a mostly stress free life except for when his truck needed fixing. If ever the stress built up or he made enemies he'd say his goodbye's to his friends and leave for the next town. It was a skill he'd gained from his time in the Marine's having to make friends quickly and say goodbye at some time afterwards. He hadn't been a model Marine by any standards and no one looked at him for leadership. Jacob stayed under the radar easily hiding his true self which is where he made his peace. If anyone was to look to him for advice just because he took the job shortly after high school he'd have to question their inferiority complex. After three years of duty he'd been removed due to a 'personality disorder' but knew it was for the best. That had all been two years ago but he had yet to develop past that point in the civilian world. 

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" Jacob asked as the customer finished loading their groceries onto the belt. He only half listened to the customer's answer sure that if there was an actual problem he could fix it. Several plastic bags were quickly filled with the customer's selections. Looking up to see past the customer he saw his boss judging him yet again. Cassie was a skinny girl of twenty three, one year and a few months younger than himself. He knew that she was watching to make sure he was careful with the glassware unaware that even at his speed he tried his best to keep the customer's satisfied. She'd recently changed her disposition to him and would watch him several times during the day surely wondering why he worked so hard. A promotion could be easily obtained but he wasn't interested in something so permanent. Stress wasn't something he planned to have in his life so avoided it as best he could. He switched from job to job every few months so had to work harder than most to keep good job references. In the time it took his boss to charge one customer, Jacob's line was quickly finished leaving him time to rearrange the candy bars and face the soda bottles in the cooler. He had no problem with pushing himself harder than anyone else knowing that he had to make up for the past months he'd been free from a job.
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.

Chapter 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY

Traveling the country is never an easy task by oneself. Your truck breaks down, you can't get any sleep, you can't charge your phone whenever you want to, but you're free do whatever you want as long as you maintain your budget. Jacob Rissen had arrived at Garden City, Kansas to make some money for his next adventure. He'd been here for a few weeks and would soon be leaving. Whether it was the bright lights of All mart or the fact that he'd been at the register for six hours, Jacob Rissen was beginning to get a painful headache. He lived a mostly stress free life except for when his truck needed fixing. If ever the stress built up or he made enemies he'd say his goodbye's to his friends and leave for the next town. It was a skill he'd gained from his time in the Marine's having to make friends quickly and say goodbye at some time afterwards. He hadn't been a model Marine by any standards and no one looked at him for leadership. Jacob stayed under the radar easily hiding his true self which is where he made his peace. If anyone was to look to him for advice just because he took the job shortly after high school he'd have to question their inferiority complex. After three years of duty he'd been removed due to a 'personality disorder' but knew it was for the best. That had all been two years ago but he had yet to develop past that point in the civilian world. 

"Did you find everything you were looking for?" Jacob asked as the customer finished loading their groceries onto the belt. He only half listened to the customer's answer sure that if there was an actual problem he could fix it. Several plastic bags were quickly filled with the customer's selections. Looking up to see past the customer he saw his boss judging him yet again. Cassie was a skinny girl of twenty three, one year and a few months younger than himself. He knew that she was watching to make sure he was careful with the glassware unaware that even at his speed he tried his best to keep the customer's satisfied. She'd recently changed her disposition to him and would watch him several times during the day surely wondering why he worked so hard. A promotion could be easily obtained but he wasn't interested in something so permanent. Stress wasn't something he planned to have in his life so avoided it as best he could. He switched from job to job every few months so had to work harder than most to keep good job references. In the time it took his boss to charge one customer, Jacob's line was quickly finished leaving him time to rearrange the candy bars and face the soda bottles in the cooler. He had no problem with pushing himself harder than anyone else knowing that he had to make up for the past months he'd been free from a job.
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.

Don’t even really know where to begin since I’ve been reflecting and realizing a lot. Currently 24M.
January of 2020 I was in my first ever relationship with, who I thought, was an amazing man. Let’s call him M. The night before our 6 month anniversary I had this awful gut feeling that I’ve never felt before - for seemingly no reason. Once he fell asleep in front of me, I went through his phone and realized he has been messaging other guys and has been cheating for realistically our entire relationship.
When I think about it, I remember EVERYTHING about that night. The friends I called with tears streaming down my face, the chain smoking, the feeling of a knife stabbing through my no longer innocent heart. I was overwhelmed to say the least.
The next morning I confront him. I’m instantly met with tears, “I’m sorry”, and manipulation by threatening self-harm. He played the victim card and I fell for it. Again. And again. And again…. Oh, and again. Eventually I caved in and allowed us to have an open relationship (because I thought I was to blame) which shortly after became closed because I wasn’t comfortable with it.
9 months in, we move in together. Why? Because I couldn’t trust him. Looking back, this was NOT a good idea. We had no privacy. We worked together, lived together, and were around each other 24/7.
Fast forward to 1 year 6 months (roughly) through our relationship. I have negative trust in this man yet for some reason I’m still falling victim to his bullshit.
Then, the switch flips. I get angry… and spiteful. I couldn’t believe that the man I loved hurt me so fucking badly. So, time for revenge. I stated to give him a taste of his own medicine. I became ill with the sickness of being a cheater. I cheated, he cheated, I cheated, he cheated. Over the phone, physically, you name it. It happened. But yet we were always there for each other. It was the most confusing dynamic I’ve ever witnessed.
Finally one day in January of 2023 I wake up and wonder to myself “What am I doing?!” “What has my life become?!”
I have a short conversation with M and cut to the chase. I couldn’t trust him and I’m just wasting my life away with this soul sucker. I erase him from my life. Blocked on my phone, clothing burned, practically anything that would remind me of him was gone. And boy, I felt EMPTY.
You see, I used to be so full of life and energy. I would ALWAYS go the extra mile with my relationship. In the beginning, I would write love letters for every monthly anniversary we had. It felt so wholesome, pure, and fun!
February of 2023 (Looking back, this was NOT enough time between relationships), an amazing man enters my life (who I’ve known since 2021, just never cultivated anything serious). This man loved ME for ME. He showed me nothing but love, care, and respect. Let’s call him J [20M].
I had no patience because I didn’t realize the importance of healing at the time. Within a month of dating, we made things official. J asked me multiple times if I was sure I was ready, in which I always said “Yes” to because of my strong feelings of love for him.
I didn’t really know how to process this. I knew I loved him. I felt happy, safe, and secure around him. I felt heard and understood. For the first few months everything felt AMAZING.
Then, the beast awakens. My subconscious slowly yet persistently reminds me I don’t have the capability of trusting anyone in a romantic capacity. When I was alone, I would overthink every little thing about him. Even though he did nothing wrong, my brain made him out to be an enemy.
So what do I do? Slip back into old habits and I cheated on my phone. Part of me knew this was wrong. So I hid it. But the guilt, the GUILT of cheating was slowly eating away at me. I didn’t act the same. He knew something wasn’t right.
Late August of 2023 he found out. I knew the truth would hurt so I tried to lie my way out of it but at this point the cat was out of the bag. I didn’t believe this was the person I am now so I tried everything under the sun including the blame game. I didn’t understand. Neither did he.
I destroyed him. Ever since then, our relationship has been unstable. On and off, feelings of being pressured. Overthinking. I robbed him of his innocence. After some time of things being unstable from my side, he abandoned me in March of 2024. We went practically the whole month without talking.
My selfish self was mad. I wanted him. I wanted to talk to him and see his beautiful face again. During this time I started to partake in self-destructive behaviors. I was also talking to other guys trying to find J in them, but that’s impossible. And hurtful.
April & May of 2024 we started talking again and we were taking the careful steps of rebuilding trust. We agreed our lives are better with each other. He was happy with me and that made me happy! There is no better feeling in the world than seeing him smile.
Then, at the end of the month of May I slipped into my bad habits again and cheated. We haven’t talked since and I’m certain he wants nothing to do with me. I can’t blame him. I HATE the person I’ve become.
I feel like after being cheated on repeatedly and then cheating out of spite, I’m numb to it all. I don’t understand the damage it causes. As a result, I have cheated on and severely hurt the man I love. Not once, but twice.
I feel like a monster. I can’t even fathom the way I made him feel. I am guilty.
I wish and hope with EVERYTHING that he knows it wasn’t him. None of it is his fault. He did nothing wrong. He is beautiful and worthy of love. I wish I could reverse the damage I’ve done.
I’ve finally realized the cycle must be broken. I’m not healed. It’s NOT FAIR for hurt people to hurt people. That is never an excuse.
What did we learn? - Slow down and realize you’re not ready if you’re not ready. - Communicate your feelings even if you feel they’re insignificant. If they care, they’ll care. - Don’t hurt other people if you’re hurt. It’s not fair. - Don’t say things or make promises you can’t keep.
Jacob, from the bottom of my heart I am sorry. I hope you can heal from the damage I’ve caused. I will be supporting you with my echoed screams of regret.
tl;dr: I was cheated on constantly and treated like a doormat in my first relationship. Rushed into another relationship with someone who loved me for me and cheated, which destroyed him. I am filled with regret.

