#Reverse Logistics and Returns

[i4technolab]

In today’s fast-paced world of logistics innovation and evolution have become the driving forces behind success. As we step into 2024, the logistics sector will undergo extensive disruptions, fueled by game-changing innovations that promise to revolutionize supply chain management as we know it.

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[mitigatingchaos]

Buying habits have changed. Do you know what happens to the items you send back? Already big . . . And getting bigger every day Have you ever heard of “Reverse Logistics”? What Happens to All the Stuff We Return? This is an article from The Atlantic magazine and while it is almost two years old, the business of how returned items are dealt with has only gotten bigger. There should be more than a…

[alertbrilliant4204]

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[syndrossi]

So I have another "what if" prompt that is very out of left field. Jon gets brought back as his 14 year old self in the 8 year old body (same as Rhaegar) only he's not the only version of himself that the got Summerhalled. They managed to grab 19 year old war vet Jon who is transported into the actual conception child Rhea and Daemon would have had. Rhaegal and Ghost come with (he doesn't get an emotional support twin so he gets 2 service pets to compensate). He's the one who stops in and saves the twins and inadvertently helps sell Daemon's fiction that the twins are true born because he is literally an older version of Jon.

This ask predates Restoration AU, I think, which is funny because it's sort of a reverse Restoration AU? Two Jons but in Resonant era, and one of them the same age as Winterfell!Jon in Restoration, while the other is the nineteen-year-old vet version.

I don't think the math quite works out for 19-year-old Jon to be the consummation baby of Daemon and Rhea's marriage unless he's a few years younger in the Dance era, and Daemon wouldn't have abandoned a trueborn son (nor would early marriage Rhea have hidden him). Maybe it works if he's 14, aka born 3 years into Daemon's marriage with Rhea, when she was much more embittered against him, though again we have to handwave that Rhea was willing to hide an actual trueborn son when Jaehaerys himself was still alive!

The logistics of Rhaegal suddenly appearing in the world would certainly be...interesting. Vet!Jon would have to be pretty clever with his explanation there! Once the Volantis shenanigans are known to him, maybe he can claim that he was kidnapped by them as a child and only recently escaped/returned to Westeros.

[she-is-ovarit]

I see straight and bisexual women suffer so much from male partners in the smaller ways.

When he doesn't put the time in for you and misses events that you would never miss for him—such as your birthday—or maybe you always schedule birthday parties for him and he has never returned the favor.

When you take a ton of photos of him on your phone and he has maybe four or five of you and you've been together for years.

When you've spent nearly every holiday with his family and he's only gone over to your family's place with you for the holidays once or twice (just enough to argue that he has) and you've been together for years. And maybe he argues that it's because of the distance because, surprise surprise, you have moved to a closer location to his family rather than the other way around.

When he has fathered a child from another woman yet you frequently find yourself stepping in to protect the wellbeing of this child because he doesn't put much effort into bonding with them and gradually you find yourself assuming a lot of the emotional and logistical parenting duties.

When he's hyperfocused on his job and money and seems to consider whatever job or career you have as more of a "hobby". Or, the reverse, you have a well paying and meaningful career and make more of an income than him and he becomes incredibly resentful of you and insecure in himself.

When you put in effort to cook decent and healthy meals for both of you for lunch or dinner and he puts in no effort to learn how to cook or intention to nutritionally take care of you.

When every show or movie you watch, or any game you play, seems to always depend on his preferences and he's unwilling to try anything new that you're interested in.

When he always drives and is rarely if ever the passenger, and if you express you'd like to drive (and be more in control of where you go and the safety of your lives) he becomes reactive in some way.

I can really go on, but the point is, when he is the main character in both of your lives and doesn't practice even a basic standard of consideration and respect for you (except for a short time after you've had an argument maybe), don't ignore this and don't let this go. Forget how he seems to know exactly the right things to say and how to say them to you to smooth things over and pay more attention instead to his actions and behaviors. Would you do these same neglectful things to him?

[nowimjustastranger]

Has Watchdog ever found a Stan and Ford pair in the multiverse that were from different dimensions? Like, Ford from dimension A got portaled as normal. But Stan from dimension B got reverse portaled. And then they met in the multiverse and started wandering together. How do you think he'd react to that?

It's an endless stretch of multiverse out there, but even so, Stan and Fords pairing up outside of their dimensions is extremely rare. It just doesn't cross their minds that it's something that they can do unless there are extenuating circumstances that lead to a temporary team-up (take my The Abyss Stares Back AU, for example).

Besides, things would get messy upon Ford's return to his dimension with another Stan in tow (or vice versa in reverse portal Stan dimensions). Now, with that said, the mismatch pairs that are together that don't give Watchdog a headache with the logistics are pairs where the sibling is dead in their respective dimension.

In the case of Constance "Stan" Pines from Dimension N"703 where Ford was killed during the fight and Bill used the opportunity to make himself comfortable in his favorite meat suit. Stan didn't even try to fight back as Bill -wearing his brother's face- began to strangle him. He just gripped Bill's arms and let it happen, exhausted and grieving.

