#AV System Design

[vivencyglobal]

AV Solutions – Vivency Technology LLC

Vivency Technology LLC is a leading provider of IT Audio Visual (AV) solutions, delivering top-tier AV system design, installation, integration, maintenance, and support for various industries. With expertise in cutting-edge AV technology, Vivency ensures seamless communication, collaboration, and presentation experiences tailored to your business needs.

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[avtechnologysworld]

Speaker Layout Configurations: 5.1, 7.1, 9.1.2, and Beyond

In the world of home theater and surround sound systems, the speaker layout configuration plays a crucial role in delivering an immersive and engaging audio experience. From the classic 5.1 setup to the more advanced 7.1, 9.1.2, and beyond, each configuration offers unique benefits and capabilities, allowing you to tailor the audio experience to your specific preferences and room layout.

Choosing the right speaker layout configuration is essential for achieving optimal sound quality, accurate sound localization, and a truly enveloping audio environment. Whether you're a movie enthusiast, gamer, or music lover, understanding the nuances of these configurations can help you make informed decisions and create a home theater setup that exceeds your expectations.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the various speaker layout configurations, including 5.1, 7.1, 9.1.2, and beyond, providing valuable insights and expert tips to help you select the ideal configuration for your space and entertainment needs.

Introduction

In the realm of audio video system design, the speaker layout configuration is a fundamental aspect that can significantly impact the overall audio experience. From the immersive surround sound of a movie theater to the captivating music performances in a concert hall, the placement and arrangement of speakers play a crucial role in creating a truly engaging and realistic audio environment.

Whether you're a movie enthusiast, gamer, or music lover, choosing the right speaker layout configuration is essential for achieving optimal sound quality, accurate sound localization, and a truly enveloping audio experience. With advancements in audio technologies and the introduction of immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, the possibilities for speaker configurations have expanded, offering a wide range of options to suit various room sizes, seating arrangements, and personal preferences.In this blog post, we'll delve into the world of speaker layout configurations, exploring the classic 5.1 setup, the popular 7.1 configuration, the immersive 9.1.2 arrangement, and even beyond, providing valuable insights and expert tips to help you select the ideal configuration for your space and entertainment needs.

5.1 Speaker Configuration

The 5.1 speaker configuration is considered the foundation of modern home theater setups and has been a standard for decades. This configuration consists of five main speakers (front left, front right, center, surround left, and surround right) and one subwoofer, providing a well-rounded and immersive audio experience.

Front Left and Right Speakers: These speakers are responsible for delivering the primary audio content, such as movie soundtracks, music, and sound effects. They should be positioned at ear level and equidistant from the main listening position, forming an equilateral triangle with the listener.

Center Channel Speaker: The center channel speaker is dedicated to reproducing dialogue and anchoring the audio to the on-screen action. It should be placed directly above or below the center of the screen, aligned with the front left and right speakers.

Surround Left and Right Speakers: The surround speakers are responsible for creating an enveloping audio environment, adding depth and ambiance to the overall sound experience. They should be positioned slightly behind and to the sides of the main listening area, ideally at ear level or slightly above.

Subwoofer: The subwoofer is responsible for reproducing low-frequency bass effects, adding impact and depth to the overall audio experience. Its placement is flexible, as low frequencies are non-directional, but it's generally recommended to position it near the front of the room for optimal integration with the main speakers.

The 5.1 configuration is a versatile and widely adopted setup, suitable for a variety of room sizes and seating arrangements. It provides a balanced and immersive audio experience, making it an excellent choice for movie viewing, gaming, and music listening.

7.1 Speaker Configuration

Building upon the foundation of the 5.1 setup, the 7.1 speaker configuration adds two additional surround speakers, creating a more enveloping and immersive audio environment. This configuration is particularly well-suited for larger rooms or dedicated home theater spaces.

Front Left, Right, and Center Speakers: These speakers maintain the same positioning and roles as in the 5.1 configuration, delivering the primary audio content and anchoring the dialogue to the screen.

Surround Left and Right Speakers: Similar to the 5.1 setup, these speakers are responsible for creating an enveloping audio environment and adding depth and ambiance to the overall sound experience.

Surround Back Left and Right Speakers: The addition of the surround back speakers is the key differentiator of the 7.1 configuration. These speakers are positioned behind the main listening area, creating a more immersive and enveloping audio experience, particularly for surround sound formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

Subwoofer: As with the 5.1 setup, the subwoofer is responsible for reproducing low-frequency bass effects, adding impact and depth to the overall audio experience.

The 7.1 configuration is particularly well-suited for larger rooms or dedicated home theater spaces, as it provides a more enveloping audio experience and enhanced sound localization. It's an excellent choice for movie enthusiasts and gamers who desire a truly immersive audio environment.

9.1.2 Speaker Configuration (Dolby Atmos and DTS:X)

With the advent of immersive audio technologies like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, speaker configurations have evolved to incorporate height channels, creating a more three-dimensional and enveloping audio experience. The 9.1.2 configuration is a popular choice for those seeking to take advantage of these immersive audio formats.

Front Left, Right, and Center Speakers: These speakers maintain the same positioning and roles as in the 5.1 and 7.1 configurations, delivering the primary audio content and anchoring the dialogue to the screen.

Surround Left and Right Speakers: Similar to the 5.1 and 7.1 setups, these speakers are responsible for creating an enveloping audio environment and adding depth and ambiance to the overall sound experience.

Surround Back Left and Right Speakers: As in the 7.1 configuration, these speakers are positioned behind the main listening area, enhancing the enveloping audio experience.

Height Left and Right Speakers: The addition of height speakers is the key differentiator of the 9.1.2 configuration. These speakers are positioned above the main listening area, typically mounted on the ceiling or high on the walls, creating a more three-dimensional and immersive audio experience. They are responsible for reproducing overhead and height-based audio cues, adding a sense of verticality to the sound field.

Subwoofer: As with the other configurations, the subwoofer is responsible for reproducing low-frequency bass effects, adding impact and depth to the overall audio experience.

The 9.1.2 configuration is an excellent choice for those seeking to take advantage of immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, as it provides a more three-dimensional and enveloping audio experience. It's particularly well-suited for dedicated home theater spaces or larger rooms, where the added height channels can truly shine.

Beyond 9.1.2: Advanced Speaker Configurations

As audio technologies continue to evolve, even more advanced speaker configurations have emerged, catering to the most discerning audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts. These configurations often incorporate additional height channels, surround speakers, or even overhead speakers, creating an even more immersive and enveloping audio environment.

11.1.4 Configuration: This configuration adds two additional surround speakers and two additional height speakers to the 9.1.2 setup, creating a more immersive and enveloping audio experience, particularly for larger rooms or dedicated home theater spaces.

13.1.6 Configuration: Taking immersion to the next level, the 13.1.6 configuration incorporates six height speakers, two surround back speakers, and two additional surround speakers, creating a truly three-dimensional and enveloping audio environment.

22.2.4 Configuration (Dolby Atmos with Overhead Speakers): For the ultimate in immersive audio, the 22.2.4 configuration incorporates overhead speakers in addition to traditional height speakers, creating a truly three-dimensional and enveloping audio experience that mimics the sound field of a commercial cinema.

These advanced configurations are typically reserved for dedicated home theater spaces or large rooms, where the added speakers and channels can truly shine. They offer an unparalleled level of immersion and realism, transporting you into the heart of the action and creating a truly captivating audio experience.

Exploring AV System Integration Software and Speaker Layout Optimization

In today's modern home theaters and audio setups, advanced AV system integration software plays a crucial role in optimizing the overall audio experience, including speaker layout configurations. These software platforms, such as Control4, Crestron, and Savant, offer powerful tools and features that can assist in achieving the ideal speaker placement and calibration for your specific room and setup.

Control4

Control4 is a leading provider of smart home automation solutions, including advanced AV system integration software. Their platform offers several features that can aid in optimizing speaker layout configurations:

Speaker Calibration: Control4's speaker calibration tools allow you to precisely adjust the levels, delays, and equalization settings for each speaker in your system, ensuring optimal integration and performance, regardless of the layout configuration.

Room Correction: Control4's room correction technology analyzes the acoustic properties of your room and automatically adjusts the system to compensate for any potential issues, such as reflections or standing waves. This can help mitigate acoustic challenges and optimize the performance of your speaker layout configuration.

Listening Profiles: With Control4, you can create multiple listening profiles tailored to different seating positions or preferences. This allows you to optimize the speaker layout configuration and overall system calibration for various listening scenarios.

Crestron

Crestron is another renowned provider of AV system integration software, offering advanced features for optimizing speaker layout configurations:

Audyssey MultEQ XT32: Crestron's integration with Audyssey MultEQ XT32 room correction technology allows for precise calibration of your speaker layout configuration and the entire audio system. This technology analyzes the room's acoustic characteristics and adjusts the speakers accordingly, ensuring optimal performance.

Speaker Level Calibration: Crestron's software provides comprehensive speaker level calibration tools, enabling you to fine-tune the volume and balance of each speaker in your layout configuration, ensuring seamless integration and a cohesive audio experience.

Customizable Presets: With Crestron, you can create and save customized presets for different listening scenarios or speaker layout configurations. This allows you to quickly switch between optimized settings based on your preferences or room setup.

Savant

Savant is a leading provider of smart home automation solutions, including advanced AV system integration software. Their platform offers several features to help optimize speaker layout configurations:

RoomPerfect™ Room Correction: Savant's RoomPerfect™ technology analyzes the acoustic properties of your room and automatically adjusts the audio system to compensate for any potential issues, such as reflections or standing waves. This can help mitigate acoustic challenges and optimize the performance of your speaker layout configuration.

Speaker Calibration Wizard: Savant's user-friendly speaker calibration wizard guides you through the process of properly setting up and calibrating each speaker in your layout configuration. This ensures optimal performance and integration, regardless of the speaker arrangement.

Scene Configurations: With Savant, you can create and save different scene configurations tailored to various speaker layout configurations or listening scenarios. This allows you to easily switch between optimized settings based on your preferences or room setup.

By leveraging the advanced features and capabilities of these AV system integration software platforms, you can ensure that your speaker layout configuration is properly calibrated and optimized for your specific room and listening requirements. This can lead to an improved and more immersive listening experience, with accurate sound localization, seamless integration between speakers, and a cohesive audio environment.

User Case Studies: Real-World Speaker Layout Configurations

To better understand the practical application of these speaker layout configurations, let's explore some real-world case studies showcasing how users have implemented various setups to suit their specific needs and preferences.

Case Study 1: Compact Living Room Setup with 5.1 ConfigurationJ

ohn, a movie enthusiast living in a city apartment, wanted to create an immersive home theater experience in his compact living room. After consulting with a home theater professional, he decided to implement a 5.1 speaker configuration that would fit his space constraints while still delivering a high-quality audio experience.