Isaiah Berlin

06 June 1909 - 5 November 1997
Isaiah Berlin’s Enlightenment Apologetics
Part of a Series on the Philosophy of History
Thursday 06 June 2024 is the 115th anniversary of the birth of Isaiah Berlin (06 June 1909 - 5 November 1997), who was born in Riga, then part of the Russian Empire, the only son of a timber baron of the Baltic, on this date in 1909.
While being a “public intellectual” is perhaps more common in France than in England, Berlin approximated the role of a public intellectual, which was partly due to his many public speaking engagements. He preferred speaking to writing, and all his books were either dictated directly to secretaries or dictated to a recorder. As a result, his books have a conversational tone—they read like lectures because that’s what they were.
He started out as an Oxford linguistic philosopher, but remade himself as an historian of ideas. In a 1974 panel discussion at a conference on the philosophy of history, Berlin said, “…I have never been an historian and have long ceased to be a working philosopher.” However, Berlin’s thought was pervasively historical even when he was not trying to do philosophy of history. This could also be said of Nietzsche or Foucault, though both were worlds apart from Berlin, and certainly not merely because Nietzsche came before and Foucault came after, but all three had this in common: that understanding demanded a determined and detailed grasp of history, and if you are familiar with Nietzsche’s or Foucault’s work you’ll understand what I mean by this.
Berlin’s historical work focused on the Enlightenment and the romantic reaction to the Enlightenment. Arguably, Berlin was at this best, at his sharpest and most critical and penetrating, in discussing the romantic reaction to the Enlightenment, maybe provoked by those who would dare to question the presuppositions of the Enlightenment. And he came back to these figures time and again in one book after another. If we wanted to be uncharitable, we could say that Berlin made a career from exhibiting his incomprehension of an intellectual tradition to which he was unsympathetic. He stated openly that he didn’t understand Hegel, but this seems pretty obviously to have been a way to poke fun at Hegel. If Berlin couldn’t understand Hegel, could anyone really claim to understand Hegel? There was some justification for this implicit humblebrag, since Berlin’s historical erudition is almost intimidating.
Another thing about Berlin’s lectures is that they were highly entertaining. In this he resembled Bertrand Russell. You can find many of these lectures available online, e.g., there is a Youtube channel called Philosophy Overdose that has made available many of Berlin’s lectures. If you listen to them you’ll find that he is always clear, frequently witty and amusing, and, unlike me, he never trips over a word, and he’s speaking English as a second language. Lecturers who know how to be entertaining have the advantage of being able to get their audience nodding along and the amusement tends to suspend critical judgment. Berlin was a master at exploiting this advantage and so of being very persuasive.
Berlin corresponded with American philosopher Morton White over many years, and for some of those many years they discussed collaborating on a book on philosophy of history, an idea that Berlin first suggested in a letter to White of 04 October 1952. Berlin proposed that they write letters to each other, and that the correspondence be published as their joint volume on philosophy of history, perhaps to be called Letters on Philosophy of History.
Morton White was an American analytical philosopher with sympathies for American traditions like pragmatism, so his views were different enough from Berlin’s that their exchange could have been quite enlightening. The topics of their exchange were to include, according to White:

“…the nature of historical knowledge, the relation between history and the social sciences, the role of value judgments in historical research, the nature of historical explanation and causation, the character of historical language, the similarities and differences between history and the natural sciences, the nature of an adequate historical description of a given culture, period or event, and kindred questions.”

In another of White’s letters to Berlin he laid out for broad areas of discussion, to include:

“…that we distinguish at least four types of questions: (1) The logic of establishing single, singular statements about the past. Not a very interesting question in my opinion, but a manageable one. (2) The logic of establishing causal statements—“so”-statements, “since”- statements, “because’’-statements, “therefore”-statements. (3) The logic of judging the adequacy of narratives. To me the central problem, where a narrative is conceived as a total historical work about a period or place, etc. (4) The logic of judging large, Toynbeesque, Hegelian, Marxist, Spenglerian ‘theories’ of the process of history or civilization.”

Of the project Berlin wrote at one time:

“As for ‘research assistants’, I wonder whether we shall need them or not. The only purpose for which they could be needed would be to dig into and make some kind of précis and reports on some of the more voluminous but nevertheless not unimportant German and French writers whom we are likely to wonder about. I profess great admiration for, for example, Dilthey, whom I have been reading, and even for Weber, and there are various metaphysicians in the nineteenth century who might contain bits of matter of a vaguely stimulating kind. I wonder whether we might profitably not get hold of somebody who reads foreign languages simply in order to tell us what to look for and what kind of things these people discuss in which chapters of their enormous works. I do not think this would represent either much work or much expense, nor really relieve us to an appreciable extent of having to read the stuff ourselves, nevertheless I think some preliminary digging might really be done by somebody else under our direction.”

From this we can see that the scope of the project remained wide open as they batted it back and forth in letters over many years, including after White published his The Foundations of Historical Knowledge in 1965. It’s unfortunate that this joint work on philosophy of history was never written. There is a paper about this, An unrealised project? —Isaiah Berlin and the philosophy of history” by Renzhi Li, but I haven’t yet obtained a copy of it. However, some of this correspondence appears in Morton White’s autobiography, A Philosopher’s Life, and some of it in Berlin’s collected correspondence, and that’s where I found these quotes. Their correspondence is filled with philosophical gossip, much of it unflattering to great figures, and seems to have been pretty informal and free-wheeling. Berlin skewers almost everyone in his letters, and that fact that he shared all of these opinions with Morton White is a testament to how close they were, which would have made their collaboration on a book a live option.
Here’s one more quote from Berlin on what he imagined as the content of their unrealized joint project, from a letter to Morton White 04 October 1954:

“I should like to add what is, in my mind, one of the most important of these [themes], namely, the nature of historical understanding — that is to say of what is meant when it is said that historians understand a period well or badly, that they are good historians or poor, or profound or shallow, or that their accounts are plausible or unconvincing. You partly cover this by your term ‘historical explanation’, but not perhaps quite. I have been lecturing on this subject at Oxford, and have had very interesting reactions to the view which I have expounded, which is somewhat different to official positivist views, from historians who have come to these lectures, and in particular from the eminent Professor of Latin — just retired — Eduard Fraenkel, who explained to me why it was that he had declined to write the life of Mommsen when requested to do so by Wilamowitz and taught me a great deal about German historicism in the process. He came to all the lectures and generally took a great deal of lively interest in the whole thing. The nature of the logic of the human studies, in general, for example, the reconstruction of the classical past, the technique of emendation of historical and literary texts, and the relationship of historical imagination to rigorous canons of inference, as used, for example, by palaeographers, seems to me to be highly relevant to our study.”

These are interesting problems that have not attracted much attention from philosophers of history. And I agree with Berlin that the issues he is urging are not adequately covered by White’s conception of historical explanation. In particular, I am intrigued by the possibility of historical knowledge being profound or shallow, and this is something that I may follow up. Berlin revisits this question in a short paper from 1978, Is a philosophy of history possible?
“Neither depth nor greatness, incidentally, are concepts much mentioned by philosophers, although I daresay it would be a good thing if they were; for they are not mere rhetorical flourishes. ‘Deep’ is a metaphorical expression—a metaphor drawn from wells, perhaps. What does it mean? What is meant by saying (whether or not this is true) that Pascal is a profounder thinker than Descartes, or that Mommsen or Fustel de Coulanges are greater historians than industrious compilers or the authors of patriotic textbooks?”
However, in the same short paper Berlin concludes with the judgment:

“…I cannot help thinking that the most useful task—indeed, the main one—for philosophers of history is the analysis of the logic of historical explanation. This means the analysis of the use of such words as ‘because’, ‘therefore’, ‘in due course’, ‘it was not surprising that’ and so on, which act as connecting links between various propositions about the past, and bind them into logical structures (so it seems to me) in a fashion different from that in which such logical cement is used in the natural sciences.”

The very title of this brief essay, by the way—Is a philosophy of history possible?—implies that we might reasonably argue in the affirmative or the negative, that the question was for Berlin an open one.
Berlin’s judgment that the logic of historical explanation ought to be the main task of philosophers of history, and in particular how he here formulates the task, offers us some insight into his denial of the possibility of scientific history. In his paper “The Concept of Scientific History” Berlin writes in the final paragraph:

“…to be unscientific is to defy, for no good logical or empirical reason, established hypotheses and laws; while to be unhistorical is the opposite—to ignore or twist one’s view of particular events, persons, predicaments, in the name of laws, theories, principles derived from other fields, logical, ethical, metaphysical, scientific, which the nature of the medium renders inapplicable? For what else is it that is done by those theorists who are called fanatical because their faith in a given pattern is not overcome by their sense of reality? For this reason the attempt to construct a discipline which would stand to concrete history as pure to applied, no matter how successful the human sciences may grow to be—even if, as all but obscurantists must hope, they discover genuine, empirically confirmed, laws of individual and collective behavior—seems an attempt to square the circle. It is not a vain hope for an ideal goal beyond human powers, but a chimera, born of lack of understanding of the nature of natural science, or of history, or of both.”

What Berlin is saying here is not that the attempt to formulate a scientific history is beyond us at present, but that the very idea of it is incoherent. As with the idiographic/nomothetic distinction, to which he alludes in the paper, but from which he does not draw in any significant way, there is a parallelism between what scientists do and what historians do, but that parallelism at the same time assures us that there parallel tasks will never converge or coincide: they must remain parallel and separate. Berlin could have argued, as Windelband and Rickert argued, that scientific explanation and historical explanation are co-equal as sciences, despite their distinct methods. Instead, Berlin argued that the logic of historical explanation is the task of philosophy of history, implying that historical explanation itself is the task of historians, and asserting that this is no science at all because it is distinct from explanation in the natural sciences.
Despite the apparent similarity of Berlin’s view to Windelband and Rickert, he doesn’t choose to follow their lead. But loosely associated with Windelband and Rickert was Wilhelm Dilthey. Dilthey agreed with some of the critiques of Windelband and Rickert, but he also criticized them in turn, and took his own direction in the legitimation of historical knowledge and its differentiation from the knowledge of the natural sciences. In an above quote Berlin explicitly expressed his admiration for Dilthey, and in another the letter to Morton White he wrote:

“No English and no American writer seems to me to have been particularly illuminating on this subject—nor any Frenchman, not even Taine, or Marc Bloch. But Dilthey—wrongly accused of being a metaphysical muddler and a Hegelian, whereas he is merely both empirical and imaginative and a practising historian, and a man of very great gifts—particularly in the matter of historical generalisation, superior not merely to Toynbee but to Whitehead—seems to me to have talked a great deal of highly luminous sense on the subject.”

