This is an incredibly overdue follow-up to this post that I had originally put off writing because I realized the necessary context would make it long, but then completely forgotten about until recently. Sorry about the wait, folks! There is, of course, a TL;DR at the bottom, but I wanted to include the larger context for those interested in just hearing some D&D stories.
The next session began a few weeks later, and I was prepared for the party to resume debating the 'best' way to take advantage of what they thought were their new Wish spells, but they actually didn't jump right back into it. I went through the recap, and they pretty much immediately began exploring deeper into the dungeon.
'The Lich's Library' was the name of the dungeon they were in, and it was a fairly large homebrew affair with something like a dozen bosses (though not quite approaching 'megadungeon' size). Over a thousand years ago, it was slowly constructed deep within the earth by a wizard to serve as a palatial home for himself and his beloved. When she began to waste away from disease, he burned through his wealth trying everything possible to see her saved. When she died, he immediately turned to attempting to find a way to bring her back to life. His hopeless quest eventually led to lichdom.
The part of the dungeon that they were exploring was the level that once served as the 'mansion' of the married couple. It was also the only part of the dungeon that the lich (by and large) didn't mess with; too many painful memories for this now-evil creature of undeath. This meant that the majority of the enemies in this section came from the Underdark (a passage had naturally opened some 400 years ago). It was in this section that they encountered the Beating Yew.
The Beating Yew was once four trees that stood at the end of the massive underground garden the wizard had created for his wife. The ceiling and walls were enchanted to make it look like it the garden was outside, with beautiful 'weather' at all times. Despite the lich's absence from this wing, however, the evil of his magic began to permeate it; the vegetation in the garden eventually grew twisted and sickly, and the four large trees at the end fused together and became an animate, carnivorous plant creature. The fight went fairly well, but the cleric was already fairly injured from an earlier encounter with an illithid known as 'the Swordsman.' He dropped.
Uh-oh. The party had a backup healer--a druid. The problem is, said druid was currently trapped in the Shadowfell (the player had to step away from the game for a bit, so he and I did some stuff on the side for his story). The other party members present were Barbarian, Rogue, and Sorcerer. We were playing 3.5, so every round that passed, Cleric was getting closer to death, with only a 10% chance of stabilizing. I'm not too worried, because I know that Rogue has potions. Rogue, on the other hand, isn't bringing up her potions because she thinks Sorcerer has more potions. Sorcerer, in fact, does have more potions, but he knows they aren't going to be as effective as a magic wish.
He pulled out the Monkey's Paw and said, "I wish that, on a scale from 1-100, Cleric felt like he was at 100. Actually, 105." See, earlier in the session, they had asked how injured a boss looked. I'd told them, "He's pretty messed up. On a scale from 1-97, he's probably feeling like a firm 14."
One of the two outstretched fingers closed inwards, and after a moment the party at large realizes that Cleric doesn't look so good, bro. His skin was flushed, and he was twitching and groaning in his unconscious state. Rogue made a Heal check and finds out that he's got a dangerously high fever. Sorcerer's player looked at me with a slack jaw and says one of the favorite things I've ever heard at my table: "Motherfucker invented Fahrenheit on us."
The infection that was racing through cleric's system as a result of their battle would keep him from regaining consciousness until it was dealt with (Cleric's player was absent that session, so it's not like he was being sidelined for the challenge). Through a series of Heal checks and player ingenuity, they were able to break Cleric's fever and by using the potions that they always had they got him back to consciousness. Cleric used his own healing when he was back up to get himself up to full health again. "Why are my clothes wet?"
Here's the thing: I didn't know it at the time, but what Sorcerer took away was 'Don't use any jokes in your wish or it will go wrong.' He thought the issue was one of wording, and that the only reason the first wish went awry was because he hadn't phrased it 'seriously' enough. At this point, I thought that it was obvious that the Paw was cursed and they'd lock it away until they could get the curse cleansed. Nope.
Later in the dungeon, they found a locked room with a large, pristine pool--apparently untouched since the days when these halls were inhabited by the living. The pool was filled with impossibly clear water, and there was a faintly chemical scent in the air. "Chlorine," one of the players chuckled. It wasn't.
Once they saw the metal chest deep at the bottom of the pool, they started to realize something was amiss. Barbarian reaches down to test the water's temperature. Her finger starts itching--like, a lot. She starts scratching, some flesh comes off. She takes a point of acid damage. "Hey, guys--not water."
They start brainstorming as to how they can get the chest at the bottom of the pool (it contained the lich's enchanted wedding ring, but they didn't know that yet). They had some cool ideas that I was interested in seeing play out, including Barbarian's offer to just get really pissed off before she jumps into the pool and swims to the bottom.
Sorcerer had a better idea. He pulled out the Paw. "I wish that all of the acid in this pool was replaced with water." The last finger on the paw closed. The last of the magic enchanting the item dissipated.
The dungeon had been created some 1,200 years ago, and at that time there was a large underground reservoir--part of the Underdark--about a half-mile away. Since that time, the earth has shifted and moved, and for about 300 years a section of that reservoir had pressed up against the roof of this room.
The roof cracked. Rogue and Barbarian both heard it and looked up. A spiderweb of cracks was slowly unfolding across the ceiling. Neither was quite sure what was happening. Then a wagon-sized chunk of rock fell into the pool, followed by a torrent of water. Acid surged up in response, hissing and bubbling violently as it reacted to the water flooding into it. The party bolted, the acid rapidly following them into the hallway. A series of checks ensue as they pelted towards the safety of the stairs.
The rest of the party (including Druid, who returned that very session) roasted Sorcerer for using the Paw again. Sorcerer (and his player) took it on the chin, and admitted that he hadn't really realized that it was truly cursed. "I figured as long as I could figure out just the exact right words to use, we'd be good." Nah, man. "Yeah, I know that now. Hey, at least now we don't have to deal with the acid in the pool. It's gotta drain eventually, right?"
They left the dungeon that day, returning a few days later. Once they returned to this particular part of the dungeon, the 'waterfall' had ended, and the acid and water had indeed largely drained into the Underdark through another tunnel. The room with the pool was not occupied with a creature that had fallen in through the roof--a Deepwater Cobra, a huge fire-breathing sea serpent. They killed the creature and dove in for the chest, and the ring ended up being quite a boon to the party (it provided a bonus to AC and to saves).
That's basically the whole tale of the Monkey's Paw! This campaign sadly ended a few months later when Cleric and Rogue had to drop out, but the remaining three welcomed two new players and rolled new characters for a sailing campaign featuring a ship that can travel to the Astral Sea and beyond. Sorcerer now plays a swordchucks-wielding monk, Barbarian plays a dual-wielding ranger with a penchant for axes, and Druid plays a bard with a predilection for mushrooms from the Feywild that have...effects.
TL;DR:
Wish one: "I wish that, on a scale from 1-100, Cleric felt like he was at 100. Actually, 105." The cleric, instead of being healed, broke out into a terrible fever and the party had to rush to keep him alive.
Wish two: "I wish that all of the acid in this pool was replaced with water." Underground reservoir breaks through the ceiling, flooding the room with a combination of acid and water. The party departs, and later finds a very large creature fell through the same hole.

