Latinas spreading legs

Previous case
Victor hadn't been kidding when he'd said that the mechanic was going to become more aggressive. The only reason why this week wasn't my last was because I'd had Orion behind me as well as a plethora of precautions in place.
(If you're not familiar with what Orion Pest Control's services are, it may help to start here.)
For example, at Orion, all employees are advised to get lockboxes for their mail rather than regular mailboxes. It would be far too easy for a Neighbor to follow one of us home and fish out a piece of mail to find our names. This is only recommended for people who've had frequent or unpleasant interactions with the Neighbors.
You could also ward off your mailbox with iron. Salt, as always, would work as well, but I'm sure your mailman wouldn't appreciate getting seasoned every time he simply tries to give you your junk mail.
When it comes to monetary transactions, cash or pre-loaded debit cards are the safest, unless you can be certain beyond a reasonable doubt that the person ringing you out is human.
Another precaution that I've taken when it comes to the mechanic is that I've bought a cast iron fire poker from an antique store. Iron is one of the most effective weapons against the Neighbors, though it's best to think of it as an allergy rather than a perfect repellant. Some Neighbors will crumple instantly if they're within a few feet of it while others need direct contact in order to cause anything worse than hive-covered burns.
Given that the mechanic must have frequent exposure to iron during his daytime profession, I have to wonder how effective it is against him. I do see him wearing gloves from time to time, so it must do something, even if it's a minor skin irritation. Either it's a pride thing or he's just that committed to the ‘mechanic’ bit.
I've been keeping the poker in the company truck. Even if it's not lethal to him, I’m sure that getting smacked over the head with it probably wouldn't feel too good. Along with that, I've restocked my salt shells. If the mechanic decides to try anything, he'll have an arsenal waiting for him.
I don't have any delusions about being able to kill him. I think that's something only a true hero could accomplish. I'm talking about legendary individuals like Cú Chullainn, Beowulf, or Māui. People whose deeds are so great that their stories live on to this day. Find someone like that in the modern age. (Though, I would argue that Marc-André Fluery comes close. Flyers fans, don't interact.)
Reyna suggested bathing the hagstone in saltwater to amplify its deterring effects. She also wrapped red thread along the outside of the ring, explaining that it should help enhance its protective properties.
It's a good thing, too. Since my last interaction with the mechanic, promptly at dusk, I would hear the beating of wings outside, and always from the west. I risked a glance out the window one night to find a murder of crows. Ever since I saw that the birds’ shadows move independently of their owners, I don't look at them. I ignore their calls. I know who they serve.
After Reyna's additions, the hagstone vibrates against my chest whenever they're near.
However, in my case, these were only temporary solutions, unless I wanted to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life and fearing death even more than I did before. But in the meantime… raccoons.
A client called about hearing scratching and chattering in her attic. Her uninvited guest also put a hole in her siding. In other words, it was enough of a mess to momentarily distract me from my own problems.
Raccoons are incredibly destructive, chewing up anything that they can get their little hands on. From the client's description, it sounded like we could be dealing with a nest. Mother raccoons can be especially feisty when it comes to protecting their young, so I had Reyna join me in case there were any kits.
At Orion, we are licensed to use humane trapping methods on smaller wildlife, so don't worry, no garbage kitties are being harmed. Though I want yinz to know that raccoons are not to be underestimated. They may not try to take your soul, like some pests out there will, but they can spread a variety of diseases, including rabies and roundworm among others. They also present a major fire hazard when they claw their way into a home since they can chew through wiring like nothing.
The first thing we had to do was identify the garbage kitties’ entry point. Reyna opted to go on the roof while I investigated the attic.
The first thing I noticed was the telltale stench of dried urine. Yup, those were droppings over there in the corner. Delightful. Looking around, I found that the raccoons had torn out a few chunks of the insulation, but nothing that wouldn't be too difficult or expensive to replace. All in all, it seemed like it'd be an easy call.
Then I felt the hagstone begin to tremble. Not long after, Reyna screamed.
I rushed out, my heart surging with panic as I was greeted with the frenzied calls of crows. Shit! They followed me.
She was on the ground, swinging her silver-tipped knife clumsily against the swarm of black feathers swirling around her. I heard her cry out again as I got closer to her, then suddenly, the cloud of feathers dispersed, twisting towards the sky with a cacophony of angered caws. Reyna had managed to get some salt on them before they could gouge her eyes out.
My hand was coated with blood as I guided Reyna towards the house. She'd managed to keep her eyes, but they’d shredded her with their beaks and talons. I could feel her shaking as we retreated from the horde. Reyna tried to hide it, but she was crying, the tears mingling with the blood covering her nose and cheeks like a bandit's mask.
The whole time, the hagstone didn't stop vibrating. I think that was the only thing keeping the horde from coming after us. Their calls were piercing as we took cover in the house.
The client was alarmed when she saw the state Reyna was in, “What psycho ass raccoons do I have?!”
I promised I'd explain later (I honestly don't remember what bullshit story I gave her) then asked her to watch over Reyna as I went out to get the emergency first aid kit we keep in the truck.
Reyna held me in a grip so tight that it left bruises, pleading, “Don't go out there! Please!”
Now that we weren't on the run, I could see the injuries on her face more clearly. The deepest one went through her right eyebrow towards the bridge of her nose. The rest were shallow, painful-looking cuts that criss crossed over her skin.
“They can't come near me. And I’ve got something in the truck that’ll make them think twice.” I assured her.
She didn't let go. I couldn't find it in me to pry her fingers off, so instead, I put my hand over hers, hoping that it was comforting.
The client gently pressed a paper towel to the side of Reyna’s face, her voice heart-achingly motherly as she uttered, “It's okay, honey. Everything's going to be alright.”
I'm not sure if it was from pain or something else, but Reyna noticeably stiffened when the client spoke to her in that maternal tone, closing her eyes as if to keep more tears from falling. Her clutch loosened until my wrist was freed, her hand dropping limply to her side.
The fucking birds sounded like they were laughing when I marched out to the truck. The sound grated on me as I snatched the fire poker and the first aid kit.
“Laugh at this!” I snapped as I swung the poker at the nearest crow.
It let out a squeal as the poker grazed its wing, hopping as far out of reach as it could afterwards. They didn't cackle after that.
After we cleaned Reyna's injuries up, they didn't look quite as terrible, but just to be safe, I dragged her to the hospital. Thankfully, the client was an absolute angel about the whole thing and understood that one of our employees being injured was going to be a setback. I called up Victor to inform him of the situation as well as the entry points that we’d found; he took over where Reyna and I left off.
On the way to the hospital, Reyna muttered, “So… does my little Alfred Hitchcock moment initiate me as an official Orion employee?”
Wearily, I gave her a small chuckle, “Yeah, you're one of us, now. Lucky you!”
“Hey, I’ll take the murder birds over Psycho Mantis.” She replied with a small smile.
Her nickname for the mechanic. I think it's from a video game. I don't know. Never quite got into them.
It was quiet for a moment. The smile faded away as she distantly said, “I think that's how they do it. They take your eyes, they take you, you know?”
I nodded, feeling a lump in the back of my throat, thinking about how the mechanic can control someone just by meeting their gaze. “I think you might be right about that.”
I couldn't help but wonder if the Hunt had attacked her simply because she's an Orion employee or if they were drawn to her because of something else. Was she grieving over something? I didn't know her well enough at that point to be able to tell. They hadn't hesitated to go for her eyes. If that was the case, that'd make her the most vulnerable of the three of us.
Another thing I want yinz to know when it comes to dealing with the atypical: if you or a loved one has been harmed, one of the best things you can do is to support the victim. And if you need support yourself, ignore that stupid little voice in your head that tells you not to bother anyone and reach out. Isolation will destroy you in more ways than one.
After I got Reyna settled at the hospital, I made a beeline to the river to find another hagstone. Clearly, Reyna was going to need one, too.
Naturally, the stupid birds followed me, causing my hagstone to quiver nonstop. I went into the woods armed with my toolbelt and the iron poker. I opted out of taking the shotgun simply because I was going to need a free hand to look for another hagstone. There was a part of me that hoped that one of them would try something so that I'd have the opportunity to smack the shit out of them.
While I was searching, among the crows’ calls, I heard whispers. They sounded close, like they came from behind some brush about twenty feet away, but I believed the False Egg when it said that the whispering thing likes to confuse its victims. Without listening to what they were saying, I glanced around as the river's cold water rushed around my boots, trying to figure out what was stalking me.
The whispers pretended to move further away. But still, I couldn't see the thing causing them. I clutched the poker tighter. The crows had stopped their chattering. They heard the voices, too. Hold on. What were they all looking at?
Gingerly, I pulled out the hagstone and held it to my eye in the direction of the crows' gazes. At first, it looked like one of the trees, until I was able to make out a triangular head with eyes the size of basketballs. It held up two massive, folded appendages that were lined with sharp spines. It looked to be as tall as a draft horse, yet it was so still that I couldn't even tell if this huge animal was breathing. The whispers were quieter than they'd ever been before.
Those huge eyes were fixed on me. I didn’t dare move.
