#Drop-shipping for luxury items

[luxurydistribution]

Exploring the Benefits of Luxury Brands Drop-Shipping for E-Commerce Entrepreneurs

In the world of e-commerce, selling luxury goods is an attractive way to target high-end consumers. However, the cost of inventory, storage, and logistics can be daunting for new business owners. That's where luxury brands drop-shipping comes in. This innovative business model allows entrepreneurs to sell premium products without the financial burden of stocking inventory or managing fulfillment. Here, we’ll explore how luxury brands drop-shipping works and why it’s an appealing option for starting a high-end e-commerce business.

 Key Benefits of Luxury Brands Drop-Shipping

 1. Low Startup Costs

One of the major advantages of luxury brands drop-shipping is the minimal upfront investment. Traditional retail businesses require a substantial investment in inventory, which can be especially expensive when dealing with high-end luxury products. With drop-shipping, you don’t need to purchase the products until a customer places an order, significantly reducing the financial risk. This allows you to enter the luxury market without the need for substantial capital.

 2. Access to High-End Products

With luxury brands drop-shipping, you gain access to a wide variety of premium products from established luxury brands. This is particularly advantageous for entrepreneurs who may not have the necessary connections or resources to negotiate wholesale deals with top-tier luxury manufacturers. You can offer authentic, branded products to your customers, enhancing your store’s credibility and appeal.

 3. No Inventory Management or Storage

Managing inventory can be one of the most challenging aspects of running a retail business. However, with drop-shipping, you don’t need to worry about storing or maintaining physical stock. Your supplier takes care of inventory management, ensuring that your store is always updated with accurate stock levels and that products are shipped directly to customers when orders are placed. This simplifies operations and allows you to focus on other aspects of the business.

 4. Scalability and Flexibility

As your business grows, luxury brands drop-shipping offers unparalleled scalability. Since the supplier handles storage and fulfillment, there’s no need to invest in additional warehouse space or hire extra staff. You can add new products or expand your offerings without worrying about the logistics of managing increased inventory. The flexibility of drop-shipping makes it easier to test new products and adapt to changing market demands.

 Conclusion

Luxury brands drop-shipping provides a practical and efficient way for entrepreneurs to break into the high-end fashion and luxury goods market. With low startup costs, access to premium products, and the freedom from inventory management, this business model allows you to run a successful luxury e-commerce store with minimal risk and hassle. By partnering with trusted suppliers, you can offer high-quality, authentic luxury goods to your customers and grow your brand in the ever-expanding luxury market.

[rieamena]

everything i wasn't and everything you were.

day 15 of inotober'24

fem aligned/intended reader

riea's comments: writing this made me cry bro

"please…" your voice came out strained and raspy from crying a few moments before, "come back safely."

"for you?"

"not just for me," you shook your head and drew attention to your extended arms. your brother's white and black wrapped weapon was sitting in your hands; his luxury watch atop it, twinkling slightly, "for him too."

takuma just stared down at it, frozen in shock. he knew what it meant, he just didn't want to believe it. "it's kind of funny, you know," you attempted to break the deafening silence although the tears welling up in your eyes betrayed you. "when he brought you to the shop for the first time, he told me that if anything were to happen to him, his watch and weapon would go to you." the man, only a few years younger than you, tore his gaze from the items, looking at you instead. your cheeks glistened with dried tears, new ones forming in milliseconds. "at first i brushed him off, my brother? nanami kento? the best sorcerer i know, bested by some curse? m-maybe he should've become a fortune teller instead of a sorcerer, maybe then t-this wouldn't have…" the memorabilia in your hands shook as you held your head down, the tears dropping onto the concrete below.

takuma dug his nails into his palm to stop himself from crying. he hated to see you like this, so broken, disheartened, and weak. and yet, nanami would know that there's still a mission to complete. that there's still people to protect. you to protect.

"ino, i know you." that's how his superior started, taking a sip of his chamomile tea afterwards. the cafe was homely, polished wooden tables and cushioned booths filled the space. the overhead lights hung low enough that if nanami jumped directly below one, it would hit his head. "i know that you're not the best at keeping things under wraps." he set his cup back down on the napkin, not wanting to possibly create a mug ring on the table itself. taking a deep sigh, the man intertwined his fingers and stared at his junior. takuma felt his hands get clammy and sweat run down his back. he doesn't even know what he's nervous about until nanami spoke up again, "you're dating my sister."

"please." you begged, wrapping your arms around him, eyes wetting his black crewneck. "please, takuma. stay alive." the man in question held onto his mentor's watch and weapon as he hugged you back tightly. "please. don't do something you'll regret and—" you continued, choking on your sobs, and that's when takuma felt himself break. he didn't care about being strong anymore, he let himself cry. to feel his grief and to understand your own.

"i will be back. nothing will stop me from coming back to you." he pressed his lips against yours in a gentle and sweet manner, wanting to convey just how much you meant to him. you kissed him back instantaneously with so much affection and force, hand slipping up his neck and under his beanie, fingers intertwined with his hair. you both pulled away and takuma kissed your forehead endearingly, rubbing your shoulders.

"i love you," were the last words he said before rushing into battle, and you didn't even get to say it back.

all that could be done was to wait, so you waited. hours turned into days. days turned into weeks. weeks to months. and months to years. sometime between then, you received word that takuma would be shipped off to the states for more advanced testing and healthcare. you still weren't able to see him. in the beginning, shoko would update you from time to time on how he was doing. you couldn't go and see for yourself though. he was in a high security hospital, no visitors allowed. shoko's updates got less and less frequent and the last time she contacted you was to say that he would be entering surgery soon.

you'd be lying if you said you moved on. on the day of kento's funeral, you stayed back and sat on the rain beaten grass, talking about whatever came to mind. you laughed at the irony of it all. it was always like this, you talking your brother's ear off and him occasionally saying something in response. he would always be less stoic around you, sometimes he'd even make a joke once in a while. you sat there for hours, talking to his gravestone, your heart anticipating a response but your head knowing that you'll never get one again.

the grass crunched under your shoes as you made your way through the cemetery, basket full of bread in hand. you made it a habit to visit your brother at least once a week, always making sure to bring something special, something that he loved.

"you're probably wondering about ino, huh?" you started, taking out a slice and spreading his favorite topping on it slowly. "i lost him too. don't get me wrong, he's not dead—at least i don't think he is—but i haven't heard from him since the day he went into the fight. i can only hope that he's safe and healthy or in the process of doing so—here's your slice." you set the bread on the stone, reaching back in the basket to start on your own. "i just wish i knew more about everything. you jujutsu sorcerers always kept things so secret…"

the crinkle of a bouquet of chamomile flowers against your brother's freshly cleaned marble gravestone made you jump. the bread and butter knife in your hands fell right into the basket you carried upon hearing a voice.

"keeping secrets isn't my thing. i'm sorry for making you wait so long."

jjk taglist

@blendingcaramal @gzchaos @theamazingrain @woah-girlz @voloslobotomyservice

@kyozvy @obessionofagrl @bubybubsters @sugurusbaobei @raindropsonrwses

@c-moon20-12 @saltynanobeanie @theamazingrain @synthiiiiis @ghostlyluminarycloud

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@cheesecake95 @strawberry-cherrypie @makeshiftproject @magiamad0ka @ncitygreen

@stillnotherapy @oniondrip @cloudy-yyy @definitely-not-leena @kidd3ath

@atigerandabear @russianremy @ohnoitsamistakee18 @ivy-vivii @ourfinalisation

@1ndee @yourhornysister @ancientimes @cupcaketeddybehr @tomikixd

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@baekhyunsbestie @vorfreudevortex @leuriss @xaithings @jtoddlover 

@corvid007 @babysoo-meu @nickxz444 @strawbzies

[carionto]

It's smaller on the Inside

I find myself going down the Warhammer 40'000 route of scale for this verse I'm apparently building. It's silly, and I like it that way. I don't want to give myself a ceiling for anything I might throw in here :p Continuation of this

__________________________________________

From the outside, the Human ships are astronomically massive. Most, we guessed, doubled as population centers, something akin to a floating colony fleet. With their planet as hostile as they come, we had no doubt most of Humanity had moved into orbit.

"Hmm? Oh, no. The colony ships aren't ready yet. They'll be bigger than even the Dreadnoughts. I'd say the entire Space Force has around 300'000 active members. The Space Teamsters Union has about 8'000 members, and us science ships house just under 2'500 employees. There's maybe a few thousand unlicensed folk out and about, no doubt that number will skyrocket once we get some trade routes going with you guys, or, err... you know. Sorry, just a common expression."

Captain Knoslark explained. This didn't make sense. The Coalition delegates were informed Earth was home to 12,3 billion Humans. By reasonable estimates, their current fleet should easily be able to accommodate at least half that.

Okay, fine. The revelation their reactors were stupidly massive would drop that to around 3,8 billion, but still! What were they using all this room for?

Perplexed, the Captain itemized:

"Well for one, armor plating accounts for between 20 and 45 percent of the total mass, depending on the ship. For that you need sufficiently strong engines, plus reactors to power them, so there goes another 15 to 35 percent of mass and upwards of 50% of space. Military ships tend to go for extra everything minus luxuries, so taking that and all their additional weapon systems, a Dreadnought has maybe 0.7% of its displacement left for personnel."

The delegates just couldn't. What? Why? Nobody is even pretending that Human ships aren't vastly superior to everything in known space. Even halving all their bulk and power, no-one could take them on.

Sheepishly, the Captain answered:

"Well, yeah... I guess I can't disagree since you're saying it yourselves. But what about the unknown space? What if someone comes up with something better? We're doing that constantly. I mean, that's some of the reason why we have the science ships like the one we're on."

"But I can see your point. If safety protocols didn't demand all these winding bulkhead hallways and modular room structure and all that other stuff, something like a standard issue 3km Cruiser could house a crew of 45'000 instead of a maximum of 1'400."

(continued)

[seth-shitposts]

Fulcrum Trio HC

Besties who help each other work through their trauma, and their trauma has overlapping areas in some parts.

They share a ship, it's the first home they've had in awhile.

It's not uncommon for them to go on missions together. But when they go on missions and things start getting chaotic, only one of them manages to hold onto a brain cell while the other two become more feral. The one who holds the brain cell changes each time.

Cassian is treated as the baby brother and he says he hates it. He'll never admit how much he actually likes it. It took the longest time for him to admit it to himself.

This one was spoken about in comvo with some friends (hi you're probably reading it rn 💙) [ They have platonic cuddle sessions. They're all very touch starved and it starts out as an accident.

Kallus is an octopus cuddler when he manages to drink too much. At first, Kanan had been the one to get trapped, but he managed to slip away. Unfortunately, that means the nearest person would get trapped. Which was Cassian. He just accepted it. There was no way he was going to be able to wrestle out of this two meter man's arms and he wasn't upset about it. In fact, he was very smug about the fact that he cuddled Kallus before Ahsoka did.

Cassian got his payback on Kallus. Cassian cannot hold his liquor nearly as well as Kal and fell asleep laying across his lap. Kallus was not even tipsy, he refused to move. "No. It's illegal." Cassian rarely gets asleep as it is. He was NOT about to wake him. Ahsoka decided that she had enough and sat herself right next to Kallus, laying her head on his shoulder as she gently brushed through Cassa's hair.

After that, the three of them decided to just incorporate it into their routine. It wasn't uncommon for their friends or partners to find the three of them in a puddle of blankets and pillows together.

(Also, any of their partners just as to accept the fact that they're sharing their partner with the other fulcrum counter parts.)

The three of them are usually the reason why there's a weekly supply run made just for Caf.

They have crafts each of them learned when they were younger and they teach them to each other.

On coruscant, since the stars were never visible, especially so far down in the lower levels, stars were a treasured cultural thing. Star-themed nicknames were some of the highest praise or used to emphasize how cherished one was to another. Star maps and holo projectors were an expensive luxury item. Something that was always passed around the youth were paper stars. Kallus was taught how to make them before he even learned how to read or write. The children of the lower levels often sold or traded them for food or other supplies. Pennies for each one. Kallus had made hundreds of thousands of them. When he began to interact with Ahsoka and Cassian more, he picked it back up and would leave them in random nooks and cranies.

On Kenari, Cassian had learned how to braid threads into accessory pieces. Attachments to clothing for special events, bracelets, necklaces, headbands, sashes, even bags. It's something he does occasionally to keep his hands busy. Eventually, he had completed projects but didn't have anything he could do with them. So he gave them away. Commonly, he made braided bands for K2, Bee, and any droid that took a liking to Kallus. (Which kept him busy because "why are there so many droids that decide 'yes. You.' Do you just pick up every droid you see?"

