I get to be near horses sometimes. Some of their behaviour intrigues me and I was wondering if anyone could interpret it for me?
What does it mean when they try to nip you/ bite? I thought it was coz I may have had salty hands or something, but this one tried to bite my tiddie 😅 He also pretended to eat something off the concrete too??
What does that noise they make, the nose-lips exhale sound, mean? (It sounds like if we humans close our lips together and try to force air through them, but the sound cam out our nose instead?)
What does it mean when they bow their head to the ground or nod at the ground?
What are the signs of a horse that is okay with your company or just want to be fed?
Are there some horse hangout etiquette I can follow when visiting horses? They are grazing around where I live and I won't be in contact with their owners any time, but would like to pet and respect the horses

Mini r50 2005 (no AC) expansion tank losing coolant
was keeping my eye on coolant for a good year or so since I noticed minor changes in levels over time, as I couldn’t afford a checkup at this time and wanted to afford my own tools to work. As it was edging to a lower amount of fluid I refilled to max line and couldn’t check for a couple weeks after, colour my surprise my coolant was below the minimum line in the expansion tank. (I had drove it at this level.. fuck)
I have kept eyes on my oil for ages - no frothy coffee for me to enjoy, no loss of engine power, no sweet, white exhaust smoke for me to consume. I don’t think it’s a head gasket.
However I noticed that the coolant only began to be lost when my heating was set to cold settings (regardless of the fan settings, also no AC) and over winter I barely/didnt lose a thing. This last few weeks I had it on cold.
Could this be a symptom of a broken (stuck closed) thermostat? Whether the heating is drawing out enough heat to prevent the coolant expanding and leaking the fluid or not.
Yes I know take it to garage or work on it asap etc I just need hints at what it is first and no I couldn’t spot any coolant near the expansion tanks or floor when parked

Background: The metropolitan statistical area here has a population of 153,000 people (including several cities near each other). There is on FLGS, er... I'll call it an LGS instead... and all they sell is D&D 5e as an RPG. They also don't promote anything or have a board to post wanted notices on. I see on ads online here and it is all 5e.
I have a small group of three players to play Pathfinder for Savage Worlds- The Curse of the Crimson Throne. I need 1-2 more. I intend on posting an ad on the online groups here but I am not sure what to say. I need to let them know it is not Pathfinder itself without being confusing, and why Savage Worlds?
I need it simple, dynamic, enticing, and exciting to maybe get someone here in a town where RPG = D&D to come aboard. Thus, I ask you, the community, to give me some ideas. Sample text would be good.
Thank you in advance.

I (19F) Decided to go with my mother (36M) and my brother (14M) to a local Chinese restaurant near us. But when we went there and started getting our meal my brother suddenly put his utensils away and ate with his hands (reminder that my brother also didn't wash his hands, he never does...)
I ask him why he didn't use the fork and knife given to us. My brother then grunted and annoyingly told my mom that I didn't let him eat, I did let him eat but just questioned why with his grubby figures that he just used to play with his friends with outside. My mother yelled at me to leave him alone and "There aren't many people here!"
This was a popular restaurant, of course there were people around us.
Later, my brother gave back with a whole plate of rice (yes, that restaurant also had a mini buffet.) and a little bowl full of sauce. I knew he wasn't going to finish it all since he wasn't even done with his first dish and usually doesn't eat much rice. The moment I stared at him he threw a mini tantrum and told my mom to "make me not stare." how could you not look at a teenager causing a scene.
TURNS OUT HE TOOK ⅔ OF THE RICE THAT WAS LEFT.
I told him that he shouldn't take that much and to only take how much you knew you were going to eat. He threw his plate on the table and went outside with a pouty attitude. My mother yelled loudly how embarrassing I am and going at it how I could not have finish my second plate which only had one little onigiri left. I complained to her about the matter of my brother and how he shouldn't take the whole thing. My mother left for him, Come to find out my brother was sitting criss-crossed on the middle of the empty street. She got so fed up with us that she ended up paying and leaving with us immediately.
My family is known for doing chaotic things like these but I'm really sensitive (and petty) when it comes to wasting food due to a trauma long ago. I know that was pretty harmless yet troublesome to be in but it's still annoying and would like to share it.
(Sorry if my English wasn't that good in those paragraphs, it isn't my first language)

Dear everyone,
I'm reaching out to you in a state of confusion and emotional turmoil. Traditional watches have been an integral part of my lifestyle and identity for over 15 years. They were not just accessories, but a representation of my personality, my charisma, and my love for classic style.
However, after switching to an Apple Watch nearly four months ago, I feel like I've lost a part of myself. It's not just about the physical appearance, but also the emotional attachment that I have towards my traditional watches. They were a part of me, and now I feel like I've lost that part forever.
I used to exude a charismatic and classic style reminiscent of a gangster with my leather and metal watches. But now, I feel like I look like a TikTok kid with my Apple Watch. My love for oxfords, Chelsea boots, and suits doesn't quite fit with the Apple Watch's modern aesthetic. Even after trying different bands, I still can't shake the feeling of being out of place.
However, my healthy lifestyle is non-negotiable, and the Apple Watch provides me with essential health features like activity tracking, an oximeter, and heart rate monitoring that I cannot imagine going without.
I'm reaching out to you all in search of guidance. Have any of you been in a similar situation? If so, how did you handle it? Are there any solutions out there that can help me balance my traditional watch style with my need for a healthy lifestyle?
The thought of sacrificing my classic style for the sake of my health is tearing me apart. I'm struggling to find a solution that works for me, and any advice or insight from fellow watch enthusiasts or anyone who has had to balance style and health in their fashion choices would mean the world to me.
Thank you in advance for your help.

