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Tuesday, December 5th, 2006
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2:06 pm - Speech: Lectures on War
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Shea Daily Daily1 Speech November 15, 2006 The lecture delivered by Dr. Dawn Greely, Dr. Joel Andres, and Dr. Brett Simpson dealt with comparisons between the Iraq War and Vietnam. For the most part, the three spent the majority of their time covering the history of Vietnam and how it shaped our views of war in general. The three doctors also made it a point to drive home the nature of our society in regards to the military. A PowerPoint presentation was used, though not heavily, mostly just to show maps and graphs of various statistics. Of the three of them, Dr. Greely spoke at greater length on several main points, and was more informative about the history of the Vietnam War. As the Irag War worsens, more and more parallels are developed with Vietnam. Dr. Greely specifically used the word “quagmire” when comparing the two, mentioning the fatal errors made in the planning of the war. What struck me as interesting was the bit of history she revealed pre-Vietnam. We set up Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam to get rid of the Japanese. Then Roosevelt and Truman both refuse to recognize Vietnam as an independent country; even going as far as to support Vietnam’s return to France -all because the U.S. needed allies for the Cold War with Russia. Then the U.S backed Ngo Dinh Diem, and later backed his murder. Dr. Greely was definitely an interesting speaker, though I do wish she would have spoken at greater length on the history of Vietnam, as I am not wholly familiar with the subject. While she spoke clearly, she spoke with wild gesturing movements and vocalized a lot of “umms”, “likes”, and “errs” and stuttered on several different occasions. She did Daily2 stand in place, but hardly ever made any eye contact whatsoever. Dr. Andres was what some would term as the “shocker” of the lecture. He talked about the economic effects the war with Vietnam, and about how the innocents were affected. He gave specific statistics -such as how 2 million civilians died in the Vietnam War, 4 million in Korea, and 600,000 in Iraq. He mentioned that Americans have regularly waged war since becoming an independent nation. We have by far the largest military in the world and spend nearly $600 billion of US tax money on the military. The most interesting fact he left us with was the fact that our case orientation of the military is overseas war. His style was wholly incompatible to Dr. Greely’s. He never stood to address the audience, instead remained seated, and relied heavily on cartoons and various movies to reinforce his points. He spoke clearer than Dr. Greely, not too fast or too slow, with near-perfect pronunciation. He also did not make any eye contact. Dr. Simpson was the least informative, mostly going over what the other two said. The one thing he did say that the others did not had to do with why we won’t pull out of the Iraq War, or why we didn’t pull out of the Vietnam War. According to Dr. Simpson, after a certain point in time, we could no longer withdraw because it would have made us “look bad”. The rest of his speech completely lost me, except for one segment where he mentioned something along the lines of “every yellow dwarf with a pocket knife”. He spoke in a low, halting voice that bordered on monotone, with little-to-no movements of hands or head. He stared directly at the notepad on his table. He did not use any pictures or a PowerPoint presentation. He listed several websites which we could validate his information at our own discretion, if we wished to. Daily3 After all three were done speaking, the floor was opened to ask questions of the panel. One which stuck out the most was one student asking about the resemblance the U.S. holds to the Roman Empire, and what they thought of the comparison. Surprisingly, given his complete lack of performance and information during the actual lecture, Dr. Simpson was the one who answered the question more thoroughly. He agreed with the comparison, keeping in mind that if one overlooked the traditional meanings of the word “Empire,” than the U.S. could indeed be considered an equivalent of the Roman Empire. Several factors he listed which gave credit to this belief were our military history and might, our economy, our culture, and our decadence. During this impromptu history lesson, he was animated, making direct eye contact with everyone in the room. His hand movements were kept controlled, usually only emphasizing a main point. All in all, it was an interesting lecture, if not as informative or well-planned as one would have hoped. There seemed to be a distinct lack of preparation for the lecture, as if they had just researched a few random facts from the web and embellished upon them. And it seemed as if the audience was the one that was being asked to do the critical thinking for the panel, as the questions they asked forced the three into answering more fully on the information that they should have had inside the original presentation.
