#i say solo because i think they could ace a group trap

[lesbospirk]

#i say solo because i think they could ace a group trap #the power of friendship is powerful in these bitches #james t kirk #star trek #star trek tos #spock #leonard mccoy #nyota uhura #t'pring #hikaru sulu #montgomery scott #christine chapel #pavel chekov #not to sway opinions but christine has real final girl vibes #i know technically t'pring is a minor character and is only in 1 episode but shes my special little meow meow

[2-lines-and-a-circle]

Naive vs kindness

So as everyone has been unveiled for the new event, I was excited to see an event focusing on Kalim, Ortho, and Ace. I feel as though this is going to be a fun group. However, I’ve also noticed these three have some strong traits that tie into each other. Once again this is just my thought, so feel free to disagree or agree. 

Kalim is undoubtedly kind, but that often can be overlooked as him being naive. I personally don’t see his kindness as him being too naive, rather I see it as his truth. Kalim is someone who takes things as people say, he puts trust into other’s words and believes them earnestly. However, the problem here is that he’s surrounded by people who know how to use this trait of his to their advantage. Instead of it being an honest truth it’s now tied to him being naive because he isn’t aware of what others are doing to him. Quite a problem, but it doesn’t seem like those closest to him truly try to tell Kalim he’s being taken advantage of. You could argue Jamil tries his best, but most of the time he tends to divert the situation. One could also argue that it’s Kalim’s fault as he’s blind to it. In the upcoming event story, I have a feeling Kalim will get lured to the circus on the account he believes he’s doing something good. On another note, Kalim has a piano behind him in his card, but it’s broken which is unusual for Kalim. Especially since he’s a member of the light music club and values music greatly. 

Now for Ace, I think he’s both kind and naive, even if he’s not the nicest. Ace has a very roundabout way of being kind, which is kinda similar to Lilia. They won’t say it straight up, but it’s enough to tell what they want to show or mean. As for him being naive, I think it’s his ignorance. He often forgets to read the fine print especially if he got involved with Azul when he was warned several times from Riddle. This would be the only way I could really see him getting involved in the circus. It’s that or maybe we’re getting Ace’s brother!!! I highly doubt it though, but it would be interesting if Ace’s brother was there as a magician or something. I’m only saying this because he learned magic tricks from his brother, and you often see them at circuses. But you know what you also see? Showmen. Ace’s outfit looks more like a showman than anything else and with his pose it looks like a show is going on. So maybe he’s playing a role which entitles him to be a puppet for the performance? Like is he tricked into performing??? Plus, with all the clocks I think there’s going to be something to do with time, maybe there's a time limit. 

Lastly, Ortho! I have high hopes for what we’re going to see with Ortho, especially since he’s going to be with Ace in another event! Otho is naive in the sense that he is learning about the world. Other than that aspect I can’t really see him being naive otherwise. For his kindness I would say I think he has just as much as the average person, but it’s a little selective. I can’t see Ortho being nice to those who have done him or those closest to him harm. Nor do I think Ortho is the most forgiving character. It’s a little tough to say where he truly lies on the meter for me. In regard to his card and the connections to the story, I wonder if he’s trapped. Ortho is the only character who is visually upset in his card. Plus, there’s a bird cage near him and with the solo spotlight, it looks like he’s trapped like a doll. Which is why he could possibly not have his heart flame visible. 

#twst #twisted wonderland #kalim al asim #new event #just a theory #ortho shroud #ace trappola #i hope we get ace's brother soon #i've been waiting #heartslabyul #scarabia #ignihyde

[lagoonalake]

Hiya, can I ask mtl potential for solo career in both TXT and Enhypen? I would greatly appreciate it, thank you. 💜

Hi! What an interesting ask! 😀💗

MTL POTENTIAL FOR SOLO CAREER in TXT and ENHYPEN

TXT

most

YEONJUN: 8 of swords, the chariot, 3 of wands

No surprise there, but he actually feels a lot of anxiety and pressure when it comes to this, even though he also has big ambitions. And for good reasons, the company has a vision for him, and with the chariot possibly to make him a global sensation. If he’d release a solo, it’d be this big rush of energy, passionate pop star on stage, basically the new Jungkook.

HUENINGKAI: king of cups, ace of swords, strength

When it comes to his craft and skills, Kai is probably the one who is the most ready, he has a lot of depth and many things to say, he is a true artist. He is very determined and serious about music. He has shared his ideas with the company before, and it didn’t fall on deaf ears, although they have told him to be patient and that his time will come. They see a lot of potential in him and value him a lot. I think if he’d release something it could be similar to Lana Del Rey style, something more dreamy, less pop.  

TAEHYUN: page of wands, 9 of cups, 6 of pentacles/BEOMGYU: 9 of pentacles 7 of pentacles, the sun

Taehyun is adventurous and always up to try something new, although at the moment he is happy right where he is, and he wouldn't do a big solo release, not a huge project. The company definitely sees him as reliable and would give him an opportunity or “reward” him as he has been such a good asset for them.

Although Beomgyu isn’t exactly ready right now, and has to wait patiently for his opportunity, I think the company sees him as someone who would bring a lot of money, maybe because he is very popular. So he could easily be successful. He is also a very charismatic guy who once he feels a bit more confident in his skills could really shine on his own.

SOOBIN: 7 of pentacles, 10 of cups, 4 of cups

Honestly, I’m not sure Sooobin himself is particularly interested in a solo career. Right now he has no plan for anything like that, and he is comfortable where he is and not asking for anything more. It’s possible that he also may want to focus on other things in the future, like family, rather than expand his career outside of the group.

least

ENHYPEN

most

JUNGWON: 4 of pentacles, the devil, the lovers

Right now Jungwon is the one who would could be ready and could deliver. He is also the one the company thinks is the most reliable and has the most potential. He would likely release a rather sexy, raw and hypnotic concept that would be a huge success. However, the company has a tight hold on him and I feel like everything would be decided for him and he could feel a bit trapped. Deal with the devil sort of vibe, “we made you, you owe us, but you always deliver, then here is your reward, but we also profit from this obviously”. 

NIKI: 6 of swords, temperance, king of swords/HEESEUNG: 3 of pentacles, judgement, 2 of swords

Niki has a vision, I think he’s being very strategic and is thinking long term. He could be networking or has someone powerful he relies on who gives him advice and has plans for him, and with the 6 of swords, possibly overseas, in Japan most likely. He doesn’t have a plan to release something right now, but he is preparing the terrain for something in the future. He is patient and wants a long lasting career. 

I think that Heeseung is going to have this big break, you know when idols suddenly bloom and have this new found confidence? Well it’s coming, although he’s not quite there yet. He would become very successful for sure. However he is a bit unsure about it himself, feels like he still has a lot to learn, and I’m wondering if he believes he would even enjoy doing solo, maybe he likes the security of being with a group.

JAY: 8 of wands, 4 of swords, the wheel of fortune

I think that Jay has a lot of ambitions right now, a potential solo release could be a hit of the moment, a quick success, but only for a short time. I don’t see him necessarily pursuing a long term solo career, I think his interests could also change outside of kpop with time. 

SUNOO: 7 of wands, high priestess, 9 of swords

Sunoo has ambitions and he has hidden talents and knowledge that would surprise people. However I think a solo career would be difficult to obtain for him. I think he may have asked for opportunities before but was given vague answers, and that maybe he has waited anxiously for a clear answer but it never came. 

SUNGHOON: knight of wands, 3 of pentacles, the hanged man/JAKE: 8 of wands, 10 of swords, the tower

Sunghoon feels very confident, if it was up to him, he’d be ready to go, but he still has a lot to learn, it’s possible that he overestimates himself. So right now any solo release is postponed indefinitely. 

Just like Jay, Jake's release would be a quick short success, however what I see with Jake is that he is the one with the highest potential for maybe releasing a scandalous sort of concept, or something that would be controversial, that wouldn’t be that well received to be honest. And I also feel that he has big ambitions, is very impatient, but he could have a downfall if he isn’t more careful. I don't know if it is about his relationships, his attitude, but there is recklessness here.

least

#txt #tomorrow x together #enhypen #yeonjun #soobin #beomgyu #taehyun #hueningkai #heeseung #jay #sunghoon #jake #sunoo #jungwon #niki

[allou-a]

Varia headcanons, because they're far less likely to get lost here than in my thousand of pages of notes!