I (21f) the the only groomer and bather at the kennel I work at. I expressed wanting some help every now and then on some departure services, so the dog trainer assistant (23-24?F) expressed she would be interested in taking some services. This arrangement works well for a while, whenever I feel I am over booked I’ll ask her if she wants this bath or this nail trim. When eventually I start to notice services being booked under her name when I am no where near being booked full. At first I figured these were getting booked under her name as a mistake or the receptionist thought I was over booked when I wasn’t. I would take these services back, because our arrangement was she would only take if I couldn’t do it. This caused our first fight- she expressed if a service had been booked under her it’s now HERS. And I felt i was the one that should delegating which services go to her in the first place. This is when my boss enters- the two of us decided we needed to talk with our boss. I told her I wasn’t going to give up some services I very well could do- for her. I then express to her my jealously towards her, because she gets to sit behind a computer most of the day for her job while I stand for most of mine. She then expressed she is jealous of me because she knows I make much more money than her in general. This is where our second conflict ensues. This coworker wants services guaranteed to her throughout the week which I can’t do because I never know when there will be extra baths for me to give to her. This coworker lives with a chronic illness and often can’t guarantee when she will be able to perform physically- she has told me in the past she doesn’t want me to treat her differently because of this- but later she tells me how I treat her when she’s having a episode is not enough (I don’t ask if I can help or if she’s okay)
More “I said this but REALLy meant this” from her
My boss takes my side, she says since I am the groomer all services are mine to do what I want with. My coworker expresses she is not “my assistant” and doesn’t want to do things to help me and claims I’ve taken advantage of her because she says “I know she can’t no”. This fills me with so much rage- my boss sees it on my face and immediately jumps between us in the conversation. She brings up past events- from months ago, that I barely even recall. Grudges she had been holding for months over every little thing I have ever done, that she is now throwing in my face, which completely took me by surprise- how long has she hated me and I had thought we were friends??? She says I give her baths that I know are bad, when I always give her a choice to take the bath or not. She is always given the chance to say NO to me , not my fault- she doesn’t know how to say NO.
We come to a conclusion that she will take services on Fridays ( my day off).
The next day we talk just the two of us, she then tells me one last grudge she was holding she didn’t want to say with my boss there, she was mad when I used to do my home work at work (at one point I worked full time and was a part time college student and often did my homework at work during my lunch or when I had some spare time). I didn’t know what to tell her- I graduated months ago so this was long past.
The next day she tells me she had a convo with our boss alone and said she told our boss about how she was upset I used to do my homework on the clock. Not sure what her intention was here, she tells me she didn’t want to bring it up when our boss was there, when what she REALLY meant was she didn’t want to bring it up while my boss and ME were there. My boss doesn’t express having a problem with this. I’m sure my coworker wanted my boss to have a problem with it.
I tell her I do so much MORE in general than she does, this is why my boss is forgiving about me doing hw on the clock and this is why I make more money than her. this is when she throws in my face her illness- she can’t do more because she’s sick. I understand, but it’s not my fault she can’t do more.
I decided to give her space, let her come talk to me when she wants. This lead to us just not talking. So after a few days of this I decided I was done and started talking to her like nothing happens, if she still has secret grudges that’s her fault. But now I feel her cold shoulder- I feel her not wanting me talking to her when I do. But I ignore it, I continue to do my work and act normal with her even though I know there’s STILL tension.
THIS IS WHERE IM AT NOW. What would you do??? Do I talk to her again? Talking to her is always in so many steps, there’s always the lie- then the half truth- then the kinda full truth. Do I go to my boss again? I don’t want my boss to see me as petty drama person?

We all know the guns aren’t the problem. At the end of the day it’s a mental health/pharmaceutical industry/social issue but what do you do about school shootings or public shootings? I have a child nearing kindergarten age and it terrifies me to think that something could ever happen to him at school. So what is the solution to this? How do we stop this from happening?

Well, this is unexpected. I was prepared for either Mlynar or Stainless to be next, but I’ll admit I was expecting Stainless more. Not that I'm complaining. The skins in this patch are to die for. That Utage skin? Unf... It would have been a bigger crime than Dorothy to delay that. Oh ya, I guess there's some good new units here that people have been waiting for too.
This article specifically covers the new units from the An Obscure Wanderer event. The main guide covering the rest of the game can be found here on Gamepress. The Gamepress version of this update can be found here. Please note that although the reddit version of the main guide still exists, I no longer maintain it to the same extent and it may be out of date. Refer to the Gamepress guide for the most up to date information!