Ahsoka was very young when she came to Coruscant. Master Plo Koon taught her not just about the Jedi Order and training, but little things too. Something that the two of them often did together started out as a way of training but became a shared hobby for them to do as they talked things over or meditated. Master Plo Koon had taught Ahsoka how to embroid and cross stitch with her mind. It was to have a master over precision and patience. It's a practice that Ahsoka never truly dropped. She greatly struggled with it as a youngling and a padawan, but as she got older, she got better at it.

When Ahsoka started teaching Cassian and Alexsandr, she struggled slightly because it was the first time she was doing it by hand rather than through the force, but she enjoyed learning a new way of the craft.

They'll spend hours debriefing over missions, making strategies, or just talking things out as they teach each other their crafts.

That's all i got atm. Will probably add more later.

[myactualblogisabbs]

AA resources

(Artist Alley, not Alcoholics Anonymous.) Since a lot of internet AA things are locked away behind Discord, I'm making a compilation of resources, in the spirit of oldschool information sharing. Note: I'm mainly done stickers and charms. I have very little experience with enamel/acrylic pins so far, however I expect to update this when that experience is acquired, probably around Jan-Feb 2025.

Good overall information about Artist Alley-ing! Covers everything from production to sales. Google keeps hiding this, so I might as well try and make it a bit more visible.

Manufacturers (Mainly Euro-friendly)

Pretty Good Stickers Based in Sweden. This place has a low minimum order for stickers, and the price drops the more you buy. Except instead having to order 100+ stickers, you can just order 2, 10, 25, etc. This is _gold_ when you do small sticker runs for old niche stuff, like I do. Heads up that they'll take more time if you order different materials, but they've always delivered within the timeframe promised when I've ordered.

Vograce Based in China, with all that that entails. Takes a long-ish time to deliver charms, and you'll get hit with customs. Discounts start around 6+ items, and different designs can be combined to get a bigger discount. Also a hit-and-miss with production managers. Best to find one that works for you, and keep requesting her. Very economical for charms (Minimum order is around 3), less so for stickers (Minimum order is 50 of one size + material, although you can do 5 different designs), but expect to wait for a long time + B- grades happen. Pawprint Designs Based in Spain. Good quality. Delivers faster than Vograce, no customs charge (If you're in the EU). Very good for charms, especially if you have a bigger quantity. Ships reliably fast, great for getting to conventions on time. Their charms have a relief quality to them, which makes them feel more luxurious and worth the extra cost. The styles and colours of clasps are more limited than Vograce, and unlike Vograce, they're not free. They are optional though, so you can save a lot by just buying the clasps you want from wherever you want, and assembling them at home. Also, they sometimes send you the resulting B-grades for no extra cost, so you can put them together at home using a bag of clasps, and sell for cheaper at conventions.

Useful Tools

Checklist Spreadsheet Template by Sedra Convention Sales Sheet Template

If you see something you made and wish to be credited, please let me know :)

(Note: I'd prefer if someone would put this on the internet in a neocities website at some point, to make sure it's actually accessible to everyone for real, and not just people with a tumblr account. I might do this at some point, just not sure when.)

[agentlizardofowca]

^ "did you sleep well?" "mhm.." [tracing the mark with their hand] "i can tell." // GO GO GO!!!

[I sometimes have trouble sleeping, and something that helps me fall asleep is to imagine my favourite characters falling asleep after an exhausting day. I've imagined the following scenario maybe 500 times.]

NOW ALSO ON AO3

zzzzz

Perry knew with certainty that it was wednesday when he left. He was about to take his coffee break when he was rushed to the airship bay and shipped off for an emergancy. As he was flown off to [counrty] he was informed of the world's newest thread, a nuclear physicist with some interesting ideas about justice. 

Sleep isnt really an option if all life on earth is in mortal peril, so the agent stayed awake for as long as it took to nuetralize the threat. It worked out okay, perry thought to himself as he sat through debriefing with his head cradled in his arms. The world still had its biodiversity, and he still had all 10 fingers. 

When he returned to Danville it was dark, past midnight. The streets were deserted except for a few stragglers who were finding their way home after a long night of partying. Perry assumed he looked at bad as they did.

He showered at headquarters because he could smell himself, and he was self-conscious about that, before letting himself be dropped off at his- their place. They shared it nowadays. And despite the fatigue, Perry couldn't help but smile giddily at that thought.

When he unlocked the front door he was met with a dark and still apartment, which was both a blessing and a curse. Heinz had the habit of working long into the early hours, so for the lab to be deserted now meant that it must be early. Really early.

He yawned and trudged towards the bedroom taking off items of clothing as he went so that when he softly opened the door, all he had to do was plop down his clothes on an empty chair.

Dead-center in the middle of the bed was his (former) nemesis, sleeping soundly. Both his arms and legs were spread luxuriously as if he was attempting to claim the whole bed for himself; Heinz never was very good at sharing. Luckily for Perry, he had no need of the comforter tonight, it was the middle of summer, and sleeping in just his boxer would do.

He resisted the urge to fall face down into the bed- that would surely jostle the other man awake, and though Perry was so, SO happy to see him, he was far too tired to be interrogated about his mission. So instead he slid onto the mattress soundlessly.

This close, he could hear the other man's rhythmic breathing. Even without touching, he could tell the other man was warm and relaxed. 

Perry's eyelids were as heavy as Heinz's titanium arms, but still, he had to take a moment to admire the careful stillness of his usually energetic partner. 

He hadn't taken the time to turn on any of the lights, just because he didn't want to bother having to turn them off again. But even in the low light, Perry knew where Heinz's features were, after this many years he could conjure his face in an instant. He would kiss him, right now. But he could not. Instead, Perry adjusted one lanky arm carefully to the side to make space for himself and laid himself down. His forehead settled nicely against Heinz's shoulder and closed his eyes.

He carefully breathed in, and when Heinz exhaled, so did he. Within a moment their breathing was synchronised. The wooly fog that Perry'd been carrying around in his head faded with each breath. With his last vestiges of consciousness, he reached out one arm and placed it over Heinz's heart. The steady drum lulled him to sleep quickly.

***

The sun was up. Through the insufficient barrier of his eyelids, Perry was aware that the sun was bright and waking him from maybe the deepest sleep he'd experienced all year. With tremendous effort, he shifted his head on the pillow. A sleepy squeak escaped him.

For a while, he just existed. A man sleeping on his tummy with one leg pulled up and one leg dangling just barely off the edge of the bed. 

The sounds of birdsong didn't reach this high up, and even the noises of cars and trucks passing below were like a distant hum. 

The door creaked a little as it opened. Something was put down, and then the mattress dipped beside him.

"I know you're awake, Perry the Platypus," Heinz said kindly.

Perry exhaled in reply.

"I can tell because you stopped snoring." The little smile that stretched his lips was audible in his voice.

Perry rolled over again, his side now pressed up against the other man. He opened his eyes slowly and blinked as he adjusted to the brightness of the room. He wasn't going to apologize to Heinz for snoring, he'd known about that particular flaw long before their nemesis-ship ended.

"I think you slept for thirteen hours," Heinz calculated, and he smiled down at Perry. His slowly graying hair was attempting to block Perry's view of those midsummer sky eyes. "Did you sleep at all since I last saw you?"

The horizontal man shook his head.

Heinz whistled. "Did you sleep well?" And one finger carefully trailed a line across Perry's cheek that was left by the bedding.

Perry stretched until his back popped and nodded lazily. Heinz's hand was still on his cheek.

"I can tell," He said as if it was a secret they shared.

Long fingers slid away, and the mattress wobbled as Heinz left it. "I made lunch Perry the Platypus. Come and eat with us before Vanessa has to leave for her mother's house. She's missed you too." Gone was the softness in Heinz's voice as he forced Perry back into the reality of the conscious world. The man left the room, not bothering to stop speaking to him, even as he got too far away to be heard clearly. 

A T-shirt landed on Perry's face. He debated rolling over and sleeping another 13 hours, but the siren call of lunch and his husband's enthused conversation won.

[itsuki-minamy]

"SIDE GOLD"

CHAPTER 4: IKU AND THE BIRIBIRI GROUP (Part 2)

* List of Chapters

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Anno

On that day, there was a storm across Honshu and unseasonable lightning was also observed on the Sea of Japan side. Even in Tokyo, a heavy drizzle that made the cold seep into the bones made the landscape seem smoky since the morning.

Although the conditions were the worst for outdoor group activities, the high morale of beginning a great task defied objective facts. The staff of the Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau, who were about to be sent to work, had diverse backgrounds and personalities, and the breakfast room was busy and noisy.

Those who interact carelessly,

"Iyoda-kun~, give me the salt, salt~"

"Yes, here you have. Why do you put salt on rice every time you see it?"

A person enjoying a meal,

"Today's food is also really delicious."

"Hmm! Chika-dono's miso soup is exquisite!"

"Oh, that's right... the manager's pickles are delicious too."

Those who talk about work,

"We don't have practice at the dojo today, so it would be great to go out and have something to eat!"

"Normally people don't like to be shipped, but..."

The people gathered in the small dining room looked like young people who could be found anywhere, they were no longer wearing blue clothes or carrying swords.

Their title as members of the Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau is a legal system and they do not actually work for the Ministry of Justice. The office where daily work was carried out, the living space where people slept, they were all located in a corner of the former state guest house that displayed Tsubakimon's luxurious appearance... or rather, it was in a building in the corner.

Next to the simple entrance, which only looks like a back door, there is a plaque with the name ''Ao Mamoru-sha'' written in Somei Nazumi's handwriting, but in reality, this building was used as an office and living space for the exclusive servers of the guest house. Permission to use the main building has not yet been granted (although it is clear that they will not be able to handle the current number of staff).

The dining room is so transparent that you can enter directly through the outside door and the adjacent kitchen is only separated by a curtain. It was a very simple installation for service, separate from the kitchen for guests.

Somei Chika, dressed in a triangular sling and a Japanese kappo uniform, emerged from the kitchen.

"Today's dispatch is likely to be a long battle with those with abilities. Be sure to maintain your strength!"

Everyone responded in unison, worthy of the loud cheers.

An old woman called softly to Chika from behind.

"That's enough, so Chika-san, please enjoy your food."

She gave her a tray with breakfast in a natural and discreet way.

This old woman is not only the guardian of "Ao Mamoru-sha", as Nazumi calls her, but of the entire guest house.

She has been protecting the state pension since the war and, even after her husband, who was also her colleague, died in prison at the hands of the special high police, she continued her work with calm and dedication. She led a small group of servants and kept the entire vast state guesthouse beautiful, and she possessed a mysterious ability that even Nazumi admired.

Chika bowed to the respectful woman and accepted the tray.

"Yes, I appreciate your words."

Of the members of the Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau, only Nazumi and his wife travel from their nearby home. When they have to leave early like today, they usually have breakfast there, which they usually do at home. Chika not only eats, but she also helps the manager cook, so there will be one more food item for breakfast the day she comes.

This is the reason why the morale of the youth has increased considerably.

Chika walked behind them and sat in the reserved seat in the back, facing Nazumi.

He had already eaten his breakfast and there was not a single grain of rice or a drop of miso soup left. The tray had been pushed aside and a thick pile of books was piled between them.

Chika was a little taken aback.

(I wonder what kind of job it is.)

She has not heard that there was work to be done before being sent.

Beyond that mountain, Nazumi seemed to rise and reveal his face.

"Thanks for the food."

"That was a bad job."

After calmly responding to the polite voice, Chika asked.

"Nazumi-san, what is that book?"

If you look closely, you will see that it is not the usual bundle of government documents or an assembled file, but a collection of poems or Chinese classics. Apparently it was taken from the library of the State Guest House.

"My "Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau" also wants to have some kind of behavior or words that express the links clearly, so I've been looking at various documents... but it just doesn't fit very well."

Chika could easily imagine the worried face on the other side of the stack of books. Not only that, but she was also able to see through two or three levels of deep worry that were swaying like a fine mist.

"Do you have any concerns that will distract you from today's deployment?"

He wouldn't be surprised if someone could see through him now.

Rather, with the joy of being seen, Nazumi revealed his true feelings.

"I'm sure the plans and arrangements are perfect. But for some reason, I just don't feel like I can finish it..."

"Are you saying that when that "Red King" appears, the calculations go wrong?"

"The only thing I can say is that it is close, but different. When the matter reaches the "King", the mystery that governs that "Slate" is not clearly solved... and I feel very bad."

The superhuman irritation in her husband's voice.

With a single word, his wife returned him to the human horizon.