General headcanons:

The Varia have an incredibly complicated organisation system that includes people reporting back to Officers who then report to Xanxus. The Officers are traditionally the strongest of each Flame type, but since Xanxus is a Sky most Officers are his Guardians.

There is a non-Flame division. They mostly rule themselves, but report back to Xanxus. They take on most of the jobs that require little-to-no use of Flames, or deal with non-Flame society.

Coming back to that complicated organisations system- there’s two types of members of the Varia- Named or Nameless. A member acquires a Name when they complete their first job. From there, they can choose to work as a solo or duo under their Flame type, or in a squad under the leaders Flame type. (Squads have themed Names and a member is expected to change their Name is they join a squad)

There aren’t meant to be women in the Varia. It wasn't a rule put in place to be sexist, but rather to deter heiresses for joining, so that the Varia didn't have to deal with Dons wanting their daughters back to play alliance bride once they were Named. There isn’t an ‘official’ work around for this rule, but there is an unofficial ‘see something, say nothing’ rule in place in regards to gender. (There's also an unofficial rule about not mentioning that someone left at the same time an heiress returned to a Family to get married, only for the happy couple to die right before the Varia member gets back from ‘vacation’)

Character-specific headcanons

Squalo is a Cloudy Rain. He has a habit of taking off and vanishing from sight when he feels like it. Pre-Varia, he would hide in Xanxus’ rooms, or find some obscure hiding place. It’s why people weren’t too worried when he took off on a world tour that ended with him losing a hand and gaining control of the Varia. (When Xanxus is in the ice, Squalo sits by him. He falls asleep to the sight of Xanxus, frozen mid-snarl, more times than he can count)

Lussuria is actually ace! The whole necrophilia thing happened because the guy they were set to kill as their ‘entry-level job’ ended up in a kink club, unguarded and alone, and they took the shot. Still, to take a Name there has to be proof that the job was completed. So they bought the body back with them to Varia HQ, still clad in only a gimp mask and leather thong- how were they to know that the head or heart of the guy was sufficient proof? (Their original Name was something more obvious, and a reference to the assumptions people made when the bought the body back. When they harmonised with Xanxus, they figured they should keep with the ongoing themes- Sins (for Xanxus’ set) and odd sexual tastes(from their own Name). So they took the name Lussuria, meaning ‘Lust’)(They let the assumption continue because they get far less people acting interested in them if everyone thinks they have eccentric tastes)

Up until the ice, Xanxus had grey eyes. Zero point ice (first edition, at least) is fuelled by the Flames of whoever is trapped inside the ice, which means that for eight years, Xanxus was constantly putting out Flames. It became second nature, and he can’t exactly stop it. His eyes glow red because of this constant output.

Talking of Xanxus, the name Xanxus is Aztec, meaning ‘protector of god’. However, looking at the etymology of the name, it could also be derived from the Greek name Xanthos, meaning ‘golden-haired’, or just ‘gold’. It’s also said that Xanthos was used as an alternate name for the god Apollo. (I find it ironic that the leader of a group of people named for the seven deadly sins has a name meaning ‘protector of god’)

#khr #katekyo hitman reborn #katekyou hitman reborn #(yeah i still dont know which one of those is right) #khr headcanon #Headcanon #varia #071021

[fyeahhozier]

The Irishman is deeper and darker than he's maybe been given credit for... but the geniality and swoon factor remain high.

Variety: Hozier Proves He’s a Career Artist in Gratifying Greek Show

At Hozier’s sold-out show at L.A.’s Greek Friday night, one of the first things you couldn’t help noticing on stage —because it’s still an anomaly — was that his eight-piece lineup was half-male, half-female. Knowing his penchant for socially conscious songs, his decrial of “the anthems of rape culture” in his lyrics, and a general female-friendliness to his appeal, it’s easy to figure this gender parity is a conscious one and think: That is soooo Hozier. Which it is … and so effective, too, like just about every choice he’s made so far in his short, charmed career. On the most practical level, if you can bring in that much female harmony while also getting ace players in the bargain, why wouldn’t you? But it also makes for a good visual emblem of some of the other dual energies Hozier is playing with in his music: darkness and enlightenment; romantic hero and cad; raw blues dude and slick pop hero. He’s got a lot more going on than just being an earnest do-gooder. (Although he does do good, earnestly.)

During Friday’s hour-and-three-quarters set, Hozier focused largely on material from this year’s sophomore album, “Wasteland, Baby!,” which sounded good enough on record but almost uniformly improved in the live experience. Sometimes the upgrade came from making full use of the multi-instrumentalists on hand. The first album’s “Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene” now had Hozier on guitar facing off against violinist Emily Kohavi, trading solos — and if it’s hard to hear an electric guitar/fiddle duel without automatically thinking “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” it was one of many welcome moments making use of the MVP skills of Kohavi, the newest addition to the band. Other times, the improvements on the album versions just had to do with Hozier allowing himself louder and gutsier guitar tones. He’s a bit like Prince, in that way — someone you’d happily listen to playing a very nasty-sounding six-string all night, although he has so many other stylistic fish to fry, which in this case means a still slightly greater emphasis on acoustic finger-picking.

For somebody who made his name on as forlorn but powerful an anthem as his 2014 breakout smash “Take Me to Church,” and who can milk that melodrama for all it’s worth, Hozier has a lot of other modes he can default to. He treads very lightly into the area of soul with songs like “Almost (Sweet Music),” the lyrics of which consist of either name-checking or alluding to some of the great jazz vocal classics of the 20th century, in an idiom that’s not so much jazzy itself as folk-R&B. You could almost cite it as the subtle kind of Memphis-swing thing Justin Timberlake should aspire to, if the tricky polyrhythm and oddly chopped up meters Hozier adds as wrinkles weren’t so un-replicable. Bringing up Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City” as the night’s sole cover also established that early ‘70s era and sound as an influences he’d like to make perfectly clear. At the other extreme, this son of a blues musician can hard back to those roots so well, in noisy numbers like “Moment’s Silence (Common Tongue)” and the brand new “Jack Boot Jump,” that he could give the Black Keys a run for their money.

“Jack Boot Jump,” which is scheduled to go on an EP of completely fresh material that Hozier said he plans to put out before Christmas, was possibly the highlight of the night, even though — or because — it stripped his excellent band down to just him and longtime drummer Rory Doyle. Having earlier played the current album’s “Nina Cried Power,” which is maybe more of a tribute to other historic protest songs than one of its own, Hozier gave a lengthy introduction to “Jack Boot” indicating that he’s aware of the traps that come with the territory. “I do have some reservations about the words ‘protest song’ and ‘protest music,’” he admitted. “But if you’re familiar with an artist called Woody Guthrie, he wrote the evergreen anthem ‘Tear the Fascists’ down. I was kind of looking into songs in that sort of tradition, that singing out, and I was worried that this is 2019; it’s a very unsubtle way to approach songwriting.” But, he added, “it was a funny few weeks, with 70 people shot in Hong Kong and arrests obviously in Moscow; Chile now at the moment also. And I was thinking, forget about subtle art — what is not subtle is this murder of protesters, and what is not subtle is the jack boot coming down in Orwell’s picture of the future: ‘If you want to imagine the future, imagine a jack boot stomping on a human face forever,’ that chilling quote from ‘1984.’ Anyway, I was just thinking, yeah, f— it, it’s not subtle, but let’s do it.” His electric guitar proceeded to be a machine that kills fascists, and also just slayed as maybe the most rock ‘n’ roll thing he’s written. (Evidence of the new song on the web is scant, or should be, anyway, since he begged the audience “in good faith” not to film it.)