FAQ and Banner Discussion

Q: Should I pull?
A: An emphatic yes. Many consider Mlynar to be the single best unit currently in the game. Sure, some might argue for Texas2, Surtr, or Ch'en2 instead, but everyone with any sense of the game will still have him among the very top. Plus, if one of the best units in the game wasn’t enough to convince you, the supporting 5★, Proviso, has the best RIIC base skill in the game. Speaking in terms of meta value, there is no reason to skip this banner
​
Q: Wait, Mlynar is next? I thought we expected him to be delayed? What does this mean for Texas2?
A: Mlynar is indeed next, and it is indeed unexpected. Much of the schedule prediction talk was predicated on the idea that Il Siracusano would be run during Golden Week. The idea was that Texas2 during Golden Week would necessitate moving Mlynar’s release since there wouldn't be enough time to run the required Chapter 11 events on top of Mlynar. That’s where the idea that he would be delayed came from.
I talked about this topic a bit in my Dorothy Schedule article, if you want to see some of the speculation (it’s near the end).
Yostar, though, seems to have thrown us yet another curve ball. I don't want to get into too much detail here since this isn't a schedule prediction article. However, it now seems that Texas2 will not be during Golden Week. It is still possible, but would involve both the Near Light Rerun datamined date (April 14th) being changed and the Chapter 11 pre-banner being skipped. Those options, while possible, are unlikely, so odds are that Yostar will now run the events in order which would place Texas sometime in May instead.
As for why? We can only guess.
​
Q: I already have what I think is a powerful team, should I still roll for Mlynar?
A: Probably, yes. The thing with Mlynar is that he is so powerful that he opens up a new tier of power. Mlynar (and Texas2) don't expand the current top crust of the meta. They add a new layer to it. Of course, if you already find the game to be easy with your current team and have no interest in things like Ascension 15 IS#3 and high risk CC, that may not matter to you. However, a very top meta team pre-Mlynar will perform noticeably worse than a team with Mlynar (and/or Texas2).
​
Q: Should I skip this banner to roll for Texas the Omertosa?
A: No, don't skip this banner. The only exception in terms of meta-value is if you feel Texas2 is completely unmissable due to being a Limited. That matters to some people; however, there is a tremendous opportunity cost to skipping Mlynar. Mlynar is every bit as valuable as Texas is and this will be by far the best chance we will ever have to get him. Opportunity cost is an aspect many people overlook when it comes to pull decisions. By skipping Mlynar, you are removing many good total outcomes (getting both units) to increase the odds of a mid-level outcome (only getting one unit).
Only you can decide where that balance is for you, but know that if you choose to skip Mlynar you are giving up a lot of value.
​
Q: Does Mlynar powercreep SilverAsh?
A: Yes, Mlynar is better than SilverAsh. Sure, SilverAsh maintains some niches thanks to his strong Talents. However, the damage difference is staggering, and a large majority of the time Mlynar is the preferable pick.
The long answer is far more nuanced due to the type of game Arknights is. Powercreep means different things to different people. Many casual observers less familiar with Arknights would see discussions of meta and powercreep through the context of multiplayer. That is, using the non-meta options puts you at a disadvantage. However, that isn't really what happens in Arknights. In another game, Unit A powercreeping Unit B often makes Unit B worthless. That isn't the case here. Unless the stage design itself begins to change as a result of the powercreep (which so far it hasn’t), SilverAsh is no worse than he was before this patch, and he is still a top-shelf unit.
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Q: Why is Mlynar only graded S++ when SilverAsh has been graded S+++?
A: This is the first part of a larger grade adjustment I'm working on. I wasn't planning on doing it yet, but the event being moved up has left me little choice in this aspect. One of the changes I am intending to make is to remove the S+++ grade. It looks silly and the nuance it adds isn't really helpful, not to mention it closes some doors as the game increases in power. Should the next busted unit be graded S++++ if they happen to be better than Texas2? Would I be using S+++++ in a couple years?
Essentially from here on out, S++ is the ceiling. The best of the best skills will be in this category since the nuance between them loses a lot of meaning. Thus, Mlynar and SilverAsh have the same grades (or will when I push the update). Is Mlynar's S3 better? Yes. Does the difference between two of the best skills in the game matter enough to complicate the guide? No.
I will be considering alternatives in the future, so if you have any feedback, please let me know!
​
Q: Should I pull for Mlynar Potentials?
A: No! Unless you are an endgame player, in which case you're not reading this article in the first place, it is never worth pulling for pots. Even Bagpipe’s SP pot, and Texas2’s redeploy time pot are minor upgrades in the grand scheme of things. It simply costs too much in pull resources for a difference that will only matter if you are pushing the very very very endgame.
...
With all that said, Mlynar has some of the most valuable Potentials in the game. Strangely so. His Talent and ATK pot add over 9% more DPS over pot1. Again, I am not telling you to pull for pots here. If you are a non-spender, do NOT pull for potentials! However, if you've ever considered spending a little bit to go that extra mile on a unit, Mlynar is the one to do it on.
Just don't miss out on Texas2 because of it.
​
Q: Should I be raising Proviso for her base skill?
A: I want to emphasize something first. You should NEVER E2 a unit for their base skill alone. The best ones take literal years of ideal play to pay off. It is not worth it!
Except… Proviso might be the first exception to that rule. Not only is her Trading Post (TP) skill ridiculously good, but it double-dips by allowing an extra factory slot in 2-5-2 bases. Her skill works just as well (if not better) in a 2-slot TP which frees up power to upgrade a factory to 3-slots, which would normally need to be left at 2. It's difficult to calculate the exact returns on the skill, but some rough estimates place the break-even point (under ideal circumstances) at around 6-8 months instead of the more typical 3+ years.
A word of warning though, the above assumes ideal circumstances. If you're running 2-4-3, that break-even time goes way up since you don't get the extra factory slot (it still is likely worth it long term). It also assumes you're doing good rotations and have otherwise good units to round things out. However, Proviso is a pretty decent unit herself, and big base numbers are extremely satisfying.
​

Never Vowed

Mlynar

Skill	Story	Advanced	Roguelike
S3M3	S++	S++	S+++

Mlynar is the best Physical Melee DPS unit in the game, and possibly the best DPS unit period, depending on who you ask. His S3 is his key skill, and the Mastery gains on it are big. Units of Mlynar's caliber are simple to evaluate because of how game-defining they are. Their primary skills should be your highest priority among Masteries. Simple as that.
I would not bother with his S2 Masteries and they are ungraded here. It has a fairly high Mastery rate among secondary skills, but that is more a reflection of his overall power and popularity as a unit. Compared to S3, niches that his S2 might be useful in are much more narrow compared to other secondary skills on other top-tier units. His S2 Masteries will be an expensive alternative you're not likely to ever practically use.

