#para: nothing greater than a challenge

[a-biblia-ensina]

Devocional

Protegido pela promessa de Deus

Prof. Raymundo Cortizo Perez, (Th.D.)

Nenhuma arma forjada contra você prevalecerá, e você refutará toda língua que a acusar. Esta é a herança dos servos do Senhor, e esta é a defesa que faço do nome deles", declara o Senhor.

- Isaías 54:17

Nenhuma arma forjada contra você prevalecerá. Que promessa poderosa! Essa palavra em Isaías 54:17 nos lembra que Deus é nosso refúgio e defensor, mesmo diante das batalhas mais difíceis. Ele nos garante que, mesmo que enfrentemos acusações ou ataques, nada poderá nos derrotar se permanecermos firmes n’Ele.

No mundo, somos confrontados por desafios, palavras duras e situações que tentam nos desanimar. Mas Deus diz que essas armas não terão poder sobre nós. Ele não promete que não haverá lutas, mas assegura que a vitória é nossa. Isso é mais que encorajador, é uma declaração de amor e cuidado!

Como servos do Senhor, temos uma herança especial: a proteção de Deus. Ele é quem luta nossas batalhas, quem refuta as mentiras levantadas contra nós e quem nos dá forças para avançar. Não importa quão difícil a situação pareça, lembre-se de que você nunca está sozinho. O Senhor está ao seu lado, garantindo que nada poderá destruí-lo.

Confie nessa promessa. Rejeite o medo e o desânimo. Levante-se todos os dias com a certeza de que o Deus Todo-Poderoso é seu escudo. Quando as dificuldades vierem, declare: “Meu Deus é maior do que qualquer arma contra mim!”

Use esta verdade para fortalecer sua fé e animar aqueles ao seu redor. Seja luz em meio à escuridão, pois você carrega a herança de um Deus que nunca falha.

Hoje, lembre-se: você é mais que vencedor. O Senhor é quem te protege, te justifica e garante que sua vida será um testemunho da glória d’Ele. Confie, caminhe com fé e viva como alguém que sabe que Deus está no controle.

Nenhuma arma forjada contra você prevalecerá

>Confie na proteção de Deus: Lembre-se diariamente que nenhuma arma formada contra você prevalecerá.

> Rejeite as mentiras e acusações: Não permita que palavras contrárias abalem sua identidade em Cristo.

> Declare a vitória em Deus: Proclame com fé que o Senhor é seu defensor em todas as lutas.

Para orar:

Senhor, obrigado por Sua proteção e cuidado. Confio que nenhuma arma formada contra mim prevalecerá. Ajude-me a rejeitar o medo e caminhar em fé. Fortaleça minha confiança em Suas promessas e faça de mim um testemunho do Seu amor. Louvo Seu nome, pois Tu és meu refúgio e defensor. Amém!

No amor de Cristo, Deus seja louvado. Graça e Paz!

---------------------

Devotional

Protected by God's Promise

Prof. Raymundo Cortizo Perez, (Th.D.)

No weapon formed against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is the vindication of their name,” declares the Lord. - Isaiah 54:17 No weapon formed against you will prevail. What a powerful promise! This word in Isaiah 54:17 reminds us that God is our refuge and defender, even in the face of the most difficult battles. He assures us that even if we face accusations or attacks, nothing can defeat us if we remain firm in Him. In the world, we are confronted by challenges, harsh words, and situations that try to discourage us. But God says that these weapons will have no power over us. He does not promise that there will be no struggles, but He assures us that victory is ours. This is more than encouraging; it is a declaration of love and care! As servants of the Lord, we have a special heritage: God’s protection. He is the one who fights our battles, who refutes the lies leveled against us, and who gives us the strength to move forward. No matter how difficult the situation seems, remember that you are never alone. The Lord is at your side, assuring you that nothing can destroy you.

Trust in this promise. Reject fear and discouragement. Rise every day with the certainty that the Almighty God is your shield. When difficulties come, declare: “My God is greater than any weapon against me!”

Use this truth to strengthen your faith and encourage those around you. Be a light in the midst of darkness, for you carry the inheritance of a God who never fails.

Today, remember: you are more than a conqueror. The Lord is the one who protects you, justifies you and ensures that your life will be a testimony to His glory. Trust, walk in faith and live as someone who knows that God is in control.

No weapon formed against you will prevail

>Trust in God’s protection: Remember daily that no weapon formed against you will prevail.

>Reject lies and accusations: Do not allow contrary words to shake your identity in Christ. > Declare victory in God: Proclaim with faith that the Lord is your defender in all battles.

To pray:

Lord, thank you for your protection and care. I trust that no weapon formed against me will prevail. Help me to reject fear and walk in faith. Strengthen my confidence in your promises and make me a witness of your love. I praise your name, for you are my refuge and defender. Amen!

In the love of Christ, praise be to God. Grace and peace!

[chesterguiam]

The first half of 2023 is almost done. A lot of challenges, struggles, and victories are now part of an unforgettable learning experience.

I want to share with you 6 strategies that can help us finish strong for the next second half of the year. Here we go:

1. Positive Outlook: We should naturally have an optimistic mindset, which allows us to focus on the bright side of life and find joy in everyday experiences.

Everything has a different side like a coin. May positive and negative talaga. Always focus on the positives. Sabi nga ni Catriona Gray our Miss World Philippines — we need to see situations with a silver lining.

2. Gratitude: Expressing gratitude for the good things in your life because it can contribute to a sense of happiness. When you appreciate and acknowledge the positive aspects of your life, it can enhance your overall well-being.

Yung coffee break ko sa office na black coffee, super kinaka thankful ko yun haha! Yung spotify app ko na any genre of music ay ma pplay ko base on my mood na aappreciate ko yun. We don’t need to have BIG purchases or incredible achievements to express gratitude kasi even makatulog ka lang sa gabi is a big thing na. Many people had a hard time sleeping at night and it can give a negative impact sa health ng isang individual. So stay grateful.

3. Healthy Relationships: Strong connections and positive relationships with family, friends, and loved ones can contribute to your happiness. Having a support system and feeling loved and supported can bring joy and contentment.

Yes, the world is indeed getting smaller because of the internet. Different social media apps. Pero nothing beats yung small cirle naten. The one who truly cares and understands kung ano o sino ka as a person.

Our families and friends are the true gems. Lalo na if you have a good relationship with them. I strongly believe na we are always wearing a mask and it depends on who we are with. Sure ako pag naging talkative and makulit ka. Yan ang geniune cirle mo. Have a blast.

4. Purpose and Meaning: When you have a sense of purpose or meaning in your life, it can bring a deep sense of fulfillment and happiness. Engaging in activities and pursuing goals that align with your values and passions can contribute to your overall well-being.

This is very important. It’s very subjective din dahil naka depende sa cultural and beliefs ang purpose ng tao. Iba iba din tayo ng upbringing and experiences. Kadalasan ng mga youth eto ang pinag dadaanan. They are looking and finding themselves.

Always stay curios, try as many things as possible. You may also experience some mistakes in life wag lang sobra dahil it may greatly impact you sa future just enough lang para may matutunan ka.

Hinahanap ba to? I don’t know but if it’s your calling. You will not find it but it will FIND you. Just do it.

5. Positive Self-Care Habits: Taking care of yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally can contribute to your happiness. Engaging in regular exercise, practicing self-care activities, and managing stress can boost your mood and overall sense of well-being.

If you like what you are seeing in the mirror, tataas confidence mo. If you want to improve physically it takes time and disciple din. You should also learn and have discernment hindi lahat ng pieces of advice na mapupulot mo sa internet nowadays may be right and fit for you. Always seek advice sa mga experts.

Kaya if you want to be fit and healthy haha! This is Chester G. I am also an experienced fitness coach. Don’t hesitate to message me. Excited hearing from you.

6. Mindfulness and Living in the Present: Being present and mindful can help you fully enjoy and appreciate each moment. By focusing on the present rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, you can cultivate a greater sense of happiness.

By thinking the past medyo di ka makaka move on kasi baka lies na yung voice na ma accept mo. Na baka yung little demon voice will say wala ka na pag asa mag bago. Kino konsensya ka ng mga pagkakamali mo. NO. Always look and have that faith for greater things. It’s good to have goals. To have a wonderful future that we’ve set. Pero no one can predict the future. No one.

Kaya focus ka sa present. Galingan mo sa present go all in. This is a gift and magugulat ka nalang na di mo na namamalayan. Nag eenjoy ka sa ginagawa mo. Until yung future na ini aim mo. Na reached mo na pala unknowingly.

I loved the quote from Kung Fu Panda that says “Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, but Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” — Oogway.

We may feel down at times. Normal yan. Life has a vicious cycle. We have to accept that fact. Like the seasons of nature, there are also Personal Seasons in life: The season of winter — sadness, heartbreak, loneliness, and sickness. Season of spring — hope, new beginnings, opportunities. Season of summer — signs of growth, need for protection, an abundance of distractions.

Kaya tuloy ka lang kaibigan, tatagan mo loob mo. Dipa tapos ang laban. Let’s finish well and Hope for the best. Talk to you soon.

[gotmattitude]

nothing greater than a challenge

WHO: Santana Lopez (@trickstersantana) and Matthew Rutherford, with cameos from Daisy and Sydney.

WHAT: In which Santana and Matt just got arrested, and Santana has gone 2 months without hitting anyone. Matt helps.

WHEN: January 13th, 2019.

WHERE: Undique Stadium.

WARNINGS: Violence, including gun violence, mentions of poverty and human trafficking. 

Santana already turned Daisy on her gun-shield weapon, pointing at the floor because it's heavy as fuck. Waiting for Matt on a booked private room at Undique so he could do is Secret Illegal Magic. It was impossible she had a completelly useless weapon. It has to work for something! She only had to figure out the way. "Let's start some training, Hoodoo boy." She says, trying to point him with the gun in a cool way, but only reaching his shoes.

Sheepbot: HEADS

Matt almost trips over Sydney on his way into the room they had booked. She's hopping around back and forth by his feet, excited to be Doing Things out of the barricade. "Fuck, Syd, gonna be on my ass before she even raises a fing--Hey, Santana!" Matt greets her, pretending he was totally good at walking without tripping, shutting the door behind him. He jumps slightly when she starts to raise the gun almost immediately, but begins to ready himself to hit her back.

Sidekick BOT: @Santana:  1d100=100  = (79, 0 successes) = 0

Santana points at the little grey personalized heart with moving shadows around it that appears in Matt's chest when Santana is ready to attack someone with her soul armament. She shoots, and a muffled sound can be hear by her. A white thin light is shoot from her gun-shield, 'hitting' Matt on the shoulder, with absolute no effect. "Hey, you got lucky." She says like she didn't fail every single shot she ever did. "When I learn how to aim with this shit shield you are going to...to something." She says, trying to aim again. "Now Matt... What would you risk for your survival and happiness?"

Matt is really good at dodging, obviously, because he didn't feel anything. And that's a gun. A weird gun, but still a gun.  Or apparently, a gun that Santana can't aim with. "You've never hit anything with that thing before?" It makes sense, since it looks heavy as all hell. "What'd you think it does?" he asks, brushing off his uninjured shoulder, and begins to cast. <<Drain.>> He focuses on the shadow at Santana's feet, and tries to join its power with Sydney's. "What would I risk for my survival? Fuck, I don't know. I've thrown pride down the drain, my safety, my, uh, my morals. Happiness? Not too sure. Friendships, I guess. Comfort zones? That's philosophical. Why d'you ask?"

Sidekick BOT: @Matt:  1d12 + 1  = (11)+1 = 12

Santana looked pretty done with her gun. "I mean...you know I don't like, try to shoot every person I see." She does. "I don't know but I'm sure it's something cool as hell with explosio-AUCH!" She complains, feeling her...something getting drained. She still had to figure out how to protect herself from her own shadow. She puts her shield pointing at the ground, like she is trying to cover herself from the shadow, activating her Shield of Torment. Matt probably never saw someone so fucking easy to hit in his entire life. Somehow, Santana looks LESS protected when she uses her shield. Part of it probably because she can barely hold it, and because she is pointing it at the ground. "I like a good discussion in my battles, you know. Just winning is no fun without good banter." She says, like she picked a random topic. She likes Matt answers. "It is. I'll risk all of those and more. Not so much my morals because, well, my morals are centered on my survival and happiness so, it would be pretty paradoxical. But ah, so many people say they want things, but then they don't dare to risk a single thing, Matt...and I wonder, is because, maybe, they don't want it as much as we do?"

Sidekick BOT: @Santana:  1d7  = (6) = 6

Matt nods. Obviously no one would try to shoot every person they saw. "Makes sense. But what about Tina's targets, or something?" He flinches a little when Santana complains about the shadow attack, but not that much. If experience has taught him anything, it's that he'll land a couple good hits, and then Santana will annihilate him, but it's cool. He doesn't mind. When he locks onto her shadow, it's almost like she's letting him hit her. It's so much so, that he feels really tempted to do just that, and hit her as hard as he can, now that he can do it. <<Attack>> he casts, and his shadow begins to melt into a mass of dark, silky something, meeting with  Sydney's shadow along the way. Hers seems lighter, and leaves slightly shimmery streaks in his. "Yeah. You do do that," he remarks. Yejun was quiet when he trained, only talked when he needed to. But that was pretty normal, when you have an entire secret murder organization under your sleeve. He gets what Santana is saying about risks, but he doesn't really get what she's talking about. "Are you talking about someone in particular? Because I think sometimes folks think they should care about something, and they don't. So risks are way too big for the... reward, or whatever."

Sidekick BOT: @Matt:  2d12 + 2d7 + 5  conjuration charge + familiar attack + shield = (8+4)+(3+5)+5 = 25

Sidekick BOT: @Santana:  2d7 familiar skill = (3+4) = 7

Santana gives Matt a Look. "If I had Tina's target, I'd have Tina right there, and it's more fun to fight her directly." The truth is she doesn't want Tina or anyone to see how many times she can fail at a target. "Oh holy fuck-shit-mierda joder!!" She complains while trying to defend herself from the shadow attack with her shield It comes for everywhere, and even when her shield gets more of the damage, she can feel the strenght. She heards a voice inside. "Santanaaaaa...do not worry .. I will proootect you..." She throws the gun-shield to the ground, turning into a cow when it leaves Santana's hand. "Oh my God!! That's what you call protection!! You leave me like a thousands places to attack me!! You make me an easier target!!!" She complains to the cow, angry and annoyed. "I'm talking about more than one person. Yeah, some guys actually care about something, but not when they have to make an efford that might gets them nothing." She says. "When you really really want something, and you have to risk it to get it... You risk it, knowing very well that you might lost things and get nothing in return. If you don't... Then do you really want it?"