If there’s a knock people have on Hozier, it tends to be the sincerity thing. He’s a nice guy who’s finishing first, which doesn’t necessarily help him become an indie-rock darling or Pitchfork favorite. (Predictably, “Wasteland, Baby!” got a 4.8 rating there — that’s out of 10, not 5.) At the Greek, there was an almost wholesome feeling that would’ve been an immediate turnoff to anyone who insists on having their rock rough, starting with his graciousness in repeatedly naming the band members and repeatedly thanking his opening act (Madison Ryann Ward, a fetchingly husky-voiced Oklahoman filling in on this part of the tour for a laryngitis-stricken Freya Ridings). That extended to a sense of uplift in many of the songs that doesn’t always match the themes of the material. But then, there was the impossible good cheer and attractiveness of the young players, to match Hozier’s own; this is a group where everyone looks as if they could be in Taylor Swift’s band or actually looks like Taylor Swift. The swoon factor in Hozier’s appeal is undeniably high, and it’s safe to say no one left Griffith Park less smitten.

But ladies (and gentlemen), do be aware that Hozier has some dark-side moments that can almost make Leonard Cohen look like Stephen Bishop. The only time he really overtly accentuated that in concert was in introducing and playing the new album’s “No Plan,” a love song that is also an amiable statement of atheism in which Hozier reminds his beloved that the universe is going to collapse upon itself someday. This may be rather like the gambit in which the ‘50s boy gets the girl to make out with him in a fallout shelter, but in any case, Hozier didn’t stint on the end-of-all-things aspect of it, even putting up on screen behind the band a statement from astrophysicist Dr. Katie Mack pointing out humankind’s and the galaxy’s ultimate fate. (“Honestly I never really imagined I’d end up being name-checked in a song for talking about how the universe is eventually going to fade out and die so this is all very exciting for me,” Mack tweeted in replay earlier in the year.) Suffice it to say that with that soulful a vintage ‘70s groove and that fuzz-tastic a guitar line, many babies will be conceived to the tune of “No Plan,” whether it foresees generational lines ending in a godless black hole or not.

Other Hozier songs reveal darker gets more estimable the more you dig into it. With its bird talk, “Shrike” sounds sweet enough, till you realize that a shrike is a kind of bird that impales its prey on thorns, which does add a rather bloody metaphoric undertone to what sounds like a reasonably pacifist breakup song. “Dinner & Diatribes,” meanwhile, is just deeply horny, not thorny. The most brooding song of the set, “Talk,” has verses where Hozier sings in lofty, literary terms about the romantic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, only to reveal in the chorus that he’s talking to this woman in such high-minded terms because he just wants to charm her into the sack. As a piece of writing, it’s hilarious, establishing a devilish side of Hozier it’s good to hear. As a piece of performance, it’s just sexy.

But as enriching as it is to realize Hozier has a healthy sense of humor in his writing, bad-boy wit is never going to be what you’re going to come away from a Hozier album or show with. The main part of Friday’s concert ended, as expected, with “Take Me to Church,” his outraged take on abuse and homophobia in the scandalized Catholic church — which just happens to be easily taken as a lusty hymn to sexuality. Following that, the large band returned to a stage that had now been decked out in some kind of ivy, as Hozier talked about his love for the late Irish poet Seamus Heaney (whose last words he has tattooed on his arm) and, “since I’ve come this far,” went ahead and recited his poem “Mint,” sharing his hero’s affection for the plant and its “tenacity for life.”

Tenacity is likely to be a buzzword, too, for Hozier, given his leaps and gains as a writer-performer and seeming level head atop his tree-top shoulders. Taller still of voice, musical dexterity and good will — and still just 29 —  he’s somebody the swooners and even some cynics should feel good about settling in with for a very long Irish ride.

[redscharms]

For @jjangmishi​

I’m very glad I didn’t rush with this one because it would’ve turned very differently if I didn’t give myself some time to distance myself from this situation and let my own opinions influence my reading. Thank you for your requests. I hope you enjoy the reading

Red ♥️

• So the very first card was the Two of Swords

• Right away

• A decision to make

• So it seems there’s a chance that he was indeed given that option and he had to choose between the two

• And it wasn’t an easy decision to make

• But it had to be quick

• The Eight of Wands that followed gave me a feeling of urgency, almost as if he was given literally few days or maybe even just one night to think this through

• And the third card that came out was the Eight of Swords (Feeling trapped) and right after that the Queen of Swords (Independence) appeared

• You see, both the first and the third card depict a blindfolded person and the third feels like the continuation of the first one

• Usually I’d say that it means that he had to rely on his intuition but here the feeling that I get is that he had to blindly follow instructions

• The person on the third card is not just blindfolded but also is tied up

• No way of escaping the situation

• In another reading this could signify that a decision should be made no matter how difficult the options are but it’s not like he had to decide between two bad options and choose the lesser evil

• It was a decision made under a lot of pressure and it was not coming just from one place

• It’s both fascinating and terrifying to see the Eight of Swords being present here which literally means being “trapped between a rock and a hard place”

• So perhaps he was never offered to join the group again

• Maybe it was a decision between going solo or leaving the entertainment industry for good

• And truth be told this is what I get from this reading

• That he was never offered his position as a member of MonstaX back

• The card also means that the person is subjected to criticism, feels trapped, ashamed, unable to escape the situation

• By herself the Queen of Words represents unbiased judgment but here she’s surrounded by the Eight of Swords and paired with the cold hearted King of Swords

• So it seems that despite everything Hoseok had to put his feelings aside and make a decision based on what is good for him and his future

• And then there’s the Ten of Swords that symbolize the inevitable and forced termination of something

• After writing yesterday’s post about my own opinion on this situation I now feel like I’m much more calm and when I returned to my reading today (I literally left the cards on the table for the whole night because I felt so unsure) the message I saw was completely different from yesterday’s

• And it came immediately, like a story unraveling right before my eyes

• It felt like I left all my personal judgments yesterday in that long post and could finally approach the reading with a clear head

• Yesterday I was so confused because for some reason I was so convinced that he had to choose between the group and going solo

• But today the first message that I got when I saw the first three cards again was that perhaps that was not the dilemma he was facing

• And the the Queen and King of Swords finally started to make sense

• It was so weird because they did not feel like Hoseok’s general energy

• It was too cold for him

• But now it’s all making much more sense to me

• The King of Swords came with the Chariot and now that I’m not trying to associate this card with the company because it felt so unnatural for Hoseok I see how although it was a difficult decision it was a necessary one

• He had to do what was best for him

• The next card is the Ace of Cups and the feeling I got right away was ‘following your heart’s desires’

• Not giving up on your dream

• And the next card was the Magician

• It’s the first card in the deck and has the number One on it

• Literally starting from the beginning and being alone

• But the Magician has all the tools to create whatever he wants and it has a very positive energy

• It’s a very powerful card

• It’s also a card of manifestation

• One can achieve anything if they put their mind to it

• Then there’s the Judgment

• This card depicts six people raising their hands in a gesture of acceptance and it almost feels like they are accepting whatever news the angel brings them without judgment

• Then Ten of Swords was drawn and it looks like Hoseok is still under a lot of pressure and a lot is expected from him

• The Four of Swords that followed represents a period of silence, rest

• Waiting for something while outside the window there are people living a very vivid, eventful life

• However this card is followed by the Six of Pentacles and the Page of Wands

• It’s a much needed pause and I get a feeling that right now Hoseok is getting a lot of help from his friends and his former bandmates

• He might even get an offer for collaboration from another artist

#tarot reading #k pop reading #monsta x #tarot requests #tarot spread #kpop tarot #monsta x hoseok #wonho #monsta x tarot

[tangerinewrites]

DAY 5: MINA!

11/5/2020 

wc: 1996 

With the start of a new year meant the start of the yearly resolutions. Mina had never believed in assigning those to herself, since she was never good with following through with goals before. A STELLAR example is how instead of trying her best to get the degree for Nursing just so her mother could shut up, she instead gets kicked out of her house for wanting to be a trainee instead. It’s one of her greatest works, if she had to say so herself.

However, this year was different. Having been a trainee for half a year at this point, Mina’s one true goal for the past few months was to prove herself worthy. After all these years in which she felt inadequate and not enough, she would make people think otherwise and prove that she had what it took to debut in HEARTZ with all of her friends. The tenth girl announcement was this coming Wednesday, meaning that she had this month and the next to prove herself if she wanted to debut at all. But after her emotions and a bit of her motivation went down the drain in the last few months, she wasn’t even sure if she even had the chance of doing so.