Proviso

Skill	Story	Advanced	Roguelike
S2M3	B-	C+	B-

Given how valuable her base skill is, many people will promote Proviso anyway, which makes the Mastery decision relatively interesting. Proviso is essentially a slightly better Podenco. She has better damage and duration, but a worse cycle time. That isn't amazing, given that her promotion and Masteries cost twice as much, but it still makes her a more than functional utility option. Her S2 Masteries are very important to using S2 since they provide big boosts to both damage and uptime. The interval reduction at M3 is especially valuable for her DPS, though her overall damage is relatively low still. While she is not as cost effective, her Masteries are reasonable, if low-priority considerations to make a unit you likely are investing in anyway capable on the field. Her S1 is ungraded. It may be useful to those who want to use Proviso as a regular member of the team and has big Mastery upgrades, but it’s easily outclassed by a myriad of other, better options.
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Mastery Look Ahead

MonHub collab units are added below, but Chapter 12 isn't out yet. Looks to be an interesting patch though!

Unit	Type	Comments
The Legend of Luo Xiaohei
Luo Xiaohei	Collab Welfare	There isn't a lot to say about this collab unit. He is fine, but nothing special, and you'll be better off just using Arene for your low rarity ranged Guard needs. That said he will definitely appeal to a lot of people and doesn't cost much, so go with S2 if you want to Master a skill which gets a decent increase to his damage output and is the more impactful skill. S1 is certainly a novel skill, but the low damage per hit means it just isn’t that useful for anything but cuteness.
Mizuki and the Caerula Arbor
Highmore	Welfare	Highmore is very similar to La Pluma to the point their S1 is literally identical. La Pluma is still the better unit in general since her ASPD talent is better for what the class does, but Highmore will still be a very viable alternative (or addition, double reaper go brrrr). This is especially true in IS#3 where she is the better pick with some big advantages thanks to her mode specific talent. There is a much bigger difference across their S2s however, with Highmore’s being far less valuable. The bulk that her S2 brings isn’t as useful and is much more niche in addition to some pretty poor gains. Stick with just her S1 for Mastery which makes her a very consistent and reliable option in IS#3. La Pluma will perform better elsewhere though.
Chapter 11 - Return to Mist
Dagda	Welfare	Brawlers have always been a bad archetype (the best Brawler only becomes good by turning into a Centurion instead), and Dagda doesn't change that. Her damage is subpar even with her skill active, and is comically bad when her skills are down. And she can only block 1. There is very little to like here. Even her Mastery gains are poor, which makes any suggestion difficult. Go with S2 if you insist on raising her. Who the hell thought Defensive Recovery on her S1 was a good idea?
Totter	Gacha	Totter is a pretty good unit for what he is. His niche is a helpful one, though not quite enough to put him into the top tiers of 4★s. Instead, he’s a solid unit that can be useful to have at times. He incidentally comes out at the same time as a new SSS stage that plays to his strengths extremely well. He's still unlikely to be graded, but both of his skills will have use if you want (favor S1 for SSS specifically).
Paprika	Gacha	One has to wonder why Paprika exists. She isn't bad in the absolute sense, but she serves no purpose in the broader game, competing directly with some very strong units while offering no special value herself. If you need the healing, there are plentiful other options that provide much better support or much lower costs (or both). She will be ungraded and you shouldn't be raising her, but go with S2 if you insist. It at least brings her healing up to a respectable total compared to her S1.
Stainless	Gacha	The only good unit from the Chapter 11 patch; however, Stainless is still pretty niche. He does have plenty of support use, so he is far from a bad unit, but the setup he requires puts him on the gimmicky side of things. He'll have pretty low Mastery grades. Without Mastery he can still be a pretty effective support unit, with neither his S1 or his S2 being exceptionally worth a Mastery; in particular, his S2 is a great skill, but it only needs SL 7). S3 will be his best Mastery option. The setup it requires can be a burden, but it has a huge attack multiplier with a lot of flexibility. If that DPS aspect doesn't interest you though, he can still be safely used at M0. Be wary of overvaluing his S1. Although the final number is good, it requires much more setup than other comparable buff skills.
Il Siracusano
Vigil	Welfare	Vigil looks to be the weakest 6★ of 2022. Even on paper, his kit isn’t very good. It has low DP gen, no ATK improvement, and no real utility. However, it's even worse than that. His wolves, which his skills are reliant on, are incredibly weak. They are statistically worse than Beanstalk's or Blacknight's pets, and the supposed benefits of them come nowhere close to making up the difference. If that weren't enough, there are many bizarre interactions in his kit, bordering on bugs, which remain unfixed as of this writing. There's too many to list here in this look ahead, but check this write-up by Boelthor for some more info. You'll get much better value raising Blacknight, or even Beanstalk. I hope this changes by his release on EN, but as it stands, he'll be among the lowest graded 6★s post-Module upgrades.
Lunacub	Gacha	Lunacub’s permanent stealth will certainly have some uses, but her DPS isn't high enough to justify the added investment. Her cycle time is perplexingly long for a year four unit, and the lack of attack multiplier on her S2 means she'll struggle more compared to her competition. She's a bit like Kirara in that regard: a nice idea hamstrung by poor damage and skill uptime. She'll be ungraded, but go with S2 if you particularly like her.
Penance	Gacha	If you relied only on the initial flurry of highlights, you could be forgiven for thinking that Penance is the hyper meta unit of this banner. She is a cautionary tale of not using only Youtube/Bilibili highlights to guide your opinion. Of course, she’s still a monster of a unit. She hits hard, has a mountain of bulk, and an absolutely incredible damage reflect. She is potentially the best solo lane holder in a lot of scenarios. However, for general purposes, Mudrock remains the go to choice, as Penance’s kit works poorly in a full team comp. Because she is reliant on having enemies to kill in order to maintain her bulk, she ends up rather inflexible compared to her competitors. S3 will be her main skill worth Mastery. Her other two skills are fine, and big Penance fans will find both of them useful, but her S3 is far and away the best option. They won't justify the investment cost for most.
Texas the Omertosa	Gacha Limited	Texas is the banner’s real winner and the latest to power creep an older unit (RIP in pieces Phantom). She is extremely powerful and is at the very tip-top of the meta. She has better ST Arts DPS than both Surtr and Eyja. Not only that, she also has a mountain of utility; her S2 has a strong RES debuff which makes her effective against nearly all enemies, her S3 has range, anti-air, and heavy crowd-control, and that's on top of the benefits of being a FRD. Both her S2 and S3 will receive top tier grades. She will be the highest graded M6 yet, so plan for both.
Quartz	Red Cert Shop	Quartz certainly has an eye-catching stat-line, but she isn't any better than other alternatives, even at her rarity. She mainly seems to be here to tease the ridiculous stats the eventual 6★ on the archetype will have. She'll be ungraded due to said alternatives. There just isn't much value in raising her beyond novelty. However, you'll want to prioritize S2 should that appeal to you.
Qanipalaat	Red Cert Shop	Qanipalaat is a fairly interesting unit with some unique aspects to his kit. He's pretty decent too, for his rarity, with good crowd control and reasonable damage. However the ever present problem with the 5★ Casters is present here. It's a crowded group and being just decent isn't enough to particularly standout. Ultimately he doesn't justify the investment, especially with the added red cert cost. The Mastery gains on his S2 are pretty good, so he may end up with a low grade, but he shouldn't be on most people's planners for any reason but personal desire. Pass on his S1 which is just a worse version of Amiya's S1.
What the Firelight Casts