"Isn't that good?"

"Huh, is it?"

"The power of that "Slate" and the "King" are definitely things that exist in the floating world. As with anything else, isn't it okay to be in a bad mood because you can't get things done?"

"......"

On the other side of the stack of books, Chika could easily imagine Nazumi's no-nonsense face examining his opinions. The questioning tone of voice she had imagined returned.

"That is what it is?"

"That's right."

Chika dared to say it simply.

After a brief pause, Nazumi added.

"...I'm not convinced, but I understand. Chika-san."

"As you say."

"Your food is getting cold, please eat it quickly."

Chika took off her sling and put her palms together with a smile.

"Yes, Itadakimasu."

The unnamed intelligence agency was located in Nanakamado, Tokyo.

The facility's predecessor was an international Christian general hospital. Fortunately, the chalk building, with its magnificent bell tower, was saved from air raids and immediately after the end of the war it became a valuable medical center accommodating a wide variety of patients.

However, some time ago, it became the headquarters and research facility of an intelligence agency, with a fake sign reading "Infectious Disease Control Research Institute", a thick iron gate, and a high fence with a tap.

Today you could say that it has become a reality.

All the powers that had been established by them were revoked by official notification.

It was supposed to be done, but there is still debris moving around inside the room.

The noise was especially noticeable in the westernmost rooms on the top floor. It was established when the organization concentrated its personnel and functions there, and it is a command post that controls both internal analysis and command, as well as external reception and transmission.

The windows are covered with thick concrete, preventing the passage of wind and light. An electrical panel representing the Kanto region is installed on the wall and continues to display the movements of the objects being monitored. The tense atmosphere inside the room was created by those who operated the screens, those who provided information for their operation, those who received and transmitted information from outside, and those who reported and made adjustments derived from it.

Behind them, from a raised floor, a military-looking American gave instructions one after another.

"Keep all the generators running, okay, everything!"

Before it expired... his title was Director of the Extraterrestrial Intelligence Agency, in other words, Commander of Nanakamado.

"Never let anyone hang up on Atsugi's "Demodori"! If a conflict really breaks out, they will be looking for an opportunity to unite! No matter how trivial the data is, send them all the information to stimulate them!''

The scene was neither brave enough to be called anger, nor fierce enough to be called frenzy. In other words, it was a delusional movement that arose from the impatience of being cornered.

"Yokosuka's "Yaseppochi" hasn't come out yet?! Just one word is fine, keep calling until he answers! As long as we have the facts of the answer, we can negotiate with the CIA and the Pentagon as accomplices!"

Then, one of the engine members brings in a report containing new information.

After reading it, the chief engineer threw it away violently.

"Don't bring weather information! What do you mean the rain will turn into snow?! Today we are different from before! We are in a position to attack here...!"

After shouting, the chief engineer was shocked.

Everyone at the command post looked at him with worried faces.

As an intelligence agency, they are about to do something completely different than what they have done so far... gather information, capture targets, cover up operations, illegal experiments, etc. They were about to be forced to do so.

In other words, the act of undermining the systems and organizations that established them, and even the national structure.

Even if they had US backing (as the chief engineer insists), it was too risky a gamble to be taken lightly. Even so, the reason why they can barely maintain unity to the point of choosing to entrench themselves under the command of the chief engineer is due to their own status as intelligence agents.

That is...

"Listen, the person who knows the secret of an unprecedented phenomenon has become useless. Surrender and you will be detained by Headquarters, you know what will happen!"

This was because everyone was passively accepting the chief engineer's insistence that it had already happened for the umpteenth time.

"We will be accused of various clandestine jobs that will be imposed on us and handed over to our country of origin... At best, we will be deported and imprisoned, and at worst, we will be used as guinea pigs for investigation!"

Despite such instigation, there was no one in that organization who was clean and innocent enough to accept surrender. The fuel for their out-of-control behavior was the fear that "if they moved away from the side of manipulation and investigation, their position would be reversed".

Members of the intelligence service who spent their days committing shady deeds and even had a sense of pride in their actions attempted to crush them because Headquarters did not consider them that important, in fact, they looked down on them. The thought did not occur to them that their punishment would be lighter if they did nothing unnecessary.

Having no choice but to hide their feelings, they returned to their work.

The chief engineer, who had subdued his subordinate, turned his suspicious and hostile gaze towards the electrical panel on the wall.

The flashing light bulb on the map indicates the location of the convoy approaching the center, Nanakamado. It didn't seem like there was much time left.

"Tch."

After clicking his tongue, he gave new instructions to the two people behind him.

"Colt, help the doctor select interceptors. Anyway, quantity is more important than quality, okay?"

"Yes!"

One of them, Thomas Colt, responded with a salute, but there was no tension in his voice or his movements.

Despite the failure of the recent operation, and although he complained to the chief engineer about the danger to the king and others, he was able to remain head of the execution unit. This was because there was no one in the organization with more character and ability than him. In short, the previous operation was a crushing defeat for Nanakamado, who took it too seriously and lost the main strength of their active forces.

Colt himself suffered a crushing defeat to the point that the chief engineer no longer cared and, although as expected, his efforts to persuade Colt to cooperate failed. Although he felt ashamed, his feeling of boredom was not only due to his debt to these organizations.

There is no plausible theory that Nanakamado is advancing a pointless rebellion or that they are trotting out a Japanese Strain for that purpose. However, ever since that battle with the "Red King" Unno Yutaka, a word came to his mind from the bottom of his heart.

(What am I doing?)

As a "talented American" with no place to live, as an accomplice to Nanakamado's various actions, he must have had no choice, and he must have understood and agreed with him. Still, for some reason, he was captivated by those words, and the more he thought about them, the more he lost his inner strength.

Or, on the contrary,

"Come on, Colt-kun."

After receiving the order, another elderly Japanese man named Doctor put on his white coat and left the room. Even in that situation, he was still triumphant and led the way down the hallway with legs like dead branches.

This person was a scientist who was recruited from the former Ninth Army Technical Research Institute (also known as Kyuken or Noborito Research Institute) on the condition that he would be exempt from prosecution for war crimes, and was the main Strains researcher. in Nanakamado. He is also the leader of the analysis team that created a temporal structure from the initial "too conceptual and I don't know what it means" stage and systematized and theorized it to the point of forming a combat unit based on Strain.

Colt couldn't understand his attitude.

Although he was in an obvious situation, there was no difference from his usual situation. Maybe he just doesn't feel the battle that is about to begin, or maybe he has a strong spirit that never forgets to dedicate himself to his duties... or is he optimistic that the results of his own investigations will guarantee his safety, no matter what the result is?

Despite his confusion, the Doctor continued through the house, which serves as his garden, and soon entered a section that smelled of chemicals.

It was a detention center for Strain, with almost the entire floor taken up by a series of small rooms.

A person who is too fierce or too cowardly to be used. Someone who is strong or too weak to be used. Those who cannot be classified, those whose investigation and trial have not been completed, are allowed to stay for the time being. The last trump card left for Nanakamado, who has lost his main force, is the "interception personnel candidates in an emergency situation", who can be forced to follow them at gunpoint from the rear.

Normally, it was the rule to carefully evaluate the use of personality skills and aptitude before requesting cooperation, but in the current emergency, it is impossible to worry about such a pretense.

The Doctor continued forward, ignoring the countless looks of fear and resentment that peeked through the thick acrylic board. At the same time, he pressed the buttons under the room number one after another.

Each time the button is pressed, the red indicator light changes to green. That was the signal that "mobilization was possible", and the escort team was supposed to take him downstairs immediately.

Colt heard the Doctor murmur.

"No. 311, common, capable of killing, with a history of injury, good. No. 312, common, capable of killing, no history of injury, good. No. 314, common, non-lethal, with a history of murder, good. No. 315, Beta, has the ability to kill, has a history of murder, good. No. 317, without lethal capacity, has a history of injuries, good."

He looked away, feeling somewhat horrified that he seemed to be judging others calmly, even cheerfully, without referring to anything.

And there,

"No. 322, common, no lethal capacity, no history of injuries, bad."

A surprising verdict came.

There was someone who couldn't press the button.

Feeling a strange sense of relief, Colt looked towards room 322.

He looked at him and couldn't help but ask.

"D-doctor, is this child...?"

The Doctor, already making a decision several steps ahead, stopped and responded with a lack of interest.

"Hmm? No. 322 has the ability to generate electricity at the level of static electricity. She doesn't have the physique or physical strength, so she won't be of any use."

That judgment was completely correct.

Sitting in the middle of the room, cowering in fear, was a girl who wasn't even old (Colt had a hard time estimating the age of this skinny girl born in Asia). The marks of crying were clearly visible on her haggard and dejected face.

"Who are the parents of this girl?"

"She's a vagabond. I've made inquiries, but she has no family. The report says that the Strain group that attacked a US military transport vehicle did not manage to escape. Number 327, has the ability to kill, has a history of murder, good."

As he answered Colt's question, the doctor resumed his judgment process.

So far, several cases of Strains children have been confirmed. Most of them are locked up, hunted like monsters, or used by unscrupulous adults... in any case, they are said to be in even more dire circumstances than ordinary children.

Basically, Nanakamado doesn't see them as objects of use. The reason for this, of course, is not morality or love, but the fact that children with abilities are generally weak and have no value beyond statistical research. Still, for a while there were some people who advocated that they should secretly protect those children, but this is the current situation.

"......"

Colt, who had come into contact with the girl as a real human being and not as a series of characters on a sheet of paper, instinctively reached into his pocket and pulled out a bar of chocolate. Food that was normally used as bait to obtain information on corners was thrown through the food container. The girl looked up slightly.

"Do your best. You might be able to get out in a while."

He said that in clear Japanese while putting on his best fake smile.

Although the girl understood the meaning of the words, she did not seem to understand what he was trying to convey. All she could do was stiffen and look at him with suspicious, teary eyes.

"Colt-kun, what are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing."

When he responded to the doctor standing before him, there was a heavy impurity mixed with his fake smile.

(Seriously, what am I doing...?)

As if leaving his words and actions behind, Colt quickly left.

The girl who was left behind didn't even reach for the chocolate, she just lowered her head and called out to her.

"Iku-chan, please help me..."

The name of a very, very strong "Queen" who will help them.

+++++++++++

There are rows of power transmission towers in the western suburbs of Tokyo. Under dark clouds and drizzle, a girl stood on top of what appeared to be a group of sotoba trees devastated by the cold.

She is not a beautiful and strong figure.

She has a young, dirty face and a forward-leaning posture.

She was around 10 years old and was wearing a tattered trench coat over her thin, petite body, but for some reason she has the hood down over her back. The way her chin jutted forward, along with her flowing hair, gave her the appearance of a wolf searching for prey. Both eyes peeking out of her bangs are closed.

It is not a peaceful dream.

It was a look of concentration and a deep expression.

And...

"...!"

In an instant, lightning exploded beneath her feet.

The girl simply opened her eyes without showing surprise or fear.

Her large eyes scanned the horizon where the electrical cables were strung.

"I found it."

A gigantic and complicated circuit diagram was constructed in the moaning girl's field of consciousness. It is a model of the area's transmission network, including the electrical cables under its feet, with the vibrations and flickering of it. She knows the strength and weakness of electrical currents, and even the content of communications.

What she found was a name that was nothing more than a communication.

"Someone gave a lot of importance to Miya-chan..."

Even now, there are people who continue to send information about people's names, characteristics and powers. Among them was the name of the friend she was looking for. Other information proves that she is definitely a friend who was taken away by the occupation forces.

The girl's forward-leaning posture leaned further, gathering strength to jump.

Just when,

"Huh, which one?"

She didn't know which side captured her friend, the one sending the message from the east or the one receiving it from the west. As she gathered more strength, she concentrated on that communication and investigated further.

Most of them were words she had never heard before, but it was easy to guess their meaning from the excitement in their voices and the way they structured the language (although she didn't know the words taii or suisoku).

The sender desperately seeks help and persistently relents.

The recipient seems reluctant and rarely responds.

The girl struggled to find out what role her friend plays in these communications, although she is anxious.

In communications sent from the east,

"Please send me as many talented people as you can as soon as possible!"

A voice shouted.

There are a lot of talented people on the receiving end in the west.

She is sure that there are many people with abilities, that is, there must be some friends who were taken away.

That's right, the girl who makes decisions based on reflexes instead of careful consideration wasn't wrong...

The girl turned her head towards the west.

"Let's go everyone!"

In response to the howl, dozens of shadows rose from the field below the power transmission tower. They were all skinny, dirty kids about the same age or younger. On those sharp and carved faces, there was a sense of fierce power similar to that of the girl.