One of the ‘crows’ glided to the ground near to the whispering thing, passing in front of my field of view. I stifled a shudder when I saw the state of its frail, humanoid body. Its skin clung like molten wax to its ribs and spine. Tattered wings extended from the sides of its torso, the feathers looking as if they were ripped from numerous other avians and fused to the miserable animal's stretched, contorted arms to make it fly. Where the eyes should have been were empty sockets. A curved beak had been forced onto the creature as well, driven into the skull hard enough to leave ridged, fleshy lumps.
Now that I've seen it, I think the crows were human, once. Transformed and disfigured to serve the Wild Hunt.
The crow shuffled a little too close to the whispering thing. Quicker than a blink, the whispering thing's folded appendage shot forward, curving around the crow's midsection, spikes driving into the crow's torso. My mind could barely keep up as the whispering thing then bit the crow's head clean off with a terrible crunch.
The other crows began to frenzy, shrieking as they dove towards the whispering thing. Without having to take a step, it snatched another crow out of the air. Flesh ripped with a wet tearing sound.
Since the animals were all focused on each other, I took the opportunity to dig frantically around for a hagstone, holding my own against my eye in the hopes it would lead me to another one.
There was a low hum that I felt more than heard. Deep within my chest, as if I was standing next to an amp at a concert. This was followed by an enraged screech from one of the crows. Still, I kept looking.
There had to be one. There just had to be!
One circular, black rock stood out among the rest, the water seeming to outline it from the view of my hagstone. There! I plucked it out of the water, looking over my shoulder to see if either the crows or the whispering thing were paying attention to me. They were too engrossed with trying to tear each other apart.
I shoved the black hagstone into my pocket and made a break for it, poker at the ready. One of the crows noticed and let out an ear-splitting cry to alert the others.
As I ran, I checked back to see that three of the crows split off to pursue me. I wasn't worried about them catching me. The whispering thing was another matter. This was only my second time encountering it and I hadn't had enough information to identify it, so I didn't want to find out the hard way if the defenses I had on me would be enough to stop it from tearing me apart like it did the crows.
There was another low hum that rumbled against my ribs as the whispering thing used one of its forelegs to swipe a crow out of its way. It had lost interest in them, its huge amber eyes focused on me once again. I prayed that the crows swarming around it would be enough to slow it down.
As I raced through the trees back to where the company truck waited, the whispers started anew. They became louder and clearer the faster I went, interrupted by the shrill cries of the crows tailing me. I did my best not to listen to any of them. The last thing I needed was to get led astray by any of my pursuers.
A crow swooped close enough for me to smack it with the poker. The sound the bird made when the iron scalded its skin made my teeth clench. The others joined it, bringing me to my knees, my ears ringing. High pitched, grating, like broken glass against a chalkboard. Disoriented, I swung desperately with the iron poker again, not hitting anything.
And among all that, the whispers hadn't stopped. My head rang, ears going numb. I swung again. One of the shrieks stopped as the poker found its mark. Even as the auditory assault continued, I got to my feet, grabbing the trees closest to me to keep myself going. The whispers became even more frantic as its prey got further and further away. The truck was right there.
The two crows tailing me had finally stopped their dreadful screaming and simmered down to furious clicking sounds with their beaks, as if they could think of nothing but stripping the flesh from my bones.
When one tested the limits of the hagstone as I got close to the truck, I swatted at it with the poker, the tip colliding with the creature's skull. The crow’s body crashed against an oak’s trunk, then went still.
As soon as I cleared the treeline, the whispering stopped. I looked over my shoulder. The whispering thing was retreating, only visible for a brief moment before blending in among the trees.
It couldn't leave the forest. That was good to know.
I closed myself into the truck, leaving the furious crows outside. They glared at me from the branches of a nearby oak. After taking a moment to collect myself, I drove back to the hospital, wanting to hand the black hagstone off to Reyna before anything else.
At a stop sign, I got a text from Victor: he had finished setting traps for the client's raccoon infestation and was going to meet me at the hospital.
Reyna was chilling in her hospital bed, face bandaged, wearing a hideous blue hospital gown decorated with faded green and pink squares.
“Guess who got her rabies shots!” She announced with a sleepy grin, holding her hand up in a shaka.
Someone was clearly given the good painkillers.
Victor arrived a few minutes later, wearing a black mask that covered his mouth and nose, smelling strongly of lavender. It made my nose itch.
“Why do you smell like an old lady?” I complained.
The mask intensified his withering stare, voice muffled by the mask, “Lotta blood around here. Probably wouldn't be too good if I smelled it.”
Reyna chimed in, slurring slightly, “If you're gonna eat anyone, go for the receptionist. He was reading Anne Rice, so he'd probably be into it.”
It was Reyna's turn to get The Glare. He said flatly, “You're high as a kite, aren't you?”
Reyna flashed a peace sign.
To summarize Reyna's condition, she's as okay as she can be. They had to close up her eyebrow and cheek, and they gave her a plethora of shots to make sure that she didn't catch any diseases from the crows. The hospital doctor wanted to keep her overnight to make sure that she didn't have an infection, then afterwards, she was going to take some time off of work to recover.
Also, I slipped the black hagstone into her purse so that it wouldn't be misplaced.
After we discussed Reyna's injuries, I decided to address the elephant in the room, “So… what can we do about the mechanic?”
Reyna shrugged, “Grovel and plead for our lives?”
Victor rubbed his eyes. “We might be a bit past that point.”
I asked Victor about the specifics of his deal with the mechanic. I knew that there had to be some sort of condition that had to be fulfilled before the mechanic could take someone, otherwise I probably wouldn't be alive to type this right now. Reyna was equally curious.
The boss seemed reluctant to speak on this matter, at first. I told Victor that he didn't have to share anything if there was any possibility of retaliation. The last thing I wanted was for him to be punished in some horrific manner for trying to help me.
He eventually shrugged a shoulder in resignation, “Whatever happens, I can handle it. It didn't take him long to figure out that I was the one that helped you find the hagstone. That wasn't pleasant, but…” He went quiet for a second, his eyes glazing in a way that reminded me of when I first came home from active duty. He then shrugged again, “I'm willing to risk it if that means getting a chance to hurt him back someday. Lord knows it's been a long time coming.”
He didn't tell us what the consequences had been for assisting me, and neither Reyna nor I pressed the issue. Some mysteries are best left unsolved.
Even though I was nervous to hear the answer, I didn't pull any punches and straight up asked, “Why hasn't the mechanic sent you after me yet?”
Victor considered for a moment, then explained, “I'm not sure on the specifics, since the mechanic doesn’t tell me anything other than what I need to know to get the job done. But from what I can tell, he takes those who are dead, dying, or… ‘dead inside,’ I guess is the best way to put it. Some souls appear to be harder for him to take than others. The hard ones need to be… broken down first. As of right now, he says you're not ready.”
Reyna numbly asked, “So if the birds tried to nab me, does that mean that I am ‘ready’? That they could take me at any moment?”
Victor hesitated before replying, “We won't let that happen. Alright?”
Reyna nodded, eyes low.
I wanted to ask her what was going on. Figure out why she was suffering in a way that made her fair game to the crows. But she'd been through enough for one day. That discussion could wait for another time.
My next question was another one that I dreaded the answer to, “And where do you come into all of this, Vic?”
Regretfully, Victor admitted, “I bring him the ones that are ready if he can't get to them himself.”
He glanced at Reyna, “As of right now, keep that hagstone on at all times. Even wear it when you're sleeping. The mechanic didn't know who you were initially, but I guarantee the fucking Lessers tipped him off. I think he’s more focused on Nessa, at the moment, but if I get sent after you, hit me with iron, salt me, do whatever and don't feel bad about it. Same goes for you, Nessa.”
I hated this. I hated that he was being used like this. I hated that he spoke about someday being sent to drag one of us to meet our fate at the hands of the Wild Hunt as if it was unavoidable.
The air suddenly felt like it was much thinner in the room. Somehow, I got enough oxygen to ask, “What if I learned the mechanic's true name? Would that end this?”
Victor let out a soft scoff, rubbing the bridge of his nose over his mask, “Probably, but good luck with that.”
I had already figured that the mechanic wouldn't dance around a fire singing his true name all willy nilly like Rumpelstiltskin. But I couldn't accept that all of us were screwed. There had to be a way. I had to believe that there was a way.
I announced that I'd be back in the morning. Reyna looked as concerned as her painkillers would allow, while Victor jumped out of his seat.
“What are you going to do?” He demanded.
“I'm going to talk to him.” I replied. “One of us is in the hospital and another one of us is undead-”
“I know it's looking bad right now, but they can easily get worse if whatever you're thinking of doing goes south.” He cautioned.
“I'm just going to see if there's some way I can… I don't know, talk him down? I haven't gotten that far yet, but something needs to be done.”
He didn't look convinced, and with how terrible my argument was, I don't blame him. “I'll go with you.”
I motioned towards Reyna. “And leave her alone?”
Reyna, looking like she was fighting sleep, groggily said, “I got the adder stone and I'm in public. I'll be fine. If you're going to confront Psycho Mantis, you're going to need Vic around more than I will.”