The portal had still powered on during the fight, humming in the background.

Then, those yellow eyes flickered and he was suddenly staring up at his brother. Ford already looked like a corpse, complexion sickly pale and eyes cloudy. Ford hauled Stan to his feet and dragged him to the portal, holding onto the weakly-protesting Stan as the gravitational pull lifted him up. Ford hastily explained that, after Bill betrayed him, he changed the coordinates of the portal just in case Bill did get into the lab.

Ford convulsed as Bill and Ford wrestled for control over the body, Ford letting go of Stan and watching him get pulled toward the portal with a tight expression, shouting that Bill wouldn't be able to find a needle in a haystack before hurling the First Journal and a pre-packed duffel (which he had grabbed from one of the cabinets) at Stan moments before he went through the swirling vortex, spat out on an alien planet.

Upon opening the duffel, Stan found it bigger on the inside and filled to the brim with supplies. There was cash, some of Ford's clothes, an extra pair of glasses, an empty journal, an ink pen, a modified GPS, several guns, tons of ammo, a huge medkit, food, water, a water filter, a multi-tool, and typical camping stuff.

In the multiverse, Stan masquerades as a Ford since the Fordverse is openly hostile toward Stans, getting an extra prosthetic finger added on with an intricate harness that he covers up with black leather gloves. Stan keeps a low profile and becomes a bartender, where he eventually meets a Ford that sees right through his disguise.

On the other hand, Lawford "Ford" Pines from Dimension I62-8 never had his brother arrive after sending the postcard because Stan had been killed by Rico's gang before it even got there. Ford fought with Bill in the lab (who had possessed a corpse to break in and follow him down after Ford got the call that declared his brother dead) and Ford ended up getting branded instead.

The symbol was to ward off evil and protect, which locked Bill out of his body despite their deal.

In this AU, Ford had installed a contingency plan since there had always been a niggling in the back of his mind that warned him against blindly trusting Bill (the voice sounding an awful lot like his brother) so he started flipping switches and hitting buttons on the control panel since Bill was distracted by the fact that their deal had been nullified.

The sequence overloaded the portal and rigged it to blow, a last resort since the explosion would kill everything in a several-mile radius. Ford fully intended to die but was tackled across the cautionary line, desperately grappling with the screeching corpse as they were both dragged into the portal and thrown into the nightmare realm before the portal destroyed itself, the Shack, and a quarter of Gravity Falls.

In the multiverse, Ford becomes an augmented hitman for hire, having his eyes replaced with black bionics (the irises look like a black hole). He's meeting with a client at a bar, but keeps getting distracted by the bartender, his gaze pulled to the Stan that was clearly hiding his identity.

[kheta]

Things I need in a Reverse Robins AU

-I don’t care what the order is but please let Duke and Jarro be adopted before Damian is taken in! I need Damian to be jealous of an alien starfish, my bones require it 😭

-Duke ans Damian make Jason and Dick’s lives so difficult… not as antagonist and purely because they snuck out and caused so much havock that Bruce now has a sixth sense for when his kids want to act up. They cannot even attempt stealth because Duke and Damian did it better.

-I want Duke and Damian to be those kid brothers that never got along. They used to regularly ‘spar’ (fist fight) but Dick, Cass and Jason don’t believe it because they get along so well now? Tim and Steph are obviously lying.

-A grown Dick Grayson being so mad because he went his whole life wanting to be taller than just one big brother, one! And he never gets it 🥰 (Him and Tim are the same height. He hates it w a passion) Technically he is taller than Jarro. But so is Ace and Tidus, that accounts for literally nothing.

-In contrasts to his big brother’s stealth and sneaking out shennanigans, Tim just straight up lies to Bruce when he wants to take off with YJ, vaguely saying their plans (baseball, trip to some histprical landmark, chilling on Bart’s new ride) So while Bruce blames Duke and Dami for his greys, he says that Tim is the only reason he isn’t fully grey because he’s so responsible and considerate and always tells Bruce everything. (Tim tells Bruce exactly three things, two are half-truths and one is the boldest lie in town 😇 Bruce is nonethewiser.)

-Running off of that, I want Tim to be the sneaky middle child always in chaos, but I want Dami to know this and point it out to Bruce and gst shut down (like Candace Flynn levels of bad)

-Dick is spoilt by his many older siblings. He knows and takes advantage. I’m talking like 18yo Dick Grayson showing up at 22yo Jason’s place when Jason is at College and Jason returns home to find his little brother wearing his robe, eating hia cereal and asking if he can borrow Jay’s car because Bruce is hiding his keys until Dick actually gets a drivers license, which he doesn’t need because he hardly ever drives anyway 🙄😒 Jason tells him to fuck off, kicks him for not throwing thw empty cereal box away and asks where tf he thinks he’s off to anyway??????

-I want Cass to be a bratty younger sister, but only to Jason. She’s happy to hangout and cherishes her time with all her brothers, but she terrorises Jason. Purposefully is quieter when walking near him to frighten him, steals every comfy, bright hoodie he owns, wiggles into his bed and leaves her stuff for him to pick up, clean. She happily helps with chores until Jason asks and suddenly, she did not hear him, she was ‘busy, calm down grumpy.’ I want her looking at his school work and making faces at him if he tries to help her. I want her to want nothing more than to bite Jason, but also have him be her secret favourite brother. I need them to be best friends but the sort who will sell each other out for a single corn chip.