A hand rose out of nowhere.

When everyone on the field raised their hands, the girl on top of the steel tower did the same. She's the only one who doesn't just raise her hand. She was raising her index finger as if to stab the sky.

"Come on!"

In an instant, lightning descended from the dark clouds, accompanied by thunder.

The explosive power of lightning erupted from the girl who raised her finger at the top of the group to the children below who raised their hands, connecting everyone with green sparks and electric shocks.

"Biribiri-dan, shuppatsu!"

And with that, the girl gathered all the strength she had accumulated and began to run.

As if she were flying, gliding on electric wires lying in the air.

The children who were on the ground are attracted by the strength of their bond and go together.

The "Green King" Tsunogui Iku and "Biribiri-dan" destroyed maintenance and disrupted stability, and they were completely wrong. However, it was a storm-like departure that made the shock that much greater.

On a gloomy morning under stormy skies with mostly freezing rain, residents near the Research Institute for Infectious Disease Control evacuated. They loaded their few household belongings into a large car, carried them in furoshiki wrappers on their backs, and, holding hands with their families, walked frantically toward their designated evacuation destinations. There were complaints from many people that it was too late to evacuate, but if it were a message from Headquarters, it would be undeniable.

At first glance, it seems reasonable for Headquarters to say:

"This is a precautionary measure along with sampling for infectious diseases".

Despite that, a large number of police and even the Occupation Forces were sent to establish a strict blockade. Everyone couldn't help but wonder about the truth that was openly kept secret.

Some of the demobilized soldiers understood that this blockade line was prepared for movement from the inside, but at the same time they noticed the serious looks on the faces of the American police and soldiers guarding the area, and they remained silent and did not want to get involved.

The evacuation, which had since sparked various speculations, and the deployment of personnel in jeeps and trucks, which had been transported upriver, were completed at noon. It was so cold and rainy that bonfires were even allowed in several places.

The Research Institute for Infectious Disease Control where Nanakamado hides quietly.

Police and American soldiers surround the chalk building, which is surrounded by a high concrete wall and has a very bad reputation among local residents. They formed an orderly formation even in the rain and placed their gun barrels on piles of sandbags, but they advanced no further. Its only function was to build a siege and capture fugitives. That was decided the night before at an emergency strategy meeting.

Similarly, the number of personnel responsible for the invasion and suppression was determined by the Fourth Legislation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice, headed by the "Blue King" Somei Nazumi, who had clarified the confusing meeting. Even including Nazumi himself, there are only nine people with that ability.

The nine of them lined up in front of the main gate of the research institute, holding umbrellas.

The row of umbrellas, some restless and others motionless, watched the ceremony to prepare for the formality of the execution. A messenger from the Second General Staff Department, armed with an order from Headquarters, rang the bell, a ritual that may seem modest but is also a decisive declaration of war.

There was no answer to the doorbell.

The messenger pressed the call button and read the document.

When he finished saying that, if they didn't comply, they would be executed, that is, forcibly seized, he ran out the door like a rabbit.

The messenger stood in front of the "Blue King" in the center of the row of umbrellas and greeting.

"Report! No response from external organizations! Request from the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces Headquarters! Since the order was clearly violated, the Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau will quickly enforce it. That that's all!"

Nazumi folded his umbrella and placed it at his feet, then responded with the correct fold.

"Accepted by the Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau."

When the messenger left, a row of umbrellas folded their umbrellas one after another and placed them at their feet.

While catching the raindrops on his hat, Nazumi looked around the research institute.

"It seems that they have no intention of prolonging the negotiations and gaining time."

While her husband looks at the board, Chika helps him read by talking to him.

"What kind of winning strategy do you plan to find in this desperate situation?"

"That's right. If they wanted to engage in urban warfare, they would have launched it before the siege was completed."

As he smiled and enjoyed the conversation with his wife, Nazumi immediately got to the point.

"In that case, the operational posture is interception and the target is the assault force. That is to say, we are the Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau. Since we are the biggest nuisance to them, we must be exterminated within their base as soon as possible."

The staff members on both sides responded lightly depending on their courage.

Nazumi continued with a smile on his face.

"I think the goal is to create a stalemate with the surrounding forces that have already settled. What they fear more than anything is that the talented forces in Atsugi will not be able to arrive. That's why they want to crush us, the opposing force of reinforcements that come, with their first move. If we can crush them, we can use it as material to move Atsugi."

As the game progresses, the pieces of the puzzle come together one after another and the players' intentions come together. So far, he didn't have the overwhelming feeling of foreboding or unease that worried him in the morning. The reading continued with great clarity.

"When reinforcements arrive, we will concertedly break the siege, both internally and externally, causing unrest in Tokyo. They will then negotiate with Headquarters or the Japanese government for a pardon on the condition that they withdraw their troops. Then they return in triumph. home with their glorious war results and political achievements as souvenirs... Well, the best scenario would be something like that."

He then added with a smile on his face.

"Of course, that's impossible."

Chika added more to prevent her husband from becoming irreverent.

"Never forget that the other person also has the power to cancel the impossible."

"It was certainly premature."

Nodding solemnly, Nazumi stepped forward.

The officers once again straightened their backs at the act prior to the order.

But for some reason, instead of the usual orders, a long explanation came.

"Today's deployment is a monumental moment for us, the Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau, which has been officially entrusted with full authority to deal with individuals with the capacity to induce anomalous phenomena by breaking the chain of command between the Occupation Forces and the Armed Forces."

The staff, including Chika, were attacked by a bad feeling.

His especially logical explanation was determined to be an unavoidable incentive, even indirectly, to influence someone from a logical perspective, "something that is difficult to accept immediately".

"Right now, so to speak, is the place to reveal it... This morning during breakfast I came up with a gesture that would demonstrate to the viewers that I am willing to commit crimes against people with abilities, and also show them the model of order that must be maintained."

As expected, a proposal came that they couldn't immediately accept, but from which there was no escape.

"From now on, when we prepare for battle on the field, we will all draw our swords in order shouting a certain number. Following my order, each person please respond with their name and report having drawn their sword. Now, let's go "

The "Blue King" gave the orders, with the air of a cheerful driver and the voice of a stern superior.

"All members draw your swords!"

"To the order..."

Somei Chika, who was the deputy commander, or, in other words, the one who had to take the lead among the "vassals", was guarded by the staff and, although her cheeks were flushed, she followed orders. As soon as she picked up her naginata that she carried on her back, she put the sheath on her waist.

"Somei Chika, battou!"

With a loud, mesmerizing sound, she swung her drawn naginata and smashed the stone onto the ground.

Behind them, a scream escaped from the surrounding troops, exactly as Nazumi had anticipated.

Then, the last member of the station, who had been hesitating, finally moved after receiving an elbow in the side.

"I-Iyoda, battou!"

This time, his voice and his movements were moderate, so he was silent from behind.

With the assistance of both the good and the bad, the staff continued doing the same without hesitation.

"Rokugo, battou!"

"Hakizawa, battou~"

"Uh, uh, Nizuka, battou!"

"Hoizumi, battou!"

"Hentani, battou!"

"Toneyama, battou!"

After watching with satisfaction as everyone drew their swords, Nazumi slowly, but with a masterful movement, revealed the white blade.

"Somei Nazumi, battou!"

Naturally, he took a step forward and the station staff followed in line.

Because Nazumi was advancing at a regular pace,

"We're also working hard on creating other things, like extended front-end speeches. Look forward to the future."

For some reason, no one responded to proposal number two.

When the execution began, the telephone lines leaving the research institute were cut simultaneously in several places. They probably have backup lines buried underground and radio communication equipment, but the effectiveness of the measures is not the issue. That was a response to the enemy's declaration of war, which they ignored, and a signal for the start of the battle.

Next, the main door was hit by the stone tip of a naginata accompanied by blue power.

The thick iron gate was torn free of its bolts and fell onto the stone pavement of the front garden. When the glow of the earth's tremors faded, only the waves of freezing rain remained. There was no sound of movement in the barren front garden leading to the front door.

"As expected, there was no deployment of forces outside and no firing from inside. I guess it was a stalemate after 41 moves. As I thought, the real battle will only begin after we rush inside."

As he looked around from behind his hat, Nazumi gave them his final instructions.

"Originally, I would send the sword-shaped Radiant Schwert to strengthen them, but I don't want to irritate the "Colorless". I would like it to be a true test of skill."

The "King's" assessment was that it was possible to control the area with those nine people.

The confidence of the ''vassals'' in the evaluation of this ''king''.

They both took steps without hesitation and finally stopped in the middle of the front yard. It is a perfect place to observe the board, offering a panoramic view of the interior of the entrance, both ends of the house and even the bell tower above. After looking around,

"First move, reach the observation point... I will leave command to you from then on. Be careful."

Without bending down or bending his stretched back, he confided it to Chika,

"Yes. You should do your best."

Chika also looked forward and resolutely returned a response to Nazumi.

Then, leaving Nazumi in his place,

"Come on!"

The horizontal line resumed execution with Chika giving the order.

The tension in the formation increased with each step and finally, at its climax, eight people lined up at the entrance. The two wooden doors that once housed a general hospital are large and tall, and greeted them with an eerie silence.

Chika, as vice commander, looked left and right.

Although everyone was nervous to some extent, they did not hesitate.

After lifting her chin back in a slightly satisfied manner, the vice commander of the Fourth Legal Affairs Bureau issued a sharp order.

"Run!"

"Yes!"

"Come on!"

Hakizawa and Nizuka each kicked in the two doors, throwing everyone inside.

Before they could fall to the ground, the tremendous gunshots from inside would blow them to pieces.

To annihilate the intruders, countless bullets fell from beyond the barricade installed in the entrance hall, not only from pistols, but also from automatic rifles and machine guns. Furthermore, invisible shockwaves, blows, and cuts came like an avalanche.

To confront it head-on, Hentani and Toneyama erected a solid blue power shield.

"Wow, this is the first time I've seen the entire shield shake!"

"The impact of the "force" is greater than that of a bullet."

As they stopped to take cover at the entrance, swords imbued with power silently approached from behind the thick stone pillars to their left and right.

Immediately, Iyoda and Hoizumi killed them.

"Wow?!"

"It smells elegant!"

At the same time, Chika hit the two people falling directly on top of her with the flat part of her naginata, knocking them down. After confirming that the unconscious people had collapsed inside the mantlet, she asked Rokugo, who was staring at the center of everyone.

"How is?"

"There are no signs of bombs or gas."

Before he could say that, Hakizawa and Nizuka stepped forward and moved the position of the mantlet forward.

"Iyoda-kun, you are very strong in real life."

"Hey, two tablecloths are formed!"

The collision between the bullet and the force became even more intense.

Ignoring that, Hentani and Toneyama pressed harder and harder.

"Prevent shielding, advance further!"

"Secure the cutting position."

Once the shield was erected a short distance from the barricade, Chika gave an order.

"One, two, three, take it!"

Iyoda was first, followed by Hoizumi.

"Gaaah!"

"Keep formation!"

Following them, Hakizawa and Nizuka,

"Come on."

"Oh, wait."

Following them, Rokugo, Hentani and Toneyama as well.

"Keep pushing!"

"Understood!"

"Come on."

They jumped onto the barricade one after another, and fortunately, they were able to hit the barricade, expanding their control area from the front to the left and right, and then to the surrounding area. Finally, Chika, who had been setting up a shield at the rear, silently entered the barricade and obtained a bridgehead to control. There weren't many interceptors lying around inside, maybe they evacuated as they approached.

(After all, the other party is not exempt from measures either.)

Chika looked around her, preparing herself once again.

Located at the rear of the entrance hall, an empty hallway extends to the left and right. In each case, similar barricades were erected along the long road, with white swords and gun muzzles flashing.

This time, the officers prepared for the next attack while hiding behind barricades.

Rokugo, the security guard, shouted.

"Left hand, heavy weapon!"

A brief whistle was heard and bursts of rocket flames erupted from beyond the shield placed outside the barricade. The common sense that it's not something to shoot indoors seems to have lost its meaning in this situation.

"Prepare for a surprise attack by the talented!"

Chika perked up and stood like an unbreakable pillar in the center of the barricade.

(So far so good... now I'll gather the ingredients for Nazumi.)

Nazumi watches her efforts from the front yard.

(Heavy weapons, again from the west, 34 moves.)

To be precise, he was observing the battlefield and trying to understand the factors that made up the battle situation.

The initial location of the force, the behavior of talented people who seem to have a squad commander behind them, the direction in which they will retreat when attacked, the direction in which reinforcements will be sent, the density of the fire that they rain and the weapons of the interceptors. The types of weapons used are not only those of the battlefield.

