December 2023, started getting brain fog, off and on, several days per week. I thought I might need a change in the supplements I usually take, so I ditched Quercetin, Astaxanthin, and Krill Oil, and just kept taking the usual vitamins. No improvement in brain fog.
In late February 2024, I started feeling weak in the legs, with oddly stiff knees, when getting out of bed in the morning. It was hard to walk and my feet hurt. The brain fog also increased, and I started getting horribly fatigued, sometimes all day long. During the day and in the evening, my hands/knuckles/fingers started throbbing, sometimes severely. No fever, no swollen glands. I went to my primary doctor on March 19, and she ordered blood tests and xrays. Xrays showed no joint damage, and my inflammatory markers were pretty good, but my Rheumatoid Factor test was positive. She referred me to a Rheumatologist.
In mid-April, Rheumatologist took history and ordered a gazillion blood tests and urine test. Inflammatory markers looked good, except for IgA, which was elevated to 435. RF was negative though, after being positive the month before. FANA test was also negative (positive, with speckled pattern, but an insignificant titer....so, negative). Meanwhile, symptoms persist...brain fog, headaches, fatigue, joint pain (including wrists, now), weak/stiff/wobbly legs in the morning for about 45 minutes (but they come back if I sit or lie down for too long). At a recent follow up appointment, my primary doc ordered a brain MRI (haven't had it yet) and told me she still thinks I'm dealing with RA, but the Seronegative version.
Has anyone else experienced the same things? How did your Seronegative RA get diagnosed?

This is now the second time ive been hit by cars in Burlington (neither requiring hospitalization thankfully) in 2024. This time was at the corner of N. Prospect and Loomis, and the person just blatantly did not look before zooming through the stop sign. Both times, one on foot and one on bike, were from crossing intersections after looking both ways and waiting for my turn to cross. These incidents occurred in broad daylight and both times drivers admitted fault and claimed “they weren’t paying attention”. These vehicle wielding chumps need to keep their head on a swivel before they kill someone

Hello all,
I was in a similar boat as this post, and I'm currently a Submit button away from doing a Roth to Traditional recharacterization of 2024's contributions.
Background story:

• For all the years that my Roth has been open, I've been within the income limits. I am now outside of them, despite maxing out my Roth in March (for 2024). I was told that I had two options - either recharacterize and move the $7k into a Traditional or do an excess removal and put that $7k elsewhere. Because my end goal is saving for "retirement" (if we even get to live that long), I'm choosing option 1.

I've already opened the Traditional, but I guess I just need help with next steps.

1. Now that I exceed income limits, I can keep my Roth open, but just not contribute to it, correct?
2. I made the mistake of reading the mega backdoor Roth post, and don't think that applies to me since I don't have a workplace retirement vehicle (not through Fidelity anyway), but so that I can contribute more than the bare minimum, is a backdoor the right way to go? After reading this post, I'm even more confused as to whether I'm moving the right amount out.

I met with a financial advisor and they made me aware of what my two options were, although they would've loved that I do an excess removal and move my money to their accounts. For reference, my only accounts with Fidelity at the moment are a funded Roth and now an empty Traditional. My earnings calculation comes out to less than $7200, but based on Fidelity's Backdoor post, I'm not sure what that means for tax purposes (when/if I recharacterize that amount and move it to the Traditional). I just know I don't wanna be fined for contributing when I shouldn't have. I'd forgotten all about income limits. I was SO proud to have maxed out my Roth so early. 🤦🏾‍♀️

So I have recently purchased a 2022 WRX premium at 7500 miles and I got a low oil light on around 3000-4000 miles later (marks today), I checked the oil and it almost didn’t look like very much oil was in my vehicle, I replaced 3 quarts of oil but it seems like I can’t get a good reading on the dipstick and the light is still on. I have seen zero oil leaks or puddles or drips and don’t smell oil, Could this be something with software? It felt like the car needed oil but I’m unsure, Subaru Grayson maintenance advisor said to try to top it off and then come in if the problem persisted, I am still under powertrain warranty as well. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I've been having issues switching my automatic transmission to park and, when it's cold, or if I haven't used my car in a while, the transmission is very hard to move.
First symptoms happened 3-4 years ago and the mechanic simply oiled the transmission and everything was good for a year. Now simply oiling the thing doesn't solve the park issue. After oiling, my transmission is smooth for a week, but then gradually becomes harder to move. I can move the transmission into "P", but "P" doesn't light up in the dash, it's like it's sitting between "P" and "R". When I start up the vehicle, the "R" is lit on the dash.
I can't access my top-most and bottom-most gear on my transmission. The "P" and the "1".
I switched mechanic 2 years ago and he told me it was probably rusted inside and would need to clean it up. At the time, he made it seem like it wouldn't be a fun job.
I have a Jeep Liberty 2010 with 180500km (112000miles).
Today, I couldn't get my mechanic to give me an estimate for that clean up job. How much would cleaning a gear box cost approximately? Could the problem be something else like just old fluid that needs changing?
Thank you