Vegetable oil manufacture in the United States

2) The Rise of the Vegetable Oil Industry in the United States
The US is one of the world’s leading vegetable oil producers. The country is responsible for around 12 percent of global vegetable oil production. The majority of the vegetable oil produced in the United States comes from soybeans, followed by corn and canola.
The vegetable oil industry in the United States has a long history. The first commercial vegetable oil mill was established in New York City in 1810. At that time, the primary use for vegetable oil was as a lubricant for machinery. In the mid-19th century, the use of vegetable oil for cooking and baking began to increase. This trend was partly fueled by the introduction of new cooking oils, such as cottonseed and peanut oil.
The vegetable oil industry began to take off in the early 20th century. This was largely due to the growing demand for vegetable oil-based products, such as margarine and shortening. The vegetable oil industry continued to grow throughout the mid-20th century. By the early 21st century, the United States was responsible for around one-third of the world’s vegetable oil production.
The vegetable oil industry in the United States is a major contributor to the country’s economy. The industry employs thousands of workers and generates billions of dollars annually. The US is likewise one of the w world’s leading vegetable oil exporters. Most of the vegetable oil exported from the United States is soybean oil.
3) The Decline of the Vegetable Oil Industry in the United States
For read more information
https://www.arranginggardening.com/2023/01/vegetable-oil-manufacture-in-united.html

2) The Rise of the Vegetable Oil Industry in the United States

The US is one of the world’s leading vegetable oil producers. The country is responsible for around 12 percent of global vegetable oil production. The majority of the vegetable oil produced in the United States comes from soybeans, followed by corn and canola.
The vegetable oil industry in the United States has a long history. The first commercial vegetable oil mill was established in New York City in 1810. At that time, the primary use for vegetable oil was as a lubricant for machinery. In the mid-19th century, the use of vegetable oil for cooking and baking began to increase. This trend was partly fueled by the introduction of new cooking oils, such as cottonseed and peanut oil.
The vegetable oil industry began to take off in the early 20th century. This was largely due to the growing demand for vegetable oil-based products, such as margarine and shortening. The vegetable oil industry continued to grow throughout the mid-20th century. By the early 21st century, the United States was responsible for around one-third of the world’s vegetable oil production.
The vegetable oil industry in the United States is a major contributor to the country’s economy. The industry employs thousands of workers and generates billions of dollars annually. The US is likewise one of the w world’s leading vegetable oil exporters. Most of the vegetable oil exported from the United States is soybean oil.

3) The Decline of the Vegetable Oil Industry in the United States

For read more information
https://www.arranginggardening.com/2023/01/vegetable-oil-manufacture-in-united.html

listen. so i was just sitting on the couch when i suddenly realized that someone in rzen appears to have been writing comments that where probably chinese characters in english. like you are writing in english, but as if you were thinking in chinese and then making a direct translation of chinese characters into english words
so if someone was to translate those words you wrote from english into chinese, they would come out in some form of chinese as if they were actually spoken originally in chinese, and not in english
i didn't know who it was, so i searched posts until i found one and it was you ”
my reply
well i have read a lot of chinese poetry (in translation of course as i can't read any chinese) and they do think a bit different, more semantically dense and minimally grammatic than english and basically targeted at an intelligent literate audience which was the administrative class, the same class that supported ch’an
its interesting to compare chinese poems with ryōkan who was writing for a general audience, often farmers and tonally, they are quite different
you have made a very interesting comment thanks
the cornea is the most nerve dense organ in the body, interfere with it at your peril !
we are so dependent on our eyes for our quality of life that any problems considerably degrade that
glittering seas
sonorous mountain tops
verdant valleys and trinkling streams
they do not last
because we do not last
the problem with post modernism and its critique on power (of itself not wrong) is that they take it a step further and apply a utopian value system and attempt to create a uniform distribution that historically has never worked, the constant of power in reality always being confined to small groups who try to maintain it with varying degrees of ferocity
"woke" is an example of this postmodernist theory, fortunately so flawed in its inconsistencies and the general level of retardation in its adherents that it is not a serious threat to the existing social order in the way bolshevism was though there is an undercurrent of marxism
art
is
intelligent
insanity
a solution (of the equations of string theory) is an approximation to a quantum state which is what really describes the universe
the mind is a prediction machine, its constantly involved in this sort of activity just to keep a formed world about you
faux religious ideas based on some sort of zero mental activity state like "the cessation of suffering", god’s peace, nirvana are just the usual craziness
even sleep is highly active with drastic functional shifts in the brain
not a nigerian princeling or general’s daughter with problems hiding what is rightfully theirs from an unjust world, but the real thing
Nazi Party = NAtional soZIalist German Workers’ Party; and its level of stupidity can be gauged by its forcing half the team who worked on the theory enabling the development of the atomic bomb to flee germany because they were jewish and one of those (otto frisch) ended up instrumental in the manhatten project along with many other émigrés who no doubt advanced the timetable by years
interestingly german scientists were very lukewarm on the prospects of an atomic bomb in WW2, fortunately for the allies as the japanese were surprisingly advanced in the development of a bomb and a well funded combined effort may have seen them producing such a weapon about the same time as the americans
another effect of the "diaspora" from germany and europe was the rise of hollywood with the incredible influx of entertainment talent
anybody reading about the last weeks in the berlin bunker can only come away thinking what a bunch of insane stupids !
interestingly hitler was deliberately childless and yet indirectly killed more than almost any-one else ever
endless the monks
asserting themselves against the master
who tells them
neither truth
nor falsity
failing to understand
they waste their time
the zen koan
"there are no teachers of zen"
well
it turns out
there is no zen either
women’s make-up has always been a black hole of toxicity and lack of regulation
the problem with eihei dogen, is not eihei himself but his elevation into a "cult god" by the soto zen sect and his writings are literally scripture than cannot be questioned by the faithful
when you can’t ask, "what if he’s wrong", then there is a problem
its a very christian paradigm actually and the worst is the monotonous bores who drone on and on with some wacked out "interpretations" of his more voynichated writings
unlike a lot of zen
ryōkan was real person
and those poems he wrote he actually wrote
and the places he wrote about
were real places
actually he was a poet, zen is their own claim
so its not surprising he was real
ed. there is a better than usual translation of ryōkan by john stevens called "dewdrops on a lotus leaf" , a lot of what is out there is stupid soppy designed to indoctrinate
roads
weave apart
intersect
and come together again
a succession of moments of truth
only to fragment
into the nothingness
of the unbenign
fog
of
life
stories
the insane tell themselves
and you
neither fantasy or reality
outside the boundaries
they have
a surprising salience
computation
the solving of problems
a vast meta in itself
yet how to
unsolve
the solved ?
looking at the strange characters of urdu
incomprehensible
yet to another will speak a clear understanding
so is life and we to each other
borderline personality disorder is a no exit street, fail to learn how to recognize it at your peril !
these gaslighting manipulators bring disaster to all around them
women are not like men, they can’t reason their way into "love". either they love you or they don’t !
sleep
some realm of somewhere
other than here
the brain
a
pinwheel
rolling along
a railway track
always
unstable
exegesis
the impaired
commenting
on
impairment
polynomial time = nondeterministic polynomial time
problems that can be solved
and problems that can’t be solved
but for which
solutions can be verified
the solution of the solving
has yet to be verified
who would have thought rupert murdoch would be such a vigorous old fool ?
four and now five wives
and he still doesn’t understand women
wealth being honey to flies
how we are born
what we are born into
the dice of existence
rolled for the first time
oppressive
difference
asynchronous
with this
life
as we know it
commonality
bites
like
an executors
axe
or burns
like an
immolation
i think emily bronte picked up TB at the "clergy daughter’s school" at cowan bridge as she felt her health was never the same after being there, it can remain latent for decades
the harm that boarding school did to the brontë family was beyond tragic, a deep colour that pervaded all that was to follow
i agree with this video , she was autistic
i am sure the sisters together had an accelerated artistic development through their mutual interaction, hence the very high quality of their writings so young
writing
helps isolate ourselves
from
the common herd
and
their idiocy
the beauty of memory
can flower
in ourselves
“ people, i can’t stand them ”
what about yourself ?
“ i’m not a person ”
politicians and diplomats wouldn’t last a minute if they said what they really thought
the way of the world
putin is selling out russia to china and killing his own ethnic kin, its really bizarre
the universality of aphorisms and poetry
there’s nothing that cannot be expressed
only an endlessness of the yet to be discovered
is and is not
knitting
reality