(Grenade from above, 35 moves.)

The plan of the general hospital before its renovation, the appearance of the research institute after its renovation, the slight pipes and unevenness exposed in the wall, the route of the canal to drain ice and rain, the construction of the front garden and the damage to stone pavement. Until then, he mentally lined up everything that could be verified.

(Wave of attacks by talented people, 36 moves.)

In order for the actions that take place on the battlefield to be possible, it becomes clear what kind of structure the buildings must have and where the people must be. When that becomes clear, you will have the entire war situation in your hands.

And now,

(Reinforcements on the left side of the atrium. The pillars cannot be removed, so even if it is renovated, the structure will remain the same. The route of the bullets, the position of the barricade, the stairs to protect and the use of gas now. Chika-san, are you okay? 37 moves.)

All the phenomena were intertwined and the puzzle was completed.

In other words, reason and phenomenon have been clearly separated.

(Is that where the command post is?)

Nazumi looked from under his uniform towards the west end of the top floor.

The walls were exactly the same as the others, with the windows covered in concrete and disguised as shutters.

However, all battles occur around that area and they move to protect it.

Nazumi turned towards that, keeping his back straight. Due to the sharpness of his movements, his rain cape spread for a moment, pushing away the freezing rain particles. The regular steps began.

(Approach, 38 movements.)

In his mind, the "King" begins to count his own movements.

This was proof that the mission was in its final stage.

Finally, his steps began to gain strength and a blue crystal step formed beneath his feet as he stepped on them with an unchanging rhythm. Before long, he reached his destination, facing the west end wall of the top floor, without any hesitation or confusion.

(Accomplished, 39 movements.)

He held his saber upright in front of him like a guard of honor, then brandished it three and four times before returning to the same position. The thick concrete wall was cut into a blue line and collapsed inwards.

(Cut, 40 moves.)

The scene in the dimly lit room... electrical panels that had been smashed and sparks scattered, information equipment lined up all over the place, and the engineers looking at him stiffly proved that his assumption was correct.

The "Blue King" stared at them, throwing his saber forward and announcing his sentence.

"Forty-one moves, you are paralyzed. I recommend you all to surrender."

But,

In the end, when Nazumi visually checked the board, he should have immediately accepted the surrender. The expression of the man, the chief engineer, made him feel very uncomfortable.

"Ah, "Blue King"...!"

That harsh but trembling voice had a tone of desperation much darker than expected.

When Nazumi saw that, that feeling of foreboding and disgust suddenly came back to him from the depths of his heart.

Something was wrong. It was large and misaligned.

The chief engineer revealed to him the true nature of the discomfort.

"Is this... also... your doing?"

After saying that, Nazumi finally caught on to what he was pointing out.

A large communication device that had probably been chewing on it just now.

From that speaker overflowed the noise of the battlefield mixed with noise.

Nazumi had heard that the communication was coming from inside the house where a battle was taking place, but the truth was different.

[I urgently ask for help! I urgently ask for help!]

He understood it only from the word he received.

The interlocutor was not there.

[We are being attacked by a group of strangers!]

The person seeking help comes from a completely different place.

Apart from that institute, there is only one other partner with whom they could collaborate in that critical situation.

In other words, they were the source of support for Nanakamado's rebellion plan.

[I repeat, this is the Atsugi base!]

It was the Atsugi American military base where the talented troops were stationed, which was supposed to be the side that was supposed to provide support.

[We are being attacked by a group of strangers! I urgently ask for help!]

A cry of despair shook the atmosphere in the room that was supposed to have surrendered with a fever of restlessness.

[The Japanese skill corps was wiped out! What are those brats?]

[They're coming, they're coming! The door will break!]

Behind the transmission, the sound of metal being struck began to rumble irregularly. It sounded like someone was playing the drums recklessly, ignoring efficiency and regularity.

Of course, the first thing that ran through Nazumi's mind was "Colorless", but something wasn't right.

(Did he drive to neighboring Atsugi Prefecture? What about the children?)

That doubt created an unpleasant hum in Nazumi's heart that he had never felt before... even when he was fighting with all his might against the "Red King" Unno Yutaka or the strange monster "Colorless King".

A whisper, similar to the feeling you get when you turn something over.

Meanwhile, the level of panic on the other end of the communication rose through the roof.

[The radar site that fell due to lightning has been restarted! The Hoigaku moves on its own!]

[You're an Idiot!]

[Is he! That color "green"...]

The voice stopped suddenly.

A sudden silence descended upon the command post.

The chief engineer and the engineers were stunned.

For them everything is over. That was the end.

However, for the ''Blue King'' Somei Nazumi, it was different.

Now that things were being cleaned up, something was starting to happen.

There was no point in giving up.

There was another player who turned the entire board over.

[..."Green"..."]

A voice came from the speaker, as if in response to Nazumi accidentally spilling it.

[Where?]

Nazumi felt the voice, or rather the medium, and felt the pressure running through his entire body.

The voice was not only emitted from the large communication device with which the chief engineer communicated.

It was broadcast from all the communication devices installed in the command post.

(No way, this communication... is not allowed!)

The established order will be ruined.

Faced with so much certainty, Nazumi felt lost for the first time.

It seems like he couldn't understand it all at once.

[Miya-chan, where are you?]

The voice that reached him was that of a small child.

[Whoever knows, answer me... I am...]

That voice said the decisive words.

[Oh... "Green King"...]

The turmoil of that day had barely begun.

+++++++++++

That day, Daikaku Kokujoji had been sitting in a certain subcommittee meeting since morning.

He didn't want to get caught up in other things on a day when they had an important dispatch for the King and people with abilities, but as long as he has one foot in this world, there are many duties that he has to fulfill. This is especially true if it is an important official mission, such as accompanying and escorting the president of the ruling party.

The reason for the subcommittee meeting was a motion to punish a member of the ruling party for misconduct, and since the conclusion of the punishment was clear, the decision was made quickly. However, after that resolution, a private draft of the statutes circulated within the party. After reading it, the president wordlessly handed it to Kokujoji, who was standing next to him.

Kokujoji was secretly surprised as he looked at the document, wondering what the escort was doing.

"Security system project for party members."

The agenda was trivial, but extremely important. The party wanted to officially incorporate "Tokijikuin", who had been treated as an outside collaborator, into a part of the party organization.

In recent times, the ruling party administration has finally entered a period of stability and is now negotiating with the General Headquarters on the path to complete peace and withdrawal from the occupation. At this time, the opaque relationship with private organizations such as the pre-war extra-parliamentary group needs to be clarified. There is no point in trying to expand the strength of the party.

Even within the organization, the words were full of artificial rhetoric, saying that the organization would gain more success if he became an official official.

When Kokujoji turned his attention to him, the president let out a ridiculous snort and shook his head slightly. In other words, it is a surprise move by a rival faction within the ruling party that he has no knowledge of. With the ruling party's dominance in the political situation almost firmly established, the rival factions seem to have had enough leeway to carry out unnecessary political maneuvers.

The purpose of the recruitment must have been to take control of "Tokijikuin", who had been controlling the political world from the position of bodyguard, formally incorporating them into the ruling party. Even within the dominant faction led by the president, there are many who wish to use "Tokijikuin", who possesses supernatural powers, more conveniently. As the opposing factions discuss the draft, they will compile these requests and turn them into the opinion of the entire party. If it becomes the will of the entire party, it cannot be ignored, and if it happens, it will be an opportunity to undermine the president and take control of the party... There may be other considerations.

He can't believe it was a coincidence that they submitted the draft that same day. It's like they're going to put pressure on the leader of "Tokijikuin", who will prioritize protecting the president over a serious case of talented people, that they're going to put him on the table and pressure him into submission?

(I see, humans are truly insatiable creatures.)

Kokujoji was smiling like it was no one else's business.

(Although only three years have passed since the destruction and death that tore the country apart.)

Until now, "Tokijikuin" has tried to avoid being absorbed by its greed and stay out of political conflicts. However, the trend of the times may gradually make it no longer possible to do so.

In the future, regardless of whether they are involved or not, as the world stabilizes, interference from those who desire power will increase. The situation in which they are becoming the reason for the conflict demonstrates this.

Power moves people and creates a flow just by being there.

It is like a cluster of stars that he expanded through his daily training.

(I never expected the beginning to appear so quickly.)

That draft is only a small part. The power that has been lost in the postwar chaos will become more visible as it settles. It's time to think about making a change.

The sensation of being faced with a proposal for which he had carefully searched for the answer invaded him.

The proposal is,

(How should we "Kings" be treated?)

Will it remain hidden in the background like before?

Or will it turn around and appear?

(If not, is there another way?)

Although it was a proposal, it did not seem that the direction would be easily determined.

After all, he didn't even recognize the faces of all the "Kings" who should be punished.

While he was lost in these thoughts,

Unexpectedly,

[Where?]

A voice came from the radio installed in the chamber.

Not that it was time, he didn't even have time to think about it.

It is as if the proposals he has discarded, such as caution, now face a harsh reality.

(......!)

An almost physical shock, incomparable to the moment he saw the draft, passed through Kokujoji.

Hearing it for the first time, perhaps a child's voice, unleashed a power unique to them that no one else can use.

[Miya-chan, where are you?]

(You, no way.)

In the noisy chamber, only Kokujoji had a hunch about the situation.

Even when the staff hastily fiddled with the radio switch, the voices continued to come out. Before he knew it, all the speakers inside and outside the chamber were emitting the same loud voice that no one else could stop.

[Whoever knows, answer me... I am...]

(I guess everything is ready... now, finally!)

An indescribable feeling of euphoria warmed Kokujoji's heart.

It was no longer worth hiding it.

Everything will appear as it is.

What will this bring for him, for them and for this country?

He must accept this along with them and confirm it.

He stopped doubting a long time ago.

Since that comes, he will accept it with determination.

Suddenly, Kokujoji stood up to say the decisive word.

[Oh... "Green King"...]

(The last one... "Green King"!)

He had to go to them.

In order to determine if it is a desired miracle or not.

Or, to turn it into a desired miracle...

"Kokujoji-kun."

After hearing the familiar title, the president finally turned to look at him.

Kokujoji, who received his gaze, spoke with a smile.

"I will respond after considering the draft."

The president noticed that the man who answered seemed to have grown larger.

He is not big enough to be belittled and repressed.

He was so big that he naturally looked up and turned his back to him.

The burly man took a deep breath and the entire assembly hall burst into loud applause.

"To those in the House of Representatives who want us, know this! We are both a sword and a flame! You can see the full extent of this, so prepare to swallow it all!"

Before the lingering effects of the impact from his cheeks to his stomach wore off, his large figure had disappeared from the chamber.

This time, the remaining president smiled as if it was no one else's business.

[folansstuff]

ship hc meme for < illyatticus 3

Who makes the first move and how?

What two songs, two books and two luxury items do they take to a desert island?

What do they hide from one another?

When the zombie apocalypse comes, how do they cope together?

Why do they fight?

Why do they need to have a serious chat?

When one has a cold, what does the other do?

When they fight, how do they make up?

What first changes when it starts getting serious?

ooh these are good ones, thank you for the ask! answers below:

Who makes the first move and how?

It was Illyana's idea to go to the concert where they had their first kiss, but Atticus was the one who kissed her in the heat of the moment. They mutually agree the answer was 'both of them'.

What two songs, two books and two luxury items do they take to a deserted island?

Atticus: All I Want is You by Ball Park Music, House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (he finds it relatable... for some reason) and probably a nice pair of shoes or something.

Illyana: Master of Puppets by Metallica, The Collected Poems by Sergei Yesenin (she genuinely likes Russian poetry) and very, very fancy booze.

What do they hide from each other?

They both have an extremely bad habit of hiding emotional and mental distress from each other. They want to be each others rock, even when it means being deceptive about their own problems. More comedically Illyana hides her collection of Dazzler records from Atticus to preserve her 'image'.

When the zombie apocalypse comes, how do they cope together?

Illyana drags poor Atti into magic stuff so often that zombie apocalypses are basically old hat. Illyana loves getting to chop through things guilt-free, and Atticus knows he's probably going to be fine with her (plus The Garden can always serve as a hideaway anyway).

Why do they fight?

These are two people who can both be very stubborn and very self-sacrificing. They argue about everything. It's normally good-natured, but if it's serious it's usually because one of them has done something dangerous and foolish without telling the other. Atticus also over-worries about Illyana when she's on missions, and that can cause plenty of arguments (including the one right before the Phoenix Five incident.), it doesn't help that Illyana is very close to Scott and Atticus doesn't particularly like the guy.