I would classify Dilthey as a non-philosopher of history along with Descartes, Jacob Burckhardt, Karl Lowith, and Simone Weil. In his Introduction to the Human Sciences, Dilthey pursues of line of argument similar to that of Löwith, assimilating philosophy of history to providential thought. Roughly, non-philosophers of history hold that philosophy of history is not a legitimate intellectual enterprise, for any number of reasons, or that it cannot deliver on its promises, whatever those promises might be. A non-philosophy of history, as I am using the idea, is an approach that is critical of philosophies of history only, without attempting to fill the void left by the critique. But the human mind no less than nature abhors a vacuum, and an epistemic vacuum will be filled eventually, whether or no we acknowledge whatever it is that seeps its way into the recently vacated realm of thought. By my interpretation, then, Berlin admired non-philosophy of history, and we have to imagine that, if he had written the planned book with Morton White, he would have pressed home this non-philosophy of history and his interpretation of Dilthey.
Another element of significance is that Berlin’s conception of historicism was close to that of Popper’s, which makes him an outlier. If we take this conception of historicism along with Dilthey’s non-philosophy of history and the identification of the elucidation of historical explanation as the task of the philosopher of history, we get a picture of Berlin’s conception of history, and we find that it is not all that different from what we would expect from Anglo-American analytical philosophy. This helps us to understand Berlin’s affinity for Morton White and Berlin’s interest in writing a book on philosophy of history together with White. To be honest, Berlin’s project as I have described it here is not much different from Patrick Gardiner’s project in The Nature of Historical Explanation, which appeared the same year that Berlin suggested that White collaborate on a book with him on philosophy of history.
The conception of history I have described isn’t what we might have expected from Berlin, given his lifetime of work in humanistic scholarship. Berlin’s humanistic scholarship allowed him to neatly cleave Enlightenment philosophy of history from post-Enlightenment philosophy of history. He returned time and again to the post-Enlightenment and romantic figures that he regarded as being a lesson and a warning to us all. His book Freedom and Its Betrayal: Six Enemies of the Enlightenment, covers Helvetius, Rousseau, Fichte, Hegel, Saint-Simon, and Joseph de Maistre. In this book Kant and Fichte serve as the representative caricatures of the Enlightenment conception of freedom and the counter-Enlightenment conception of freedom:

“…Kant, with his respect for human nature and its sacred rights, and Fichte’s identification of freedom with self assertion, with the imposition of your will upon others, with the removal of obstacles to your desires, and finally with a victorious nation marching to fulfil its destiny in answer to the internal demands given to it by transcendental reason, before which all material things must crumble… These are the two notions of liberty which were spread over Europe at the beginning of the nineteenth century; to ask which of them is true, and which of them is false, is a shallow and unanswerable question. They represent two views of life of an irreconcilable kind, the liberal and authoritarian, open and closed, and the fact that the word ‘freedom’ has been a genuinely central symbol in both is at once remarkable and sinister.”

Berlin further wrote studies on Vico and Herder that were collected in a volume titled Vico and Herder: Two Studies in the History of Ideas, and Berlin wrote The Magus of the North: J. G. Hamann and the Origins of Modern Irrationalism. This was eventually included with the essays on Vico and Herder. We can see the strong language he is using here to speak of these figures as enemies of freedom and as being as the root of irrationalism. Usually it’s Fichte and Hegel who are the villains of the piece.
There is a persistent tendency to treat Fichte and Hegel as proto-totalitarians specifically for their views on philosophy of history, and not only in Berlin’s work. I talked about this in my episode on Fichte in relation to George Santayana’s book Egotism in German Philosophy, quoting some of what Santayana wrote about Fichte. Berlin gives us the more elegant and suave version of the same idea, also displaced into the second half of the twentieth century so as to take account of the second world war in addition to the first. Popper belongs in this company as well, and his The Open Society and Its Enemies and The Poverty of Historicism both invoke Hegel as their bête noire. The more I think about this the more I realize that this idea deserves analysis on its own merits, partly because it is so widely held and so persistent, and partly because the truth or falsity of this claim would be interesting in its own right.
But Berlin wants to press his caricatures of philosophers into action. The Enlightenment cowboys all wear white hats and the counter-Enlightenment cowboys all wear black hats. When they have their inevitable gunfight at Berlin’s OK Corral, the inevitable result is that the cowboys in white hats win they day and save the damsel—i.e., Western history, which has been bound and left on the railway track—from the perilous danger in which she was left by the villains of the piece. The day is saved and the heroes ride into the sunset.
This might be a ridiculous way to present Berlin’s philosophy of history, but I’m putting it this way to make a point. Let me try to explain. It is difficult to get a proper perspective on the history in which we are immersed. It may be that we have a better chance of understanding events not of our own time as compared to being able to understand events not of our time, but there is admittedly something paradoxical about this. In my episode on Giovanni Gentile I talked the difference between knowledge from lived experience, which we have of our own time, and propositional knowledge, i.e., knowing that such-and-such is the case. Here I am implying that having the lived experience of our own times is an impediment to historical understanding, though maybe it would be better to say that lived experience is an impediment to dispassionate clarity and scientific detachment.
I’m not going to try to construct an argument about this, at least not right now, but I’m going to point out some differences between thinking about the past and thinking about the present, and that part of history with an immediate stake in the present. Consider that philosophy of history has its origins in the work in St. Augustine. Augustine was provoked to write his City of God by the sack of Rome in 410 AD. Part of his interest in writing City of God was to set the historical record straight from a Christian point of view. Rome had been the capital of the known world for all practical purposes, and had not been taken by force for eight hundred years. It was a shock to the people in the 5th century that Rome could be sacked.
The traditionalists said that Rome was sacked as a punishment for the Roman people abandoning the traditional gods and converting to Christianity. Augustine’s purpose was to demonstrate that this argument was false, and that it was rather the falseness of traditional Roman religion that had led to the sack of Rome. We can now see these events with 1600 years of hindsight. We know that the sack of Rome in 410 AD was the beginning of the end for the Western Roman Empire, but those who lived through the sack, or who simply were alive at this time, did not and could not have known that this was the case.
How is this related to Isaiah Berlin and this understanding of the Enlightenment and counter-Enlightenment critics? The Enlightenment and its consequences are still unfolding in our time. Our world is the world of the Enlightenment; our lived experience is that of the Enlightenment after three hundred years of development. Because we are still living in the Age of Enlightenment, our understanding of the Enlightenment is distorted by our being too close to it.
When Rome was sacked, Christianity had been growing for four hundred years. Our relationship to the Enlightenment in time is similar, as Enlightenment ideology has been developing for about 300 years. Thus far into the development of the Enlightenment, we encountered a great crisis. The catastrophe that the 20th century was for Western civilization is analogous to the sack of Rome in 410 AD, which was a crisis in the civilization of classical antiquity. As the Romans of the 5th century AD debated whether the sack of Rome was due to the old Roman gods or due to Christianity, we can debate whether the catastrophe of the 20th century was due to the Enlightenment, or the traditionalists and the counter-Enlightenment.
Berlin effectively argued that the irrationalism and the violence and the chaos of the twentieth century was the fault of the traditionalists and the counter-Enlightenment. He is a true believer in the new faith and its new God, the Enlightenment, and so he argues, like Augustine, that the real fault lies with those who still worship the old gods. But we can just as well argue, as many argued after the sack of Rome, that it was the abandonment of the old gods that led to that catastrophe.
And we can argue that the Enlightenment contained the seeds of its own destruction from its inception. In the chapter on Fichte in his book Freedom and Its Betrayal: Six Enemies of the Enlightenment, Berlin says that the Enlightenment conception of freedom is exemplified by Thomas Paine, Benjamin Constant, and Condorcet, and he quotes Constant to make his point. It’s worth pointing out the Condorcet wrote his great work on freedom and progress—Sketch for a Historical Picture of the Progress of the Human Mind—while on the run from the revolutionary guard, while hiding in safe houses. He was eventually captured and died shortly thereafter in prison. Even at its inception, the Enlightenment, like Saturn, was consuming its own children.
We can say of the Reign of Terror and the Napoleonic wars that this wasn’t the real Enlightenment, and we can say of the 20th century that that wasn’t the real Enlightenment, and that the real Enlightenment hasn’t yet been tried. That is something that only a true believer says. Anyone with no prior commitment to Enlightenment ideology will have no reason whatsoever to believe this.

Video Presentation

https://youtu.be/Es_T4GY2LB8
https://www.instagram.com/p/C73xiw7tuAY/

Podcast Edition

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/C7jk57cMcKb
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a31b8276-53cd-4723-b6ad-a39c8faa4572/episodes/84f3568f-6dc2-43e9-ab4a-4752548c36dc/today-in-philosophy-of-history-isaiah-berlin%E2%80%99s-enlightenment-apologetics
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-today-in-philosophy-of-his-146507578/episode/isaiah-berlins-enlightenment-apologetics-183195716/
​

So this is a 4 month long situation-ship that I have not been able to truly get over. My mind keeps asking what happened and I know it shouldnt matter but your opinion on what might have happened would be very much appreciated. Also parts of this is very embarrassing for me so please be compassionate.
I (24) met this guy(24), let’s call him Harry in June. We hit it off instantly. Our first date lasted 4-5 hours and we never ran out of things to talk about. He even kissed me that night. Our second date was soon after and the third date was when we had sex. It was very bad and awkward though because we were both very intoxicated. He thought I would end it after that but I just wanted to talk about it which I did. Everything went fine after that. We had great sex and many many dates. He left for Japan for about 10 days and sent me pictures throughout the trip, telling me what he was upto, etc. Since I was leaving the city, in July (something I had told him from the get go) for my job, we started spending pretty much every day after he returned from Japan together. I knew we hadnt known each other for too long realistically and so, the night before I left, I had the conversation about what next with him. He wanted to continue talking. I am indifferent to long distance relationships so I agreed. We would talk on a weekly basis and text everyday. He would initiate the weekly conversations just as much as I did but I did more talking than he did whether that was on call or text. I asked him many questions in order for him to open up which he said he liked because he’s introverted and finds it weird to talk unprompted sometimes. He started the conversation of distance again and told me how he plans to stat abroad for a bit. I told him I didn’t mind waiting and he said long distance only makes sense if we are together at the end of it. I planned to go back to Denver and live in the same city as him. He said he could see himself wait for me to come back and do long distance till January of the following year. We texted our whole day with each other and he would even send me pictures of what he’s s been up to. He said he doesnt like texting so it wasn’t texting all day but more so the whole days info just once a day.
About 2.5months of long distance later, I was visiting him for the first time since I left. I was gonna crash at his place for 10 days. During those 10 days is when everything went to shit. I felt him lose interest in me while I was there but I couldnt understand why. I know he was super independent and all but I know he loved my warmth and kindness and care because he told me that he appreciated it especially since his friendss were showed more of the siblingy-mean-love. Yet it often felt like he didnt want me to do stuff for him and it felt like he had built walls. He was the one that had told me he wants to talk about exs and past relationships and yet when we did started the conversation, he ended it very quickly saying he was too tired. On that trip is when i found out that one of his roommates was a guy he went on a few dates with. Since this was new info for me, i wanted to know more but he just said “we went on a couple of dates but paul (the other guy) had hung out with my friends enough times that we stayed friends”. I thought this was vague and wanted to know more but any question i asked would be met with a wall so i stopped. It didnt really matter too much anyway. Idk if this is important but both his roommates paul and jacob were pretty rude to me- playfully or not i couldnt understand tbh ( i think if i was in pauls position i would not even take joke-y jabs at the partner of my friend who i once went in dates with so that they feel welcome but i am aware people dont all think and function like i do ) He stopped sharing info and I could just feel him withdraw. When i went back he didnt even ask me about my flight details or anything. A few days after he asked for a break saying that the long distance was getting to him and if we were in the same city it would have been different. I tried to bargain and make things work but eventually said we should just end it if that is the reason because that is whats gonna happen in the end. He didnt hesitate and said ok immediately. That entire conversation happened one text a dat and literally took 10-15 days to end. I told him i would like to stay friends but he would have to star the conversation as friends. He sent me hi right then as his way of starting the friendship conversation missing my entire point. And then eventually ghosted and never replied to one of my texts. I guess its understandable because I didnt let the conversation end. In hindsight i was not willing to let go.
Anyway a month after the ending, i sent him a long text that i didnt deserve that coldness when all i had done was be nice to him. He said he felt badly to hear this but that decision to end things only was made after i left and not during my stay. He didnt take accountability for anything else.
2.5-3 months after the end i was moving back to denver. I texted him about it because for some reason i was very scared of accidentally running into him. He wished me safe journey 2 weeks later when he knew i was doing the move. My move was postponed and i move a few weeks later. He knew that but didnt initiate contact.
After the move i shamelessly contacted him because even then my mind said that long distance was the problem so maybe we can get back. We played games online and I know he missed time with his friends for those games. It wasnt even games he liked that much ever so I thought this meant positive things. Although i had initiated each time we played these online games (about 5 times), I thought that because it wasnt games he even really liked all that much, it must mean he likes me still. I made a harmless joke about him letting me go because he made poor decisions which idk if its important but he laughed and then i decided not to initiate contact. He never initiated contact either. We havent spoken since. The last time we did speak, however, i got to know that he had accepted a job in seattle and was leaving in a couple of months.
I know only he can truly tell what happened but from what you read, what do you think happened? Did nothing ever mean anything to him? Why was he dating me exclusively even when long distance then? Why tell me plans about japan? Why tell me that he wants to meet my grandmother? And tell me how he wants me to meet his grandparents and me to visit his hometown? Why share one of his big insecurities? Idk. The ending made me feel like he never cared about me at all and i was just a fool believing him but even my friends thought he was gonna ask us to be boyfriends. Like was all of this just a regular tuesday for him? When he kissed me in between words or gave me forehead kisses? What do you think happened? Its been 6 months since and i have been trying to move on.
Edit: he has been in long term relationships as far as i can tell. I obviously didnt get to learn much because of the seemingly random walls