Matt gives Santana a Look back. "Yeah, but I think Tina would rather not have you fucking shoot her. Her targets don't have feelings. Probably." When the shadow hits her, he flinches back, but he's also pretty proud of it. He sees it reach so much further than it has before, with Sydney's own shadow intertwined, and it's sort of really fucking exciting. He jumps when she drops the shield and Daisy comes back as a cow, making Sydney stand on her hind legs and sniff forwards, cautious but excited. She loves Daisy. 

 He takes the chance to enclose the shadow around Santana's torso and squeeze, as he can tell Sydney's shadow is losing its grip on his, just as the "totally random" conversation topic keeps moving forward. "I mean, you can want things a little bit, right? Like sure, I'd pay for a chocolate bar, but I wouldn't pay $600 dollars for one, and not be sure if I get it or not. I guess it really depends on what we're talking about--and I think you're talking about something real fucking specific that I'm just not understanding. But I think sometimes, if you're not used to sacrifice, you're not willing to lose shit. If you're used to needing to sacrifice shit to survive, then, well--it's easier. More practiced."

Sidekick BOT: @Matt:  1d12  = (11) = 11

Sidekick BOT: @Santana:  1d7  = (7) = 7

Santana shrugs, and Daisy gives Sydney a Significant Look. Then, the shadow surrounds her. It's painful, and still she doesn't get used to the strange power of the darkness. But it sure hurts like all magic. She screams with a bit of pain but tries to keep the conversation anyway. "You would if you were starving and it was the only way and the only food you could get. If you aren't used to sacrifice, it's maybe because you never lived a life that needed sacrifices." She guess. "Geez, I kind of hate it." She says while illusioning big flash of light to blind and confuse Matt.

Sidekick BOT: @Santana:  1d7  = (4) = 4

Matt catches Daisy's Significant Look, and it makes him lose his shadow-grip on Santana for a moment. Sydney tilts her head to the side, trying to send Daisy a Significant Look back her way without distracting Matt and Santana. They're, like, fighting and stuff. But nicely, she thinks. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Being hungry is shit. Y'know how to reliably steal $600?" Matt asks, sort of seriously even though he's laughing a little bit. "See, that's fucked up to me. How do you lead a life without sacrifice without throwing people under the bus?" He focuses on maintaining the shadow, just as Santana unleashes her attack, making him cover his face with his arm. "What do you hate??!" He asks, a touch too loudly, like the light is noisy. In a split-moment reaction, he tries to have the shadow slap Santana's hand away, like that would stop the light.

Sidekick BOT: @Matt:  1d12  = (11) = 11

Santana is a bit angry about not winning the fight because she is very competitive and loves to win. "Of course I can reliable steal 600 dollars, what can of question is that? I can even convince someone to give it to me willingly." She said, thinking about a lot of bloodlines, and the ones who were rich but still keep their dirty money to themselves for some reason. "You can. You just sacrifice other people. Or they get sacrificed by you, and you are confortable with the thought it wasn't your fault. She gets shadow-slapped hard. "Auch!" And her concentrations breaks. "Ugh, you might get lucky a ton of times attacking me! But I only need luck once!"

Matt laughs. “I know we’re totally cool with illegality, but the most I’ve stolen has been people’s trash. I just... admire your efficiency, I guess. I have gotten people to give me money—but not $600.” He shrugs. “That’s the thing, though. If you see folks as disposable, is it sacrifice for you? For the people you’re fucking over, yeah. But not for you.” He’s honestly sort of shocked that he’s had the upper hand this fight. Usually Santana kicks his ass instantly and he’s just... grateful for the experience, or some shit. But it looks like she’s getting sort of annoyed. “You sure?” he asks, but backtracks. “Y’know, I, uh, think I’m getting hungry. Maybe we should take a break.”

Santana raises an eyebrow. Matt has so much to learn. "Please, I have go to mansions of ringleaders of human traffic and stolen their fortune, their cars and their daughter's hearts." She shows off. "You can dispose of people and be a sacrifice, if you like those people." She says, remembering Elise.  She frows when Matt says of stopping. She knows she wasn't winning. "Alright alright, you win this round. Let's go eat."

[oh-phineas]

Emma’s 2021 BDRP Resolutions!

Write your RPer Resolutions for 2021! (What are some goals for yourself as a writer? Improve descriptions? Plot with more members? Etc.)

I’d like to get better at planning long-term and having arcs supported by different mini-stories. I started doing this with Tiana and her restaurant which was a good exercise, but I want to challenge myself to take on less tangible goals as well if that makes sense and finding ways for different characters to get involved in that journey. I think throwing characters together just to see what happens can be a lot of fun and lead to really great interactions, but I’d also like to think more about all the development potential an interaction can have and really jump on that.

I’m also always saying this, but I want to get more comfortable/confident with plotting. Sometimes I feel like I really need to have a fully fleshed-out idea before I approach someone which can lead to me just giving up before I even try because I haven’t fully developed the idea. I want to find a balance where I’m bringing something to the table with plotting but I’m not psyching myself out just because I don’t have a full-blown idea. Because sometimes I think it’s okay to say here’s a vague goal I have, here’s how I think it could work with our characters, let’s see what happens! And overall I just wanna get better at approaching people I don’t write with as often. 

Write at least one resolution, or “goal,” that you have as an RPer for your character(s)

Phineas: Be less freaking selfish! Lol I feel like Phineas’s problems tend to stem from his Main Character Syndrome. Like the kid seriously thinks everything is about him. Honestly, I don’t want to delete that trait from Phineas because I think it is a very important part of his personality. But I want him to seriously reckon with it, see the damage it can cause sometimes and understand that even with the best of intentions, some things just aren’t about him.

Tiana: Learn to rely on other people more! I think the knights can offer this opportunity which is why I wanted to get her involved with them, and I’d also like to see her learn to lean on her staff and the Princess House :) She’s pushed a lot of people away over the years working toward her goal, and now that she’s achieved it, I want to see her navigating relationships and all the messiness that comes with them. Because opening yourself back up is rewarding but it is not uncomplicated!

Aquata: Find a purpose in life other than swimming! That dream is dead! It’s gone! Rest in peace, she is never going to be on the national team and she’s gotta learn to live with it! I’ve spoken to a few people about this but I wanna see her really get involved with Magick rights and dig into her mer-heritage a little bit. Because it’s such a big part of her identity that she’s always sublimated into swimming and I’d love to see her explore it separate from her world as a swimmer.

Henry: I want to do more Order stuff with him. I’d like to set him on a wild goose chase where he totally pursues the wrong person, I think that would be a really fun plot because the exact person he’s trying to stop is RIGHT in front of him!! And he doesn’t even realize and I love some good dramatic irony. 

Ev: I really wanna get some bigger plots moving with her and really shake things up because that was my goal with picking her up initially. I have some stuff in the works but I think I can do more with reaching out to people and planning long-term stuff. And I want her to face the aftermath of her plans: the excitement at seeing it all come together and the guilt of knowing it hurt people, even if she thinks it’s for a greater purpose.

Anna: This is weird because I JUST got her but yeah I’m just excited for college plots! Finding herself! I’ve been thinking about doing some kind of mean girls thing with her bc I think she has Cady Heron parallels lol and I’d love to put her in a situation where she has her loyalty tested. And I also want her to learn to EXPRESS her ANGER. She can get pissed off sometimes but he has this tendency to censor herself when it’s people she cares about. I want her to FIGHT.

Write at least one resolution IN CHARACTER for your characters. What do THEY want to accomplish or change in the New Year?

Phineas: Launch Something Big. It’s the last year before he starts college and he’s running out of time to be a child prodigy!!! Oh no!!! What will he ever do!!! Maybe it’s his first business. His first podcast. His first Ponzi scheme, who knows?? (That is a joke Phineas is not starting a Ponzi scheme). But give him something to try at and fail at!

Tiana: Get situated with the knights, keep making Tiana’s Place a success.....maybe find love?

Aquata: Improve Swynlake. Make it a better place for people to be out Magicks. Improve the environment. Get shit done on Board!!! And stop being weird around Vidia lol

Henry: Figure out what the hell happened on December 21 2020. Hunt down the Unseelie Creatures that Plague the Night. Keep Ashleigh happy <3 Mostly, though, Henry feels like he’s been slacking in his mission and he wants to get back on track.

Ev: Organize a big disaster, preferably taking advantage of cursed people. Gather as much intel about Swynlake as possible. Stop dragging my feet and make it happen!!

Anna: MAKE NEW FRIENDS!! She is so desperate. Fall in love <3 Figure out what the hell actually happened between Elsa and her father and why Elsa never talked to her before now. Make the most of uni :)

List one or more characters you have never interacted with that you would like to do so

Reza!!! He’s on Board with Aquata and has a similar platform. I think they could really work together and I would love to find a way for them to interact.

Ting Ting!!! How am I a Ting Ting stan and I’ve never interacted with her. Tragic. Obv she probably deserves some space rn with all the drama but at some point I would really love to work with her unique form of magic 

Tink!!! She’s got such an interesting story and I want to interact with more fairies in general. 

ROBBIE. Swynlake’s currently only known vampire!! I think he and Henry could be really interesting.

Plotting Exercise! Pick one of the resolutions/goals in #2 and plan a rough guideline to how you could accomplish it. Here’s an example. EXAMPLE OF A MOCK PLOT: HENRY’S WILD GOOSE CHASE

Self Para: Before going back to school, Henry has a talk with his father who tells him that while he knows he is capable, if another widespread Unseelie attack occurs, it’s going to look very bad for him and he needs to figure out what happened.

therefore...

Para: Henry hears loud screeching that keeps him up at night that he concludes must be a banshee. He goes to investigate and runs into KOVU, who is coming back from a “late night walk” and ropes him into helping him search. They don’t find anything, but they are able to trace the sound to DEVYN’s room.

therefore...

Para: Henry ropes ROSE into helping him do research in the library, despite the fact that they are on... not great terms following Rose and Tom’s breakup, by convincing her that there is dark magic afoot in the dorms. Upon some research, Henry starts to doubt that the sound he is hearing is really a banshee, but his options are either admit he is wrong or double down.

therefore...

Para: Henry corners DEVYN at a Student Union outing and tries to ask him if anything weird has been going on, if they are hearing any weird noises or seeing strange omens. DEVYN is understandably confused, setting off some confusion magic. Henry, not understanding the confusion magic (and affected by it) becomes absolutely convinced that Devyn’s death is being foretold by a banshee. 

therefore...

Para: Henry and ROSE camp out all night and discover nothing, but sometime late into the night, they the sound again. They break into DEVYN’s room only to discover it’s no banshee, but just the music he’s listening to while studying late into the night. Henry is embarrassed.

[nelllraiser]

memory mori | self para

NOTHING is ever really [ l o s t ] to us as long as we remember it.

     With everything that came and went in her life, there was almost always one, single constant. The coven had been a staple of Nell’s existence for as long as she could remember and even longer before those memories had begun to form in her head, full of faces and people that she’d known since birth, some quite literally family. The Vurals made up a decent sized chunk of it in addition to a few other families, and Nisa’s position on the council meant that they were rather respected within the fold of witches. It might have even been the one aspect of her life that her mother approved of, and though that left a sour taste in Nell’s mouth, it didn’t stop her from entrenching herself into the rituals and going-ons of the group of witches. Here was a place where she belonged better than she ever had anywhere else, even if she still wasn’t the most accepted when it came to her witchy counterparts. Of course, as with everything there were a few drawbacks. Namely that she’d most likely be kicked out of the coven for her dealings with demons if anyone were to find out about her questionable summonings and doings. After all, Nisa’s mother had been excommunicated for the very same thing. 

     And there was also the matter of the coven favoring their female witches over the male, holding the belief that since the most famous of their kind had been of the fairer sex, those who possessed that extra x chromosome must have a greater, more natural affinity for the art of magic. Somehow, these two drawbacks were encompassed in one, single person when it came to Nell and the coven. August Thompson. They should have been destined to be best friends, their mothers due a single week apart, and both expecting girls. But sometimes ultrasounds are misread, and sometimes you’re born a boy into a room of pink balloons and excited witches ready to hail the newest addition to their coven in the form of a no doubt powerful baby girl. Imagine their disappointment when they were instead greeted by blue blankets, and the wails of one August Thompson who quickly went from promised golden girl to baby boy born in the shadow of Penelope Vural’s birth. It was the beginning of a rocky relationship, and the beginning of August constantly trying to catch Nell in positions that would bring about her downfall, to let him have the spotlight he should have enjoyed, the limelight that was rightfully his. 

     Such was part of the reason that Nell was dreading today’s herb gathering, knowing that August had been assigned to assist her with plucking up the plants they’d need for tonight’s ritual. As they walked along the thick and overgrown trees of the Outskirts, Nell kept her footsteps fast and as long as they could go, having no desire to be any closer to August than she need be. “Go ahead and scrape some of that off,” she instructed, pointing towards the bark of a nearby Birch tree. It would help with the cleansing and calming aspect of tonight’s ritual. August was quick to answer, a defiant tone at the ready as always when it came to Nell.

     “I already was.” He had been doing no such thing. A roll of Nell’s eyes that she didn’t bother to hide, and then she was giving her own retort.

     “Whatever, just pick it.” August grumbled something under his breath that sounded very much like obscenities, and Nell had no patience for it at the moment. “What did you say?” she challenged, trying to bring herself up to the full of her 5 foot, 2 and a half inch height, arms crossed over her chest as dark brown eyes narrowed.

     “Why’s it matter, anyway?” August shot back, ever-ready to start a full fledged argument with Nell at any moment. “It’s none of your business!” Nell’s nose wrinkled in disgust, ready to launch her own scathing remark, but instead childishly settling for a repeat in a mocking tone.

     “It’s none of your business!” It was paired with her sticking her tongue out at the close of the words, face scrunched in anger. Unexpectedly...August went silent, a sort of haze coming over his vision, as if he was entrapped by a far off vision that he could barely comprehend. His expression having dropped from hatred to something reflecting the innocence of a child, the young man’s voice was far off when he spoke again, as if lost in the middle of a dense fog at sea with no lighthouse in sight.

     “What did you say?” This was a strange turn of events, and Nell couldn’t help the feeling of dread that was pooling in her stomach, uneasiness breeding like weeds in the pit of it.

     “I said...it’s none of your business.” Again, the veil flickered over August’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but feel as if there were something just beyond his reach when it came to figuring out why those words had struck him so poignantly. It was clustered around the few months of time he’d lost about a year ago, his family finding him somewhere in Peru with little idea of how he’d gotten there. This time Nell’s tone was tinged with the smallest hint of worry, uncertainty coloring it. “Are you...what are you doing?” August’s attention snapped back to the present, focusing on Nell with eyes sharp once again, though still in that cloud of disorientation.