Victor agreed, “Like it or not, you're not handling this alone. Remember what I told you when you got hired in?”
We're not heroes, we're pest control specialists.
You know that thing I said about not isolating yourself? I can be bad about not following my own advice sometimes, especially that one.
Going forward, I do want to note that the decisions that were made on that night were extremely risky and I don't recommend for anyone to repeat them. Believe it or not, we are professionals.
On our way to our destination, we stopped by the 24-hr convenience store. Victor was about to question me until he saw me go for the whipped cream. I also got s'mores supplies, thinking that maybe some bribery would make the mechanic more amiable. I figured that if he rejected them then, hey, I like s'mores, too.
Afterwards, we followed the path to the skull trees.
During our hike, Victor whispered, “That fucker is hubris incarnate, but he's not stupid. If he offers you a deal, know that it's not going to be in your favor. And be careful with the way that he twists words.”
Something noteworthy is that the hagstone doesn't react to Victor. I think it's because he doesn't have the same malicious intentions as his captors. He may have changed after his murder (hell, anyone would) but at his heart, he was still Victor. Meanwhile, as we got closer to the skull tree clearing, I felt the stone gradually begin to quake.
Up ahead, orange light flickered. The mechanic had a small fire going. He lay on a blanket next to it, that cursed banjo on the ground beside him, one arm folded under his head, legs crossed at the ankle. His eyes were closed.
He didn't open them as he greeted us, “I was wondering when you two would show up.”
Keeping my nerves buried beneath the surface, I held up the bag of sugary goodness. “I'm here to negotiate.”
He laughed, still not looking at me. “Are you, now? And what exactly do you think a little thing of cream will get ya?”
“Not much, I imagine.” I said evenly. “But I thought it'd be a good jumping off point.”
Even though I’d originally protested Victor coming with me, I was glad that he was there. I don't think I would've been able to be so level-headed if I'd met with the mechanic alone. It would probably be interpreted as a sign of weakness, but I was counting on that.
As soon as I saw the mechanic begin to crane his neck towards us, I slammed my eyelids shut. He knew way more about me than I'd ever wanted him to know already, and I was afraid of giving him more.
Again, another potential sign of weakness. When it came to trying to get him to back off of Orion a bit, I figured it'd be best if he underestimated me.
I didn't have to see the mechanic to know that he had that wicked grin on his face, “Alrighty. Let's see what you've got.”
A hand that was as cold as the grave gently removed the bag of goodies from my grasp. Victor. Wordlessly, he brought the cavity-inducing offering over to the mechanic. I never realized how quiet his footsteps were until then. He moved like a shadow. He could've been five feet away or five hundred, for all I knew.
There was the rustling of plastic, followed by the trademark sound of whipped cream being sprayed from the nozzle. Sounding slightly less prick-ish, the mechanic told me I had his attention.
I had been trying to find the magic words that would make this whole situation blow over. Nothing that I came up with in my head fit that description.
So I decided to be straight forward, then go from there. “What will it take to de-escalate things between you and Orion?”
The whipped cream wailed once again. A moment later, the mechanic replied, “Why are you asking a question that you already know the answer to?”
“Other than my soul.”
He chuckled softly, the sound too casual and charming for this sinister discussion.
“You know, I’m curious, puppydog,” Fabric rustled. Without looking, I assumed he'd sat up, “Which o’ your parents are you most like?”
Here we fucking go.
I tried to redirect him, “With all due respect, that isn't relevant.”
“Oh, but it is.” His tone of voice brought chills to the back of my neck. “You see, I'd be willing to take a trade. Find a soul as mouth-waterin’ as yours, and all this goes away. Hell, I might even let you rest in peace! You know what choice your father would pick.”
I was hoping that the firelight wouldn't be enough for him to see my face flush and my jaw stiffen. That had touched a nerve, just as he knew it would.
That was also a horrible deal. One that I wouldn't even consider. There was no way that I could condemn someone else to an afterlife of torment. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even that weasel-faced client that I rescued the False Egg from. Not even my father.
Swallowing back the plethora of terrible emotions threatening to bubble up, I suddenly felt Victor subtly squeeze my shoulder supportively. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't hesitate to give anyone who insulted his employees a piece of his mind, but the mechanic was the last Neighbor to mouth off to. That was the best he could do for me, in the moment.
When I informed the mechanic that I wouldn't sacrifice someone else to save my own skin, he laughed again, “If only you knew how many times I heard those exact words! Thing is, I ain't even got started on you, pup. Given enough time, you might find you're more like your old man than you thought.”
I took a deep breath to keep the mixture of dread and anger confined to my chest, then calmly replied, “Sounds like you know exactly how everything will play out. Isn't that boring for you?”
The tension that filled the air after those words left my mouth made my chest feel tight.
The whipped cream can wheezed thoughtfully before the mechanic mildly admitted, “A bit, yeah.”
There it is.
“You already have all of the advantages,” I started, “It’s not much of a hunt if your prey can't even run, is it? There's no challenge in killing something that's already baited and trapped.”
“So, what do you suggest?”
Oh boy. I was about to do one of many things I warned yinz not to do: “The only way I can bring you the excitement you're craving is if I have a fighting chance. And a good one. I'll be searching for your name, but I need to know where to look first.”
His laughter made me suppress a shudder. I remember thinking that I should've known that he'd see through my words like he saw through everything else.
The mechanic then said, “I know what you're trying to do, pup. But the problem is, you're right! It's too easy anymore, especially since y'alls names are just available on the internet for anyone to find. I've been getting kind of soft lately.”
This was his soft side?
The mechanic continued, “You really think you can pull this off, pup? I know you're a fighter and all, but you're not a warrior, not really. Being a soldier ain't the same thing.”
“I may not be Cú Chullainn, but I'm as close as you're going to get in Mercer County. We've got a bit of a warrior shortage around here.”
He snorted, “You seem awfully sure of yourself for someone who can't even look at me.”
“I'm not sure about anything. That's why I'm here, isn't it?”
It was quiet for a moment with only the frogs chirping in the forest able to find their voices. Not even the whipped cream broke up the silence this time. I was tempted to risk peeking through my eyelashes, but managed to resist.
Just as my nerves started getting to me, the mechanic said, “So, you want me to give you a hint. That's a lot to ask, but you knew that already.”
“You want something in return.”
“Hagstone. Smash it.”
No way. It was too valuable. If I gave that up, I was dead. I promptly shook my head.
He sounded amused. “Shoulda known you wouldn't fall for that.”
Looking back, I wondered how many he'd tricked like that. Giving up some form of protection after being misled into thinking the mechanic was going to let them go, only to regret it seconds later. Probably far too many.
He continued, “Alright then, we'll talk for real. I'll give you that hint, but I got some conditions. You get three chances to guess correctly. Each time you guess wrong, you have to give me one of your names starting with your first, middle, then last name. Don't try fucking with me by trying to pass your middle name off as your first.”
That made my throat tighten even more. If I agreed to that, failure wouldn't just spell disaster for me, but for everyone I knew as well. I'd be dragging my mom and anyone else associated down with me. I'd essentially be doing what he already requested: sacrificing others to save my own skin.
I heard Victor faintly, from my right, “Don't!”
The mechanic wasn't pleased, “This ain't about you, blue eyes. This is between me and her.”
The stakes were getting way too high. I couldn't do this. But then what? The Hunt wasn't going to wait around for me to find another way, assuming that there even was one. Victor clearly thought it was a terrible idea. For the record, I did, too. I could feel the boss' eyes on me, willing me not to forget what he'd said earlier about dangerous heroics.
Maybe there was another way and I just couldn't see it. But desperation has a way of messing with your head.
“If I agreed to this,” I started, knowing that I was probably digging my grave even deeper. “And I haven't agreed to anything. just to be clear. If I did this, I'd need the assurance that you won't send your crows or hounds or any others that serve the Wild Hunt after those that I care about. That includes my colleagues and me, for that matter. Like you said, this is between us two.”
The mechanic chuckled and I heard him shift again. “You're feeling awfully bold tonight, aren't you?”
I reminded him, “You want this to be interesting, don't you?”
He considered, then with a click of his tongue replied, “You hear that, blue eyes? Means you, as well. On both sides, mind you. Same with that witch doctor. Yeah, I know about her. I keep mine out of it, if you keep yours out. All's fair, right?”
I didn't feel right with any of this, but the alternative was for things to continue as they were. If that happened, we were all screwed anyway.
“And if I agreed, the hint that you provide will have to be both true and helpful. And it'll also be given in easily understandable American English, no riddles or puzzles or any other forms of confusing phrasing. You’d also have to give it to me tonight. The whole thing would begin after that.”
Once again, he laughed, “Shit, you're not messin' around!”
I know how the Neighbors do deals. If I hadn't mentioned it, he probably would've given me the hint in the form of a riddle spoken in backwards Gaelic.
“Alright, pup, I get the picture. You know what you're dealing with. I’ll play nice.”
His voice had a subtle sardonic edge. Nothing about this was going to be nice, if I chose to go this route, but that wasn't news.
“Oh, and one more thing!” The mechanic added a little too cheerfully. “You have until Samhain. I’m sure you know why.”
