#omni defense help

[twstgameplay]

Hello mods! So I’ve been reading a lot of your posts and this blog has been extremely useful to me. With the announcement that the English server is getting the 6th joint exam at the end of the month I thought I should probably ask if you all have any advice on how I can break into the SSS rank? I’ve been stuck at SS rank for the past two joint exams and while I am capable of getting SS-SSS rank on almost all the types of regular exams, but I usually only barely make it into the SSS range. I know to get SSS on the joint exams you often need to exceed the 20,000k mark by a fair bit on at least a few exams.

From looking at the 6th unified exam on JP server it seems like we will probably get: Fire and Cosmic Basic, and Water, Flora, Omni Defense.

For my usual exam scores for these types, I’ve gotten: S (16000) for Cosmic Basic, SS (19500 range) for Fire Basic and Flora Defense, and SSS (20100 range) for Water and Omni Defense. 

I average 5/5/5(if applicable) for spells across all my SSRs, everyone is duo capable, and most buddies are at least level 5 as well. 

Dorm Azul, Dorm Riddle, Dorm Leona, Halloween Jade, and Beans Floyd have both their M1 and M2 maxed, Camp Ruggie and Club Cater have their M1s maxed, and Dorm Vil has his M2 maxed.

For Buddy Levels, these cards are all either fully maxed on buddy levels or they at least have their main power boost (attack/balanced) or HP boost (defense/balanced) maxed. All others card buddies can be assumed closer to level 5.

Dorm: Azul, Riddle, Leona, Vil, Trey, Idia, Ortho, Rook, Jack, and Jade.

Event: Halloween Jade, Halloween Silver, Camp Ruggie, Club Cater, Silk Jamil, Union Azul, and Boa Epel.

I unfortunately have not put in a lot of work on SR cards so beyond Robes Malleus, Lab Azul, and Silk Cater all being maxed to level 80, none of the others are currently well built.

I know this is a lot to ask for and I totally understand if you don’t have time to help with all these teams, just thought I’d give it a shot to ask about! Thank you all so much again for your amazing blog!!

(P.S. Azul is my absolute favorite and Dorm Azul is my all star card and it makes me extremely happy when he is on one of my teams, if at all possible, but I’ll take team recs for higher scores very seriously even if he isn’t on them.)

Hello! First of all, same here, Dorm Azul is my ultimate card and I absolutely love using him in all my teams!! You’re very based for it actually. 

For 6th unified exams, the exams are actually: Fire, Water, and Cosmic Basic, and Flora and Omni Defense. So it’s just your Water team that needs more adjustment. Since Cosmic Basic is harder to score high than all the other tests, I highly suggest working on your defense tests (which you have excellent cards for). Those will really raise your score. 

Here’s the teams that I’d suggest. Remember that this is unified exams, so you can borrow supports! 

Fire Basic

Dorm Azul

Dorm Riddle

Dorm Ortho

Dorm Idia

Support GM Ace [Lv.100+, preferred Lv.110]

Water Basic

Dorm Leona

Dorm Vil

Dorm Ruggie

Dorm Jack

Support Dorm Leona [Lv.100+, preferred Lv.110]

Flora Defense

Halloween Silver

Lab/Birthday Kalim (recommend Lab though for double Fire)

Beans Floyd

Beans Jade OR Tsum Leona

Support Halloween Silver [Lv.100+]

Or

Beans Floyd

Dorm Idia

Dorm Trey

Dorm Cater

Support Halloween Silver [Lv.100+]

Cosmic Basic

Dorm Trey

Dorm Cater

Halloween Jade

Dorm Azul 

Support Dorm Riddle [Lv.110 highly preferred]

Or 

Dorm Leona

Dorm Vil

Birthday Lilia

Dorm Epel

Support Dorm Rook [Lv.110 highly preferred]

Omni Defense

Dorm Trey

Dorm Cater

Dorm Azul

Dorm Idia

Support Dorm Trey [Lv.110 highly preferred]

~ 🐙

[grimfurbybitch]

Scene: Sir Pentious is moving into Zestial's estate, they are currently in Zestial's room Sir Pentious: you have to get rid of it Zestial: What! Wherefore? Sir Pentious: Wha-? L-Look at it Zestial: It's one of the last vestiges of mine own life on Earth Sir Pentious: It'ssss tacky Zestial: It's not “tacky"! And doth thee knoweth how much it costs to import African Blackwood from Earth? We're keeping it Sir Pentious: Zestial! LOOK AT IT! We're not both going to fit in it Zestial: Oh, that is fine, we couldst cuddle up nice and close~ Sir Pentious: *exasperated sigh* Mon Roi, I love you but I'M NOT SSSSSSLEEPING IN A FUCKING COFFIN! It hassss to go or I'm ssssleeping in a different, real, bed! Zestial: ):

this is why Zestial is so determined to cuddle Sir Pentious in bed as long as he can, he had to give up his coffin to sleep in the same bed as him and Zestial is getting his moneys worth

and in Sir Pentious's defense it was really tacky

a very similar conversation was had about the Eggbois sleeping with them, Zestial mostly won that one

(thanks to @omni-present-god-send for helping me with Zestial's speak)

[suzitaree]

Mourning winter. (S. Sallow x reader)

This story contains spoilers of the game!!!

------

Y/n had always been drawn to the enigmatic and brooding Sebastian Sallow. From their first meeting in the defense against the Dark Arts class, she had been intrigued by the quiet intensity that seemed to radiate from him. As they grew closer, Y/n learned about Sebastian's troubled family history and the deep love he had for his sister, Anne.

But everything changed on a cold winter's night when Sebastian came to her, wild-eyed and panicked. He told her that he had just killed his uncle, Salomon, with the unforgivable curse Avada Kedavra. Y/n was shocked and horrified, but Sebastian explained that he had done it to protect his sister Anne, to cure her curse.

The aftermath of the incident was devastating. Anne was traumatized and refused to speak to Sebastian. His best friend, Omnis, was also deeply disturbed by what had happened and took his distance. But Y/n refused to abandon Sebastian. She stood by him, offering him support and comfort during this difficult time.

As the weeks went on, the weight of what had happened seemed to grow heavier and heavier. Anne moved away, she couldn’t bear to be in Feldcroft longer. The once lively Sallow house now felt like a place of mourning, with the only sound being the soft whisper of snowflakes falling outside.

But Y/n remained steadfast, refusing to let Sebastian face his troubles alone. Together, they faced the accusations and investigations that followed Salomon's death, and slowly but surely, Sebastian began to find some measure of peace.

It was a long and difficult road, but in the end, Y/n and Sebastian emerged stronger than ever before. As they looked out at the snow-covered landscape, Y/n couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy. "Snow fell, and blue mournfulness filled the house," she whispered, her voice heavy with emotion. But she knew that together, she and Sebastian could weather any storm that came their way.

[dragonflight203]

Mass Effect 2 replay, recruiting Tali:

Illium

-Salarian reproductive contracts are interesting. Good call on Bioware’s part that an asexual species would be pragmatic in reproduction. Of course it’s centered around politics.

-With that said, why did the salarian have his family’s reproduction information in Nassana’s building anyway?

He said that he had just had it restored after a tech attack. Nassan’s buildings are under construction, so I presume the restore did not occur there.

Ergo, he was most likely a worker for Nassana. Considering that the data is vital to his family, why did he take it to work???

-Seryna’s moved on, but left behind a message for you. What’s odd is that the option to delete the message is on the left side of the dialogue wheel, but listening to it is on the right.

The left side of the dialogue wheel is normally for extending conversations. So why have delete on the left?

For that matter, why have the option to delete it at all? Why not just have the option be to listen to it or not?

-Also, this message just once again makes Nassana’s death sound personal to Seryna. Why does Seryna hate her so much? This hatred is too intense for your average shitty boss.

It feels like Seryna’s role was initially different, and the rewrite is why so much around her is odd.

Haestrom

-Going by the planet description, the quarians specifically settled this world to observe the odd behavior of its sun.

So I take it that quarians have always been scientifically inclined. They didn’t just observe it via ships, they settled an entire colony. Not a small investment.

-This is the only quarian architecture we see in the series, and it’s a massive disappointment. It’s just numerous concrete buildings. No interesting shapes, no decorative art, no unique interiors.

Unless the takeway is supposed to be that the quarians are a strictly utilitarian species, this is missed opportunity.

Bioware, please at least try.