Three moon cycles later
Galdush fields, Meilume region of the Empire
The time has come and the troops are ready. The chosen commander of Imperial forces is Ylyndar Glynra, general of the IV army, commanding twenty-five thousand infantry, ten thousand cavalry, ten thousand archers along with one hundred wyverns, one hundred battle mages and hundreds of siege elements for a total of fifty thousand troops. The vassal forces number forty thousand. Ten thousand dwarves from Nundolar commanded by Bardek Leadmaster and ten thousand from Halboram under Dalmin Bronzering. The Rosians sent twenty thousand in total under the command of Bodin Zorgen of Alston, king Thavok's eldest son. The imperials have also brought an auxiliary force of ten thousand slaves, which include ferral orcs, trolls, ogres, swine, lepians, feelians, leanoids, and welfen.
In total, the invasion force numbered one hundred thousand strong and they were to start the land attack in the Galdush fields. At the same time, the VI fleet of one hundred ships of various sizes gathered in the western waters away from the port city of Lashil. Admiral Lothar Tanros was also tasked with opening a rift and to attack the enemy's shoreline, making the invasion a pincer assault.
"It is time, general.", a captain said proudly.
"Indeed.", Ylandar replied, "I cannot wait to bring the emperor's light to this savage world. Are the mages in place?"
"Yes, general. They are finishing the ritual. It is a pity we cannot open more rifts."
"Any more and the spiritual energy of North Altia will be completely drained. I do not wish to destroy our world along with theirs."
"Understood sir.", at that moment, a large rift opened up. It was thirty steps wide, ten steps tall, and shining in bright blue. All soldiers stared at it with amazement and fright. This was the gateway to the savage land they were warned about, they must remain vigilant. "I shall prepare the first wave."
"Hold. I shall go.", Ylindar said.
"S-Sir? Are you certain?"
"Yes. I will lead the first wave.". With that, he rode to Bardek, Dalmin, and Bodin. "You know the plan. All Rosian troops, half of the dwarves, the entire auxiliary, and ten thousand of my own troops. Once a foothold has been established, a messenger will ride back and inform the rest of the troops to begin the second wave. The navy has most likely begun its attack. We must hurry. For the light!"
With that they marched forward into the rift, unaware of the dangers they will face. All they could do is pray to the spirits.
---
History is not kind. Many bad things happened throughout human history. Wars, plagues, destruction, and death beyond counting. On top of that, humans themselves were never the best of people. It is they who caused all of it to happen and it is also they who keep doing it. History has always described humans as selfish and self-harming, but history is written by the winner. And this time, the good wins.
The great virus that occurred in the third decade ravaged the planet, killing millions of people. But through human genius, a cure was made and the death was stopped. However, it was then that the true culprits were discovered. One of the greatest problems of humanity is overpopulation. We have grown soft and stopped "culling the herd" so that a sensible number can thrive and be strong. A group calling themselves 'True salvation', sought to fix this. Through decades of careful planning and manipulation, they've reached a solution. For mankind to prosper it needs to suffer. So they showed themselves in 2034 and declared that they will do what was necessary to save the Earth. So they set off fires and explosions all throughout the world. Thousands upon thousands of factories and industries were destroyed, the capital and major cities were devastated, planes kept crashing, ships kept sinking, and it was chaos. The death toll was in the millions, even hundreds of millions as every country suffered.
But the salvationist forgot one important thing. These are human beings. By attacking them all they've united them all. Global governments decided they will not stand by idly while their people were being killed for some 'greater good'. In a united effort, after fifteen years, they tracked down and eliminated the salvationists, ending the crisis. But now the bigger problem took the stage. The world was in chaos and it needed fixing. So for the future years, that is exactly what happened. A new generation replaced the old one and with everyone united they not only repaired but also advanced. New technologies were invented, and life became better. Artificial limbs became more common, medicine was more advanced and the military received more than one upgrade so that no future threat can harm the nations.
NATO got more support from South America and Australia, while East Europe and Asia created a new block called Easter Powers Alliance. The UN now strictly enforces laws against drugs and poachers are shot on sight so to protect the wild and plant life. Renewable energy sources are spread across the world and the atmosphere is being healed. Many monuments were built for the victims of the salvationists. It goes to show that no matter how much humanity is battered, it would always rise stronger.
And now? Now it is the year 2070 and things are going just fine.
5th of May, 2070
Lumberton, North Carolina
The Northeast park is always a wonderful place to visit. With playgrounds and baseball fields, it was always cheerful. Right now the Jaguars were playing against the Bulls and hundreds of people gathered to watch. Officers Bradly O'Neil, or just Brad, and Jack Mitchel pulled their police car over to watch the game.
"So who do think is winning this time?", Jack asked.
"My money is on the Bulls.", Brad said, "They're winning right now."
"No one knows man. I have a gut feeling the Jaguars are gonna make a comeback."
In that moment, a Jaguar pitcher threw the ball and the Bull hit it with the bat, sending it out of the ring.
"Hooooo! Another home run by the Bulls!", said the announcer, "If they keep this up they will win it all!"
The Bull ran full circle and when he finished, a tremor shook the ground. Suddenly, a large rectangle of light appeared. It was nearly fifty feet wide and sixteen feet tall. People were confused and everyone tried to wrap their heads around what exactly was happening.
"Brad?", Jack asked, "Did anyone order a light show?"
"At four pm? Unlikely.", Brad said as he grabbed his radio, "Dispatch this is officer O'Neil, we have a situation at the Northeast park. Unclear if it is a threat but I require reinforcements and-"
Out of the light, men started appearing. They were strange to say the least. They wore medieval-like armor and has pink skin. Behind them appeared something that freaked people out and scarred them even more. Things they would only see in fantasy movies. Green-skinned orcs, dwarves, and even huge dragon-like lizards. No one understood how they got here but they understood their purpose as they attacked the players and spectators.
The green-skinned and pig-like monsters killed and ate everyone they could find. The dragons flew in the air and arrows rained down on the people.
Brad took the radio again and shouted, "Threat confirmed! I repeat the threat is confirmed! Send reinforcements and alert the national guard! They're killing everyone! We need-"
A pig-like monster jumped at him but it got blasted away by a shotgun. "Power or speed?", asked Jack who shot the gun.
"Speed. I'll take the smaller ones.", he replied and grabbed the shotgun while Jack took the SMG, "We have to save as many people as we can! Come on!"
---
The attack is a success. Already these pale-skinned savages flee and are killed by the dozens and soon hundreds. This field will serve as a good foothold for the invasion.
Prince Bodin looked over the scenery and thought, 'This doesn't look like a land filled with chaos. Were the visions a lie after all?'
"Prince Bodin.", called general Ylindar, "It is glorious is it not? We will slaughter these savages and take the lands in the name of the light. I need you to send your forces over to the structures to the southwest, I have already dispatched the dwarves and auxillia to the south."
"This place is not like the one explained in the vision."
"That does not matter. You are to gather as many slaves as you can and kill all the soldiers that attack you. We must clear a path for the second wave." Bodin internally cursed but went with the orders and called his men.
"Sir!", called a captain, "There are several savages that are causing problems for us."
"What do you mean?"
"They are hiding behind strange metal carts and it appears they have boomsticks much like the dwarves."
"Send a group of mages with dwarves and crush them."
"Right away sir!". With that, the captain left and Ylindar started setting up the stronghold and preparing the letter for the second wave.
Five mages along with a hundred dwarf warriors and shooters. The two dozen savages hid behind metal carts and fired at the orcs and swine that ran at them. The dwarves took aim and fired but they only killed a couple. The savages fired and the mages tried to create a force shield, but something was wrong. There was no energy in this world and magic didn't work.
"What's the problem?", asked a dwarf.
"I-I don't know. I can't-"
Before he could finish, he fell to the ground with a hole in his head. The dwarves started to fall as well. The warriors put up their shields, but the weapons of the savages tore through them. Eventually, enough orcs and swine pushed them and killed most while taking one prisoner.
---
Some time later
Noble self-service storage
Bodin never liked the empire or the emperor. They killed his grandfather just because they wanted freedom. But right now, he didn't have a choice. Denying a direct imperial order is a death sentence. He needed to make sure his kingdom, as well as the others, by doing their bidding and dirty work.
On his way to the strange structures, he encountered strange things. Metal carts that moved without horses and the wide roads made of flat stones, as well as soldiers with repeating boomsticks. For every one of them he lost dozens, but they couldn't hold on for long. Bodin gave explicate orders not to kill any retreating soldiers or innocent people. They won't become monstrous killers like the elves.