-Dick convinces Damian to help him steal an elephant. If Damian weren’t so weak for his baby brother he’d think about how even tge manor is not large enough to comfortably house an elephant. Duke isn’t completely sure it’s a good idea, but he trusts his brother’s to be smart enough to think this through ☺️ (they have not and will not think the logistics of owning an elephant through) Tim is fully aware this is a bad plan, he’s just even worse at saying no to Dick 💀 Steph is so mad that she has to be the voice of reason among these idiots 😒

-Tim dropping out of High-school actually leads to a huge fight lol. Bc Duke and Damian have Masters and Jason is looking into Ivy Leagues and Cass adores you Tim you need to be a role model 😠 Tim moves to San Francisco and doesn’t talk to Bruce for months after that fight. He still regularly contacts his siblings though.

-Personally don’t love Jason dying in Reverse Robin AU’s, but you know if Joker killed him at 15 he’d be dead in two weeks tops. Oh you want to kill the baby brother of a trqined assassin and Tim, one bad hour away from villany, Drake-Wayne? You think Duke would stop them? Dick? You think wrong. Dick might even try to jump ahead of the line. Cass is perfectly happy to shut her eyes and pretend she cannot see her brothers planning 🫢 The Joker would die a slow and painful death. Steph and Duje would run Batman distraction. (Bruce actually has a support network and two kids younger than Jason who are grieving. He’d need to be a parent and help them with their grief. He’ll probably be shit at it, but he’d still need to try.)

-When Steph starts college she occasionally visits the manor, liberally fills her bag with spare socks, new towels and non-perishables. Alfred doesn’t mind. Bruce does, but only because he’s more than willing to buy it for her and she will kick him if he even glances at any of his credit cards or bank accounts while she is near.

- Barbara probably has a crush on Steph and Tim. Like not a serious, I want a romantic relationship crush. But like ‘Steph is so strong and pretty and she’s so smart Dick, she wants to be a Doctor that’s so cool!’ And Tim is that weird crush you can’t describe. Like Matthew Gray-Gubler. He looks sorta like a raccon and an addict, but he’s weirdly handsome and can work a computer like no one else, ‘isn’t he so smart Dick?’ Dick doesn’t know whether to be jealous or to laugh at her because. Like. Really??? That’s who you think is cute from all my amazing big brothers ans sisters?

-Dick, as youngest brother, probably has the most eclectic music taste. He listens to classical, trap music, K-Pop, scremo, RnB, showtunes. Just all genres. He doesn’t love all genres, bit he k ows enough to have a super weird road trip playlist.

-Dick also always has to deal with his friends, civvie and otherwise, having crushes on his siblings.

-Jarro barely spends holidays with the family, but he gets presents put aside for him and is the most patient, most fun big brother of the batfam. Damian still hates him, but will begrudgingly buy him gifts and invite him to family events because unfortunately, Jarro is his sibling. -Because he's never around, Jarro is the favourite older sibling, with Jason, Cass and Dick always making him projects from school. Duke, Dami and Tim see Jarro more, since they love going to see the JL or going to space and don't care that Bruce disapproves. They will either lie to Bruce or sneak out or just leave the manor 'Because I am a grown ass adult B, you can't ground me.' Steph does not like space or the JL half as much and is more busy studying/working than the other three losers. (affectionate)

-Gotham villains are in shock when, after having highly predictable vigilantes who just come in through the front/back door (Duke and Damian) they are faced with vigilantes who will in fact bazooka an entry way open (Jason and Cass)

[collapsedsquid]

Getting fake components into the supply chain is easier than you might think. As a manufacturer of hardware, I have to deal with fake components all the time. This is especially true for batteries – most popular consumer electronic devices already have a healthy gray market for replacement batteries. These are batteries that look the same as OEM batteries and fetch an OEM price, but are made with sub-par components. Aside from taking advantage of gray and secondary markets, there are multiple opportunities along the route from the factory to you to tamper with goods – from the customs inspector, to the courier. But you don’t even have to go so far as offering anyone a bribe or being a state-level agency to get tampered batteries into a supply chain. Anyone can buy a bunch of items from Amazon, swap out the batteries, restore the packaging and seals, and return the goods to the warehouse (and yes, there is already a whole industry devoted to copying packaging and security seals for the purpose of warranty fraud). The perpetrator will be long-gone by the time the device is resold. Depending on the objective of the campaign, no further targeting may be necessary – just reports of dozens of devices simultaneously detonating in your home town may be sufficient to achieve a nefarious objective. Note that such a “reverse-logistics injection attack” works even if you on-shore all your factories, and tariff the hell out of everyone else. Any “tourist” with a suitcase is all it takes.