     “I thought...have you- said that to me before?” The effect on Nell was instant, her blood turning cold as ice while her arms once again crossed over her chest, though this time it was an act of shielding and security. Her words were rushed, as if she were eager to get the lie out. “I don’t know. Probably- I mean we’ve known each other for how long?” Trying to brush past the strangeness that had settled over them, Nell blazed forward through the forest, wanting to put even more space between her and August, and the mistakes she’d made. “Let’s just go back. We’ve got enough herbs and stuff now, anyway.” She didn’t wait to hear August’s response as her steps quickened into a walk that was bordering on a run. That past could stay buried today.

[sepublic]

Nuva and Umarak

           Light and Shadow are two opposing forces, having clashed and dueled with one another since the beginning of time. But in the time before time, they were once merely two halves of a greater, singular whole; Korusca, the Deity of Twilight.

           In the time before time, Twilight was a state of being, found everywhere; It was omnipresent, with everything down from the most base, singular elements taking its form, to even pure Life energy manifesting the power of Twilight. Korusca was said to be one of the most powerful Deities in existence, rivalled only by the likes of the Elemental Deities themselves. They had their own champion, a Kaita of legend named Umbra, and for a while reigned supreme amongst a select few of the Okotan Pantheon, their power seemingly unmatched.

           But for reasons unknown –Perhaps because of the naturally transformative nature of Life- Korusca’s own soul became fractured, and eventually split in two. Twilight separated into two separate forces, Light and Shadow; And now reality itself was split between two parts. Both halves, Light and Shadow, sought to become the ever-present whole that they once were, and in order to do so, each sought to eradicate the other from existence; One could be allowed to exist, if reality was to be united beneath a singular, uniform alignment.

           These two opposite forces clashed with one another, and to win each of them birthed their own respective champions. The Darkness birthed Umarak, the spreading and consuming Deity of Shadows; While the Light birthed Nuva, the blinding and radiant Deity of Light. Nuva and Umarak clashed with one another for what could’ve been eternity, until finally the rest of the Okotan Pantheon had to take a stand.

           Reality was split evenly between Light and Shadow, and both were tearing each other part and the rest of existence in the process. A victor had to be chosen… Reality could not manage to sustain itself between two states of alignment at once- There was simply not enough Life for two worlds.

           A decision was made; The Elemental Deities chose to side with Nuva the Blinding One, with most of the Okotan Pantheon following afterwards. Some chose to remain neutral, but by then the choice had been cast. Darkness had been forsaken, and Light was chosen as the champion and dominant force for reality.

           And so, reality itself shifted between the two alignments. Most of Life itself manifested itself in the alignment of Light, leaving behind a hollow remnant of its dark-version… An empty, lifeless world that could do nothing but react to the World of Light and its formations, a parallel dimension that acted more as a shadow cast by Light than its own separate entity. Thus, the Dark World was born; Known later under many other names, such as the Field of Shadows, Para-Realm, Zone of Darkness, etc.

           With the Light-Dark split in reality, Umarak was banished to the Dark World. And for a time, peace seemed to settle, even if the overzealous Nuva remained anxious, wanting to fully eradicate her rival.

           A thousand or so years passed; But during that time, Umarak had managed to pierce the divide between worlds, bypassing the spatial barrier and crossing over into the Light World. Like Light, it was his nature as Shadow to spread as much as possible, especially since his own realm was so barren in comparison to Nuva’s.

           He and Nuva clashed yet again, but this time Nuva found additional support; Her own champion, another mortal that chose to be her Kaita. By performing a Kaita fusion with her warrior, Nuva created the Toa of Light, and in this ascended state managed to completely eradicate Umarak. Her blinding light burned Umarak’s darkness away, searing the entity into seemingly nothing.

           And so, another thousand years or so passed; But Darkness continued to exist. For nothing is truly destroyed, merely transformed… And afterwards, some things will transform back into what they once were. In the time that passed, Umarak’s will and essence reformed in the Dark World. Anxious for a rematch, he immediately set to piercing the veil between worlds once he reformed with full strength; And yet again, he appeared to challenge Nuva.

           Nuva found a new champion, defeated Umarak, and waited for him to respawn. And so time and time again, the cycle of Light VS Shadow would continue, with Umarak reincarnating and crossing over to the World of Light… Nuva could clash with him, before choosing a reigning champion to perform a Kaita fusion with, and then banish Umarak once more as the Toa of Light.

           This cycle continued multiple times… But with each victory, Nuva felt only more embittered, enraged, and frustrated. Yes, she had practically ‘won’ when the Okotan Pantheon sided with her, with Reality skewed towards the Light; But Umarak kept returning. And as part of her nature as Light, Nuva desired to spread and shine, burning with a radiance that reached every shadow and completely eradicated it. So long as there was darkness –and she could feel it in the Dark World, as hollow as it was compared to her own realm- Light would have the desire to glow brighter and fill the void with itself.

           One day, Nuva snapped; She decided then and there that she had had enough of Umarak’s repeated pestering. She would annihilate the Darkness once and for all, and do so by leaving no nook nor cranny for him to hide in; Nuva would engulf all of reality with her Light, and blaze eternally and omnipotently. She promptly went on a rampage, scorching Okoto with her searing Light as she sought to increase the Light World’s radiance and completely obliterate the Dark World; Light casts shadows, but make it bright enough and there is no darkness to be left.

           The Okotan Pantheon reacted, unable to stand by and let Nuva continue her mindless rampage. The very island of Okoto was being scorched to its foundations, and more, with the oceans boiling beneath the Light. Even Nuva’s own champion at the time, Avohkii, chose to rebel- And this act of defiance, of betrayal, drove Nuva completely mad. She lashed out, blinding all as her Light began to sear the veil between worlds, threatening to burn it away and the Dark World along with it.

           This would be disastrous; Not just for Okoto, but for reality, as Darkness was nevertheless an equal force alongside Light. Both needed to exist in tandem, and the balance between both could not afford to be jeopardized.

           And so, desperate, the Okotan Pantheon fought back. They lashed with all their might, hurling the raw power of the elements and Life itself. And while Light was mighty, it was not the only form that Life could take; It could also function separately as Darkness. Nuva was not invincible amidst her seemingly-endless strength, and the dragon was repeatedly battered from all sides. And without Avohkii’s blessing, Nuva was worn down from the constant onslaught, stripped of the support she had from her fellow Deities, rendered to almost nothing.

           Of course, Light cannot be destroyed; But regardless, she was weakened. And so to survive and hopefully recover, Nuva reverted to a smaller, weaker form, consisting merely of her Face, the most fundamental aspect of a person… She transformed into the Mask of Light.

           Wounded, battered, and burnt, the Okotan Pantheon picked up the Mask of Light. Nobody knows what happened to it next; But supposedly, they banished the blazing artifact away from the island of Okoto, far beyond into the endless oceans, hoping that none would ever find it again. Hopefully, Nuva would never re-emerge and resume her plan to scorch Okoto with her Light, and the balance would be maintained.

           …This was the ideal option, of course. But reality never turns out so simply. Umarak sensed the defeat of his ancient foe, and delighted, struck at the weakened barrier between worlds with twice as much force. Emboldened by the defeat of both Nuva, as well as the weakening of her former allies, he saw a chance and took it; Umarak pierce the veil and emerged into the Light World once more, ready to spread his shadows across all of Okoto and consume it with Darkness.

           The wounded Okotan Pantheon could do little to challenge Umarak; They were weak from their previous fight, and it seems only the blinding Light of Nuva could vaporize him. Helpless, they were unable to defeat the Deity of Shadow as his darkness spread across the scorched surface of Okoto, planning to spread into the endless oceans beyond. In an act of desperation, the Elemental Deities devised a brilliant plan; One that could save them all from both Nuva AND Umarak, while preventing either from returning once more.

           Every time Umarak was slain, he would simply reform… So to put it simply, why not keep him from dying? If the Elemental Deities could prevent Umarak from reincarnating, and holding him in place… Hopefully, he could no longer torment Okoto. And then, with Nuva trapped as the Mask of Light, the balance would be preserved…

           And so, the Elemental Deities struck back with the last of their strength. They hurled boulders and mountains and waves upon Umarak, burying him beneath an onslaught of pure elemental energy. Pillars of Stone and Earth were formed, impaling Umarak and helping to restrain him. A new island of Okoto was being formed from the Elemental Deities themselves, and Umarak was being buried beneath it.

           But it wasn’t enough- Umarak was already beginning to break free of his prison, and it seemed that the Elemental Deities wouldn’t be able to contain him. But in a blinding flash, Avohkii stepped up to challenge the Deity of Shadow without Nuva, using their own Light to wound and hinder The Darkness. Enraged, Umarak lashed out and struck Avohkii, greatly wounding the Kaita- But Avohkii held on just long enough for the Elemental Deities to complete their prison. Umarak was pinned down, preventing him from escaping as more foundations buried the Deity of Shadow. Avohkii, exhausted and wounded but with their work done, succumbed to their wounds and died.

          Trapped, Umarak let out a roar as the Elemental Deities dug his grave and sealed it with a new land, a newer version of Okoto, one neither scarred by Light nor consumed by Darkness. This new island would act both as an ideal home for the survivors of the great incident, but also as a prison for Umarak, keeping him trapped yet alive in the Light World; Unable to reincarnate and assault the new Okoto as he normally would.

           And thus, while the buried Umarak thrashed beneath the new Okoto, the Okotan Pantheon could finally fall and rest. But just before they did, they made sure to honor the fallen Avohkii, who had given their life to defeat both Nuva AND Umarak… Their body, retrieved by Uxar, was buried in a hidden grove, a sacred plot of land beneath jungles of foliage and underbrush, somewhere on the new Okoto. But even in death, Avohkii’s Light still shown; And shortly after their burial, new life sprouted from the ground. Fueled and grown by Avohkii’s residual Light, plantlife grew in the form of thorned vines that emanated powerful, sacred Light; Plants that would later be known as Lightvines, for their mystical, eternally-radiant properties.

           The Balance between Light and Shadow had been preserved; For the time being, at least. With Umarak trapped beneath Okoto and Nuva reverted into the Mask of Light, forever lost, neither could rise to spread their power and threaten everyone else in the cross-fire. It seemed that peace could return, after all… And for a while, it did.

[theholycovenantrpg]

CONGRATULATIONS, JORDAN! YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF GADRIEL.

Admin Rosey: Eeeeeee! Jordan you have no idea how much I’m bouncing off the walls because you brought us such an unparalleled Gadriel! I was hoping, with all my heart, that someone would dare to write a character that is full of such unfettered love, and you did it. All the more, you didn’t hold back with the adoration that seems to burrow itself into every single facet of the character. Your para sample was an absolute thrill to read and truly, I couldn’t have asked for someone more capable of delivering the Gadriel we all know and love. Thank you so much for this wonderful application - it had me grinning from ear to ear. Please create and send in your account, review the information on our CHECKLIST, and follow everyone on the FOLLOW LIST. Welcome to the Holy Land!

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias | Jordan

Age | 23

Personal Pronouns | She/her

Activity Level | I’m not in school or working right now, so I do have quite a bit of free time on my hands. However, I still have real life stuff that crops up occasionally, and I’m currently looking for a job, so  if/when?? (hopefully) that happens I’ll let you guys know! As it stands, I can on average devote a few hours each day to rp’ing, though that might vary depending on the day.  

Timezone | EST

Triggers | REMOVED

How did you find the group?  | I saw Rosey reblog the prerelease advertisement thing and the rest was history. 

Current/Past RP Accounts | https://chandlerrosen.tumblr.com/ 

IN CHARACTER

Character | Gadriel

What drew you to this character? | 

Though there were quite a number of characters I considered applying for at various stages, I kept coming back to Gadriel. Within her character is everything I’m familiar with, and yet nothing that I’ve written before. I study (or studied, technically) early modern literature and art history, with a focus on Catholic theology, so I was initially drawn to Gadriel’s background as a martyred saint. I love her grief, I love the way she grows from it while still carrying it with her. I love her fighting for compassion and pacifism, while still being shrouded by the monstrous aspect of her that has always lingered within. Her love is her driving force, and her vision all encompassing, and for the “greater good,” but she is still so selfish. More on this now!

What future plots do you have in mind for the character? | 

i. beware of false prophets [. . .] ye shall know them by their fruits

The God she loved was not always a benevolent one, but she loved Him nonetheless, the words of the scripture a familiar glaze on her tongue, weaving its way through the air as it settles around her like a warm blanket. These were the words she lived by, and the words she, in another life, died by. But now these words, and the God who fomented them, are obsolete—ash and dust, they swirl around her still, only a faint echo of their former glory. Now, the residents (those who choose to partake in religion) worship the Hundred-Eyed God—instead of fire and brimstone, this new deity promised everlasting serenity. Gadriel, like most residents of Caelum, doesn’t worship the Hundred-Eyed God, but as God’s most devout and loving follower, she is faced with the difficult task of protecting ISOLDE, the All-Seeing Priestess of the faith. Despite her best efforts, Gadriel finds herself liking the mortal, and where once Gadriel would have seen an idolator, she now sees what could turn into a friend. The relationship, however, is tenuous, and Gadriel is very reluctant to let herself become attached to the girl—it didn’t end so well for the last worshipped figure in Gadriel’s life. But more than that, Isolde feels like a punishment, or rather, like she should be a punishment. Sure, it pains Gadriel to watch new rituals when the old ones sit in her bones and on her tongue, aching to be remembered and repeated, but otherwise, her task is, at times, an enjoyable one. So when will the other shoe drop? I’m very interested in seeing how this relationship will develop, and how ESTIENNE will fit into it. The biography mentions that Gadriel would kill to protect ARAEL, presumably she would do the same for Isolde, if only out of obligation (though personal affection may one day be a reason as well). Whether it be Estienne or someone else, how will Gadriel, generally a pacifist, react if Isolde is threatened?

I also think it’s interesting to consider what would happen, not if Isolde is physically threatened, but if her status is somehow threatened, or if someone, say ORIAS or CASSIEL (though there are many others), challenges Isolde (an extension of the Hundred-Eyed God) as someone/something to be worshipped? Zealotry is comfortable for Gadriel, a familiar armor to lace over her chest as she draws her sword, but it has rusted and worn down, a passion without a purpose, without an outlet. I think Gadriel is far from becoming a zealot for the Hundred-Eyed God, and to be honest, I’m not sure it would ever actually happen. However, I can see this going two ways (not necessarily mutually exclusive, either): 

Gadriel develops a love for Isolde similar to the love she felt for God; it would be different, no doubt, but I think part of Gadriel’s worship of God in her mortal life came from, faith yes, but also love and a desire to be loved. Her worship of God was not entirely unselfish, but fervently pious nevertheless. Could Gadriel ever get to the point where she would take up her sword for Isolde, not against imminent danger, but against idolatry? Maybe, maybe not, and if it did, it would be, as I said, much further down the line, and certainly not as strong as the zealotry she exhibited for God, but I do think it’s an important aspect of Gadriel that cannot just be shirked because her God is dead.