After a while, they reached the structures. Rows of identical buildings locked with metal doors. They opened them one by one and only found different pieces of furniture and sometimes jewelry.
"Take anything of value.", Bodin said, "We have taken enough people captive. After we are done here we will report to general Ylindar. Captain, take the captives back quickly. I fear the men we've faced are but a fraction of their army."
"Yes my lord.", the captain said and left with his troops in a hurry.
"Are you starting to doubt the visions, prince Bodin.", spoke a man next to him, "Because so far I am."
"Viscount Iaw.", replied Bodin, "I know what you mean. These people don't look like the savage barbarians the elves told us about. They look like us."
"While I do agree with you on that, you cannot deny the differences. These structures look so robust, and the roads are completely flat. The boomsticks, and the metal carts, clearly these people possess great magic and machines. I cannot imagine what would happen if the empire got its hands on them."
"Don't even say that. Let's just get these items back to-". His sentence was cut by a loud explosion that came from the other side of the structures. Bits and pieces of armor, weapons, and bodies fell on all sides. The men panicked as more explosions came from all sides.
"They have cannons!", yelled Bodin, "Scatter! Find the shooters!". After he gave his orders the soldiers ran to all sides, but they stopped shortly after noticing something in the air. Enemy wyverns? No. They looked different and were made of metal much like the carriages. Several of them filled the sky and inside were soldiers with aimed cannons who opened fire on the Rosians. The soldiers died by the hundreds and Bodin knew he was in danger.
"We have to get out of here!", yelled Iaw and hurried forward on his horse. Bodin and the others followed but they slowed down as they saw a roadblock of large and bulky metal carriages. Dozens of enemies came out of them and prepared their weapons.
"I shall clear a path for you!", said Iaw and charged at the enemy with his troops. Bodin attempted to stop him but to no avail. The enemies opened fire and Iaw was filled with holes along with his men. They didn't even get close before they were slaughtered. Paralyzed by fear, the remaining Rosian troops did the only sensible thing, they surrendered. Now they can only hope for the enemy to be merciful.
---
'This was supposed to be a slow day.", thought lieutenant Jefferson, 'What the hell did we get ourselves into.'
This was beyond strange. A portal opening up in Northeast park, fantasy, and medieval people coming out of it and attacking people? This wasn't what Mark signed up to fight. But he did sign up to defend the United States from any threat. This one counts.
As he rode in his helicopter he saw the other choppers literally slaughtering the 'enemy'. If you can call people with swords and bows riding on a horse a proper enemy. They were being killed in the thousands and only several hundred were left at the storage facilities.
"Lieutenant, are you ok?", asked a sergeant, "You spaced out."
"I'm fine Thomas. This is just beyond me. But I guess it's not our job to think about it.", he stood up and grabbed the rope, "We're going down!"
They lowered themselves from the helicopter and got into formation. They moved through the roads and shot every enemy that came after them. It wasn't hard, these 'knights' weren't much of a threat as long as they were out of range.
"Cavalry behind us!", yelled Thomas. The platoon got into a firing line and opened fire, cutting down the dozens of horses and 'men' riding them. As they continued forward they arrived at the JLTVs placed to block the enemy's advance.
"Lieutenant Mark Jefferson.", he said as he saluted.
"Sergeant Norman Cole. Sir, you're not gonna believe this."
"We are under attack by Lord of the rings characters in pink. Try me."
"Well, these people speak a different language, unsurprisingly. But when I introduced myself they spoke English."
This did surprise Mark. "English? Are you sure?"
"Yes. There's an accent definitely but it's unmistakable. And that guy with the cape and silver helmet? He's the leader. Prince Bodin of Alston."
After some pondering, Mark answered, "Load them up in the trucks. Separate the more important ones. I need to get in touch with the forces sent to Food lion."
"Yes, sir."
'This keeps getting weirder and weirder.', Mark thought.
---
Earlier
Near Food lion
Zoya was not happy about this. Being forced to fight for these oppressors alongside animals. It was degrading. But she didn't have a choice. It was serve or die. Because of their animal features, lepians and feelians are sent first to scout the area and bring information. But what the others were doing was horrible.
All around she could see the feral orcs butchering people and raid homes, the swine, trolls, and ogres eating people alive, and the dwarves plundering treasures and taking weapons. It was disgusting. The forces did suffer casualties. These people were armed with weapons more powerful than even the dwarves had. The feral beast suffered the most. Even the trolls and ogress fell to being shot enough times. But eventually, they had to run away.
Plunging her dagger into a blue-clothed soldier's back, Zoya let out a tired sigh. "How much longer?", she asked herself.
"As long as it takes.", said a woman behind her.
"Bora. I thought you were killed."
"I was almost. But I lost many of my own. These weapons are deadly. If we dodge one shot ten more appear."
"What's taking you so long, rabbit?", asked the dwarven general Dalmin in a disrespectful attitude, "I thought you lepians were supposed to be expert scouts."
"Don't talk down at us, dwarf.", said Bora.
"Shut it cat! Or I'll grind you into meat and feed you to my hog.", Bora hissed at that, "Now, get going. It won't be long before Bardek arrives and I intend to have more fun.". With that he rode off, leaving Zoya and Bora.
"I'm going to kill him one day.", said Bora.
Zoya looked behind her and saw a group of children running away from a swine and a feral orc. They went inside what looked like a large market. Zoya ran after them and Bora quickly followed. They reached the mark and when they entered it they saw the women and children cowering in a corner as the swine and orc closed in. Zoya rushed at the orc and slit its throat then quickly spun around and kicked the swine, knocking it to the ground. Without wasting time she plunged her dagger into its heart. She walked over to the children and gestured for them to calm down.
"What was that?", Bora asked.
"I'm not letting let innocent people get butchered and eaten by monsters."
"But if the elves find out-"
"They won't. We can-", she stopped midway after her ears twitched. Looking out the window she saw and hear explosions. That must be this world's army. Dalmin rode on his hog to lead a charge against their metal carriages but was cut down by the enemy's weapons.
Zoya and Bora were scared. Their people were dying and soon they will follow. But just then, a little girl walked to her side and pulled her hand. "Don't worry.", she spoke in the imperial tongue, which surprised Zoya, "We'll tell them you saved us."
---
"This is pretty insane isn't it sir?", asked a soldier.
"It sure is Paterson.", said the sergeant, "Let's just kill everything that can't talk first and worry about the rest later."
"Rodger.". They exited the Bradley and got to work, opening fire on what looked like dwarves and orcs. The Bradley itself focused on the larger targets while the soldiers moved in. House by house and street by street they moved in. The dwarves fired their musket-like weapons but they only managed to land a few lucky shots. The new M16A5 assault rifle with 6.8mm bullets tore through their armor and shields.
An ogre started charging from the back lines, swinging his large stone on a chain. "Paterson! Fire your grenade launcher!", ordered the sergeant. Paterson fired and upon impact the grenade exploded, leaving a gaping hole in the ogre's chest and bursting its organs all around. The battle continued and the stubborn dwarves fought as well as the ugly monsters. The only ones that surrendered were the animalistic 'people'.
As the soldiers progressed they saw horrid things. People were being eaten and ripped apart by the monsters as they screamed and begged for their lives. Homes burned and vehicles crushed. This won't go unanswered. "Kill them all!", yelled the sergeant, and the soldiers happily obliged.
With rifles, grenades, and machine guns they slaughtered the monsters. Trolls and ogres were blown to pieces, orcs, and swine riddled with holes like Swiss cheese. Even the stubborn dwarves were shown little mercy. The sergeant continued with his men to Food lion where he spotted two animal-like people, one looked like a cat and the other like a bunny, with over a dozen children.
They entered and pointed their guns at them immediately, but the children stood in front of them. "Don't shoot them.", said a boy.
"What?", asked the sergeant.
"They saved us from the monsters.", said a girl pointing to the dead orc and pig.
After some delay, the sergeant spoke, "Lower your weapons.". He walked to the two women. "I am gunnery-sergeant Jeff Miller. Who are you?"
"I am Zoya and this is Bora.", answered the rabbit woman, "We are the slave auxiliary of the empire of light."
Confused, Jeff asked, "The what?"
Before she could answer, Paterson walked over to Miller, "Sir, I have a message from lieutenant Mark Jefferson. He asks about a report and if we're ready to join them in the attack on Northeast park."
Jeff looked at the two women before turning to his men, "Paterson, tell the lieutenant that we'll join them soon. Johnson, and Shane, take these two into custody. I'll question them more when I get back."
"Where are you going?", asked Bora suddenly.
Jeff turned to her slowly and answered, "We're gonna end this."
End of chapter 2
---
Thank you very much for reading. If you'd like to support me (for some freakin' reason) feel free to upvote, follow, and check out my Patreon: patreon.com/SimpleWrites
Sorry for the choppy chapter, I promise better work in the future.