[pkmndaisuki]

Here's some new guesses/hopes for Legends ZA following those new trailers in no particular order:

Inverse Battles return

Inverse Battles were battles where the entire type chart was reversed. Normal was Super-Effective against Ghost, Steel was weak to almost everything, it was so cool. But it was only available in one random house... right next to Terminus Cave. Where Zygarde was. (ORAS had them as well, but only in a specific place in Mauville.) They were such a unique gimmick, I would love to see at least one place where you can do them.

PokéDex can be completed single-player

Legends Arceus let the player finish the entire Dex without being forced to trade, so I get the feeling that's just gonna be a thing with Legends games going forward. Makes sense since there's only one version.

No multiplayer battles, but trading is allowed

Like the last point, Legends Arceus had no way to battle other players. Likely because of its battle system with the Strong and Agile Style moves. And now that we'll have full free movement in battle, I can see that being a logistical disaster between two human-controlled players. So the only major multiplayer thing will probably be trading.

Trainer Customization expands as the story progresses

Again, Legends Arceus did this with Anthe's store selection upgrading at certain milestones. So I could definitely see Boutique selections rotate as they did in X&Y, or just continually add more options. X&Y invented Boutiques and outfits and haircuts and all that, it would be criminal not to have extensive customization.

Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie will be Wild Encounters from the start; Chikorita, Tepig, and Totodile will be Gifted and/or Wild Encounters post-credits

This was the case with the Sinnoh starters and the Hisui starters, so it wouldn't surprise me if they did the same with both sets of Kalos starters. Bonus guess: each of the original Kalos starters will be in a different Plaza. Bleu for Froakie, Vert for Chespin, and Rouge for Fennekin.

More areas underground

Paris has famous catacombs beneath the city. Zygarde is a Ground-type typically found underground. One of its signature moves is Land's Wrath. Something's gotta happen down there. (Plus, we went under the city in X&Y already: Lysandre Labs just beneath Lysandre Café between Rouge and Magenta Plazas.)

Prism Tower is more of a Battle Tower than Gym

That little teaser at the end of the trailer had a logo of Prism Tower. Since we're confined to Lumiose, we're not taking on the Gym Challenge, so it being a Gym wouldn't make as much narrative sense. Instead, I can see it being a different kind of battle facility, and I hope it's still run by Clemont.

Roller Skates return

Roller Skating was so fun in X&Y and used to illustrate the full 3D movement on the 3DS, and you learned most of the techniques in Lumiose. There was even a café just for skating enthusiasts! I really hope it comes back, skating around Lumiose was so fun.

Emma will return

We saw a brief glimpse of the Looker Bureau. By the end of Looker's postgame story, he leaves the Bureau to Emma. I really really hope we get to see her she's such a fascinating character please let it happen

A special Legendary will be available postgame

Enamorous was introduced in Legends Arceus' postgame, so it could be that's just gonna be a feature of Legends games. Not saying something brand new like her is gonna show up for sure, but maybe something else that hadn't be easily available. Like Volcanion maybe? It seems, design-wise, associated with part of the Kalos Power Plant, which is just Northwest of Lumiose. It was distribution-only back then, it would be neat to have it available to battle and capture.

Who knows if any of this will be right, but I'm looking forward to PLZA!

[insomniaccorner]

Hello ! Could you write a story about a Bruce become infant ? And the children take care of him please ! Have a good day 🥰

Title: “Batbaby”

Summary: When a mission goes sideways, Bruce Wayne is temporarily de-aged into a toddler. The Batkids are not prepared.

The mission had been simple.

In, secure the artifact, out. But when Zatanna warned them not to touch the glowing runes? Bruce touched the glowing runes.

Now he was sitting in the Batcave. All three feet of him. Arms crossed. Little scowl on his tiny face. Wearing an emergency Wayne Enterprises onesie because none of them had toddler clothes on standby.

Damian stared at him, horrified. “He’s... small.”

Tim was trying not to laugh. “He’s tiny, you mean. That’s Baby Batman.”

“I am not a baby,” Bruce snapped—except it came out in a high-pitched voice and a pout that ruined the effect.

Jason collapsed on the couch, cackling. “This is the best day of my life.”

“I still have my mind,” Bruce insisted, glaring at his now-gigantic children. “This is temporary. I’m still in charge.”

Dick crouched beside him with a smile. “Sure, sure. You’re totally the boss. But until Zatanna finds the reversal spell? You’re three, B.”

“I’m three and a half,” Bruce corrected sharply.

Damian groaned. “He’s regressing by the second.”

Hour One:

Bruce tried to sit at the Batcomputer. Couldn’t reach the keyboard. Sulked for ten minutes straight.

Tim gave him juice in a sippy cup. Bruce threw it at him. Missed. Demanded coffee. Was denied.

Jason tried teaching him to say “Red Hood.” Bruce said “Red Head.” Jason didn't even mind.

Hour Four:

Dick had wrapped Bruce in a little hoodie with bat ears and was carrying him around on his hip like a dad at a farmer’s market.

Bruce was not happy about it.

“This is humiliating,” he grumbled into Dick’s shoulder.

“Aw, you’re doing so good, buddy,” Dick cooed, bouncing him slightly.