Why do they need to have a serious chat?

Even though it's been three years and affected her so deeply, Illyana Will Not talk about Atticus' death. Any attempt by Atticus to talk about it is shut down instantly, and if it's brought up by others she gets particularly nasty. It doesn't help that they were coming out of a rough patch right before it happened and Illyana couldn't do anything to save him.

When one has a cold, what does the other do?

Butler Atticus, at your service. This man will drop everything to look after Illyana; blankets, pillows, snacks, anything to make her feel better. Illyana doesn't go quite that far, since she's usually pretty busy, but she does check in on him all the time.

When they fight, how do they make up?

They will usually try and hash it out after a few hours. Atticus is usually the one to apologize first, since Illyana can stay irritated for longer periods of time and it'll make Atticus feel bad.

What first changes when it starts getting serious?

The other New Mutants noticed that Illyana was A. Being way less grouchy and B. Constantly hovering around Atticus when she wasn't with Kitty. More seriously is that Illyana starts going to Atticus for support more often, and once he leaves the team she visits and stays with him constantly it becomes a poorly-kept secrets between students at Xavier's that they're together.

[pirxtefairy]

ZARINA ZARATE - - - - - *.⊹₊‧

"two parts sunflower seed & a dash of moonflower."

GENERAL –

full name:  zarina zarate.

nicknames:  z.

age:  twenty-eight.

gender:  cis female.

species:  fairy.

eye color:  hazel.

hair color: brown.

height: five feet, three inches.

date of birth:  october twenty-seventh .

occupation:  peddler.

positive traits: passionate. clever. resourceful. curious. adventurous. creative.

negative traits: sneaky. distrusting. reckless. feisty. self-serving. thievish. crafty.

HEADCANONS –

Zarina’s pixie dust alchemy has combined with human chemistry upon getting trapped in Evermore. What she’s been focused on as of late is trying to find a way to create more pixie dust, whether synthetic or pure. Maybe even blue pixie dust! She only has so much left of her supply from Pixie Hollow… but she’ll be damned to let her passion trickle out when she’s come so far. 

Most fairies have their reservations of the ocean to some degree, other large bodies of water included. Zarina wasn’t any different. Wet wings made for a downed fairy, and in extreme conditions the loss of their wings entirely. But of course, Zarina being Zarina, she had her curiosities about the sea. She daydreamed about what all could be dwelling in such intense, expanse oceans and trenches. Mermaids. Monsters. Magic? Maybe. Eventually the water grew on her after running away from Pixie Hollow and spending so much time on ships and boats. Now she seeks it out when in need of peace or inspiration. 

Zarina has always been very independent and more than comfortable with her own company. However, her severe trust issues and growing loneliness are at a constant war inside her mind. Not to mention that she’s always in survival mode. The other fairies seem to have grown accustomed to Evermore, getting cozy and building a life. Zarina doesn’t really have that luxury. Stealing things just to get by typically burns bridges before she can build them. She’s learned to keep her talents to herself since people have only ever used her or thrown her to the curb because of them.

Did you know crows bring “gifts” to people who share morsels of food and kindness with them? Zarina does. Crows are misunderstood creatures, just like her. They’re also probably the purest friends she currently has. Zarina regularly feeds the crows that loiter outside of her very small apartment. Occasionally they bring her gifts. “little treasures” as she prefers to call them. Dropped coins, lost earrings, small pebbles, etc. She keeps the more interesting items in a little box under her bed. One time a crow even brought her a one-hundred dollar bill… that was a really good week for her. 

Zarina often adds little braids into her hard-to-tame lion’s mane. Sometimes she even weaves in little feathers, charms, hair cuffs or whatever else catches her fancy. Scarves and bandanas are also very common. But beware: if Zarina asks to borrow a hair tie, you’re not getting it back. More than likely she’ll accidentally snap it before you remember to ask for it back. Be gentle with her though, it’s not her fault. Blame her hair. 

This girl is super crafty and creative in more ways than one. In the traditional sense, Zarina without fail customizes and personalizes a lotttt of her things. Her favorite is her lab coat and smock. Whenever she has free time, Zarina will add some scrappy embroidery to the fabric or glue sea glass to the edges. In the less traditional sense, while she hates all of their guts, she learned a lot from the crew that betrayed her. Pickpocketing, sneaking around, resourcefulness, fashioning a good lie and even knowing how to work a knife. Well, sort of. She has surprisingly great aim.

Zarina is a big tea girl. Earl Grey is her favorite, but she loves coffee, too. Like many other people, she'll turn to flavored, espresso based drinks when she's looking for an extra kick of caffeine as long as they're not too sweet. Zarina isn't a huge fan of sweet coffee, but she always munches on candy when working in her little makeshift lab. When it comes to alcohol, Z bounces around between rum and cokes, whiskey and bourbon. It's also not uncommon finding her turning to weed when she's stressed or her brain won't shut off.

[darcias]

💍, 👠, and 🌈...for the ask game 🤭🤭🤭

WOAH these are such good questions, thanks for sending!

💍: Within my world, there are seven major countries and six known nations, so luxury items may vary from region to region! There are of course all the typical luxuries sought after from the more capitalistic nations such as precious minerals and gemstones. For example, in Gormcairn silk is indicative of high status because of how expensive its material is to purchase and work with, and is generally only worn by the upperclass.

On the flipside, there are cultures boast high populations of magic users and as a result, heavily covet certain physical items that boost certain magic rituals or physical items. I know this is a bit odd because the question specified 'luxury,' but I feel like elaborating a bit more, so here we go. When I first began conceptualizing the world for example, I imagined that the horndust from unicorns, or more specifically, yeti antlers were an invaluable treasure for a multitude of reasons:

The aforementioned species are rare (they live in an isolated continent that's the equivalent of this world's Antartica)

Yetis are a sentient species that highly value their antlers for both practical and social reasons (the ability to channel magic, attract mates, etc. etc.)

Of all magic enhancers out there, yeti answers are unreasonably effective for reasons others have yet to discern yet

In short, you just don't just get yeti antlers anywhere purely because of how inaccessible they are, and the ethics that entail retrieving it. Question of morality aside (for those that are able to stomach it), the effort of attaining one is more of a pain in the ass than it's worth. The slimmest chance you're ever to find a yeti antler on the more temporal continents is via postage on particular black markets, and on the off chance that you are able to find one, it costs nothing short of not just an arm and leg but also a good number of your internal organs. It is an item boasted only by the shadiest and wealthy; anyone selling something like that is aware of the jaw-dropping price for such an item and is no doubt milking that for all it's worth. I imagine if there were ever a list for priciest (illegal) items, it's making top ten with relative ease.

👠: The world I've crafted (which I refer to as the Ouroverse for the time being) is a fantasy-orientated one, they lack suuuper super modern technology such as internet and cellphones and computers and whatnot, but they're far from being in the middle ages. The more earthbound species will travel via train, hot-air balloon or even in the more steampunk-esque blimps of sorts which essentially function as early airplanes. There are of course ships and cruisers as well, and horse drawn carriages and the like. The creatures that are also capable of flight (such as the dragons, pegasi and peryton) will travel as such.

🌈: No idea if there's anything in particular I've been waiting someone to ask me. I will simply say I haven't scratched the tip of the iceberg yet in regards to what I've had in my mind for this world I literally refer to it as my little 'worldbuilding beast.' Just a bigggg dump universe for essentially creating an entire planet and its creatures within from the ground up. In the near future I intend to create documents underlining the history, the politics, the conflicts and struggle of each nation and country and the species therein that it cannot be contained into a single doc and will span 15 of them, actually. I'm insane, I know.

[contentment-of-cats]

WIP Bit 13

Serving on an ISD at the very edge of the galaxy means long stretches of mind-numbing boredom that is interspersed with bursts of high-intensity terror. Being a bridge officer doesn't mean you don't feel terror, it means that you've been trained to work through it and hopefully survive in the environment most hostile to Humans. If your ship failed, you died - it’s as hard and binary as that. That binary combines with a lack of places to spend one’s pay, and a lack of storage space, so that when one can spend, creature comforts and distractions are the rule.

Of course, one might gamble or buy black market drugs and alcohol, engage in unwise or attention-grabbing behavior.  However, running afoul of the ICMJ is not only considered unwise, but stupid, and a court martial for such is considered the end of the career and at times the start of a prison stint. Military jails are worse by a factor of ten than their civilian counterparts. Most personnel have more harmless pursuits such as games, hobbies, and media. When an officer attains a certain rank, that hobby can include personalizing their space. 

Ensigns sleep in eight-racks, junior lieutenants in four-racks with a common space. Senior lieutenants share a two-room space around a common area. Lieutenant commanders and up have their own quarters with progressively more room and amenities. To Pyrondi, who has never had a room of her own, her quarters upon promotion to senior lieutenant are unimagined luxury. Her life until fourteen was spent in a longhouse, after the dorms of the Youth Corps and Academy, then shipboard accommodation for junior officers. The billeting sergeant has paired her with Senior Lieutenant Merri Barlin, their new junior flight officer and former shipmate to Vanto, Hammerly, and Thrawn. 

Over dawnmeal, Ilyana has her head over her datapad, shopping for her new space. Until Thrawn confiscates it and tells her to eat - and no more caf as she’s finished her third cup. 

“Yessir.” At least he’s not chasing her down with the sleepy-gummies. 

After dawnmeal all bets are off. Once Hammerly, Barlin, and Agral are dropped where they want to go, Ilyana goes to the nearest caf-shop and settles in with a slice of blackout cake and a tall iced caf. She has two cubic yards of cargo transfer, and she means to use it. 

First, bedding. Her new bed is wider than her bunk, with room to roll over rather than lying coffin-straight. A thick mattress topper, soft plush sheets, thick quilts and blankets, pillows for head and body. Rugs - because cold durasteel floors might wake you up, but not pleasantly. Slippers - since nobody can steal them. Robe - likewise. A repeater display for the wall, so that she has the illusion of a viewport. Item after item, until her budget beeps with just enough for a good lunch at the spaceport cafe when they are due to leave tomorrow.

~

The only sign of Pyrondi is a long braid and four fingers curled around the edge of a layer cake of bedding. The bedding piled on so thickly that there’s barely a disruption to indicate a body underneath. Yissa huffs a soft laugh, Barlin, Vanto, and Agral looking over her shoulders.  

Now the only problem likely to rear it’s head is how to get her out of there.

[apolitenarcissist]

How to spot fake Vivienne Westwood 🪐

As a person who sells and buys from online platforms and apps such as Vinted, Wallapop, Ebay and Etsy, I’ve encountered my fair shade of counterfeit luxury items. Although this phenomenon is very common for renown brands (such as Gucci, Prada, Dior etc) I’ve never seen such high rate of fake products as I did for Vivievve Westwood. Often, this merch can look very, very similar to the original design to an inattentive eye, which can lead many people to buy a copy for an exorbitant amount of money. Since scammers make my rage flare, I want to make a guide for online buyers on how to spot a fake VW jewel.

1. the price seems too good to be true? it is.

first thing first: keep an eye on the price. if there is an item that the original site is selling for 140€, it is unlikely that one specific seller online is giving away one for 40€. especially if it’s marked as “new”, there is no way they could’ve paid it less than the price they’re selling it at. it’s better to look for products with a price that is more trustworthy: for example, for a necklace sold at 140€ on the official website, it would be legit to find a new item for 115-135€ and a used item for about 100-115€. of course there are exceptions to this rule, many people may be eager to sell away unwanted gifts or stuff they don’t use anymore, but they would never drop the price to 1/3. here below, an example:

2. no logo on the necklace clasp? red flag.

the high majority of Vivienne Westwood’s necklaces (if not all) share this common trait: the clasp presents the iconic orb logo. all the clasps are usually refined, and likely present themselves in a almost-rectangular shape, rather than the most common drop. so, if these characteristics lack, something’s probably off. zoom in on the pictures below to notice the difference from a fake and the real thing.

3. two bigger hoops? good sign.

this rule may have exceptions of course, but usually Vivienne Westwood colliers that include a chain present on it two bigger hoops that makes it easier for the clasp to close, making it possible to choose from two different lengths. this is especially valid when talking about necklaces found in the women’s category rather than men’s and unisex jewelry. notice in the two pics below how the first one checks for the clasp but not for the hoops.

4. tag? yes please.

when buying a Vivienne Westwood necklace or bracelet, keep an eye on the tag of the chain: first of all, it has to be present. no matter if the seller tells you they cut it off themselves to better balance the pendant, it’s a red flag. second, there must be no outline, just the clear and legible VW signatures, on both sides (usually one with the orb). third, it has to hand from the last hoop, not in the middle of the chain.