Three moon cycles later
Galdush fields, Meilume region of the Empire
The time has come and the troops are ready. The chosen commander of Imperial forces is Ylyndar Glynra, general of the IV army, commanding twenty-five thousand infantry, ten thousand cavalry, ten thousand archers along with one hundred wyverns, one hundred battle mages and hundreds of siege elements for a total of fifty thousand troops. The vassal forces number forty thousand. Ten thousand dwarves from Nundolar commanded by Bardek Leadmaster and ten thousand from Halboram under Dalmin Bronzering. The Rosians sent twenty thousand in total under the command of Bodin Zorgen of Alston, king Thavok's eldest son. The imperials have also brought an auxiliary force of ten thousand slaves, which include ferral orcs, trolls, ogres, swine, lepians, feelians, leanoids, and welfen.
In total, the invasion force numbered one hundred thousand strong and they were to start the land attack in the Galdush fields. At the same time, the VI fleet of one hundred ships of various sizes gathered in the western waters away from the port city of Lashil. Admiral Lothar Tanros was also tasked with opening a rift and to attack the enemy's shoreline, making the invasion a pincer assault.
"It is time, general.", a captain said proudly.
"Indeed.", Ylandar replied, "I cannot wait to bring the emperor's light to this savage world. Are the mages in place?"
"Yes, general. They are finishing the ritual. It is a pity we cannot open more rifts."
"Any more and the spiritual energy of North Altia will be completely drained. I do not wish to destroy our world along with theirs."
"Understood sir.", at that moment, a large rift opened up. It was thirty steps wide, ten steps tall, and shining in bright blue. All soldiers stared at it with amazement and fright. This was the gateway to the savage land they were warned about, they must remain vigilant. "I shall prepare the first wave."
"Hold. I shall go.", Ylindar said.
"S-Sir? Are you certain?"
"Yes. I will lead the first wave.". With that, he rode to Bardek, Dalmin, and Bodin. "You know the plan. All Rosian troops, half of the dwarves, the entire auxiliary, and ten thousand of my own troops. Once a foothold has been established, a messenger will ride back and inform the rest of the troops to begin the second wave. The navy has most likely begun its attack. We must hurry. For the light!"
With that they marched forward into the rift, unaware of the dangers they will face. All they could do is pray to the spirits.
---
History is not kind. Many bad things happened throughout human history. Wars, plagues, destruction, and death beyond counting. On top of that, humans themselves were never the best of people. It is they who caused all of it to happen and it is also they who keep doing it. History has always described humans as selfish and self-harming, but history is written by the winner. And this time, the good wins.
The great virus that occurred in the third decade ravaged the planet, killing millions of people. But through human genius, a cure was made and the death was stopped. However, it was then that the true culprits were discovered. One of the greatest problems of humanity is overpopulation. We have grown soft and stopped "culling the herd" so that a sensible number can thrive and be strong. A group calling themselves 'True salvation', sought to fix this. Through decades of careful planning and manipulation, they've reached a solution. For mankind to prosper it needs to suffer. So they showed themselves in 2034 and declared that they will do what was necessary to save the Earth. So they set off fires and explosions all throughout the world. Thousands upon thousands of factories and industries were destroyed, the capital and major cities were devastated, planes kept crashing, ships kept sinking, and it was chaos. The death toll was in the millions, even hundreds of millions as every country suffered.
But the salvationist forgot one important thing. These are human beings. By attacking them all they've united them all. Global governments decided they will not stand by idly while their people were being killed for some 'greater good'. In a united effort, after fifteen years, they tracked down and eliminated the salvationists, ending the crisis. But now the bigger problem took the stage. The world was in chaos and it needed fixing. So for the future years, that is exactly what happened. A new generation replaced the old one and with everyone united they not only repaired but also advanced. New technologies were invented, and life became better. Artificial limbs became more common, medicine was more advanced and the military received more than one upgrade so that no future threat can harm the nations.
NATO got more support from South America and Australia, while East Europe and Asia created a new block called Easter Powers Alliance. The UN now strictly enforces laws against drugs and poachers are shot on sight so to protect the wild and plant life. Renewable energy sources are spread across the world and the atmosphere is being healed. Many monuments were built for the victims of the salvationists. It goes to show that no matter how much humanity is battered, it would always rise stronger.
And now? Now it is the year 2070 and things are going just fine.
5th of May, 2070
Lumberton, North Carolina
The Northeast park is always a wonderful place to visit. With playgrounds and baseball fields, it was always cheerful. Right now the Jaguars were playing against the Bulls and hundreds of people gathered to watch. Officers Bradly O'Neil, or just Brad, and Jack Mitchel pulled their police car over to watch the game.
"So who do think is winning this time?", Jack asked.
"My money is on the Bulls.", Brad said, "They're winning right now."
"No one knows man. I have a gut feeling the Jaguars are gonna make a comeback."
In that moment, a Jaguar pitcher threw the ball and the Bull hit it with the bat, sending it out of the ring.
"Hooooo! Another home run by the Bulls!", said the announcer, "If they keep this up they will win it all!"
The Bull ran full circle and when he finished, a tremor shook the ground. Suddenly, a large rectangle of light appeared. It was nearly fifty feet wide and sixteen feet tall. People were confused and everyone tried to wrap their heads around what exactly was happening.
"Brad?", Jack asked, "Did anyone order a light show?"
"At four pm? Unlikely.", Brad said as he grabbed his radio, "Dispatch this is officer O'Neil, we have a situation at the Northeast park. Unclear if it is a threat but I require reinforcements and-"
Out of the light, men started appearing. They were strange to say the least. They wore medieval-like armor and has pink skin. Behind them appeared something that freaked people out and scarred them even more. Things they would only see in fantasy movies. Green-skinned orcs, dwarves, and even huge dragon-like lizards. No one understood how they got here but they understood their purpose as they attacked the players and spectators.
The green-skinned and pig-like monsters killed and ate everyone they could find. The dragons flew in the air and arrows rained down on the people.
Brad took the radio again and shouted, "Threat confirmed! I repeat the threat is confirmed! Send reinforcements and alert the national guard! They're killing everyone! We need-"
A pig-like monster jumped at him but it got blasted away by a shotgun. "Power or speed?", asked Jack who shot the gun.
"Speed. I'll take the smaller ones.", he replied and grabbed the shotgun while Jack took the SMG, "We have to save as many people as we can! Come on!"
---
The attack is a success. Already these pale-skinned savages flee and are killed by the dozens and soon hundreds. This field will serve as a good foothold for the invasion.
Prince Bodin looked over the scenery and thought, 'This doesn't look like a land filled with chaos. Were the visions a lie after all?'
"Prince Bodin.", called general Ylindar, "It is glorious is it not? We will slaughter these savages and take the lands in the name of the light. I need you to send your forces over to the structures to the southwest, I have already dispatched the dwarves and auxillia to the south."
"This place is not like the one explained in the vision."
"That does not matter. You are to gather as many slaves as you can and kill all the soldiers that attack you. We must clear a path for the second wave." Bodin internally cursed but went with the orders and called his men.
"Sir!", called a captain, "There are several savages that are causing problems for us."
"What do you mean?"
"They are hiding behind strange metal carts and it appears they have boomsticks much like the dwarves."
"Send a group of mages with dwarves and crush them."
"Right away sir!". With that, the captain left and Ylindar started setting up the stronghold and preparing the letter for the second wave.
Five mages along with a hundred dwarf warriors and shooters. The two dozen savages hid behind metal carts and fired at the orcs and swine that ran at them. The dwarves took aim and fired but they only killed a couple. The savages fired and the mages tried to create a force shield, but something was wrong. There was no energy in this world and magic didn't work.
"What's the problem?", asked a dwarf.
"I-I don't know. I can't-"
Before he could finish, he fell to the ground with a hole in his head. The dwarves started to fall as well. The warriors put up their shields, but the weapons of the savages tore through them. Eventually, enough orcs and swine pushed them and killed most while taking one prisoner.
---
Some time later
Noble self-service storage
Bodin never liked the empire or the emperor. They killed his grandfather just because they wanted freedom. But right now, he didn't have a choice. Denying a direct imperial order is a death sentence. He needed to make sure his kingdom, as well as the others, by doing their bidding and dirty work.
On his way to the strange structures, he encountered strange things. Metal carts that moved without horses and the wide roads made of flat stones, as well as soldiers with repeating boomsticks. For every one of them he lost dozens, but they couldn't hold on for long. Bodin gave explicate orders not to kill any retreating soldiers or innocent people. They won't become monstrous killers like the elves.
After a while, they reached the structures. Rows of identical buildings locked with metal doors. They opened them one by one and only found different pieces of furniture and sometimes jewelry.
"Take anything of value.", Bodin said, "We have taken enough people captive. After we are done here we will report to general Ylindar. Captain, take the captives back quickly. I fear the men we've faced are but a fraction of their army."
"Yes my lord.", the captain said and left with his troops in a hurry.
"Are you starting to doubt the visions, prince Bodin.", spoke a man next to him, "Because so far I am."
"Viscount Iaw.", replied Bodin, "I know what you mean. These people don't look like the savage barbarians the elves told us about. They look like us."
"While I do agree with you on that, you cannot deny the differences. These structures look so robust, and the roads are completely flat. The boomsticks, and the metal carts, clearly these people possess great magic and machines. I cannot imagine what would happen if the empire got its hands on them."
"Don't even say that. Let's just get these items back to-". His sentence was cut by a loud explosion that came from the other side of the structures. Bits and pieces of armor, weapons, and bodies fell on all sides. The men panicked as more explosions came from all sides.
"They have cannons!", yelled Bodin, "Scatter! Find the shooters!". After he gave his orders the soldiers ran to all sides, but they stopped shortly after noticing something in the air. Enemy wyverns? No. They looked different and were made of metal much like the carriages. Several of them filled the sky and inside were soldiers with aimed cannons who opened fire on the Rosians. The soldiers died by the hundreds and Bodin knew he was in danger.
"We have to get out of here!", yelled Iaw and hurried forward on his horse. Bodin and the others followed but they slowed down as they saw a roadblock of large and bulky metal carriages. Dozens of enemies came out of them and prepared their weapons.
"I shall clear a path for you!", said Iaw and charged at the enemy with his troops. Bodin attempted to stop him but to no avail. The enemies opened fire and Iaw was filled with holes along with his men. They didn't even get close before they were slaughtered. Paralyzed by fear, the remaining Rosian troops did the only sensible thing, they surrendered. Now they can only hope for the enemy to be merciful.
---
'This was supposed to be a slow day.", thought lieutenant Jefferson, 'What the hell did we get ourselves into.'
This was beyond strange. A portal opening up in Northeast park, fantasy, and medieval people coming out of it and attacking people? This wasn't what Mark signed up to fight. But he did sign up to defend the United States from any threat. This one counts.
As he rode in his helicopter he saw the other choppers literally slaughtering the 'enemy'. If you can call people with swords and bows riding on a horse a proper enemy. They were being killed in the thousands and only several hundred were left at the storage facilities.
"Lieutenant, are you ok?", asked a sergeant, "You spaced out."
"I'm fine Thomas. This is just beyond me. But I guess it's not our job to think about it.", he stood up and grabbed the rope, "We're going down!"
They lowered themselves from the helicopter and got into formation. They moved through the roads and shot every enemy that came after them. It wasn't hard, these 'knights' weren't much of a threat as long as they were out of range.
"Cavalry behind us!", yelled Thomas. The platoon got into a firing line and opened fire, cutting down the dozens of horses and 'men' riding them. As they continued forward they arrived at the JLTVs placed to block the enemy's advance.
"Lieutenant Mark Jefferson.", he said as he saluted.
"Sergeant Norman Cole. Sir, you're not gonna believe this."
"We are under attack by Lord of the rings characters in pink. Try me."
"Well, these people speak a different language, unsurprisingly. But when I introduced myself they spoke English."
This did surprise Mark. "English? Are you sure?"
"Yes. There's an accent definitely but it's unmistakable. And that guy with the cape and silver helmet? He's the leader. Prince Bodin of Alston."
After some pondering, Mark answered, "Load them up in the trucks. Separate the more important ones. I need to get in touch with the forces sent to Food lion."
"Yes, sir."
'This keeps getting weirder and weirder.', Mark thought.
---
Earlier
Near Food lion
Zoya was not happy about this. Being forced to fight for these oppressors alongside animals. It was degrading. But she didn't have a choice. It was serve or die. Because of their animal features, lepians and feelians are sent first to scout the area and bring information. But what the others were doing was horrible.
All around she could see the feral orcs butchering people and raid homes, the swine, trolls, and ogres eating people alive, and the dwarves plundering treasures and taking weapons. It was disgusting. The forces did suffer casualties. These people were armed with weapons more powerful than even the dwarves had. The feral beast suffered the most. Even the trolls and ogress fell to being shot enough times. But eventually, they had to run away.
Plunging her dagger into a blue-clothed soldier's back, Zoya let out a tired sigh. "How much longer?", she asked herself.
"As long as it takes.", said a woman behind her.
"Bora. I thought you were killed."
"I was almost. But I lost many of my own. These weapons are deadly. If we dodge one shot ten more appear."
"What's taking you so long, rabbit?", asked the dwarven general Dalmin in a disrespectful attitude, "I thought you lepians were supposed to be expert scouts."
"Don't talk down at us, dwarf.", said Bora.
"Shut it cat! Or I'll grind you into meat and feed you to my hog.", Bora hissed at that, "Now, get going. It won't be long before Bardek arrives and I intend to have more fun.". With that he rode off, leaving Zoya and Bora.
"I'm going to kill him one day.", said Bora.
Zoya looked behind her and saw a group of children running away from a swine and a feral orc. They went inside what looked like a large market. Zoya ran after them and Bora quickly followed. They reached the mark and when they entered it they saw the women and children cowering in a corner as the swine and orc closed in. Zoya rushed at the orc and slit its throat then quickly spun around and kicked the swine, knocking it to the ground. Without wasting time she plunged her dagger into its heart. She walked over to the children and gestured for them to calm down.
"What was that?", Bora asked.
"I'm not letting let innocent people get butchered and eaten by monsters."
"But if the elves find out-"
"They won't. We can-", she stopped midway after her ears twitched. Looking out the window she saw and hear explosions. That must be this world's army. Dalmin rode on his hog to lead a charge against their metal carriages but was cut down by the enemy's weapons.
Zoya and Bora were scared. Their people were dying and soon they will follow. But just then, a little girl walked to her side and pulled her hand. "Don't worry.", she spoke in the imperial tongue, which surprised Zoya, "We'll tell them you saved us."
---
"This is pretty insane isn't it sir?", asked a soldier.
"It sure is Paterson.", said the sergeant, "Let's just kill everything that can't talk first and worry about the rest later."
"Rodger.". They exited the Bradley and got to work, opening fire on what looked like dwarves and orcs. The Bradley itself focused on the larger targets while the soldiers moved in. House by house and street by street they moved in. The dwarves fired their musket-like weapons but they only managed to land a few lucky shots. The new M16A5 assault rifle with 6.8mm bullets tore through their armor and shields.
An ogre started charging from the back lines, swinging his large stone on a chain. "Paterson! Fire your grenade launcher!", ordered the sergeant. Paterson fired and upon impact the grenade exploded, leaving a gaping hole in the ogre's chest and bursting its organs all around. The battle continued and the stubborn dwarves fought as well as the ugly monsters. The only ones that surrendered were the animalistic 'people'.
As the soldiers progressed they saw horrid things. People were being eaten and ripped apart by the monsters as they screamed and begged for their lives. Homes burned and vehicles crushed. This won't go unanswered. "Kill them all!", yelled the sergeant, and the soldiers happily obliged.
With rifles, grenades, and machine guns they slaughtered the monsters. Trolls and ogres were blown to pieces, orcs, and swine riddled with holes like Swiss cheese. Even the stubborn dwarves were shown little mercy. The sergeant continued with his men to Food lion where he spotted two animal-like people, one looked like a cat and the other like a bunny, with over a dozen children.
They entered and pointed their guns at them immediately, but the children stood in front of them. "Don't shoot them.", said a boy.
"What?", asked the sergeant.
"They saved us from the monsters.", said a girl pointing to the dead orc and pig.
After some delay, the sergeant spoke, "Lower your weapons.". He walked to the two women. "I am gunnery-sergeant Jeff Miller. Who are you?"
"I am Zoya and this is Bora.", answered the rabbit woman, "We are the slave auxiliary of the empire of light."
Confused, Jeff asked, "The what?"
Before she could answer, Paterson walked over to Miller, "Sir, I have a message from lieutenant Mark Jefferson. He asks about a report and if we're ready to join them in the attack on Northeast park."
Jeff looked at the two women before turning to his men, "Paterson, tell the lieutenant that we'll join them soon. Johnson, and Shane, take these two into custody. I'll question them more when I get back."
"Where are you going?", asked Bora suddenly.
Jeff turned to her slowly and answered, "We're gonna end this."
End of chapter 2
---
Thank you very much for reading. If you'd like to support me (for some freakin' reason) feel free to upvote, follow, and check out my Patreon (DM me for the link, please).
Sorry for the choppy chapter, I promise better work in the future.