Regardless of Isolde and how Gadriel may feel about her, there is still a part of Gadriel, no matter how slowly waning it may be, that fought tooth and nail to worship her God, both as a human and angel. And now, with people cropping up, Orias, Cassiel, Michael, etc. who try to fill that void He left, to be worshipped in their own right, I’m interested in how Gadriel will react. Obviously, Gadriel is not omnipotent, and therefore doesn’t necessarily know the extent to which these various figures have designs on power, on reverence. But throughout the course of the roleplay, I think as their actions reflect their intentions, and as those intentions become clearer, the familiar feeling of zealotry will crop up again, burning inside Gadriel’s bosom as it once had. Perhaps something starts it, perhaps she will see the corruption of mortals, of her fellow angels, even, and she wants to stop it. It’s not something she could do alone, at least not successfully, and depending on where Gadriel is in her development, she might not even care at first. But I still think it would be interesting to explore, and which unlikely alliances she may form to quell the rising of a new, different, idol. 

ii. should intermitted vengeance arm again / His red right hand to plague us?

For every cloud, there is a silver lining, and for every slain deity, a world to be made anew. I don’t think Gadriel has ever been motivated by power, and I don’t think she is now, either. I do think, however, that she believes in a very strong vision of the world, a vision she believed she shared with her God. Of course, without God, Gadriel now has the freedom to reshape her vision, and mold the world into, as the biography states,  “her own vision of beauty.” But that which is beautiful, is also terrible, for beauty without power is vulnerability, a quality Gadriel has shedded like a skin too tight and too itchy to ever be comfortable again. There is an anger inside her, a feeling of righteousness against those she believes have acted unjustly. Namely, MICHAEL and CASSIEL. There are many people she blames for this war, for the death of her beloved God, and Michael’s name is at the top of the list. He clipped her wings, he punished her for her pride (for is hubris not the most base of the tragic flaws?), smearing her face in the dirt of her own folly by naming her the Virtue of Temperance, forcing her to protect a being instrumental to the worship of a new, unfamiliar religion. And still, Gadriel turns the other cheek. To wage outright war against Michael would be foolish, and though Gadriel is privy to foolishness (a lingering effect of her not-so-long-forgotten mortality), she isn’t that foolish. I think the dynamic between Gadriel and Michael is very interesting, and something I’d love to explore. As he hungers for more power, as Gadriel’s resentment of him festers, infecting her life’s blood with boiling wrath, when will Gadriel decide that enough is enough. And who will stand with her? 

Now onto Cassiel. Cassiel’s betrayal of the Cherubim, of Gadriel and her own people (though really, with Gadriel’s part in the war against Michael, I think Gadriel would be put on trial regardless), is another interesting avenue to explore. I mentioned Cassiel above as being a sort of “False Prophet,” and in truth, I think she is the antithesis to Gadriel. Speaking of Cherubim, I think Gadriel and ZADKIEL would actually get along fairly well, as Gadriel is (or at least was) well-liked by her fellow angels, and liked them in return, and I think they have a similar philosophy and moral compass. Would Gadriel and Zadkiel, two angels affected by Cassiel’s actions, end up lighting the spark of retribution against Cassiel? Or will it divide them? Cassiel and Gadriel are two people driven by the notion of beauty, though their definitions couldn’t be further apart. While Cassiel’s vision is of herself, Gadriel sees an eternal peace, filial piety and the burning passion of people who join in communion as one (so really, the concept of the Hundred-Eyed God should be alluring to her, once Gadriel realizes that it aligns with her vision and she could wield it considering Isolde is her charge—I digress). Perhaps Gadriel goes against Cassiel, not necessarily for past indiscretions, but present grievances. 

To create, you must destroy, and from the ashes of the old world will Gadriel’s vision of beauty rise, sheathed in gold with a purity so simple, it can only be considered divine.   

iii. when is a monster not a monster?

The answer, of course, “when you love it.” Gadriel’s connections to Asmodeus, Arael, and Mammon are all thematically concerned with when Gadriel shows her monstrous side, if at all. With ARAEL, Gadriel’s monstrous side is not hidden, because with their level of intimacy, with its purity, Gadriel holds no secrets from Arael. It just rarely (if ever) rears its ugly head. The biography mentions that Gadriel would kill for Arael, and I would like to put that to the test. I don’t know how, or when, but I want Gadriel to become a monster, all for the sake of Arael. She knows of Arael’s grief, but I’m wondering just how much Gadriel knows of Arael’s visits to ABBADON’S domain. If she doesn’t know, then perhaps Gadriel will feel betrayed. Of course, she wouldn’t take it out on Arael, there is very little Arael could do to warrant that sort of emotion from Gadriel, but I do think it would shift their relationship. If Gadriel does know, however, I wonder if Gadriel might try to take it upon herself to help Arael (if it’s unwanted, so much the better), because Gadriel is the picture of self-righteousness.  

ASMODEUS is an interesting case with regard to Gadriel’s monstrous side. She hasn’t quite figured him out, she doesn’t know his sad past, but the glances they share, the stares that betray his longing for something else, someone else, intrigue her. And I think it makes Gadriel feel powerful, this unsaid tension between them, the notion that at any moment, it could all crumble and collapse, that he could, if she so chose. I think she wants to poke and prod at him, maybe from afar at first, and then toy with him, his vulnerability between her teeth, with only gravity (the gravity she is so adept at manipulating) to crush it, or release him from her grasp. Of course, Gadriel is not without compassion, and maybe once she knows Asmodeus’ story, she’ll feel differently. It all depends on what part of Asmodeus she chooses to see: the human, or the demon.

Gadriel’s most monstrous side, her most vindictive and self-righteous, self-satisfying, parts, are shown in her relationship with MAMMON. She spared them, not because she felt pity, not because she cared, or didn’t wish to shed blood, but to show them that she could. She held their life at the end of her blade and laughed when she removed it from his throat. Surely they still harbor bitter feelings towards her, feelings of hatred and resentment, even. In Emma’s app for Mammon, she mentions how she envisions them fighting, even to the death. I fully agree, and am looking forward to their confrontation a lot. Gadriel is, generally, soft, but I want to explore those parts of her that are more monster than divine, more human than angel. 

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | Yes.

IN DEPTH

Driving Character Motivation | 

In Gadriel’s mortal life, her driving motivation was her love for God, and her desire to be loved by God. The picture of piety, Gadriel shirked near all else to proclaim her love for God, frustrated when others wouldn’t recognize His great power, his all-encompassing love. Even when she became an angel, she was still driven by this love, but now it was realized, it was reciprocated. And rather than have that be diminished upon conquest, it only grew stronger and more fervent. 

Of course, after the war, after her wings were clipped, Gadriel turned into the dutiful angel, obeying Michael’s orders (much to her chagrin). Now she’s driven by her vision of beauty, of peace everlasting and passion overflowing. Love is still very much part of the equation, and the love she feels for Arael, for Isolde (maybe, eventually), also motivates her. But it’s her love for God, and for his vision, that stoke the fire of ambition in her loins. I think Gadriel is tired of constantly being taken for granted, being walked all over, and is using the new world as an opportunity to turn a page in her own life. To become all that she once sought to, to fulfill all righteousness on earth, and to spread her vision to all those who will listen. 

Character Traits | 

(passionate, loyal, empathetic)

(dogmatic, vengeful, obstinate)

In-Character Para Sample | 

“Brothers, sisters, friends, lend me your ears,” she began, standing in front of her fellow angels, on trial for crimes committed against Michael, committed for God. “I stand on trial today, though I believe myself innocent of all crimes, guilty only of being consumed by love. Perhaps my love was misplaced, my loyalty misguided, but is that so unreasonable? Was that not God’s almighty power—to stir inside those who are lost the guidance to follow His will through His love?” She looked around, eyes imploring as she clutched her chest. The room was bright, the sun almost overbearing and artificial, devoid of everything Heaven held, a false divinity imbuing every corner and crevice. She had been here before. But rather than in a spotless room, she was surrounded by dust and the jeers of Romans who believed her guilty of the same crime she was accused of now: treason.

“You accuse me of treason,” she began again, and the lion’s roar in her ear was so loud, she felt as though it was standing across the room from her, not Michael, “but forgive me, I knew nothing else. If my actions offended, let us rectify the situation, together. Let us venture forth, hand in hand, brothers in arms, angels enshrouded in the divinity that is our right, into this new era. But let us not paint this era with more blood than has already been shed; for is that truly what you want your legacy to entail? Fire and brimstone—would you be any better than the God you have deposed?” She raised her eyebrow, scanning the eyes of the crowd as they shifted uncomfortably. An invisible string lifted Gadriel’s spine—perhaps it was her power of gravity, perhaps newfound confidence at the uncomfortability of the angels who wished her dead.

“And how, dear sister, could we trust you?” Michael asked, unmoved, the pinnacle of strength and composure. 

“This is new territory for both of us, brother. This world has never known God’s absence—but together, and only together, could we bring it into a new Golden Age, an era of rebirth and plenty.” Everyone was silent, pondering her words. This silence was deafening, and the lion roared louder. Her heart began to race as she saw the saliva glint off the lion’s teeth, the blood staining its fur from the last human he shred. 

“You seek to do better than God? Well do better. Ff His picture of compassion was imperfect, perfect it. His vision of mercy unfulfilled, fulfill it.” The words stung her tongue as she spoke them against her God, but perhaps she could give Michael and his legions the chance to be better, if that is what they truly sought. “Violence, retribution. This is not the way, and we both know it.” 

Silence still more. Until finally, Michael made his decision. 

“Very well, you have your amnesty. But Gadriel, this can not go unpunished.” He contemplated further, his hands steepled like a church she once worshipped at, before continuing, “your wings will be clipped, and we will watch you. Very closely.” He nodded, but she could tell this wasn’t his desired outcome. 

“Thank you, Michael, for your compassion. You won’t regret it,” she said through gritted teeth, sharp as a lion’s, before she sheathed them. Not now. Not today. Today, she lived, and she will continue to do so, if only to continue God’s work. For so it become us to fulfill all righteousness. 

Extras | 

i. COMPANION: By her side, Gadriel’s companion is a LION. I’m hearkening back to the typological tradition of depicting a martyred saint with the instruments of their demise. St. Lawrence has his grill, St. Catherine of Alexandria her spiked wheel, and so Gadriel will have her lion. 

ii. WINGS: Gadriel’s wings are clipped, but not torn from her back. Right now they don’t extend past her shoulder blades, but at once they were the most radiant, pure, white of the softest down. When they grow back, however, perhaps they will be muddled and murky.

[olympivnshq]

congratulations nyla !  this application was nothing short of exquisite. andrea is wholesome, and well rounded in the way you have thought her out and she seems like the perfect mortal counterpart to ATHENA. even through your descriptions and your sample, we could feel the regal hints and athena’s natural class shining through. we’re excited to see you interact with your first faceclaim choice: RACHEL WEISZ.

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ  OOC INFO.

Hello my name is Nyla and my timezone is PST. I’m an avid fan of Rick Riordan’s writing and have always loved Greek mythology. I’m currently in university working towards a dual degree in classics and English literature so you could say that studying Greek mythology makes up a big part of my life

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ  DEITY  —  GENDER. AGE RANGE.

ATHENA—F. 30-35

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ MORTAL NAME. JOB/OCCUPATION. BOROUGH/NEIGHBORHOOD.

ANDREA SCOTT. Curator for the American Museum of Natural History – in charge of acquisitions and collections. Upper East Side

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ AESTHETICS.

The sound of stilettos on freshly waxed marble floors, signed contracts, expensive fountain pens, classic statues, glass cases of artifacts, a stack of books, hair wrapped into an elegant chignon bun, brownstone apartments, appointment books filled with cursive writing, impeccable perfection, expertly winged eyeliner, lunch break walks across central park.  

☆ﾟ*・ﾟ FACE-CLAIM.

Rachel Weisz / Annabelle Wallis / Olivia Wilde

☆ﾟ*・ PLAYLIST.

i. A seven nation army couldn’t hold me back // ii. But in all chaos, there is calculation // iii. They wanna make me their queen // iv. Whose side am I on, whose side am I? // v. I find it hard to tell you, I find it hard to take // vi. Everybody falls down, all the way down // vii. Ink on her skin incomplete // viii. Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes // ix. I can hold the weight of worlds // v.In spite of all my fears, I can see it all so clear

☆ﾟ*・ HOW WOULD YOU PLAY THEM?

Athena is completely at peace when she is hard at work. She does not enjoy remaining idle with nothing to do, she enjoys a challenge and would like nothing better than to be strategizing and solving problems all day as she is well aware that her mind is leagues beyond everyone else’s. A master of linguistics, she’s able to converse with anyone that she meets, understanding not only the language, but the inherent focus of what people try to tell her. She is comfortable in her solitude, conceding that her intelligence alienates her and puts barriers around her that make it seem like she is unapproachable, however, to the brave souls who do cross that self-made barrier, she is a loyal and determined friend and source of refuge. Athena is a very difficult goddess to impress, as she requires nothing less than perfection with every task, but that being said, she is also a goddess who will come to those who need her and help them when she can. She is not the most forgiving of the goddesses and has a penchant for striking back at those who go against her, making sure that she always has the last word, and that attitude extends to her fellow gods and goddesses – she can hold grudges for a very long time and she would not hesitate in retaliating when she feels that she’s been slighted.

Andrea was raised with a silver spoon in her mouth, adopted by a wealthy railway tycoon who was based in New York, she was more of a publicity stunt for his more charitable benefactors than anything else. It took time, but her adoptive father did grow fond of Andrea, spoiling her and ensuring that her thirst for knowledge was quelled with the finest education that money could buy, and a seat on many of the city’s philanthropic committees as she grew older. She attended Oxford university and holds several degrees, including an undergraduate degree in art history and a doctorate degree in curatorial studies. Having studied in London for most of her post-secondary career, she was able to travel Europe and become immersed in the art and culture that the world had to offer, but New York called and she decided that achieving her educational accomplishments, it was time to come home. Andrea has inherited Athena’s fierce and relentless nature, but she is warmer, and easier to approach, eager to help whenever she can. While she is very particular about the standard of her own work, she understands that she cannot demand the same level of perfection from everyone and regularly tries to check herself and adjust to come to the safer middle ground between her expectations and what is possible. She is highly respected in New York society, not by her adoptive father’s name, but because of the work that amazing work that she does in bringing great examples of art and culture to the city. Andrea has yet to tap into the battle and strategy side of her goddess counterpart, but she has always been interested in the history of war, and is sometimes approached by federal organizations like the CIA and Departments of State due to her expertise in foreign affairs and linguistics – both hobbies and subjects of interest that she picked up in university and continued to study in the little free time she had when she was not working on acquisitions for the museum. She lives alone in a brownstone townhouse in the upper east side, where many of her walls are covered from floor to ceiling with books and documents. She surrounds herself with them as they bring her joy, and she likes to know that her personal collection can rival those of the world’s most intellectual bibliophiles. Andrea is well connected but doesn’t keep many close friends because of how intimidating she can be, often resorting to dry humor and raised eyebrows. She questions people, and picks them apart from mere observations and often doesn’t even realize that she is being blunt or revealing truths that people would rather not hear.