It's June already; still a good while away from October, but this year feels like it’s flying by fast, like every other year following 2020. He didn't have to explain why: the Wild Hunt are at their most powerful during Samhain, which for those who don't know, was a Celtic holiday that eventually gave birth to Halloween. It's when the veil between the atypical world and ours is thinnest.
In short, it's a busy day for Orion. Looks like it’s going to be even worse this year.
Victor spoke again, “Can I talk to her for a moment?”
“Nope. You don't get a say. Either she takes it or leaves it.” The mechanic answered curtly.
As I deliberated, there were subtle taps on a tree nearby. Hold on. Morse code. M-I-S-S-I-N-G. What was I missing? Maybe it was because I hadn't clearly spelled out what I wanted to happen if I correctly guessed the mechanic's identity.
“If I accept this bet, then if I find your name, you’ll relinquish your claim on my soul, as well as all other Orion employees, whether they're living, dead, or undead. Have I made that clear?”
After a moment, the mechanic answered, the smirk blatant in his voice, “You have now.”
Of course. It was so simple. If I had gone through with the deal without being specific about the outcome, the mechanic wouldn't have been obliged to release any of us. I would've done all the work to identify him for nothing. Tricky bastard.
Thanks, Victor.
With a heavy sigh, I politely asked the mechanic to repeat everything that we'd just discussed to make sure that he wasn't going to conveniently forget something. To my surprise, he did it without comment, though he sounded like he thought the whole thing was funny. He left nothing out.
When I say that agreeing to this deal was one of the hardest things I've ever done, I mean it.
I instantly had second thoughts the moment I heard the mechanic stand up and cheerfully say, “Well, you ready for that hint? You’re gonna wanna open your eyes for this. I can show you better than I can tell you.”
Oh God, I made a mistake! No. I could do this. I had to.
Black cherries. He was in front of me. Steeling myself, I opened my eyes. The mechanic stood as close as the hagstone would allow, a dark silhouette in front of the crackling flames.
“Blue eyes, would you mind holding puppydog’s hagstone for her? Wouldn't want that gettin’ lost, now, would we?”
What?!
“Don’t get all frantic, I can’t do shit to you until you get your hint, per our agreement,” The mechanic said dismissively as Victor approached me. “You’ll get it back after.”
Victor looked apologetic as he gently removed the most powerful defense I had. He had an odd glint in his eye. Was that defiance?
I’ll get you out of this, Vic. I promise.
The very moment that he was able to, the mechanic grabbed my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.
A church surrounded by black water… A great feast of viscera and wildflowers… Black thorns drinking the blood of the unworthy… The great antlered headdress of the White Son of Mist… Pricking his finger on those horns… He signed in blood…
Victor pulled me back, not giving the mechanic even a picosecond to take full advantage of being outside of the hagstone’s influence. If he hadn't been holding me up, I would've been on the ground, still recovering from what I'd just seen.
“You find that ledger, you find me.” The mechanic said coolly.
That church. It reminded me of something. In the morning, I’m going to check our records. For now, I just want to crash. I'll keep yinz updated.
On the bright side, there weren't any crows waiting for me when I got home.
(Here's an index of all the cases I've discussed so far.)

I’m a 20 year old male. For the past few years I’ve been struggling with crushing fatigue and a slew of other symptoms I always thought was something autoimmune because of some blood tests. Recently I’ve developed petechiae that have spread across my body, some bruising on my arms and legs, and shortness of breath with physical activity. I went to the doctor and she told me to get my CBC done but my platelets, WBC, and RBC all were normal. With past infections my platelets have dropped below 70, but I’m not sure what to do now? It is also worth mentioning CLL runs in my family and my father currently has it.

Hello, dogs!
I’m looking for some guidance and suggestions for my aging pup, a 14-year-old, 24-pound shepherd mix who's always been a bundle of energy.
Background: Over the past year, he’s slowed down significantly, started eating less and lost some weight, and grown a bit weaker, especially in his hind legs -- They shake when he stands, he can't finish peeing without putting his leg down, and he's been stumbling on curbs during our walks. He's also stopped jumping up on the couch to snuggle in the evenings, and he'll either wander around and circle the couch while we sit, or he'll just stare at us until we pick him up (which hurts him if we don't do it just right).
A few things we've tried: We’ve been to the vet, and tried an oral pain med that didn’t help. He just got his first injection of a new one, but they said it could take a month to see results, if we see them at all. We also give him melatonin in the evenings, which seems to relax him enough to chill on the couch. For the couch situation, we have puppy stairs he could use to get up more easily, but he refuses to use them.
What I'm looking for: Despite all this, he’s still a happy pup at heart. He gets excited for walks and has bursts of puppy-like energy, and he hardly seems to notice his difficulties, outside of the pain when we pick him up. With all that said, I don't think it's time to start talking about end-of-life just yet, and I’m looking for ideas to improve his current circumstances.
One specific thing I'd like input on is the couch situation. I'm trying to think of products I can buy that will help him get back up on the couch as easily as he used to. Maybe there's a good product out there like a jacket with a handle that will help spread out the pressure when we pick him up? What else would you try here?
Are there any other products you'd suggest for enrichment? Or any other general advice you'd have for this situation?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions! My puppers thanks you, too. 🐶

Memory Transcription Subject: Ishida Bakin, Gentled Human ‘Florist’. Date [Standardized Human Time]: February 12, 2200.
——
Namu Amida Butsu.
The sound of ferocious cheers surrounded me. The animals whoop and holler for their pound of flesh, the ‘empathetic’ herd eager to see a dissenter die. I could still understand the human voices, their language an unholy fusion of a multitude of languages, intermixed with Kolashian and Venlil loan words. Each word deepened the pit in my heart, my soul heavy with grief for the mankind that was. My long ears, constrained beneath the bag around my head, still twitched at each thunderous word hollered by the herd below.
“Burn him!” They chanted, “Purify Earth of all predators!”
I was forced to my knees by a kick to the leg by the exterminator holding me. As the bag was removed, I could finally see what was going on. Those zealots had finally caught me. The Gentled Herd stood in a crowd, myself and the exterminator on a makeshift stage. On the floor below sat a pile of items. Items they had pilfered from my home. History books, family albums, porcelain statues and pictures sat piled high - doused with gasoline and primed to burn.
I tried not to cry out seeing the remainder of old Earth upon a pyre. I held my breath and mentally recited my prayer once again.
Namu Amida Butsu.
I looked up at my captor. He was human, like me. It seemed that Humanity had been gentled enough that they began to hire us. I hardly recognized him, or myself for that matter, as human though. I had been a boy when the Federation arrived with the intention of extermination. Many of the other Federative Species had attempted to defend us, and we did well for a while - fighting as the Sapient Coalition. Until we didn’t, and we accepted a particularly horrible cure to save ourselves.
As a punishment for our supposed crimes, we had been stripped of anything remotely resembling a human. We now looked more akin to deer, with long muzzles and fluffy ears, panoramic eyes with rectangular pupils, hooves, and thin fur that irritatingly came in many different patterns. We had been first conquered in body, and for my entire life, I had watched us become conquered in spirit. They had forced people to move, scrambling culture and co-opting religion, forcing the beginnings of a prey identity. One with shame at the very core of all things.
Children now were ashamed of their past. They were told that they must atone for the sins of their fathers, so that the other rebelling species would be spared annihilation. We were confined to Earth, not to be let out until we ‘purged Earth of all things predatory’. And people had embraced this whole-heartedly. First they came for the books and artifacts, then the animals, and now the people. People such as me, who still cherished the past.
I tried to remain composed. My face betrayed no emotion, easy to do without the expressive face of a non-gentled human.
“The florist Isidha Bakin is charged for the following crimes,” Bellowed the Exterminator, “ … Following a predatory ideology, holding untrue accounts of the past, distributing untrue accounts of the past, spreading Predator Disease, and having an aggressive form of Predator Disease! How do you plead?”
I knew I was going to die here. I had thought I could ride out the rest of my life in my small shop outside of Dallas, where I had been forcibly relocated too. But I had smuggled things dearest to me with. I knew it was over when an employee had discovered the fake hole in my wall, containing books of Buddhist scripture - my faith as near to me as my very life. I regretted that I had not been born earlier, so that I could partake fully in the wisdom of my forefathers. I wanted the life all generations before me lived, and not this perverse mockery of life I was now faced with. But I was here, soon to fly to the Pure Land.
And I echoed the sentiment, “My only crime is that I was not born earlier, so I could fight and prevent this.”
The crowd howled at my insult against their lives. For all their empathy, I could tell that they were here for my blood. This was a kangaroo court in every sense of the word. With nothing left to loose, I thought that I would finally say everything I had repressed for so long.
But before I could, the Exterminator spoke.
“It makes sense that a predator like you would want to hunt prey.”
I scoffed quietly, “I would do no such thing. You are all true predators!”
The crowd again howled and hollered and chanted, eager for the Exterminator to shut me up. But the young stag furrowed his brows, curious to see where I was going with this. Evidently, this was the first he had ever heard such bold words. “No. We were predators, but were better than that now. We have been shown the way by the Federation!”
The crowd hollered.