Room Specifications:

Dimensions: 14' x 12' x 8' (length x width x height)

Seating arrangement: Two-seat sofa and armchair

Speaker Configuration:

Front Left and Right Speakers: Bookshelf speakers positioned at ear level and equidistant from the main listening position

Center Channel Speaker: Compact center speaker placed below the TV

Surround Left and Right Speakers: Wall-mounted surround speakers positioned slightly behind and to the sides of the seating area

Subwoofer: Compact subwoofer placed in the front corner of the room

User Experience: John was thrilled with the immersive audio experience provided by the 5.1 speaker configuration in his compact living room. Despite the space constraints, the setup delivered clear and intelligible dialogue, accurate sound localization, and a well-rounded audio experience that enhanced his movie-watching sessions."The 5.1 configuration was the perfect choice for my living room," John said. "The surround sound experience is truly immersive, and the compact speakers blend seamlessly with my decor, making it a practical and enjoyable setup."

Case Study 2: Dedicated Home Theater with 7.1 Configuration

Sarah, a home theater enthusiast, wanted to create a dedicated home theater space in her basement, complete with an immersive audio experience. After consulting with an AV professional, she decided to implement a 7.1 speaker configuration to take advantage of the larger room size and create a truly enveloping audio environment.

Room Specifications:

Dimensions: 20' x 16' x 9' (length x width x height)

Seating arrangement: Three rows of plush, reclining chairs

Speaker Configuration:

Front Left, Right, and Center Speakers: High-performance tower speakers and center channel speaker

Surround Left and Right Speakers: Wall-mounted surround speakers positioned slightly behind and to the sides of the seating area

Surround Back Left and Right Speakers: Wall-mounted surround back speakers positioned behind the seating area

Subwoofer: Powerful subwoofer placed in the front corner of the room

User Experience: Sarah was delighted with the immersive audio experience provided by the 7.1 speaker configuration in her dedicated home theater space. The addition of the surround back speakers created a more enveloping audio environment, enhancing the sense of realism and immersion during movie-watching sessions and gaming experiences."The 7.1 configuration truly elevates the audio experience in my home theater," Sarah said. "The enveloping sound field and accurate sound localization make me feel like I'm right in the middle of the action, whether I'm watching a blockbuster movie or playing an immersive video game."

Case Study 3: High-End Home Theater with 9.1.2 Dolby Atmos Configuration

Michael, an audiophile and home theater enthusiast, wanted to create a state-of-the-art home theater setup that would take advantage of the latest immersive audio technologies. After consulting with an AV professional, he decided to implement a 9.1.2 Dolby Atmos configuration, incorporating height speakers for a truly three-dimensional audio experience.

Room Specifications:

Dimensions: 22' x 18' x 10' (length x width x height)

Seating arrangement: Two rows of plush, reclining chairs

Speaker Configuration:

Front Left, Right, and Center Speakers: High-performance tower speakers and center channel speaker

Surround Left and Right Speakers: Wall-mounted surround speakers positioned slightly behind and to the sides of the seating area

Surround Back Left and Right Speakers: Wall-mounted surround back speakers positioned behind the seating area

Height Left and Right Speakers: Ceiling-mounted height speakers positioned above the seating area

Subwoofer: Powerful subwoofer placed in the front corner of the room

User Experience: Michael was thoroughly impressed with the immersive audio experience provided by the 9.1.2 Dolby Atmos configuration in his dedicated home theater space. The addition of the height speakers created a truly three-dimensional audio environment, adding a sense of verticality and realism to the sound field."The 9.1.2 Dolby Atmos configuration has taken my home theater experience to a whole new level," Michael said. "The three-dimensional audio environment is simply stunning, and the sense of immersion is unparalleled. It truly feels like I'm in the middle of the action, whether I'm watching a movie or listening to music."

User Queries and Answers

1. How do I determine the appropriate speaker layout configuration for my room size?

The appropriate speaker layout configuration largely depends on the size of your room and the desired level of immersion. As a general guideline, smaller rooms (up to 200 square feet) are well-suited for a 5.1 configuration, while medium-sized rooms (200-400 square feet) can accommodate a 7.1 setup. For larger rooms (400+ square feet) or dedicated home theater spaces, more advanced configurations like 9.1.2 or beyond may be appropriate to take advantage of the additional space and create a truly immersive audio environment.

2. Can I mix and match speakers from different brands or series in my layout configuration?

While it's generally recommended to use speakers from the same brand and series for optimal tonal matching and seamless integration, it is possible to mix and match speakers from different brands or series in your layout configuration. However, you may need to invest more time and effort into calibrating and equalizing the speakers to achieve a cohesive and balanced sound across the entire system.

3. How important is the placement and positioning of the subwoofer in a speaker layout configuration?

The placement and positioning of the subwoofer can have a significant impact on the overall bass response and integration with the rest of the speakers in your layout configuration. While low frequencies are non-directional, the subwoofer's location can affect how the bass interacts with room boundaries and furniture, potentially creating acoustic issues or uneven bass distribution. It's recommended to experiment with different subwoofer placements and utilize room correction software or acoustic treatments to optimize the bass response and integration.

4. Can I upgrade or expand my speaker layout configuration over time?

Absolutely! Many home theater enthusiasts start with a more basic speaker layout configuration, such as 5.1 or 7.1, and gradually upgrade or expand their setup as their needs and preferences evolve. Most AV receivers and processors support various speaker configurations, allowing you to add additional speakers or channels as desired. However, it's important to ensure that your existing equipment can support the desired upgrade and that you follow proper speaker placement guidelines for the new configuration.

5. How do I account for furniture and decor when planning my speaker layout configuration?

Furniture and decor can significantly impact the acoustics of your room and the overall sound quality of your speaker layout configuration. When planning your speaker placement, consider potential obstructions or reflective surfaces that may interfere with sound propagation. Additionally, ensure that your speakers are positioned at the appropriate height and distance from walls or other surfaces to minimize acoustic interference. If necessary, consider implementing acoustic treatments or rearranging furniture to optimize the listening environment.

Conclusion

Choosing the right speaker layout configuration is a crucial aspect of designing an immersive and engaging home theater or surround sound system. From the classic 5.1 setup to the more advanced 7.1, 9.1.2, and beyond, each configuration offers unique benefits and capabilities, allowing you to tailor the audio experience to your specific preferences, room size, and desired level of immersion.

When selecting a speaker layout configuration, it's essential to consider factors such as room dimensions, seating arrangement, and personal preferences. Smaller rooms may be well-suited for a 5.1 or 7.1 configuration, while larger spaces or dedicated home theater rooms may benefit from more advanced setups like 9.1.2 or beyond, which incorporate height channels and create a truly three-dimensional and enveloping audio environment.

Leveraging advanced AV system integration software, such as Control4, Crestron, or Savant, can further enhance your setup by providing powerful tools for speaker calibration, room correction, and customizable presets. These platforms allow you to fine-tune the performance of your speaker layout configuration, ensuring optimal sound quality, accurate sound localization, and seamless integration between speakers.

Remember, proper speaker placement and calibration are crucial for achieving the best possible audio experience, regardless of the layout configuration you choose. Regularly recalibrating and adjusting your system as needed can help ensure that your audio experience remains immersive, engaging, and true to the intended sound design.

By carefully considering your specific needs and preferences, leveraging the expertise of professionals, and embracing the latest technologies and tools, you can create a home theater or surround sound system that delivers a truly captivating and immersive audio experience, transporting you into the heart of the action and elevating your entertainment experience to new heights.

[av-industry-blog]

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[sombreset]

Honestly; bday present of time

[audio-visual-technology01]

The Role of Audio Visual Solutions in Business Communication

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[soundinnovators]

Audio Visual Installation And Home Audio Systems Installation | Sound Innovators

Welcome to Sound Innovators! Elevate your home entertainment with luxury audio-visual systems. We are specializing in home theater, hi-fi audio, and automation solutions in Mumbai and Pune. Experience the cinema-quality sound and advanced home automation today!

[selenezq]

🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞MDNI🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞🔞

CW: dub con, loss of control, sex pollen trope

Pairing Alastor x Reader

Reader is AFAB

Edited by the lovely @the-demon-of-a-thousand-eyes

But That's A Freaky Sex Flower

It is a beautiful day in Hell, about as pretty as it gets, really. You take in all the sights and smells as you walk along the sidewalk. You are heading to the store, on an errand for the hotel, when the most lovely flower catches your eye. Coming to a standstill, you bend down to get a closer look. 

Pink petals with a beautiful, intricate, black design surrounded a lovely red center. You bring your nose down to get a whiff, inhaling its saccharine scent. Gently plucking it, you tuck it into your hair to wear as a beautiful accessory. 

You’ve never seen anything like it before. Excited by your new discovery, you find some extra pep in your step as you walk the short distance to and inside the store. You pass the aisles filled with various foods, houseware goods, and personal items, reading the signs above each one until you see the one you need. You turn left to walk down the aisle, looking around until you see what you had come for: some pens and paper. 

Reaching your hands out you gingerly grab them. As you leave the area and make your way through the store to checkout, you suddenly begin to feel warm. Placing your items on the counter, you give a kind smile to the store clerk. "It's a scorcher out there today, isn't it?" You ask congenially. 

"Nah, it's not that hot," the cashier responds curtly followed by rather rude eye roll as they ring your items up, then tell you with a monotone voice, "Your total will be $7.93.”

Quickly pulling the money out, you pay for the items. With a smile and a wave despite their rudeness, you head out of the store and are on your way back to the hotel. Walking back, you feel like it's getting hotter out by the second. In an attempt to cool off, you undo the top button of your blouse. As you continue walking home, a drop of sweat trickles its way down your neck. 

After what seems to take an eternity, your journey back to the hotel comes to a close. You feel a sense of profound relief at finally being able to get inside out of the heat of the Hellish sun. Opening the door, you step into the hotel, dropping the shopping bag on the nearest surface before throwing yourself onto the couch in the lobby. 

"Heya Toots, how’ya doin’?" Angel Dust asks you as you attempt to regulate your breathing. Has it always been this scorching in the hotel? You wonder to yourself. 

"I'd be better if the weather cooled off a little." You mutter, a little irritated, the poor attitude unusual for you. You bring your hand up to wipe at the sweat now threatening to drip down your chest. "I did find this pretty flower though." You say, a smile returning to your face as you turn your head to show Angel the beautiful bloom that is adorning your hair. 

"Oh toots, that's not a regular flower, it's a freaky sex flower. It's used as an ingredient in the love potion Val makes," Angel says somberly, leaning forward to get a better look. "How long ‘ave ya had it on ya?" He asks with genuine concern. "It can be pretty potent when undiluted." He finishes with a worried frown. 

"Probably a little over an hour," you say, beginning to freak out. "How long does it take before it starts to affect someone?" You ask, your tone rising with your temperature. 

"Well, love potions usually act pretty quick; I'd guess such a concentrated dose of the aphrodisiac, directly from the pollen’s faster ya know?" Angel theorizes aloud. 

"Fuck,” you mumble as you pulled the flower from your hair quickly before tossing it into the trash, as if to pretend it never happened. "Is there an antidote I could possibly take?" You enquire, your tone laced with apprehension. 

"Nope, ya gotta fuck someone to get it out of ya system," Angel replied, trying his best not to laugh. "Ya know, I've actually got someone I could ca-"

"NO." You blurt out instantly to shut his idea down. "I mean," you clear your throat uncomfortably, then finish hurriedly, "that's not necessary, but thank you for offering." 