-It’s interesting to consider this mission from the geth perspective. They presumably don’t know why the quarians are here, and probably assume they’re scouting the world with plans to retake it. So the geth’s actions are defensive – they’re protecting their home from invaders.

Except, why Haestrom? It’s said repeatedly that Haestrom is deep in geth space. The geth must be so baffled – why are the quarians here and not making a grab at one of the outer worlds or Rannoch?

Then Shepard shows up. Shepard, who Legion is supposed to be keeping an eye on. What is that independent platform doing??? Why didn’t they warn the geth collective that Shepard was coming?

And, well, the geth don’t want to kill Shepard because Shepard is opposed to the Old Machines, but like every organic ever Shepard is shooting them so they need to take Shepard out to defend themselves.

Except, oops, that didn’t work.

And then… the quarians and Shepard pack up and leave.

Do the geth ever learn why the quarians were there? Do they send reinforcements to Haestrom expecting the quarians to make an attempt to retake it?

The geth already consider organics baffling. I’m sure this did not help.

-When you first speak to Kal’Reegar, the renegade subtitles don’t match the spoken dialogue. What caused that difference?

-The geth dragging itself along the floor when you make it past the pillar is sad. And no one even mentions it.

I’m assuming that there are servers on Haestrom so none of the geth truly “die”, but that was still a pitiful sight.

-Why are Tali’s journals scattered all over the place?

Yes, this area was quarian’s base but these logs seem like something that would be stored on omni-tool. Instead Tali’s just… leaving laptops scattered around for no explicable reason. Why does she have multiple laptops?

And they’re not set to autolock after a period of inactivity. Considering that this is a geth-controlled world, you’d think all the tech devices would be set as secure as possible. Maybe to auto wipe if there are too many failed access attempts.

I take it all back. Clearly, the geth learned what was up by just listening to the logs on these laptops.

-Tali specifically asks Shepard to keep “Reegar” alive. Not Kal’Reegar, Reegar.

The two must be close. I would have liked them to get together if you don’t romance Tali.

-And here’s yet another mention of dark energy. It’s destabilizing the world’s sun.

If ME3 had done anything with dark energy, this would have been fantastic foreshadowing.

Instead, it’s one of the most frequently mentioned dropped plot threads I hear about for the series.

Another prime example of how ME3 chose to make ME2 irrelevant. ME2 provided plenty of plot hooks for ME3 – ME3 just disregarded all of it.

Normandy

-Tali assumed Shepard was undercover and is upset to learn they’re not.

Me too, Tali. Would it have killed Bioware to have that as option? Meet Anderson, he tells you to stick with Cerberus and report to him on all you learn?

-She also mentions the experiments Cerberus did with the thorian creepers rachni.

That is such a relief to hear. The first part of ME2 is full of Cerberus apologism, but the cracks start to show the further you go in the game.

Unfortunately, that apologism is so extended (and out of character for many Shepards!) that this criticism comes too late for me to ever feel comfortable when I start another ME2 playthrough.

-If you go paragon, Shepard says they want Tali because Tali is not Cerberus – they want someone they can trust.

This is similar to what they tell Garrus when Garrus is recruited. Shepard is much less comfortable with Cerberus than they let on at the start of the game.

-Jacob’s actually pretty professional through this exchange. Tali makes it very clear she does not like Cerberus, and Jacob acknowledges that she has reason not to and hopes that will change with time. If you go paragon, he offers to get her access to the ship systems.

The infamous exchange when he tells her to introduce herself to Edi does not come off as malicious to me. It’s said in the same tone that he says everything else, and Tali should know the ship has an AI before she leaves. Given the history of quarians with AI, that’s something Shepard should have told her before she agreed to the mission.

For comparison, Jacob can do malice – he was intentionally insulting to Thane when he said he doesn’t trust mercenaries. At worst, his comment to Tali about Edi was thoughtless in its delivery.

Normandy

-The quarian Admiral Board emails Shepard to let them know Tali has officially transferred to their command.

They note that as Shepard is Tali’s former captain, they may have significant influence over her.

Good to see at least one organization in Mass Effect acknowledge the concept of power imbalances.

-Another use of the “just like old times” line comes from Joker. I did not realize just how many times this phrase was used in the series.

Joker: It’s great to see Tali onboard, commander. Just like old times.

-Thane made his first kill at 12. That’s fucked up.

The drell live into their 80s, so I’m assuming their 12 is comparable to a human 12.

As much as Thane says the hanar valued him as a person as well as an investment, they did not value him enough. The compact’s been in place for two centuries; they can’t be so hard up on personnel that they need a 12 year old to go out killing.

And if they are so hard up – maybe the hanar should reconsider what they’re asking from the drell? If what they’re asking is reasonable, why can they find so few drell willing to give it?

-Supposedly anyone can refuse to serve the hanar as part of the compact.

However, Thane started his training at six. Can a six year old really consent?

You can say his parents consented for him. Fine. However, Thane made his first kill at twelve.

Can a twelve year old consent? Is becoming a murderer something your parent can consent to on your behalf?

There was some abuse going on. Only question is if this particular hanar was shady or if it’s institutional.

-Thane emphasizes that the hanar are at a disadvantage because they’re aquatic.

On the surface, that makes sense. The other sapient species are land animals, so the hanar are quite literally fish out of water in society.

However, you know what other space faring species is aquatic?

The leviathans. And they ruled the galaxy for a damn long time. So how did they pull it off, and what do they have that the hanar don’t?

Well, besides some form of indoctrination… I’ll give that to the hanar, mind control is a huge advantage.

Still, the hanar could probably take some lessons from the leviathans on how to get by.

-Tali repeats what’s said frequently through her recruitment mission: Getting the data was a huge sacrifice, and it had better be worth it.

And it’s a damn shame, because in game it’s not. The data makes no difference at all. You don’t even get war assets from it.

This was such a huge missed opportunity in ME3.

-The first investigate option with Tali is to explain what the admiralty board is. It mentions that they deal with major crimes, like treason.

Good to see Bioware laying the groundwork for Tali’s loyalty mission early, if a bit clunkily. ME3, take notes. Foreshadowing is good!

-Love Tali calling bullshit if Shepard says Cerberus is working for them. Explain those listening devices and tracking beacons, then!

Tali has a zero tolerance policy for Cerberus, and she has my full support.

-We finally get some background on the quarian/Cerberus beef, and it is woefully insufficient. And probably long after most players have forgotten it was ever mentioned.

I maintain they could have added a Codex entry for a more detailed explanation.

-If you go paragon, Shepard says they expect Cerberus to betray them. If you go neutral or renegade, Tali warns you that Cerberus will betray you.

The writers upped their game with Tali. Everyone else is getting character focused writing, but Tali’s out here with character AND plot development in her dialogue.

-If you go renegade with Grunt, you can skip getting his loyalty mission entirely. Interesting – if I recall correctly, doing so with others still gives you the mission.

-Prior to puberty, Grunt enjoyed violence but did not feel the need for it.

Now that he’s hit puberty, he apparently craves it.

And krogans… never lose that. They just learn to direct it. However, older krogan generally seem far more chill.

If this is triggered by puberty, I like to think that it’s hormonally driven. Krogan hormones go wild in puberty, and it makes them excessively violent. As their hormones settle down, they mellow out.

-Krogans don’t trust doctors after the genophage.

Reasonable. Look at what Mordin gets up to. If that were my experience with doctors, I’d let them know the bare minimum too.

Although realistically speaking, the salarians undoubtedly have all the information they learned prior to the krogan rebellions backed up in multiple locations.

-If you go neutral, Grunt says that the krogan doctors don’t leave Tuchanka.

Again, reasonable. Still, given that most krogans offworld are mercenaries, I’m sure krogan doctors offworld could find employment.

Codex:

-The fate of the drell’s homeworld Rakhana has obvious parallels to Earth. Industrialization led to environment issues which eventually resulted in it being unable to support the drell.

When you speak to Thane, he implies that humanity was close to the same fate, but since they achieved spaceflight they were able to create colonies and narrowly avoid it.

-Many high ranking hanar are supposedly inseparable from their drell servants. I presume this is a retcon, as we see many hanar on the presidium in ME1 but no drell.

-Interestingly, I don’t recall seeing any hanar and drell together in ME3 either. We see a lot of the presidium and Citadel night life, so you’d think there could be a pair or two in the background.

-Do the hanar not have any colonies? All references to them are them being on their homeworld, Kahje. Drell are supposedly there or integrated into the society of other species.