So this is a 4 month long situation-ship that I have not been able to truly get over. My mind keeps asking what happened and I know it shouldnt matter but your opinion on what might have happened would be very much appreciated. Also parts of this is very embarrassing for me so please be compassionate.
I (24) met this guy(24), let’s call him Harry in June. We hit it off instantly. Our first date lasted 4-5 hours and we never ran out of things to talk about. He even kissed me that night. Our second date was soon after and the third date was when we had sex. It was very bad and awkward though because we were both very intoxicated. He thought I would end it after that but I just wanted to talk about it which I did. Everything went fine after that. We had great sex and many many dates. He left for Japan for about 10 days and sent me pictures throughout the trip, telling me what he was upto, etc. Since I was leaving the city, in July (something I had told him from the get go) for my job, we started spending pretty much every day after he returned from Japan together. I knew we hadnt known each other for too long realistically and so, the night before I left, I had the conversation about what next with him. He wanted to continue talking. I am indifferent to long distance relationships so I agreed. We would talk on a weekly basis and text everyday. He would initiate the weekly conversations just as much as I did but I did more talking than he did whether that was on call or text. I asked him many questions in order for him to open up which he said he liked because he’s introverted and finds it weird to talk unprompted sometimes. He started the conversation of distance again and told me how he plans to stat abroad for a bit. I told him I didn’t mind waiting and he said long distance only makes sense if we are together at the end of it. I planned to go back to Denver and live in the same city as him. He said he could see himself wait for me to come back and do long distance till January of the following year. We texted our whole day with each other and he would even send me pictures of what he’s s been up to. He said he doesnt like texting so it wasn’t texting all day but more so the whole days info just once a day.
About 2.5months of long distance later, I was visiting him for the first time since I left. I was gonna crash at his place for 10 days. During those 10 days is when everything went to shit. I felt him lose interest in me while I was there but I couldnt understand why. I know he was super independent and all but I know he loved my warmth and kindness and care because he told me that he appreciated it especially since his friendss were showed more of the siblingy-mean-love. Yet it often felt like he didnt want me to do stuff for him and it felt like he had built walls. He was the one that had told me he wants to talk about exs and past relationships and yet when we did started the conversation, he ended it very quickly saying he was too tired. On that trip is when i found out that one of his roommates was a guy he went on a few dates with. Since this was new info for me, i wanted to know more but he just said “we went on a couple of dates but paul (the other guy) had hung out with my friends enough times that we stayed friends”. I thought this was vague and wanted to know more but any question i asked would be met with a wall so i stopped. It didnt really matter too much anyway. Idk if this is important but both his roommates paul and jacob were pretty rude to me- playfully or not i couldnt understand tbh ( i think if i was in pauls position i would not even take joke-y jabs at the partner of my friend who i once went in dates with so that they feel welcome but i am aware people dont all think and function like i do ) He stopped sharing info and I could just feel him withdraw. When i went back he didnt even ask me about my flight details or anything. A few days after he asked for a break saying that the long distance was getting to him and if we were in the same city it would have been different. I tried to bargain and make things work but eventually said we should just end it if that is the reason because that is whats gonna happen in the end. He didnt hesitate and said ok immediately. That entire conversation happened one text a dat and literally took 10-15 days to end. I told him i would like to stay friends but he would have to star the conversation as friends. He sent me hi right then as his way of starting the friendship conversation missing my entire point. And then eventually ghosted and never replied to one of my texts. I guess its understandable because I didnt let the conversation end. In hindsight i was not willing to let go.
Anyway a month after the ending, i sent him a long text that i didnt deserve that coldness when all i had done was be nice to him. He said he felt badly to hear this but that decision to end things only was made after i left and not during my stay. He didnt take accountability for anything else.
2.5-3 months after the end i was moving back to denver. I texted him about it because for some reason i was very scared of accidentally running into him. He wished me safe journey 2 weeks later when he knew i was doing the move. My move was postponed and i move a few weeks later. He knew that but didnt initiate contact.
After the move i shamelessly contacted him because even then my mind said that long distance was the problem so maybe we can get back. We played games online and I know he missed time with his friends for those games. It wasnt even games he liked that much ever so I thought this meant positive things. Although i had initiated each time we played these online games (about 5 times), I thought that because it wasnt games he even really liked all that much, it must mean he likes me still. I made a harmless joke about him letting me go because he made poor decisions which idk if its important but he laughed and then i decided not to initiate contact. He never initiated contact either. We havent spoken since. The last time we did speak, however, i got to know that he had accepted a job in seattle and was leaving in a couple of months.
I know only he can truly tell what happened but from what you read, what do you think happened? Did nothing ever mean anything to him? Why was he dating me exclusively even when long distance then? Why tell me plans about japan? Why tell me that he wants to meet my grandmother? And tell me how he wants me to meet his grandparents and me to visit his hometown? Why share one of his big insecurities? Idk. The ending made me feel like he never cared about me at all and i was just a fool believing him but even my friends thought he was gonna ask us to be boyfriends. Like was all of this just a regular tuesday for him? When he kissed me in between words or gave me forehead kisses? What do you think happened? Its been 6 months since and i have been trying to move on.
Edit: he has been in long term relationships as far as i can tell. I obviously didnt get to learn much because of the seemingly random walls

2 years ago I (30f) lost my husband, Jason (fake name) to colon cancer when he was 27. We had two very young children together, Kate (4f) and Jacob (3m)
We were together for 6 years, married for 4 by the time he passed. We would’ve been together for 8 years if he was still here. He was my best friend and the best father in the world.
I still wear my wedding ring everyday, because Jason was buried wearing his, and it’s one of the ways I still feel connected to him.
My family and friends want me to move on. They ask me when I’m going to start dating again, and my friend tried to set me up with her brother who was around my age.
I know they’re judging me for still wearing my wedding ring. My mom told me that it would be good to find a man who can serve as a father figure to my kids, and teach Jacob how to be a man when he gets older. But nobody understands that I don’t want to move on. I don’t feel comfortable replacing Jason and having my kids call another man their dad, and I don’t want to replace the love I had for Jason. I don’t want to love someone more than I love him. The children don’t remember him, but I keep many photos of him in our house. I always tell them about how much he loved them, and how proud he is of them, but they’ll never be able to connect with him.
Yes, I am religious. I wasn’t before Jason passed away, but going to church has really helped me, and the thought of him being in a better place waiting for me makes me feel comfort. However, I don’t want to have two husbands when I die.
I make enough to support myself and the kids, thankfully.
I’m young, and I’m going to have to live the rest of my life as a single woman, but that’s fine. I just wish everyone could understand that.
Thank you for reading, and please get your colon checked every once in awhile. Colon cancer doesn’t discriminate.