current mood:  ...bored...
current music: Labyrinth "Into the Labyrinth"
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1:44 pm - Economics: Lecture on War
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Shea Daily Daily1 Econ 201 November 15, 2006 The lecture delivered by Dr. Dawn Greely, Dr. Joel Andres, and Dr. Brett Simpson dealt with comparisons between the Iraq War and Vietnam. For the most part, the three spent the majority of their time covering the history of Vietnam and how it shaped our views of war in general. The three doctors also made it a point to drive home the nature of our society in regards to the military. Of the three of them, Dr. Greely spoke at greater length on several main points, and was more informative about the comparisons. As the Irag War worsens, more and more parallels are developed with Vietnam. Dr. Greely specifically used the word “quagmire” when comparing the two, mentioning the fatal errors made in the planning of the war. What struck me as interesting was the bit of history she revealed pre-Vietnam. We set up Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam to get rid of the Japanese. Then Roosevelt and Truman both refuse to recognize Vietnam as an independent country; even going as far as to support Vietnam’s return to France -all because the U.S. needed allies for the Cold War with Russia. Then the U.S backed Ngo Dinh Diem, and later backed his murder. Dr. Andres was what some would term as the “shocker”. He talked about the economic effects the war with Vietnam, and about how the innocents were affected. He gave specific statistics -such as how 2 million civilians died in the Vietnam War, 4 million in Korea, and 600,000 in Iraq. He mentioned that Americans have regularly waged war since becoming an independent nation. We have by far the largest military in the world and Daily2 spend nearly $600 billion of US tax money on the military. The most interesting fact he left us with was the fact that our case orientation of the military is overseas war. Dr. Simpson was the least informative, mostly going over what the other two said. The one thing he did say that the others did not had to do with why we won’t pull out of the Iraq War, or why we didn’t pull out of the Vietnam War. According to Dr. Simpson, after a certain point in time, we could no longer withdraw because it would have made us “look bad”. The rest of his speech completely lost me, except for one segment where he mentioned something along the lines of “every yellow dwarf with a pocket knife”. After all three were done speaking, the floor was opened to ask questions of the panel. One which stuck out the most was one student asking about the resemblance the U.S. holds to the Roman Empire, and what they thought of the comparison. Surprisingly, given his complete lack of performance and information during the actual lecture, Dr. Simpson was the one who answered the question more thoroughly. He agreed with the comparison, keeping in mind that if one overlooked the traditional meanings of the word Empire, than the U.S. could indeed be considered an equivalent of the Roman Empire. Several factors he listed which gave credit to this belief were our military history and might, our economy, our culture, and our decadence. All in all, it was an interesting lecture.
current mood: I can't wait for finals!
current music: Lacuna Coil "Entwined"
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(comment on this)
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| Thursday, November 30th, 2006
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6:00 pm - True Love
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes! I've done it! I've done it! *does happy dance*
*calms down* I suppose you're wondering what that was all about, then? Well....
...for starters I probably should tell you that my first love in movies was The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton. That movie is still my top pic of all movies, followed closesly by Legend, Labyrinth, and Milo and Otis. (The first three are a given. The last one, well...let's just say the animals are far too cute for their own damn good.) And now? Now I've managed to discover that my first love in the darker aspects of the music scene -read Marilyn Manson- has successfully wed my two loves.
So guess what? I've got a copy of Marilyn Manson singing "This is Halloween". *smiles*
And it gets even better.
I've got it as an AMV of my first true loves in vampire anime: Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, and Hellsing Ultimate. Of course, that one was given to me by a close friend, and I don't know hopw to upload videos onto livejournal. However, I did manage to find something vaguely similar on YouTube, which you can view here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVCoJVsafuU
The quality is nowhere near as good, however, so I'm kinda put off. In my version, the images used actually go with the lyrics -it's really creepy just how good it is, even got's some lipsync!