But to give up so easily was not something Mina was fond of doing now. Though no longer under her roof, her mother taught her how to be persistent. And after essentially dropping out of college, if she were to give up here, she would’ve made all her sacrifices for nothing. She would still have a family who she could depend on guiding her. She could still have somewhat of a guaranteed future, even if she wasn’t satisfied with it. Her mother would probably still love her, too.

But after all of what she’s gone through, she’s proud of the decisions she has made up to this point. So by the time she woke up on the first day of the year 2021, she typed something out on her Notes app.

5 NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS:

Work hard to debut in HEARTZ.

Focus on yourself! NO focusing on people you could think are “competition”

Eat healthy and think healthy

ALWAYS do your best!

Do not give up!

As Mina had expected, Heejin would’ve aced her solo evaluation. With the fact that it was focused solely on vocals, she knew that the girl had got it covered. Mina obviously knew that she herself wouldn’t be able to succeed as much, given the fact that her voice cracked during her song. Heejin had more history with singing, anyways. Sure, the other trainees could’ve gotten it, but Mina was glad to know that the girl got the spot she rightfully deserved.

She listens to Seungkwan and Boyeon explain what would happen for this month, picking up on the fact that this month would, once again, have an elegant-like concept for the group evaluation: “The Fifth Sense” by OH MY GIRL. But, thankfully, she wouldn’t dread the solo evaluation as it was focused more on dancing. FINALLY! An evaluation where she can for sure be confident in, as it focused on her strongest skill rather than on that AND/OR singing!

With the fact that she had already expected not to be chosen this month, she doesn’t feel too disappointed. This time, for sure, she feels confident in herself to be able to do well. After the two were finished with their announcements, Mina immediately goes over to Heejin to congratulate her with a big smile. “I knew you’d get it, Heejin unnie!” she says happily. “You’re the only other talented vocalist I know. At least, that’s apart of this project, that is. Yeji’s also very talented.” Her awkwardness still remains intact to her, but thankfully it isn’t as bad anymore since Heejin and her were more closer now.

The other laughs at her. “Thanks, Mina! I hope that you can be able to debut with us soon, too.”

“I’ll keep on trying to work hard,” Mina responds with a small laugh. And though she doesn’t want to get her hopes up too much, she doesn’t feel as if she’d be ashamed of doing that any way.

“Yoorim, do you think we’d be able to have a chance of debuting together?”

Rather than sitting at the cafeteria table with her brother, Mina offered to take Yoorim out to get something in honor of her birthday. It was funny how Yoorim’s birthday was a month after Mina’s technically, yet she was older than her by 11 months. At least Mina thought that was funny. She doesn’t know if the other would think the same, since she didn’t say thought out loud.

The question is asked when the both of them are waiting to get their drinks at Starbucks and Yoorim looks at her with a confused expression. “What do you mean, Mina?”

Mina shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ve just…” she sighs as she locks her phone for a second to look up at the other. “Recently, I’ve been thinking about whether or not it’s realistic of me to believe that I’d have a chance at debuting with HEARTZ. When being asked to be apart of the project for the first time, I was just glad to be able to train with so many cool girls. But…” she sighs, looking away from her before continuing on. “We’re the only two girls left from the time we joined from the first time. Yoojung left and everyone else became a member. But all the other girls in the project that got added later have also been training for a while.” She pauses before she continues to speak. “Do you think we’ll even have a chance? The both of us with just those two spots leftover?”

Yoorim hesitates as she tries to think of an answer of her own. “Honestly, I don’t even know for sure,” she answers with a light laugh. “I mean, you’re right. Even if we’ve been here for a while and we were in this general building longer than the new girls, they’re also very talented. I’m not even sure if we’ll be able to debut with HEARTZ.”

Mina nods as she looks away. What follows is a few seconds of awkward silence before the smaller says something else. “I bet you’ll get in the final lineup.”

"Huh? How come?”

“You’re really good at dancing and also good with singing,” she answers with a confident nod. “Not to mention, if they didn’t let you, a gorgeous tall goddess, be apart of the lineup, I’d personally riot.”

Yoorim laughs at her response as she shakes her head. “But you have a chance at it too, Mina,” she adds on “You’re very cute, but you’re also a really good dancer and rapper. Not to mention, you’re pretty goofy. I’m sure the industry would keep their eye on you because of how funny you are.”

Mina snorts as she thinks about that reality. “Western fans, maybe. I feel like the netizens wouldn’t focus on me too much.”

“Well, Sphere would be missing out if they didn’t let you become an idol,” she says before she playfully shoves at Mina. She shoves the other girl back and they both laugh about it for a bit.

“ORDER FOR MINA! ORDER FOR MINA!” the barista yells, getting the pair’s attention immediately.

“I’ll get them,” she says to Yoorim. But before she can go on her way to get the drinks, she looks back at the other and smiles. “And same goes to you.”

After the November evaluation, Mina had hoped that she had improved with perfecting the elegant concept. Compared to “Dreams Come True”, the choreography of “The Fifth Sense” looked much easier and simpler. Perhaps it is because of the fact that since their solo evaluation would be focused more on dancing, they chose a song that was more focused on vocals instead. With that, Mina can’t complain with the fact that she doesn’t get as much lines this time around.

It is a pretty song to perform, though. Mina definitely couldn’t lie about that. If anything, the entire song magical and she felt that way about “Dreams Come True” as well. Was it because of the fact that both of them sounded like anime openings? Perhaps. Or maybe it was because she was amazed at how the girls looked so effortlessly beautiful when performing those songs. And rather than feeling jealous or wanting to be like them, all she could do was feel her heart flutter.

She keeps that in mind when practicing for the songs. After all the analyzations from those performers, as well as the other girls who seemed to be confident with this evaluation, she was ready to perform the song for evaluation. Wanting to really improve herself this year, especially with how she felt the last two months, she tried her best when performing this in front of the judges. She used her vocals to the best of her ability whenever she did have her lines, feeling more confident with her singing as she does so. With the fact that the choreography was not as difficult as the past evaluations, she does her best to show her charisma as well as making her moves appropriately sharp.

As a result, though she was unsure of how she was going to perform this song, she grew to be confident in her performance in the end. And, as a result, made herself proud once the group evaluation was over.

In contrast to her group evaluation, she wanted to challenge herself with her solo evaluation song. With the fact that it was strictly dancing, she decided to back to her roots and cover a difficult KPOP dance. Having been inactive on her YouTube channel for months, she felt it’d be appropriate to do something similar to her “hobby” back before she became a trainee.

Back then, she did not have to focus on singing. All she had to do was just focus on learning the dance and making sure it was perfect. Sure, Mina could have covered an English song to dance to. There was plenty of 1Million videos that she could learn the choreography for. She’s even thought about doing some in the past. But after performing to a TXT song for her solo evaluation, what was the harm in doing a different song from them for another evaluation?

With “Fairy of Shampoo” being an easy choreography, Mina decided to do a song from them that focused on BIG movements and high energy. Not only was “New Rules” a challenging song to dance to, but it was also a song that exuded confidence. If anything, it was a song that, if she still lived under her mother’s roof, she’d consider it her anthem. It was the perfect song for a rebel who wanted to break the rules and live by their own. With how Mina got herself here after being trapped in an environment she felt horrible in, it felt appropriate to have her be able to perform this song with so much enthusiasm.

With the fact she was busy with her schedule and improving on her vocals for “The Fifth Sense”, she tried her best when it came to rehearsing for this dance. There were some movements she found tiring (specifically the first pre-chorus). She was sure that if she had to sing to this as well, she’d probably run out of breath with how high energy this song was. So she was lucky that she decided to just lipsync to it instead.

When the song comes to an end, she finds herself sweating and panting. After a few seconds of letting her performance sit with the coaches, she bows to the judges with a smile and leaves the practice room. Thankfully, after the letdown that happened last month, she was able to get herself back on her feet again.

#( * MTM:U - MINA ) #( * NANO! ) #( * THE GIRL ON FIRE )

[midnightluck]

Ok so I stumbled upon your blog a few weeks back, and I have to say I love love love your ASL essays. It’s just that your points are all well thought out. I just wanna ask, (or discuss?): Do you think what happened at Marineford could have been changed if Sabo had been there? Obviously this is given that somehow he didn’t lose his memories or regained his memories beforehand, because being honest, the way he recovered is kinda iffy?