​
https://preview.redd.it/3sw9umq1tp4d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86a35327364951eb4330a0dce0972fc12277899e
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Reviews

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https://preview.redd.it/2jqf0ca3tp4d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3388a5d57543d0ce633ef659e6baac30d90ac8bd
As an avid angler, I've had the chance to try my hand with the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Series Casting Rods. The rod is designed with an action that's moderate, providing a perfect balance between sensitivity and durability. Its grip is a comfortable EVA, which makes it pleasant to hold for extended periods, and its length of 7ft 6in makes it versatile for tackling various gamefish species. With an EVA handle, it allows for a comfortable and secure grip while engaging in angling. This series is best suited for fishing in freshwater and specifically targets the bass species.
The Duckett Jacob Wheeler Series Casting Rod truly stood out with its medium-heavy power, providing the much-needed strength to handle heavier-weighted lures for catching larger fish. It has 12 guides and a tip that comes equipped, making the rod capable of long, accurate casts. The rod offers a limited manufacturer warranty of three years, providing a level of confidence and quality assurance in the product.
My first-hand experience with this series was quite positive. I found it lightweight but strong, perfect for long fishing trips. As a bass enthusiast, I've found it to be an outstanding tool for cranking, launching bait far and deep. However, I did face an issue with one of the rods that I purchased, where the cork cap bottom started to come loose from the bottom foam handle.
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https://preview.redd.it/l0m8frh3tp4d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0d1009080d88db21f37f444708e46619d13d8755
I recently had the chance to try out the Duckett Fishing Jacob Wheeler Series 6'10" Medium Casting Rod, and it was quite the experience. Right from the start, I noticed how lightweight and balanced it felt in my hand. The carbon fiber scrim and Halo-Sanded blanks really made a difference in terms of sensitivity and durability. The grooved EVA grip and butt were also a nice touch, providing a secure and comfortable grip even when my hands were wet.
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🔗Duckett Incite Casting Rod - High-Performance, Sensi-Touch Blanks and Carbon Fiber Scrim

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https://preview.redd.it/kgbbs334tp4d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8bfd189164bba93dfba4eb6b7257bdd557bd145f
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🔗Incite Spinning Rod by Duckett for Lightweight, Durable Fishing Experience

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https://preview.redd.it/j13h5f84tp4d1.jpg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fa8aad8941482d5d45ac8bc037a5f5100a2d603a
Experience the perfect blend of strength and sensitivity with Duckett Fishing's Incite Spinning Rod 7'. Crafted with Sensi-Touch blanks, this rod is designed to provide a durable yet lightweight experience for avid anglers.
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🔗Duckett Pro Series Casting Rod for Fishing Enthusiasts

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As a fisherman who has been using the Duckett Pro Series Casting Rod for quite some time now, I must say, it has been a game-changer for me. The rod's fast action and customized tapers catered to the exacting demands of the angler really set it apart from other rods out there.
One of the key features I appreciated was the X-Helical coil construction and Carbon Nano Technology, which gave the rod an impressive fish fighting power and strength while maintaining its lightweight, easy-to-handle design. The 2 layers of carbon fiber scrim certainly added to the rod's durability, making it an ideal companion on my fishing adventures.
The Halo-Sanded finish on the blanks also played a significant role in the rod's sensitivity, shedding weight to provide an exceptional connection with my lure and the fish I've managed to reel in. The true-split reel seat was a unique touch, allowing the rod to transmit vibrations directly to my hands, making it a joy to use.
Speaking of the reel seat, the rod is equipped with premium components such as stainless steel Kigan Artus ring lock guides with hyper-lite braid proof inserts. This addition ensured a smooth, reliable performance in all my fishing scenarios.
In terms of downsides, I haven't had any major issues with the Duckett Pro Series Casting Rod. However, since the rod's high demand, it has been somewhat difficult to find when I need to purchase a new one. Nonetheless, the benefits it has brought to my fishing trips have been well worth the wait.
All in all, the Duckett Pro Series Casting Rod is definitely a worthwhile addition to any angler's fishing gear arsenal. With its top-of-the-line features and customized designs, it's no wonder that it has won the hearts and trust of many anglers who have used it.

🔗Duckett Green Ghost Casting Rod - Exceptional Sensitivity and Value

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The Duckett Green Ghost Casting Rods, known for their tournament-level quality and affordable price, provide a range of options for anglers, both seasoned and novice. Built on the Sensi-touch blank technology, these rods are made from high-quality multi-modulus graphite, offering superior strength and excellent sensitivity. The True Split Reel Seat adds an enhanced connection between the blank and the hand, while the EVA split-grip handle provides a comfortable grip in wet conditions. Stainless steel guides with hard chrome inserts complete the rod's durability and performance.
While the product has received praise for its lightweight feel, sensitivity, and great value, some users have experienced manufacturing issues, with multiple rods breaking in the same spot despite varying usage. Overall, the Duckett Green Ghost Casting Rod offers a balance of sensitivity, strength, and affordability for anglers looking for a versatile option.

🔗High-Performance Carbon Fiber Rod for Avid Anglers

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As an angler, I was excited to try the Duckett Torch 7' MF Spinning Rod. The Halo-sanded finish stood out in design, and I appreciated the sensitivity it brought to my hands. The Sensi-Touch blanks and carbon fiber scrim offered added strength and reduced weight, making every cast feel effortless.
However, the EVA comfort grips were a bit too small for my liking, and I longed for a bit more padding. The True Split reel seats were a nice touch, but sometimes the fit could be a bit snug.
Despite these minor drawbacks, overall, the Duckett Torch 7' MF Spinning Rod proved to be a durable and enjoyable tool for any angler, thanks to its proprietary features and thoughtful design.

🔗Duckett Green Ghost Casting Medium Rod, Perfect Balance and Sensitivity for Great Performance

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I have been using the Duckett Green Ghost Casting Rod for a few weeks now and I must say, it has been a game-changer for my fishing expeditions. As an experienced angler, I appreciate the tournament-level quality that this rod brings, yet it is affordable for both novice and experienced fishermen.
One of the standout features of the Green Ghost is its Sensi-touch blank, made from multi-modulus graphite. It has a superior strength and sensitivity that is unmatched, making it easier to detect even the slightest of bites. The rod also boasts of its Halo-sanded finish, which adds to its durability and helps reduce fatigue when I use it for prolonged periods.
Another important feature is the carbon fiber scrim that has been incorporated for weight reduction while maintaining its strength. It also has an elevated Double foot stripper and first running guide that adds to its overall performance and ease of use.
There are a few minor aspects that I found not so great. For instance, I noticed that it took me a while to get used to the grip due to its new EVA split-grip design. But, once I got a hold of it, it was a great addition to the rod, providing a comfortable hold even in wet conditions.
Overall, I'm quite satisfied with the Duckett Green Ghost Casting Rod. Its high performance, balanced design, and attention to detail make it a standout choice for serious anglers like me.

🔗Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod - Lightweight and Sensitive for Walleye Fishing

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Fishing with the Duckett Fishing Walleye Series Casting Rod feels like a seamless blend of comfort and precision. This lightweight rod, made from Sensi-Touch blanks, is incredibly durable - thanks to its carbon fiber scrim and Halo-Sanded finish. The True Split reel seat effortlessly connects to your hand, providing a strong and responsive connection.
The Proprietary reinforced plasma coated guides with Zirconia inserts ensure smooth line flow. The EVA foregrip and butt also add extra durability, while the Triple Grade A cork grip offers a comfortable feel and heightened sensitivity. Overall, this rod is a top choice for any serious angler targeting Walleye.

🔗Duckett Fishing Salt Series Casting Rod with Sensi Touch Blanks

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As a passionate angler, I recently had the pleasure of trying out the Duckett Fishing Salt Series Casting Rod. This bad boy, made with the finest mult-modulus pre-pregs, promised a lightweight yet durable fishing companion. And boy, did it deliver!
The rod has a moderate action, which is my preferred choice for a smooth cast and better hookups. My hands felt comfortable with the 5-inch grip, perfect for my small hands. The 5ft 6in length was ideal for navigating narrow inshore waters, and the medium power allowed me to handle a variety of lures and line weights.
The rod's true parabolic bend added a touch of grace to my casts, making it a joy to use. The combination of triple grade A cork and EVA provided a mix of sensitivity, comfort, and durability that stood up to the rigors of my fishing adventures.
The Fuji double coated guides with alconite inserts did wonders in extending the reach of my casts, while the saltwater corrosion protection ensured my rod remained in top shape. Overall, the Duckett Fishing Salt Series Casting Rod was a fantastic addition to my fishing gear, offering both impressive performance and a touch of class on the water.

🔗Duckett Micro Magic Pro Spinning Rod: Carbon Fiber Scrim, Advanced Features for Enhanced Performance

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In my experience with the Duckett Fishing Micro Magic Pro Spinning Rod, the sensitivity and lightweight performance are definitely noticeable. The micro guides provide exceptional accuracy, and the carbon fiber scrim adds durability.
However, I did find that the cut-proof EVA butt can be a bit stiff, making casting a bit difficult at times. Overall, the rod offers a great balance of strength and sensitivity, making it a fantastic choice for both experienced and novice anglers.

🔗Fenwick Telescopic Trolling Rod: High-Performance and Lightweight Option for Fishing Enthusiasts

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The Fenwick Eagle Walleye Telescopic Trolling Rod, also known by the product title EGLW86M-MFC-T, has been a trusty companion in my daily fishing adventures. With its unique blend of 24-ton and 30-ton graphite and Fenwick's reinforcing resin, I found it to be the perfect balance between strength and sensitivity.
Unlike other rods I've used, the Fenwick Eagle is incredibly lightweight. It allows me to cast for extended periods without getting tired. The telescoping design is a game-changer, too–it saves a lot of space when I'm not using it.
But this rod isn't just about convenience and lightness; it's built to handle some serious work. With crisp and responsive action, it gives you the confidence to tackle a variety of lures from crankbaits to boards.
Not only that, but it's compatible with different types of line, from braid to mono and leadcore. The stainless steel guides with zirconia inserts let the line flow smoothly, and the Soft Touch reel seat provides the perfect fit for my hand, ensuring maximum comfort and sensitivity.
Overall, the Fenwick Eagle Walleye Trolling Rod is a reliable, versatile, and user-friendly piece of equipment. While I've had no issues with it so far, I can't help but wish it came with more detailed instructions for beginners.

🔗High-Performance Kokanee Trolling Rods for Pros

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I've been using the Velocity Kokanee Trolling Rods CWC 732L for months now, and let me tell you, it's a game-changer. Its 7'3" length is perfect for those who crave an adrenaline rush while trolling for kokanee. The Velocity handle offers a comfortable grip, and the Tungsten Oxide guides ensure smooth operation, even during the most demanding fishing sessions.
The tripled wrap glass is a standout feature - not only does it enhance the aesthetics of the rod, but also adds durability for those intense moments on the water. However, the rod does have a bit of weight to it, which some might find challenging if they prefer a lighter tool for extended hours of fishing. Overall, the Velocity Kokanee Trolling Rods CWC 732L exceeded my expectations, proving itself a worthy companion for any serious kokanee angler.

🔗Versatile Saltwater Casting Rod for Northeastern Anglers

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Recently, I had the chance to try out the Jigging World Dark Knight Casting Rods JW-DKC-76, and I have to say, it exceeded my expectations. This versatile rod is perfect for all my bottom fishing needs, from bait fishing to jigging. Not only does it handle a variety of species like Fluke, Black Sea Bass, Blackfish, and Striped Bass, but its fast action tip ensures maximum sensitivity while detecting bites.
What I appreciated the most about this rod was its moderate bend throughout the blank, which not only kept fish pinned but also made the fish easier to bring up from the depths. The Dark Knight's medium heavy power and 30-65lb line weight also made a difference in the performance, allowing me to tackle larger specimens with ease.
However, there were a couple of things I wish were improved. Firstly, the rod could have been lighter for better castability during long fishing sessions. Secondly, while it handled a variety of specimens well, I felt that it could be more suitable for a specific target species to optimize performance.
Overall, the Jigging World Dark Knight Casting Rods JW-DKC-76 proved to be an effective and reliable companion for my fishing adventures. With a great balance of power and sensitivity, I would definitely recommend it to any Northeastern saltwater angler looking for a multi-species rod for bottom fishing applications.