So I have different staff members creating different types of orders via the back-end of Shopify. Some of these orders are B2B sales and others a corporate gift sales, and I'd like to generate reports for each category. I've had the staff tagging each order ("B2B" and "Special Order" respectively) so we can more easily reference them, but what's really annoying is there doesn't seem to be any way to generate a report filtered with these tags. I thought another solution could be to create a report based on customer segments, but that doesn't seem to be an option either.
Can anyone here think of an alternate solution, or point me towards something I'm missing that would allow me to filter my reports using these criteria? Thanks in advance.

My only symptom seems to be PEM and I found the line not to cross regarding physical movement but for the last year my ability to work on a computer has decreased as I tried to straddle the line of cognitive exertion. I would crash, get a migraine and the time I could spend would decrease.
I've seen a Neuro-Ophthalmologist and they found minor convergence issues but did not feel it would be an issue (the doctor is LC aware and gets referrals from the LC clinic I use for people with similar issues to me). Just mentioning this in case it is a convergence issue even though they felt it wasn't significant.
I used to have a 2 x 27" 4K monitor arms length away and my intermediate glasses I used were 1.75 (this is just for reference). I only have vision issues that require glasses when something is closer than about 30" from me (font size dependent)
I noticed I had no trouble watching TV which at my house is about 12 feet away so I thought I would try out using a large monitor further back for computer work. I bought the cheapest 70" I could find set it 7 feet from me at my office and I can work about 3/4 of the day now as long as I take 5 minute breaks every 20 minutes (up from an hour or two). The breaks were recommend to me by the Neuro-Ophthalmologist. The goal is to change your focus distance to give you eyes a break at staying focused at a fixed distance. I go outside and walk around the parking lot and look out in the distance. Also use eye drops to keep them from getting dry,
Next to LDN this has been the single most helpful thing I have done. In my case I suspect wearing glasses was part of the issue because when I use glasses in other contexts (reading, phone, etc.) I notice some of the same encroaching feeling in my head I get when I was at a computer.
Couple notes on using a TV for a computer monitor. Mine is an LG and I had to set it to gaming mode or there was too much lag with the mouse. I also had to change the HDMI settings to allow it to run at 60p. Different TV's may require different settings but you really want a relatively quick response time, 4K, 60P and I set the display scale to 200%. These letters are about 1/4" to 3/8" tall in my configuration. You don't get the performance out of the TVs as you do with purpose built monitor but you can get it close enough.
There is also a lot of debate (outside of covid) on whether IPS monitor panels (typically computer monitors) and VA panels (more common in TVs) are more strenuous on the eyes. Seems to be undecided but many people have found one or the other to be less strenuous. Potentially this is also part of the issue. I am going to try a smaller TV for my home office where I will be closer and see if it works.
YMMV but it really helped me.