Well, I'll leave you to enjoy the splender of the song, if not the video itself.
current mood:  I'm in love!
current music: Marilyn Manson "This Is Halloween"
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| Thursday, November 9th, 2006
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11:53 pm - Requiem Overture, Ch 2
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So this is the next installment of this fic. And I realize that some people are going to hate me for the 'convenience' of how I connected Sailor Moon to Hellsing, but I thought it was a rather brilliant one. Afterall, how do you get a blue-eyed, blond-haired girl from brown and blue-haired, brown eyed parents? The answer is, you don't. It's the same problem I have with Chibi-Usa's appearance. But I have an explanation for that too -just not in this fic. Also, this chapter is kinda jumpy. It starts out her being nine-years-old, and you get to see another of the dreams. At the 'hunting' segment, she's ten. By the time the 'basement' segment rolls around she's eleven. This is a short-ass chapter, and I know it. So no complaints please. ...my cat is patheric. It just sits there all damn day on my lap, and Heaven forbid I move once in a while because I can't feel my legs anymore... Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and Hellsing are not even close to being mine. I own a plushie Alu-chan, and a home-made plushie Usa-chan, but that's about it. Requiem Overture Chapter 2: Passages in Time By: Coiled_Heart Usagi wasn’t aware of it, but the next morning, she awoke different. Not physically, but emotionally and mentally. She was harder, more stubborn, less bubbly. She thought things through before doing them. She was more confidant, more sure of herself. She had started to carry herself like a leader. As she walked down the stairs, she noticed her mother and father were talking quietly amongst themselves at the kitchen table. Usagi found this odd, particularly since her father usually was at work by now, and her mother hated talking with him when the children might interrupt at any second. She was tempted to just go back upstairs and pretend she never saw a thing, but knew it was too late for that -her mother had already seen her. “Usagi come here honey, we need to talk to you.” Usagi swallowed. Those were never good words, especially coming from her parents. But Usagi was a dutiful child, and obeyed her mother. “We’re not sure how to tell you this, but we believe that you’re old enough now to understand and accept the truth for what it is.” God she hated when her father took the lead. He never just came out and said what needed to be said. She looked down at the table, tuning out her father’s long-winded speech when her eyes caught sight of an official-looking document that was facing her father. Grinning internally about the luck of being able to read upside-down, she settled in to something far more entertaining then listening to some boring speech given by her parents. Tsukino-san, It comes to my greatest displeasure to inform you that Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, the birthmother of Seren Elisaveta Yvonne Hellsing, who was renamed Usagi Tsukino on the sixteenth day of February 1991 upon her adoption, has passed away. As the last remaining heir to the Hellsing family name, there comes certain obligations that you should be prepared to take into your home. Of these include raising the Hellsing heir to be ready to assume duty by her 18th birthday. This includes training in military procedures, hand-to-hand combat, strategy, politics, weapons management, and mythology. Tutors will be provided; Sir Hellsing provided the names of several tutors and a trust fund so that her daughter might be ready to assume her duties. And there is a matter of the family pets. The female has been put down, but the male is still useful, and so has been re-caged. He will be sent to you sometime within the next year. Be sure to have a convenient place to store him that will not endanger either you son or our future Mistress. -Commander Devon Blake, Hellsing Special Forces, Elite Unit 16A There was stillness in her brain, and then fire roared. She turned to her father, anger seething through her as she shouted, “I’M ADOPTED!”