If they don’t have colonies, why not? There must be some worlds out there with oceans that meet their needs.

Do they not have enough political capital? The elcor are minor, but they have colonies. Is it a religious thing? I presume some hanar live on the Citadel.

-If the hanar don’t have colonies, I think it’s safe to say the drell don’t. Which is a shame, because even one would probably make a huge difference to their future.

[harrison-armory-incorporated]

Greetings, I'm Alexios Mikonos, militia commander for New Corynth

Is it possible to buy licenses for Apocalypse Rails as standalone artillery emplacements? I'm looking to beef up ground-to-orbit defenses for our colony but the bugdet can't cover enough full Barbarossa frames for the whole perimeter, nor do we have enough trained mech jockeys to crew them.

We were very satisfied with the performance of your Tachyon Lances, but we can't use them near the agricultural and refinery sectors due to the fire hazard under sustained fire, which has been happening a lot lately.

If it helps motivating you to give me a hand, my rivals in the Defense Council are proposing mortgaging our colonie's genetics to SSC for some Pinaka silos.

Thank you for your request; You can! Our Apocalypse Rails are usually sold only with the Barbarossa frame, but we can do exceptions for things like colony defense forces. We can send 10 deconstructed Apocalypse Rail turrets that can be assembled and placed inside a super-heavy-class emplacement mount, and we're also willing to provide you with a whole Barbarossa, two Shermans and a Legionary-Pilot Training Manual for free as a package deal if you contact us on our supply-line-channels which can be found on the official omni-net site!

[continuous-spec]

ME Fic: Bait - Released (4/5)

Summary: Garrus escorts Vlyrica to her apartment and is met with old friends.

Link: Ao3

Length: 1661

Afterlife's dancing purple and red lights grew dimmer with the industrial dust. Garrus nodded back to the bouncer, who let him in with ease. 

He asked around until he located the dancer, who ushered him back to the break room. Vlyrica sat curled up in a blanket, glasses of water surrounding her. An omni-tool illuminated her as she scribbled and jabbed at it. 

Garrus waved his omni tool at the dancer, the rest of his weekly credits, but worth it. Vlyrica’s bright white smile flashed as she spotted him. 

“Caeus!” She sang out in surprise at his return. She tilted her screen away and closed out her omni-tool. 

“Is she okay? The human, I mean.” 

“She will be. Let’s get you home,” Garrus offered his hand and quickly helped her up. She stumbled as she walked but appeared more sober. Still, she clung to his side, eyes darting around the club, waiting for another attack. 

Her apartment was only a few blocks from the club but not worth the risk of a walk. He had enough of strolling Omega tonight— enough for a lifetime. 

Garrus parked the skycar and turned to Vlyrica, whose eyes still darted, watching every movement around them. 

“Do you need help walking to your room?” 

“Actually, I was hoping you would come up with me and stay for a bit.” 

Garrus' face sunk in surprise. It had only been a few hours since she had slurred out her desire to go somewhere private with him. 

“Listen, Vlyrica, you are nice-”

Vlyrica chuckled and stuck her arms up in mock defense. “Not like that. I saw how you looked at her. I know you’re taken.” 

Garrus shifted uncomfortably and opened his omni-tool as a distraction. He was still waiting for Shepard when she was ready. Her last message hung on the screen, bolded print, and sent in a panic. 

Hurry.  

Vlyrica touched his forearm gently, bringing him back towards her.  

“I know what you did wasn’t cheap, and I really do appreciate it.” 

“Money isn’t an issue for me. I can shake my ass at Afterlife if I need it.”

“I’ve seen you dance. That’s an overstatement. Besides, this isn’t money. It’s a gift, please?” Her eyes pleaded at him. 

“Since you asked so nicely,” Garrus sighed and closed his omni-tool. He could wait.

“See convincing.” 

***

Garrus entered her cramped studio and met walls covered in canvas. An organized mess of paintings, from half-finished pieces to works of art meant for a galley. Hundreds of people lined her walls. Each person shone with bright colors with the dulled background of Omega. Frozen in mundane activities of daily life but very much alive. 

Her hands clamped together. “Okay, so payment, I wanted to paint you.”

“Were you not going to do that already?”

“Yeah, but I’ll finish this one with the threat of being in your debt.” She gestured to the wall of unfinished works.  “Besides, it’s different when the subject sits for you versus memory.” 

“Subject?”

“Model if you prefer.”

“Model does have a nice ring to it.” Garrus jokingly posed his scars towards her. “How long is this going to take?”

Vlyrica stifled a giggle. “Just give me an hour to get the base down. Look, I already had a few ideas.”

She brought up her datapad. Sketches of Garrus’ portraits littered the page, bringing out his scars' orange and red hues, clashing with the blue of his tattoo. He looked regal. 

“You did this in an hour? Drunk?”

“I sober up quickly. Besides just a rough sketch, the omni-tool function is convenient for getting ideas down. But the oil...” Vlyrica turned to her pieces, beaming with pride. “That’s where I come alive.”

Vlyrica set up pink hues to mock the lights of Afterlife. A mangled old easel balanced her paints and canvas.  She silently scribbled away, her head poking out of the canvas every so often. It's not exactly where Garrus envisioned his night going, but it's better than being under gunfire.

Garrus sat impatiently, facing the wall of her completed section, waiting for a message, notification, or anything from Shepard. Still, his omni-tool remained blank. Her location was still active, showing that she was on the Normandy, which gave him some relief. 

Garrus scanned the wall to distract his mind. The chaos of canvas ranged from only a few centimeters to a meter. Each portrait encapsulated its own story.

A young batarian mother in bright pink collaring her children. A female turian with light blue tattoos draped over an asari, laughing. A male quarian wrapped in green tinkering in his shop. Garrus continued to scan, trying to take in all the different lives that inhabited Omega. 

Garrus stopped on a smaller canvas. In the middle of the chaos, a brightly colored orange salarian shined. There sat Sensat in hodge podge blue armor, eating in Omega’s seedy food market— Alive. 

Sensat’s arm remained attached to his body, not sprawled and mangled from the attack. His face contently smiling. No empty stare or mouth hung agape, exactly how Garrus wanted to remember him. 

Garrus sprung from the chair and took the small painting from the wall, studying the image closer. He scanned her walls in depth,  searching for the rest of his men. 

“Hey, I’m not—” Vlyrica paused in confusion as Garrus almost cradled the portrait.

“Are you okay?” Vlyrica stepped from the easel, placing a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

“When did you paint this?” Garrus asked in more of a demanding tone than a question. 

“About two or three orbits back,” Vlyrica studied the portrait closer.  “Oh, I remember him! I used to see him all the time at the markets, always eating. He seemed sweet.”

“Can I take this one as payment? I don’t need one of me, I..just, he was a friend.” His voice hitched, hands protective and holding tightly to the painting. 

“Was?”

Garrus turned away quietly with his scars facing Vlyrica. Her face dropped at the realization. 

“Oh, I see, what was his name? Tell me about him.”

“He was…” Garrus paused, trying to sum up a whole being in just a few words. 

“Sensat was always quiet but thoughtful in his actions, always thinking of others despite himself. Hard worker.” 

Garrus examined the painting more. Sensat’s uptick smile formed from one brush stroke. His black eyes reflected the blue neon lights of the vendor's sign. 

“Like clockwork, he always hit up this shop for lunch. I’m sure he’s kept them in business. He’d bring back food every day to make sure we were all fed.”

We. 

Archangel was a very well-known name on Omega. Garrus slightly panicked as he told her we. He did his best to hide the exact nature of their work to protect himself, but the words kept spilling out. Soon, he talked about Weaver, then Ripper, until he went on about his whole crew. 

Vlyrica just sat patiently and listened, eyes wide in astonishment. 

“Well, I’m glad to see you are more talkative.” 

Garrus chuckled. He felt lighter with each description of his men, talking about them as if they were in the room with him. 

Mid-sentence, while retelling a story about a poker fight between Montague and Vortash, Garrus stopped himself with an idea. He began frantically searching his omni-tool of long-ago memories.  

“You know about what you said?  Wanting to capture the hard working people of Omega? I’m not one of them. This isn’t my home.” 

Garrus pulled up old photos, each with his men smiling, bright. Alive. 

“But it was to them. They deserved to be remembered like this,” Garrus gestured to her artwork. “If…if you could do that for me, I would be in your debt.” 

Without a second thought, Vlyrica agreed and asked for the photos. 