(I posted this in dogs but they have a delay, so I'm cross posting here too - hope that's okay!)
Tater Todd the Dog came to us a year ago through a rescue that plucked him from an Alabama kill shelter at 9mo and brought him to New England, where we took him home. He has obvious angular leg deformity (eg his front legs bend inward at the ankle, not unlike a dachshund), leukotrichia (hair grows back white when damaged) and a slight overbite (his tongue frequently sticks out, yes it's adorable)
Per Embark - where he's so fancy I can find over a dozen first and second cousins - Todd is 100%, purebred Catahoula Leopard Dog. Not what I expected, as he was listed as a "lab mix" in his NE adoption paperwork. CLDs are rare up here, so I'm not blaming the NE rescue. He doesn't have the strong markings associated with the breed.... but if you know what to look for, it's pretty obvious. So why does the original Alabama rescue currently have a lot of Todd lookalikes up for adoption, listed as Labrador Retrievers? Not mixes: just Labs.
I've worked with dogs for 10 years. As we’re far in the north and rarely see CLDs, even I didn't clock his breed until Embark. While he's wonderful, he's not as…. simple, I guess, as Labs are expected to be. He's incredibly high energy and NOT a first time owner kind of pup. The first 2-3 months were tough. He needs attention, tons of exercise and near constant stimulation. Our trainers agree he's one of the smartest dogs they've ever worked with.
(Interestingly, Todd is either the most bulletproof dog ever or someone truly cared for him as a puppy. He's pretty fearless and doesn't care about storms, alarms, fireworks, or murdering small animals. He's full of love for all, especially children and other dogs. In every other respect he's an absolutely stellar dog, just not physically ideal.)
Because of this, I'm afraid the rescue is intentionally obfuscating the breeds under the guise of “we can't prove we knew and there's nothing you can do about it.” But in the wrong environment with people who don't have extensive dog experience, this could have gone VERY poorly. Plenty of people cannot offer the care a CLD needs and (rightfully, imo) filter out the breed as an option. It's a situation ripe for rehoming, with the dog more confused and upset than before and less likelihood of a positive outcome.
Back to the breeder: I've come to the hesitant conclusion there's a possibility he was intentionally bred, but dumped at a shelter when he didn't meet the breed standards - eg the breeder didn't want him associated with their business due to his deformities and is trying to hide their mistakes while continuing to breed from the same stock/lines. How else would a purebred dog with an amazing personality end up in a shelter at 9 months?
So I did a little digging on the ol' internet. There is an active breeder in AL a few towns over from where his original rabies tag was issued, and one of the current mothers bears a pretty striking resemblance... which stands out, as Todd doesn't have average Catahoula markings. Not a silver bullet, but interesting nonetheless. There aren't a lot of CLD breeders out there.
Now for the point (sorry for the rant!): Is there any action you would take with this information? Should I contact the rescue or breeder? Should I reach out on Embark to his first cousins (some still in AL) to get their stories?
I'll be honest, I’m not sure what resolution I'm looking for or likely to achieve. Can I shut down a bad breeder from across the country? Am I losing my mind?? Maybe they're a "decent" breeder who gave or sold Todd to some asshole who was disappointed in how he developed, and rather than go back to the breeder simply dumped him. (I would be very surprised if this was the case; purebreds are fucking expensive and "decent" breeders will take a dog back.)
Additionally, does the rescue know about this somehow? CLDs are common in the South, I can't believe they wouldn't clock one with obvious features. It's pretty shitty to withhold important breed info that could properly inform a prospective adopter. Are they more interested in turnover than a permanent placement? Is there anything to be gained from calling them out? What would you do??
I would love some perspective or advice, this is driving me crazy. Thanks for reading :) Now go pet a dog!!
(edit: I wanted to say I have no problem with people rehoming dogs they can no longer care for, whatever the reason may be. It sucks, but I get it. I do feel this is different, however.)

***DISCLAIMER**\*
Large and heavy packages can be quite expensive to ship. Potential buyers should keep this in mind when inquiring about a game.
Cost for packing and shipping of most of these items will fall between $20-$100 depending on size and weight with exceptionally large/heavy or small/light orders likely falling outside this range.
No international shipping.
***DISCLAIMER END**\*
Below are the games I have for sale. The number in brackets refers to the condition of the item based on the 5 point grading system used in this subreddit (check the post formatting guide for details). All games will be shipped through UPS and buyer pays packing and shipping.
Procedure and Payment:
Games will be brought to UPS store to determine the packing and shipping price and then packed and shipped from there. Some games may already be packed if new. I will request a phone number to be able to text the buyer pictures, information, and updates on when I'm going to UPS and when to deliver payment.
Payment accepted through Paypal Goods and Services. Payment will be accepted after final shipping cost is calculated and before the shipment is sent off. Buyer will then receive a picture of the receipt with tracking number and the expected delivery date.
Buyers who wish to use their own labels can potentially create them and email me the file to print. I can do this if the items to be shipped are not exceptionally large or numerous as I would have to bring them to UPS to be weighed and measured for boxing. Alternatively, if the game is new and still in shipping box, I can take the measurements myself and the weight is usually listed on the shipping box.
Crossed out items have already sold.
Bonus Games:
In addition, I'm offering a free bonus game for the first $30 spent and every $200 spent total (not counting shipping). So a bonus game at $30, $200, $400, $600, etc. Bonus games will come from the freebie list below (oldecheap used games I've set aside as rewards). You will get to choose from the available rewards on a first come first serve basis while supplies last or you can forgo the free games to potentially save on shipping.
Games for Sale:
Godtear KS gameplay all in [5] - $200
Hellboy 1st KS gameplay all in + 3D Doors & Scenery [5] - $200
Cthulhu Wars KS Onslaught 2 gameplay all in [3] and Onslaught 3 gameplay all in [5] - $700
Glorantha: The God's War 1st KS all in [5] - $400
Black Rose Wars 1st KS gameplay all in + sleeves [5] - $200
Masmorra: Dungeons of Arcadia KS gameplay all in + treasure chests [3] - $100
Xenoshyft: Dreadmire KS gameplay all in (original and dreadmire content) [3] - $100
Mythic Battles: Pantheon KS 1 [4] & KS 2 [5] gameplay all in - $400
Arcadia Quest 1st KS gameplay mostly all in (missing few KS excl. heros) + sculpted tokens [3] & 2nd KS gameplay all in + sculpted tokens [4] - $300
Mechs vs Minions Wave 1 [4] - $70
LOAD: League of Ancient Defenders KS gameplay all in + all epic heroes & tower minis [4] - $60
Aeon's End KS [3], War Eternal KS [3], & Legacy KS + 1 reset pack [5] gameplay all in - $100
I Am the Fourth Wall [4] - $15
Ravage: Dungeons of Plunder KS [3] - $15
Sword & Sorcery KS 1 gameplay all in [3] - $100
Deep Madness KS 1 and KS 2 gameplay all in + plastic tokens, devour bag, and storage box [4] - $350
Folklore: The Affliction KS 1 & KS 2 gameplay all in + neoprene mats & terrain pack & extra dark oak [3] - $100
Human Interface: Be a Better Human KS gameplay mostly all in PVC/Metal preassembled models [5] - $25
Castle Panic + Wizard's Tower Exp. + The Dark Titan Exp. [3] - $15
The Undercity [3] - $15
Arkham Horror Card Game: Machinations Through Time Scenario Pack [5] - $12
Limbo: Eternal War 1.0 KS gameplay all in [5] - $100
Sine Tempore KS gameplay all in [5] - $200
Level 7 Omega Protocol 2nd Edition KS all in [4] - $70
Freebie List:
Posthumous Z [3]
Earth Reborn [3]
Pandemic + On the Brink Exp. [3]
Tomb Cryptmaster [3]
Banner Saga Warbands KS [4]
Shadowrun Crossfire + High Caliber Ops Exp. [3]
Hostage Negotiator [4]
Warrior Knights [3]
Let's Kill Card Game + Exps. [3]
Anima Card Game + Exp. [3]
Zombie State [3]
Cutthroat Caverns + 2 Exps. [3]
Quarriors [3]
Mansions of Madness 2nd edition [3]