“Put me down or I will fire you.”

“You don’t even pay me.”

Hour Six:

Bruce fell asleep on Alfred’s lap during story time. The book was about logistics. No one was surprised.

Damian stood nearby, arms crossed. “I... don’t hate him like this.”

Tim nodded. “It’s kind of peaceful. He’s only barked two orders since nap time.”

Jason took a picture. “He’s gonna murder us when he’s back to normal.”

Dick just smiled, tucking a baby blanket around Bruce. “Worth it.”

The next morning, the spell wore off. Bruce returned to normal. Full height. Full grump.

No one said anything.

Until Jason walked into the Cave wearing a shirt with Baby Bruce’s face on it.

Bruce stared.

Jason grinned. “I made merch.”

Bruce walked away.

“You can’t fire me if I don’t work here!”

[cer-rata]

Cerata's 2024 End of Year Artist shoutouts! (part 1)

Okay so this year was the first time I'd really participated in fandom in over a decade, but I'm truly glad I did because I met a ton of great people, and even got to work on projects with some of them. So I wanted to put all of the cool visual art that I've received last year, whether it be art trade, commission, part of an event, or...fanart? Because that happened somehow?

Anyway, there are a number of other people that I worked with last year, but a bunch of that art started near the end of the year, and as such is not finished yet, hence why this post will be two parts, one now, and the second when everyone else finishes up.

No particular order, all of these artists are great, and lovely people, so do go check out the rest of their work and tell them how cool they are, yeah? Also, some are currently open for commissions, so keep an eye out for that.

(Also, this is my first time trying to do ID text, so bear with me if they're a little rough, despite being a writer, I hate words?)

So first we have @fiyaharts with a lovely illustration of a number of the my favorite Krypton and Krypton-adjacent children. Shadi is lovely to work with and fast to the point where it spooked me a little bit, go off girl.

Next we have two pieces from my favorite Evil Woman Apologist, @vivictory-draws, one of a divorced Barbara and Kara being totally normal about it, and the other of my child and blorbo that haunts my waking hours, Conrad. Love N to death, which is why I haunt her with threats of commissioning Joker/Desaad Yaoi.

...Maybe for the next list, who knows...

So next we have the art created for the last @womenincomicsminibang (which is going to be returning with a reverse bang in a few months, keep an eye out on that.)

The lovely and evocative cover was done by the talented @breakingthespacetimewall, and the scenes of Cassie trying and failing to get her life together were done by the wonderful @soop-jpg

Working with them was a pleasure and honor, and their dedication and kindness really helped me through finishing that fic, and I remain incredibly grateful for that.

The first person I worked with this last year, and the one who really helped solidify the core of a lot of my projects, @nicodrawings drew a glorious cover for my mania-induced first longfic, and also a character reference for the aformentioned disordered young man who haunts my waking hours. She's a professional through-and-through, with wonderful instincts and great communication. She's also working on a fan-comic project of her own that I think is wonderful and am excited to see continue.

I lucked out and was paired with the super chill, super talented @byeara on my first fan project ever, and they hooked me up with this super fun and detailed cover for the fic I wrote for that one kon-centric minibang. I loved working with them, and would love to do so again, logistics willing.

This jerk @vnekey made me cry by drawing really sweet, totally unexpected fanart for that mania-fic I wrote. I'm still a little speechless really, I'd never gotten fanart of any sort for any reason before, and to receive something so lovely as the first thing really touched me deeply, and honestly kept me writing through some rough patches.

...Fight me!

My first ever art trade! Kind of! @spider-jaysart is super sweet and supportive and made my...second biblically (is there a Source bible? Are there religious Coluans?) cursed son and his hapless, frankly narratively cursed best buddy look so precious that they ALSO made me cry, can we stop that actually--

Speaking of my cursed son and his narratively cursed Kryptonian, @spicy-apple-pie created this really pretty piece that's...a number of weird deep cuts smushed together into something really specific, but neat if you have the context, which nobody does :3

She was so wonderful and patient and I really enjoyed seeing her run with her inspiration, the Kryptonian mural is super neat and not something I would have ever come up with on my own.

@mediaraiz Is really stylistically flexible, and their "Blob" style really scratched that itch I had for something cute and playful, and they were so game in taking on a larger project, and then went above and beyond in making my lanterns looks truly special.

Finally (for now), @riverdeansart drew a sweet little scene of two horrifyingly stressed totally fine spacebros chilling and chatting about how everything is completely okay!

I was super vague about this one and Dean did a great job getting the vibes right anyway, and with haste.

...So yeah, that's if for now! I'll circle back in a bit when I'm forced to let more artists out of my basement everything else is done!

[starcolonelkatrinamoon]

The Last Dance

Jaguar’s Shadow Drop Cluster Camp, AO Omaha 2300 Hours

Gentle music emanated through the camp of the Jaguar’s Shadow drop cluster. The camp had turned in for sleep for the night beyond those out on maneuvers or standing watch. Much of the snow had been plowed into piles around the circle of tents and support logistics.