"Okay but, you're in for more than mild discomfort if ya don't find someone to help ya." Angel warns you, still trying to get you to see the situation clearly. 

"I can handle myself; just please don't tell anyone." You ask the spider demon, deciding to keep this development a secret. You fail to notice the shadow in the corner that had been listening the entire time. You stand up, a wave of arousal shooting straight to your core making you feel almost dizzy. 

Composing yourself as much as you can, you bid farewell to Angel Dust and head towards the staircase. As your footsteps lead you closer to the next floor, you grip the railing for support as a particularly painful bolt of arousal sweeps through you, causing an intense ache in between your thighs. When the pain level rises from mild discomfort to something more, you begin to move as quickly as you can down the hallway to your room. 

Reaching your room at long last, you hastily grab the doorknob only for your sweaty, clammy hands to slide right off if it. Struggling with the knob for what feels like an eternity, you finally manage to get it open and gain access to your room. Slamming it shut behind you with a bang, you throw yourself onto your bed as another sharp ache wracks your body. 

Deciding to take matters into your own hands, you open the drawer to your nightstand, reaching around until you feel the cool silicon material of your most trusted toy. With a sound of triumph, you pull the vibrator out and set it onto the bed. Turning it on with a click, you pull your panties  to the side and bring the pulsating object to rest on your throbbing clit as a loud moan of relief rips itself from your mouth. 

Your pussy already soaked from the effects of the pollen, the toy slides right into you with ease and you cry out in relief. You can't remember a time this ever felt so good. The toy vibrates right where you need it and the feeling of an orgasm creeps up quickly. Your back arches off the bed as you finish loudly. The toy continues buzzing as you lay there in the aftershock of it. 

Pressing the button to turn the device off, a contented sigh leaves your lips as you remove the vibrator from your cunt with a wet noise. The relief your orgasm brought is short-lived, however. because the painful aching feeling quickly returns. Your walls clench and spasm needily around nothing but air. A feeling of desperation quickly rises inside you. 

Just as the tears of frustration are about to fall from your wide, blown-out eyes, you hear a knock at the door. Hastily, you shove the sex toy away in its drawer and you pull your panties and skirt back into their proper place. Lurching towards the door as hastily as you can, you try your best to avoid falling amid the dizzy feeling that overtakes you. 

Another knock sounds, followed by Alastor's voice calling out, "Everything alright, my dear?" Just the very sound of his voice has your cunt gushing, the aching sensation heightening to a new degree. 

Trying to appear as composed as you can, you open the door and greet him, "Hey Alastor, I'm feeling just fine." 

"Are you quite sure about that? You look rather flushed," He says, his gaze on your red, damp, complexion. Alastor places his hand on your face and your pulse quickens, you feel as if your blood is boiling you alive. You’d do anything to have his hands lower, where you ache the most. 

Letting out an audible gasp, you cut it off before it fades into a moan, the sensation of his skin on yours sending a pleasurable tingling down to your very core. 

"I just don't think that's true." Alastor states, pushing his way past you into your room. You stumble, and he reaches a hand out to steady you, gripping your arm firmly. 

When Alastor touches you this time, an embarrassing, obscene, moan leaves your lips. The warmness of his skin makes the point of contact feel as if it is on fire. You wonder briefly, Would he touch me there, if I asked him to?

"Whatever is the matter, darling? Could it be that you need something? You'll have to use your words if there’s something you desire." He finishes, smirking down at you. 

"I want you to touch me, please." You whine needily as you look up at him. Your eyes shine with desperation. 

"Ah, I'm afraid you'll have to be a bit more specific, dear, as I am already touching you." He says, voice full of his usual snark. His signature smile widens, gaze falling to where his hand is still on your forearm, steadying you. You look away bashfully before his other clawed hand comes up to cradle your chin, tilting it up so your gaze meets his crimson one. 

"Alastor, please, be kind to me just this once." You plead, voice soft. 

"I'm being plenty kind, checking up on you, asking how you're faring, and what you might need." Alastor says, his tone warning. "Now tell me what you need, in better detail." His commanding tone leaves no room for disobedience. 

Giving him one last pleading look, you let out a breathy sigh before letting the words fall from your lips, "I need you to touch my cunt, please, Alastor." 

"There; that wasn't so hard now was it, my dear?" He says with a winning smile. Alastor pushes you back up against the door, caging you in with his much larger body. He lets his hand trail agonizingly slowly down the curve of your breasts, before playing with the hemline of your skirt. "I could do anything to you right now and you would thank me for it wouldn't you, darling?" Alastor remarks, his grin widening almost sinisterly.

"Yes, please, please help me relieve this burning and aching. I can't take much more." You almost sob out. 

"Well, now, we shan’t keep a lady waiting then. I do have manners after all." He declares before hooking his hand in the waistband of your skirt. With a firm yank, he has the garment falling down to your feet. Alastor quickly rips your panties to shreds with a flick of his sharp claws. His fingers find your throbbing clit and begin tracing circles. 

"Ah, ah, yes please." You moan in relief, his fingers already providing so much more comfort than your own did. It feels so divine. Bringing his other hand down, he slips one finger into your soaking cavern. Alastor starts pumping it in and out of you as you lean against the door for support. Adding a second digit, and then a third, your lips form an ‘o’ of pleasure. The nosies his fingers make as they push in and out of you are almost pornographic. 

It feels pleasurable, but you find yourself craving more, the throbbing you feel in your cunt needing something much bigger. "Please sir, I need more. I want your cock." You beg prettily. 

"I'm inclined to reward you for asking so politely." Alastor remarks. Pulling his hand out of you, he brings your juices to his mouth, licking his fingers clean. The movement almost distracts you from the empty feeling between your legs. Before the aching sensation has a chance to return he's spinning you around, face pressed against the wall, bent at the waist. The motion forces your cunt up so he has a better view of it. 

Licking his lips hungrily, Alastor takes one hand off your lovely form to undo his trousers. You hear the sound of the zipper moving down before his massive cock springs free. Without warning, he is shoving all of those so many inches inside of you, burying himself to the hilt. He lets out a shuddering groan feeling your tight warmth around him. 

You wail as you feel the tip of him press into your cervix. This is the feeling of fullness you’ve been dying for. 

"That's it, isn't it, my doe. You just needed to be filled by my cock, didn't you?" He coos softly into your ear, each word punctuated by a hard thrust. His hips snap into yours, each upward movement sending the most delicious sparks through your body. 

"Yes Alastor; I needed you," You moan out as his movements become faster and harder. The sound of slapping skin fills the room as his slams his hard member into your dripping cunt. His hand finds its way to your clit again, moving in time with his quickened thrusts. The feeling of your orgasm barreling towards you reaches its peak and you cum on his cock with a shout. Alastor feels your soft pussy walls clenching tighyly around him and he continues to fuck you through your climax, chasing his own release. 

With a growl, he finishes inside of you, his cock throbbing as he paints your walls with his cum in powerful spurts. He tightens his claws around your waist, leaving marks on your skin where his sharp tips press into you. Bringing the hand from your oversensitive clit up and away, Alastor strokes your hair gently while you are lost in the haze of fucked-out bliss. 

"Tell me; did you really think you could satisfy yourself, my dear? You should have come right to me. Hopefully you are feeling more like yourself now." He hums, pulling out of you gently. Taking you into his arms with ease, he carries you to your bed before tucking you in tenderly. "Rest now darling; your body needs it." He tells you, planting a gentle kiss on your temple. You slip easily into slumber, lulled by the effects of your post-orgasm elation.

[tempestimes]

Last week I was going to write an essay on the symbolic parallels of the imagery in Ave Mujica to Revolutionary Girl Utena aka The Lesbian Anime ever, but right now I'm also just disappointed by episode 11 because of. Everything. It feels weird to make so many references to such an iconic queer anime then slap the "and they were related !!" thing on a major (albeit unhealthy) ship. To be clear, I'm not an Uisaki shipper and I never saw Uisaki as endgame, mainly because Uika's obsession over Sakiko is far from healthy and is clearly not romanticized or portrayed in a positive light. It clearly has an impact on Uika's ability to function and maintain other relationships and obviously Saki is not happy about this. But at the same time, there were so many connections I could draw between the imagery in Uika and Saki's relationship and Utena and Anthy's.

The MV for Imprisoned XII is packed with Utena imagery:

The coffin filled with roses a girl is sleeping in.

2. The endless stairway up to "eternity" (which is supposedly some kind of freedom, but that freedom is only an illusion constructed by the people who control the greater stage play)

3. The setting of the bird-cage like garden.

And then there's the references/imagery inside of the actual show itself.

Sakiko reading Demain, which has this iconic line about a bird breaking out of its shell, which is referenced repeatedly in Utena.

2. The two cups of coffee Uika always makes for herself and Sakiko, and the cups of tea Anthy and Utena share. (The "I poisoned the tea" and the "Well, I poisoned the cookies" bit in RGU ugh UGH)

3. The theatrical and stage play nature of Ave Mujica itself and the artificial world/theatricality of RGU (perhaps best illustrated by the Shadow Play or the moving architecture much like stage pieces in the film Adolescence of Utena).

Additional note: the line between Gothic dolls and fairytale princes/princess ough ough.

Additional additional note: Uika was designed to be fairly ambiguous in gender, which really interests me as this relates to Utena Tenjou and her masculine gender presentation as a way to be more "prince-like" but also her insistence she is "still just a girl" wearing a boy's uniform.

Additional note to the additional additional: Y'all remember all the fanart of Sakiko stabbing Uika with the "you could never be my prince, because you are a girl" line, right? Y'all know that's a direct reference to Utena right?

There's probably more I'm missing out on but these makes me so conflicted about how Uika and Sakiko's relationship is portrayed.

Both Uika and Utena have this interest in/curiosity for a girl (Sakiko, Anthy) who is trapped in a patriarchal system where she is at once idolized and villainized (along with other factors playing into the complicated nature of each of their situations, Sakiko's being class and Anthy's being race). But whereas Utena takes that scene she saw as a child of Anthy's suffering and decides to become a prince/play into gender roles to save Anthy from cycles of abuse (something Anthy can only step out of on her own later on), Uika - being a lonely and isolated child- built up an idealized image of the girl who her sister got to experience joy with, the girl who had all that she was denied, the girl who could give her meaning, and ended up becoming incredibly and deeply obsessive over someone who was ultimately her family member. I could go deeper into some of the Sakiko and Anthy parallels, but it is just so heavy.

I don't think I need to go into detail about how fucked up is (especially because of fucking Akio Himemiya and what he did to Anthy), but yeah. It just feels like a slap in the face to make so many (what felt to like to me) clear references to an iconic queer anime about disrupting cycles of abuse, the patriarchy, and victims of abuse and assault and then also add on the "and they're related and if you thought Uika's obsessiveness was bad you don't know the HALF of it"

Maybe I'm just way out there for making all of these connections between Ave Mujica and RGU, but this connection I made early on in the show definitely impacted how I felt about episode 11 and the Imprisoned XII MV. If you like toxic yuri, then you do you. This just isn't my cup of tea and I'll leave it at that.