I live in a small block of flats in south east England where there is a small open resident car park within view of my flat. A guy from a nearby flat parks his Transit Connect (small van) in the car park. I believe it’s his day to day work van (he comes and goes in it every day) though I have seen him load/unload his two dogs from the back of it (LabradoGSD-sized).
There have been a few instances where I’ve seen him load the dogs in the van and leave them overnight. I know this because I am alerted to them going into the van because they bark quite loudly. They then bark intermittently from within the van for up to about half an hour. It dies down and the guy returns early morning (6am-ish) to take them for a walk. Apart from the initial settling, they don’t appear to sound distressed.
My question is: is it legal to ‘house’ animals in a vehicle overnight? Would it potentially be an issue for the RSPCA? Or is it, in effect, the same as having a kennel in the garden? And just an unusual but perfectly fine thing to do?
I have a dog myself, so it feels a bit ‘off’ that someone would occasionally have them in a van (it’s probably a handful of times a month). I don’t want to be that curtain-twitchy neighbour for zero reason, but I’d also feel terrible within myself if this behaviour definitely crosses any legal/welfare line and I was ignoring it.
Outside of this occasional odd overnight thing, the dogs appear healthy and happy (from a layperson’s perspective).

Not sure if just my R1S, but at some point over the past few months the driver assist went from near flawless with no phantom braking to almost every time it’s used. The driver display shows the surrounding vehicles but as I approach cars in the slow lane while I’m in the fast lane they will suddenly appear to jump from slow to fast lane on the display which then causes the car to react as you’d expect if a car were to abruptly cross the line. Rapid deceleration. Has anyone else noticed this issue perhaps with one of the recent updates or is it just me?