1. are they more likely to stand with the pantheon or against it?

Athena will definitely stand with the Pantheon. She believes in necessary order, and believes that the Pantheon is the only way to achieve this. She believes that each God and Goddess has a role to fulfill, and without the order that this balance maintains, the world is sure to delve into complete chaos and discord.

2. what is their stand on mortals?

She sees humans as important. She is not naïve, and doesn’t believe that they are unnecessary because of their lack of powers in comparison to the Gods, but she does see how easily manipulated they are by their emotions. It irks her to see so many problems come from the human inability to control themselves, and has little patience for the errors that happen as a result. That being said, she does not give up on the human race as it is not in Athena’s nature to back down from any challenge, and she believes that with guidance and proper shaping, mortals have plenty to offer the world.  

☆ﾟ*・ SAMPLE PARA (OPTIONAL)

Heels clicking on the freshly waxed marble of the empty museum halls, Andrea looked around. In her opinion there was no greater privilege than the one that her job as curator provided her, being able to wander these halls and have access to all the art and history that the walls of the museum housed.  She knows everything there is to know about every piece, observing them and taking them in as if each object has a life of its own that is worth knowing, for that is how she feels about knowledge – something to be appreciated as one would appreciate another human being. Perhaps that was her mistake, seeing more worth in her solitude looking at the displays, than in idle conversations filled with small talk and topics void of substance.

She passes through the artifacts of war exhibit, impressed as she always is, with the job that the display staff have done to showcase the great artifacts on loan to the museum from Greece and Rome, but she can’t help but succumb to the chill that goes up her spine when she looks at some of the items. The freshly shined brass of the swords, the murals of battles from the myths that she knew almost too well… it’s almost as if she was a part of the history, and not just the acquisition of each item. Yes, she had chosen each piece and planned the exhibition in her head spending many sleepless nights going over the blueprints and plans, but looking at them now she felt like she could see the battles taking place, with flashes of faces that she did not completely recognize invading her mind as she walked through the room. Her hands grew cold, remembering scenes that she knew she had not taken from any movies, watching in disappointment from above at the recklessness that fueled battles, always thinking that there was a more strategic way to go about each play.

Chalking it up to lack of sleep and an attachment to the museum’s newest exhibit she cleared her throat and took a final look at the space, satisfied with her final run through before the ribbon cutting ceremony that afternoon, and sparing one last glance at the spears and shields that were displayed in their full splendour in the middle of the room, stamped and brandished with the familiar symbol of an owl’s intelligent eyes.

☆ﾟ*・ ANYTHING ELSE?

Here is a link to a pinterest board that I made for Athena!

[emilioathanas]

the day in question. || self-para

the day in question, part i. tw: self harm, mutilation.

it wasn’t a challenge, but she had never understood that. those swimming through in a reckless mind, torn papers from tests that would never be sat, A grade results pinned to walls. that day she had came home and stared into cassia’s empty bedroom, the way the sheets were folded, the books that were piled, every inch of it as if it were the most beautiful sight she had seen in her life. her fingertips glided so easily on that door frame, the thought of a person that she was so obsessed with, not because they were siblings strung together by fate but because cassia’s almost death had been the moment she had felt most alive. thousands of questions she had asked, thousands of answers she had never got out of that person whom she could not empathise with for her thirst to understand pain and death was much greater than her ability to understand that these things hurt.

when she returned to her room that day, she sat on her bed in silence with the door wide open for hours and hours. she heard the door open and shut, she recognised the footsteps of every member of her family. she had trained her ears like a hunting dog trained it’s nose, to identify every single person and how they walked, how they sounded, but never how they felt. that was not in the realm of possibility or interest.

when the bell rang for dinner, she hadn’t responded. she had moved from the bed over half an hour ago and stood in the breaking light of the evening repeating the same action again and again.

when dad entered, he was angry already, but she did not understand that either. she did not turn at the sound of a bellowing voice because it did not make her afraid, when eventually she turned because she was irritated by his presence, she held a knife dripping eerily with blood in her hand. the other arm, one sleeve rolled up, slices all the way up to the top of her shoulder deeper and deeper. her voice didn’t change, no flicker of emotion in those deep brown eyes of hers, “i’m not really hungry,” she had told him simply.

it was hard to recall the moments that passed in that house on that night, the dinners that were served cold at a table of terrified teenagers and young adults that did not include her. the way that mom carried on with what she was doing throughout the whole ordeal as if nothing was amiss -- they would become used to that in years that passed. 

she wasn’t concerned about missing dinner, but she was concerned that her experiment wasn’t complete. as she was dragged from the family home by pacifico and dad, she kicked and screamed and scratched to escape, she begged and pleaded but she never once promised that she would stop – she didn’t know how, she didn’t even know what she had done was wrong or that it was scary, because it didn’t hurt. it hadn’t hurt her one bit. those gashes that bled out on dad’s shirt were nothing more than incomplete to her.

when dad looked at her as she was strapped away in the back of an ambulance, she looked back at him and wondered if she was like belva’s broken bones. she wondered if she was distorted and disgusting and thrillingly strange, she wondered if it was a sight that had finally caught his attention. these days, that was difficult. she wasn’t ashamed, she was proud, she was pleased. she no longer wanted to fight, she had a new fascination; humanity.

“dad,” she had asked in a voice that was small and curious, “am I broken?”

pacifico gulped. the paramedic turned around. there was a silent moment.

“no,” he looked her right in the eye, “you’re perfect.”

she never told her siblings that was the second and last time that she saw their father cry.

[circe-poetica]

I am Intimate – The 8th house

The 8th house in the represents your intimacy with yourself and with special others. Intimacy is probably the most challenging and sought after feeling in our society. In the 8th house you get to know yourself deeply, on the feeling level (unlike the 1st house highlights outer activity). To this house you Invite special other people and get to know them, and therefore yourself, on your deepest levels, and yes, in this way you do clear out old karma.

In traditional astrology this is the house of secrets. It rules sex, other people’s money, taxes, debts, loss, and death. It’s the house that intrigue us, frighten us, and bewilder us since we cannot put into words the experiences that are represented in this house.

The key to this house is to remember that part of life is going through hardships; they cannot and should not be avoided. Many people feel shattered when dealing with 8 house issues, getting to know the limitations of the self, and the existence of other greater forces. An honest living of the 8th house can make anyone a very strong person, one who can contribute to the world at large, without asking for anything in return.

The 8th house in the is still in the realm on the houses that deal with others. The difference between the 7thand the 8th is that in the 7th house relationships are agreed upon, and are forged like a contract, looking for harmony. In the 8th house there is power involved, primal feelings are aroused: desire, anger, ecstasy, insecurity, or greed. Others enter this house via sex, bank accounts, or just finding out how to push us around through rousing our fears.  

The 8h house is the house that reminds us that death is a part of life. When a planet transits the 8th we think of death, someone we know might pass away, we are reminded of our fragility, and impermanence. In this house Metaphysics, Psychology, Astrology, witchcraft and all the other para and meta sciences find their domain.

Yet, the key to the 8th house is the power to let go, after you have pulled all your resources to get something, you become one with your desire, and then after all that you realize the highest power – the power of acceptance.

In reincarnation terms, this is the house that connects you to all your other identities, those unreasonable fears that you don’t know their origin, those insights and knowledge that comes out of the blue (or other identity linked to you). in this house you get intimate with the greater You.

Planets in the 8th house will bring you things that will pull you into emotional, psychological and spiritual development. You will experience fate, emotional drama and anything required for following your karmic path. Planets will be experienced in extreme power struggles.

Planets in the eighth house in the horoscope:

Sun in the 8th house: You prefer to stay behind the scenes and not attract attention to you. You have a strong sexual charisma, which can be used for good or bad (up to you). You enjoy healing modalities, and looking into other people’s deep hidden issues (with money, sex, past lives, health). You prefer to keep your issues to yourself and not discuss private matters with anyone. You can be a great benefactor to your surroundings, showing what real giving is since you ask for nothing in return. You could be appointed guardian for other people’s resources and in most cases you will do a great job at it.

The soul is in a process of transformation. The personality gets to know its deepest roots, motives, and development course. There are deep fears of abandonment, and failure. The personality is attempting to project strength to the outside world, and will build a foundation for that power throughout your life.

Moon in the 8th house: You intensify every feeling, every experience. Since young age you feel misunderstood, and many times get what you don’t want: attention when you rather be alone, or ignored when you want some attention. The natural spontaneity of the moon is hard to find here, you will be suspicious and protective. You look for some solid spiritual foundation to lean upon, and you will probably develop it throughout your life. You do get the small “lies” that people tell themselves and therefore know who is in front of you.

The soul is experiencing A LOT of old karma, making it easier to learn to distinguish between real feelings and fake feelings, you do contribute a lot to your surrounding without being aware of it.

Mercury in the 8th house: You love secrets, you love learning and talking psychology, astrology, and any other metaphysical studies. When you speak to other people you are sometimes “off”, talking to another level of their being, one that they don’t understand. Your conversations are filled with unexpected turns and twists.

The soul wants to explore through the mind all aspect of the emotional, psychological world.

Venus in the 8th house: You project sexiness whether you like it or not. People find you intriguing, many times giving you characteristics that are not your own. All your love relationships are karmatic (could be good or bad), and you like the feeling of being one with someone else. In good aspects you could be a benefactor of money, in bad aspects, you could lose what you have. remember that you are cashing in on your karma. You prefer to keep your relationships, feeling etc to yourself.

The soul wants to be intimate with itself, but getting there through relationships with other people.

Mars in the 8th house: You have strong memories of wars. You will experience power struggles in which you will sometimes be strong, and sometimes weak. You have great patience when it comes to what you want. You are attractive and sexy, and in most cases can deliver on that promise.

The soul is learning how to be strong in the real sense of the word. Strength that can be relied upon no matter what the circumstances are.

Jupiter in the 8th house: You have good intuition. You will experience transformations through religious learning experiences. You are attracted to old cultures. In personal encounters you sometimes tell the truth without being aware of it, and cause yourself social mishaps. You are far more naive when it comes to money than you realize. In good aspects there is luck with winning lrge sums of money, in bad aspects there is the expectation that never materializes.

The soul strengthens its bond to pure faith that is beyond any religion.

Saturn in the 8th house: You do have issues with your sexuality. Note not to use it to exploit anyone, or be exploited. This is one area in your life which you will need to examine, and find balance, abstaining will not do it, nor will promiscuity. You hate talking about your true feelings, while you need o find out about them more than anybody else. You move from feelings of superiority, to feelings of inferiority.  

The soul is learning the value of choice in relationships, of acquiring modesty and maturity in regards to sex and money.

Uranus in the 8th house: You are attracted to Astrology. You have a swing between your mind and your feelings that opens up the 8th house. This is the one planet that can view 8th house issues objectively. You enjoy learning psychology, cultural studies, and have a good reading into other people’s feelings. In good aspects expect good surprises in sexual partners and in money, in bad aspects, beware of the unexpected with regards to sex and money.

The soul seeks to bring new insights into its interpretation of feelings, and emotions.

Neptune in the 8th house: You are tuned into the deep feelings of other people, and mass society. You could have had reincarnations in which you were a healer, or a witch. Your dreams are vivid, and can be a window to greater truth, or to illusions. Beware of any mind altering substances. You could experience great love affairs, but cn also be disillusioned from your sexual partners.

The soul would like to share unconditional love in a sensible way.

Pluto in the 8th house: You will experience power struggles in your life that will force you to find the right way of using your intuitive and psychic powers. Misuse of any of these powers, will cost you dearly. Your sexual partners are here to clear out old entanglements. You could be a great force for positive transformation via your healing and or psychological powers, on the same token you can bring chaos and havoc to yourself and others. You more than anyone, must learn to give for the benefit of all, and not for personal gain.  

The soul is in process of deep transformation.

https://zvezdogled.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/i-am-intimate-the-8th-house-in-astrology/

https://youtu.be/JMZF2h-m0hQ

[mythandrhetoric-blog]

Evan Green, Essay 1 Draft

Sisyphus and the absurd: Analysis of Camus’ Argument

“The Myth of Sisyphus” is a complex and introspective piece that ties together greek mythology and the human condition in war torn 1940’s Europe. At the time in which the essay was published, Camus’ home country of France was occupied by the Nazis. Camus did his part to fight this Nazi occupancy by aiding the French resistance. When the myth of Sisyphus is compared to the condition Camus faced at the time of publishing this work, a striking parallel appears. Sisyphus faces eternal incarceration and physical torment after having his freedom stripped by the angry gods. Similarly to Sisyphus, Camus suddenly is facing oppression and subduction by a power greater than his own, however he actively chooses to rebel physically with the French resistance, and mentally with the publishing of his philosophical works. When Camus’ situation is considered, it is not hard to see why themes of mental triumph surpassing physical torment frequently appear in the essay. In his essay “The Myth of Sisyphus”, Camus uses the rhetorical strategies of imagery, allusion, and repetition to support his main claim that Sisyphus is an absurd Hero. Camus begins supporting his main claim by first promoting the sub claim that physical hardship can be overcome by a change of mindset. Camus uses imagery to describe the challenges that Sisyphus is faces in his eternal punishment Camus uses words that evoke emotions of sadness or pity from the reader to make an appeal to Pathos. The goal in establishing a scene of sadness and suffering is to first reveal the harsh reality that Sisyphus faces to the reader.  Camus writes, “... the cheek tight against the stone, the shoulder bracing the clay-covered mass, the foot wedging it, the fresh start with arms outstretched, the wholly human security of two earth-clotted hands” (Camus paragraph 4). He then continues, “Then Sisyphus watches the stone rush down in a few moments toward tlower world whence he will have to push it up again toward the summit. He goes back down to the plain” (Camus paragraph 4). Now that Camus has made the reader understand the awful circumstance that Sisyphus faces, he ties it back into his main claim that Camus is an absurd hero because he has become happy amidst the most horrible conditions possible because of his freedom of mindset. Camus writes, “The absurd man says yes and his efforts will henceforth be unceasing. If there is a personal fate, there is no higher destiny, or at least there is, but one which he concludes is inevitable and despicable”(Paragraph 9). In this quotation Camus focuses specifically on the fact that Sisyphus is aware of his new reality and making the conscious choice to continue in his punishment.