[sorormaior]

Kulikov

Act 1: The Witness

Well I said I'd do it. Here's the prologue and chapter one of my fic, Kulikov. I'll be posting the first act here, but probably not the rest

There was someone there, on Nostramo, who cared. Who treated him kindly, tried to bring him away from that dark path. The love was there, it changed nothing.

Next Chapter

Prologue

It started with an auspex ping. A flat tone that indicated something closeby in the endless dark. A dull green light flicked on, the cogitator whirred into life. 

An asteroid, high in adamantine content. Completely stationary- the sensors returned some initial responses in regards to void anchors. A ring of static pylons, stout and streaked with the grime of the void, but each as tall as a man. 

From the far side of its face, the asteroid was featureless, pockmarked by debris but otherwise nothing special. Wear had given way to a shine at certain angles- the adamantine, the only true export Nostramo had been valued for. 

Drawing closer, choosing another face, a dark chasm cut into it. An overhang creating a cave-like mouth, the floor worn purposefully flat and smooth for craft to land upon it. Atmosphere generators flanked the entrance like gargoyles. Beyond them, further into the dark, a set of heavy doors with a dark symbol plastered upon them. A bat-winged skull was engraved upon the metal, proving to the ones who had sought this place that it was what they were looking for. 

The landing pad was large enough for a single Stormraven, though many other craft hung in the void around it, waiting. Twelve astartes left the vessel, moving in tight formation to the doors, blue armour throwing up strange reflections on the worn cave walls. 

The machine spirit of the door reacted quickly to the commands given to it, showing that maintenance had been performed recently. Indeed, the air that rushed forward was not stale- it was recently refreshed, the lack of security measures speaking to its remote location. The architects did not intend for it to be found. This made the squad act with further caution, especially as there seemed to be no light inside the reliquary. 

The noise of armoured boots on metal stairs seemed oddly muffled as they proceeded forward, pauldron to pauldron in a space clearly designed for them. The reliquary was not large, having only a few rooms, which they checked methodically. It was a short corridor consisting of five doors, four set into the walls, facing each other and a fifth at the very end. Bones and skulls were moulded into the walls, a deathly peace to those whose ends were assuredly not gentle.

The first door to the right was an armoury, neatly stored weapons and ammunition. Its twin to the left led to a control centre, where cogitators eagerly returned to function. They displayed power outputs, logs of those who had come before and the maintenance done, systems support and various data controls relating to temperature. The most recent activity was a scant two solar days before they had arrived.

The next two doors lead to the true reliquary. Symbols of ages long since passed, to a former Legion’s glory, one they were unlikely to ever recover. These were catalogued, removed from their cabinets and placed into cargo storage crates hauled from the armoury. 

This left the final door. Here too was the Eighth Legion heraldry, the bat-winged skull. It shone brightly under the lumens, refined silver metal against the dull grey of the rest of the door. 

AVE DOMINUS NOX 

The letters were carved there by a master's hand, repeated again beneath in what could only have been Nostraman runes. This door opened willingly too, as if eager for the astartes to continue, to find what lay inside. 

Cold vapour rolled across the floor, dim blue light pouring forth, drowning all need for lumens. It did not come from lumens, but from a coffin. Or at least what appeared to be a coffin, upon closer inspection it was a cryogenic sleeper pod, held inside of a stasis field. The walls hummed with power, and a few screens displayed vital readouts. At the base of the coffin melted candles pooled, scraps of parchment folded and tucked away, a few clean skulls placed like offerings to a heretic’s god, flowers only just beginning to wilt. 

In the casket was a bulky outline, recognisable to anyone familiar with the Adeptus Astartes. Hands laid crossed over their chest, almost covering the bat-winged skull there. The figure was unhelmeted, though the death-faced thing had been placed above their head like a guardian. The face of the space marine was clear, even with the frost encrusted glass. 

A face changed by augment and scar, with three prominently stretching across. A hooked nose and a thin face, brown skin of an unnatural pallor- as if unused to the sun. The head was slightly tilted to the left, the mouth just barely open, dark eyes barely open- the black eyes beneath making them appear closed. As if there had been someone standing there that the marine had turned to look at before being sealed away. 

A cogitator on the wall beeped quietly, as if apologetic for disturbing them. At a nod, an Astartes stepped forward. A new pilgrimage log had been created, and access provided to a single file, named Kulikov.

It contained only a few things of note. A readout of the current vitals of the casket’s occupant, which seemed to be in order. A list of Night Lords who had attended the reliquary and the prizes they had brought. A single vox recording. 

At another nod, the Astartes commanded the machine spirit to play it. 

The voice echoed around the chamber. Dark, cracked and hoarse. The voice of a monster in the night, yet still somewhat regal. Heavily accented with sibilance, captivating in its ghoulishness. 

“If you are standing here, you stand before the last true child of Nostramo. The last loyal Night Lord, the best of us all. Cary Kulikov. If you are a member of my Legion, one of my poisonous sons, know that this is what you were intended to be, know that you never will be. If you are not, and you have somehow stumbled upon this place: I command you to leave. This is the will of the Night Haunter.”

The recorded voice few had heard in a myriad seemed to hang in the air, sticking to the skin. Curze had always had a flair for the dramatic, like many of his brothers. 

The intruders took no heed of this warning, instead moving in synchronicity to the sides of the casket, to the machinery keeping the stasis field in place. There was a crackle in the air as with a few taps against the cogitator, the stasis field fell. The vapour moved a little faster, but the figure within the cryogenic casket remained unchanged. 

A few more commands and the casket was removed from its moorings, those pipes which fed into the chamber that had frozen in place wrenched away by gauntleted hands. Handles were mag-locked to the side of the casket, as the claw hidden behind it lowered from a vertical position to a horizontal one. Four Astartes took up places at the handles, lifted the casket from the fittings it had sat in for nearly ten thousand years. They marched from the chamber, almost a mockery of a funeral procession. The figure was after all, not dead. Great pains had been taken to keep them alive, more care than any thought still could be had in these times. 

They filed out from the chamber and the reliquaries, heretic artefacts in crates carried between the rest. The casket was loaded onto the Stormraven, awkwardly laid down between the seats, only just enough room for it. Closer now, they could see the shadows haunting the cheeks and eyes, a triangle-shaped split in the shell of the left ear. The face was tired, the crease between the eyebrows betraying some great grief. It was not the face of one who would now call themselves Night Lord. 

The Stormraven flew to the waiting battle barge, those who had waited around the asteroid following closely, like a protective flock. Then the ships departed, leaving the asteroid unmarked, once again floating- now completely empty, in the soundless void.

Chapter 1: Awoken

They opened their eyes, only partially. Frost and light made it difficult- that was their first real clue that they were no longer on the Nightfall. No one would have had the lumens this bright. They squeezed their eyes shut against it, a child refusing to wake. Their breath came in ragged, quick gasps. The ache of surgery was still fresh, soft twinges of pain that they recognised but never felt before to this degree. 

“K- Khh-,” their mouth did not want to move, their teeth chattered against the cold. “Ko- Konnacht.” 

There was no response to their plea. Shadows moved across their face, and they forced their eyes open, ready to receive whatever horror awaited. It was a face, that much they had expected. A face of a space marine, broad and noble, fair skinned but crossed with battle scars, a pair of metal studs embedded above the eyebrow. 

The eyes were, of course, the final nail in the proverbial coffin. They were green, with an inner ring of grey. Of course it didn’t matter what colour the eyes were- they weren’t black. The man above them studied them as if they were little more than bacteria on a plex dish.

Noble blue armour, a bright gold trim, a blazing white Ultima. His narthecium was clicking over them, tapping at armoured plates, testing their pulse. He was also waving a diagnostor over them. 

“Ultramarine,” they managed. “You- you must tell… the Lords. Curze- Curze has… gone mad.” 

The Ultramarine looked at them dispassionately.

“You have been heavily injured, Captain, please do not move or attempt to speak.” 

Captain. Had that been their rank? They’d never truly been sure if they’d had an official rank. 

“Nostramo,” they tried again. “Nostramo is gone.” 

The Ultramarine nodded. 

“We are aware. Rest.” 

But their body would not rest. There were tremors, half from the cold and half from their body reacting to the damage taken. 

“Where is he?” They asked. 

The Ultramarine did not answer. 

“What of Sevatar? Shang?”

He still did not answer. Further noise came, the whining of servos inside power armour. More marines.

“We are going to lift you from the casket, Captain Kulikov,” another voice said. “Please do not move.” 

Handles were maglocked to their armour, they stayed as still as they could, but a soft groan of pain still escaped their mouth as they were moved. The ache became a tear, a body still happily reminding them of the damage inflicted. 

They were manoeuvred to a cot, where chapter serfs came forward. The serfs knew the layout of the armour, knew where the catches lay and where to find the bolts that held it together. They lay limply, only moving to ease the job of the serfs. The weight of the armour was practically unmovable for them in their current state- the power pack didn’t help. 

“What is this?” A marine intoned.

They were just about able to tilt their head, to look back at the casket and what the Ultramarine held. Deep blue fabric, it looked small in his hand.

“My jacket,” said Cary. “Could I have it?” 

Some wordless exchange happened between the Astartes in the room. But the jacket was brought to them.

“It was folded behind your head,” said the marine who had found it. 

“It’s my QPC jacket,” they mumbled, half to themselves, smoothing a thumb over the silver-threaded patch at the shoulder. “Half a relic now.” 

More of the plates were removed, from the inside the damage was more obvious. The repairs had been done well, but still visible. Curze had caved in most of their diaphragm after all. 

“I need to inspect your injuries,” the apothecary said. 

Cary leaned forward, grinding their teeth against the pain. Gauntleted hands held their shoulders, supported them as the apothecary released the catch at the back of the neck. The glove only needed to be taken down to their waist, and they were laid back down again. 

It was the first time Cary had seen the wound. Medical skin had been pulled across the gap, the hole had been too large to simply suture closed. The scarring was still red, still raw, slightly pink at the edges. There were still flakes of dried blood, smeared across their skin. It was the newest scar, but far from the first. 

“What weapon caused this?” Another Ultramarine asked, his helmet angled downward. 

“Mercy,” Cary answered. 

The helmet looked at them, and though his face was hidden Cary could feel his confusion, muted though it may have been. 

“One of Curze’s lightning claws. Mercy and Forgiveness,” they nearly laughed. 

The spasm of near laughter made their body seize and jolt, they lay still. The Ultramarines lacked a sense of humour, instead one steadied their shoulder while the apothecary placed a needle to their arm. 

“A painkiller. Your carapace has been repaired but not healed fully,” he said. 

Cary nodded, not really taking in the information.

“How long have I been asleep?” They asked.

There was no response from those in the room. With their eyes adjusted to the light they could make out a handful of armoured Astartes, four including the apothecary, and a small team of serfs. 

The painkillers crept across their body, elevating much of the pain but rendering them even more sluggish in their thoughts and movements. 

“How long?” They asked again. 

“A long time,” the apothecary said. 

Cary looked at him, blinking slowly against the numbing effects of the drug. 

“Tell me,” they pleaded.