🔗Durable Graphite Ice Rod for Anglers

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JawJacker Ice Rods brought a breath of fresh air to my ice fishing adventures. Constructed with IM7 graphite blanks, these rods are an excellent companion for any angler who enjoys spending hours on the icy waters. The lightweight ceramic guides help protect the line from any damage that might occur.
One feature that stood out for me was the enlarged foregrip blank opening, which prevented my grip from getting extra pressure on it and avoiding any cracks from overuse. Additionally, the screw-down locking foregrip and fold-down hook keeper made it more convenient to use and maintain.
While I enjoyed using the JawJacker Ice Rods with their signature tip-up system for a thrilling ice fishing experience, I couldn't help but notice a flaw in the product. I had a few instances when the rod broke after just a couple of days of use, which was quite unfortunate.
Overall, the JawJacker Ice Rods offer a reliable and durable ice fishing experience, but it's crucial to address the durability concerns to ensure a long-lasting partnership for anglers on the ice.

Buyer's Guide

When considering a Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod, there are several factors to consider to ensure you make the right choice. Here is a guide to help you navigate through the options and find the perfect one for your needs.
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Important Features to Consider

1. Material: Different materials such as carbon, graphite, or hybrid blends offer varying levels of sensitivity, power transfer, and durability. Consider your playing style and the types of situations you'll be using the rod in.
2. Action: The action refers to the way the rod bends when you play. Generally, faster actions provide more control, while slower actions offer greater power. Decide whether you prefer a faster or slower action based on your skill level and preferred playing style.
3. Weight: The weight of the rod can impact your playing comfort and performance. Lighter rods may be easier to maneuver but could sacrifice control. Heavier rods offer more stability but may be harder to handle for some players.
4. Length: The length of the rod can affect your reach and leverage. Standard lengths range from 6 to 7 feet, but some may prefer shorter or longer rods depending on their height and playing position.

Important Considerations

1. Price: Budget plays a significant role in determining the quality and features of the rod you can afford.
2. Maintenance: Consider the maintenance requirements of the rod, as some materials may need more care and attention than others.
3. Brand Reputation: Research the brand to ensure they are known for producing quality rods and offering good customer support.

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General Advice

1. Trial Before You Buy: Whenever possible, try the rod before purchasing to ensure it's a good fit for your playing style and comfort.
2. Read Reviews: Consumer reviews can provide valuable insights into the pros and cons of specific rods and brands.
3. Be Patient: As with many sports equipment, finding the perfect rod may take some time and experimentation.

By carefully considering these factors and following this advice, you'll be well-equipped to make an informed decision when buying a Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod.

FAQ

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What type of rod is the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod designed for?

The Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod is designed for bass fishing.

Can it be used for other types of fishing as well?

While it's primarily designed for bass fishing, it can be used for other types of fishing by choosing the appropriate lure or bait weight.
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What are the key features of the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod?

• Fast action design
• 1-piece construction for enhanced durability
• Medium heavy power rating
• 6'6" length
• High modulus graphite blank

What type of lure or bait is best suited for the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod?

The Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod is designed for use with jigs, worms, and other lures or baits commonly used in bass fishing.

Does the rod come with any accessories or additional features?

The Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod is sold without any accessories. It's essential to purchase any additional features, such as a reel, line, or fishing tackle separately.

What is the warranty period for the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod?

The warranty period for the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod is typically 1 year from the date of purchase. It's essential to check the specific retailer's warranty policy.

What are the care and maintenance tips for the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod?

• Rinse the rod with fresh water after each use.
• Avoid leaving the rod exposed to direct sunlight for extended periods.
• Store the rod in a protective hard case or rod bag when not in use.

Where can I purchase the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod?

The Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod is available at various fishing tackle retailers, both online and in physical stores. It's essential to research and compare prices to find the best deal.
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The Top 15 Best Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod

1. Duckett Jacob Wheeler Series Casting Rods for Competitive Anglers - Experience the expert's touch with Duckett Jacob Wheeler's series of casting rods - the ultimate tool for competitive anglers.
2. Duckett Jacob Wheeler Signature Series 6'10" Medium Casting Rod - The Duckett Fishing Jacob Wheeler Series 6'10" Medium Casting Rod offers superior balance, sensitivity, and durability with its Halo-Sanded carbon fiber scrim and grooved EVA grip, making it a top choice for fishermen.
3. Duckett Incite Casting Rod - High-Performance, Sensi-Touch Blanks and Carbon Fiber Scrim - The Duckett Incite Casting Rod offers unrivaled balance, sensitivity, and durability, providing anglers with exceptional performance and the perfect blend of modern and traditional design elements.
4. Incite Spinning Rod by Duckett for Lightweight, Durable Fishing Experience - The Duckett Fishing Incite Spinning Rod 7' offers superior balance, sensitivity, and durability for anglers seeking an exceptional fishing experience.
5. Duckett Pro Series Casting Rod for Fishing Enthusiasts - The Duckett Pro Series Casting Rod, co-designed by Jacob Wheeler, offers tournament-winning performance with lightweight strength, durability, and maximum vibration transmission through custom components and true-split reel seat.
6. Duckett Green Ghost Casting Rod - Exceptional Sensitivity and Value - Experience tournament-level quality at an affordable price with Duckett Green Ghost Casting Rods, featuring Sensi-touch blanks, Halo-Sanded carbon fiber scrim, and a proprietary guide train, for durability and improved balance.
7. High-Performance Carbon Fiber Rod for Avid Anglers - Experience unmatched sensitivity and versatility with the Duckett Torch 7' MF Spinning Rod, designed for ultimate performance and durability.
8. Duckett Green Ghost Casting Medium Rod, Perfect Balance and Sensitivity for Great Performance - Discover the perfect balance of strength, sensitivity, and affordability in Duckett Green Ghost Casting Rods, designed with experienced and novice fishermen in mind.
9. Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod - Lightweight and Sensitive for Walleye Fishing - The Duckett Fishing Walleye Series Casting Rod is a high-quality, lightweight, and durable option for serious anglers, featuring Sensi-Touch blanks, a True Split reel seat, and Zirconia inserts for improved performance and sensitivity.
10. Duckett Fishing Salt Series Casting Rod with Sensi Touch Blanks - Experience unparalleled performance with the Duckett Fishing Salt Series Casting Rod, a lightweight and durable masterpiece designed for the rigors of inshore fishing, offering enhanced sensitivity and castability.
11. Duckett Micro Magic Pro Spinning Rod: Carbon Fiber Scrim, Advanced Features for Enhanced Performance - Experience unbeatable performance and durability with the Duckett Fishing Micro Magic Pro Spinning Rod 7', featuring high-quality carbon fiber scrim and EVA butt for long-lasting reliability and casting accuracy.
12. Fenwick Telescopic Trolling Rod: High-Performance and Lightweight Option for Fishing Enthusiasts - The Fenwick Eagle Walleye Telescopic Trolling Rod, with its lightweight and responsive 24-30 ton graphite blend, offers excellent performance, durability, and comfort for all your fishing needs.
13. High-Performance Kokanee Trolling Rods for Pros - Unleash kokanee fishing perfection with the Velocity CWC 732L, featuring the Jared Johnson Team Kokanee Red Rod's signature 7'3" design, enhanced with a premium Velocity handle and advanced materials for top-tier performance.
14. Versatile Saltwater Casting Rod for Northeastern Anglers - The Jigging World Dark Knight Casting Rods JW-DKC-76 is a versatile multi-species rod perfect for Northeastern saltwater anglers, offering the ideal balance of power and sensitivity for any bottom fishing application.
15. Durable Graphite Ice Rod for Anglers - Experience the perfect combination of strength and durability with the JawJacker Ice Rods, featuring IM7 graphite blanks, lightweight ceramic guides, and unique foregrip design, making them a must-have for serious ice fishermen.

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

Reviews

🔗Duckett Jacob Wheeler Series Casting Rods for Competitive Anglers

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As an avid angler, I've had the chance to try my hand with the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Series Casting Rods. The rod is designed with an action that's moderate, providing a perfect balance between sensitivity and durability. Its grip is a comfortable EVA, which makes it pleasant to hold for extended periods, and its length of 7ft 6in makes it versatile for tackling various gamefish species. With an EVA handle, it allows for a comfortable and secure grip while engaging in angling. This series is best suited for fishing in freshwater and specifically targets the bass species.
The Duckett Jacob Wheeler Series Casting Rod truly stood out with its medium-heavy power, providing the much-needed strength to handle heavier-weighted lures for catching larger fish. It has 12 guides and a tip that comes equipped, making the rod capable of long, accurate casts. The rod offers a limited manufacturer warranty of three years, providing a level of confidence and quality assurance in the product.
My first-hand experience with this series was quite positive. I found it lightweight but strong, perfect for long fishing trips. As a bass enthusiast, I've found it to be an outstanding tool for cranking, launching bait far and deep. However, I did face an issue with one of the rods that I purchased, where the cork cap bottom started to come loose from the bottom foam handle.
Nevertheless, overall, the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Series Casting Rods prove to be a reliable and high-value catch for avid anglers, aiding in the pursuit of the finest freshwater gamefish. Its user-friendly design, durable nature and impressive performance make it a solid choice for any fishing arsenal.

🔗Duckett Jacob Wheeler Signature Series 6'10" Medium Casting Rod

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I recently had the chance to try out the Duckett Fishing Jacob Wheeler Series 6'10" Medium Casting Rod, and it was quite the experience. Right from the start, I noticed how lightweight and balanced it felt in my hand. The carbon fiber scrim and Halo-Sanded blanks really made a difference in terms of sensitivity and durability. The grooved EVA grip and butt were also a nice touch, providing a secure and comfortable grip even when my hands were wet.
One of the standout features of this rod was the Superior balance it offered, making long casting sessions feel effortless. It was also incredibly responsive, thanks to the proprietary Kigan Artus high-gauge 316ss ring lock guides and semi-conventional guide train. The rod handled a variety of lures and baits with ease, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride when I caught a big bass with it.
However, there were a few downsides to using this rod. On my first few outings, I noticed that the reel seat split seemed to be of lower quality, as it started to loosen up after just a few casts. This left me a bit concerned about the rod's overall durability. And while the rod was designed for medium power, I found that it sometimes struggled with heavier lures and larger fish, leading to a few broken lines and damaged lures.
Despite these minor flaws, I have to say that overall, I was quite impressed with the Duckett Fishing Jacob Wheeler Series 6'10" Medium Casting Rod. Its lightweight design, superior balance, and sensitive construction make it a great choice for bass fishermen looking to improve their game. Just be prepared to invest in a new reel seat or upgrade your gear if you're planning to tackle larger fish or use heavier lures.