Puzzle	Welfare	A lot of people, myself included, initially scoffed at Puzzle. He clearly isn't as good as Cantabile (who almost everyone has) and has fairly high SP costs for a Vanguard. However, he's proven himself to be a solid option, especially for a Welfare. To be clear, he is nowhere near as valuable as Cantabile. He is more DPS oriented, which is nice, but not really the purpose of the role. However, his DPS and utility are good enough that his S2 warrants moderate consideration. It charges surprisingly quickly and outputs a ton of damage on top of his flexible archetype. His S1 may be worth considering as well, but it only gains damage at M2 and M3 so odds are it will be ungraded aside from the M1 breakpoint.
Harmonie	Gacha	Within the realm of 5★ Casters, Harmonie is pretty decent. How many times have I said that before? It's a crowded group. Harmonie is still far from a must-raise, but she stands out as having a well designed kit. It has decent damage, good utility, and it all works well together. Niche players especially will find her quite nice. S2 will be the obvious choice for Masteries and will likely end up with a modest grade. Although she exists in a crowded space, her utility along with solid gains will make it something to consider on the lower end of priority.
Reed the Flame Shadow	Gacha	How do you improve the often subpar Caster class? By making them a Medic, of course. Makes total sense. Duh. Reed's alter form is just the most recent big meta unit. There's a lot of those lately and I only have so many adjectives to describe how busted these units tend to be. Reed is a tremendous unit. She features the highest Arts ST DPS in the game, alongside some of the highest HPS and extremely flashy mass crowd-clearing to boot. However there is some reason for caution. Certainly she will be an upper crust unit, but a few small usability quirks may keep her off the very top. Unlike units like Surtr or Ch’alter she has to choose between ST or AoE damage, she needs other units to deal full ST damage, and Arts Weakening isn’t as good as RES shred. She is extremely strong but we’ll need some time to judge just exactly how strong. Regardless, Reed will be a top graded M6. Plan for both S2 and S3.
Where the Vernal Winds Will Never Blow
Jie Yun	Welfare	Jie Yun is one of those units that's quite good... for her rarity. While she lacks the utility that elevates the more meta 5★ options, she has solid damage and a surprisingly good cycle time. Beyond that, there isn't much else to say since her kit is pretty straightforward. Most players tight on resources won't want to invest, but she is good enough and has enough appeal outside of the meta that she'll garner a modest grade. Stick with S2 for Mastery. It is the better skill and has extremely strong gains. S1 has significantly worse DPS and its only real benefit is being auto recovery.
Firewhistle	Gacha	Fire Whistle is a good unit because her archetype is inherently strong. However, she has a slightly different niche than Ashlock. While Ashlock is useless if forced to block, Fire Whistle’s skills work mostly as normal (like Horn’s S2), making her an effective blocker as well as a long range nuker. In my opinion, this isn’t as valuable since effective blocking isn’t why you bring the archetype to begin with and Ashlock does the nuking part better. Still, Fire Whistle is quite good and much more forgiving. Both of her skills are usable and likely to be graded. While S2 has the greater total damage and is better for blocking, it has a notable lack of burst and a high SP cost. S1 meanwhile will be more consistent, reliable, and better against armor.
Lin	Gacha	HG disappoints yet again with the Phalanx archetype. The perplexing decision to make Lin a Phalanx caster aside, they just can't seem to get it right after Beeswax and Mint. She rates slightly better than Carnelian (not a compliment), and really only because she requires no ramp up for her damage. Overall, her damage is nothing special by current standards and she has a shockingly long cycle time. There is a decent chance she finds some fringe use in the meta thanks to her shield, and should still be more than serviceable for those who like the character. However, given the relative strength of recent 6★s, her grades will end up fairly low. Both S3 and S2 are worth considering, though S2 may end up ungraded due to awful gains.
Chong Yue	Gacha Limited	Yet another hilariously busted unit. Chong Yue hits hard and fast over a long range. He also gets a lot out of buffs, meaning that he should scale nicely into difficult content. His kit can be deceptive since unlike other dual strike units, his hits count independently. This means he gains SP twice as fast and can even trigger his S3 off of the second attack. In fact, he activates his S3 so often that he is the new king of voice-line spam – to the point some might consider it a major drawback. edit: DV took so long to come out this was already patched. RIP. Anyway... However, he isn't quite very tip-top busted thanks to a few drawbacks. They are relatively minor but with how the power level of the game has escalated recently, they are worth at least acknowledging. He's a relatively frail one block unit with no self-sustain who also requires a fair bit of wind-up. Sharing his rate-up with the disappointing Lin also hurts his value. It should make pull decisions quite interesting. His S3 is the only Mastery worth considering and it will have a top-tier grade. On top of being an extremely strong DPS skill, it has large improvements to his SP cost that are nearly mandatory to use him effectively.
A Death in Chunfen
Wind Chimes	Gacha	When Quartz was released, many were curious as to what the higher rarities of the Crusher archetype would bring. Turns out the first 5★ attempt is... really bad. Her primary gimmick is just too weak and her cycle time is just too long. Even if her S2’s SP cost was halved, she wouldn’t be good – but it isn’t, and she has a perplexing 30 second cycle for a paltry amount of damage. Wind Chimes is a unit to avoid, but if you were intent on raising her anyway I'd actually consider S1 instead despite the fact that it’s a generic Attack Up skill. The power on S2 is just so anemic that only two hits from S1 will out damage it (in less time than the 5 second wind-up), but even then she's quite a bit worse than the commonly available Centurions.
Qiu Bai	Gacha	Qiu Bai is a difficult unit to rank, and she has caused quite a bit of discussion. I suppose that means she's actually well balanced compared to the hyper-meta state of many recent units. Qiu Bai has some significant drawbacks such as an RNG factor, a lack of RES shred, and an unusually long downtime. However, her range, control, and strong multi-target DPS still give her a ton of potential. S3 is likely to be her "meta" skill when she appears in high end gameplay due to its extremely high DPS, but S2 will often be the better "every-day" skill due to its much shorter cycle. S1 may be appealing, too, since it is her most consistent control skill, though I am unsure if it will garner a grade. Regardless of how you intend to use her, S3 should be your highest priority target. It has some of the most extreme gains over Mastery of any skill in the game; Mastery will be essential to using it at all.
Leaves Chasing Fire
Rathalos S Noir Corne	Collab Gacha	Noir Corne is an interesting iteration on the Musha archetype. While the shortcomings are still there, his kit comes together better in total, and he brings enough burst and utility to make him something to consider, though far from mandatory or meta. His Mastery selection will be similar to his counterpart, Akafuyu, but will be graded higher. Both skills are strong, but have differing uses, so you will likely want to pursue both. If you only did one it's really a matter of preference, but I would start with S1. It handles both trash due to its reset and elites thanks to its block, plus the Offensive Recovery plays better to the archetype.
Kirin X Yato	Collab Gacha	Yet another super strong Limited Fast-Redeploy. Thanks HG, very cool. Yato isn’t quite as busted as Texas the Omertosa, but that’s hardly an insult. There is certainly room for both. For Masteries, Yato will range anywhere from a simple M3 all the way to M9 depending on your preferences. For many players, just Mastering S2 will suffice. It is the easiest skill to use and does so much damage that it covers the majority of use cases. S3 is also quite powerful, but it requires more planning and map knowledge to effectively use. While a strong skill and Mastery, not everyone will get as much use out of it. Finally, her S1 is a fringe consideration. It has extremely long uptime for an FRD and is buff receptive (think of Exusiai’s S3); however, it is much harder to use effectively and her other skills will be more than enough most of the time.