“I was there.” I responded. “So early on, how you all so quickly organized yourselves and entered the forests and zoos, armed with weapons made by predators, and laid waste to anything remotely dangerous. You piled corpses high for the sake of an irrational fear. Only a Hunter kills so callously and effectively.”
The Exterminator was stunned. I heard him stammer before he regained his gusto, and responded once more. “We don’t eat them. If you were born earlier, you would have seized those animals and slid their flesh down your gullet!”
“Even if we had done that, their deaths would have had purpose. Tell me, what did you do when you cornered the last tiger? Did you throw it in a pile, or leave it’s ashes to be blown away by the wind? It died for the sake of your irrational fears. Fears that had unraveled everything that made us human!”
“What? Is being human, simply making use of a carcass that you created?”
“No, to be human was to be in awe at the world around you! Only when you have burnt the last tree, and killed the final animal will you realize that it can’t be put back - your actions cannot be undone! A human would try to understand what scares them, and find wonder in its mysteries. This gentled humanity is the opposite. It shall spend its entire existence in fear, afraid of the dark - never to realize that it is not dangerous. Your descendants shall amount to nothing.”
The Exterminator chuckled, his voice nervous. “You are just mourning a world you never got to partake in. The Federation has given the chance to truly live, outside of our bloodlust.”
I remained silent for a moment.
“I was young when the Federation attempted to exterminate Earth-“
“The invasion of Earth did not happen. Our predatory forefathers attacked Venlil Prime for meat!” Again, the crowd cheered.
“ … They bombed indiscriminately. They destroyed billions of people. They had contempt for us then, and they still do now. Your cure was a punishment for fighting, and now your shame is written as divine punishment from a God doctored by the Federation!”
“Do not disrespect Christ the Protector! You are a sad, bitter old stag who’s seen his world crumble to dust. History is through with your predatory, cruel ideas. You will not live to see it, but Humanity shall redeem itself to the Federation, and become proper prey. Perhaps you're just afraid to enter the dustbin of history?”
I remained quiet for a moment again. I prepared for the inevitable jet of flame that would spell my end. Instead of begging for mercy, I decided to seal my fate. “No, because I won’t be entering it. Ideas are eternal. You may forget the struggles of Humanity, and all the wisdom of the generations that experienced it, but it shall not die. It will lay dormant and perhaps even be forgotten, but one day, a Human will wonder if there’s a better way. When that happens, all of the changes and curing that’s made us the way we are, will not be able to stop the march of progress.”
The Exterminator remained silent, our ears assaulted by the crowd’s cries for my silencing. Some began to storm the stage where my impromptu execution was being held, but I was spared a very painful death as the flamethrower spit death onto me. As life escaped me, so did everything I knew. The things I had seen. My memories of a fairer, independent humanity that strived towards a better future. In those moments, I felt no despair. I instead hoped as I embraced the inky darkness and awaited the hand of Amida to pull me from Samsara’s wheel.
The crowd cheered at the death of Ishida Bakin. Another step towards purifying Earth for integration as prey had come. But the Exterminator sat, watching as they lit the pyre full of books, he almost wondered what predatory wisdom those pages contained. He would live to regret his actions here, as would his son. For many generations, this discontent would stew - awaiting the proper spark that would reawaken Humanity.

Hello! For some background info, I recently (a few months ago) got my cat, Rocky from a local shelter. I fostered him for a bit to make sure he was a good fit for me, and then I officially adopted him and he is now certified as my ESA. He is around 3 years old.
He’s definitely has adapted to my routine more or less, so if I’m up (aside from a few cat naps throughout the day). If I’m walking around, cleaning, working from home, etc he is GLUED to me, which I don’t mind. If I’m sitting on the bed, couch, at my desk, etc, he finds a way into my lap even if it means sitting on my book/phone/laptop that had been sitting in my lap. He rubs his head on EVERYTHING, which is adorable and I’ve been told it’s a dominance thing to spread his scent.
He also has to sit ON TOP of me, or he doesn’t want to cuddle lol. I wake up most mornings with him on my back/back of my legs, which I don’t mind, but I feel like an asshole when I (gently) kick him off me in the middle of the night cause I can’t fall asleep with him on top of me (he’s 15lbs, he aint small).
He doesn’t really play with toys, even though he has dozens. I have a cat wand, a large assortment of catnip-stuffed toys, moving toys, scratching posts with bells and feathers etc, and he plays with none of it. Maybe once or twice every few weeks I’ll catch him batting around a catnip stuffed mouse, but he really don’t touch them otherwise.
He gets post-shit and post-meal zoomies though, so he does play, just not really with toys. The second he’s doing peeing he sprints from one end of the house to the other and back again a few times and then he normally plops back down in my lap for a nap. He plays more with the hair ties I use than with his toys lol.
As far as I know, this is all normal cat behavior, but I’m coming to Reddit to ask some clarifying questions since google is very vague and all cats are different. I want to make sure none of his behaviors are indicators of something I’m unaware of
Question #1: how can I tell if he’s lonely? I get the sense he dislikes being home alone since when either my roommate ate or myself leave the house, he sits by the door crying for a while before he moves on. His clinginess when I am home makes me wonder if he’d be happier with another cat in the house?
Question #2: if the shelter says he doesn’t like other cats, should I trust that and not try to bring another cat into the equation? For context, the shelter said they used to let all the cats free roam together a few times a day and my sweet boy got fairly aggressive with the other cats. The only reason I feel like that may not be the case with all cats is that he acts very different now than he did in the shelter. I can’t help but think he’d eventually be friendly with a new friend in the comfort of his home, and as long as I fully assimilate them correctly. If I were to try, I would most likely get a kitten (shelters advice), and foster first in case they don’t get along.
Question #3: vet appointments/pet insurance. Do I need pet insurance? What tf is pet insurance lol? Should I bring him to the vet more than once a year (given he doesn’t need to go for emergencies at any point)? What are some common warning signs/reasons to go to the vet I should be aware of/look out for?
Question #4: HOW TF do I manage the spread of the litter lol. I have a litter box with a lid and a litter catching mat under and around it, but somehow the litter still ends up in all corners of the house.
Question #4: how do yall best recommend trying new food? I’ve had issues with trying new wet food since everytime I give it to him, no matter the brand, he acts like he’s never eaten before (which he doesn’t do with his normal food, he’s fairly well behaved with food), scarfs it down and ends up vomiting it all up later. I’ve tried mixing some wet food in with his dry food and he still vomits it up. Any advice/good brand recommendations are greatly appreciated.
Questions #5: should I be concerned about his disinterest in toys? Should I keep buying more to see if he eventually finds one he likes?
And just in general any advice or suggestions are helpful!

I could hardly believe it, even now as the cacophony of battle deafened my ears, part of me was still in shock. His angels, his daughters, his people....traitors. I ducked behind a crumbling pillar as bolter fire cascaded around me, chipping my cover and sending up clouds of dust. My squad returned fire, but there were a smaller amount of lasguns than what we started with.
Our mission was simple if you could call it that. Board a void ship belonging to the now traitors Luna Wolves, expend all available resources to reach the engine bay, plant explosives, and detonate, taking an entire void ship full of traitors with us. My squad was one of ten that boarded the ship at different points, hoping to spread their numbers enough to allow one of us to reach the point. We underestimated them.
We knew what Space Marines were, we knew this wouldn't be easy, we knew we would die, yet we never expected this. The marines were different. They seemed faster, tougher, not shirking from pain at times but enjoying it. They were different, they were like monsters. My men were picked off, toyed with at times, and from the vox comms, I knew that the other squads faired no better. Even the regular men and women that stalled us before the Marines would arrive were different, crazed even. I saw three krak grenades get lobbed in the direction of the enemy, after a few moments the hallways shuddered under the explosions.
When the dust cleared, the Luna Wolf and other defenders were nothing more than gore and paste. Time to press on, though as we did I only felt a building adhesion in my gut. I walked in here with 15 men, no I only had three left. With the engine bay so close in sight, I could only hope that we met no other obstacles.
I was an idiot for even thinking that.
There were four Luna wolves there, grinning twisted smiles that held no mirth and pulled their face back more than it should have. In the hands of one was a woman from another squadron, or at least what was left of her. From the strings of gore and exposed bone I knew that there was no expertise in her torture. It was not gentle, quick, nor painless, a fate that I assumed would meet all of us. The Luna Wolf that held the corpse seemed to be in charge, stepping forward and tossed the corpse, reducing it to just another pile of innards and bone.
"Well it seemed our next bout of entertainment has arrived, do try to be better playthings than the last group, they were so pitifully weak." He drew a chain sword slick with blood, the rattling of it's chain slower than one would expect. To ensure that the cut was slow, that limbs were grinded off rather than cut. The other traitor marines merely advanced with bloodstained hands. All of their movements slow, eyes filled with a sick pleasure as their feet crushed the corpses around them.