In the middle of the clearing, near to the mess truck, Katrina meandered pointlessly. She walked back and forth in the mess clearing with her arms out to either side, balancing on an imaginary line. She couldn’t sleep after all. She now and then would spin on one foot before continuing along the line. Slowly, the music changed. It swept from the orchestral music that it had begun from into a haunting melancholic waltz, and the Star Colonel’s movements changed with it, becoming a slow one-person dance. She stepped, spun, twirled her way through the mess clearing. Now and then she would dip herself, bending back with a reverse lunge. And so she continued to dance on into the night, moving to a waltz that called for a partner who would never return.

(OOC: The waltz in question this was written to:)

(And the full collection of waltzes that play:)

@is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not

[dontbother94]

Harry in Italy

I did a follow-up reading on the cards for Italy. No facts here — this is just for fun.

Overall Energy (Jumper: Knight of Wands & Nine of Wands reversed):

Harry approached Italy with enthusiasm and a thirst for adventure, embodying the Knight of Wands. However, the Nine of Wands reversed suggests he was already feeling worn out, pushing through fatigue to make the most of the experience. It seems he may have built up the idea of Italy in his mind, arriving with high hopes but limited energy.

His Feelings About Italy (Wheel of Fortune reversed & The Emperor):

He might sense that things didn’t unfold as he had hoped, perhaps due to obligations or logistical constraints that made him feel restricted. The Wheel of Fortune reversed indicates a sense of missed opportunities, while The Emperor suggests he had to maintain discipline and structure, even when craving spontaneity. This makes me think of fans and being photographed, which may have contributed to his feeling of being boxed in.

What He Enjoys (Three of Cups & The Devil reversed):

Despite the challenges, Harry found joy in social connections and community. The Three of Cups points to moments of celebration and friendship, while The Devil reversed suggests these interactions were liberating, allowing him to release burdens and feel less trapped by expectations.

How It Went (The Hanged One & Judgment reversed):

He needed to surrender and adopt a new perspective. The Hanged One indicates a need for patience and letting go, while Judgment reversed reflects internal struggles with self-doubt and resistance to change. It wasn’t an effortless transformation but involved confronting uncomfortable truths.

Expectations vs. Reality:

Overall (Ten of Swords reversed / Four of Cups reversed):

He anticipated Italy would help him recover from past struggles, offering a fresh start. Instead, it stirred him from apathy, prompting emotional re-engagement. The healing wasn’t as straightforward as he had hoped, leading to a more complex emotional awakening.

Relationships (Ace of Wands / Eight of Cups):

He hoped for passion and excitement, something fun. However, he realized the need to walk away from something emotionally unfulfilling. Rather than igniting something new, Italy prompted introspection and the recognition that personal growth was necessary.

Friends (Ace of Cups / Page of Pentacles reversed):

He expected emotional closeness and new beginnings in friendships. In reality, progress felt delayed or immature, with some connections not developing as he had hoped. The experience highlighted the need for patience and understanding in nurturing relationships.

Work (Four of Swords / The Hermit):

He sought rest and a peaceful reset around work. Instead, he found himself in deep introspection, confronting deeper questions about his creative path. Italy became a space for solitude and self-reflection rather than just relaxation.

Summary:

Harry imagined Italy as a healing, passionate, and restful escape. Instead, it challenged him to wake up emotionally, let go of unfulfilling situations, and delve into deeper personal reflection. The experience was more introspective and emotionally complex than anticipated, offering growth through unexpected avenues.

Did He Build It Up Too Much in His Mind? (King of Cups reversed):

Yes, likely. The King of Cups reversed suggests he may have idealized Italy as an emotional haven, leading to unmet expectations when reality didn’t align with his hopes.

Will He Return? (Three of Wands):

Absolutely. The Three of Wands indicates he’s looking ahead, planning future endeavors. Despite the challenges, Italy remains a place of interest and potential for him.

[blueper-saiyan]

I’m overanalyzing something that’s canonically not meant to be thought about, for fun, so here’s a speculative Saiyan biology question: how often do they actually need to eat? I’ve sort of joked about the possibility that it’s like large predators irl where they gorge themselves occasionally and then wait until the next big kill. This would balance out the amount they’re eating to closer to a normal human, just a surprising amount in one sitting, and dodge the thing I’m about to go off the deep end about. But I think they’re probably supposed to need that amount frequently? Which is like, rodent levels of frequency and portions, but unlike a small mammal, a huge amount of actual food consumed. It’s fine if there’s only a handful of Saiyans on a whole planet but how did that work when there was a lot of them? That’s a massive amount of food, where is it coming from? Are they mostly feeding their army by taking food from conquered planets? They’d still need to be producing enough for their homeworld. Is it being farmed automatically and that’s how they can have the majority of their whole species be soldiers? But like, Gine has a job processing meat, so it’s clearly not entirely automated. Stuck thinking about Saiyan agricultural production and supply logistics help.