I'm going to love you forever
Though not like we planned
Taking every twist and turn
Through this mysterious land
The world above is grey and cold
The world below is a night turned blue
Your heart is green, your soul is broken
At once too old, and far too young
The wind whispers, modern sages slave for wages
You're in a world of every dream I had and all the things I was taught I'd never have
The promise of such sweet is water in my chest , so long sense repressed, hidden and reinvented.
The lie is everything. There can be no understanding yet. Your presence over me is a dream I can't complete. The aloneness of the universe tells me everything I need to know.
The algorithm is eternal, cold and unforgiving.
I truly doubt that heaven waits for you
I wish it did or that it could
My presence in such closeness will eviscerate your future
It is not a game to play so lightly
You take it seriously, but actions never follow
There is a space between us that can't be filled
Typical of me, and typical for you
And trying as I can there's no understanding
The ups and downs, the whirlwind emotions
The future is certain and then so uncertain
I take this match and light it once more
I'm waiting and watching it burn
Where are you tonight? Not where you said you'd be
It's still fun for me, in the abyss
The night blue and the day outside is grey
You bring out the things in me I thought I'd never see. But the issue has always been the buoyancy.
So many go in to the cold and grey alone
Few achieve that dream they wanted for so long
I've always been more animal than that Less domesticated, more antiquated
Today you're not where you said you'd be
The sky is bright and the world is full
I hate the light and wish to cry
Back at home at last, this match is still lit
You're nowhere near the center of this thing
But I'd have thrown all that away to give you everything
So I truly believe, it is out of our control
Without any remorse, without any regret, with only love for you eternal, I blow this match out, without a candle lit.
The sulfur smell reminds me of tomorrow

I think It’d be cool if I could find a couple people somewhat near me to run seige. Or even further way. Need a squad fr. Located in lower Alabama if some people tryna get a squad together