That night, she dreamed again… She was in her High School Uniform, cuts and welts marring her skin, but she could not focus on such trivial scrapes when Queen Neherenia was blasting her repeatedly with black lightning. She was being thrust against the wall, electricity coursing through her veins even as she was hit again by the massive power… …golden spheres of light were racing towards her only remaining senshi, catching Sailor Saturn in the stomach as they robbed the soldier of her star seed. She was in such pain… …Sailor Chibi-Moon screamed and screamed, the gigantic hand around her squeezing even as its owner seared her flesh with raw energy…it hurt…she could do nothing but watch helplessly as the captured senshi-in-training lost her transformation, and promptly passed out -their human forms not able to withstand that sort of pain… …Super Sailor Mars whirled about in shock, shouting warning, unaware of the candy-like youma that were creeping up behind her…. …fire roared to life around them and Endymion was racing off into the deepest heart of the flames, a slightly teasing look on his face as he looked over his shoulder and goaded her into following him…the heat singed her long white dress even as she reached out her hand and begged him to return to her…STOP!…tears ran down her face…the flame ate him alive… …Uranus was down for the count, not moving, not breathing. She was in her human form, mourning the fallen warrior, despair heavy in the air… …Minako’s usually sunny face lost a great deal of its enthusiasm as she contemplated something, shadows playing dangerous games across her features….the shadows grew deeper, someone was coming….danger… …Chibi-Moon was on her back screaming as the violet-pink beam of energy stole her pure-heart crystal… …she was weeping… …Nephrite burst into tiny sparkles, and it was all she could do to watch as disbelief crossed the features of her childhood friend, Naru, before realization and then grief took place. The girl howled her agony to the stars, clutching her arms to her as if she still held the Negaverse general… …bright light flashed, and then Sailor Venus was glaring, crystal-blue eyes gleaming with fiery intent. Copper-gold power flared to life as she called upon her planet and goddess one last time. Twin crescent marks, one inverted, one upturned, appeared on the startled youma’s face, and then all went black… …a shadow of her beloved Mamo-chan in that horrid green jacket of his appeared like a shadow over the Earth….a black void ate at the image….both disappeared in mere seconds…the Earth was dead… …she was watching in stupefied wonder as the glow encompassed her form and spread out over the barren landscape…she realized in shock that this had once been a place of light and love …this had once been her home! The white light swallowed the broken pillars that dotted the forsaken place and then there was nothing but the light… …she was fighting Beryl as Princess Serenity, barely holding off the brunt of the evil Queen’s power with her own. She sobbed helplessly inside, knowing she was too weak, too inexperienced, too young and immature to properly handle the Silver Imperial Crystal with the skill her moon-mama once had. She winced as the evil energy grew closer, pressing the advantage. She wouldn’t be able to hold it off much longer… ..Ami was screaming, struggling to move from the board she found herself pinned to. They were stealing her dream mirror…she screamed and begged and only stopped when it finally appeared. She gazed at it sadly, before lowering her head and giving into the darkness… …Fiore growled in sheer rage as another one of those little Brats dared tried to keep Mamoru away from him. With an angry thrust, he summoned his power an practically threw the red one into a garage door. It left a huge dent, and she just sagged lifelessly to the ground… …she stood in terror, her mind yelling at her legs to move, but her legs frozen to the spot she stood in. She saw death approach, and despaired of ever seeing her family or friends again. The shadow moved closer and closer… …Galaxia stood, laughing in triumph as she raised her hand to the sky and summoned the largest ball of energy she had ever seen. The golden power glistened and roared and over it the mad laughter of the Golden Senshi could be heard…. ….Neherenia was blasting Jupiter over and over again as the warrior protected her. She never looked up, eyes void and thoughts empty, never noticing her senshi’s pain… …she was slammed against a boulder, crying out as it gave underneath the force of her crashing against it. Kissenian-Fiore grasped her with its tentacle-vine-things and began to drain her of her energy. She cried out again, this time in fear -without her power she could not save her friends or her love… …her senshi were floating in the air, debris surrounding their barely conscious forms. They heard her call and despite their near-death-state, summoned their power to give to her one last time, her name their dying breath… …her senshi stood in a circle around her, locking hands as they prepared to keep her safe and unharmed, no matter what the cost. They were glowing, she was glowing as they spun around… …she was clutching Endymion’s sword, crying out for him not to leave her…laughter mocked her …holding her breath, she slammed the sword into her stomach…pain… The year passed rather quickly. The tutors came, and were (privately) disgusted by how unprepared she was for the things they were teaching. For this fault, they blamed her adoptive parents. That didn’t stop them from resenting the Hell out of their jobs. Usagi didn’t take their teachings seriously until she was called out to hunt for the first time. She had goofed around, and missed her target, who promptly finished eating the human and left. Her teacher for the night had made her stand there and shoot the human in the head to prevent her turning into a ghoul. Usagi had never hated herself more. She had stood over the corpse, feeling something give. She watched the brains leak out of the skull, plopping softly onto the cement, and swore an oath. “Never again,” she whispered, voice quiet. She raised her head and gazed at the moon, and thought of her future senshi. “Never again,” she swore, turned away from the corpse and to her teacher. She sneered at him. “Clean this trash up,” she hissed and left. The teacher smiled, and bowed. “Of course, Sir Hellsing,” he whispered.