Camus continues to forward his argument that Sisyphus is an absurd hero by using metaphors to evoke feelings. These feelings are used to further the sub claim that life is meaningless, and attempting to find meaning does not change circumstance. Using the emotions of his audience in an effort to convince is a clear appeal to pathos. Camus writes, “Thus, convinced of the wholly human origin of all that is human, a blind man eager to see who knows that the night has no end, he is still on the go. The rock is still rolling.”(Paragraph 9). Although Sisyphus might wish to live again normally, this hopefulness does nothing to change the reality which he must now come to accept. This supports Camus’ sub claim that life is meaningless because it juxtaposes Sisyphus with a blind man who wishes to see but knows that it will never happen. At the end of the end of the sentence, Camus leaves us with two brief statements, “...he is still on the go. The rock is still rolling”. This is a pivotal moment in what Campus is saying because he has gone from describing hardship to the realization that nothing will ever change from this hardship. The only reality for Sisyphus is an endless goal of rolling a rock up a hill, therefore wishful thinking is entirely useless. He continues in his punishment not because he expects that something better will come about but because he has acknowledged that nothing will ever improve.

Camus finally uses the literary device of allusion to support the sub claim that Sisyphus is happy in his endless punishment. The use of outside sources in his argument creates a foundation on which Camus will build his conclusion that Sisyphus is happy. Because it is difficult to argue such a position the use of outside sources makes Camus’ conclusion more trustworthy.  This may therefore be seen as an appeal to ethos as it makes the reader more likely to trust Camus. Camus makes his first allusion to Oedipus when he writes, “ Thus, Oedipus at the outset obeys fate without knowing it. But from the moment he knows, his tragedy begins. Yet at the same moment, blind and desperate, he realizes that the only bond linking him to the world is the cool hand of a girl” (para 7). The parallel places the disability of blindness as the rock in which Sisyphus faces, and the hand of a girl as the lucidity which keeps his mind free from his eternal punishment. This allusion is not only serves to build Camus’ ethos but also to conclude that there is in fact more to Sisyphus’ reality than just a dismal existence. Like the cool hand of a girl, his mind is free to transform his very reality into something entirely new. Because of the freedom of consciousness, his thoughts allow him to tear beyond the bounds of his very existence.

Camus finalizes his sub claim that Sisyphus is happy by using elevated diction. By using elevated diction he can more skillfully illustrate why Sisyphus is happy. Simultaneously, this creates an appeal to ethos because high level writing makes an author sound more trustworthy and well spoken.  An example of this elevated diction is, “But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks. He too concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile.” (Paragraph 9). In using elevated diction, he is not merely telling the reader information, but forcing them to think and even at times decipher his writing. He says that Sisyphus has overcome the power the gods have used against him. Because his mind has so completely succeeded in accepting his own reality as one without purpose, yet still one worth embracing, he has become the master of his own existence. After using this elevated diction and forcing the reader to think deeply about the final conclusion being drawn, Camus puts the connection between his sub claims into a simple and final sentence, “The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy”(paragraph 9). This sentence strikes a clear conclusion into Camus’ work; Sisyphus is an absurd hero because he has overcome the bounds of his own reality with freedom of thought and found happiness.

Camus uses calculated rhetorical strategies to effectively argue that Sisyphus is an absurd hero through the use of imagery, metaphor, allusion and elevated diction. He skillfully crafts sub claims that are woven together to conclude with his main argument. While at times the writing is difficult to follow, the piece forces deep thought and seemingly allows the reader themselves to come to the final conclusion. Camus writing takes on the appearance of a puzzle in which the reader must invest time and thought to ultimately reach the striking final result.

[trickstersantana]

[PARA] Let’s agree on (1) one thing

Who: Santana, Jesse @timelessjesse​ Location:  Undique Stadium Time: 15 October 2018 Summary: An old fight, vampire vs trickster, but as we all know, what matter is the banter. Triggers/Notes: Violence, death, torture, burning houses

Santana was trying to train a bit on Undique. For her that means trying to see more people fighting or get people to fight her. She didn't like training alone. She walked around a bit trying to found any familiar face to duel.

There he, Jesse St.James stood centre stage, the scene of Undique Stadium fades into a murky blur behind him as he is surrounded by his own thoughts and displeasure. Here lies the pitiful defeat of Jesse St.James as his lost erupts up in flames overshadowed with racist slurs and laughs of mockery. Oh how his great moment he had become the fallen in the eyes fo so many. Now this would be the moment that many would think the star would fall back in self pity, dwelling and enraged at himself but alark! Do not be fooled, Jesse St.James, was not the one at fault it was the rest who were to blame, simply so. How he knows that one was to blame, humanity. Cruel and harsh humanity.

Santana smiles a bitchy smile when she sees the vampire guy. Sure, she though once to stop being so shitty to vampires. But it was so much fun to defeat and humilliate them. There was one vampire called Rodrigo once who was really bad to her, and she applied that to any other vampire she met like they were at fault, you know, like a racist piece of shit. "My my, look who's here! The drama queen.Alas! Woe are you!" She says, getting close to him.

Jesse St.James feels a spotlight burning at the entrance to another star on the scene.  No! This was not how the scene was meant to go, this was his monologue now it was turning into a dialogue. All was wrong, script to perfection thrown away in the air. He turns slow on his heels, oh it was nothing but an understudy who seems to pry their way to stardom in Jesse's tragic tale. His eyes narrow at the her,"Ahh may it be the trickster who dubs herself to be the gayest queen. Poorly, self proclaimed." His looks away,"I have you know I am a drama King! A high king to say the least!" The trickster moves closer, alas no she won't. Jesse begins to circle around with her. "How dare you, very dare you even speak to me at this very moment."

Santana makes an illusion of a crown on her head, a red, kingly cape on her shoulders, and a spotlight illuminating her. "Yes! Except the poorly. Those are the ones who dare to try to defeat me." She says, getting even closer, but the vampire avoids it. "Oh, my my, this is just so weird. The Jesse St. James is now nothing more than a sad, weak vampire! Man, it must be so tragic to have it all and then lose everything, even your humanity." She has been searching for humanity for so long, she couldn't imagine what a pitiful thing is to have what she has been searching, and then lose it forever. She always wanted to die a human, and the man in front of her could had, but chosed to become...that. "I super dare! I speak to anyone I want whetever I want!"

He keeps his face deadpan as he is witness to illusion magic, ah the trickery that came with a trickster. Just another foolish magical aspect that could not be captured on film only as a faded nothing Jesse, however, was envious about the crown that rested upon her head. "The crown does not suite you well, as you are a fool, a deluded fool." He pause  as she was the one who defeated him, the blinding embers. Jesse connects the dots "You. You and...and," he tries to remember the other but alas he draws a blank,"Some other defeated me, alas you will rue that." Again he pauses, a bitter chuckle leaves his lips,"You think that I, Jesse.St.James, have it all? Sad and weak? You are mistaken,very mistaken." Jesse throws his head back,"Ahh humanity, you think a lost of humanity is a lost. Be gone with it. Humanity is nothing." Jesse tells her proudly so. "You have a a tongue on you, bold and daring but they are only words."

"I can sense your envy, ex actor." Santana says making her illusory crown shinier. She laughs, of course she defeated him. "Joke's on you, I don't even know what rue means. Sounds like a street thing. You sound silly." She then corrects herself. "Oh, my bad. I mean had. You know, in the past. It doesn't seem like you have anything at all now." She makes herillusions vanish with his new words, and she looks at him, not believing him. "Sounds like something you tell yourself to not fall into a spiral of despair. What? You like it more now?" She illusions a knife whose blade forms the word WORDS. "I can cut with my words, vampirito. And I'm stronger than you."

Jesse distance himself wondering if tricksters could actually sense his emotions. His information about them was little to nothing only an awareness never a claim to know everything about their kind. Why should he? Just another blur on the L. Naturae kind.  "Lies," he dares to challenge her. Waving his hands dramatically before placing them on his temple,"Uneducated, should have been expected with you. It means to bitterly regret which you shall, oh how you shall."  Was she truly trying to claim the values that he had in his life? "Oh they were the choices I made, so many choices. I could tell you the stories, oh I really could but why don't you search my name and see what such drivel and conspiracies humanity has crafted about me." Jesse laughs again,"My life was rather pleasant, freeing if you will not restricted by the shackles of society." He watches as she creates a knife, an actual knife of words,"Threatening me? How cute." He uses his speed to appear behind her, making his and her hair whisper at the quick pacing, whispering in her ear,"Very cute."

Santana giggles, but like, evilly. "Hey hey! I'm super educated! Bilingue here, pedazo de mierda." She called him a piece of shit in spanish. "Very bad choices." She keeps mocking. "I know what the internet says, and what the aethernet says. Don't you prefer to tell your own story? You looooove to talk about yourself." He really is dramatic. She felt this was the kind of person she would had a competition over who has the most tragic backstory. "Was pleasant, you became a vampire and suddenly it's all shit, isn't it?" The world is a shit when you aren't human. In a flash, the vampire is whispering too close to her. She jumps far away from him and points at him with her fake illusory knife. "Ew! Why are all of you batties such creeps!"

@Jesse:  2d6 = (2+4) = 6

@Santana: 1d7 +2 = (1)+2 = 3

The trickster was talking in a foreign tongue, he was impressed. "I am not impressed," Jesse retorts to her as she talks her jargon like a witch giving a spell. "And you are the advocate for wise choices. Tell me, Jesse St.James, how the devil did you end up in a place like this?" Her voice was mocking, she was not the intended audience for his story, however, she was right he loves the sound of his own voice. "Yes, I, Jesse St.James loves the sound of my own voice, here is where you would be correct. It is such a joyous song all shall adore. Becoming what I am now, nothing in the world can be greater. You see the world in a better light." His hands cling to his heart meaning it dearly. As he is close to her, he see's this as a chance, distracted by his beauty mistaken for creepiness, he see's an opening to rid the knife from her hold.  Aiming, swiftly for her wrist, he grabs it tight in hopes she drops the knife.//which a lot of people need to see what works and doesn't//do it and i am very down! for it.

@Santana:  1d7 +2= (5)+2 = 7

Santana super did not believe that. "Better light? C'mon! I know you can't barely stand the sun night, criature of the night. What's good about being a vampire? You can't go out a certain time of the day, you can't fully live with commons, you get trapped here..."She counts the bads. Then, the vampire HITS her wrist. She gets rid of the illusion. "Auch!" She tired to make an illusion of fire between them.

@Jesse:  2d6= (6+2) = 8

"So that may be true never being able to wonder in the light again or feel the bittersweet chill to winters, however, the night has so much to offer."  Jesse could not help but spatter,"Live among the commons? With such filth, such ignorant idiots. Why would one want to mix with that rubble? I pity those who do." He sighs,"Alas, we are trapped in here with witches too." Jesse smiles a toothy grin, no his fangs are not showing. "G-g-good." His voice becomes trapped in his throat as the fire illuminates around  him. Consumed once again, how he was a mouth to a flame.

[OOC: Neither Erica or I noticed Santana lost that one roll because what is math and counting, we fixed in the HP count but not on rol]

@Jesse : 2d4 = (4+4) = 8

@Santana:  1d7 +2= (4)+2 = 6

"What does it have to offer?" Santana feels like the drama king was trying to convince himself too his shitty situation wasn't that shitty. "It's super fun to live with powerless idiots!" She says with a grin. Commons would never turn her into an animal. Commons would never do any enchantment to her. Commons would never turn her into a zombie. It didn't matter how cruel a common was, they couldn't do magic. Their cruelness had a limit on power. "You don't like witches, you don't like commons, it seems to me your problem is not humanity, your problem is just people in general. Man, you are juuuuust so lonely, aren't you?" She says, still maintaining her fire illusion.

@Jesse :  2d6= (4+3) = 7

@Albaharu:  1d7 +2= (3)+2 = 5

"Tell me you know that New York is the city that never sleeps?" Jesse is stunned with her ignorance,"The city is just as alive if not more so during the day." When she squanders on about the powerless idiots he can't help but yawn a little. "Selfish and destroying idiots more like. Humanity claims to think that they know best." Jesse runs a hand through his hair. "Oh trickster queen, I am not alone. I am never alone, do not fool yourself." He starts to unbutton his shirt, pulling is apart calling forward his majestic stallion. Sterling St.James appears his silky mane blowing upon  arrival.   "Charge!!" Jesse demands his familiar with a smirk on his face. Sterling, stomps a hove on the floor naying away in annoyance towards Jesse. "See how powerful...."Jesse was looking down expecting Sterling to charge, however, Sterling goes off script. Jesse tuts waving his hands at Sterling to the trickster,"Are you seriously choosing now to have a moment you foolish stead?" Sterling clacks a hove, naying even more. "Great, great, thank you for nothing you useless stallion," Jesse huffs,"I guess things are to be done myself." Jesse speeds from his position towards Santana with a lighter shove. "As you can see, Sterling is all the company I need."

"Everyone knows that's code for crime." Santana says. She never visited New York at night with the stupid curfew. The only time was with the big monster on new year. But she was sure it wasn't that cool. "And you are super enjoying the nights in New York, aren't you? Not like NYADA would let you. She geets very creep up by the vampire unbutting his shirt. "Ew" A fucking killing machine also commonly known as 'horses' charges agaisnt her. She quickly tries to remember any of the crap Oliver has told her about horses that time she had Blaine's personality and listened to him saying random information. Oh no, it was all useless in a fight. But anyway, the horse doesn't attack. "Yeah yeah, good horse. Stay there." But even if the horse didn't attack, the vampire did. "God damn it!" She prepared another illusion. "It's that the only thing you got? Your familiar? That's pathetic!" She tries to make another illusion of fire, but summons her own familiar to attack too. "Emergency food! Come and attack!"

@Santana:  1d7 +3= (1)+3 = 4

@Jesse :  2d6 = (4+3) = 7

Jesse rolls his eyes as she seems to think the bleakest of the night, alas the trickster was one of those people. "This place is a prison confining me, thanks to those forsaken slayers deeming me, a danger to society. The nerve of them, the very nerve."  Freedom was limiting and fleeting, nothing more than he wanted to begone of this place, how this place could be dubbed a sanctuary he could never understand. He looks away dramatically, his heart yearning for the freedom it once had.  Sterling nays in delight by the praise to be a good horse, he was a good horse and was getting more praise then Jesse that was getting nothing for the trickster. Sterling like the trickster girl despite Jesse not. "Don't you enjoy this horse!"  He points a finger at Santana,"That is not all that I got!" He blinks at the call for emergency food, what in the devil's name was that? When he saw a familiar coming his way.