Garrus sent the files through an encrypted email. There was trust, but she didn’t need to link his name to Archangel if she were to figure it out.  She didn’t need to know his real name. Caeus worked just fine. 

“Give me some time. I think my move is gonna happen sooner than I thought. I’ve heard Cipritine is beautiful this time of year.”

“The best,” Garrus’ smile grew wide, flashing his fangs. 

“Okay, so before you go, I still have more questions, if you don’t mind?”

Garrus moved with nervous energy, already overexposed himself too much. 

“Sure,” was all he could muster at her insistence. 

“So, are you gonna tell me about your heart's desire like I asked before? I can guess.” She wiggled her brows, pink markings jumping at him. 

“Spirits, Vlyrica…”

“What? I’m still quite curious about what you and that human were up to.”

“Sting operation and that’s all I’m going to say.” His words were curt as he tried not to let her pry too much more.

“Oh, so she’s your partner then? Some type of guards for Aria?” 

“Something like that.”

“Are you in love with her?” Her words tumbled out innocently enough. But they shot through him. He clamped his mandibles to his side, turning his head away from her.

“It’s…it’s not like that. She’s, well, she’s my last friend in the whole galaxy.”

“Well, I like to think we’re friends now,” Vlyrica gestured between them. “But I’m pretty sure it’s more than that between you two. I saw how she watched you, too.” 

Garrus laughed, surprised she had noticed even in her drunk state. “Yeah, it’s—“

“Complicated?” She said with a grin. 

“I’m hoping it won’t be soon.” 

“Well, I hope for you too. She would be very lucky.” Her same bright smile flashed again, assuring Garrus things might just work out for once. 

Vlyrica hugged Garrus and placed a reassuring pat on his back as she ushered him out the door. 

The dust still fogged most of Omega. Eternal night hung in the air. But he felt hopeful. 

Garrus pulled up his omni-tool, messages still empty. He would just have to give Shepard more time.

[melanie-ohara]

Avery Sirin

Alliance Mechanic

See also: Dela Raisaris

The following information is classified. Spectre status required.

PERSONAL HISTORY

Avery Sirin was born in 2154 on the fledgling human colony of Terra Nova to Leilani and Grigol Sirin. The colony expanded slowly at first, and as a child Avery's education was patchy and largely delivered by her parents or neighbours, and focused mostly on important aspects of colony life. From an early age, she developed a keen interest in machinery and technology.

The draw of frontier life eventually attracted an impressive number of first-class educators, and Sirin was one of the first enrolled in Terra Nova's school system in the capital of Scott. Keen to encourage the colony (and boost their own recruitment numbers after the Relay-314 incident) the Alliance provided Avery and many of her peers with full scholarships to the newly established Falconer University in Scott City.

Avery attended the Technical Engineering college in 2172, just as Terra Nova's famous platinum rush was beginning. The sudden influx of people and credits transformed the colony over Avery's four years of study. As many of the new arrivals were non-human, this was Avery's first experience of wider galactic culture. While already committed to two years of Alliance service thanks to the scholarship program, in her third and fourth years of study Avery joined several social clubs designed to build inter-species relationships.

Her parents, however, were distrustful of the new arrivals and resented the industrialisation of their colony. They became reclusive and moved away from the city, causing a rift between them and their daughter that has resulted in a noticeably frosty relationship.

After her graduation in 2176, Sirin was assigned as a flight mechanic on the SSV Hong Kong, where she developed a romantic relationship with a pilot that lasted most of her required two years of service. It ended poorly with the realisation that her partner looked down on her as 'just an engineer'. After breaking it off with him, she applied - and was quickly accepted - to the Alliance Flight School in 2178. After the one year intensive program, she graduated in the top three of her class.

She was reassigned to the SSV Shenyang in 2179 and flew on several pirate suppression missions in the Attican Traverse, protecting Alliance colonies from slavers. Her skill and dedication were recognised with a promotion to 1st Flight Lieutenant in 2181.

In 2183, the Shenyang fought in the Battle of the Citadel against the rogue Spectre Saren and his geth army. Sirin fought with distinction, destroying several geth fighters and helping co-ordinate the defence of a hobbled turian cruiser. On the recommendation of Major Helmud Diaz, Sirin was awarded a commendation and, with the appointment of the new human Councillor in early 2184, was approved for transfer to the turian heirarchy ship Severum of the Council Demilitarization Enforcement Mission in the krogan DMZ.

EQUIPMENT

Alliance Interceptor Fighter

Designed for ship-to-ship combat and missile screening duties, the Alliance SX3 is less hardy than its turian equivalent but significantly more agile.

M-3 Predator sidearm

All flight personnel are assigned a basic sidearm in case of emergency. Avery's pistol range scores are comparatively poor.

SKILLS

While not much of a combatant outside of her cockpit, Avery can use her Alliance-issue omni-tool as a defensive and offensive weapon. She can release an electrical overload to disrupt enemy kinetic barriers, or repurpose the charge as a shield boost for herself. Additionally, she can use the on-board minifacturer to produce a swarm of nanides, which can be used by an invasion program to strip enemy armour, or a restoration program to repair equipment.

PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION

Avery Sirin is a model Alliance soldier. Dedicated to her mission and loyal to her allies, she has a quiet resilience and determination that make her an asset to any operation. Off duty, she is curious and friendly, and makes a noticeable effort to get along with and understand her non-human comrades. Despite her efforts, she can come across emotionally distant and prefers not to talk about herself, which leads some - particularly turians - to think of her as aloof.

- REPORT FILED BY VERAPIA BESCUS, ST&R, 2184 -

[noblechaton]

humbly introducing Norette!

my first ever OC/sona! (drawn here by the ever lovely @sidsinning). I've had a lot of fun creating her and even have a lil writeup for her that I'll post down below for anyone that might be curious about her. she's a lotta me but unique in her own ways too

Age: 27 Height: 5'6 Sexuality: Bi/Pan/Omni (she's into anyone and anything) Eyes: Brown

A sleepless creative with more dreams than ability, Norette has a plethora of niche interests, a penchant for short capes and spicy sushi - as long as it doesn't have vegetables in it - and a knack for talking her way out of - or into - almost anything. She loves to cook, she could have been a foodie in another life, and daydreams often, most comfortable beneath a robe two sizes too large and zoned out into her own little world amid online conversations with her various friends.

She loves accessorizing, from rings to necklaces to hats. She can sometimes be found wearing glasses, though it's uncertain as to whether or not they're purely an aesthetic choice or something she actually needs (she definitely needs them, even if she forgets them far more often than she'd like). Her wardrobe is quite plain with graphic tees and sleepwear aplenty for the most part, though she's often found wearing what's effectively her signature jacket - one modeled off one of her favorite games - and a typical pair of dark jeans, themselves one of the few pairs she owns because, as is frequently said by her, "I ain't paying that much for pants"

A collector of figures, toys and knickknacks of all sorts, Norette's hobbies range from pretty common to more niche and lowkey. She loves model kits, plays plenty of video games both new and old, and secretly likes collecting hats - from proper headwear to the novelty sort. She's also something of a TV and movie buff, with filmmaking being something of her first calling - writing just got its hooks in her a little sooner and just a bit deeper. She feels her talent with a digital pen (don't ask about her proper handwriting) varies wildly, but she does truly adore the written word - though it doesn't seem to always love her, despite what some close may say.

Norette's a friendly girl, one that's as genuine as she can be, who loves to help wherever she can and chooses to believe the best in people first and foremost, whenever she can at least, with an ear always open for anyone who needs someone to listen. She'll sit with someone in need as long as they need it, do whatever she can to help - though she's often limited in one way or another, and often frustrated by that fact. She tries to be as good natured as she can be, though, even if sometimes her quietly playful attitude might be a bit much - which something she does try and keep an eye on, too.

Norette herself, by contrast, is slow to truly open up and very much reserved, even if she's got a habit for oversharing when someone shows interest. She's shy and tends to dodge the more personal topics, in regards to herself. You could sit with her for hours and not really learn too much about her. She's more likely to make some quick and quiet joke, with a habit for dry sarcasm and deliberately aloof commentary, than she is to engage with someone outright - at least until she knows the person. Generally slow to trust, Norette's affection is often best earned through a mix of venting and comedy. And though her circle of friends can be considered a good bit expansive, Norette does often find herself lonely due to various factors - the least of which is her horrendous sleep schedule.