“That’s your responsibility.“
“What you’ll want is to eat this piping hot.”
“The whole thing is ridiculous. First of all the state bag fee is like five cents. Buying your own bag is a dollar at least. So it’s still cheaper, even over time, to just use the throwaways.”
“My daughter’s been involved with that program since she was small.”
“Probably a casserole. I’ll figure it out later.”
“When I still new learn English I think ‘whatnot’ is a thing. Like, is a noun. That I no can figure out what is it. Because people say, ‘You’ll need jacket, hat, and whatnot.’ ‘There was car and truck and whatnot.’ I keep thinking ‘This thing appear everywhere and I cannot figure out what is it!’”
“Your mother’s right. You need to take that deadly serious.”
“Oh, I’m not in line, you go ahead.”
“Once I realized I was eating out of habit I just made a schedule and that pretty much resolved it.”
“Also, these reusable bags don’t last forever and can’t really be cleaned well. But they’re made of obscenely thick plastic. It’s way worse environmentally than just staying how things were before. It’s a money making scam is what it is.”
“I like the ‘where are they now’ updates.”
“It’s a little early in the year, but y’know, if they’re ripe, we pick ‘em.”
“Go ahead, I’ve got plenty of time.”

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I have been told since starting when I was 18 that I was handsome, good-looking, and cute. I don't see it. I don't know why I don't. I feel so ugly for some reason and want about 12 surgeries to make my face symmetric.
When I was young, I always felt and looked ugly because I didn't know how to style correctly. I guess I learned when I hit 18, which is when all the compliments started.
Regardless, I was to get all these surgeries, but it would cost me thousands of dollars.
I just wanna look like Damian Kater or Francisco Lachowski.