“Nearly ten thousand years,” the Ultramarine who had given them their jacket said. 

The apothecary glared at his fellow, then checked what Cary could only assume was a readout of their vitals. 

“Ten thousand years?” Cary repeated, slowly.

They looked straight up at the ceiling, not truly seeing it, digesting this information. 

“Where is Curze?” They asked. 

“Dead,” said the Ultramarine. 

“Elaius,” cautioned the apothecary. 

Cary nodded, slowly. It was an odd feeling, circling its way across their chest. Grief had always been their constant companion, more constant than even the Night Haunter had been. Now the grief was compounded further- when they closed their eyes they still saw Nostramo burn. 

“Why did he let you live?” The Ultramarine- Elaius asked. 

“I don’t know,” Cary admitted. “He always said he’d kill me. That he’d seen it. Always followed the damn visions. Followed them right to the end.” 

Their breathing was becoming more laboured, their chest tight with exhaustion and mourning. Cary closed their eyes, only praying that the action would stop them from weeping openly. 

“You need rest,” rumbled the voice of the apothecary.

Another needle pierced their skin, and again they fell into a drugged sleep. 

-

The dream was formless, not a true thing. An unconscious space that had broken down. Someone was calling their name. They turned. Darkness seeped across the not-floor, it was below them, a roiling ocean, a black sea. There, down below them, a speck of white. They already knew who it was, they reached out their hands, but never seemed to be able to get any closer. They felt hands on their shoulders, strong, large hands. 

They tried to shrug them off, gritting their teeth and reaching again, gauntleted arm outstretched. Cary looked at their arms. Looked at their gauntlet. The chain.

Cary Kulikov, as they had done many times before, took aim upon their primarch and fired. The silver chain sprung forward, the four-pronged hook expanding out. It caught. The chain grew taunt. The servos on their arm whined as the motors pulled the chain back. 

He came up from the dark sea like a bat, reaching for them as they reached for him. There was a second where they saw his face, pale and gaunt, then the Primarch crashed into them like a solid wall. 

All again was dark. 

-

When they opened their eyes again, they had to take a second to think. It was not the same ceiling Cary had been helped to slumber under, where bright lumens had danced painfully before their eyes. In fact, the room was rather dim. There was a blanket laid over them, and what seemed to be a bed beneath them. 

Sleeping quarters, they thought, idly. Indeed, tilting their head they could see that their armour had been mounted magnetically to a storage rack. The rest of the room was small, spartan in its furnishings, though shelving space clearly existed for the occupant to make it their own. An Astartes-sized desk and chair, an ablutions chamber and of course a lone figure sitting politely on a stool. A young girl, probably belonging to the servant caste of the ship- probably about thirteen or fourteen years old. She had short blonde-white hair cut roughly above the shoulders, sky-blue eyes and a pale, voidborn complexion.

She peered at Cary, the hands on her knees just about peaking out from her sleeves. 

“You don’t look very frightening,” the girl said, sliding off of the stool. “I don’t see what all the fuss is about.” 

“I try my best,” Cary replied.

The girl looked at the door, suddenly still. Like an animal in a trap. Cary could hear the sound of plated boots coming down the corridor. 

“You’re not meant to be in here, are you?” They observed. 

The girl scowled at them, worrying her lip with her teeth. Cary nodded towards the ablution chamber. 

“Go hide in there. Sit down and don’t move. I won’t breathe a word,” they mimed drawing a cross over both sides of their chest with a finger. Cross their hearts and hope to die.

The girl scrambled into the chamber, clicking the door shut. Cary looked to the door. When it opened, only two people entered. One Ultramarine, and a young man- human. He was dressed in Imperial black, with an impressive amount of golden trim and fine decorations. His skin was dark, and his hair close-cropped to his head. Cary looked to his breast pocket, where an inquisitorial rosette sat plainly. 

“Good morning, Captain Kulikov,” said the young inquisitor. “I am Inquisitor Gael Casteter, I would like to ask you some things.”

Cary had never had a particular love for the inquisition. Torture a man enough he’d admit to anything, it was no way to reveal any kind of truth. 

“Can I ask some questions first?” Cary sat up, slowly. 

The Ultramarine watched them carefully, but did not reach for his weapons. He seemed taller than most other marines. Gael took the stool, recently abandoned by the girl. 

“You may.” 

“What has… happened?” They asked. “It’s been ten thousand years. Who still lives? Does anyone? The Primarchs, the Emperor?”

Gael looked at them with something approaching sympathy. 

“The God-Emperor lives, resting upon the Golden Throne of Terra. Lord Guilliman, returned to us from his stasis, serves as his Lord Regent.”

It took them longer than was comfortable to process this. 

“The Warmaster?” They asked.

“The Arch-Traitor Horus,” Gael corrected them, gently. “He fell to the ruinous powers, and with the traitor legions brought upon the Imperium a bloody war. Many were lost to us.” 

A thousand names came to their lips. Cary dared not speak them, as if silence would keep them alive. 

“Traitor legions?” They settled on.

“The Sons of Horus, the Emperor’s Children, the Iron Warriors, the Night Lords,” he paused to incline his head in the direction of their armour. “The World Eaters, The Death Guard, The Thousand Sons, the Word Bearers and the Alpha Legion. They joined Horus on his crusade, and paid the ultimate price.” 

Cary’s head span, blinking rapidly against the information. They didn’t want to believe it- they didn’t want it to be true, no matter how much it had to have been true. They had seen parts of it in visions, with their own eyes.

“The Sons of Horus,” they echoed. 

“You would have known them as the Luna Wolves,” the Ultramarine said.

Cary recognised the voice through the vox speaker. It was Elaius, the one whom the apothecary had chided. They rested their head against the metal wall behind them, closed their eyes. 

“I am sorry,” said the Inquisitor. “I understand this must be a shock.” 

“I have lost everyone I have ever known in the span of what feels like a day. Perhaps two at a stretch,” they said, without thinking. “I am a little more than shocked.”

Cary opened their eyes again, looking at Gael. 

“What did you want to ask me?”

He withdrew a device from his pocket, balancing it on his knee. They recognised it as a vox recorder, the green light meaning it had been listening to their conversation, likely from the moment Gael and Elaius stepped through the door. 

“I would like to hear your account, from the very beginning,” said Gael. “I am aware you knew Konrad Curze from a young age, I want to hear about your life.” 

Cary tilted their head.

“Why?”

“I am nothing if not a scholar, Captain Kulikov. It will also help me to keep you alive longer, many here already think you a heretic if only for the armour you wear and the geneseed you bare.” He smiled, kindly. 

“Everything then? From the very beginning?” They clarified.

“If you would be so kind.”

“Very well.”

[deepinthegroves]

hey row!! <3

⊹ 💌 LOVE LETTERS — ✶ who is your biggest love interest in your dr? how did you meet?

⊹ 🔮 PROPHECY — ✶ do you have a special role or purpose in your dr world?

⊹ ✨ FLEETING DREAM — ✶ when you wake up in your cr, what do you miss the most about your dr?

enjoy !!!

thanks for the ask ave!!

answering for my ancient vampire dr...

⊹ 💌 LOVE LETTERS — ✶ who is your biggest love interest in your dr? how did you meet?

my biggest love interest in my dr is... hobie brown. but not hobie brown, spiderman, no. he's hobie brown, the normal civilian who liked to protest against nobles, steal for the poor, and just stick up against the system. my family, being vampires, had a lot of wealth stocked up over the years, whether it is in antiquities or just gold and gems, and we were one of the top nobles in the area.

hobie had wanted to steal from us – we were the richest, and there was no way that we had truly earned our wealth (he would be right about that...). he had heard of the crazy things we owned, and he wanted to pawn them off to help feed some of the starving people on the streets. what he did not know however, was that vampires can very distinctly smell humans, which meant that when i realised there was a random human out in the gardens, i went to investigate.

luckily for him, it was me who found him, and not some of my other relatives who hated humans. i snuck him into my room before i interrogated him, and in the end, he left with some of the necklaces that were hanging off of my neck to sell.

from then onwards, he constantly snuck back and i'd pass him little gold nuggets or other material items lying about the house, though sometimes he'd just come to hang out for a while. i did eventually reveal to him that i was a vampire though, when he tried to stay the night and i freaked.

⊹ 🔮 PROPHECY — ✶ do you have a special role or purpose in your dr world?

not really. we vampires don't like involving ourselves with human matters, some view it as beneath them, and others (me) viewed it as an unfair advantage for us when we surpassed them in strength and senses, and had magic too.

⊹ ✨ FLEETING DREAM — ✶ when you wake up in your cr, what do you miss the most about your dr?

my beautiful, gorgeous castle where i live in that i was given free reign over to design. and hobie. and my piercings that i don't have here. and my fangs. and just being a vampire.

[vivencyglobal]

Comprehensive AV Solutions by Vivency Technology LLC

Vivency Technology LLC is a leading provider of IT audio-visual (AV) solutions, offering a full spectrum of services designed to meet the needs of various industries. From the design and installation to the integration, maintenance, and support of AV systems, Vivency Technology delivers cutting-edge solutions tailored to enhance functionality and performance in diverse applications. Trust us to optimize your AV infrastructure with innovative, reliable, and efficient technology solutions.

[avtechnologysworld]

Best Practices for Integrating Lighting, Audio, and Visuals in Auditoriums

In the world of modern auditoriums, the integration of lighting, audio, and visuals has become an essential aspect of delivering captivating and immersive experiences. Whether hosting a corporate event, a live performance, or a multimedia presentation, the seamless blending of these three elements can elevate the overall impact and leave a lasting impression on attendees.

A well-executed auditorium audio visual lighting design has the power to transport audiences into a world of sensory delight, where every sight, sound, and visual cue works in harmony to create a cohesive and engaging experience. From the dramatic interplay of light and shadow on stage to the crystal-clear audio that resonates through the auditorium, and the vibrant visuals that captivate the eye, each component plays a crucial role in shaping the overall ambiance and atmosphere.

Integrating lighting, audio, and visuals is not merely a technical feat; it is an art form that requires a deep understanding of human perception, psychology, and the intricate interplay between various sensory stimuli. When executed with precision and creativity, this integration can evoke powerful emotions, convey complex narratives, and leave audiences in awe, regardless of the event's nature.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the best practices for integrating lighting, audio, and visuals in auditoriums, delving into the intricate details that separate a mediocre experience from a truly exceptional one. From the fundamentals of system design and integration to advanced techniques for creating dynamic and immersive environments, we'll uncover the secrets to captivating audiences and leaving a lasting impact.

1. System Design and Integration: The Foundation for Seamless Harmony

The integration of lighting, audio, and visuals in an auditorium begins with a well-designed and cohesive system architecture. This foundation ensures that all components work together seamlessly, enabling effortless control, synchronization, and flexibility.

Unified Control System

At the heart of an integrated auditorium AV system lies a robust and intuitive control system. This centralized platform serves as the command center, allowing operators to manage and orchestrate various aspects of the lighting, audio, and visual components from a single interface.Advanced control systems offer features such as programmable presets, macros, and customizable user interfaces, enabling seamless transitions between different event scenarios and ensuring a consistent and reliable experience.