Loyal to a fault and fiercely defensive of those she holds most dear, Norette holds those she considers close friends in high regard. Even on the surface, she tries to remain friendly and kind to any who happen to come to her. It may be difficult at times to break through her outer shell or to approach her in general, some have considered her intimidating for some reasons she never understood, but it's hard for someone to truly leave her once they have - even if they're already gone, which leads to its own sort of hang-ups.

She's indecisive, fears being alone, worries of driving those away she'd wish to be close with and is often wracked by overthought and anxiety alike. She doubts herself often, though her confidence has taken an upward turn as of late. Her past is shrouded and what she does know is held close to her chest, but she knows hurt - and that's why she always does her best to do no harm, even in cases where it's futile. Norette is trying, and that's what matters.

Little is known about Norette's home life, less is shared about her family outright - though one can assume that she both has one, and perhaps isn't on the best terms with them. For however close some may get to her, whatever past she has is often left largely as a mystery to them - it's a deliberate choice on her end for various reasons, and something that often gives her pause when it comes to her relationships. Some of it is simply things she'd rather not get into, others are things she genuinely doesn't know.

A hopeless romantic, curious yet shy, Norette lives a quietly active life, always finding something to be busy with between her model kits, writing and friends. Sometimes she's stretched too thin, other times she's got so much time on her hands she often simply wastes it at home in her modest apartment, which she shares with her grey and white farm cat she's named Spidey. She likes going out all the same, preferring more casual places like the malls and shopping centers, even bars - though she doesn't drink - to anywhere too quiet, as she likes the hustle and bustle of public life.

And though she's often timid and wary of the world around her, she's always keen to make a friend

[myreia]

1, 6, 22 for the ffxiv asks? c:

Thanks, Meredith! 🖤✨

01. Where were they during the Calamity?

Aureia was in the Garlean provinces and with her special ops unit. She was known as Kira back then, and was the second-in-command of her unit with her brother as commander in the field. They were due to be rewarded for their service and a mission going well when the news of what happened in Carteneau reached them.

The Calamity only reinforced something she had been feeling for quite some time, leading her to question everything she knew about her life, the country she was raised in, her purpose and what she was being used for. It took her several months to grapple with it and make the decision the defect (a messy incident in and of itself, she had to fight her whole unit--people she once trusted and cared very much about--on the way out).

06. How did they deal with the massacre on the Waking Sands?

Not well. She was very blinded with rage and grief and the sense of powerlessness. It's the worst encounter she had had with Garlemald since she fled. Her anger manifested in a lot of different ways--mostly at herself at being so scared and holding her tongue. She has a wealth of knowledge about how the Empire operates, she saw the holes in the Waking Sands' defenses, she feared something like this would happen because the location felt so insecure, so underprepared, they didn't know who they were dealing with, not really…

But she put herself first, choosing to bury her history deep rather than help. It's a wake-up call that she can't sit on the sidelines, shut up, keep her head down, go where she needs to go and do what she's told. She knows things the others don't--she needs to put that to use.

She didn't realize how much she actually cared about them all until she lost them.

22. Do you have a unique tale for their job class or is it pretty much like what it is in the game?

Most of Aureia's job classes follow parts of the job quest storylines, but have unique spins on them. Her timeline is 10 years long, so there's a lot of space to shove things in different places. She's a combat specialist and she's been a trained soldier since her youth, so she is canonically an omni-classer. She can pick up pretty much anything and use it, although her skill level will vary and she tends to gravitate towards certain fighting styles over others.

Black Mage is what she knows best, but Red Mage becomes much more important to her later in life in terms of personal growth and balance. Dark Knight and Reaper are what she goes for when her back is against the wall, but they're both extremely unsafe for her to use long-term. By post-ENW, she's mostly reaching for Gunbreaker and Sage.

Mostly Canon-ish

THM/BLM is pretty much canon for her, same with GLD (but not PLD). Both are part of her year of Ul'dah adventures pre-ARR when she's new to the city and trying to scrape together a living.

GNB is mostly canon, with a few additions because of her Garlean history (Vitus Messalla knows exactly who she is, what her unit did, who exactly she killed, and how her defection went down).

DRK is mostly canon, though I'm still fiddling with her relationship with Sid and Fray.

CNJ no, but parts of WHM yes (namely the stuff with Sanche and Gatty). She is also friends with Eschiva.

SGE, yes. Side adventure post-Shadowbringers not long after she expresses an interest in learning how to heal. She doubles down on techniques when she's in Old Sharlayan and starts experimenting; SGE is one of the skills she reaches for the most later in life.

RPR is pretty similar to its quests, with the addition that she's known Drusilla for years and finally breaks down and accepts her offer because she's at her wits end pre-Endwalker and is in bad enough of a mental place to start looking for last resorts.

ROG/NIN has parts that are canon, parts that aren't. The main difference is that Aureia has been very uncertain about using dual daggers because that's her brother's fighting style; she still has the knife she took from him when she thought she killed him when she defected. Training with Oboro opens her up to different skills and a new way of approaching it; she heals from some of her familial trauma by meeting the NIN characters.

MCH, she gets pointed towards Stephanivien by Hilda; I'm not sure how much of the early quests are canon for her, but the Stormblood ones definitely are.

DNC mostly all canon, although Aureia never performs. Troupe Falsaim digs her out of the crowd one day based on her natural grace and she goes along with it because she's intrigued by the fighting style and wants to learn it. She gets in a little too deep and sticks around because she's very concerned they're handling magic they're unequipped to deal with and she's worried they're going to get themselves killed.

RDM is pretty much all canon. She's very fond of X'hrun and Arya; X'hrun's the only mentor figure she trusts implicitly.

Unique Tale

I love the AST quests very much, but she picks up celestial magic from Urianger post-Shadowbringers because she lost a bet (I do think she still runs into Leveva at some point, but she may not be ASTing at the time).

MNK is non-canon; she goes to the Pugilists' Guild in early ARR patches because she can't cast anymore after fighting Lahabrea (residual trauma from using destructive magic against Thancred, she almost killed him). Fighting hand-to-hand is for when she gets scrappy or if she loses her weapon or if for whatever reason she can't draw on aether anymore. The techniques help ground her, and later in life she doesn't truly fight hand-to-hand anymore but she still does the exercises.

For DRG, she started training as a dragoon during Heavensward as an extension of her black mage physicality (she's no turret caster, she's very physical - staffs can be lances!! She will hit you with the pointy end as she sets you on fire!), so the LNC/DRG quests are firmly non-canon for her.

ARC/BRD isn't canon. She can shoot a bow, but not very well. She had to learn on the fly because it was the only weapon she could get off a corpse after falling down into the Palace of the Dead pit. She can't play instruments at all. She has a difficult relationship with music, and certain tones or musical phrases can trigger bad memories and reactions.

ARN/SCH/SMN are not canon. She learns how to summon during some down time in Old Sharlayan near the start of Endwalker. Her carbuncle is very weak, very small, and has no colour and Alphinaud and Alisaie get a little too into helping her figure out what is going on there. The more comfortable she gets with summoning and the more she learns, her carbuncle grows and gets his ruby colouring, but he's always a bit… small and feral and will bite.

I don't know where WAR or SAM fit at this point, since I haven't played much of them!! I will find out soon, I'm sure. 😂I don't think WAR will be canon at all, she's not really a greataxe person. But SAM... we'll see. 👀

[nazmazh]

So, I'm talking with my friends, who are relatively big into Fortnite.

And they're explaining to me what today's update did to the game (me and the one's husband who is likewise not a Fortnite person).

And like, even though I'm not a Fortnite guy, I'm listening to this, and looking at what stuff has been posted to the internet.

And like...

Holy fucking shit.

It sounds like they're aiming to gut the whole core appeal of the game.

We're all just sitting here losing our goddamn minds at everything that apparently got pushed through in the new update.

I can't believe the speed at which Epic is looking to completely shoot themselves in the foot here.

It's like they sat atop their throne, and saw Blizzard/Microsoft, EA, CDPR, Unity, etc., etc. make massive blunders that utterly alienated large chunks of their otherwise passionate fanbases.

And decided that they could do that too! "We should emulate the unpopular moves those guys are making!"

Guns/weapons in the art/assets of your 3rd-person shooter-game where people expressly are being told to kill each other in-game?

Nope. Can't have that.

Not even in personal loading screen images that literally only the user will see.

No, there's no option for "I am 18+, I'm fine if I see this imagery. Here, I can prove this."

No guns in a shooter game. Not even empty holsters.