“Okaa-san, what do you mean I’m no longer allowed in the basement? That’s my space! You and Papa agreed that I would get the basement and Shingo the attic!” Usagi was pouting. Her adoptive mother sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Shingo has agreed to give up the attic to you, Usagi. He doesn’t need a ‘private’ space. And currently there are some dangerous materials in the basement that your father and I would rather not harm you. When they get cleared out, you can have your basement back, but until then you’ve been moved to the attic.” Usagi sighed. “Yes Okaa-san.” She shifted slightly. “Can I at least get my things?” Seeing the look her mother was getting, she hurriedly added, “With you escorting me, of course.” Ikuku had the distinct feeling that this was as good a concession to the demand as she was going to get from her stubborn daughter, so agreed. ‘Choose your battles Ikuku. Thank Kami-sama Shingo isn’t nearly as unrelenting as she is: she probably gets it from her mother.’ Usagi loved dark spaces, loved being able to keep her eyes open and still not see her hand moving two inches from her face. It was, she supposed, a reaction to the bright hospitals she spent a total of five years living in due to one accident followed by a near-fatal-sickness followed by more accidents. The brightness of artificial light annoyed her to no end, and as such, her parents had agreed to give her the basement as her personal space. The space was to be primarily used as a place to entertain any friends she brought over: a place for sleepovers and karaoke competitions, for pillow fights and study sessions. But over time, as it became readily apparent that Usagi had no friends, it had turned into a private sanctuary for her. No one was allowed in there, not even her parents. It was there that she kept her most precious keepsakes. It was there that she would spend hours just being herself, and not the bubbly blond her adoptive parents wanted her to be. And now she was here, with her mother, gathering her most sacred objects that she had never wanted her mother to see, preparing herself for the abrupt move into the attic. Usagi grumbled inside, eyes wary as she contemplated every corner of the basement, trying to see where the so-called ‘dangerous materials’ were. There was not a thing out of place. Her eyes narrowed and she started to turn to her mother when she saw it, there in the further-most left corner behind her bookcase -which she was startled to realize had been moved two-feet to the left. It had apparently been moved to cover the door -the handle of which had caught her attention. She gazed solemnly at that handle, wondering, before turning to her mother and gesturing to the trunk. “I’m finished, Okaa-san. We can leave now.” Usagi watched as her mother sighed with relief, her gaze resting momentarily on the door before it returned to her. ‘So she doesn’t want me near that door. Interesting. I wander what she’s got back there?’ Alright. I feel I should offer a few notes to those who might be confused. Someone told me that it was confusing to read because I alternatively used 'adoptive mother' or just 'mother'. "Which one is it?" In my mind, both. Although she's not blood-related to Ikuku and Kenji, they still did raise her since she was five months old. They loved her and raised her as one of their own. Just because she's adopted, to my mind, that makes no difference in the fact that Usagi views them as her parents and that the parents see her as their child. Also, time does jump around alot in this fic. This is primarily because I want to get to the "awakening", and secondly because I get bored easily and hate doing the daily aspects of life. So for the most part, I will only be doing the major scenes (with a few decidedly un-major ones so that they story doesn't get too confusing. Yes, Seras Victoria is dead. I do recall hearing that Dark Walter shreaded her to bits during the battle with Millenium... but I could have misinterpreted that. If I did, I apologize, but for the sake of plot, that is the idea I'm going to be using. And as a side note, I strongly suggest never reading fanfiction before reading the manga or watching the anime. I was so horribly lost the first couple of episodes wondering when Seras was finally going to show some damn backbone like she does in the fics. (shakes head) I'm amazed the girl survived as long as she did. On a side note: I love Integra. She's ...a bitch. (grins) So, I guess I'll stop here and allow you to contemplate what's behind door number one, ne? I hope you enjoyed this. And as the old man would say in the Labyrinth: "Please leave a little contribution in the box." (jingles the review box) I except everything, really. You want to rant and rave and scream and flame me within an inch of my life? Go ahead. I'm just a sucker for punishment. Ja ne! Coiled_Heart
current mood: oh Aluuuucaaaaarrd....