System Integration Software

To facilitate seamless integration and operation of the various subsystems, specialized AV system integration software is often employed. These software platforms provide a centralized interface for configuring, controlling, and monitoring the lighting, audio, and video components, ensuring a cohesive and reliable system.Through system integration, complex cues, scene changes, and dynamic effects can be executed with precision and consistency, enabling a truly unified and immersive experience.

Network Infrastructure and AV over IP

A robust and scalable network infrastructure is essential for the seamless operation of an integrated auditorium AV system. Technologies like AV over IP (Audio/Video over Internet Protocol) revolutionize the way audio, video, and control data are distributed, offering increased flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.By leveraging existing network infrastructure and centralized signal processing, AV over IP solutions streamline system integration and facilitate future upgrades and expansions.

2. Lighting Integration: Setting the Stage for Visual Brilliance

Lighting is a powerful tool in the auditorium environment, capable of evoking emotions, highlighting key elements, and creating dynamic visual experiences. Integrating lighting with audio and visuals requires careful consideration of various factors, including control, synchronization, and creative application.

Lighting Control and Synchronization

Integrating lighting control systems with the overall auditorium AV setup is crucial for enabling seamless synchronization with audio and video cues. Advanced lighting control platforms offer features such as timecode integration, DMX (Digital Multiplex) control, and real-time tracking, allowing for precise timing and synchronization of lighting effects with other elements.This level of control enables the creation of intricate lighting sequences that complement and enhance the overall performance or presentation, elevating the visual impact and creating a truly immersive experience.

Stage Lighting and Effects

For auditoriums hosting live performances, concerts, or theatrical productions, stage lighting and effects play a pivotal role in creating dynamic and visually stunning environments. Advanced lighting fixtures, such as LED moving lights, intelligent lighting, and traditional stage lighting instruments, offer a wide range of capabilities for creating captivating effects.By integrating these lighting elements with audio and video components, designers can craft intricate lighting cues that respond to music, choreograph with video content, or highlight specific performers or elements on stage, creating a truly cohesive and engaging spectacle.

Architectural and Ambient Lighting

Beyond stage lighting, architectural and ambient lighting also play a crucial role in shaping the overall ambiance and atmosphere within the auditorium. These lighting elements can be seamlessly integrated with the audio and video systems, enabling dynamic lighting scenes that complement and enhance the overall experience.For example, architectural lighting can be synchronized with audio cues to create pulsating or rhythmic effects, while ambient lighting can be adjusted to set the mood or highlight specific areas during a presentation or performance.

3. Audio Integration: Delivering Captivating Soundscapes

Audio is a powerful sensory element that can evoke emotions, convey narratives, and immerse audiences in the auditorium experience. Integrating audio with lighting and visuals requires careful consideration of acoustic properties, signal processing, and creative application.

Room Acoustics and Sound Reinforcement

The acoustic properties of an auditorium play a crucial role in shaping the overall audio experience. Effective acoustic treatment, including the use of sound-absorbing and diffusing materials, is essential for ensuring clear and intelligible sound reproduction, minimizing unwanted distortions, and creating an immersive auditory environment.Sound reinforcement systems, comprising microphones, mixers, signal processors, amplifiers, and loudspeakers, must be carefully designed and integrated to provide optimal audio coverage and clarity throughout the auditorium.

Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and Audio Enhancement

Digital signal processing (DSP) systems offer powerful tools for shaping and enhancing the audio signal within the auditorium. Features like equalization, filtering, room correction, and acoustic enhancement algorithms can compensate for room acoustics, fine-tune sound quality, and create highly customized and immersive listening environments.By integrating DSP systems with lighting and video components, audio engineers can synchronize audio effects and enhancements with visual cues, creating a truly unified and engaging experience.

Creative Audio Applications

Beyond traditional sound reinforcement, creative audio applications can further elevate the auditorium experience when integrated with lighting and visuals. Techniques such as surround sound, spatial audio, and immersive audio environments can transport audiences into captivating soundscapes that complement and enhance the visual elements.For example, surround sound systems can be synchronized with lighting and video cues to create a fully enveloping auditory experience, while spatial audio techniques can simulate realistic sound positioning and movement, adding depth and realism to the overall presentation.

4. Visual Integration: Captivating the Eye and Imagination

Visuals are a powerful medium for storytelling, conveying information, and captivating audiences. Integrating visuals with lighting and audio requires careful consideration of display technologies, content creation, and creative application.

Display Technologies and Projection Mapping

In the auditorium environment, various display technologies are employed to deliver visuals, including projection systems, LED video walls, and large-format displays. Selecting the appropriate display technology based on factors such as resolution, brightness, contrast ratio, and viewing angles is crucial for ensuring optimal visual quality and impact.Projection mapping, a technique that involves projecting visuals onto non-traditional surfaces, such as stage sets or architectural elements, can further enhance the visual experience by creating immersive and dynamic environments that blend seamlessly with lighting and audio elements.

Content Creation and Management

Effective visual integration requires the creation and management of high-quality content tailored to the auditorium environment. This may involve the development of multimedia presentations, video content, motion graphics, or real-time visual effects.Advanced content management systems and media servers can streamline the integration of visual content with lighting and audio cues, enabling seamless playback, transitions, and synchronization across various display technologies.

Creative Visual Applications

Beyond traditional video playback, creative visual applications can further elevate the auditorium experience when integrated with lighting and audio. Techniques such as real-time generative visuals, interactive visual installations, and augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) integrations can create captivating and immersive environments that blur the lines between physical and digital worlds.For example, real-time generative visuals can be synchronized with audio and lighting cues, creating dynamic and ever-changing visual landscapes that respond to the performance or presentation in real-time. Similarly, AR or VR integrations can transport audiences into virtual environments that seamlessly blend with the physical auditorium space, creating truly unique and engaging experiences.

5. Integration Techniques and Best Practices

To achieve a truly seamless and cohesive integration of lighting, audio, and visuals in an auditorium, several techniques and best practices must be followed.

Timecode Integration and Synchronization

One of the key techniques for ensuring precise synchronization between lighting, audio, and visuals is timecode integration. This involves using a common timecode source, such as SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) timecode, to synchronize various components and cues.By leveraging timecode integration, lighting, audio, and visual cues can be precisely timed and executed in perfect harmony, creating a truly cohesive and immersive experience.

Show Control and Automation

Show control and automation systems play a crucial role in streamlining the integration and operation of complex auditorium AV setups. These systems allow for the programming and execution of intricate cue sequences, scene changes, and dynamic effects, ensuring consistent and reliable performance across multiple shows or events.Advanced show control platforms offer features such as timeline-based programming, real-time tracking, and integration with various control protocols, enabling seamless coordination between lighting, audio, and visual elements.

Rehearsals and Testing

Proper rehearsals and testing are essential for ensuring the successful integration of lighting, audio, and visuals in an auditorium environment. This process allows for the identification and resolution of any potential issues, such as timing discrepancies, signal interference, or compatibility problems, before the actual event or performance.Conducting comprehensive system checks, dry runs, and technical rehearsals can help refine cue sequences, fine-tune system settings, and ensure a smooth and polished final presentation.

Documentation and Training

Comprehensive documentation and training are crucial for ensuring the long-term success and sustainability of an integrated auditorium AV system. Detailed system diagrams, equipment manuals, and operating procedures should be readily available to support ongoing maintenance, troubleshooting, and training efforts.Providing comprehensive training for operators, technicians, and facility staff can help them develop a deep understanding of the system's capabilities, operation, and maintenance requirements, ensuring a consistent and high-quality experience for attendees.

6. Creative Applications and Immersive Experiences

While technical integration is essential, the true power of an integrated auditorium AV system lies in its ability to create captivating and immersive experiences. By leveraging the synergy between lighting, audio, and visuals, designers and artists can push the boundaries of creativity and engage audiences on a deeper emotional and sensory level.

Multimedia Performances and Installations

Multimedia performances and installations are prime examples of the creative potential of integrated auditorium AV systems. These experiences blend various art forms, such as dance, music, and visual arts, into a cohesive and immersive spectacle.By synchronizing lighting, audio, and visual elements, artists can create dynamic and ever-changing environments that respond to the performers' movements, music, or audience interactions, creating a truly unique and engaging experience.

Experiential Storytelling

Integrated auditorium AV systems can also be leveraged for experiential storytelling, where narratives are conveyed through a multi-sensory approach. By carefully choreographing lighting, audio, and visual cues, storytellers can transport audiences into captivating worlds, evoking emotions, and creating lasting memories.This approach can be particularly powerful in educational or corporate settings, where complex concepts or product demonstrations can be brought to life through immersive and engaging experiences.

Interactive and Responsive Environments

With the integration of interactive technologies, such as motion tracking, gesture recognition, or biometric sensors, auditorium AV systems can create responsive and adaptive environments that react to audience participation or input.Lighting, audio, and visuals can be dynamically adjusted based on audience interactions, creating a truly personalized and engaging experience for each attendee.

Case Studies: Showcasing Integrated Auditorium AV Systems

To better illustrate the power of integrated auditorium AV systems and the best practices involved, let's explore two real-world case studies:

Case Study 1: Multimedia Concert Experience

A renowned music artist commissioned the design and implementation of an integrated auditorium AV system for their world tour. The goal was to create a captivating and immersive concert experience that seamlessly blended audio, visuals, and lighting.

Key Features:

Advanced audio system with line array speakers and immersive surround sound

High-resolution LED video walls and projection mapping capabilities

Intelligent lighting system with moving lights and dynamic lighting effects

Unified control system for synchronizing audio, video, and lighting cues

Real-time content generation and visual effects integration

Results: The integrated auditorium AV system delivered a truly mesmerizing concert experience, captivating audiences with stunning visuals, dynamic lighting effects, and immersive surround sound. The real-time content generation and visual effects integration allowed for a unique and ever-changing show, while the unified control system ensured precise synchronization between all elements, creating a cohesive and engaging spectacle.

Case Study 2: Corporate Multimedia Presentation

A multinational corporation commissioned the design and implementation of an integrated auditorium AV system for their annual shareholder meeting and product launch event. The goal was to create a professional and impactful multimedia presentation that would captivate and inform attendees.

Key Features:

High-resolution projection system with edge blending and warping capabilities

Advanced audio system with speech reinforcement and multimedia playback

Architectural lighting integration for setting the mood and highlighting key areas

Comprehensive control system for managing audio, video, and lighting cues

Integration with presentation software and real-time data visualization

Results: The integrated auditorium AV system delivered a visually stunning and engaging multimedia presentation, captivating attendees with high-impact visuals, clear audio, and dynamic lighting effects. The architectural lighting integration created the perfect ambiance, while the control system ensured seamless transitions between various presentation segments. The integration with real-time data visualization added an interactive and informative element, further enhancing the overall experience.These case studies highlight the power of integrated auditorium AV systems in creating captivating and immersive experiences, whether for live performances, multimedia presentations, or corporate events.

User Queries and Answers

What is the importance of a unified control system in integrating lighting, audio, and visuals in an auditorium?