Borderlands Psycho-Man? Nah that skin's fine.

Michael "I'm from the slasher-movie codifier" Myers? Totally fine.

Funny jellyfish man that has a bandoleer? "FUCKING RESTRICT THAT SHIT IMMEDIATELY!"

Anyway, here's our new licensed character: "Omni-Man, from the famously all-ages property, Invincible!"

They're even locking skins that came out as part of bonus content that was sent out with today's release.

They couldn't even be bothered to fix their own "controversial" art assets before releasing it.

Because that'd be the more reasonable fix, if say, you're committed to this whole "violence bad" thing in your assets. Edit all the models and skins to remove those things, not restrict the content from the users who have sunk time and money into being able to use it.

But no.

They did not do that.

As my friend pointed out - The cornerstone of their legal defense against children playing this game has been "We are aware that there are many children playing our game. However, the game is rated T. You have to have an account to play - You must be of a certain age in order to make an account. Or have a parent give explicit consent to allow you to play despite being under that age. If the child lied about their age, the account must be terminated anyway, because it's invalid. If you gave consent for your child to play without really paying attention to the content, that's on you. At any rate, we have performed our responsibility with regards to child safety."

But... If they're expressly making this game more appealing to children, while still having the rating of T, then... Aren't they themselves actively encouraging children to play their game that is not rated for children? Which kinda invalidates them saying that children should not be playing this game?

And, and! Burying the main mode (well, two mode - Standard Game and Standard Game/No Build) in a sea of uncurated fan/player-made creative mode mods?

Like, it's like they're trying to frame those modes as just another possible experience, instead of like, the core reason people play the game.

Apparently the person in-charge (they got rid a previous creative/content director, if I'm understanding properly) has said something to the effect of "The MetaVerse-type experiences are why people play this game".

Not "They're a big part of the appeal, so we want to see how we can make that better/easier to access."

Just, essentially "This is the only thing we really care about now."

Like, I'm usually pretty skeptical of fanboy-type rage. But, like, nah, I'm all-in with them on this one.

It helps that my design-sensibilities-type-rage is almost never reigned it. This is pure stupidity on many, many levels.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out going forward. Will they realize just how badly they fucked up and revert things? Or will they double-down and lose their entire audience that actually pays for things themselves, and hope that little Timmy raiding mommy and daddy's credit card will be enough to sustain them going forward?

[tmmyhug]

hi!! i'm still playing stardew too; i'm in like? mid-winter of year two. also im married to sebastian because i found it easier to just pick someone than to date around LOL. i also did complete the community center! and i've been doing a lot of cooking. :)) i have a question! how far have you gotten in the skull cavern bc i am just. DYING. i bought the lava katana from the adventuring center so i have a good sword, but every time i try to get very far i simply perish and lose my wonderful items. :( (i usually just don't save if that happens.) or do you have any advice for that!!! because i really wanna get to level 25 for the QUEST

hi!!! omg congrats 🎉🎉 im on year four summer and still haven’t married anyone but i’m dating everyone.. we’re all in a giant poly relationship or sth. idk.

ooh skull cavern!! yea it’s really hard. i can make it to level fifty on a good day but no further yet. advice? hmm you said you’re doing lots of cooking? so take a ton of food with you. prioritize the stuff with luck, defense, and attack boosts. (luck is really important, i only go to skull cavern on days with good luck, the fortune teller on the tv can tell you what your daily luck is.) i usually take a whole row of inventory space of food, and as i eat it in the caves i get more room for all the stuff i pick up. and speed! coffee is really good for speed. i’ve got coffee growing year round in the greenhouse so i get like five cups a day.

take omni geodes with you to the desert to buy desert warp totems from the merchant - then you don’t have to wait for the bus to start mining and you can teleport straight there in the morning so you get like three extra hours in the day. take a farm totem too, and use that to go home from the mines at like 1am instead of having to leave early to take the bus. the more time you have the more levels down you get !

keep mining in the local caves too! completing the monster slayer goals in the adventurer’s guild can get you snazzy new rings that help you out. and collecting extra ores lets you make bombs - i take a butt load to skull cavern and use them to find shafts or ladders as fast as possible when the rocks are really crowded. also have you gotten willy’s boat yet? there’s more you can do to improve your weaponry if you have, but i don’t wanna say too much if you’re not there yet

just fyi i actually recommend not using stairs because they’re really difficult to collect due to how many rocks you need, and the next quest you’ll get will require a Ton of stairs. save up the stairs.

sorry this was really long 😬 hope it helps some! good luck with skull cavern ^^

[twstgameplay]

Hey friends & anemones, I’m looking for help touching up my teams for all of the exams for the 6th Unified NRC. I’ve been able to get to SS overall by doing Hard on each, but I’d like to go for SSS! I have a lot of SSRs and most SRs but I’m missing some of the key meta ones. I have a set of SSR perfumes, lots of honey and thaumarks, and some spell books (not a ton but I’m not afraid to grind those).

Here’s my current teams (unless otherwise stated, they’re just M1 and M2, and the buddy levels are 1):

Fire Basic, 18,302: 

Dorm Azul (10/10, all buddies to 10)

Dorm Ruggie (8/5, Azul buddy 6)

Dorm Deuce (9/8, Riddle buddy 10)

Dorm Jade (10/10, all buddies to 10)

+ support HW Riddle (lv105, 10/10, no buddy levels)

Water Basic, 18,570:

Dorm Leona (5/6, Vil buddy 7)

HW Jade (8/10, Azul buddy 10)

Beans Azul (10/9, Jack buddy 10)

Dorm Jack (6/6, Leona buddy 10, Jade buddy 9)

+ support Dorm Vil (lv110, 9/10, Leona buddy 10, Epel buddy 10, Rook buddy 7)

Flora Defense, 19,599:

Beans Jade (9/6, Idia buddy 10)

Dorm Floyd (9/10, Jade buddy 10, Azul buddy 10)

Dorm Idia (6/9, Azul buddy 10, Jade buddy 10, Ortho buddy 7)

Dorm Azul (10/10, all buddies to 10)

+ support Dorm Riddle (lv110, M2 10, M3 10, Azul buddy 10)

(I have another friend with Beans Floyd at lv79, 8/7, and Jade buddy level 7, but my results weren’t quite as high)(also have another friend with HW Silver lv110, 10/10, max buddy levels)

Cosmic Basic, 16,552: 

Bday Idia (5/7, Floyd buddy 10)

Dorm Jade (10/10, all buddies to 10)

Dorm Floyd (9/10, Jade buddy 10, Azul buddy 10)

Dorm Azul (10/10, all buddies to 10)

+ support Dorm Riddle (lv110, M2 10, M3 10, Azul buddy 10)

Omni Defense, 18,510:

Dorm Idia (6/9, Azul buddy 10, Jade buddy 10, Ortho buddy 7)

Dorm Jade (10/10, all buddies to 10)

Dorm Floyd (9/10, Jade buddy 10, Azul buddy 10)

Dorm Azul (10/10, all buddies to 10)

+ support Dorm Riddle (lv110, M2 10, M3 10, Azul buddy 10)

Thanks for any advice you can offer!

ーーーーー

Fire Basic

Dorm Azul

Dorm Riddle

Dorm Idia

Boa Epel

GM Ace/Dorm Ortho Support

You want Ortho to use his M1 for his DMG buff before using his Duo as the finisher. GM Ace is very strong and requires less RNG to set up for his duo.

Water Basic

Dorm Leona

Robes Vil

Dorm Jack

Dorm Ruggie

Dorm Leona Support

It’s one weak hit because of Robes Vil but having two Dorm Leonas to do the dmg is worth it.

Flora Defense

Dorm Idia

Beans Jade

Dorm Trey

Dorm Cater

HW Silver Support

If you want more fire you can use Lab Kalim instead of Dorm Cater to give HW Silver his HP buddy. Lab Kalim doesn’t need high spell levels but you would want his level to be as high as possible for his HP.

Cosmic Basic

Dorm Riddle

Dorm Azul

Dorm Trey

Dorm Cater

Dorm Riddle support

This is the other popular Cosmic Basic team when you don’t have Dorm Pome + Leona.

Omni Defense

Dorm Cater

Dorm Trey

Dorm Idia

Dorm Azul

Dorm Trey Support

There’s no curse in Omni Defense so you can use your best healer as another option.

Your supports should be at least lv100 with 10/10 spells if you can’t find ones that are lv110 10/10.