🔗Duckett Incite Casting Rod - High-Performance, Sensi-Touch Blanks and Carbon Fiber Scrim

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I recently got my hands on the Duckett Incite Casting Rod and let me tell you, it's a game-changer for my bass fishing experience. The Halo-Sanded technology gives it a stronger, lighter feel, while the carbon fiber scrim ensures added durability and weight reduction. And don't even get me started on the Sensi-Touch blanks, made from top-quality multi-modulus pre-pregs, providing an exceptionally lightweight and strong rod.
But it's not just the components that make this rod stand out. The conventional guide train, featuring proprietary Kigan Artus guides and hyper-lite braid proof inserts, provides seamless casting and reduced fatigue. The elevated Double foot stripper and first running guide also add a touch of elegance and ease of use.
However, like any product, there were some aspects I wish could be improved. One user mentioned a factory failed rod, but I haven't encountered this issue myself. Nonetheless, the Duckett Incite Casting Rod has been a reliable and versatile companion on my fishing adventures.

🔗Incite Spinning Rod by Duckett for Lightweight, Durable Fishing Experience

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Experience the perfect blend of strength and sensitivity with Duckett Fishing's Incite Spinning Rod 7'. Crafted with Sensi-Touch blanks, this rod is designed to provide a durable yet lightweight experience for avid anglers.
Take advantage of the high gauge KIGAN ARTUS 316SS ring lock guides with HyperLite braid proof inserts for excellent casting ability and line management. The ultra-sensitive split reel seat, AAA cork grip, and high-impact EVA foam butt section ensure a comfortable grip and enhanced sensitivity. Available in 2 length/poweaction model variations, the Incite Spinning Rod 7' offers versatility for all your fishing needs.

🔗Duckett Pro Series Casting Rod for Fishing Enthusiasts

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As a fisherman who has been using the Duckett Pro Series Casting Rod for quite some time now, I must say, it has been a game-changer for me. The rod's fast action and customized tapers catered to the exacting demands of the angler really set it apart from other rods out there.
One of the key features I appreciated was the X-Helical coil construction and Carbon Nano Technology, which gave the rod an impressive fish fighting power and strength while maintaining its lightweight, easy-to-handle design. The 2 layers of carbon fiber scrim certainly added to the rod's durability, making it an ideal companion on my fishing adventures.
The Halo-Sanded finish on the blanks also played a significant role in the rod's sensitivity, shedding weight to provide an exceptional connection with my lure and the fish I've managed to reel in. The true-split reel seat was a unique touch, allowing the rod to transmit vibrations directly to my hands, making it a joy to use.
Speaking of the reel seat, the rod is equipped with premium components such as stainless steel Kigan Artus ring lock guides with hyper-lite braid proof inserts. This addition ensured a smooth, reliable performance in all my fishing scenarios.
In terms of downsides, I haven't had any major issues with the Duckett Pro Series Casting Rod. However, since the rod's high demand, it has been somewhat difficult to find when I need to purchase a new one. Nonetheless, the benefits it has brought to my fishing trips have been well worth the wait.
All in all, the Duckett Pro Series Casting Rod is definitely a worthwhile addition to any angler's fishing gear arsenal. With its top-of-the-line features and customized designs, it's no wonder that it has won the hearts and trust of many anglers who have used it.

🔗Duckett Green Ghost Casting Rod - Exceptional Sensitivity and Value

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The Duckett Green Ghost Casting Rods, known for their tournament-level quality and affordable price, provide a range of options for anglers, both seasoned and novice. Built on the Sensi-touch blank technology, these rods are made from high-quality multi-modulus graphite, offering superior strength and excellent sensitivity. The True Split Reel Seat adds an enhanced connection between the blank and the hand, while the EVA split-grip handle provides a comfortable grip in wet conditions. Stainless steel guides with hard chrome inserts complete the rod's durability and performance.
While the product has received praise for its lightweight feel, sensitivity, and great value, some users have experienced manufacturing issues, with multiple rods breaking in the same spot despite varying usage. Overall, the Duckett Green Ghost Casting Rod offers a balance of sensitivity, strength, and affordability for anglers looking for a versatile option.

🔗High-Performance Carbon Fiber Rod for Avid Anglers

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As an angler, I was excited to try the Duckett Torch 7' MF Spinning Rod. The Halo-sanded finish stood out in design, and I appreciated the sensitivity it brought to my hands. The Sensi-Touch blanks and carbon fiber scrim offered added strength and reduced weight, making every cast feel effortless.
However, the EVA comfort grips were a bit too small for my liking, and I longed for a bit more padding. The True Split reel seats were a nice touch, but sometimes the fit could be a bit snug.
Despite these minor drawbacks, overall, the Duckett Torch 7' MF Spinning Rod proved to be a durable and enjoyable tool for any angler, thanks to its proprietary features and thoughtful design.

🔗Duckett Green Ghost Casting Medium Rod, Perfect Balance and Sensitivity for Great Performance

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I have been using the Duckett Green Ghost Casting Rod for a few weeks now and I must say, it has been a game-changer for my fishing expeditions. As an experienced angler, I appreciate the tournament-level quality that this rod brings, yet it is affordable for both novice and experienced fishermen.
One of the standout features of the Green Ghost is its Sensi-touch blank, made from multi-modulus graphite. It has a superior strength and sensitivity that is unmatched, making it easier to detect even the slightest of bites. The rod also boasts of its Halo-sanded finish, which adds to its durability and helps reduce fatigue when I use it for prolonged periods.
Another important feature is the carbon fiber scrim that has been incorporated for weight reduction while maintaining its strength. It also has an elevated Double foot stripper and first running guide that adds to its overall performance and ease of use.
There are a few minor aspects that I found not so great. For instance, I noticed that it took me a while to get used to the grip due to its new EVA split-grip design. But, once I got a hold of it, it was a great addition to the rod, providing a comfortable hold even in wet conditions.
Overall, I'm quite satisfied with the Duckett Green Ghost Casting Rod. Its high performance, balanced design, and attention to detail make it a standout choice for serious anglers like me.

🔗Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod - Lightweight and Sensitive for Walleye Fishing

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Fishing with the Duckett Fishing Walleye Series Casting Rod feels like a seamless blend of comfort and precision. This lightweight rod, made from Sensi-Touch blanks, is incredibly durable - thanks to its carbon fiber scrim and Halo-Sanded finish. The True Split reel seat effortlessly connects to your hand, providing a strong and responsive connection.
The Proprietary reinforced plasma coated guides with Zirconia inserts ensure smooth line flow. The EVA foregrip and butt also add extra durability, while the Triple Grade A cork grip offers a comfortable feel and heightened sensitivity. Overall, this rod is a top choice for any serious angler targeting Walleye.

🔗Duckett Fishing Salt Series Casting Rod with Sensi Touch Blanks

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As a passionate angler, I recently had the pleasure of trying out the Duckett Fishing Salt Series Casting Rod. This bad boy, made with the finest mult-modulus pre-pregs, promised a lightweight yet durable fishing companion. And boy, did it deliver!
The rod has a moderate action, which is my preferred choice for a smooth cast and better hookups. My hands felt comfortable with the 5-inch grip, perfect for my small hands. The 5ft 6in length was ideal for navigating narrow inshore waters, and the medium power allowed me to handle a variety of lures and line weights.
The rod's true parabolic bend added a touch of grace to my casts, making it a joy to use. The combination of triple grade A cork and EVA provided a mix of sensitivity, comfort, and durability that stood up to the rigors of my fishing adventures.
The Fuji double coated guides with alconite inserts did wonders in extending the reach of my casts, while the saltwater corrosion protection ensured my rod remained in top shape. Overall, the Duckett Fishing Salt Series Casting Rod was a fantastic addition to my fishing gear, offering both impressive performance and a touch of class on the water.

🔗Duckett Micro Magic Pro Spinning Rod: Carbon Fiber Scrim, Advanced Features for Enhanced Performance

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In my experience with the Duckett Fishing Micro Magic Pro Spinning Rod, the sensitivity and lightweight performance are definitely noticeable. The micro guides provide exceptional accuracy, and the carbon fiber scrim adds durability.
However, I did find that the cut-proof EVA butt can be a bit stiff, making casting a bit difficult at times. Overall, the rod offers a great balance of strength and sensitivity, making it a fantastic choice for both experienced and novice anglers.

🔗Fenwick Telescopic Trolling Rod: High-Performance and Lightweight Option for Fishing Enthusiasts

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The Fenwick Eagle Walleye Telescopic Trolling Rod, also known by the product title EGLW86M-MFC-T, has been a trusty companion in my daily fishing adventures. With its unique blend of 24-ton and 30-ton graphite and Fenwick's reinforcing resin, I found it to be the perfect balance between strength and sensitivity.
Unlike other rods I've used, the Fenwick Eagle is incredibly lightweight. It allows me to cast for extended periods without getting tired. The telescoping design is a game-changer, too–it saves a lot of space when I'm not using it.
But this rod isn't just about convenience and lightness; it's built to handle some serious work. With crisp and responsive action, it gives you the confidence to tackle a variety of lures from crankbaits to boards.
Not only that, but it's compatible with different types of line, from braid to mono and leadcore. The stainless steel guides with zirconia inserts let the line flow smoothly, and the Soft Touch reel seat provides the perfect fit for my hand, ensuring maximum comfort and sensitivity.
Overall, the Fenwick Eagle Walleye Trolling Rod is a reliable, versatile, and user-friendly piece of equipment. While I've had no issues with it so far, I can't help but wish it came with more detailed instructions for beginners.

🔗High-Performance Kokanee Trolling Rods for Pros

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I've been using the Velocity Kokanee Trolling Rods CWC 732L for months now, and let me tell you, it's a game-changer. Its 7'3" length is perfect for those who crave an adrenaline rush while trolling for kokanee. The Velocity handle offers a comfortable grip, and the Tungsten Oxide guides ensure smooth operation, even during the most demanding fishing sessions.
The tripled wrap glass is a standout feature - not only does it enhance the aesthetics of the rod, but also adds durability for those intense moments on the water. However, the rod does have a bit of weight to it, which some might find challenging if they prefer a lighter tool for extended hours of fishing. Overall, the Velocity Kokanee Trolling Rods CWC 732L exceeded my expectations, proving itself a worthy companion for any serious kokanee angler.