Part 5
Gerard, God
Somewhere in time and space
He watched the passers-by as they moved about, following their daily routines, unaware of the fate that would shortly befall them. This was the time that fascinated Him the most. The moments before they finally understood that The Threat was here.
It was a sort of last hurrah, He thought. They didn't know it, but Gerard could nonetheless sense a sort of joi de vivre, a liveliness that simply didn't exist in prior times, and couldn't possibly exist in future ones. He watched mothers dote lovingly over their children, watched children hurl themselves into play with abandon, watched addicts take in their drugs like a drowning man would gulp for air. They might not known that there was no tomorrow for most of them, but they nonetheless seemed to put just a little bit of extra effort into everything.
Eventually, it came to an end, of course. It always did, no matter how many times He watched it. He saw happiness and mundanity give way to pain and suffering. Laughter was replaced by the screams of the dying. Life was replaced by death. The world replaced by destruction.
He sighed, leaving this timeline. He never watched the arrival of The Threat twice in the same timeline. There was nothing for Him to learn that way. His power was immense and total. He only had to witness The Threat once in each timeline to understand it.
Worst of all was the knowledge. The knowledge that He would only be able to save a single timeline. That all others would fall into ruin, destroyed and left to rot away. Only one could survive; the one that He chose. He could stop The Threat only once, for doing so would require Him to remain. Ever vigilant, ever ready to stop any recurrence.
He had to choose which timeline. That task was less than He feared, for now he knew that there were an infinite number of them. He could choose one with the right qualities, one whose nature would aid Him in His work. He realized then that He would, once He had chosen the proper timeline, finally watch The Threat come twice. Once, when He reviewed that timeline prior to choosing. And again, when He would stop it.
And stop it, He would. No other outcome was acceptable. He had already sacrificed too much. His mortality, His life, His happiness, His very soul itself. He had wrought Himself into a weapon, to strike down The Threat, and He would fulfill that purpose, no matter what.
----
Jerry Williams, Godslayer
Nibiru
We were sharks, swimming and darting among a school of fish. Gods and devas fled, screaming in terror as we flew through the swirling, chaotic energies that should have driven us -or at least my wife and daughter- mad within seconds. They had thought that their realm protected them.
Little did they know, we were already mad.
Inanna and I flanked a group of fleeing gods, preventing them from leaving this world, extending their essence into manifested bodies somewhere in one of the countless material worlds, or simply crossing the energy that was the core of their beings into the Spirit World. Here, in Nibiru, our divinities and demi-divinities gave us access to unlimited power. We seized it and wove nets with which to entrap those minor gods who could not find escape elsewhere, and had huddled here in fear of our coming.
As the group fled, we sped up, curving our course, which caused them to curve theirs, fearful of drawing too close to either of us. We moved slowly, carefully, angling them where we wanted them to go.
It wasn't long before the gaping maw of the Grandfather of the Gods came into view. Ixlublotl, the primordial god, the originator of divinity. The gods we herded realized their peril and turned to flee back the opposite direction, but there they found Aaina, burning towards them, screaming in rage and bristling with offensive energies.
Trapped, they had no choice. They attacked us. Emotions and thoughts, energy and matter, all of it flew at us in an orgy of sudden violence that churned the substrate of this world into a screaming chaos. All three of us linked our magics into a shield; a half-sphere of anti-magic that absorbed their attacks, sending the energy of which they were made back into into the swirling chaos around us.
They threw everything they had at us, a desperate last stand, driven by necessity and panic. All of it crashed against our defenses, the resulting streamers of magic filling the space around us with an all but impenetrable cloud. Hidden by that cloud, Ixy closed in.
By the time they realized that it was too late, it was over.
Ixy's physical body, that cloud-wrapped cacophony of maw-stalks, eye-stalks, spider-like legs and whipping tentacles, currently the size of a skyscraper, swept in, mouths snapping up the energies that were the cores of our quarry.
We came together when it was done. Inanna created a haven for us, allowing us to release the magic that held our bodies in stasis and protected us from the wild magic all around. It was a copy of our house, something she'd come up with a while back and shown to me with great pride. I had loved it, of course.
I sank into the loveseat with Inanna next to me as Aaina took the recliner.
"That's most of them," Aaina said.
"About thirty more," I replied. "And then we can start the next phase."
"Do either of you have any doubts about what we're doing?" she asked. I could see the indecision in her eyes. She was so young, and such a good girl. My heart broke at having dragged her into such dirty business.
"No," Inanna answered, her voice hard and confident.
"Yes," I added. "But at the end of the day, this is what needs doing."
Aaina looked back and forth between us, then nodded. None of us smiled.
----
Emily Windham, Wizard, Artificer
Fremont, Nebraska, at the corner of E 4th Ave and N Main St
Emily turned just in time to see the massive troll hit Jim Carmichael with a shoulder, sending the trooper flying before angling at her with no change in speed.
Acting on pure instinct, she conjured a wall of force between them. The troll slammed into it, shattering the magics that held it together with raw force, but the wall did its job, stopping the warrior in his tracks.
Emily snatched the rune-engraved knife off her belt and surged forward, jumping at the last second to put her in range of the troll's huge neck. The blade plunged in, and she released a quick burst of magic that made her legs and off hand sticky, allowing her to cling to the thing, too close for it to use its battleaxe on her.
She ripped the knife out and plunged it in again and again as the barbarian roared in pain and indignation at being hurt so badly by a foe so tiny. Emily grabbed his beard, yanking hard to bring his eyes to hers as she slammed the knife in and twisted, the magic in the blade telling her when it found his windpipe and carotid artery.