A unified control system is crucial for seamlessly integrating lighting, audio, and visuals in an auditorium. It serves as the central command center, allowing operators to manage and orchestrate various components from a single interface. Advanced control systems offer features like programmable presets, macros, and customizable user interfaces, enabling seamless transitions and ensuring a consistent and reliable experience.

How can AV system integration software facilitate the integration of lighting, audio, and visuals?

AV system integration software plays a vital role in facilitating the integration of lighting, audio, and visuals in an auditorium. These software platforms provide a centralized interface for configuring, controlling, and monitoring the various components, ensuring a cohesive and reliable system. Through system integration, complex cues, scene changes, and dynamic effects can be executed with precision and consistency, enabling a truly unified and immersive experience.

What are the benefits of integrating lighting control with audio and video cues in an auditorium?

Integrating lighting control with audio and video cues in an auditorium enables the creation of intricate lighting sequences that complement and enhance the overall performance or presentation. Advanced lighting control platforms offer features like timecode integration, DMX control, and real-time tracking, allowing for precise timing and synchronization of lighting effects with other elements. This level of control elevates the visual impact and creates a truly immersive experience.

How can digital signal processing (DSP) systems contribute to the integration of audio with lighting and visuals?

Digital signal processing (DSP) systems offer powerful tools for shaping and enhancing the audio signal within the auditorium. By integrating DSP systems with lighting and video components, audio engineers can synchronize audio effects and enhancements with visual cues, creating a truly unified and engaging experience. DSP features like equalization, filtering, room correction, and acoustic enhancement algorithms can compensate for room acoustics and create highly customized and immersive listening environments.

Conclusion

Integrating lighting, audio, and visuals in auditoriums is a complex and multifaceted endeavor that requires a deep understanding of various technologies, creative techniques, and best practices. When executed with precision and artistry, this integration can create truly captivating and immersive experiences that leave a lasting impression on attendees.

At the foundation of a successful integrated auditorium AV system lies a well-designed and cohesive system architecture, featuring a unified control system, specialized AV system integration software, and a robust network infrastructure capable of supporting technologies like AV over IP. These foundational elements ensure seamless communication, synchronization, and control of various subsystems, enabling effortless management and orchestration of the entire auditorium environment.

Lighting integration plays a pivotal role in setting the stage for visual brilliance, with advanced lighting control systems, stage lighting fixtures, and architectural lighting elements working in harmony to create dynamic and visually stunning environments. By synchronizing lighting with audio and video cues, designers can craft intricate lighting sequences that complement and enhance the overall performance or presentation.

Audio integration is essential for delivering captivating soundscapes that immerse audiences in the auditory experience. Effective acoustic treatment, sound reinforcement systems, and digital signal processing techniques work together to ensure clear and intelligible sound reproduction, while creative audio applications like surround sound and spatial audio can transport attendees into captivating soundscapes.

Visual integration, through the use of display technologies, projection mapping, and advanced content management systems, captivates the eye and imagination, enabling the creation of visually stunning presentations, multimedia performances, and immersive environments that blend seamlessly with lighting and audio elements.To achieve a truly cohesive integration, techniques such as timecode synchronization, show control and automation, and comprehensive rehearsals and testing are essential. Proper documentation and training ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the integrated auditorium AV system, enabling consistent and high-quality experiences for attendees.

Ultimately, the true power of an integrated auditorium AV system lies in its ability to create captivating and immersive experiences that engage audiences on a deeper emotional and sensory level. By leveraging the synergy between lighting, audio, and visuals, designers and artists can push the boundaries of creativity, crafting multimedia performances, experiential storytelling, and interactive environments that blur the lines between physical and digital worlds.

As technology continues to evolve, the integration of lighting, audio, and visuals in auditoriums will undoubtedly reach new heights, offering unprecedented opportunities for creativity, engagement, and awe-inspiring experiences that leave a lasting impact on audiences worldwide.

[ui-alcoholic]

Twin Famicom

NES with internal Disk system from Sharp

The Twin Famicom is a video game console system that was produced by Sharp Corporation in 1986 (Juli 1) and was only released in Japan. It is a licensed Nintendo product that combines the Famicom (NES) and the Famicom Disk System into a single piece of hardware.

The essential parts of the Twin Famicom include a 60-pin socket for Famicom cartridges and a socket for Disk System disks. The player could switch between the two media types with a switch – cassette "カセット" or disk "ディスク" The Twin Famicom is fully compatible with the NES and can handle accessories made for the NES (e.g. Beam Gun). But there is also an extra port on the Twin Famicom. This allows a 'regular' Famicom to use the Twin Famicom's disk drive.

The original Famicom only has one color combination, and the Twin Famicom was initially sold in two colors: red with black highlights (AN-500R), and black with red highlights (AN-500B). A second version of the system was released in 1987 with a slightly different case design, turbo controllers, and two different color schemes; black with green highlights (AN-505-BK) and red with beige highlights (AN-505-RD).

Like the Famicom, the Twin Famicom uses NTSC but with an AV output rather than an RF modulator with an RCA connector for composite video and mono audio, allowing for greater audiovisual quality on TVs and monitors with such inputs. An external RF modulator is bundled with the unit for connection through a TV's antenna/cable input. The two gamepads are hardwired into the console, so they cannot be disconnected.

More info:

https://ultimatepopculture.fandom.com/wiki/Twin_Famicom

[hirocimacruiser]

Isuzu 4200R concept. Another that never made it to production. You can drive it on GranTurismo though as it featured in a few of the iterations of that game.

The 4200R made a shocking debut at the Isuzu booth. With a glamorous form reminiscent of Group C cars, the 4200R was designed by Isuzu and developed the engine, with Lotus doing the final fine-tuning. This model can truly be called the definitive Handling by Lotus model.

Although no details have been announced, it appears that the suspension will feature active suspension.

Speaking of Lotus' active suspension, there is the T99, which was launched in 1987 when Satoru Nakajima made his debut with F1. The T99, along with its active suspension, only won two F1 races before disappearing from the circuit.

So it seems that Lotus' active suspension has found light of day in an unexpected place. If it is a suspension developed as an extension of F1, it will be electronically controlled hydraulic control, but unfortunately the details are unknown at this time.

Also, when Lotus is involved, it inevitably brings to mind images of racing, but the 4200R is positioned as a 2+2 high-speed touring car, and as such, the cockpit is equipped with a navigation system, fax, AV, and other features, emphasizing its role as a businessman's express.

After a long period of silence, Isuzu has finally released a shocking new model, the 4200R, a full-fledged midship GT that will make people curious to see what the future holds.

[slayerdurge]

Secure Your Soul: A Cyberpunk 2077 Fanfiction

This fic was previously published under the title “Before the Event Horizon.”

Summary: Six months ago, V’s boss at Arasaka ordered her to assassinate his rival. Instead, with the reluctant but invaluable help of her old friend Jackie Welles, she pushed them both off their thrones and claimed one for herself. Now the new Director of Arasaka Counter Intel has a problem. She’s uncovered information that indicates that Yorinobu Arasaka, the heir apparent to the Arasaka dynasty, is a traitor. But without solid proof, she’s forced to take matters into her own hands.

An AU in which Corpo!V never leaves Arasaka.

CHAPTER TEN: A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME

[read on ao3]

It didn’t take long for her Excalibur to arrive. V’s optics traced its hovering form at the building’s edge, hatch open and waiting, but she knew that from Jackie’s perspective, it was completely invisible. In the distant skyline, the blinking lights of a Trauma Team AV-4 loomed closer, cutting through the night as it raced toward Konpeki Plaza. They couldn’t afford any unnecessary hesitation.

“It’s here,” she told him. She’d already removed her shoes, and she held one in each hand as she stood at the ledge. “Jump exactly where I jump. Ready?”

Jackie’s eyes darted to hers, then focused past her to the open air beyond. He adjusted his grip on the Relic and put one leg back, shifting his weight onto it. A 1,500 foot drop below them, and he had only her lead to guide him. And she’d been pointing a gun at him not even ten minutes ago. Quite the roller coaster of a night. 

“All right,” he said firmly, “Ready.”

As she bent her knees, she felt the charge build in her fortified ankles—an electric tension winding tight, ready to spring. Then she leapt.

She tumbled into the interior of the AV, hitting the ground on her left side, then rolling with the fall until she could jump back upright. Jackie quickly followed. As soon as he was on board, she signaled the AI driver to close the hatch and fly away from the Plaza as fast as possible. She didn’t give it a destination—not yet, better not to be too obvious about where they were going in case their departure had been noticed. 

Settling into a plush leather seat, she tossed her heels into one of the AV’s storage compartments. From the same compartment, she retrieved her backup pair of boots—shiny black tacticals that would have looked out of place in a setting as formal as Konpeki Plaza, but still passed muster under a general corpo dress code. She needed to be combat-ready in case anything else went sideways this evening. After pulling them onto her feet, she sank back in her chair, taking a brief moment to savor the way it molded instantly to her form.

On the CrystalDome projection system that served as the Excalibur’s windows, V could see the familiar blur of her favorite city streak past at high speed. A soft laugh escaped her lips. What a relief! She truly had not been sure whether they’d make it. 

“Damn,” Jackie said from the next seat over. She turned toward him. He’d placed the Relic on the floor, on the far side of his chair, and was gazing around the interior of her AV. “Is this a Rayfield Excalibur?” 

She grinned at him proudly. “Yes, it is.” 

Jackie released a low whistle, craning his neck for a better view of the entire vehicle. It wasn’t especially large, all things considered, but every inch of it exuded pure cutting-edge quality. It could seat four comfortably, yet was still well-designed enough to have room for several hidden cargo spaces filled with weapons and other useful gear—not to mention a fully-stocked liquor cabinet and mini fridge.

“It’s fuckin’ gorgeous,” he concluded. 

V laughed again. “Yes, it is,” she said. “I’m glad you appreciate it, Jackie. I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

"Qué milagro,” he muttered. “Now she remembers.”

“Hey, you’re still alive, aren’t you?” V replied, with only slight irritation. She was still too thrilled by their timely escape to be truly annoyed. 

“Yeah, I am,” he admitted. He angled towards her and held out his hand, as if for a handshake. “Truce?” 

She studied his smile, trying to read his intentions. There was something ironic in it, but playful, too. A remnant of the easy camaraderie they’d once shared. After a moment, she shook his hand. “All right,” she agreed. “Truce.”

“Good,” he said. He placed his hand on the Relic’s case and thumped his fingers softly against it. “Then tell your Excalibur to take us to Kabuki. No-Tell Motel.”

She met his gaze again, careful to keep her expression neutral. Did he really believe she wouldn’t notice what he was doing? Asking her to follow his plan so soon after declaring a truce—it was a transparent manipulation tactic. 

A trace of sadness twisted her stomach. He couldn’t beat her at this game. This was her game. If he insisted on playing against her, she would win. Despite their history, despite their friendship, she’d do whatever it took.  

“You know I can’t let you do that, Jackie,” she replied coolly. 

In fact, she had every intention of letting him get the Relic as far as the motel—she had to see for herself who had ordered the heist and learn what their stake in the matter was. But she couldn’t agree too easily; it might raise his suspicions. She had to let him think he’d convinced her. 