🔗Versatile Saltwater Casting Rod for Northeastern Anglers

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Recently, I had the chance to try out the Jigging World Dark Knight Casting Rods JW-DKC-76, and I have to say, it exceeded my expectations. This versatile rod is perfect for all my bottom fishing needs, from bait fishing to jigging. Not only does it handle a variety of species like Fluke, Black Sea Bass, Blackfish, and Striped Bass, but its fast action tip ensures maximum sensitivity while detecting bites.
What I appreciated the most about this rod was its moderate bend throughout the blank, which not only kept fish pinned but also made the fish easier to bring up from the depths. The Dark Knight's medium heavy power and 30-65lb line weight also made a difference in the performance, allowing me to tackle larger specimens with ease.
However, there were a couple of things I wish were improved. Firstly, the rod could have been lighter for better castability during long fishing sessions. Secondly, while it handled a variety of specimens well, I felt that it could be more suitable for a specific target species to optimize performance.
Overall, the Jigging World Dark Knight Casting Rods JW-DKC-76 proved to be an effective and reliable companion for my fishing adventures. With a great balance of power and sensitivity, I would definitely recommend it to any Northeastern saltwater angler looking for a multi-species rod for bottom fishing applications.

🔗Durable Graphite Ice Rod for Anglers

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JawJacker Ice Rods brought a breath of fresh air to my ice fishing adventures. Constructed with IM7 graphite blanks, these rods are an excellent companion for any angler who enjoys spending hours on the icy waters. The lightweight ceramic guides help protect the line from any damage that might occur.
One feature that stood out for me was the enlarged foregrip blank opening, which prevented my grip from getting extra pressure on it and avoiding any cracks from overuse. Additionally, the screw-down locking foregrip and fold-down hook keeper made it more convenient to use and maintain.
While I enjoyed using the JawJacker Ice Rods with their signature tip-up system for a thrilling ice fishing experience, I couldn't help but notice a flaw in the product. I had a few instances when the rod broke after just a couple of days of use, which was quite unfortunate.
Overall, the JawJacker Ice Rods offer a reliable and durable ice fishing experience, but it's crucial to address the durability concerns to ensure a long-lasting partnership for anglers on the ice.

Buyer's Guide

When considering a Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod, there are several factors to consider to ensure you make the right choice. Here is a guide to help you navigate through the options and find the perfect one for your needs.
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Important Features to Consider

1. Material: Different materials such as carbon, graphite, or hybrid blends offer varying levels of sensitivity, power transfer, and durability. Consider your playing style and the types of situations you'll be using the rod in.
2. Action: The action refers to the way the rod bends when you play. Generally, faster actions provide more control, while slower actions offer greater power. Decide whether you prefer a faster or slower action based on your skill level and preferred playing style.
3. Weight: The weight of the rod can impact your playing comfort and performance. Lighter rods may be easier to maneuver but could sacrifice control. Heavier rods offer more stability but may be harder to handle for some players.
4. Length: The length of the rod can affect your reach and leverage. Standard lengths range from 6 to 7 feet, but some may prefer shorter or longer rods depending on their height and playing position.

Important Considerations

1. Price: Budget plays a significant role in determining the quality and features of the rod you can afford.
2. Maintenance: Consider the maintenance requirements of the rod, as some materials may need more care and attention than others.
3. Brand Reputation: Research the brand to ensure they are known for producing quality rods and offering good customer support.

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General Advice

1. Trial Before You Buy: Whenever possible, try the rod before purchasing to ensure it's a good fit for your playing style and comfort.
2. Read Reviews: Consumer reviews can provide valuable insights into the pros and cons of specific rods and brands.
3. Be Patient: As with many sports equipment, finding the perfect rod may take some time and experimentation.

By carefully considering these factors and following this advice, you'll be well-equipped to make an informed decision when buying a Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod.

FAQ

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What type of rod is the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod designed for?

The Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod is designed for bass fishing.

Can it be used for other types of fishing as well?

While it's primarily designed for bass fishing, it can be used for other types of fishing by choosing the appropriate lure or bait weight.
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What are the key features of the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod?

• Fast action design
• 1-piece construction for enhanced durability
• Medium heavy power rating
• 6'6" length
• High modulus graphite blank

What type of lure or bait is best suited for the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod?

The Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod is designed for use with jigs, worms, and other lures or baits commonly used in bass fishing.

Does the rod come with any accessories or additional features?

The Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod is sold without any accessories. It's essential to purchase any additional features, such as a reel, line, or fishing tackle separately.

What is the warranty period for the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod?

The warranty period for the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod is typically 1 year from the date of purchase. It's essential to check the specific retailer's warranty policy.

What are the care and maintenance tips for the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod?

• Rinse the rod with fresh water after each use.
• Avoid leaving the rod exposed to direct sunlight for extended periods.
• Store the rod in a protective hard case or rod bag when not in use.

Where can I purchase the Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod?

The Duckett Jacob Wheeler Rod is available at various fishing tackle retailers, both online and in physical stores. It's essential to research and compare prices to find the best deal.
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HI there! My name is Jacob I am 22 years old and I am located in Kansas. I never have had the best luck when it comes to dating IRL or near me, So I thought why not try this even though it might be a long shot you never know. I hope to find someone like minded, good with communication and willing to put the effort in to have a working relationship and with the end goal of long term relationship! I have been in a few relationships and have not ended well, them cheating or being controlling, so looking for the right person!
Here is a little about me, I am a white male who is 6'1 and I would say a average body type, not skinny but also not fat, best would be a bit of a dad body. I have brown eyes and brown hair! I am defiantly I nerd when it comes to history, playing games, or even my hobbies, I use to build robots in high school and was in band, but I also love to be outside. Some of my favorite things is swimming and hiking in the mountains! I love being able to go out from time to time but I also love to stay in and cuddle watch shows, bake together or just have fun playing Mario games on my switch. I am very open minding and will always be down to try something new and love someone who can plan and event, I will never say no. I do love all animals but I do like cats the most. I am very loving and will always give you attention and affection I would say my love language is quality time and physical touch. I am very silly and love to mess around and be goofy and overall I am a very dorkie but at least I am cute doing it! I hope to find someone who can match that energy!
When it comes to a partner I look for someone who is sweet and nice, can be silly and a dork right along side me. Age is not to much of a concern to me you can be 19 or you can 35 what really matters is the type of person you are and if we click together and support each other and have fun. You can be any race color etcetera. Any body type really what matters most is the connection and the person but I do still would like someone to be active and health with. I would like someone who kinda has a idea for what they want in life and a plan does not have to be perfect I know things change and of course being in a relationship a lot changes and that okay too.
If you think you would be a good fit or find me interesting don't be afraid to reach out, ask question and get to know more of each other! I will send a picture of myself and you can do the same just to get the ball rolling and tell me a bit about yourself to break the ice. I look forward to meeting you.

This will be a rant, and maybe a mess.
I’m 34F, my sister, Dana, is 39. Dana has three kids 4 or under (great kids btw). I have a two year old son (Jacob). My parents are retired. They have always supported all three of their children as they needed it, but they are also active people with their own lives. They have their friends, hobbies and various responsibilities that they prioritise, so they can’t always be around. Totally understandable as far as I’m concerned. But recent events have started to make me see everything in a new light.
Until recently, Dana always lived abroad. So for the first several years after she had kids, my parents would travel for a week or two every now and again to visit her, her husband and their kids. Due to their many engagements, my parents NEVER spent close to that much time at once with my family, or indeed my brother’s (he is older and so are his kids, so the situation with them is a little different). But I reasoned that we (me, my son Jacob and husband) got to see them more often (we live 2h away by car), so even though I would have loved to have them around for an extended period of time to really get to know Jacob, I was satisfied that things were, on the whole, fair.
But then Dana returned to our home country with her family. They moved into my parents’ home indefinitely. And my parents went from being sometimes available to come around and help out and spend time with Jacob, to NEVER being available at all, because they felt Dana and her husband needed them at all times. When we visited them, my parents had a hard time spending time with Jacob, because Dana's kids demanded their attention, and Dana and her husband had gotten into the habit of letting my parents take care of their two eldest kids while they looked after their newborn and/or focused their energy elsewhere (working, working out, playing the guitar and cooking gazpacho, for instance. No I am not joking.)
Dana and her family ended up staying for eight full months. During that time, my parents stayed with us one single night and looked after Jacob while we celebrated our anniversary. My mother during this time would, infuratingly, keep noting that she had a harder time getting close to my son than she had with any of her other grandkids. Yeah, I wonder why.
I bit my tongue for the most part. But towards the end, I confessed that I was struggling to accept how uneven the situation was. My mother was very understanding. I thought we came to a sort of mutual understanding that the situation was indeed unfair, but that it couldn’t be helped, and as they finally had a date by which they would move out, the situation would resolve itself and become more even with a bit of patience.
Well. Dana moved her family 4h away. She immediately “booked” my parents for another week of babysitting later in the summer. And in a random phone call to my sister a few days ago, she told me my parents were visiting just then, and would be staying a week because they missed her kids.
I was, and am, heartbroken. It seems no matter where Dana is, close or far, she - or rather her kids - get the lion’s share of attention. It breaks my heart that my parents don’t prioritise Jacob in the same way. He is amazing, and they are missing so much.
There’s more. Two months ago, I had a terrible miscarriage. Found out at the doctor’s that there was no heartbeat, had to take pills to abort, bled until I passed out in the lobby of the hospital, was committed(?), needed a blood transfusion, had a terrible fucking time. Was absolutely broken up about it. (I still am.) My parents where taking care of Dana’s kids while she and BIL were in the midst of moving out, so it was days before they could come. I understood. Then a week later, after everything, I needed an extra procedure, and I BEGGED my mom to come and support me. But she had been putting off obligations to be there for my sister, so she sent my father instead. I’ll never forget the look on my husbands face when I told him she couldn’t come due to voluntary work.
I could go on, but this already a novel.
I’ve always thought of my parents as fair people who divided their love and attention evenly among us, on the whole. Now I don’t know what to think at all. I feel like I keep needing to make excuses for their actions. It’s exhausting and heartbreaking.
That’s it. If you’ve read all this entire mess, thank you.