Time seemed to slow down as they approached. Should I detonate all of the explosives? We were in the engine bay, we would do some damage and take them out. If the damage wasn't enough then this would all be labeled as a failure, all of the suffering and death would have been for nothing. I would need to find a way deeper, so at least on of ours could cripple the ship. A scream of anguish brought me from my thinking. One of the Marines had suddenly raced towards one of my men, Samson, and was eagerly squeezing and crushing his bones one by one, each time brining forth a new scream. Another man, Gresh, begun to run, screaming in fear and trying his best to flee. The final man, Nadir, seemed to be frozen in shock, much like I was for a moment. The sudden rattle of a chain sword shook me awake once again.
I dived backward, my cheek being sliced by an attack that would have severed me at the neck. My heart racing as I looked up at the traitorous marine as he slowly lifted his sword. "Very good little mouse, how about the next one?" He was toying with me with a speed that I could barely dodge, but was within my ability to do so.
My nerves were frayed, my hands and legs trembling at my near brush with death. The screams of my men echoed around me but were slowly silenced one by one as the sword climbed higher and higher, unable to take my eyes of the churning metal or move my body. The final thought I had was one of thanks to whatever was out there, that despite being unable to run, my hand could still reach the detonator. moving it as slow as I could so the action wouldn't be spotted. I felt my fingers curl around the cool metal just as the sword fell like silver lighting. I had one more thought apparently, and a rather embarrassing one. I wasn't fast enough.
"Newly appointed Sargent Astrovas."
The voice wasn't loud, it was almost meek compared to the sounds that surrounded me. Yet still is pierced every other noise, reverberating within the metal room and created soft echoes that soon gave way to perfect silence. The expression on the Marines faces has changed. Gone was the sick and sadistic pleasure, instead confusion, shock, and in a slight glimmer I sword I saw fear.
"Hargim, Ubaldiaen, and Astehn. 3rd squad of Tenth company."
The voice seemed to have no origin, instead echoing out of the darkness and corners of the bay. Each time it spoke it seemed to come from a different direction briefly before it filled the entire area. I seemed to be forgotten, and I held my breath to ensure that. The other three marines now stood, abandoning their foul play with corpses to observe the situation at hand. The one that stood above him no brought his sword close, eyes scanning the darkness. Just barley I could hear him mutter under his breath. "..not possible."
"37 merits, 20 accolades, 15 medals, and 1 Paragon award. For going beyond what all other Marines have done, and doing what no other Marine has done...How the mighty have fallen."
Fear was no apparent in many of their face as they lashed around, turning in circles as they searched for the origin of this voice. It sounded sad, almost disappointed, yet somehow it worked these demons into a frenzy. The one that had lunged upon Samson sneered.
"It's a trick, I don't know how they got the information on him or who is doing it but it can't be real." With renewed bravado the marine walked to the shadows flexing his hands. "I just hope whatever or whoever it is can run, becuase when I g-" The sound of wingbeats cut him off as he vanished. The only thing left was the shifting of dust in his place, and after a beat of silence, the cracking of bones. He was thrown back into the light from the shadows, a mangled peice of flesh with bones sticking out and within at odd angles.
"Though squads of the Luna Wolves usually contain five marines, while yours only has...had four. The last time we spoke, you were not yet Sargent....so where is he."
The marine snarled in response, almost sounding bestial as the roar of the chain sword joined in his primal showing of might. Another marine spoke up, almost attempting to reason with the voice. "We didn't want to, it was what needed to be done, you can see that can't you. We were order-" Another beat of wings, another disappearance, yet this time no body returned. Only the wet sounds of flesh tearing from flesh could be heard in the shadows.
The voice did not return, instead footsteps could be heard. For a moment I dreaded that my would be savoir has been killed by the traitor marine, but they were far lighter than one made my the augmented warriors. Stepping into the dim light was a man. Tall and pale with raven hair. He wore a standard issue uniform of the guard, but only the pants. The bottom of them charred and ragged as if he just walked through a explosion. Despite all of this, something deep within me, a forgotten instinct, told me that whatever this was, was not a human.
The chain sword once again died to a quiet purr as shock fully engulfed the two remaining marines. Silence building until finally it was broken. The only marine left besides the one that stood above me dropped to his knees with a wail. "Forgive us Sir. Forgive us for what we have done. We were weak. We....butchered Decurius...becuase he refused to revolt. We...he...we failed, and he still did not raise a hand against us." The marine wrecked with emotion fell forward with a bowed head, tears dripping from his face as he prostrated himself for forgiveness.
The man moved forward, further into the light. Despite my attempts at resisting, I still sucked in air from the shock of the sight. Two great black leather wings rested behind his form, coated in midnight black scales. His skin not pale, but ashen, and his footsteps boiled and burned whatever flesh or blood he stepped upon. Upon reaching the begging Marine, a small smile graced his features as he kneeled, placing a gentle hand on his head.
"Astehn, I remember when you were but a neophyte. You failed, yes, but unlike your brothers, you sought redemption. I know not if your betrayal was out of fear, or that you recognize your mistakes, but that act alone means that while you might have failed, the Sargent did not fail in training you."
The man lifted up the Marine by the shoulder, a warm smile on his face as regret and remorse seemed to grip the Marine once more. "I know I can never be forgiven. I only ask that I give my life to make right wh-" A bolter round echoed throughout the chamber as Astehn's head was obliterated. His corpse falling lifelessly to the ground as his blood and body joined the many other dead.
As the tender scene was abruptly ended my eyes raced to the Marine that stood above me. A heavy bolt pistol in his hand as a look of sadistic joy covered his face. No sooner did the body drop than he let loose a hideous cackle. "Another weakling, no wonder there was a kinship between the two of you. Decurius was weak, he feared true strength, so he had to be removed. Strength is everything little princeling, it is the natural state of the universe. The strong may do whatever they want to the weak, becuase they can not do anything to stop it."
The chain sword roared once more to life as he slowly walked towards the man. "I will enjoy reminding you of your weakness, who knows maybe I'll be rewarded. Killing the man that evaded death at Hatho-" The man, who had not moved from the marines corpse suddenly vanished. Gore and blood kicked up in his wake as he reappeared in from of the taunting Marine. His fist embedding itself in the ceramite chest plate, cracking and bending it as the Marine was flung backwards from the impact.
The mans hands were balled into fists, the smell of smoke filling the air as he drew himself to his full height. He no longer moved like a man with nothing left, but like a man possessed. From behind his dark hair to rings of white light shone, filled with fury.
"You dare speak her name...In my presence? To think that I would draw breath again, to hear, smell, and see. And that when I step upon the mortal world once again the first thing I see is not my wife but you Astrovas. I do not have the time to list your crimes or sins. To lament as to why you have angered me and why you will be punished. You must simply know two things. I am going to break your newfound philosophy, but before that, I am going to break you."
His eyes looked down to me, seemingly noticing me for the first time among all of this. He reached out his hand towards me, and I closed my eyes in fear as whatever this creature was drew near. Instead I felt the detonator lightly pulled from my grasp where I had forgotten it. He gave me a nod as I slowly opened my eyes.
"I commend you for the attempt, but your time is not now Soldier. Get some rest, that's an order."
Despite all of what I saw, and all of what I knew, something about his voice seemed so warm. He unfurled a wing and swept it towards me. A great black blanket seemed to envelop me as my eyes found themselves shutting against my will. Before I was robbed of consciousness, the last thing I saw on his wings were small pinpricks of white that seemed to sparkle. It looked almost as if the night sky had swallowed me up.
When I next awoke I was in a void ship medical bay. I was found unconscious within it, after being sent on a suicide mission that to my surprise had been successful. The whole thing was forbidden to be talked about by some man from the Dark Angels, who called himself Squire, after he heard a few things about it, so I still don't know what or who that man was. I can only guess that he's someone good, as the Squire seemed to smile when I talked about him.

I was newly diagnosed with guttate psoriasis about 3 weeks ago. This is after having spots first appear in early March.
After reading a lot about guttate, it seems like my progression is somewhat standard. I was diagnosed with tonsillitis and mid February. I had strep all the time as a kid, but never had psoriasis or any issues like this (although I had mild eczema on and off). The tonsillitis in February was pretty severe. I did one round of penicillin which did not completely wipe it out. I was sick with a nasty cough for weeks, but just so wrapped up in life that I didn’t go back to get it treated a second time. On March 1, spots suddenly appeared on my forearm. I had no clue what it was, but assumed it might be an allergic reaction because I had just worn a jacket that had been washed in an unusual detergent. Within a couple of weeks, the spots had spread to cover the entirety of my arms, my torso, and my legs. I went in to see my GP in late March, and originally he believed it to be dermatitis or eczema that had been brought on by some viral respiratory infection. He prescribed oral prednisone, which I took for a week, and Clobetasol cream or spot treating the worst areas, and told me to anticipate clear up within 20-30 days.
Long story short, things didn’t improve (my spots increased in size and number) and when I went back to my GP he referred me to a dermatologist for more specialized care. The dermatologist diagnosed me on site with guttate, and sent me off for lab work to get approval to start Skyrizi. He also gave me additional Clobetasol cream and solution (for my scalp).
The Clobetasol has been helping but it seems so every time I stop or run out, my flareup returns with a vengeance.