“Why not, V?” he said. “What are you planning to do? Take it back to Arasaka? You don’t think that’ll seem a little strange? Saburo dead, and then you just happen to get your hands on a valuable piece of ‘Saka tech that was in the room when he died?” 

It was a good argument. Lucky for her. He’d believe it’d actually worked. 

“Fair point,” she said, frowning slightly. “But that doesn’t mean I can let you sell it to just anyone.”

“But it helps you!” Jackie insisted. “You get rid of evidence and plant a trail that leads to someone else! You think Arasaka doesn’t have backup copies of that Relic? This’ll barely set ‘em back, and it’ll keep you safer!”

He was on a roll. It would be easy to pretend to be moved by that. 

“Keeps me safer too,” he added under his breath, “if that matters to you.”

That was the wrong approach for convincing her. But she didn’t answer, just tilted her head and furrowed her brow as if deep in thought. She wondered if he realized it wasn’t that his life didn’t matter to her. It just simply would never be her priority. Sooner or later, he’d get himself hurt if he didn’t learn to stop expecting that from her.

“Driver,” she said after a moment’s silence, “Set destination to the No-Tell Motel.”

“Noted,” the AI replied. “En route.”

“Yes!” Jackie exclaimed, grinning at her widely. “Thank you, V. You won’t regret this.”

No, she thought. The sadness returned—but it was fainter this time, already fading into the recesses of her mind. But you might.

—

The AV touched down in a shadowed corner of the parking lot, granting V a perfect vantage point of the flickering neon sign that proclaimed the run-down building nearby to be the “No-Tell Motel.” There was no one outside—the motel was, of course, primarily frequented for prostitution and other clandestine dealings, and thus mostly attracted guests who valued their privacy. 

Still, V didn’t shut off the AV’s optical camo. Unlike the biocompatible camo grafted onto her integumentary system, which could last several minutes at most, the AV’s camo could remain active indefinitely, even while it was idling. One reason among many that V looked forward to the future of full-body conversion, once she was able to obtain a more elegant model than those occupied by the likes of Adam Smasher.

She turned to Jackie. “All right. We’re here,” she told him. “Now what?”

Jackie picked up the Relic and stood, leaning so the top of his head just barely brushed the AV’s ceiling. “Now I hand off this chingadera and fix our damn problem.”

“I see,” V replied, shooting him a skeptical look. “And I suppose your buyer won’t have heard about what happened at Konpeki Plaza? Or are you hoping they won’t hold the complication against you?”

“What’s your point, V?” he asked, matching her skeptical expression. “You didn’t bring me here just to try to talk me out of it at the last minute.”

“No, I didn’t.” V reached over her seat, pressing the proper spot to open one of the AV’s hidden storage compartments. Her weapons stash was ample—perhaps excessively so, but she always felt it was better to have too much firepower than not enough. She selected a high-quality but inconspicuous power pistol and held it out to him. “My point is you could benefit from the proper tools and the proper backup.”

He picked up the pistol and held it in his hand as if to shoot, testing the weight and balance. Evidently satisfied, he placed it in the empty holster at his belt. “Thanks,” he said. “But you can’t come with me, V. They don’t know you. You’ll make ‘em nervous.”  

“I can talk them down,” V insisted. “You know how good I am at that.” 

He chuckled. “Yeah, I know. Where do you think I learned it?”

She raised her eyebrows in genuine surprise. Perhaps because their methods had always been so different, she’d never before considered the idea of Jackie watching and learning from her. “I need to stop underestimating you,” she muttered, more to herself than to him. 

“I keep tellin’ ya.” Jackie smiled at her briefly, then his face shifted, growing suddenly serious. His eyes searched hers. 

She saw something of herself in his look—a hint of caution, of calculation—and felt an unexpected rush of pride. Perhaps he might have a chance against her after all.  

She wasn’t sure what exactly he read in her eyes, but he nodded at her. “All right,” he said. “We go in together.”  

—

The inside of the motel was dark, lit only by the glow of neon signs in shades of hot pink, acid green, and electric yellow. It was almost as deserted as the parking lot. V spotted two women speaking softly to each other near the vending machines, but the motel’s squalid lobby was otherwise abandoned. Besides their whispered conversation, the only sounds were the up-tempo commercial blaring from a nearby television and the occasional buzzing of flies. 

Jackie led her up the stairs to the second story, then through a long, darkened hallway until he reached a door with the number “204” emblazoned on its surface in fluorescent, signal-flare red. 

He knocked. 

There was no answer. 

He knocked again, more insistently. “It's me,” he said, louder than V would have liked.

The door flew open. A very large man in a synleather jacket stood inside. “He waiting for you,” he said in a thick Russian accent. Then he noticed V, and his metallic hand immediately clenched into a fist. “Who the hell is she?” he growled. 

V stepped forward before Jackie could try to take the lead. “I’m your contingency plan.”

The Russian man glared at her from behind dark-tinted sunglasses. “What the hell that mean?” 

“It means I’m here because Plan A went ass-fuck sideways. There’s no way you don’t know that by now, which means you’re aware of exactly the depth of shit you’ve stepped into.” 

She put one foot into the room. The man moved to block her, but she didn’t flinch. She could feel the electricity coiling through the synthetic muscles of her gorilla arms, their synaptic junctions responding instantly to the tension the danger of the moment had roused in her mind. The rhythmic buzz was like a war drum, egging her on. A fight or flight response on fucking steroids. 

“I can get you out clean,” she told him. 

“Dex?” he called, inclining his head toward the main area of the motel room, hidden behind a beaded curtain. 

“I heard her.” The answer came from the other side of the curtain in a deep voice with a South Night City accent—Pacifica, maybe? V wasn’t certain. “Let them in.”

The bodyguard grunted, staring V down one final time in a vain attempt to assert his dominance. Then he stepped aside. V marched through the beaded curtain and into the motel room, Jackie following right behind her. 

“Dexter DeShawn,” she said, as soon as she saw the man in the room. 

She’d have recognized him even without her Kiroshis’ automatic background facial scan. She knew every notable fixer in Night City, by word-of-mouth if not by sight, and DeShawn had a distinctive appearance. He was a large dark-skinned man with a gold-plated mechanical left arm, a thick beard, and a partially bald head with shoulder-length dreadlocks in the back. 

Cautious optimism bloomed in her chest. Rumor had it that DeShawn’s talents lay in making sure he had the right people on his side at the right time. Perhaps this deal would go down more smoothly than she’d dared hope. 

“You’ve got me at a disadvantage,” he told her. She noted the TV behind him—an N54 newscast detailing the events of Saburo Arasaka’s death. The PR-approved version of events, anyway. “The Jackster’s never mentioned you before.” 

DeShawn cast a questioning glance at Jackie. “Weren’t supposed to need her,” Jackie said. “She wouldn’t be here if the job were clean.”

V suppressed a smile, glad to see that he was going along with her story.

“I can appreciate a fallback strategy,” DeShawn said. “But I don’t appreciate being left out of the loop. Call me ol' fashioned, but I like to know who I’m doin’ biz with. You understand?”

“I do,” V said evenly. “I feel exactly the same way.”

“Smart woman,” he said. His eyes were covered behind red-tinted shades, but she could still feel them boring into her. “Your face’s not in the NCPD database. No criminal record whatsoever. How’s that possible for a merc?”

“Because I’m not a merc,” V said. “I’m the Director of Arasaka Counter Intel.”

Beside her, she could feel Jackie tense. DeShawn twisted his head toward him in anger. “You brought a ‘Saka grunt here? After the shit you just pulled at Konpeki? Are you fuckin’ insane?”

“That wasn’t me!” Jackie exclaimed. “And you’re the one who got us into this mess! How come you didn’t know the old man was in Night City?” 

“I don't have access to his personal fucking schedule!” DeShawn yelled back. 

“I knew he was in Night City,” V said quietly. 

“No shit?” DeShawn shouted, anger unabated. “Well, thatd’ve been nice to know earlier!” 

V shrugged. “Weren’t allies earlier.”

He stared at her. She could feel him assessing her—despite his earlier outburst, he’d instantly calmed himself enough to consider her seriously. Once again she felt lucky that Jackie’s fixer had happened to be someone with actual business acumen. “A’ight,” he said finally. “What’s your offer?”

“Tell me everything you know about the client who ordered this heist. How they learned about the Relic, why they wanted it, and, most importantly, how to find them. And I’ll make sure Arasaka knows you cooperated.”

“V,” Jackie said under his breath. “What the hell are you doin’?”

V ignored him. She directed her words at DeShawn. “You’re a middle man, Dexter,” she said. “This isn’t your fight, and everyone knows it. Only that’s not gonna matter one fuckin’ bit when Arasaka needs someone to blame for what happened. We will hunt you down wherever you go. Only real way to stay safe is to prove you’re more useful alive.”

“This wasn’t the plan,” Jackie growled. 

DeShawn ignored him. “I’ll need proof of your words,” he said to V.

V nodded. “Understandable. I can take you back to my office to discuss the matter further.”

“What about me?” Jackie said coldly. The sudden change from his previous hotheaded anger jolted V into paying attention to him again. 

“Jackie–” she began. 

“I got the damn Relic!” He held up the case. “I put my life on the line!”

DeShawn recoiled. “You brought that fuckin’ thing here? Are you trying to get us all killed?”

“The Relic is going back to Arasaka!” V declared. 

“So you lied to me?” There was hurt in his voice. Still. No matter how many times she’d shown him he should know better.

“Yes,” she admitted. She never minced words any further than necessary. “But this is better for you too. I can extend DeShawn’s deal to cover you.”

“Did you think to ask me if I wanted that? Do you even think about me at all?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He turned back to DeShawn. “Dex, don’t do this. You can’t trust her. You can’t trust any of those diablos.”

“I don’t see a better choice, Jack,” DeShawn said. 

“There’s always a better choice!” Jackie said. “We close the deal, collect our cut, and drop off the radar.”

“Your deal is over, Jackie,” V said. “Your client knows what happened. Odds are they’re eager to wash their hands of this too. You’re not getting paid.”

“You don’t know shit about this!” Jackie said. 

V shushed him. Her enhanced auditory system had just picked up a nearly inaudible sound from the other side of the room. She flicked on thermal mode and watched with rising dread as—through the beaded curtain, around the Russian bodyguard, and past the motel room door—her optics traced the outline of a human figure. Someone was at the door, ear pressed against its face.

Her blood ran cold. She activated her Sandevistan. The world lurched, then time stuttered to a near halt, lagging like a corrupted BD file. 

“Don’t fucking shush me!” Jackie yelled, his voice stretched-out and distorted.

She pulled her gun. Jackie took a step back. She tracked his movements in distinct, unnatural slices—heel lifting, knee bending, weight shifting. His hand inched toward his own gun. But V had far too much momentum to be stopped now. She ripped the Relic out of his hands and dove in the opposite direction, toward the windows. As she forced one open, the fresh scent of rain floated into the room on a chilly gust of wind. 

Her Sandevistan clicked off, and she turned back to the others. They were staring at her in fear and confusion. “Get out!” she yelled. 

Then she jumped.