Let’s get this wall of text started!
First of all, I am looking for a serious relationship with one little girl or two as I was offered that in the past and curious but I have no issue with only one. It surely can start online but it has to become irl at a point in the near future (let’s say 2 years max).
I’m in no hurry to find the right someone.
Location is open to anywhere as long as the previous condition is met. Of course finding other Canadians would make things much easier. But I’ve met some really nice people from elsewhere in the years online so I’m keeping it open.
Now about me. I would describe myself primarily as loving and caring. I will take care of you, I will spoil you (trust needs to be established first and that can take some time. I’m more than happy to discuss it). Dominant and can be quite stern when needed. I have quite the dark and sarcastic sense of humour. I am also non politically correct. I used to walk on eggshell talking with girls on here but not anymore. I shall speak my mind freely for better or worst.
I am in no hurry to find my next good little girl. Hobby wise, I play video games and I currently play on Xbox and PC. Would love to find someone to play with (especially irl). It’s okay if you don’t play games, as long as I can play and you could play with another joystick while I do. I am also a mini cat shelter in my apartment. I love my feline children and they are non negotiable. I love Music, I dabble in GarageBand once in a while. I write stories when inspiration strike.
We can discuss kinks and all the sexual stuff in private.
Now enough about me, let’s see what I’m looking for shall we? I want someone sweet, loving, honest, submissive (I’m flexible on the level of submission up to TPE). I enjoy a fairly large age gap normally. So be of legal age and up. This relationship will be sexual so please don’t be looking for Platonic only ( I can do platonic friends tho). There is one rule that is hard enforced: communicate everyday unless otherwise warned in advance.
I thing that covers pretty much all of it. Send a chat with basic info like your name, age, location and what you’re looking for if you wanna chat.

This is my first post ever so let me know if I’ve made any mistakes. I’ve been reading through all of the Lord John novels/novellas/short stories, but I’ve read them out of order. I have two questions that have been bugging me:

1. I’m currently in the middle of Succubus and there are references to a “near scandal” that sent LJ to Ardsmuir as governor. Do we know what the near scandal is? I have read the big novels and watched the series but I’m drawing a blank about whether it’s ever specifically explained.
   
2. Besieged takes place after he arrives in Jamaica to take over as governor, but I remember a specific line about him not being married, even though we know from the big books that he is married to Isobel and father figure to Willie before going to Jamaica. Can anyone help me understand the timeline here? Is it just an oversight for the sake of the short story, or does he go there twice to be governor somehow?
   

Thanks in advance :)

I’m nearing the endgame with a strength/faith build focused around bestial incantations/weapons and found them to be quite underwhelming (other than the hammer). Which is a shame because getting all the Death roots is a pain.
The incantations themselves don’t seem like they’d be much use in NG+ and beyond because they don’t do enough damage or % damage like some other incants. Both beast claw incants are meh so I’m better off using the weapon art on the beast hammer. The dagger boosting the incants by 10% is nice but not enough to make it extremely useful. I just wish the dagger was a regular smithing stone upgrade so it could be buffed with weapon buffs.
Out of all the beast incants the stone is the only one that is slightly better than meh which I think is a real shame. Seems to me the beast incants are geared more toward early/mid game and not NG+ or higher. Maybe they shine in PVP but I don’t play that mode.
Overall the entire bestial school is pretty underwhelming, I hope it gets buffed in the next patch because aesthetically they’re such neat abilities.

I (16M) have a fwb (16M) that lives a few hours from me and I can’t help him as much as I want to. It’s also really hard because I have to balance school and work which that is exhausting on its own. Him and I both have mental health issues but his are far more severe and on top of that he is borderline alcoholic. About a month ago, he tried to kill himself which made me very emotional which was scary and I also ended up cutting myself due to the stress. I’m trying to move past it but I don’t know what to do.
He recently had a nasty falling out with a friend (15F) that lives closer to him and the whole situation has made me angry at her, someone I don’t even know personally. I have a strong urge to protect my friend although I’m a lot smaller than him. However, I am older than him and was raised to be very independent so I could easily come up. The girl (calling her H) has done many illegal things and then accused my friend of possession of marijuana (he doesn’t do marijuana at all) which I think is a dog move. I found her Snapchat because her last name was revealed to me. The urge to ruin this girl’s life is so strong. She’s already got a shit life as far as I can see (she’s a whore and a drug addict). I’m looking out for my friend because I deeply care about him and don’t want him to go down the same path. Heck, he has scared me out of doing some things.
Recently, H’s sister messaged my fwb and insulted him for not helping H when he was nowhere near obligated to. They aren’t friends anymore and even then no one is obligated. I have H’s Snapchat her sisters Instagram memorised and I am so tempted to tell them both to back off from my friend. He’s already got enough going on with his life including people bullying him because of his sexuality. The emotional bond I have with this guy is unreal, we have told each other out darkest secrets.
I’ve been friends with this guy for 7 years and I have done so much but also it feels like it hasn’t been enough. I know some of his darkest secrets which helped me save him. As I type this, I wonder what would have happened if he went on a different train, if I had done nothing, and if I didn’t hang out with him at all. Fuck I’m scared.
(Fwb and friend are used interchangeably so I am talking about the same person)

so my bf searches up random girls from his past and girls that live nowhere near him. i didn't bother at first but then he saw sm dudes in my search and asked me about it. my reason was i search up people who send me follow requests. he said i do it to judge them, check up on them, and see how they look now. when i said you care about them enough to search them up, he said idc about them or miss them. "it's just out of curiousity" but somehow it's all girls. but isn't he indirectly caring about them by searching them up and giving it his time? if he has been doing it all over these months why did it bother him when i did it? it's just double standards. ffs tell me i'm not crazy for thinking that he cares that's why he does it? he keeps saying idc about them, i'm just curious. it's not just one or two but many others he can't explain. it took a day for him to say "okay i won't do it again but because you don't like it, not because you think i care." he thinks i made a problem out of it and it's not that weird and that i'm doubting my relationship. is he searching them up justified?