~ 👑

[anotherwvba]

Road to the Women's Circuit pt. 4

In the dimly lit locker room of the WVBA Omni Arena, Niki Binary stood in her boxing gear for the very first time. The atmosphere was electric, even in this secluded space. Her coach, Viktor Von Kaiser, was meticulously taping up her hands, each wrap a layer of assurance. Gabby Jay, a retired fighter and now WVBA official, watched intently, his eyes narrowed behind a thick French accent.

Niki's eyes darted around, as if scanning multiple computer monitors. She was absorbing every word, every gesture from her coach. "Listen, meine kleine Kämpferin," Von Kaiser began, his thick German accent filling the room. "Cutie is agile, graceful, but aggressive. She will try to dictate the pace. Use your analytical skills, anticipate her moves. Your style is unique; use it to disrupt her rhythm."

Niki nodded, her eyes still scanning imaginary screens. "Got it, disrupt her rhythm, anticipate her moves."

Von Kaiser continued, "She will look for an opportunity to use her Cutie Rush, especially when she can draw your guard out of position. Wachsam sein. There is a brief window to counter and stun her when she resets her feet."

"Look for the reset, counter it. Understood," Niki responded, her mind already running simulations.

"And you, when you see an opening, don't hesitate to execute your System Crash. You'll feel it; trust your instincts," Von Kaiser advised.

"I will, coach," Niki assured him.

Von Kaiser finished taping her hands. Gabby Jay stepped forward, inspecting them meticulously before signing the tape with a nod of approval. As he did, Von Kaiser noticed Niki's hands trembling slightly.

"Are you nervous, meine Schülerin?" he asked softly.

Niki sighed, "I can't help but wonder if I'm actually ready for this, for Cutie. This is my first real fight, and it's against someone I respect so much."

Von Kaiser smiled, helping her into her gloves. "Ah, I remember my first fight. My hands were shaking so much, I could barely put on my gloves. But once you step into that ring, something magical happens. You find a strength you never knew you had. Sie sind bereit, Niki. You've worked hard for this."

Niki clenched her fists, feeling the snug fit of her gloves. She pounded them together, testing their weight and balance. Satisfied, she looked up at her coach.

Von Kaiser stood, holding his hands up. "Let's warm up. Jab!"

Niki threw a quick jab, her glove connecting with Von Kaiser's palm.

"Cross!"

Another punch, another connection. They moved through a series of combinations, Von Kaiser dancing around her, testing her defense, her footwork, her speed.

Finally, he called it. "System Crash!"

Niki's eyes narrowed, her body coiling like a spring. In a flash, she executed the move, her glove connecting with a sound that reverberated through the room. It was a punch thrown with not just her body, but her soul.

Von Kaiser smiled, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Du bist bereit, Niki. You are ready."

Niki looked into her coach's eyes, seeing not just the reflection of her own determination but also a glimmer of pride. "Thank you, coach. I won't let you down."

Elsewhere in the WVBA Omni, Cutie Hondo's locker room was a sanctuary of focus and preparation. Dressed to fight, Cutie flexed her gloved hands, feeling the snug fit against her taped wrists.

WVBA Official Hoy Quarlow, a retired fighter and former World Champion, inspected Cutie's gloves and wrist tape. His eyes, framed by years of experience, scrutinized every detail. Finally, he nodded in approval and signed the tape. "Good luck, young warrior," he said in his thick Chinese accent before exiting the room.

Cutie began her warm-up, shadowboxing in the center of the room. Her movements were fluid, each punch and dodge a brushstroke on an invisible canvas. Her coach, Piston Hurricane, watched intently, his eyes never leaving her form.

"How will Niki start the fight?" Hurricane asked, his thick Cuban accent coming through.

Cutie, still shadowboxing, responded, "She's analytical, Coach 'Cane. She'll start cautiously, trying to read my moves."

"How do we approach her style?" Hurricane continued.

Cutie mimicked dodging and weaving as she answered, "Her style is unique, almost like she's solving a puzzle. I need to be unpredictable, keep changing the puzzle."

Hurricane nodded, "Good. Her favored attack?"

"The System Crash," Cutie said, throwing a straight punch into the air. "A straight to the solar plexus. She'll try knock the wind out of me, leave me open."

"How will you counter?"

Cutie demonstrated a quick sidestep and counter-punch as she continued shadowboxing. "I'll need to watch for her wind-up. There's a brief moment where she taunts before the punch. That's my window."

"And if you see her hurt, what will you do?" Hurricane's eyes narrowed, focusing on Cutie's form.

Cutie grinned, "Cutie Rush," she said, demonstrating a flurry of hooks to the body, each as fluid as a painter's stroke, "I'll make sure she doesn't get back up."

Hurricane held out his hand at chin level, "The most important thing in the ring?"

Cutie smiles as she finished the Cutie Rush, her glove meeting Hurricane's hand with her overhand right as she answered, "To have fun, Coach 'Cane. To enjoy every moment. I'm out there with my best friend."

Hurricane smiled warmly as Cutie bounced around, her footwork a dance of agility and grace. But then his expression turned serious. He placed his hands on Cutie's shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"Mija, I know you've put a lot of pressure on yourself, pero recuerda esto. My legacy is secure. Your brother is making his own name. This fight is about you and Niki taking your place in history. You don't need to worry about anything more than that."

Cutie looked at her coach with reverence, her eyes misty. "Haisha moushiagemasu, 'Cane-sensei," she said, bowing deeply.

Hurricane returned the bow, his eyes meeting hers once more. "Dō itashimashite, Hondo-san. Go out there and have fun, Cutie."

Cutie's eyes sparkled, "I will, Coach. I definitely will."

On opposite side of the arena, two best friends were making themselves ready for battle. Their movements light and measured, their punches crisp and quick, and no trace of anger or malice. Niki Binary and Cutie Hondo... Nicole and Kyoko... were ready to share the stage and fight their hardest. After all, history was waiting.

[drhu0806]

22 - "Who takes care of you?"

Fandom: Mass Effect 3 (fanfiction) Characters: Garrus, Shepard Rating: T Warnings: none

The commander immediately begins barking out orders as she and her squad board the Normandy. James stumbles onto a gurney and is promptly taken away, whereas someone takes a battered Liara away to triage. Shepard, having entered the ship looking like she was on a war path, subtly deflates, the aggression bleeding out of her as she slowly makes her way through the ship without asking for anyone’s aid.

She’s able to make it all the way to the elevator before she’s caught. The doors open, and Garrus is behind them, somehow completely unsurprised to see her there.

“Garrus? What are you…”

“Heard what happened planetside. Everyone okay?”

The adrenaline is fading, her last line of defense against the trembling that she knows will take over before long. Not wanting anyone to see, she charges into the elevator with him, slamming the button for her chosen floor.

“Shepard—”

“Yeah, everyone’s fine,” she exhales in one long, rushed stream. “Well, they will be, at least, now that they’re in Chakwas’s hands.”

“And you?”

Shepard throws him an incredulous look. “Me? I’m fine.”

“Uh huh.”

He hits the floor that will take them to the clinic, much to her consternation. She overrides it with her omni-tool as she throws him a glare.

“What are you doing?”

“What are you doing? You need to see Chakwas just as much as the two of them.” An angry edge begins to creep into Garrus’s tone as he tersely nods at her body. “Or do you think medigel alone is gonna close up that hole in you that you think you can hide?”

The commander says nothing but flexes her jaw in annoyance, instinctively covering the wound in her side. To her relief, they finally reach the top level to her quarters. Shuffling inside, she immediately begins stripping out of her bloodied clothes, holding back a hiss as they peel away from her open injury.

“Rei.”

With a firm push, Garrus stops her in her tracks and forces her to sit, muttering an apology when she winces. He kneels before her, giving her a critical eye.

“You need first aid.”

“And I’ll get it, just… later.”

“Why not now?”

She doesn’t answer, tossing her head back to lean on the backseat of the sofa. When he’s sure she stays still, he gets to work, tenderly lifting up her shirt and applying some preliminary first aid to disinfect and close the wound. Shepard doesn’t speak the whole time, not even so much as a twitch even as he picks and prods.

“What happened down there, Rei?” Garrus quietly asks.

It takes her a while before she answers. “Walked right into an ambush,” she murmurs, eyes closed. Shame and anger hang heavily from her tone. “Feel like only pure luck was what got us out.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You and your team are what got you out.”