Right now, I’m still waiting for insurance to approve me to use the Skyrizi. My dermatologist said that process could take up to a total of four weeks to receive approval, but obviously I’m hoping it will be quicker. In the meantime, I’ve been reading up a lot on side effects, others results, and what to expect. What I’ve seen a lot is that Skyrizi, like most biologics, can inhibit my immune system and make me particularly susceptible to colds or other respiratory viruses. I am very anxious and nervous that getting another respiratory type virus could cause a psoriasis flareup.
What are some things you do to help counteract the depression to your immune system? Are there specific vitamins that seem to help the most or other things you recommend?

tl;dr: My appointment with the orthopedic is tomorrow, and the rheumatologist not until August. What are some of the questions I should ask, and what information should I give them about myself?
Longer:
Hey, friends. I recently found this community when searching for info on ankylosing spondylitis. This is a new account for me, as I want to keep my medical/health info separate from other things I post about online.
I've been in pain for about 10 years, this started when I was in my mid-30s. The pain started in my lower back and gradually got worse and worse until about 15-16 months ago, the pain had spread all throughout my lower back and pelvis, my hips, and my left leg. There were days I couldn't get out of bed and my partner had to help me even just sit up. I bought a rollator walker because I was scared of being out of the house and not being able to walk because of pain or fatigue. The only thing that can bring the pain down from a 9 to a 4 is a cannabis suppository, 25mg THC and 25mg CBD.
I've been to numerous doctors, tried numerous treatments, but all for different things. I've been told it's a herniated disc, a tear in the disc, overuse, pelvic floor trauma, past physical and emotional trauma manifesting as pain, injury due to one thing or another, long covid, being fat, attention seeking, drug seeking, conversion disorder, sciatica, fibromyalgia, and I can't remember what else. I'm non-binary and female assigned at birth, so I also get a lot of "just painful periods" and "the price of being a woman". 😒
I've had so many X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasounds, but no one could ever find anything physical, and the next treatment I was told to try was therapy with EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing).
My partner and I moved in January to a new city, and last week I was in the ER for the second time here since moving. This time though, the ER doctor suggested it might be something rheumatoid like ankylosing spondylitis and was absolutely shocked that no other health care provider ever considered this. She said based on my symptoms, the result of the MRI she ordered, and the MRI from the previous visit, everything points to this. She referred me to an orthopedic and a rheumatologist.
After this, I went into my chart and reviewed all the results from imaging I've had over the past 5 years. I included anything brain/spine/back/pelvic and not anything else, like my kidney stone ultrasounds. I found eight that specifically mentioned things like

• degenerative disc
• degenerative spine
• disc desiccation
• disc narrowing
• spondylitis
• spondylosis
• lumbar retrolisthesis
• sacroiliac joints
• lumbar posterior fusion

Many of the above things are mentioned alongside L4-L5 and L5-S. Now I understand why the ER doctor was shocked. I'm sad and I'm angry.
I don't want the orthopedic or the rheumatologist to accuse me of being diagnosed by Doctor Google, but this feels the closest I've ever come to figuring out what's going on, and there's some hope at trying something new. I worry about going in, explaining my symptoms, and being pat on the head and sent home with Advil. Besides a full list of all my symptoms over the past 10 years, what other things should I bring to the appointment? Other history? Treatments tried? Questions to ask? I'm estranged from my parents so I don't have a family history.
Any and all advice would be so greatly appreciated. I've read through a lot of the posts here, nodding my head the entire time and crying.

I don't know who will end up reading this.
It's being written with certain people in mind like my niece who's in her 30's now, looking forward to being a new mom in this world still dealing with the pandemic (yes, it's still happening), the possibility of a new emerging pandemic compounding the current one (yes, Iowa has just signed a disaster proclamation throughout the entirety of June practically because of bird flu), and overall better housekeeping practices to avoid food-poisoning and general nastiness.
The battle could be won in the kitchen by home-cooks with good safety practices and conscientious grocery shopping habits that protect you and your household members. Keep watching this community's posts to see what other housekeeping techniques could play a role in preventing the contraction of Avian Flu or any other adjacent harm from Covid or food poisoning. Personally, I believe that aside from airborne contraction like Covid, it's also likely that food poisoning could prove to be a vector for H5N1 (\Everybody cross your fingers that I'm wrong on that one)*.
So, new lockdown dads and moms, this is for you.
We don't know what sustainability of this particular virus is like, potentially surviving and physically transferring from a surface as we once thought was a viable way of contracting Covid and collecting a viral load large enough to take hold in your system. We knew so little then, and we know so little now. If you weren't savvy before, you have to become fully aware now of common cleaning practices and wait for the official countermeasures from the CDC and WHO.
*That being said, it's notable that in retrospect, these agencies should've been quicker about informing the public with solid, inarguable countermeasures. I'm not a professional virologist, but I'm zero covid which either equates to being super-careful, super-lucky, or I'm deluded and super-asymptomatic.
In 2022, in a household full of sick members, I was the only one who tested negative. I wore an elastomeric vapor mask (the grey N95 with pink cartridges) and took care of the rest of the house by making hot meals, delivering to the front doors of their rooms, cleaning after them, and isolating to my room for weeks for meals and constant testing. So I'm no expert, but I've successfully dodged the pandemic.
As with Covid, keep up basic cleanliness standards. Clean hands for preparation, serving and eating. I don't think that masks are definitively playing a role yet in the fight against H5N1 Avian bird flu. I do think that clean surfaces will matter (including even clean floors, as I'll get to further down) but much of this is still in theory.
Don't drink raw milk or unpasteurized products. Don't serve or eat undercooked eggs, chicken or beef. Obviously, it's already been reported that H5N1 is showing up in commercial poultry and cows being tested for it, and it's definitely showing up in post-packaging.
Get right at square-one by avoiding to contaminate your refrigerators, sinks, counters, floors, cabinets, chopping boards, stoves, cooking surfaces and all touch points like stove knobs and trash lid handles. If you DO contaminate your kitchen sink, faucet heads and handles by washing meat (some of us do), keep your dishrack and dishes away at a safe distance to avoid splashing onto it. Follow up immediately by sterilizing your sink and surrounding surfaces, any sink-mats that might've contacted with blood or drippings from raw meat, scrubbing brushes, etc with slightly diluted unscented bleach. Properly dispose of plastic bags, cling wrap and foam trays from the shops.
If you're going to store fresh meat in your refrigerator, put it on the bottom-most shelf (\not the pull-out drawers for vegetables and fruit)*. Also, use a slightly deep tray or a lidded container to store that meat in case the packaging has a leak and bleeds. Avoid that whole mess.
Don't repurpose egg-trays for crafting projects as many DIYers do. That has already in the past demonstrated links to salmonella contamination. Carefully discard of raw egg shells and avoid cracking them on a surface that will not be cleaned immediately or unnoticeably drip down to the floor. I prefer to crack an egg with another egg over a bowl for scrambling, or using a surface of my heated pan instead of thoughtlessly using an open countertop.
If you do accidentally drop some raw egg or meat onto the floor, clean it up immediately. Avoid walking around in your kitchen without house-slippers and tracking that raw nastiness from between your toes and onto your carpet, couch and bedsheets. Don't let your four-legged friend come by unnoticed and snack on it.
I think there's already been some community chatter on how people and their family pets could invite house contamination via physical contact with bird droppings that might land on their yard and tracking it in with their paws or our own feet/shoes. I take off my shoes / slippers at the door and keep that outside footwear on a tall shoe rack.
With concern to pets being outside in the back yard or with you on nature hikes, I worry about the family dog or cat that hunts for birds or collects up dead birds in their mouths. While it might not transfer as a direct viral jump from infected pet to human exactly, people kiss their pets, get their hands or faces licked by the family dog and could transfer it that way in theory. That's a tough one.
There's also the totally unvalidated hypothesis that flies can possibly transfer the virus, proposed as a current vector for cows. Supposedly, a bunch of flies could feast on an infected dead bird or animal outside of the paddock, carry or consume virus particles, land on the nostrils or eyes of a cow and begin the cycle of infection. If true, could a housefly get you sick? Who knows?
Could a house be as full of flies as a dairy ranch? Probably not, but if you want to eliminate the possibility, maybe get fly-strips or a bug zapper? Seems extreme, but if you've ever spent the hot summer vacations at home in California swatting flies around the clock, it might be worth spending $40 on and indoor bug zapper from Amazon and plugging up any holes in your window screens, if only to combat the general annoyance of flies, gnats and June bugs.

• + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - +

Disclaimer: In my post, there are the usual suggestions about preventing Covid incorporating proper masking in public (well established at this point, for shopping and visiting doctors for example, wear and replenish your supply of disposable N95s), and for being around people who are verified Covid-positive, I'd recommend a well fitting elastomeric respirator 3M N95 mask with the secure overhead straps. *For what could be a new problem, H5N1, more is still being learned about it and how it's going to affect us either directly or in concert with Covid.
Drawing from the experiences of the past few years, we know better than to ignore lateral threats like Flu and RSV which could compound the situation and put any of us on a slippery slope. Even if we don't have all the ironclad answers about H5N1, we should be proposing the right questions, like "How is it spread?" and "What can I do to protect my home?" to keep out of harm's way.