5. you may not buy a products for its packaging, but oh doesn’t it help?

what? they’re selling you an item but not the dustbag and the box because they already sold them? it’s likely a scam. of course there are people who will buy just the package to add to their collection or to scam other buyers with their fake cheap items, but what good would it be for an honest seller to ship the jewelry without its case? so, be careful and give your trust to who assured you you’ll get a dustbag, a box, and a certificate. and also, regarding the packaging, you have to remember:

a. there is only one original dustbag, all the others are likely fake: it is beige with the black orb logo and black ribbon.

b. it doesn’t matter if they show you an online receipt, they can be easily falsified.

c. it doesn’t matter if in the picture of the article they show you they own the dustbag and box, because they likely belong to another jewel in their possession.

unfortunately, there are online platforms that sell fake vivienne westwood items with boxes and bags included that look very alike to the original ones. be careful with those and try apply the other rules to discern scam from legit.

6. the online platform you’re buying it from is a business card for the product you’ll get.

don’t get me wrong, I love Etsy, you can find a whole lot of incredibly talented artists on there what will sell you exquisite items, but is it a good choice when you’re looking for authentic luxury jewelry? usually sites as Etsy and Aliexpress or even Amazon will sell you fake design jewelry, but often making you very aware of the fact it’s a fraud. at times it’s flagged as “style” Vivienne Westwood and it has a very low price (for example 10-20€). so, be aware, what you pay for is what you’ll be receiving. then, what platforms can I trust? of course the original Vivienne Westwood’s website, but also here’s a list of the sites and apps I personally find trustworthy and from which I’ve bought VW’s jewelry:

- Farfetch (new)

- Zalando (new)

- Vestiaire Collective (new and vintage)

also, a lot of apps that sell second hand goods are developing a new service that offers an evaluation from experts before the item gets shipped to you. for example, Vinted has this service available for 10€ for articles worth 100€+ of certain brands (VW included), and they will refund you the whole price of the merch, shipping and evaluation if it turns out to be a fraud.

thank you for reading this far and safe shopping y’all! if this post becomes popular enough, I’ll do a part 2.

[macverse]

My Bloody Nights with Mr. Evans

---

By the end of the evening, the haphazardly spilled bloody mary wasn't the only thing staining the table linens a deep red.

---

Mr. Evans hardly ever surprises me. I say hardly because the day that I found out he's a murderer I was surprised.

Back then, I'd been working for Mr. Evans for about five months. I came on to help manage the staff of his New England estate as his personal assistant. Unlike some of my past personal assistant jobs, the position is a full-time role that required me to be available 24/7 so I was given rooms on the property. Nothing too fancy. It was only a room in the part of the estate that was designated for the staff. The whole thing was a bit of a lifestyle shock having come from living in the city to the remote, quiet neighborhood of Massachusetts’ one percent. When I took the position, I'd wondered why my predecessor had left but I could never quite figure out what happened and the inability to find out anything became less odd as time went on.

My employer, Mr. Evans, is the sole inheritor of his family's international import and export conglomerate. Making him both wealthy, and well-known in the business world. His industry experience has afforded him many friends and business partners not only in the shipping empire but also in various enterprises. He's not only popular because of his wealth and business expertise but also for his exceptional prowess in the kitchen as well as for being an incredibly handsome, eligible bachelor.

Mr. Evans is always perfectly coiffed and clothed. His thick dark brown hair is always immaculately moussed, swept back from his face, and parted perfectly without a hair out of place. His beard is always groomed and trimmed accenting his chiseled face. His wardrobe is selected by an esteemed fashion stylist from designers all over the world and immaculately cared for by a tailor on the estate. You will never catch Mr. Evans looking disheveled.

I obviously didn't care or find any of that appealing or distracting. I have been PA to many wealthy, attractive businessmen who've tried their best to sway me into comfortable sugar-baby arrangements. I'm aware that I am a beautiful, young woman who could easily live a life of luxury on the whims of a wealthy man. I could easily allow myself to be lavished with extravagant gifts and whisked off to private islands at the drop of a hat. Money and power have never impressed me. And it sure is not enough to sacrifice the future of my career.

Back when I originally started I hardly ever spoke to Mr. Evans. We would meet at exactly 7:45 am in the small meeting room between Mr. Evans’s at-home office and a grand library that no one seems to use. From the beginning, I got the impression that Mr. Evans is a very precise individual and that he prefers tasks to be performed in the way he expects. I also gathered that he's not one to show a lot of emotion. I tried once or twice to get him to even slightly smile during our meetings but gave up when my jests kept falling flat.

Our meetings would run for no longer than thirty minutes to review any open items from the previous day and the schedule for the day ahead as well as any future plans he wanted me to handle. From there, I would hand off his schedule to his drivers and business analyst Luke, a newer staff member like myself, and set out to accomplish any tasks he'd assigned. During the rest of the day, I wouldn't see Mr. Evans unless any major things occurred that required his attention. Part of my job was to make sure that there was nothing that needed Mr. Evans's attention so most days I wouldn't see him again until the following morning.

My position was surprisingly much more simple than any of my previous positions. Unlike the households of my most recent employers who were new to their wealth and needed me to bring order to their new lives, everyone on staff had either been on the estate since the late Mr. and Mrs. Evans had maintained the property. Luke and I were the only new employees. There weren't that many things that didn't already have a set course of action that everyone already seemed to know. So I spent most of my day learning about my new employer, the history of the property, and making sure everyone had everything they needed. It wasn't until after a winter-themed dinner party to celebrate the forthcoming solstice that I noticed things on the Evans estate were not as simple as they seemed.

The morning after the dinner party was not anything I'd come to expect.

Read the rest on my AO3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/43867305

[emperorsfoot]

Fic Idea, FREE TO GOOD HOME!

(I was gonna throw this up here with no tags to ensure that no one would read it, might orphan later, idk)

Summary: Earth is not livable anymore. The plan was to just get the family off world and safe. Bruce was content to die in Gotham. Bruce wanted to die in Gotham. The family had other ideas.

When the ship became unusable, the plan changed to just getting them into the escape pod. Bruce was content to die alone on the ship. Bruce still wanted to die. Again, the family had other ideas.

Fic under the cut:

This was not the death Bruce planned for himself.

Sitting alone on an empty spaceship. The failed life-support making it a race between the freezing cold and the lack of oxygen to see which would kill him first.

Bruce planned to die in Gotham.

Ideally, Bruce would have liked to be gunned down in the same alley his parents died in. There was a kind of narrative symmetry to it. To end his story in the same way, in the same place it began. Like bookends. Batman was born from two bullets in a filthy alley, that was how he wanted to die.

With a grunt, Bruce gathered his blanket tighter around him. The quickly dropping temperature was going to win the race to kill him. Bruce already knew. After he sent Dick away with the others, there was no one left he needed to share air with. There might even be some breathable oxygen left long after Bruce’s frozen corpse was mummified by the ship’s dry air.

He glanced at his watch.

It wasn’t even one of the ones he liked. It was some fancy, artisan, luxury timepiece he only had because Brucie Wayne was expected to wear the hottest fashion items, and keep up with the trends. Bruce only took it with him because he was wearing it when Alfred knocked him out to make sure Bruce left Earth with the kids.

The watch was still set to Eastern Standard Time; it was still set to Gotham’s time.

In Gotham the time was a few minutes past 3:30 in the afternoon. Damian would be just getting out from school. Alfred would be sitting in traffic on his way to pick him up. Tim would be in his office at Wayne Enterprises, but his attention for work would be flagging and he’d be watching fan vids for whatever game was his new hyper-fixation on his office computer. Dick would be swinging by the clock tower with afternoon coffee for Barbara, maybe they’d make dinner together before Oracle parked herself in front of her monitor array and Nightwing hit the streets.

Bruce shivered and wondered what Alfred was doing right now. Without Damian to pick up from school. Or Tim to remind to eat and drink water. Or Bruce to… manage.

Alfred was supposed to be the one to escape with the family. Bruce planned to die in Gotham. Bruce wanted to die in Gotham.

He glanced at his watch again and waited for the freezing cold to take him. Bruce never really decided if he believed in an ‘afterlife’ or not, but if such a thing did exist, it would be nice to see his parents again.

…

When Bruce woke, he wondered if he was dead and there was an afterlife.

And it was boring!

He was enveloped in warm energy. Almost as if he were floating in a pool, except the pool was full of light not water. It seeped into his skin and chased away the hypothermia. He inhaled and his lungs filled with oxygen. The pain in his joints was almost gone and old injuries seemed not to bother him as much anymore.

But his parents weren’t there. Neither was Jason. If an afterlife were real, it should include them. If his afterlife had him alone, floating in a (admittedly comfortable) void, then Bruce did not want it. He would choose his own afterlife. One that did include Thomas and Martha, and Jason.

Bruce began to struggle, trying to propel himself somehow in this void of warm light.

Somewhere, on the other side of the light, someone said something in a language Bruce did not understand. Some exclamation of alarm.

“What’s happening? What’s wrong?” That sounded like Dick’s voice.

“It appears he has regained consciousness and is rejecting the healing matrix.” Answered the first voice, now speaking English.

“Ugh. Of course he is.” That sounded like Tim.

Were they just on the other side of the light? Could he get to them?

“May I have permission to sedate him?” Asked the unknown voice.

“Will it be safe for a human?” Dick asked.

At the exact same time that Tim very decisively barked, “Do it.”

Then everything went blank again.

…

When he woke again, Bruce was laying in a bed.

Soft plush sheets over a firm mattress. Luxurious in a way that conveyed wealth, very similar to what Bruce had in his own bedroom at Wayne Manor.

He stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling. Blue and white and glassy, like ice. Or crystal. Not any kind of architecture he was familiar with. An alien ceiling.

What fresh hell did he just wake up to?

No sooner had this question crossed his mind, then the door opened; the crystal of the wall sliding away.

Moving quickly, Bruce rolled out of the bed, placing the mattress between him and the door as cover. He peered over it to see what entered. What kind of captor was holding him?

It was Dick.

Dick walked through the door. Closely followed by Tim and Damian, and a small hovering robot of an alien design Bruce was unfamiliar with.

“I think he’s feeling better.” Dick laughed.

Bruce paused. If Dick felt safe enough to joke around… but then, Dick always could laugh down even the most dire of situation, Bruce looked to Tim and Damian for cues.

Their expressions were unreadable.

That’s not to say they were impassive or guarded, but that there was so much going on, on their faces that it was impossible to decipher.

Damian looked annoyed mostly, which was also his resting expression. But underneath that was a conflicted apprehension. Like he was waiting to learn the terrible price of Bruce being saved. Of all his children, Bruce assumed Damian would adjust to leaving Earth the fastest, since he was so young and (presumably) adaptable. But Damian cycled through so many emotions in their time in space that Bruce just did not know where his son landed in this situation.

Tim mostly looked satisfied. Also resigned and at peace, but mostly satisfied. He did something. Whatever it was, Tim got his desired result. Now he was prepared to face the outcome of that action.

The thing that was now strange about Tim were his clothes.

Since living on a spaceship for some time, they each at some point all gave up on both regular clothes and vigilante uniforms. All of them had been living in their pajamas for months. Bruce was used to seeing Tim in sweat shorts and an oversized tee-shirt. When the ship’s life-support failed and Bruce sent them away in the escape pod to the nearest planet, they were all wearing their uniforms. Tim had been wearing his Red Robin costume.

Now, Tim was dressed in a layered fabric, draped over a skintight body suit. On his chest, framed by the layered drapes of the fabric was a shield, like a triangle with two corners cut off to make it a pentagon. Filling the pentagonal shield was what looked remarkably like the letter S.

Calmer now, Bruce stood from behind the bed. “Brief me on the situation.”

Dick opened his mouth to begin his report.

But Tim was faster.

“Our status is overall positive.” Tim began. He was using his clinical detective voice, making him sound detached from the situation. Unaffected by it. No big deal.

Which told Bruce that whatever he’s woken up to, for Tim at least, it was a very big deal.

“This planet is called ‘Krypton’ -yes, like the noble gas- and it’s atmosphere is close enough to Earth’s that we can breath comfortably.” Tim continued. “The locals are also humanoid in appearance, nearly indistinguishable from us, actually. When we landed, the first responders thought we were some of their own and tried to help us.”