Blood sprayed, coating her face and shoulders. The troll's roars were cut off in a gurgling, breathy hiss. He stumbled, then fell. Emily rode him down, her eyes locked onto his, watching all hopes of victory, or even survival, fade from them. She lost herself in those eyes, in the mystery that was this troll's life, ending right before her. She saw the regrets, the crushed hopes, the shame of defeat and wondered at the context.
The impact as they hit the ground broke the spell.
Emily released the magic and stood up, instincts trained into her by the security troops and war wizards making her search for more threats before she could even process what had just happened. But there were no more threats. That had been the last one.
Greg Ramirez walked towards her, his rifle barrel pointed down, hanging from the sling in front of his armor and all the various attachments that he and the security troops referred to as their 'battle rattle'.
"Nice work," he said, eyeing the troll, who continued to gasp for air, the sound of his labored breaths reminding Emily of a pig squealing. She looked down, searching for that orgasmic feeling her bio-dad had so desperately wanted her to share with him, but not finding it. All she found was a sense of satisfaction, yet even that was too much.
Years of therapy, of telling her story to trained clinicians and listening to and internalizing their advice. All of it had helped her make friends and move among the normal people, but it had never erased that feeling of satisfaction. This was the fourth time she'd killed a sentient being, and each time, she felt the exact same way. It was a victory.
Her maudlin thoughts were interrupted by the bark of Greg's rifle. The troll's head jerked and deformed, a splattering of blood coming out as a .277 fury round drilled a hole straight through his temples. She glanced up to find Greg still eyeing her.
"You did good," he said, his expression showing some concern.
"I liked it," she said quietly, her eyes turning back.
"You liked killing him?" Greg asked. Emily nodded, wondering if she'd always be fucked up.
"I killed him," Greg said. "And I damn sure liked it."
Emily turned back, eyeing him with some interest. Greg was, in many ways, the opposite of her. Cool, confident, charming and just all-around well-adjusted. She hadn't ever imagined that he wound enjoy something like this.
"It means I won," he explained. "It means that big, badass motherfucker showed up here trying to bully us, and take whatever he wanted from us, and little old me stood up and said 'no', and when he tried to force the issue, I took his life away. It feels like justice. It feels like one less motherfucker trying to kill me and my friends. Damn straight I liked it."
Emily smiled. She didn't realized she had smiled until Greg smiled back.
"I read your psych eval," he went on. "I know you think you're fucked in the head, but I'm gonna tell you right now, you're not. You're a warrior, that's it. Bloodlust isn't a bad thing, if it can be controlled. Enjoying killing isn't a bad thing, if you're killing the people that need killing. Give yourself a break, girl."
He clapped her on the shoulder, then took the back of her head with his free hand and pressed her forehead to his.
"I'm gonna recommend you be allowed to join the war wizard roster. You're all trained up, you're prepared for it, and from what I've seen today, you're a fucking natural."
Without waiting for a response, he let her go and turned away, grabbing the radio fob on his armor and squeezing it.
"Black Lead, this is Black-Two Actual. All raiders at the target site are neutralized. We're commencing a sweep now, will report back in thirty mikes."
Emily smiled at his back as he walked away. A part of her reflected that he was a natural leader, knowing exactly what to say to her in that moment. Another part didn't care, because it worked. She glanced down at the troll again, and didn't see a victim.
She saw a victory.
----
Kathy Evenson, Professional
Somewhere in the ruins of an ancient city in the Seventh World
Kells shifted nervously as Kathy continued to cut chits from the electrical panel lid with the magical laser emerging from her fingertip. He held his machete, really a short sword, in one hand, and his dagger in the other.
"We really shouldn't be much longer, Kath," he said. Kathy had explained to him the difference between Kath and Kathy, and even hinted at the things she'd done while possessed by Pissface and calling herself 'Kath', and even gone into some detail about how much she hated the nickname. Kells hadn't cared. He simply agreed with her, then continued to call her 'Kath'.
And the truth was, she really didn't mind that much.
She wasn't quite sure why, though she could hazard a guess. The man was disarming to a great degree. He presented himself as a dirty wanderer, a simple, violent man who shouldn't be trusted as far as you could throw him. But within just a few minutes of meeting him, she'd seen the intelligence in his eyes and words. She had seen the integrity in his negotiations with her, and the ethics that had turned him protective when the Searchers had appeared.
And despite that protectiveness, he still managed to avoid being patronizing. When she'd told him how she planned to get his chits, he had warned her of the dangers, then agreed to come along without hesitation when she didn't change her mind. Kells was a good man, she thought, and if a good man wanted to call her Kath, she supposed she could let him reclaim the name from the hell it had once represented.
"It won't be much longer," she said. She already had over seven hundred, and this plate would bring her to eight hundred. She only needed five or six more. This deep in the ruins, there was an untouched electrical box on almost every building. Some had been corroded, but most were surprisingly intact.
As she cut the final strip into chits, a roar sounded. It was a gurgling, rasping roar, unlike anything she had ever heard before. Or rather, the first one had been unlike anything she had ever heard before. This was the third time she'd heard it, and it sounded closer than the last two.
"That's no good sign, right thur," Kells said.
Kathy finished, dumping the little squares of galvanized steel into her bag and standing up.
"Come on," she said. "We'll go a couple blocks away from whatever that was before I cut the next one."