Oh boy, I’m glad you like essays because this one’s gonna be long, haha.

The short answer is yes, but how? And the answer to that is it depends, but we’ll get into that in a sec because first we have to talk about amnesia.

Because, as I’ve said before, I was really kinda eh on the whole thing myself. Then Sableu pointed out that there’s a better canon reason, and that makes me happier, tbh.

But here’s the thing: why? Because the more I think about it (and I have been thinking about it, because Reasons) the more I wonder why amnesia was a plot necessity in the first place. We know the boys don’t really keep in touch, and Sabo did leave them a note saying he was going on ahead. He doesn’t know they think he’s dead, and why would he think about it? He wouldn’t risk going back to Dawn Island, but once Ace set sail he could follow the bounties and indulge in as much brotherly stalking as he liked.

Cause it’s not like it’d be hard to justify them never meeting; he’s got a job where he could easily go far away and out of touch at a moment’s notice for indefinite periods of time. He always means to get out that way to visit, maybe for next New Year, but he gets back from a mission and Ace is dead. Keep in mind, from capture to kill, Marineford was probably only two months or so, and the Marines are sitting on that knowledge hard. Even if we assume the fastest, where Garp calls Dragon directly, (which again, why? because Garp probably doesn’t know Sabo’s working with him) there’s travel time and all sorts of handwavy reasons Sabo could either show up just a bit too late or not even know until it was all over.

I’m not saying amnesia doesn’t cover all that too, because of course it does. And then we get Sabo inheriting Ace’s will through spiritual succession (?) and possibly haunting (???) and I love that, truly I do. I’m just saying, as a writer who’s been putting serious time into figuring out how to do an au where Sabo remembers and Ace doesn’t, that it’s really not that much a stretch to avoid it altogether.

So, after that tangent, let me finally get to your question. Would Sabo showing up at Marineford change things? and how?

I mentioned it would depend, and it does. There’s a lot of moving parts in this, so let’s break it down a bit.

When does Sabo find out?

How much time does he have? That will affect how much planning he does, what help he sources, and where/how his interference will happen.

A short amount of time is going to lead to a flat-out sprint across the ocean to get to Marineford in time, whereas a month’s head’s-up could allow for a stealth raid on Impel Down

Sabo will take every advantage he can get in a case like this, so given enough notice, he could feasibly show up with a literal Army

How does he find out/where is he when he hears?

This goes back to time. If he’s halfway across the world and has to run for it, planning on the fly, then he’ll have a solid plan but no resources

If he’s at base when he hears, then he has a massive amount of resources and potential allies

Can he pull any strings at his destination to have things waiting or set up there? Will it be an operation big enough to need a base? Where? Does he have time for this?

How does his amnesia affect this?

If he has to take the time to recover from it, can he afford it?

Is he somewhere safe enough to deal with it?

Given the circumstances, can he keep himself awake and work through the pain until there’s time?

How tf does convenient plot amnesia even work idk

So, as you can see, it depends, haha. But let’s get into some possible options for Sabo:

Impel Down

The Hard Team Option

Pros: No one’s expecting it. It’s supposedly impossible. The RA probably has the most comprehensive floor plan they could make, and likely black den-den mushi as well. Rumor is Ivankov’s in there somewhere, so potential help (oh, I have Thoughts out Ivankov in Impel Down, but that’s for another time). Potential for a large amount of allies, if sprung from cells. Potential for a massive distraction and huge blow against the Marines.

Cons: It’s Impel Down. The place is huge and hostile and nasty, and he wouldn’t know where Ace was until he got in. Everyone’s against him, even the prisoners, and he’d be walking mostly blind into a death trap, securing an exit route the whole way and with no guarantee that Ace is in any shape to walk out under his own power.

Would require: foreknowledge that Ace was there and as much on Impel Down as possible, infiltration tools, stealth tools, preferably a small group, an escape craft, luck.

Transition

The Solo Stealth Option

Pros: Best timing. Least security; no backup available. Stealth option available, and could be done solo. No need to worry about Ace’s condition, because with the seastone off he could set the whole boat on fire, making escape super easy.

Cons: Requires exact timing and knowing when the ship is going to leave and what path it will take. No backup available. The current there puts the ship on rails, so unless you disappeared the whole ship, when it reaches Marineford people will notice.

Would require: A way on to the ship, or a separate ship capable of surviving those currents. Foreknowledge of the ship’s schedule. Improvisation.

Pre-Marineford

The Infiltration Option

Pros: Mass chaos. Lots of Marines doing something out of routine means a loud mess, allowing for infiltration. While moving Ace from the ship to the execution dock, he’s in the open and not chained to anything. No one is expecting it.

Cons: Everyone’s on high alert. You’re running out of time; if you mess up here, there’s no more chances. It’s Marineford; there’s Marines for days. Even those not charged with guarding Ace will be watching him. Easy entry, hard exit.

Would require: Probably a Marine uniform. No visible weaponry. Balls of steel. An escape craft.

Marineford Proper

The Last Resort

Pros: No sneaking.

Cons: Actually declaring war on the Marines while standing directly in front of them.

Would require: As many allies as possible. Desperation.

Well, there’s just what I came up with offhand, anyway. There’s a lot of possibilities, and I’m no strategist, so hit me up with your ideas, too!

Going on the above, the ideal plan would be at least three of four, and probably go something like this:

Hang out around Impel Down until Ace is loaded onto the ship that takes him to Marineford.

Secretly board said ship, either in Marine uniform or by attaching a smaller craft onto the hull somehow.

The former leaves no traces for paranoid guards to stumble over, but the latter guarantees an escape route.

Case the ship quickly. Locate escape routes and dinghys.

Get to Ace, stealth preferred. Get him out of the chains and the seastone.

Get out.

Preferably through the nearest floor or wall instead of going back up. No guards, and cripple pursuit.

If Ace is in really bad shape and can’t risk the water, try sneaking, and when that fails, fight.

Ace is there, so it’ll be fine

Escape

Check for escape craft, but plan for if it’s not there anymore/wasn’t ever there, go for the lifeboats

Have a crew/escape craft standing by some distance away, and make for that, swimming if necessary.

Get Ace to sink the Marine ship

He’d probably be glad to

Contingency 1:

Meanwhile have Koala/whomever wearing Marine uniforms blending in at Marineford

Try to sneak him out during handover

Contingency 2:

During above, try to get at least one plant on the platform with Ace/in Ace’s guard platoon, preferably the guard is made up entirely of plants for the next step, which is

Contingency 3:

Meet up with Whitebeard, because of course he’ll be there.

Scream defiance in the face of the Marines

Rescue Ace

Contingency 4:

Improvise

So, to make a very long answer very short, Sabo would do his damnedest to not let it actually get to Marineford in the first place. But if it did, that’s when logic can go hang because now not only is Ace on the line, so is Luffy. So Sabo’s gonna charge in, pipe swinging, and back Luffy up the whole way.

So you can have a turnabout, where all the guards on the platform are actually RA members. You can have a big battle where the odds are more even. You can have a sneaky circumvention of everything, and it will never ever come close to what it was. But if it does come down to that moment, then it probably plays out the same.

Because Sabo attacks, and Ace defends. Put in that situation, Sabo will go after Akainu and Ace will go to Luffy. So if Sabo is with Ace and they both see him go after Luffy at the same time, then there’s two ways it can go. Sabo attacks from the side, or from the front.

From the side, it plays out the same. From the front, though, where he gets between Ace and Akainu, well, there’s where it can differ. Does he take some of the heat, so they share the attack and are both injured but neither dies? Or is Sabo far enough forward to take the entire attack and die instead, for real this time? Or is the lava hot enough that it can cut through the pipe and Sabo and keep going?

So those are some possibilities for Marineford. Maybe Sabo comes in enough time to make a difference. Maybe he’s there and doesn’t anyway. Honestly, there’s enough going on in the whole arc that you can finesse it pretty much any way that suits a story.