“They figured out real quick that we were aliens the moment we spoke.” Dick cut in. “Apparently, the whole planet speaks one language and the moment we started speaking English they realized we’re not from around here. Krypton has an isolationist policy. They’ve achieved space travel more advanced than our own, but they don’t even talk to their next closest neighbor in the same system. After they realized we were off-worlders there was kinda only a couple of guys left who were willing to help us.”

“But you don’t have to worry.” Tim said quickly. “I managed to cut a deal that would allow us to stay here, andwe were able to go back and save you.”

Bruce did not want to be saved. “Thanks.”

“Absurd!” Damian shouted. “They’re both being absurd! Father you have to stop this! Drake didn’t ‘cut a deal’, he sold himself!”

“What!?” Bruce’s eyes snapped back to Tim, giving his strange alien clothes a more critical examination.

“Damian!” Dick reprimanded. “He just woke up! Don’t confuse him!”

“It’s not confusing!” Damian continued to shout at all of them. “Drake bartered himself as a bride for that idiot-“

“You’re misrepresenting facts!” Tim cut him off. “And Kon-El’s not an idiot.” Back in that clinical and detached tone, Tim clarified: “I got married.”

Bruce just stared at him.

Tim placed a hand to the pentagonal shield on his chest. “Instead of wedding rings, people wear the glyph of the House they’ve married into- the, uh, family crest -this is pronounced ‘el’ which is their word for ‘star’, but spelled this way with an S in the middle instead of a figure-8, it also means ‘hope’, which is one of their virtues.”

Tim was giving too much unnecessary information because he was nervous, unsure of Bruce’s reaction to the news of his marriage.

There was a beat.

Bruce looked down at his watch to see what time it was in Gotham.

[fakesaintess]

Tyrant's Evil Blooming Flowers

Summary: An AU based off the Daughter of Evil, starring the Tweels. Floyd plays the role of Riliane and Jade plays Allen. It is mostly based upon the songs and prsk cards. All characters besides the Tweels and all Ships are very minor.

Cross posted to ao3 Sequel and Series Finale

In a kingdom where the royal line has long since crumbled there lived a prince who is remembered for his evil deeds. Under his rule the kingdom could only be described as wicked. The prince's name was Floyd, an unpredictable 17 year old. Any and all who opposed him, no matter how small the transgression, would meet a violent ending.

He lived a life of luxury, having everything from fine clothing to expensive foods. If there was something he could not afford Floyd would get the money by wringing it out from the people he controlled. The suffering of the people only helped him flourish.

There's a knock at Floyd's door. "It's gonna be tea time soon." He said to himself before addressing who was at the door, "Come in."

A servant who looked remarkably similar to Floyd enters the room, carrying a tray with tea and some sort of snack. "Today's snack is brioche. I do hope you enjoy it."

"Thanks Jade," Floyd replied with a smile. He tried some of the brioche and thought for a moment. "The quality of this has dropped. Tell the chefs to make it better or else." He said.

"Of course. They should know the penalty for failing you." Jade said. "However, there is an issue. The people are struggling to obtain food. Should you not let the people into the larder?"

"That Manta Ray has been smuggling food out of our supplies, and that's why you're bringing this up, right?" Floyd frowned, referring to Dire Crowley by a nickname. "Ugh. Manta Ray is viewed as important cause of all that stuff he did so I can't deal out punishment to him, even if I wanna squeeze him real bad. He needs to understand I'm suffering just as much as everyone else."

"I'm positive he'll turn his behavior around. You need not worry." Jade replied to Floyd, worsening Floyd's mood.

Floyd shoved a folded note at Jade, who took it gingerly. "I got a plan. You're the guy I trust most so you can definitely handle it. Burn the note when you're done reading it."

Jade unfolded the note and scanned it over, "I don't believe a humble servant like I can handle taking down a person like Crowley."

"That ain't true. You're conniving enough to take down anyone you want." Floyd said. "Make sure you squeeze Manta Ray till he can't get up ever again."

Jade bowed, "I will attempt such a task." He gathered up the items from tea time and began heading towards the door. "I will make sure to scold the chefs as well. Tomorrow's snack will be to your liking."

"That's why you're my favorite servant!" Floyd smiled wide, blissful as the people suffered.

Floyd had everything from his most loyal servant to a horse that moved faster than a lightening bolt. He also had a betrothed, Riddle Rosehearts, a prince of an overseas kingdom Floyd affectionately nicknamed Goldfishie. He enjoyed teasing Riddle so he could watch how angry the other got.

Even with that behavior, Floyd did truly love Riddle which is why he became concerned when he began communicating with Floyd less. It was that concern that led to Floyd spying on Riddle from afar on his current visit from overseas.

As he watched Riddle, that boy was approached by another person, a boy from a neighboring country with green hair and a clover painted on his face. The two embraced tightly and as Floyd watched Riddle blush at the action he was consumed with an anger more severe than he had ever felt before.

That was his betrothed who was pursuing someone else. He locked himself away in his room as he planned out how to handle this knowledge. There had to be a way to make Riddle return to him.

With intense jealously and bitter anger swirling around inside Floyd he called for his cabinet minister. In a low yet menacing tone he dealt out an order, "I want to see every person from that country with green hair slaughtered and then that place burnt to a crisp, Azul."

"If that's your wish, I have the ability to grant it." Azul said, not at all disturbed by the order he'd been given. He almost seemed gleeful.

"And send Jade here." Floyd added.

Azul nodded and left Floyd's room. Soon he was replaced by Jade entering. "It's no good to lock yourself away in here, Floyd." He chimed.

Floyd scowled, he wasn't in the mood for nagging. "I need you to do something. Make sure that Trey Clover person doesn't survive the war."

Jade's silent before smiling. "If that is my order I will fulfill it. Is there more you need?"

Floyd shook his head. "All I want is that guy dead. Get to it."

Jade bowed. "I will return to you the moment it is done." He then left the room.

News of the waged war did not bother Floyd. As the neighboring place was reduced to ruin Floyd's own kingdom suffered as well. He ignored this as he sat in his room. "It's gonna be tea time soon." He said, perfectly timed with a knock at his door. "Get in here."

Jade entered, carrying a tea tray like he did each time. "I hope today the brioche is to your liking." He said as he laid out the necessities for tea.

Floyd took a bite and grinned. "It's great today! See, just needed to remind the chefs of what's on the line."

"It's a pleasure to know you enjoy it." Jade replied.

Outside the peaceful tea time Floyd was enjoying, the people of the kingdom had begun gathering. The limits of what they could take had been surpassed and, at the urging of Riddle and a mercenary known as Ace, the citizens began to form a revolution. This was the chance of a lifetime for them as the soldiers were weakened from the recent war. It would be an easy task to overtake them and storm the castle.

Everyone who worked at the castle had long since fled by the time the castle had been breached. Everyone but Floyd, who stood alone in his room as Riddle and Ace burst in with their weapons drawn.

Riddle pointed his sword at Floyd's throat, the desire for revenge clear in his eyes. Floyd grinned at him, unaffected by the fact blood began dripping from where the sword was held against his skin. "Never knew Goldfishie had it in him to go off like this."

The once ruler of the evil kingdom, now captured, sat in a prison cell. Floyd knew his execution would be at the next chime of the church bells. His expression was unreadable to the guards, leaving them unable to tell what his final moments had him feeling.

Floyd heard the bells ring and, sure enough, he was fetched from his cell and dragged to the guillotine's platform. With his head under the blade, he heard the crowd cheering for his demise.

He looked past the crowd as if they were not there and, with a smile, said "It's gonna be tea time soon." before the guillotine's blade dropped down on his neck.

In an instant the despicable prince was no more. With him dead, anyone who knew of his wicked deeds could come to the agreement that the boy was truly evil.

[infoblastadministrator]

Can You Actually Save Money With All The Car Shipping Tips You Read?

When you decide to ship a car, saving money is often a top priority. There are many car shipping tips available online, but do they really help you cut costs? Understanding how much does it cost to ship a car and following practical advice can make a difference. Let's break down some key strategies and see which ones truly help you save.

Plan Ahead to Avoid Rush Fees

One of the best ways to save money is to plan your shipment early. Last-minute requests can come with additional costs. Shipping companies may charge more if you need your vehicle moved quickly. By booking your transport at least 2-3 weeks in advance, you can avoid rush fees and secure better rates.

Example: If you’re moving across the country, early planning can save you up to 20% compared to last-minute bookings.

Choose Open Transport Over Enclosed Transport

There are two main types of car shipping: open and enclosed transport. Open transport is generally cheaper. It involves transporting your vehicle on an open trailer, which can carry multiple cars. Enclosed transport protects your vehicle inside a covered trailer but costs more. Unless you own a luxury or classic car, open transport is a cost-effective option.

Tip: Open transport can be 30-40% less expensive than enclosed transport.

Be Flexible with Shipping Dates

Flexibility can save you money. Carriers offer discounts if they can fill their trucks efficiently. If you’re flexible about your pickup and delivery dates, you increase the chances of getting a lower rate.

Insight: Mid-week or off-season shipping is often cheaper. Avoid holidays and peak moving seasons like summer.

Compare Multiple Quotes

Never settle for the first quote you receive. Comparing car shipping quotes from different companies helps you find the best deal. However, be cautious about quotes that seem too low—they might indicate hidden fees or unreliable services.

Fact: A survey found that customers who compared at least three quotes saved an average of 15%.

Verify the Carrier’s Insurance

While this tip doesn’t directly reduce shipping costs, it can save you from unexpected expenses. Make sure the carrier has proper insurance to cover any damage during transport. Ask for proof of insurance and understand what’s covered.

Tip: Some carriers offer additional insurance at an extra cost, but basic coverage is usually included.

Avoid Extra Fees by Preparing Your Car Properly

Before shipping, ensure your car is ready. Remove personal items and check for any fluid leaks. Most companies have specific rules, and failing to meet them can result in extra charges.

Checklist:

Keep the fuel tank no more than 1/4 full.

Remove toll tags and antennas.

Document any pre-existing damage.

Consider Terminal-to-Terminal vs. Door-to-Door Shipping

Door-to-door shipping is convenient but can be more expensive. Terminal-to-terminal shipping means you drop off and pick up your car at designated locations. If you live near a terminal, this option can save you money.

Fact: Terminal-to-terminal shipping can cost up to 25% less than door-to-door services.

Understand Seasonal Price Changes

Car shipping rates fluctuate depending on the season. Summer and winter holidays are peak times, so prices are higher. If possible, schedule your shipment during off-peak seasons like late fall or early spring.

Example: Shipping a car in January might cost 10-15% less than in July.

Look for Discounts

Many auto transport companies offer discounts for various groups, such as:

Military personnel

Students

Seniors

Multi-car shipments

Always ask about available discounts when requesting quotes.

Avoid Brokers with Hidden Fees

Some shipping brokers add hidden fees after you’ve booked. To avoid this, read reviews and ask for a detailed breakdown of costs. Reliable companies provide transparent pricing with no surprise charges.

Tip: Check if the quote includes fuel surcharges and insurance.

Check for Cancellation and Refund Policies

Sometimes plans change, and you may need to cancel your shipment. Understanding the cancellation policy can prevent you from losing money. Some companies offer partial refunds, while others may charge a cancellation fee.

Review the Bill of Lading Carefully

The Bill of Lading is a document that outlines the terms of your shipment. Reviewing it carefully helps you avoid unexpected costs. Ensure all details, including the condition of your car and agreed price, are accurate.

Avoid Using Non-Operable Car Services if Possible

Shipping a non-operable vehicle costs more because it requires special equipment for loading and unloading. If your car can be made operable before shipping, you can save significantly.

Note: Shipping a non-running car can add 20-30% to the total cost.

Use Trusted Companies with Positive Reviews

Choosing a reputable company might seem more expensive upfront but can save you money in the long run. Reliable companies are less likely to cause delays or damage, reducing the risk of unexpected costs.

Statistic: According to industry reports, 90% of car shipping complaints involve companies with poor reviews or unclear pricing.

Understand the Distance and Route Impact

The distance your car needs to travel affects the cost. However, some routes are more affordable due to higher demand. For example, shipping between major cities is often cheaper than rural areas.

Insight: Long-distance shipments often have a lower cost per mile compared to shorter routes.

Pay Attention to Payment Methods

Some companies offer discounts for paying in cash or via certain payment methods. Always ask if there’s a preferred payment option that could save you money.

Now, Do Car Shipping Tips Really Help Save Money?

Yes, car shipping tips can genuinely help you save money if you apply them wisely. Planning ahead, choosing the right transport type, and comparing multiple quotes are proven strategies. Understanding how much does it cost to ship a car and being aware of potential hidden fees ensures you stay within budget.

By following these practical tips, you can make car shipping a more affordable and stress-free experience.