Santana shrug "Hey, we agree on something, those slayers fucking suck. Geez, I wish I could destroy that useless guild from the inside." Daisy doesn't even charge agaisnt the vampire, she just walks softly to him. Daisy moos but only Santana and the horse would understand her words. "Santanaaaa do not bully people. That is wrong." Santana ignores her and laughs. "Oh my my! Does the horse likes me? Someone has a good eye." Some strange wave of 'hey I saw something that reminded me of you' hits her. She took her phone. "Hey I know a kid who is a super nerd for horses, I'm going to send them a pic" Meanwhile she illusions some shadow people going to push Jesse away so he didn't appear on the picture.

@Santana:  1d7 +2= (6)+2 = 8

@Jesse :  2d6= (5+1) = 6

@Jesse:  2d4= (4+2) = 6

@Santana:  1d7+2= (3)+2 = 5

Something twitches in his smile as he is actually having agreement with another. He, Jesse St.James was actually agreeing with someone that was out of the question, out of the question truly. "Slayers, how I despise their kind, their values, their narrow views . To go from the inside is unneeded torture to indulge in." Sterling is laughing that Jesse is getting bullied, it meant he was making enemies, he was getting out the room it was good.  Jesse hates the camera being out, he was about to break it knowing he would become a blur but there are shadow people around him. "What in the name?!" he exclaims lost in the sea of them.

Santana's weakenesses, talking shit about slayers. "They are nothing but annoying killing tools. The should just slay each other a la Battle Royale" She takes the pic of the horse and sends it to Oliver even when she says they're a super annoying kid she despises.

@Jesse :  2d6= (1+5) = 6

@Santana:  1d7+2= (7)+2 = 9

Alark! This is where the trickster seems to be distracted by the thoughts of Slayers and bring them to their demise. Oh, how Jesse would share that dream to destroy those fools who made him trapped in this prison of  The New York Academy of Divine Arcanum.  There is a part of him that is intrigued with the thought the Slayers going Battle Royale, oh the ways to be self destructive as humanity seems to be. Distracted, this is where he moves in to get her. Moving in quick, he elbows her in the chest wanting to push out of the way of his main light.

Santana believes for a second she is having A Moment with the vampire, but as all vampires are Jesse St James was a fucking traitor who doesn't forget he is figthing and has a better technique than her. How dare he be strong? What a jerk. "You jerk!!" She says, illusioning burning stakes  and christian cross or whatever vampires hated to send it his way.

Suddenly, an Angry girl enters the room with a kick to the door. She points at Santana "YOU!! I knew you will be here!!" The girl accuses her. "The group project was today! You are not going to do nothing and get all the credit! So get going to the library!"

Santana who was super going to avoid that boring group project and still keep the note frows at getting caugh. She stops the illusions. "Vampi, you got lucky I am forced to do homeworks. But next I'll crush you!" She says, leaving.

[montyduff]

Apex // Self Para

The young Capitol tribute ventured into the territory he recalled seeing an assemblage of animals emerge in earlier that day, predators ranging from the fierce maned lion to the sneaky, underwater crocodile. He didn’t yet know which of the carnivores he would pick to tie a leash around and command. The snake demanded the task of him so plainly that he mentally deemed it doable. The instructions, though spoken to him through the medium that was the serpent, were crafted by the men and women he so often sat around the roundtable with. Given any other situation, Pegasus would have been present for the meeting and shoving his scribbled suggestions across the table and towards the pile where more scribbled suggestions gathered. It was troublesome realizing he would’ve known the crop of tributes better had he not been one of them, as no solid ideas for what he would have the snake tell them came to mind. Whoever else remained and would be out attempting to stay alive was knowledge beyond him aside from knowing firmly that District 1 was finished.

Jasper Beryl’s blood stained a pale red in spots all over both of his hands. The scent of it, he thought, could very well lure in the kind of creature he needed. A few pocket-sized watering holes offered the chance to wash his skin clean, but he refused the opportunities. The blots made him feel as predatory as the savage beasts that surrounded him, cloaked by camouflage or land masses but present for certain. Aside from the countless victor deaths that characterized the third quarter quell decades before, no one had before been responsible for the death of a victor. He alone held the title, the record, the glory. It felt as though all of Jasper’s successes and status were flowing into him and making him stronger than ever before. With the resounding strength that now pulsated through his body, Pegasus dared his fellow Gamemakers to throw what they could at him. Better yet, he silently called out to the remaining tributes and challenged them to take him down in such an untouchable state. If anyone had managed to climb to the top of the food chain, it was him.

His instincts rarely led him astray. The way the grass fluttered in the wind was recognizable. The way it bowed beneath him as he stepped on the blades. The sound of his bare feet against the ground had become a consistent sound since his memory fully restored itself. The echoes of thuds several feet from him were new. The way the tall grass swayed in one clear direction wasn’t natural. Pegasus suddenly sensed he’d been set up and that more than the dozens of cameras installed in the arena’s crevices were pointed at him. A spotlight invisible to him followed every step or flinch he made. He was being watched. 

It was incredible that the big cat hadn’t elected to pounce where it stood to sink its teeth into his throat. Instead, it revealed itself dramatically, emerging from the grass and out onto the circular patch of dirt that now seemed more like an arena within an arena. A purr rippled through him and the tiger’s yellow eyes glowed in the afternoon sun. “Hey there girl,” he stated assumingely. “I’m not here to hurt you. We can be friends. Good friends.” Making absolutely sure not to lower his defenses, Pegasus bowed to the creature with a stern, unyielding face. Simultaneously trying to make the animal feel comfortable while asserting his own authority proved an odd dynamic. Somehow he was still in one piece.

The tigress prowled around the man, sizing up her potential prey in the same way he was figuring out how best to approach her. Faithfully leaping, he took two steps forward. The distance between them decreased greatly and the man’s skin tingled with anticipation. “Don’t move,” he warned her. He put his hand up in a swift movement and immediately regretted it. The feline swatted Pegasus to the ground with fangs visible. She pressed her weight against his vulnerable chest and unleashed the fury hidden beneath her claws. Bloody gashes opened down his pectorals, one claw unluckily slicing through the man’s nipple. The tigress snapped her jaws at his face again and again, never sinking her teeth into him to seal the deal. Pegasus wrestled to escape, but was no match for the predator’s power. He thought the end was coming as she retreated to seemingly pounce once more, but after the tigress growled maliciously at the downed tribute, she bounced off him and fled into the tall grass from where she came. The attack was over, but Pegasus didn’t stir. He didn’t move a muscle until the scampering of the feline’s paws were unable to be heard. Sheer fright held his back against the dusty ground. He couldn’t tell the difference between the catty yelps from his memory and the ones he could hear from the still retreating tigress. To be afraid of an animal, one without even the modifications he so enjoyed customizing, filled him with nauseating guilt. Had the mutts he helped craft been as powerful? As merciless? As real? 

River Caulder’s quiet outburst towards him years earlier made much more sense than it ever had. The mutts in his arena were prominent and killed nearly everyone, the victor included. While Pegasus admired their creative builds and characteristics from the safety of his mansion living room, real tributes sprinted for their lives from the nerve-racking creatures, many not as lucky as he’d just been with the tiger. He tried desperately to think of anything else, to refocus on his prior objectives. He had to win the Games to get back to his family, to London, and to get back to his career. The job he spent countless hours kissing ass to climb to the top for and even more hours designing mutts that would go on to torture competitors. How could he possible return to his profession knowing what it was like to stare the muttations in the face? It was diabolical. How could the Games be made more ethical? Mutts were half the equation most times. 

Pegasus spent the fleeting afternoon and evening attempting to tame another, less dangerous predator. A crocodile ascended from beneath the depths of murky water, its jaws clamping up and down in pursuit of his ankles. An eagle squawked and just barely missed the tuffs of his hair as it soared past him. Even the scavenger hyenas managed to outdo him, teaming up and making him their target entry for dinner. Each time his chest ached with the same apprehension the tigress introduced him to. These beasts were living, breathing creatures of God. Perfect, apex predators without the need for genetic modification. He believed more and more as dusk faded that his entire belief in muttation design was an abomination. Ridden with failure, both in completing his task and as a human being, Pegasus returned to the apple tree.

The enormous serpent still coiled itself around the trunk, hissing more quietly but still as persistently as it had that morning. Lost and confused, the young man opened his arms to it. “Have I been wrong about everything?” he shouted into the night. “Did you send me out there to find that out? This is sick and twisted. I’ve only ever done what I thought was the right thing to do. Does achieving your goals mean nothing if others suffered to make it possible?” The serpent’s ability to speak must’ve been temporary, for it remained silent aside from its natural noise. For a moment, Pegasus saw Lysander where the cold-blooded reptile rested. It was unlike the man to purposefully lead him to answers or to directly interfere with the outcome of the arena’s events. This unfolding epiphany wasn’t planned or planted. Nobody meant for him to make any sort of revelation. If Mr. Vultur knew he would be unhinged by the task, he would approve it. Mr. Vultur knew more about the inner workings of the Games than anyone. If he knew what Pegasus now knew, he was as cold-blooded as the serpent he continually switched places with the more the Capitol boy stared. 

Above him, Panem’s anthem began to play. Inside him, a rapidly spreading wildfire engulfed his nerves. The young man convulsed on the ground, twitching fervently enough to toss his body several feet in one go. Every inch of his skin burned and his insides squished under the most unbearable pressure he’d ever felt. The pain was indescribable. It was greater than crashing onto the Earth, popping his shoulder into place, and being scarred by the tigress put together. He could think of nothing but the agony and how desperately he wished for it to stop. The smallest adjustment to the burning made him realize that it never would. No mention of what would happen when midnight arrived with the challenge incomplete was announced, but it hardly took a genius to put the pieces together. This was death. Pegasus never imagined it would ever come and certainly not like this. The serpent stared at him with satisfaction sitting unhidden in its eyes. Still writhing about, he silently begged for the end to come. 

Then he remembered. The unbearable torture he was going through had been pitched at one of the last meetings he’d been able to attend back in June. A punishment for being unable to do what was asked of you. The suffering would be terrible, but only the tribute could end it. They’d all loved the idea and how well it would test the strongest tributes. Only the strongest would be able to overcome it, even if it meant their deaths. His axe gleamed on the ground nearby. 

Without a second thought, Pegasus slit his throat and the convulsing ceased. His blood poured out on the patchy dirt, running like rain down the blades of grass and onto the cracked ground. His life was quickly running out and with it, all of his regrets as passengers on the blood river. While he wanted the comfort of his family or the chance to apologize to all those he may have wronged, he craved nothing more than the opportunity for redemption. He still firmly believed he would have been a victor who brought change. Now he knew it would have been change for good. To fix the Games, to replace them somehow with something less cruel. The chance wouldn’t ever come, but it was comforting to imagine all the good he could have done. 

Seconds of Pegasus Gleam’s life remained and he thought only how grateful he was the sky was the same as it was on the outside. His eyes followed patterns of stars he knew all too well. First the pointed tail of Scorpius, then the most prominent point on Lynx. Virgo sprawled out north, east, and west, and the winged horse forever flew freely through the galaxy. The bright and burning balls of gas millions of miles away gleamed the way he always hoped he did. As that light, his light, faded, Pegasus knew precisely what he would spend his next life designing. 

BOOM

[deputyxjones-blog]

shadows and regrets // self-para

Featuring: @evaxreid

Early morning. Day after the collapse at the recreation centre.

Clara was unsure if it was the death, the destruction, the devastation or the staying up all night dealing with all of the above that had her feeling on edge and off-kilter---in fact, she wasn’t even sure what she was supposed to be feeling in the first place, given the sheer amount of things that had happened the night before. All she could register when she stepped into the office that morning was that there were too many emotions in her system and not enough bandwidth to process them. Everything else ran on autopilot. 

Before she knew it, the deputy had commandeered a squad car and managed to drive herself all the way to Chicago, motivated by a deep-seated feeling of isolation, more caffeine than any person should ever have before noon, and a desperate desire to be anywhere but in Muddy Waters. But more importantly, she wanted to talk to the one person who had never, ever made her feel alone.

Finding out which hospital Eva had been brought to was a matter of placing a call to the right loose lipped staff member at Haven Health Centre. Actually getting into her room when visitors had yet to be authorised turned out to be more of a challenge. Clara was used to being able to talk her way into anything, whether it be through rational argument, a little bit of charm and wit or sheer stubbornness alone---but nothing, not even repeatedly flashing her badge, seemed to work on the disgruntled nurse at the front desk. In the end, it took going out and buying said nurse an expensive takeaway lunch to get her through the door, which to be fair, had the added benefit of proving once and for all that Chicago and Muddy Waters really weren’t that different. Bribery, as it turned out, worked the same everywhere.

The room was as sterile and suffocating as she’d imagined, reminding the brunette of exactly why she had always hated hospitals---a fact which was only compounded by seeing her best friend lying motionless in bed, hooked up to all kinds of medical equipment and having barely escaped the events of the previous night with her life. It was such a strong contrast to the dominant, tougher-than-nails woman that she had come to know and love, that Clara almost struggled to reconcile what she knew of Eva with the girl sleeping in a hospital bed in front of her. Hovering by the door, she hesitated for what felt like the longest minute of her life before taking a deep breath and walking into the room.

Another minute passed. And then another. For a while, that was all it was---just her, sitting on a chair next to the bed in silence, trying to remember what she had planned to say or why she had even come here in the first place. If she’d even had a plan in the first place. Truth be told, her actions had been as instinctive as they were impulsive, driven by emotions that were too intense for her to know or understand. “Damnit Eva, you scared me,” the deputy managed eventually, her words barely coming out over a whisper. “You scared the shit out of me. I swear to God, if you ever do that again, I’m going to kick your ass.”

It was an attempt to ease some of the tension in the room, to lift some of the weight that lay heavy against her chest, but even that couldn’t stave off the tears that were slowly forming in Clara’s eyes---almost as if everything that had happened in the past twelve hours had cracked through her many impenetrable walls, leaving her feeling raw and exposed to the world around her. “I was on my way to talk to you,” she continued, shaking her head to herself. “When it happened. Seeing you fall through the floor, feeling that... That sense of panic when I couldn’t help, when I couldn’t do anything to stop it, that was... That was probably the worst second of my night. Which is really saying something, because trust me, there were a lot of bad moments last night.”