But for me, Marineford will always hurt, and it’s not even only because of Ace. Because when you look at that scene, the one of Ace and Luffy fighting together, you can almost see it, can’t you? The way they don’t stand quite back to back but rather shoulder to shoulder, the way they move in sync but sometimes there’s a beat where they seem to be waiting, the way they fight together but independently.

There’s a brother-shaped hole in their formation where Sabo should be, and it hurts my heart every single time.

#Marineford #one piece #ml rambles #sabo the revolutionary #i need a better asks tag #ryuuzizii

[youre-a-percy]

After a particularly nasty squabble between the guys and girls of the Ares cabin, (which resulted in two girls with broken ankles and one boy with a drachma stuck in his wind pipe), Chiron knew he couldn't let capture the flag that night be co-ed, because someone would probably die. "Campers!" Chiron roared over the excited babble during the evening meal. "As you know, we are playing capture the flag tonight." A few of the Ares boys raised a choice finger to the Athena boys. "However, in light of recent events, Mr. D and I have decided that tonight's game will have different teams." Mr. D snorted, as if he didn't approve of this decision. "Tonight's game will be girls versus boys." Chiron announced. The amphitheater erupted in shouting, cursing, and screaming. "The games start in one hour!" He added, and galloped out of the dining hall. The girls took the campfire pit to strategize. "Alright ladies, we need a game plan." Said Katie Gardner, as if this weren't obvious. "Is smashing them to bits a game plan?" One young Ares girl piped up. She was quickly hushed by her senior counselor. "We're going to need a very flexible, very Greek, and very sneaky plan." Annabeth instructed. "Why specifically Greek?" A girl from the Apollo cabin asked, her bow lain across her lap. She fiddled with her bowstring. "There are two former Roman Praetors on the boys' side. They're going to have excellent battle tactics," Piper explained, eyeing the Hermes girls warily. They tended to stray from plans at their desire for practical jokes. "So we're going to need to infiltrate their ranks. Apollo cabin, you are going to need to shoot low. A lot of Roman strategies involve locked shields, but their feet might be exposed." Annabeth then turned to the Aphrodite cabin. "Flirting isn't going to work if they're in a formation. Can you ladies scout?" Drew Tanaka nodded her head dryly. "Just let me change my clothes." She walked back to her cabin with a few of her sisters. Piper stayed put. Annabeth designated a few other tasks, until only the Hephaestus girls were left. "What should we do, boss?" One asked. Annabeth looked puzzled. "Trip them," Piper said. "Set up some traps that will sit low to the ground and trip them. If they come in the formation I think they're going to, it should buy the Hermes and Athena girls enough time to slip behind the line and find their flag." The two Hephaestus girls high-fived each other and went running to their cabin. "We're going to gloat for the rest of the summer about defeating the boys, aren't we?" Asked Piper quietly. Annabeth grinned slyly. "We'll see if we still have boyfriends after this." The horn blew; the game had begun. The Hephaestus girls ran towards the river, carrying about 50 feet of wire, a package of 9 volt batteries, and a rubber chicken. Katie Gardner followed them with three packages of chia seeds and a package of red Solo cups. The Apollo girls laid themselves in the bushes, and some of the Aphrodite girls helped them apply makeup that allowed them to blend in better. The plan was in place. About 20 minutes in, there was no sign of the guys. Annabeth was starting to worry about her assumption. At that moment, Drew came sprinting back in with a girl from the Hermes cabin, panting and hardly able to stand up. With a shock, Annabeth realized they were laughing! "What did you guys find?" Piper demanded, a glimmer of anger in her eyes. Drew explained between breaths, "the guys haven't even moved from their starting spot because Percy and Jason can't figure out who should lead the group." Annabeth and Piper made eye contact. "Oh, this is going to be good." Piper said. The two of them sat crouched behind a large patch of rocks, their daggers drawn. They heard shouting. "I was a Praetor before you were!" Jason yelled. "Well I was a Praetor most recently!" Percy retorted. "You're not even Roman!" "Neither are you!" Annabeth grinned at Piper. "You ready?" Piper had been born ready for this. She climbed over the rock, and pretended to have an injured ankle. Her limp was fairly convincing, but she hadn't opened her mouth yet. "LOOK! There's Piper!" A son of Apollo yelled, raising his bow and leveling it at Piper's chest. A split second before he could fire, Jason and Percy yelled in unison, "Hold your fire!" Piper collapsed. Both boys came rushing towards her. "Pipes, are you okay?" Jason asked softly, anger strangling his voice. "One of the boys snuck away and pushed me into an entrance to the Myrkmes lair - I think I broke my ankle again." She responded. "Yikes, Pipes, that blows, but uh... We're kinda supposed to try and win this?" Percy added. Jason nodded in agreement. "At least help me get back to my side," Piper whimpered. Her charmspeak poured over the boys, and their eyes started to glaze over. "C'mon, Jase, that's your girlfriend. Let's get her back," Percy said dreamily. Jason nodded in agreement again. "Remember the turtle shape we talked about?" Jason addressed his ranks. A few nodded their heads. "Let's go." The boys awkwardly shuffled into the block and interlocked their shields. "Agate!" Jason yelled, and then remembered that this group did not speak Latin. He looked at Percy for assistance. "Uh, go forward?" He guessed, and the boys started shouting and pushing forward. Piper walked with one arm around Percy, the other around Jason for support. The boys picked up speed, and the Roman formation advanced. Now was Annaneth's chance. She glanced at the two girls from Apollo and the two from Hermes. With a single nod of her head, all five split off to find the flag. It was eventually Kayla, one of the Apollo girls who found the flag, but now they had to get back to their base without getting attacked by the male death turtle. However, Piper made this easy. As the death turtle neared the trap that the Hephaestus girls had set, Percy said "huh. That seems out of place," in reference to the batch of chia plants in the middle of the walkway. "It's okay, it's supposed to be there," Piper responded, and that was enough for the boys. At that moment, the Apollo girls fired. Many of the shields were pierced, but the death turtle held. "RUN!" Jason yelled, and the boys disbanded and ran straight across the trap. Jason tripped first, and fell square on his nose, cartilage popping so loud the Apollo girls cringed. Next fell Percy, who ended up on top of Jason. When the boy behind them fell, Jason and Percy were sent rolling down the hill in front of them, Jason clinging to Percy until they hit a tree. Both boys fell unconscious, but there was more to worry about. The death turtle held, and the girls could not get an upper hand in the battle. The Apollo boys in the middle started to fire, and they started picking off the female archers one by one. Just when it looked like all the girls would be done for, a screech echoed from behind the turtle. All five of the scout girls came sprinting towards the river, and with a graceful leap, Kayla ran lightly across the top of the boys shields and landed on the girls side, flag in hand. The girls had won. After the game, Jason and Percy still groggy and unable to understand what had happened. Jason's nose looked like Zeus's lightning bolts and his blood had soaked the back of Percy's head. "How did you know we were going to use that formation?" Jason asked, an ice pack held to his face. He had a small piece of ambrosia in his other hand. "Lucky guess?" Piper giggled, and kissed the top of his head. "I didn't know how easily my charmspeak got to you." "To be fair, I find you incredible attractive, so I'm more inclined to believe what you say." Jason mumbled. Percy grinned and said "I'm glad you feel that way about me!" Jason rolled his eyes. "Hey, Percy?" Annabeth said. "Your hair is a little bloody." "And he's not allowed to wash it!" Will Solace added, as he walked by and handed Jason a new towel to press still his face. "Even with nectar, two broken wrists are gonna take time to heal." "You broke your wrists?" Annabeth exclaimed, looking at Percy's Ace bandaged hands. "His fault," Percy mumbled, and looked at Jason. Jason groaned. "Your fault you pushed me down a hill. I only landed on your wrists." "How about I wash your hair out?" Annabeth asked. "Really? Even after destroying us in capture the flag?" He asked, eyes wide. "Anything for you, Seaweed Brain."

#wow that was long #pjo #hoo #percabeth #jasiper

[ds4design]

Lando Calrissian Ponders a Very Important Baby Gift in This Excerpt From Star Wars Aftermath: Empire's End

One of the most significant events between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens is the birth of Han and Leia’s son Ben. In this exclusive excerpt from Empire’s End, the final installment in Chuck Wendig’s Star Wars: Aftermath trilogy, it turns out Lando’s been a bit too busy to pay much attention to his old friends or their babies.