Unfortunately, I can also say that almost immediately after finding out the amount that Saiyans eat, the back of my mind did jump to “how fast do they starve?” Like, is that a much bigger threat for them than a human or do they have about the same amount of reserves, even if they’re eating more? If it is way faster, how does that affect how they view food/hunger? As a fun irl example, hummingbirds have such an insane metabolism that they would potentially starve to death if they slept at night. So they don’t sleep like normal, they enter a state that’s more like hibernation to slow their metabolism down enough to survive. Many hummingbird species are fiercely territorial because they need access to their food source or they starve. I imagine a theoretical hummingbird society would be thinking about food differently. And because this is my indulgent post where I get to talk about animals, I’m also going to bring up vampire bats, which could also potentially starve if they can’t feed within two days or so (I did not go deep into scientific literature to find original numbers and sources for this estimate I’m sorry true bat fans. Actually same goes for the hummingbird estimate but I know more about birds.). Unlike the more territorial hummingbirds though, vampire bats roost together during the day in colonies, with the same other bats repeatedly. And their food source can’t be guarded like a flower patch can, so there’s less purpose to territoriality. So they can form long term friendships with each other by interacting in ways like grooming each other. Within these friendships, when one bat gets a meal during their few-hour-a-night feeding window, but the other one doesn’t, the one who got enough food will often share with their friend to keep them from going hungry. Then their friend returns the favor when their roles are reversed, keeping them both alive, along with the rest of their friend network.

So those are some very different responses to needing food nearly constantly. If I were deeper in ecology mode I could probably try and come up with explanations based on the types of food source and territory and other factors for why, but I’m here to apply this to Saiyans lol. Honestly, a cooperative strategy would make more sense given that they’re pretty human-like, but that’s certainly not the sense we get given of their society. Were they always super individualistic or is that a recent development? Are they even actually individualistic or is that fully a societal role thing (elites are different from lower class warriors)? Or is the idea that they don’t cooperate partly a lie made up after their deaths anyway? Speculative biology for intelligent species get the extra layer of culture just to make things more messy and fun. We also know pretty much nothing about their original home planet and the actual context that shaped them, so I don’t get to apply other factors, like how easy it is to defend food sources or how important it is to stick together. We probably won’t ever get to know anything more about their original homeworld/Sadala, which is disappointing given that we got hints about it, but it does leave more room for speculation.

[jozor-johai]

Assuming that Arya ends up back at Winterfell at some point—which does not necessarily have to be the case—how will she get there? Here I’m proposing two ideas, based on possible predicted “next steps” for Arya’s character.

1. The Jeyne/Arya Mirror Idea

In the TWOW Theon preview, we see Stannis send Justin Massey on a mission: first to Castle Black to deliver “Arya” to Lord Commander Jon Snow (ostensibly fulfilling his promise to retrieve Jon’s half-sister), then to Eastwatch to depart for Braavos. In Braavos, Justin is to collect the Iron Bank’s loan and use it to hire a reputable sellsword company to return to Westeros with.

We the readers know that Jon is dead, however, and the current situation at the Wall is hard to predict. Without Jon to return “Arya” to, it raises the question of what Justin Massey will do with the girl. The Northern Lords have a vested interest in Arya’s sustained safety, so Justin cannot endanger Jeyne. If Jon is no longer there to receive her, and if the Wall has become embroiled in Night’s Watch/Free Folk conflict, it may not appear safe to leave “Arya” at the Wall after all.

Of course, much of this speculation is solely in service of the sheer fun of this possibility: what if Justin Massey ends up bringing Jeyne Poole to Braavos? If that were the case, then we could get the delightful irony of Arya, with her identity hidden, hearing of “Arya” visiting the city. Even better, we could see Jeyne Poole-impersonating-Arya interact with Arya-impersonating-someone-else.

Another benefit here is that Justin Massey’s return trip to Eastwatch (with a sellsword company) might be one way that Arya catches a return trip back to Westeros—even in disguise, perhaps Arya returns to the North via Eastwatch, to mirror Jeyne’s theoretical trajectory out of the continent.

That arc might look like this, with a focus on how the two girl’s trajectories might be the inverse of one anothers’. Of course, much of this relies on layers of speculation; this is all being proposed for the direct purpose of being able to create a scenario where Jeyne’s journey as Arya is somehow the reverse of Arya’s future journeys as not-Arya.

2. The Arya-Sansa-Catelyn Journey

However, that’s hardly the most direct route from Braavos to Westeros, and it’s certainly possible (and even likely) that Arya’s journey might not be related to Jeyne’s at all, even if Jeyne has taken Arya’s identity for the moment.

Perhaps instead Arya’s journey from Braavos will tie more directly to the storylines of her sister and mother.

If Arya lands at Gulltown, she could potentially cross paths with Alayne Stone on her path through the Vale, which could be interesting. Through Alayne and the Corbrays, we are constantly being reminded of the importance of Gulltown as a port for Westeros, and Lord Corbray’s merchant marriage might have been introduced as a way to tie either Braavos or the Iron Bank to Gulltown specifically through trade or commerce.

Then, assuming Arya needs to return to Winterfell, she will be forced to travel through the Neck… where Lady Stoneheart is. I’m not personally a particular supporter of the idea that Arya will (or should) kill Lady Stoneheart, but in any instance it would be narratively interesting to Arya cross her path.