Continual engagement to arrive at the best solutions isn't just the duty of government agencies-- it has become our role too. For some of us, it's evolved into the most important task we could've ever performed for our loved ones, fighting a tide of malcontent and complacency. My hat's off to you for caring just as much.

The pirate Lurkership sat quietly, scanning passing cargo ships near a galactic jump gate, while effectively cloaked. "Scan complete, Capp'n. Major Gigafreighter design, registry name "Big Yellow", always mega tons of goods and colony stores on those, boss, my venom fangs are waterin'.. Are we a go?"
The pirate captain scratched his chin dreadlocks, an uneasy feeling creeping up his endoscales. "Big Yellow, ya say? Wow thats a rather informal, rather Earthy name. Hmm. scan for crew biosigns, looking for " Human" classification. I believe that freight mega Corp classifies them as 'valued deckhands'
The cobra headed centipede gave a side nictating glance at his Captains uncharacteristic uneasiness, and ran the scan. "umm looks to be 2 humans on the crew, Cap, a deckhand Carl and a deckhand Bob on the liferaft emergency muster rosters. Only 2, out of a crew of 30,000. That should be no prob-"
"We are NoGo on this one, it goes in peace. No doubt about it"
The snake engineer hissed as it smacked its impale forearms on the console "why Cap? Why do you always pass, when there are one of these Humans on board? Even if its only a few? What could they possibly be like or do, to warrant such avoidance? Now I just need to know!"
" in a word. Kidd, it would be 'fulcrum'... And that in their tool mastery eye, everything can be one. Come on, lets cool off in the Cantina, and we can talk about the time I was prisoner with a Human... Back in the Mantiloid Invasion"
"Wow, boss. I had no idea you were that ancient"
"Ha! And that just made the first round on you, lets go.
~~~~~~~~~~
" we were in this skirmish, back then. I don't even recall the battle, or the reasons behind it, but I was a merc for one side, the human was a merc for the other side. We had shot each others ship to scrap, each of us sputtering on no fuel, left to throw nasty jokes and insults at each other over the comms as we each slowly lost power. Then Human was actually quite witty and funny, looking back at it. But then all of a sudden, we were both tractor beamed into what we later knew to be a scrapper grinder pit scavenger of the Mantiloid leading edge of their invasion fleet. Our ships were grabbed, stripped for parts, and we were both thrown in chains and tossed into the flaying funroom those frickin monsters have. I knew we were doomed, in for a horrific, bloody drawn out death. The Human, who was rather chunky, broad shouldered and densly muscled, with a scruffy braided yellow beard, didn't look too concerned, for some reason, and was looking around sharply, as if taking in every object in the room"
The captain paused, as if to gather his thoughts, tanking a huge drink. "So you actually spent some time in a room with one! Wow! Did he attack you right away?" Kidd asked, already deeply enraptured with the Captains story.
"Naw. We were 'cool with each other' at that time, some sort of 'common brotherhood in battle' thing that I can only admire. He also saw that I seemed to know more about our situation that he did, so he nodded with that little upchin nod they do to equals, and asked "so. How bad is this?". I nervously explained that this was very, very bad. How the Mantoloids were cruel, alien, sadistic. How their version of fun was to cut and peel and spread apart prisoners' insides, to watch the insides wriggle as we scream in agony., and their art is to make such horror last for weeks, months before the prisoner dies"
Kidd paused, frozen in his species' body language of horror "by the DarkStar. I had heard of those monsters. Whatever happened to all of them?" He asked as the Captain tilted towards him a knowing look "Oh. Of course. You and the Human escaped somehow, and word spread. So hey! You are actually part of that legend? Incredibly cool, Cap!"
That Captain nodded. "Yup, so after I explained what we were in for, the Human never got really alarmed or scared, just nodded and said as if to himself "ok, so its That Bad" as he made little nods with his thick neck. But just then the Mantiloids flew open and they shoved in aggressively to inspect their new toys. As they stretched the prisoners limbs out, tearing at their clothes, removing pocket items and jewelry from us, the Human stood there, his eyes taking close, intense stares at the Mantiloid alien form; the elbow joints, their hip joints, the head attachment to the thorax. The gaze was intense and oddly, coldly critical, as if studying their bodies for a test they didn't really care for. It was VERY off putting, making the Mantiloid stripping him pause and back away in unspecified alarm. It was so creepy, that studious look, that it alarmed even me as well. I would dearly not want to be ever under that gaze myself. Never ever, Kidd, especially after what happened later"
Kidd sat quietly, enraptured by his Captains every word.
" after they left, backing away from the Humans intense stare, the Human stood up and started tugging on his chains "how many on board, do ya think?" He asked me quietly. I informed him it was typically just the three that we saw, But couldn't be certain. He nodded then grabbed the chain that ran from his neck to a loop on the deckplate, he threaded his elbows around the chain in front of him, then spun to have the chain wrap over his hip as it pulled tight, with his legs still slightly in a squat. As he took a few deep breaths, I asked him what he was doing, or hoped to accomplish.
He said " gotta line the whole chain up..." as he said and made a face as he strained to stand up fully. there was 'ting!' As he sharply hopped up on his feet, holding up the broken grain with a grim smile "... To find the weakest link"
Kidd slapped a talon on the table "oh is THAT why you line everyone up to always find the thief?"
The drunken Captain nodded wisely "her damned right. I learned a ton of important lessons that day. So the he moved around the cell, picking up a pipe, and a block of ferroresin. He came over to me, to break my chain. I shook my head, stating that I'm not quite as strong as he apparently was. He show his head, and said ' you don't need to be very strong, if you've got the angle as he jammed a pipe under the chain floor ring, "... and leverage, as he pulled on the pipe, but my anchor held strong. The Human shook his head and grinned " or, failing that - a handy Fulcrum", where he put the ferroresin block under the bar, and this time see saw pushed the pipe, to lever the angle up, it tore smoothly out. The Human looked at me and actually grinned... As if he was having fun, or something."
Kidd blinked in surprise "but you were still locked in the cell, how were you going to get out?" He asked with as baited breath as his alien form could muster.
"that's exactly what I asked him. Like... Well, now what are we going to do? And kid, I can say this with a clear conscious; I felt shivers down my spines when the grin left his eyes and he said honestly, flatly " well, when they come back in I could just kill them all"... Yeah. yikes. I couldn't yet see how, but I tell ya, I believed him. He then asked me "killing is bad in Galactic Citizenship, but I feel under the circumstances that-" I assured him that it was well within Galactic Law. He then asked me if we got free could I fly this ship to a Galactic Hub Station. I nodded
And with that he nodded, and stood back in his chained up spot when he heard the cell gate jangling. As the Mantiloids entered with wicked glee in their eyes, holding many sharp and jagged torture devices, the Human just surged into the three with his entire bulk, not a care at all for the sharp blades and spikes that inevitably stabbed him in the process. He shoved the central alien hard to the cell gate, as his two arms whipped out to the sides almost too fast to see, and grabbed the other two bugs, just under their 'chins' in a solid closed fist around their narrow 'throats'. As their torture implements flailed around in their panicked alarm all over the Humans arms, chest and face, he grimly lowered his chin to protect his throat, then, with each closed fist, began to tilt his thumb forward, and with a sickening clicking POP! both of their heads flew completely off, and they fell, instantly dead. The third Mantiloid, keening in terror, was scrambling to pull its sidearm out, to aim it at the Wildman going berserk on them. But the bloody human surged in and full body pressed the bug against the gate. As he grimly held the bugs weapon off to the side, while his other hand hooked behind the necks apparently 'Redbull can' diameter "stupid bugs. Its never the monster you know..." As his hand closed tight fully encircling, and tilting backward- the bug already going into shock, "... Its the Monster you didn't know, that gets ya. And as a wise man once said, 'all it takes is JustOne Bad Day'."
Honestly kid, I have never seen anything so terrifying and simultaneously metal in my entire life. When it was all over, the Human ,badly cut up,began ripping rags to make bandages for his many cuts and punctures. I was amazed he was still functional, and stated as such, but see just grinned and shook his head, " see? not so bad" as many of his fine cuts had already scabbed over, and stopped bleeding.
As we searched the bodies for the key to the cell door, it appeared to be bio locked, needing a living crew mate to unlock. Oops. The Human didn't mind, and began explaining angles and fulcrums; how everything has a best/worst angle of incidence, and everything, literally everything is a Fulcrum. As he tore the cell door off by the hinges, the blast doors securing the command deck, the console cabinets securing the flight controls, I got first hand view of the Humans rightly deserved Masterful Tool Use, give a Human a sturdy strut spar and a fulcrum to place it on, and a Human can indeed disassemble the world"
By this point the Captain was done for the day and promptly passed out right there on his favorite cantina stool. As crew mate Kidd returned to his cabin, he was researching Humans on the Galactic pirate and anti pirate MetaNet. He was equally impressed, amazed, and horrified. They certainly didn't look to be all of this at first glance, that was for sure.
He then looked up the Mantiloid extinction, with its typically unclear cause, (but obviously it was the Humans) and raised his eyebrow ridges in surprise "huh. Even less time than the DragonCat extinction"