Looking up a the ceiling, the brunette smiled and laughed half-heartedly to herself, wiping away the stray tear that had escaped her eyes and was now rolling down her cheek. Of course, there was nothing remotely funny about what had happened the night before, but it was the only way she could think to relieve all the nervous tension in her body. In fact, it was the only way she could sit up straight and talk about it without collapsing into a pile on the floor. “Link and I got into a fight when I got home,” she explained, pulling up her right knee to her chest and resting her chin against it. “A bad one. The worst one we’ve ever had. And it just... It made me feel so alone. So isolated. More isolated than I’ve felt in a long time. And I realised that, if I... If I hadn’t been so careless with our friendship, then I probably wouldn’t have felt that way.” She paused, dropping her gaze to the floor and smiling to herself again; except this time, it was with a kind of bittersweet fondness. “Y’know, there was a part of me that always hated when you told me what to do. I hate when anyone tells me what to do, but it was different with you, because I...  Because I always listened to you. And I resented that. But now I’m in this horrible place, and I feel lost, and anchorless, and I genuinely don’t know what to do. And out of everyone, I wish that I could talk to you about it.” After all, Eva would never have let anyone talk to her the way that Link had talked to her last night. She probably would have had his head for even trying.

Clara looked up again, suddenly painfully aware of the fact that had her best friend been awake to hear any of this, she probably wouldn’t have said it in the first place. Those were the lengths to which her pride and stubbornness had taken her. And that was a hard pill to swallow. "I’m so sorry, E,” she whispered, shaking her head to herself. “I’m sorry for how everything went down between us. I want you to know that didn’t do what I did because I don’t love you, or because I don’t care about you, or because you don’t matter to me. Because you do. I did it because I thought it was the right thing to do. But I... I should have handled it differently. I should have handled it better. I should have talked to you first, should’ve tried to explain my point of view, should’ve... I should’ve done anything but what I did.” To be fair, it was a complicated situation. Some days, the deputy was able to focus on the fact that what she’d done, what her actions had lead to in the long run, had been a great professional victory. Most days, she couldn’t help but remember that as proud as she was of that, it had come at an equally great personal cost. If not greater. But that was the choice that she’d made.

“I don’t regret taking a stand,” she concluded resolutely, feeling an unexpected sense of relief in being able to admit that. “I regret sacrificing our friendship to do it. I regret not treating it, not treating you, with the care and respect that you deserved. Because after six years, I owed you that much. I owed you more than making it seem like all of this didn’t hurt me. And I owed you so much more than waiting until you almost died to apologise.”

Dropping her feet to the floor, Clara watched and waited for another couple of minutes, not quite sure what she was hoping for---if she was hoping that Eva would wake up and find her there, or if she was relieved that she hadn’t. But when all she was met with was silence and the soft, constant beeping of the machines, she was forced to accept that in the grand scale of things, it probably didn’t matter. And so breathing deeply, the deputy eventually stood and moved slowly toward the door, throwing one last glance over her shoulder before taking her leave.

It was as if she was never there at all.

[internetandnetwork]

Black Hat SEO: What It Is and Why You Should Avoid It

Take a trip down memory lane and think about how things were ten years ago. When people incorrectly presumed that SEO was nothing but a manipulative marketing maneuver that was all about deceiving the search engine’s algorithm and using strategies to trick Google (or any other search engine) into thinking that your website satisfies the search query best.

This isn’t the way things should have ever been, and SEO professionals should have always focused on building a website that actually is the best result for a specific query instead of just giving a false impression that it is.

However, when it came to detecting web spam, Google’s algorithm wasn’t really that advanced back then.

Taking advantage of the situation, many SEO practitioners were abundantly using black hat SEO techniques to rank their websites, but fortunately, things have drastically changed.

In this blog, we will discuss what black hat SEO is, what risks are associated with it and which tactics you should steer clear of if you don’t want to come up against Google’s algorithm and Webmaster Quality Guidelines. It’s time to dive into the details.

What Is Black Hat SEO

Black hat SEO involves using aggressive techniques that contravenes the guidelines of the search engines to rank a website on the SERPs. Simply put, black hat SEO tactics are used to manipulate the search engine’s algorithm to boost a website’s ranking in the search results.

Search engines, including Google and Bing, have been very clear on the types of practices that violate their rules and the potential outcomes of using them despite that. Practicing black hat SEO strategies can result in your site getting penalized, whether manually or algorithmically, which will lead to ranking lower in the SERPs and most probably a sharp decline in the organic traffic.

Risks of Black Hat SEO

Using black hat SEO techniques to improve your website’s ranking wrongly involves some significant risks, which is why most SEO professionals decide that they are better off without such practices. Most of the SEO industry considers these approaches to be utterly immoral, and practicing them is strictly frowned upon.

However, if truth be told, there has, are, and will always be a tiny percentage of SEOs who would want to cheat the algorithm and try to accelerate their website’s organic success. But even if the black hat SEO tactics do benefit your site, the results are usually ephemeral.

Let’s discuss the risks of using black hat SEO tactics and the reasons why you should steer clear of them.

3 Top Reasons to Avoid Black Hat SEO

Just out of curiosity, some people might still wonder what can possibly happen if they use black hat SEO to rank their website. To answer this and understand why you need to avoid using such techniques strictly, let’s discuss the worst-case scenarios.

Google’s Webmaster Guidelines has been very clear about the consequences of violating the rules. If you delve deeper, you can see they’ve clearly stated that such practices may result in your website getting wholly removed from Google Search Index. Otherwise, your site may end up triggering algorithmic spam action, or Google itself may issue a manual action when a human reviewer ascertains that the site is contravening the guidelines. Moreover, the search engine also states that a website impacted by such spam actions might no longer be visible on Google’s search results or any of its partner websites.

Although SEO is all about improving your site’s organic search visibility and traffic, using black hat SEO tactics can actually cause the opposite. To help you understand its impact, we have broken down this further and presented three key reasons why you need to keep away from black hat SEO.

Negatively Impacts Your Search Visibility and Rankings

First things first, the main reason you should refrain from using black hat SEO tactics is that it will eventually cause your website to lose its search rankings, visibility, and traffic.

Needless to say, but when a site loses its visibility, rankings, and traffic, consequently, conversions and revenue will decline too.

This alone can mean a business’s revenue loss, which can further result in job losses and even shutting down the company. In the best-case scenario, a sharp drop in organic traffic and visibility will mean that the business needs to supplement it with a greater investment into paid media such as PPC.

This decline in your site performance after using black hat tactics can be due to either manual spam action or algorithmic filtering.

Drives Short-Term Results

In cases where using these manipulative tactics actually succeed in increasing a website’s performance and organic rankings, these are rarely preserved.

Although it may take a while before Google finds out that a website is engaging in unethical practices, losing your visibility and traffic is inescapable once it does.

The only thing which is worse than struggling to make a website rank at all in the search results is perhaps seeing a site’s rankings and traffic unnaturally bumped up only to decline abruptly any moment now. Companies need uniformity, which isn’t something black hat SEO can offer.

Delivers a Poor User Experience

Over time, SEOs have begun to realize that all this time, Google wasn’t just trying to rank websites based on who has optimized their site the best for search. Instead, it also considers which websites offer a decent or at least satisfactory user experience that the audience is happy with.

Therefore, SEO professionals must take account of the users’ experience on their website and strive to offer the best content and user experience. But the black hat SEO does the exact opposite of this. Those techniques optimize a website for search engines (at least according to their understanding of what the search engines want to see) instead of users. And this alone can be troublesome.

Trust plays a great role in search success. If you prioritize search engines over users, then it is most likely that your site’s ability to drive traffic, rank higher, and generate conversions will be substantially limited.

9 Black Hat SEO Techniques You Must Avoid

If you have just stepped into the SEO world, it is usually challenging to determine which strategies you should use and which ones you should strictly avoid.

While a lot of SEO basics are well-defined white hat SEO tactics, numerous more advanced strategies need more attention to detail.

However, you must ensure that you are following the right direction. Few recommended techniques you read on blogs and social media or from your knowns might sound like more “advanced” tactics, but actually, they’re just ushering you towards a black hat SEO approach.

The more familiar you are with the strategies that can spell danger for your website, the easier it will be for you to identify them and keep away from them as far as possible. Here are the nine black hat SEO techniques that you should avoid using to make sure you don’t go up against Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.

Excessive Keyword Stuffing

Repetition of your web page’s primary target keyword(s) isn’t going to help you rank higher in the SERPs. This practice, known as keyword stuffing, will probably lead to the opposite.

SEOs practicing black hat tactics will sometimes try to manipulate a website’s ranking by incorporating one or more target keywords peculiarly within a page. Keyword stuffing typically happens in random sections that stand outside of the main content or within paras that sound illogical when someone reads it out loud.

Using Duplicate or Automatically Generated Content

Producing high-quality, engaging content sure isn’t a child’s play, but we just can’t hide from the fact that it still is one of the top-ranking factors of Google.

One of the most commonly used black hat SEO tactics is to use automatically generated content to rank on search engines for a vast number of keywords without having to take the time to create original and valuable content, for example, using the same content by just changing the location name for different location pages across the website.

Make sure that you take out some time to build SEO-friendly unique content to avoid troubles caused due to low quality or duplicate content.

Adding Hidden Text

Text that uses the same color as the background placed off the screen or at the back of an image uses CSS to conceal it from the site visitors or uses a zero font size to become invisible is known as hidden text. This is deceitful, but at times it is used for keyword stuffing.

This isn’t applicable for the text in accordion, tabs, or which is loaded dynamically using JavaScript. Without a doubt, it is not advisable to use hidden text in your site because web crawlers have become far more advanced now, and they quickly realize that you are trying to stuff keywords.

Creating Gateway/Doorway Pages

Building pages that target a particular search query with content that is only meant to serve as a funnel to one page is deemed as the contravention of Google’s guidelines. Such pages are known as gateway or doorway pages.

Every content that you publish on your website should have a clearly defined purpose. You should not just go around building pages exclusively for the sake of ranking for somewhat irrelevant keywords, For example, building web pages to target geographical locations using keywords without your business even being present there. Another example is creating pages for the sake of ranking instead of satisfying the needs of the users.

Start developing content for humans, not for search engines.

Cloaking

Cloaking is another deceptive strategy that includes presenting different content or URLs to site visitors and search engines, virtually catering different experiences to both.

This is clearly a manipulative attempt to rank a web page based on the content developed for search engines while leading the visitors to someplace different. This practice again is a clear-cut violation of Google’s guidelines.

You should focus all your efforts on building the best possible experience for your user, and eventually, the search engine will love your page too.

Link Schemes

Link schemes are the most common black hat SEO strategy, and this is where the most confusion stems.

Now while other things such as creating original content that offers value to users and not using hidden text on the site might come across as common sense to a lot of marketers, link building is the place where things get a bit more complicated.

Links serve as the editorial vote of trust given by one site to another, and therefore, it is crucial that you ethically “earn” those links. Here are a few techniques that you should strictly avoid:

Sponsored or paid links that do not include attributes such as rel = “nofollow” or rel = “sponsored”

Exchanging too many links

Comment spam in blogs

Forum spam

Automated link building

Links using exact match or commercial anchor text

Large-scale article marketing or guest posting campaigns

Misusing Structured Data and Rich Snippets

Structured data helps describe organizations, relationships, and actions online, and misusing or exploiting such markup is just one of the many widely used black hat SEO strategies.

Typically, this means utilizing structured data to send out wrong information. For instance, a lot of marketers try to build more favorable structured data for their website by writing fake reviews and 5-star ratings to increase their ranking in the SERPs and boast a higher click-through rate.

Just like the other techniques in this list, this too is a deceptive practice that you should steer clear from.

Deceptive Redirects

Whether you are updating an old web page to a new link or URL or getting ready for a website migration, using redirects is a fundamental part of SEO. And we assure you that there is nothing wrong with using redirects; in fact, it is an effective way of making sure that your website is well-organized and easy to access for users as well as web crawlers. So you might be wondering how this made its way into this list?

Well, just like cloaking, black hat SEOs position sneaky redirects to cheat search engines, and present content that is different from the content displayed to the site visitors. Often the search engine falling into this trap indexes the original web page while the users are directed to a different URL destination. Google’s guidelines particularly mention deceptive redirects as a manipulative black hat SEO technique that contravenes its guidelines.

Using Negative SEO

Last but not least, it won’t be appropriate to presume that all black hat SEO practitioners use these deceptive strategies to rank their websites.

Some of them also use negative SEO to try and decrease the rankings of their competitor sites. Or phrasing it in better terms, black hat SEOs use manipulative techniques that contravene the search engine’s guidelines on someone else’s website instead of their own in an attempt to get it penalized.

Usually, this involves directing heaps of unnatural links to their competitor’s website, hoping that the search engine will spot it and penalize them for the same.

While this practice isn’t very common considering how smart Google’s algorithm is becoming day-by-day at neglecting links emerging from such attacks, it is crucial to keep your eyes open and analyze your link profile on a regular basis to make sure someone’s not trying to attack your website.

There are plenty of online tools that you can use to keep an eye on your link profile.

How to Report Black Hat SEO

While reading all about the black hat SEO, the dangers of using it, and strategies you should avoid using, it must have occurred to you that what should you do when you discover that a competitor is using these deceptive tactics and still not being penalized?

Well, when you find that they are violating the guidelines in any way, you can report them as spam to Google. Now, although reporting a website won’t lead to the search engine taking direct action right away, you are actually helping to improve algorithmic spam detection.

Being an ethical SEO professional, it is undoubtedly very upsetting to see a website deceiving the algorithm and still getting away with their wrongdoings. While Google is getting better every day at restricting such websites from acquiring top-ranking positions in the search results, there is no running away from the fact that there are still numerous sites that are performing well by leveraging black hat SEO strategies.

However, as we discussed earlier, sooner or later, these websites will be caught by the algorithm or human reviewers and end up getting their sites penalized for good. All it needs is one new update, and it’s over for them.

Wrapping Up

The main takeaway from this blog is that any website using black hat SEO techniques to improve their rankings will eventually fall foul of Google’s guidelines and jeopardize their site.

Even though black hat SEO is not being used as commonly as it used to back then, some SEOs still exist who follow this path or make their clients believe that these strategies are ethical while in reality, those tactics are clearly violating the search engine’s guidelines.

Concluding, when you are trying to get your own site to rank on the SERPs, never ever go down this way and use black hat SEO. If you find yourself struggling to achieve a better ranking position, learn the strategies that actually work in favor of your website without contravening the guidelines. Or you can take the easier way out and hire a reputed and established agency to help you with your site’s SEO “ethically.”

Hariom Balhara is an inventive person who has been doing intensive research in particular topics and writing blogs and articles for Tireless IT Services. Tireless IT Services is a digital marketing, SEO, SMO, PPC, and web development company that comes with massive experiences.  We specialize in digital marketing, web designing and development, graphic design, and a lot more.

SOURCE : Black Hat SEO: What It Is and Why You Should Avoid It