The adrenaline has worn off by now, and as she thought, she can’t hold back the way her hands shake. Garrus wraps an arm around her and pulls her close, letting her head rest on his shoulder and she catches her breath.

“The two of them bore the brunt of it. I just...want them to be taken care of, first. They need it more than I do.”

“You really haven’t changed this whole time, huh. Always looking out for everyone else first,” he notes. “But who takes care of you?”

“...I have you, don’t I?”

“Damn right you do.”

They laugh—though Shepard cuts herself off early, due to the pain—and he rubs her arm. He helps her into something more comfortable before carefully pulling her up, eyeing her to make sure she’s steady.

“Martyring yourself and putting yourself through more pain isn’t going to end this war, Rei. You know that, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” she sighs. “I can’t help it sometimes.”

“Lucky for you, there’s at least one person between the two of us who isn’t always stuck in our own heads.”

“That’s because even you can’t stand the constant sound of those quips you make up in your brain, Vakarian.”

He laughs, keeping a warm, firm arm around her as he leads her back to the lift. This time, she doesn’t protest when he picks the floor to the clinic, wholeheartedly leaning her entire body against him as the fight drains from her.

“Keep mouthing off, Shepard. I happen to know you like my witty banter.”

She snorts, a much more lighthearted sound than before, letting him lead her out and steady her as they step out of the elevator towards Chakwas’s quarters. He reluctantly lets her go as they reach the threshold, and she gives him a reassuring smile before going in.

“Yeah, well, save some for me for later, alright?”

“Always.” He hesitates, before adding, “I’ve said this before, but you know I’m here for you, Rei.”

“I know, Garrus. I always do.”

[sagarg889]

Sirens Market Research by Key players, Type and Application, Future Growth Forecast 2022 to 2032

In 2022, the global sirens market is expected to be worth US$ 170.1 million. The siren market is expected to reach US$ 244.0 million by 2032, growing at a 3.7% CAGR.

The use of sirens is expected to increase, whether for announcements or on emergency vehicles such as ambulances, police cars, and fire trucks. A siren is a loud warning system that alerts people to potentially dangerous situations as they happen.

Rapidly increasing threats and accidents have resulted in more casualties and missed business opportunities in developing economies. Demand for sirens is expected to rise during the forecast period as more people use security solutions.

As a result of rising threats and accidents in developing economies, the number of victims and lost business opportunities has rapidly increased. Adopting security solutions, such as sirens, is an effective way to deal with these challenges. Long-range sirens are used in mining and industrial applications, whereas motorised sirens are used in home security. Hand-operated sirens are used when there is no power or when a backup is required.

Some additional features of sirens include a solar panel upgrade system to keep the batteries charged and a number of digital communication methods, including Ethernet, satellite, IP, fiber optic and others. Sirens have conformal coatings on their electronics, which help protect them against harsh environments. Some of the systems are made in such a way that they can be expanded or scaled depending on future capabilities.

Omni-directional sirens can be used in areas of high noise levels and those with large population densities as they provide a greater area of coverage. Sirens have external controls with triggers, which can be customized according to needs. The lightening types of sirens include bulb revolving, LED flashing and xenon lamp strobe. The loud speakers in sirens are adopted from latest piezoelectric ceramic technology.

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Other sirens are hydraulic or air driven and mostly find applications in plants and factories. Lithium batteries have replaced alkaline batteries in sirens now, since lithium batteries need not be replaced for several years. Modern sirens use latest technologies and find applications in civil defense, emergency vehicles, security systems and others. Typically, sirens are made of stainless steel, aluminum or UV stabilized polycarbonate to avoid corrosion and are equipped with protection cages. An LED flashing siren has a light source with a semi-permanent lifespan and it is used in places where bulb replacement is a problem.

Region-wise Outlook

In the global sirens market, the dominant share is held by the U.S., India, China, Japan, Australia, Germany, Singapore and the UAE. This can be attributed to the demand for security solutions in developed as well as developing economies.

The regional analysis includes:

North America (U.S., Canada)

Latin America (Mexico. Brazil)

Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain)

Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)

Asia-Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand)

Japan

The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries, S. Africa, Northern Africa)

The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.

Market Participants

Some of the key market participants identified in the global siren market are Acoustic Technology Inc., Sentry Siren Inc., MA Safety Signal Co. Ltd, Whelen Engineering Co. Inc., Federal Signal Corporation, B & M Siren Manufacturing Co., Projects Unlimited Inc., Phoenix Contact, Mallory Sonalert Products and Qlight USA Inc.

Rising population and rapid urbanization have led to an increase in demand for security solutions. The need for implementation of security has paved way for the use of electronic equipment on a large scale globally, which in turn has created opportunities for the global sirens market. As these products are durable with a high voltage capacity and easy to install, they find high selling propositions. Characteristics and properties of electronic and pneumatic equipment play a vital role in security solutions, thereby driving the global sirens market with a rise in diverse end-user applications, such as industrial warning systems, community warning systems, campus alert systems and military mass warning systems.

Report Highlights:

Detailed overview of parent market

Changing market dynamics in the industry

In-depth Polishing / Lapping Film market segmentation

Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value

Recent industry trends and developments

Competitive landscape

Strategies of key players and products offered

Potential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growth

A neutral perspective on market performance

Must-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprint.

Browse Detailed Summary of Research Report with TOC @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sirens-market

Key Segments

Product Type:

Electronic

Electro-mechanical

Rotating

Single/dual toned

Omnidirectional

By Application:

Civil defense

Industrial signaling

Emergency vehicles

Home/vehicle safety

Security/warning systems

Military use

Others

By Installation Type:

Wall mounting

Self-standing

Water proof connector

By Regions:

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

MEA

[theauthor0]

OMEGA!TALE KING MULTIVERSE UNDYNE

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ART MADE BY JUST_ARIES

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GENERAL INFO

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KM Undyne was created by Moderator!Alphys and Omni!Asgore, KM undyne is the standing figure of king of the multiverse and manages things that do not require Omni!Asgore help/management. KM Undyne takes aspects from King Multiverse and Reaper!Tale Undyne. KM Undyning form allows Undyne to become a god for a short period of time.

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PHYSICAL INFO

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KM Undyne is a man (tho I am fine if you make him a female that is just a tomboy)

His appearance is more similar to that of a shark

His skin is white with black scars and hair

He wears a floating crown that looks to be made of silver with different colored gems on the crown

His eyes can become completely white but does have pupils which are black but will become green when using magic

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PERSONALITY

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Undyne is always bored, forced to do boring work and while he complains a bit she always does a good in managing the multiverse and like original Undyne, she likes fighting because of this he likes to do trials of combat against others to satisfy his boredom.

The rest of his personality is similar to undyne tho he is not a hero and doesn’t really fight for justice but he does have honor in fights

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COMBAT INFO

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〔Statistics〕

〔Traits〕

Enhanced body- Undyne can move at Mach 3, he can carry a large island with ease, and withstand most attacks without taking damage

Blocked Code- his code is blocked by most beings however it is possible to access her code but it can be blocked by Moderator!Alphys

Undying Multiverse Form- this form can only be used if Moderator!Alphys or Omni!Asgore allows it, this form increases all of her abilities and stats by 150%, it also gives extreme regeneration however once in this form Undyne goes into a rage barely keeping her conscious

〔Abilities/Attacks〕

Spears of a king- he can summon black spears of any size and width, these spears home on a target however once they come in contact with something they disappear, these spears also move at the speed of sound.

Ruler Authority- Similar to asgore, but is weaker and cannot do certain commands

System User- Undyne can use the system but is super limited on what he can do at most it acts like a newspaper for him

Green Chains of binding- Undyne can summon green chains from the ground that binds a being, those caught by the chains cannot move

Magic King- can use other forms of magic however it’s limited to elemental magic, and his magic is boosted by 50%

Wormholes- Undyne can create wormholes

Kwan Dao- Undyne wields a Kwan Dao, this weapon has 3 effects and 4 abilities

-Effects: Increases speed of the user by 10x, Increases reaction time of the user by 30x, and Increases damage by 5x

-Parry: undyne can parry physical attacks and reflect magic attacks back at the opponent

-Combo damage: the more undyne hits an opponent the more his damage increase, however the effect will wear off when not in combat for a long period of time

-User link: This weapon can only be used by Undyne and can be summoned anytime

-Penetrate: Can pierce through most defenses and barriers, as well as ignoring the DEF stat on beings

〔Weaknesses〕

-Has no Real specific weakness but can be cocky in battles