The Aftermath novels have been chronicling the continued fall of the Empire and rise of the New Republic following the Emperor’s death. While they primarily follow a small group of rebels who hunt for missing Imperial officers (and occasionally Han Solo, when he goes missing), each book checks in with characters all over the galaxy; in Empire’s End, due out February 21, that includes Lando. In this excerpt, he recollects how he took back Cloud City, but also has the best idea for a baby gift in any galaxy.

First, here’s the official synopsis of the book:

EVERY END IS A NEW BEGINNING.

As the final showdown between the New Republic and the Empire draws near, all eyes turn to a once-isolated planet: Jakku.

The Battle of Endor shattered the Empire, scattering its remaining forces across the galaxy. But the months following the Rebellion’s victory have not been easy. The fledgling New Republic has suffered a devastating attack from the Imperial remnant, forcing the new democracy to escalate their hunt for the hidden enemy.

For her role in the deadly ambush, Grand Admiral Rae Sloane is the most wanted Imperial war criminal—and one-time rebel pilot Norra Wexley, back in service at Leia’s urgent request, is leading the hunt. But more than just loyalty to the New Republic drives Norra forward: Her husband was turned into a murderous pawn in Sloane’s assassination plot, and now she wants vengeance as much as justice.

But Sloane, too, is on a furious quest: pursuing the treacherous Gallius Rax to the barren planet Jakku. As the true mastermind behind the Empire’s devastating attack, Rax has led the Empire to its defining moment. The cunning strategist has gathered the powerful remnants of the Empire’s war machine, preparing to execute the late Emperor Palpatine’s final plan. As the Imperial fleet orbits Jakku, an armada of Republic fighters closes in to finish what began at Endor. Norra and her crew soar into the heart of an apocalyptic clash that will leave land and sky alike scorched. And the future of the galaxy will finally be decided.

And here’s the excerpt. We hope Lando actually got baby Ben the gift. Or maybe that’s what turned him to the Dark Side?

“Lobot, we’re home.” Lando lifts a dubious eyebrow as he looks around, exasperated. “Guess the Empire didn’t keep up with house­keeping.”

This is the Casino level. Game machines line the smooth blue alac­tite floors far as the eye can see. Sabacc tables, too. And pazaak. And jubilee wheels. Along the far wall are banks of holoprojectors meant to show the latest swoop race down on the track-tubes piped through Bespin’s toxic Red Zone atmosphere. Once, this was a shining pillar of gambling excess: classy and bright with light coming in through win­dows looking out over the sun-kissed clouds. Now it’s wrecked. Trash drifts and tumbles. Machines have been turned over, their credits cut from inside like food from a beast’s belly. The windows are covered over with metal. The holoprojectors are dark. Lobot steps up alongside Lando. The computer forming a half-moon around the back of the man’s bald head blinks and pulses, and at Lando’s wrist is a communication from his friend and cohort:

I’ll look into rehiring staff immediately.

“Do that,” Lando says. Then he thrusts up a finger. “Ah. But make sure we’re hiring some refugees, will you?” The galaxy’s like a cup that’s been knocked over, and now everything’s spilling out. Whole worlds have been displaced by the war. Lando can’t let Cloud City turn from being a city of luxury to being a tent city of expats and evacuees, but he can damn sure give those people jobs. That’s his fa­vorite kind of arrangement: the kind where everybody gets something for their trouble. They win. He wins. The ideal for how everything should work.

Cloud City was always that, for Calrissian. It was a respite—a ref­uge from the Empire while at the same time not existing to spite the Empire, either. He thought, Hey, everybody can be happy, baby. The Empire didn’t have to care. The rebels didn’t need to care. Cloud City could hang in the air above Bespin, separate from all the chaos, from all the strife. Come here, taste a little luxury. Meanwhile, he could mine the Tibanna gas, sell it to whatever starship manufacturer wanted it (the stuff was perfect for making hyperdrives, because with Tibanna, a little went a long way). Meanwhile, Lando could sit back, have a drink, roll some dice, find a lady or three.

Yeah. It didn’t work out that way.

He knows now: In a war like this one, you don’t get to be in the middle. You can’t play both sides. He’d lived his whole life shooting right down the middle, never taking up a cause except the one meant to support his own empty pockets. Those days are over and so is his love of sweet neutrality. When Vader came here, everything changed. He lost Han, for a time. He lost Lobot and Cloud City. He lost nearly everything.

But he gained a little perspective.

And he picked a damn side. Because sometimes, you want to win, you gotta bet big. You gotta put your stack of chits in one place.

It paid off. The Empire is gone. And now he’s a hero of the Rebel­lion (and oh, you can be sure he used that to con more than his fair share of free drinks, not to mention the attention of beautiful admir­ers). But all he wants is his city back. After Endor, he thought he would just be able to sweep in here like a handsome king retaking his throne in the sky—but then that son-of-a-slug Governor Adelhard formed the Iron Blockade. He kept the people here trapped not only by a well-organized Imperial remnant, but also by a grand lie: that Palpatine was not dead. And Lando knows that old shriveled cenobite is dead—because he’s the one who took out the Death Star’s reactor core. And because Luke said the monster was dead. Can you believe it? Palpatine and Vader. Both gone. Two scourges, scoured from the galaxy.

Suddenly he had a second war to fight. Here he thought the Empire was done for and Cloud City was once again his. What an eager fool. Nothing’s ever that simple, is it? It took months and months. He had to stage an uprising. Had to interface with Lobot on the inside. Had to cash in favors with a handful of scoundrels—like Kars Tal-Korla, that pirate. All because the New Republic wouldn’t commit a military ac­tion to retaking the city. He respects it, he understands it, and Leia put it best when she said, “The Rebellion was easy, Lando. Governing’s harder.” The chancellor was just trying to hold on to whatever advan­tage she had—and then with the Liberation Day attack on Chand­rila . . .

Well. All that is over and done. No need to dwell.

Cloud City is his once again. Lando starved out Adelhard. Most of the Imperials surrendered. It’s over. Thank the lucky stars.

He steps forward into the Casino level, and he and Lobot aren’t alone. He’s got a ragtag force with him: some of his Wing Guard secu­rity forces, but some New Republic soldiers, too. It’s just enough to perform cleanup on those who linger behind, clinging to the illusion they can still win this thing.

Together they march forward through the wreckage of the Casino level. He asks Lobot: “The holdouts are ahead?”

Yes. In the Bolo Tanga room.

“Fine, fine, let’s get this over with and evict our final tenants.”

As they walk, Lobot looks over at him as a new communication flashes across his wrist: I am told to remind you that the princess will soon give birth and you have not yet procured for them the standard natal gift.

“What? That’s impossible. She was just—I swear they just got married—didn’t I just get them a nuptial gift?”

It has been the proper biological time. You just do not realize how much time has passed. We have been busy.

“So have they, I guess.”

Also, you never got them a nuptial gift.

He sighs. “Okay, okay. Buying gifts for a kid. Can we get him a cute little cape and a mustache so he looks like old Uncle Lando?”

Lobot doesn’t respond, offering only a humorless stare.

“Fine, fine, I’ll think about it.” His mind drifts briefly to Han and Leia. Han, one of his oldest and greatest friends. And sure, one of his greatest rivals, too. He misses that old reprobate. The crazy times they had!

Good times even when they were bad. And now, Han is with Leia. Hoo, boy. Those two are a pair of rocket boosters firing full-bore. Lando just hopes those two engines are both firing in the same direction—because if they’re ever pointed at each other, they’ll burn each other up.

We’re here.

That, from Lobot. Ahead waits the door to the Bolo Tanga room. Lando can see it’s been sealed with mag-alloy. He turns to Captain Gladstone of the Wing Guard. “We got imaging?”

Gladstone nods. “They’re holed up in there. They’ve broken through to the beam outtake shaft, which in theory would lead them to the engineering sublayer—”

“But the fumes coming up through the shaft will kill them if they try.”

“That’s exactly it, Baron Administrator.”

“So they’re trapped.”

“Like crete-bugs in a beetle-bag.”

“All right, let’s open it up.”