In fact, this trajectory makes an arc that is both logistically sound and provides a real narrative journey from Arya to Winterfell. On this path, Arya-who-is-not-Arya could cross paths with Sansa-who-is-not-Sansa and then Catelyn-who-is-not-Catelyn, all in one smooth arc home from Braavos, shown here:

Of course, neither of these things could happen. This is just a couple of possibilities, and how they would logistically work.

[calfrxca]

[JUDGEMENT]

no way, cal returns from his art hiatus to post gay people and returns from hiatus for good :00 ??? no- im. im still on hiatus, my escapades to vatican city and specifically st peter's basillica last month just caused some brainworms LMFAO, i have. way too much to say about this specific piece and how my reading of the illiad and the war that killed achilles made it so much stronger

also before you ask, yes this is based on michelangelo's pietà in the vatican, dont even TRY to @ me

my yappings aside

ordo (the guy with the fuckass pipe in his chest) belongs to @gemsbokk !!!

meanings and yappings regarding this piece below the cut as usual, i dont expect anyone to read this, i just need to get this out or i'll actually EXPLODE

(upright) improvement, forgiveness, change of perspectives, absolution and rebirth

(reversed) oppression, lack of self awareness, failure, repeated mistakes, and self loathing

generally, in roman mythos as a whole, there's this whole idea that cannibalism, incest, murder, whatever, doesnt apply to the olympians because of their status as "The Divine" and any mortal who tries to do the same will be met with divine punishment from said olympians [many times, a mortal's fatal flaw is hubris, see achilles who believed he was immortal and a god because of how successful he was on the battlefield; icarus who flew too close to the sun and died, a literal modern day saying in the west for man's own hubris, etc] and if i remember correctly, some renditions of the illiad depict the myceaneans as cannibals. the war that killed achilles specifically writes:

"In the apocryphal Acts of Andres (dating to the 3rd century A.D.), there is 'a city of the cannibals,' which is identified as Myrmidon; it is possible that this account taps into some more ancient, and savage, lost tradition."

and my recent escapades to the roman colosseum revealed that the romans regularly consumed blood because they believed it had health benefits to it and they thought it cured epilepsy [paper written by the NBCI on this topic]; is there any historical basis proving that the consumption of blood actually had health benefits? no clue, nor do i really feel like checking these exact logistics at the moment (but if anyone does, feel free to @ me about it, i love weird historical shit like this), the actual effects behind it are moot, what's relevant here is the idea

the idea of consumption and cannibalism turning one into a god have the same effects as how, in greek mythos, the gods were often depicted engaging in acts such as incest, cannibalism, whatever, acts that we as mortals define as "immoral" and "unjust," not only just to seperate them from humans but also show that morals are a very fickle, human thing

anyways, my point here is there's something so raw about tacet losing it to the point he's not even just eating mechanical parts, but he's also eating organic parts, see: organic hearts, guts, kidneys, the like

"No matter how many men you eat boy, you will not be a god."

i mean tacet himself masks his desperation for touch and sensuality with literal blood and guts, which then creates a feedback loop of violence and death, which is a reoccurring theme in greek tragedies; specifically observed and mentioned in emily wilson's translation of the illiad:

"When a man is slain in times of peace, families can gain partial compensation for their loss by exacting a blood-price from the killer. Killers may also be forced to leave the community and take refuge elsewhere, as Patroclus did as a boy after he accidentally killed another boy in an argument over a game; he was adopted by his cousin Peleus and raised beside Achilles, like an older brother. In such cases, the killer's loss of his original home comforts the family in their need for vengeance. But in war, killers recognize no binding obligation to compensate the families of their victims. The only way the bereaved can recoup their losses is to kill the killer—whose comrades will demand vengeance in their turn. Killing begets killing, death begets death, and every loss of life generates further loss of life."

another instance is observed in the emily wilson translation here:

"When it is too late to save a warrior's life, friends and kinsmen may be able at least to save his weapons and his armor. If those have been stripped, the companions of the dead man may at least save his body."

there's a certain trope found in media, especially queer media where cannibalism and consumption are a common metaphor for love (see hannibal and interview with a vampire), and considering their dynamic was written in the midst of a hannibal brainrot im not exactly surprised there's a lot of similarities here

namely, tacet was a cannibalism from the start, starting drinking energon just as a more cost and time efficient way to staying fueled, but it turned into an addiction and eventually was lauded as something holy (there's something to be said here about the christian idea of wine and crackers being symbols of christ's blood and body; communion, the eucharist, whatever); i cant remember if this was canon or not so don't quote me on this

but at some point, tacet convinced ordo to try cannibalism as well, just to "see what would happen," went well enough until ordo got the fuckass pipe in his chest; something something play on the idea of cannibalism is only reserved for the divine; ordo died and tacet lost ordo

queer tragedy is very much a phenomenon found in greek and roman mythos, and well. this feels like it fits

alright im done yapping for now, my head hurts now, thanks for listening to my ted talk

here's some pics from rome and venice as a thanks LMFAO

i'll add image IDs to these once my headache goes away I PROMISE