"Aye," Kells agreed, his head swiveling on his shoulders as he followed her down the alley. Kathy took note of how spooked he was. He seemed more nervous here than he had with the Searchers right in front of him. She supposed that might have something to do with the nature of the threats. The Searchers were, regardless of power and reputation, mere humans. Whereas whatever was making that roar was clearly some sort of monster.
She led him six blocks in a direction away from the roar before she stopped to examine the buildings. They had moved into a downtown area, which was one of the reasons she had stopped. The buildings here were closer together, which should make the rest of her task quicker. She found a good cover and ripped the little padlock off, then pulled it open and off its hinges.
A mass of spiders rushed out of the electrical box. She jerked her hand away, but they ignored her, scurrying down the wall and vanishing into the cracks between the bricks, safe once again in enclosed darkness.
She began to cut as Kells again stood watch.
She hadn't even made it halfway through the panel when another roar sounded, even closer than the last, and from a different direction.
"Call it," Kells said. "Call it now, Kath. Better ye collect some more later on than deal with the beast makin' them sounds."
"What kind of beast?" Kathy asked. She kept cutting, but glanced up and around, not seeing anything but filthy, dilapidated alleys.
"Walkers, they call 'em," Kells said. "Like great spiders, but rottin' away, with bones stickin' out an' flesh hangin' off th'legs."
"Great spiders?" Kathy asked. "How big?"
"Bigger'n a building."
"You've seen them yourself?" Kathy asked.
"Only once," Kells said, his voice growing quieter. He seemed to be done speaking for a moment, staring around. But after a few seconds, he continued.
"Friend o'mine, name o' Gil. We used t'work together, he an' I. I were real new to runnin' a caravan crew back then, about ten years back. Gil were an old hand at it, though. Took me under 'is wing and taught me th'roads, as it were.
"Anyways, we'd taken a pair o' contracts. Rough ones, with a tight timetable. Merchants needed t'get to Freeman's Port post-haste. One faster'n th'other. Gil took that one, left me with the easier one, though that weren't t'say it were an easy job.
"We was in Craster's Holdfast at th'time, an smack in between there an' Freeman's Port were an ancient ruin. Big one, 'bout the size o' this'un, in fact. Normally, it took about a week t'travel between the two places, but if one were brave or foolhardy enough, they could cut through th'ruins an' make it in five days.
"Well, old Gil had that in mind. We left together, an' at th'place where ye normally would turn north t'go around the ruins, he led his caravan on straight. I prayed fer their safety that night, but never really believed anything would happen. Gil were an experienced caravaner, an' tougher'n anyone else I'd ever met.
"Two days later, we was walkin' this ridgeline north o'the ruins when somethin' called out t'me. Not sure what, exactly. I started lookin' south, scannin' the ruins, an' sure enough, I found Gil's caravan, walking down a wide road between th'largest buildings. They was movin' at quite a clip, I hav'ta say.
"I were tickled pink, at first. Because we'd made near as good a time as they had, despite movin' almost a day's north to skirt th'ruins. But as I watched, I realized that they weren't just travelin', they was runnin'."
Kells sighed, his eyes distant and full of old regrets.
"That's when I saw one. A great Walker, striding out o' th'deepest part o' th'ruins. The way it moved were like nothin' I ever seen before. It crawled along th'sides o' the ruins themselves, like a spider almost, but always with two or three feet on th'ground.
"It came fer th'caravan, and fell on 'em in a slaughter. I watched it breathe fire down on 'em, stompin' men flat with its feet an' scooping 'em up with its great claws."
He sighed again, then looked down. He tucked his sword under his armpit and used his hand to rub his eyes for a moment, before taking the blade up again.
"Killed 'em all, it did. Erry single one, as I live an' breath. An' when it were done, it went around, stompin' th'bodies flat. Never ate one, jes did all it could t'make sure that not a single survivor lived t'tell the tale. I were shook something fierce, I tell ya. Took me own caravan down off the ridge, t'avoid bein' spotted. We ended up arriving a day late, but to this day, I thank me lucky stars we made it at all."
Another sigh came, and Kathy heard the cracks in his voice as he continued on.
"Not Gil, though. Nor any o'them what worked for him, or th'merchant what hired him. A few years later, I worked up th'courage t'take a couple o'men into the ruins, t'find the bodies. I found bones dressed in Gil's clothes. I took his sword, which had survived, an' is th'one I carry to this day. I think Gil'd be pleased to know his blade had saved me life, quite a few times since."
Kathy finished cutting the cover up and stood to put her hands on Kells' shoulder.
"Thank you for telling me that," she said, her voice gentle. "I can tell it's an important story to you."
Kells nodded and sniffed once, then jerked his head in the direction away from the most recent roar. "I still think we should get out o' here, Kath," he said. "I'll face down the Searchers an' be happy o' a good death, should they take me. But them Walkers... They ain't warriors ye can face an' die with honor. One o'them things finds us, there ain't no fightin' it. We jes' die screaming, th'only consolation coming when it's all over."
Kathy weighed his words carefully. Kells knew this world far better than she did. And while she knew her own abilities far better than anyone here, she had to be mindful not to be too arrogant. Kells had told her how a single Walker had slaughtered an entire caravan of experienced fighters, led by an experienced leader.
"Okay," she said. She handed the bag to Kells. "There should be about eight hundred and fifty chits in there. You can count them out later, and I'll trust your count. After I find what I'm looking for, I'll collect the rest and we'll settle up."
"Good call," Kells said. He tied the bag off to his belt and walked to the corner of the building, peeking around. When he was satisfied, he nodded. Kathy joined him, and together, they made a beeline to the edge of the ruins.
They had made it about halfway out when another roar sounded, this one right on top of them. A rumbling crash sounded from her right, and Kathy turned to see rubble falling to the ground as something massive rose off the ground, two blocks over.
"Stars an' stones," Kells swore, then shouted "Run!"