From the book STAR WARS: AFTERMATH: EMPIRE’S END by Chuck Wendig. Copyright © 2017 by Lucasfilm Ltd. Reprinted by arrangement with Del Rey Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

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[talkingsong]

Playing Cards - My Secret Tarot Weapon + Card Meanings!

A lot of psychics tend to stick to only doing their readings with a simple deck of tarot cards. Some like using oracle decks to help them decipher the meanings of the readings too. Both of these methods of reading can be equally valid and accurate ways to get the message- but here’s something you might not have considered before. What if you used playing cards instead? 

Why use playing cards? The fuck?

I tend to use playing cards in the majority of my readings, and I find them extremely helpful and beneficial to helping make my tarot readings more accurate. The reason why they work for me is because usually with tarot and other oracle decks your main guidance throughout interpreting the meanings of the cards is your own intuition, getting messages using symbols and colors in the cards to help you. This can make the tarot meanings almost fluid and flexible, able to be applied to any situation- which is a good thing! However, playing cards aren’t usually as symbolic. With playing cards, their meanings are typically pretty clean-cut and specific, which can help guide your intuition on the right path. For me, it can help me understand more where the person’s energy is going to take them. Another way to explain it is this- say you pull the strength card in a reading. If you don’t know, the strength card in traditional tarot depicts a gentle woman holding a lion by the jaws, with flowers blooming in a crown around her head, and in most situations, this can symbolize taking control over your problems and finding strength in being non-violent (keep in mind there are multiple interpretations, so this is just an example.) If I pull the six of spades after that, then it can help me clarify that in this situation the strength card could represent getting out a bad situation, most likely a relationship, and having the strength internally to move on with your life, if that makes sense.  

Okay... How the hell do you use them, then?

Usually, it can help to do your own research on what the cards mean and their general interpretations, since we’ve already established that playing cards are way more literal than symbolic. When using playing cards, like any oracle or tarot decks, make sure to state your intentions before using them, and to cleanse their energy. Make sure to not use them for anything other than tarot readings. It can help to buy a whole new deck of cards so that this intention can be made very clear. Other than that, when using them, shuffle how you usually shuffle and keep your mind open to any messages you receive! 

Here’s something else to keep in mind- like in tarot, each suit has its meanings. Hearts represent emotions and relationships. Spades represent thinking and communication. Diamonds represent practical and material aspects of life. Clubs represent action or goals being met along with creativity. 

What the fuck are the card meanings in the first place?

Here’s a handy lil’ chart I made just for you- each card can have 2 or 3 literal interpretations depending, so apply what makes sense to you for your reading!

King Of Hearts - Represents being patient and able to see through others. Could represent having a strong protection and dedication over loved ones. Can represent being afraid of being manipulated.

Queen of Hearts - Represents coming across oblivious. Happy, Intelligent, Underestimated. Could represent taking things slow and loving the little things in life.

Jack of Hearts - Represents being the third wheel, being lonely and emotional. Could represent giving too much and not getting the same back.

Ace of Hearts -  Represents being hopeful, young, new, shy, and innocent. Represents new friendships and romances along with new oppertunities. Could also represent a fresh new start in terms of mindsets and emotions. 

Two of Hearts - Duality, balance of emotions, prosperity. Could also represent deepening of attractions.

Three of Hearts - Joy in company, friendships, celebrations.

Four of Hearts - Represents an established group or family. Stability of emotions. In some cases can represent a disapearence of some kind. 

Five of Hearts - Can represent being fiery, passionate, impulsive. Could represent a loss of some kind. In some cases can represent repressed anger or restlessness.

Six of Hearts - Represents childhood, nostalgia, and healing. Could represent the revival of an old relationship. Could represent a relationship with a female member of the family.

Seven of Hearts - Balance, satisfaction in life (or lackthereof). Thinking, daydreaming, brainstorming options and waiting.

Eight of Hearts - Could show either emotional detachment or making a choice (or both). Feeling stuck. Could also represent crowds and gossip.

Nine of Hearts - Shows ultimate independence, following your dreams, going solo. Going against what society says. Sex.

Ten of Hearts - Represents happiness and completion in an emotional stage or cycle in someone’s life. 

King of Spades - Represents determination and doing what you know is right. Making clear cut decisions and being quick and efficient when it comes to communication.

Queen of Spades - Represents being intelligent and aware, introspective and thoughtful. 

Jack of Spades - Represents losing sleep and being a loner. Also represents having spot on intuition and advice. Could also represent existential crises. 

Ace of Spades - Represents being able to see through deception and other people’s intentions. Also represents having new insights and changes in perspective about certain situations and people. 

Two of Spades - Partnership and mutual understanding. 

Three of Spades - Misunderstanding and overall miscommunication. 

Four of Spades - Represents old projects and situations being set in stone and finished. Recovery and contemplation. 

Five of Spades - Hollow victories or dishonor. Could also represent chaos caused by lack of communication. 

Six of Spades - Represents being quick to fall into a relationship. Could also represent travel or moving on. Mentally getting to a better place.

Seven of Spades - Lies or deception. Little things piling up into big things. Situations and things needing to be addressed. 

Eight of Spades - Needing change, things being too normal or set in stone. could also represent the illusion of feeling trapped or powerless. 

Nine of Spades - Doing what you know is right, following your moral compass. Could also represent someone being prompted by feelings of guilt or emptiness. 

Ten of Spades - Noise, a communication between two groups (or lackthereof). Victimization due to society in some way. Things needing to be completed. 

King of Diamonds - Represents being self-made and successful but still being unsatisfied or not confident. 

Queen of Diamonds - Represents feeling judged and alone. Music lover. Could also represent being hard on yourself. 

Jack of Diamonds - Rich, Joyful, Laughter. Represents being generally happy and content but having hidden depths. 

Ace of Diamonds - Represents fantasy or a particular dream or goal that someone has that is coming true. Could also represent moving.

Two of Diamonds - Represents waiting for results or juggling and balancing resources. 

Three of Diamonds - Things being constructed or physically made. Could also represent teamwork and improving skills. 

Four of Diamonds - Finding stability or results. Having something desired - or in some cases being too obsessed with control. 

Five of Diamonds - Loss of jobs or money. Could also represent a scandalous feminine energy (oooo gurl)

Six of Diamonds - Motherhood, parental instinct. Could also represent having to give up something physical for self improvement.

Seven of Diamonds - Mild satisfaction giving way to a turning point. 

Eight of Diamonds - Renewal or revival of something. Paying attention to detail and finding focus. 

Nine of Diamonds - Putting effort into the wrong thing, having to reevaluate something. Making mistakes. 

Ten of Diamonds - Finding a partner, working towards goals with physical resources. Completion. 

King of Clubs - Represents being noble and expreinced, being someone a lot of people look up to. Having interests in multiple different things. 

Queen of Clubs - Represents being proud of yourself, being dedicated (especially to love). Doesn’t rush. Can represent distraction getting in the way of your goals. 

Jack of Clubs - Getting advice from someone older and more expierenced than you. Admitting your own naive nature in a certain subject or aspect of life. Therapy.

Ace of Clubs - Finding new inspiration and creativity. Could also represent honesty and feeling whole. 

Two of Clubs - Being caught between two options or choices, especially considering your own personal future. Could also represent preparation and planning. 

Three of Clubs - Being a strong leader, usually in some sort of creative endeavour. Not being afraid to stand out or to take charge.

Four of Clubs - Not being where you think you are. Confusion. More often then not represents achieving a goal or rest. 

Five of Clubs - Finding the humor in any situation. Being skilled.

Six of Clubs - Represents victory and achievements. Could also represent music, singing, listening, or variety. 

Seven of Clubs - Could represent being uninspired. Defensive. 

Eight of Clubs - Fullfillment, charity. Finding satisfaction where you are or taking action to get to a better place. 

Nine of Clubs - Endurence, facing demons, finding the truth. Serving justice. Overall kicking ass. 

Ten of Clubs - Finding harmony and completion with society. Dream fitting it. Completion. 

Keep in mind that these are just general interpretations - feel free to make your own! 

With that, this post has been way too long and has taken me two hours to write. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions <3 peace. 

#tarot #tarotadvice #divination #playingcards #tarotdecks #psychic #witch