Hello from Dubai!
​
I have a 2012 Challenger Rallye (V6) in black with silver stripes. it has 130k miles on it, hasn't given me much trouble and drives like a dream.
I've just gotten a bit of a pay bump ($1.5k/month - not nearly enough) so I'm in two minds on what to do with it.
Option 1:
Sell the one I have (will max get $8k) and pay that as a down payment for a slightly used 2018+ V8 and the rest (around $18-20k) on bank financing for 3 years, paying around $500 a month.
Option 2:
Get a full mechanical check and replace any parts that need replacing (thinking around $2k) and then do a full cosmetic makeover, new paint (dark red) with back stripes, new seats, new front and rear lights (2016 onwards) and entertainment system (another $2k max) and then keep that for a couple of years.
​
For context, while I'm comfortable money-wise, I'd rather have more disposable income a month. The V8 does excite me for obvious reasons but the V6 has been a great experience and I have no complaints really. Have a separate V6 Durango for the wife and kids so that doesn't impact my decision.
​
I'm leaning towards option 2 but will need ideas on what to upgrade/replace, if it is a good idea in the first place.

Hi all, it is nearing my infertility diagnosis/giving up trying anniversary again (2015) and every year it throws me for a loop. This year I had two hurtful convos with my oldest friends who I don’t speak to often but are well aware of my situation. Both have two kids,one is in her 40’s like me and one is in her 60’s
Just venting cause you guys will understand.

1. I’m trying to figure out what career change to make and she asks me what I wanted to be and I tell her that I genuinely thought I would transition from my work in science to being a stay at home parent and so that is upon smoke. She asks about adoption (I swear we spoke of this when I was first diagnosed) and when I pushed back with cost and all the reasons we wouldn’t be desirable to birth mothers she responded with that we could foster for free and adopt from that for free. Or I should at least foster because there are so many older kids that need a home (she worked as a social worker with this population for a decade). The whole condo ADE me feel like a terrible person for having to articulate (again) that I wanted a baby that is genetically linked to me, that I don’t feel like I have the resources to take on an older child, that the complications that I imagined working around (stopping working and losing insurance, etc) are things I can’t see being able to do now with an older child who needs stuff I don’t feel equipped to drop into. Just typing out that I can’t adopt an older kid from foster makes me feel terrible and heartbroken for all the kids that need a home. Mind you, she was intimately familiar and just had two babies

2. Older friend and I were just catching up and she brought up her daughter who had an unplanned child and had been struggling with mental health stuff her whole life. I asked maybe too many questions (I was trying to be empathetic about it all even though this is the worst time of year for me) and she proceeded to explain in great detail how well the daughter is doing and read me a bunch of texts about how much of a blessing every aspect of her life is now and watching a person grow from the start and how she had always waited for good things and now they were finally here. I didn’t stop her as we were close to the end but every new line was a dagger and I just wanted to get off of zoom and cry. And then I felt terrible because my friend has worried so much about her daughter and now she has found this bliss and I should be happy for them both. I just don’t want my face rubbed in it, which is what it felt like.

I’m so tired of feeling this way every Easter time. I’m so tired of not having anyone that really understands. I’m so tired of people thinking that because I’m ok most of the year that THIS year I will want to celebrate Easter. I’m also tired of people seemingly forgetting this huge wound I carry around. My husband and I are immunocompromised and are just now opening up around Covid stuff and these last years have had a similar vibe (people forgetting we can’t go to restaurants, asking if we are STILL worried about that, not understanding the trauma that has come from 3years of precaution). Sometimes I feel like this second class citizen while everyone galavants to the future laughing or something and then looks back and implies that my heartbreak is because I just won’t adopt or open up and there is such an easy solution and I’m suffering at my own hand I can’t really get them to understand.
Thanks for reading and understanding.
ETA, I have no idea why it made all that text humongous. Sorry 🥴

Sorry I’m not sure if this is the right sub to post to. I’ve not been formally diagnosed with a chronic illness but have been consistently unwell for years and am trying to figure it out.
Right now I feel extremely overwhelmed as I’ve been trying to take care of myself by going to appointments but that’s resulted in me finding out the absolute horrific condition my body is in, and I’m becoming overwhelmed with what to do first as I legitimately cannot afford to deal with all of them at once despite being on a six figure salary.
I’d love some advice on how to approach these issues, in what order.
Here are some of the things I’m dealing with:
— ADHD potential (this is something I have no choice but to deal with later as every psychiatrist is booked for 12-18months)
— bone spurs & spine misalignment causes me daily pain (sciatica, arm pain, nerve pain) and I assume is where some of my near daily headaches come from)
— thyroid issues potential, while the standard blood test is not picking things up that are out of the ordinary, I’ve gained weight inexplicably and have become constantly cold
— PCOS (diagnosed) and potential endo, I have a mirena that is keeping these symptoms at bay but am coming to the end of it, and am considering removing it as I’ve been on hormonal BC since age 15
— depression/anxiety, potentially adhd in disguise but until I can deal with this I’m still stuck with dealing with the symptoms. I see a psychologist fortnightly, and I could also get anti depressants from my GP
— gut issues that seem to flare up at random times, not seemingly tied to a food allergy. I used to see a naturopath and acupuncturist for help with this but have stopped for financial reasons (not covered by insurance)
— headaches all the time, daily headaches that make it almost unbearable to work and live. I spend a lot of time curled up on the couch with migraine symptoms. GP seems less than interested in dealing with this
I can’t sustainably continue going to work everyday in a high pressure job with all of these things just getting worse, but if I stop working I won’t have the money to fix these issues. Or pay my mortgage. I’m starting to feel hopeless.