It’s late here. Can’t sleep. I’m probably not going to write much. I’m just so tired. I’m tired of what this has done to me and of feeling so small. I’ve watched myself become smaller and smaller as the years have gone by… but I don’t have the energy. I just don’t know what to do.
Being a male survivor is so isolating. I’m open about what happened to me with my friends… my therapist, some family. But there are really such few resources. All I want is to join a support group and speak about what my ex did… but male support groups really don’t exist when too often men aren’t open to being vulnerable because of narrow conceptions of masculinity, stigma, etc.
I would love to join a group of women or queer folk, but I’m a cis man so I completely understand and respect why I wouldn’t be welcome in those spaces.
My ex was emotionally abusive— deeply manipulative and controlling throughout our relationship… and then she assaulted me after we broke up. It took me years to really realize all of this. I knew it was wrong, but I didn’t have the words for it for a long time.
After the break up there was a while when I was not well. I was suicidal at the time and she came over to comfort me. I was so vulnerable. One of the first things she mentioned, even before coming to visit, was sex. I said no. I said it could be bad for me given the mental state I was in. That I didn’t know what it would do to me to be intimate just for her to leave. I was still in love with her even though things hadn’t worked out. She came over and asked again. I said no again. She suggested it again. I said no three or four times. She shamed me into sex, what I now understand as coercion… then left right after.
I just can’t fathom the level of disregard you have to have for someone— for their life- to do that. I was suicidal.
Looking back at our relationship, I’m not surprised. It was always take, take, take. Such little regard for my well-being, my boundaries or my needs. And if I spoke on myself it was just that- she would criticize and shame until she got what she wanted. It’s fucked up to say, but honestly the assault wasn’t even the worst part. That one action is representative of the whole relationship, sure. It was the culmination of her disregard and selfishness… but the emotional abuse has left more lasting damage. When I realized she assaulted me, that was just one more thing. It was deeply painful. I cried. But it was just one more thing.
Now she’s an influencer… and her platform is built around talking about sex, love and relationships. One day I just woke up in that nightmare, but it was real. What she did has already been damaging enough, but now she has a large platform, writes for publications, has been on shows. It has definitely helped keep the wound open.
I haven’t looked at her stuff in a long time because it’s self-harm. I’m mostly offline now because she kept making burner accounts after I blocked her to look at me. Her influencer friends started following me. It got weird and more uncomfortable than it already was. But when I looked in the past, whenever she would mention me it was as a blip… and it was without any of the harm she caused. She completely rewrote the story. And then told that story to thousands of people. I feel like I have been gaslit on a major scale. And I know what happened… so whatever story she is telling doesn’t matter. But it’s the power… the manipulation… the complete lack of accountability that continues to hurt me so deeply. She already did so much damage, and it just feels never ending, even still.
Sure, I’ve learned strong boundaries from this out of necessity. I advocate for myself fiercely. But this shouldn’t have happened. It’s fucked up, and I’m angry. But really, I’m just tired. I’m so so tired of carrying this. It’s stolen so much of my vibrance, my openness, my warmth and joy. I feel so flat. Heavy brain fog. I have no energy or motivation. Self-esteem has tanked when I never used to struggle with that. Closed off in a way I never used to be. I’ve struggled with depression for a long time, but this trauma is different. I love the person I am- I worked my whole life to become that passionate, sensitive, loving me- but I don’t even feel like myself. I don’t feel like anything. Just heaviness most days.
I just want to be at peace with things or have some level of indifference. Part of me wants to confront her and hold her accountable, another part of me wants absolutely nothing to do with her ever again. It’s not worth it.
I wrote way more than I planned, yet there’s so much more to this all. I don’t know. I’m rambling and there isn’t a clear point to what I’m saying. But that’s also kind of the point… I just feel so alone and need to get this off my chest. One on one therapy isn’t enough anymore. It hasn’t been for a while. I don’t know what to do. I’m over her, but I’m not over what she did to me. All I want is to let go… yet it’s been years now and I’m still here.
Maybe some day I’ll actually write out a coherent account of this all like how I’ve imagined, but that also feels so exhausting. It’s so much. For now this is the best I’ve got and the most I’ve shared online. If you’ve read this far, thanks for listening. If you’re a survivor yourself— so much love and healing to you.

IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television. It is a new cost-effective technology that replaces traditional cable and satellite services for many families worldwide. Using IPTV, you can save hundreds of dollars each year and watch thousands of movies, web series, and shows.

Following is a handpicked list of Top IPTV sites with their popular features and website links. The list contains both open source (free) and commercial (paid) software.
Legal Disclaimer: This article is purely educational. Guru99 doesn’t own, host, operate, resell, or distribute any video streaming site/apps, addons, IPTV, or services. The page contains some unverified services, and we are not certain whether they hold legal licenses to distribute the content. Guru99 does not verify the legality of each app/service in all regions. Do your due-diligence if you use any of the unverified apps/services, and stream only content that is available in the public domain. The end-user shall be solely responsible for the media access.

1. IPTVGEAR – Best for Watching multiple programs on one screen.

IPTVGEAR is the best international service with around 21,000+ live TV channels and has 60,000+ VODs having fast servers and anti-freezing technology for uninterrupted streaming.
Features:

• Comes with more than 21,000 Live international and local TV channels.
• A huge library of Video-on-Demands that updates every week.
• Anti-freezing technology and fast servers for uninterrupted streaming.
• Offers PPV content completely free with every plan.
• It is packed with hundreds of Sports channels from all over the world like the NFL, MLB etc.
• Very good and friendly customer support assists you 24/7.
• It supports IPTV Smarters, Smart GSE, TiviMate, LazyIPTV, Kodi and many other apps.

👍 Pros👎 ConsOffers over 19 thousand live TV channels worldwide.Offers very few payment methodsProvides more than 50 thousand VOD, EPG, Movies, and TV showsThe standard plan comes with one connection.Comes with a large number of stable servers.Supports files like M3U, Enigma, and MAGIt comes with 24 hours customer care support.
Key Specs:
Pricing Plans: Three pricing plans 1) $2.99/ 36 hours trial 2) $14.99/Month3) $44.99/Month VPN Friendly: Yes Number of Channels: 21000 Geolocations: USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Caribbean Islands, Germany, Italy, UAE, All Countries.. IPTV location locked: Yes Payment options for subscription: Credit Card, Payoneer, Paypal, TransferWise. Supported Devices: Amazon Firestick, IPTV Box, Smart TV, IOS and Android Devices, Android TV, and Tablet, iOS, PC, Windows, Macbook, etc. Free Trial: No – But 36 hours paid trial.
IPTVGEAR
2) IPTVGREAT
IPTVGREAT is one of the best IPTV services providers that offer 5 Simultaneous login with one subscription.
You can avail free Trial and purchase plans within the app and enjoy contactless seamless streaming experience.
Features:

• Offers latest VOD movies and shows with all kinds of Sports and Game channels including USA locals and entertainment
• Simultaneous viewing upto 5 devices
• Offer 24/6 customer support is good and is friendly.
• MAG, EPG, and Enigma are supported by this service.
• IP Location Locked: No
• VPN Friendly: Yes
• Payment options for subscription: Major debit card and credit card
• Supported Devices: Amazon FireTV Sticks, Android TV Box, Android Mobile and Tablet, Nvidia Shield TV, Google TV, Formuler Z

IPTVGREAT
3) IPTVRESALE
IPTVRESALE is a next generation IPTV service with 4500+ Live TV, 30,000 movies and 3000+ Video on demand. All updated daily.
Features:

• Most reliable IPTV services available for News, Locals, Sports & VOD with working EPG.
• Worldwide service: USA, CANADA, UK, Caribbean Islands, South America, Africa, South Indian, French, Arabs and more … IPTVRESALE
• 24/7 Customer Service, Professional and Friendly
• IP Location Locked: No.
• VPN Friendly: Yes.
• Payment options for subscription: Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover.
• Supported Devices: Amazon FireTV Sticks, Android TV, Google TV, Android TV Box, Android Mobile and Tablet, Nvidia Shield TV and PC

IPTVRESALE >>

IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television. It is a new cost-effective technology that replaces traditional cable and satellite services for many families worldwide. Using IPTV, you can save hundreds of dollars each year and watch thousands of movies, web series, and shows.

Following is a handpicked list of Top IPTV sites with their popular features and website links. The list contains both open source (free) and commercial (paid) software.
Legal Disclaimer: This article is purely educational. Guru99 doesn’t own, host, operate, resell, or distribute any video streaming site/apps, addons, IPTV, or services. The page contains some unverified services, and we are not certain whether they hold legal licenses to distribute the content. Guru99 does not verify the legality of each app/service in all regions. Do your due-diligence if you use any of the unverified apps/services, and stream only content that is available in the public domain. The end-user shall be solely responsible for the media access.

1. IPTVGEAR – Best for Watching multiple programs on one screen.

IPTVGEAR is the best international service with around 21,000+ live TV channels and has 60,000+ VODs having fast servers and anti-freezing technology for uninterrupted streaming.
Features:

• Comes with more than 21,000 Live international and local TV channels.
• A huge library of Video-on-Demands that updates every week.
• Anti-freezing technology and fast servers for uninterrupted streaming.
• Offers PPV content completely free with every plan.
• It is packed with hundreds of Sports channels from all over the world like the NFL, MLB etc.
• Very good and friendly customer support assists you 24/7.
• It supports IPTV Smarters, Smart GSE, TiviMate, LazyIPTV, Kodi and many other apps.

👍 Pros👎 ConsOffers over 19 thousand live TV channels worldwide.Offers very few payment methodsProvides more than 50 thousand VOD, EPG, Movies, and TV showsThe standard plan comes with one connection.Comes with a large number of stable servers.Supports files like M3U, Enigma, and MAGIt comes with 24 hours customer care support.
Key Specs:
Pricing Plans: Three pricing plans 1) $2.99/ 36 hours trial 2) $14.99/Month3) $44.99/Month VPN Friendly: Yes Number of Channels: 21000 Geolocations: USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Caribbean Islands, Germany, Italy, UAE, All Countries.. IPTV location locked: Yes Payment options for subscription: Credit Card, Payoneer, Paypal, TransferWise. Supported Devices: Amazon Firestick, IPTV Box, Smart TV, IOS and Android Devices, Android TV, and Tablet, iOS, PC, Windows, Macbook, etc. Free Trial: No – But 36 hours paid trial.
IPTVGEAR
2) IPTVGREAT
IPTVGREAT is one of the best IPTV services providers that offer 5 Simultaneous login with one subscription.
You can avail free Trial and purchase plans within the app and enjoy contactless seamless streaming experience.
Features:

• Offers latest VOD movies and shows with all kinds of Sports and Game channels including USA locals and entertainment
• Simultaneous viewing upto 5 devices
• Offer 24/6 customer support is good and is friendly.
• MAG, EPG, and Enigma are supported by this service.
• IP Location Locked: No
• VPN Friendly: Yes
• Payment options for subscription: Major debit card and credit card
• Supported Devices: Amazon FireTV Sticks, Android TV Box, Android Mobile and Tablet, Nvidia Shield TV, Google TV, Formuler Z

IPTVGREAT
3) IPTVRESALE
IPTVRESALE is a next generation IPTV service with 4500+ Live TV, 30,000 movies and 3000+ Video on demand. All updated daily.
Features:

• Most reliable IPTV services available for News, Locals, Sports & VOD with working EPG.
• Worldwide service: USA, CANADA, UK, Caribbean Islands, South America, Africa, South Indian, French, Arabs and more … IPTVRESALE
• 24/7 Customer Service, Professional and Friendly
• IP Location Locked: No.
• VPN Friendly: Yes.
• Payment options for subscription: Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover.
• Supported Devices: Amazon FireTV Sticks, Android TV, Google TV, Android TV Box, Android Mobile and Tablet, Nvidia Shield TV and PC

IPTVRESALE >>