2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT with Automatic transaxle
My car has been having issues stalling when I press hard on the gas pedal. The issues started a bout a month ago when a 20 year old trans oil cooler hose developed a crack and leaked oil everywhere. I hot it towed and replaced the hose, but then I wasnt sure how much trans fluid to add since it lost the fluid on the freeway. I also decided the change the trans fluid since it has never been changed and I had fluid, but I didn't flush it. I've been using the dipstick to find out how much it has when hot and adding about 1/2 qt at a time.
A week later I gun the car entering the freeway to about 80mph for a few seconds then back to 65mph for about 5 mins then the car stalls and my Neutral light flashes witch means the trans over heated on this model. Luckily I had enough momentum to pull over, the car would not start up again until it was cool.
I addee an external trans oil cooler to it to prevent it over heating and an inline filter since this model has a filter that can only be changed when the transmisdion is out. I added trans oil for the added volume. I used non- OEM fluid, but it said was the same as SPIII
It drove fine after that for a few days, but yesterday I went from 0-30mph fast and it stalled again this time not flashing the Neutral light to indicate overheating, but it felt exactly the same the RPMs rose to about 4k then suddenly went to 0 RPM. If anyone has ever had a timing belt snap while driving, it felt exactly like that.
Again, it would not start immediately and later started up when it was cool.
Seems to drive fine when it is going slow but hard acceleration stalls it, not all the time though because I was on the freeway before the last stall.
The codes I get often are p0171 & p0174 Bank 1 & bank 2 too lean
And p0335 Crank position sensor A malfunction
I've been getting the lean codes for a while because I have a bigger intake manifold and a forward facing intake tube, but I think there might be a vacuum leak somewhere because my fuel trims are around +20-15 for bank 1 and +17-12 bank 2 depending on the gear I am in.
I don't think the vacuum leak caused it to stall because when I accelerate the trims drop to +8-5 both banks, however I did notice recently that when I tested hard acceleration in Neutral the live data showed that the car went in to Open Loop when I let off the gas. I plan on redoing all the intake manifold gaskets but I don't think that will fix the issue.
As for the crank sensor code, that is a new sensor and it's been on for a year with no problems, I think I got the code cranking the car many times after it stalled to try to make it start up again. The car starts up fine even now after the second stall. And the code isn't coming back after a few start ups.
Any ideas to help troubleshooting would be appreciated, but my biggest confusion is why does my car go into open loop after letting off gas, can a car stall with vacuum leaks if under load the leaks are less noticeable, and can non-OEM trans fluid cause transmission to stall the car. Thanks!