current music: Nirvana "Heart-Shaped Box"
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6:08 pm - Gauntlet
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This is a REALLY bizare piece that was built up as a rhyming exercise that I totally aced -I can rhyme! *does happy dance* Was for my creative writing class originally, but I've since built it up to this monstrocity that you see before you, so I consider it good. It jumps around alot, as I hadn't quite been considering clarity when I wrote it, but I still think it's alright. The last two lines are the best though. I love last lines, they strike the whole piece.
coiling vines that bind and break
subtle walls that shift and take
ancient guides that leave you dry
obnoxious twits that dig and pry
trust in no one for your sake
believe no decision that we make
beware the dragons flying high
leave the caverns lest you die
never stop to rest an ache
and never drink from the lake
tell the truth -do not lie
or we'll really make you cry
do not think it's a piece of cake
if you ever wish to wake
from this nightmare and say "bye-bye"
until then give us a try
creeping tendrils of rotting weeds
seeking limbs of dying reeds
prancing fairies from start to end
tease you once you turn the bend
trust in no one -heed not our leads
from when you stop the darkness breeds
forget advice that we send
heed not the wounds that you would tend
grasping hands of old oak trees
buzzing sounds of livid bees
accept not what we would lend
to help you quickly heal and mend
poisoned berries begin to brew
pestilence within a stew
easily we play the game
toyin', twistin', till you're lame
the whistle sounds -that's our cue
to bring you back to our new crew
life or death, it's all the same
to those of us without a name
sounding off the beat comes true
your soul is what we want of you
easily we shift the blame
to those of us so filled with shame
mountains tall and rivers wide
blind from you just what we hide
creatures stranger than a dream
charge towards you as a team
the broken signs that all lied
do not help your twisted ride
walk upon a narrow beam
your skin melting as you scream
and if you think you cannot abide
than you really should not have tried
to rin through us like we were steam
like all it was was cake and cream
the guantlet does take back its own
with each new life, it has grown
and through it all, the dice they roll
to determine in this game your role
from the East the wind is blown
(the East is where the evil's sown)
your humanity a crystal bowl
we can see inside your soul
and there it is you shape and hone
flesh to blood and blood to bone
filling up that empty hole
that burns inside like flaming coal
twisting paths that change and set
vague riddles and a chancy bet
darkened tales of ancient lore
token luck, and hope a chore
singing sirens cast their net
hoping for another 'pet'
it will not stop, don't be a bore
we will coddle you no more
you have not won as of yet
indeed, you are within our debt
for helping you amongst the moore
you better hurry and find our core
darkness with no shape or form
eyes that conjure raging storm
final is the price you pay
for stoping when we want to play
evil breeds under the norm
(yes evil breeds there, snug and warm)
remember this throughout the day:
be careful what you do and say
sphynxs, mummies, ancient bands
this twisted world of glass and sand
repeating curses, anger spent
this clearly is not what you meant
succubi, inccubi; all lend a hand
in this gauntlet of the damned
by your own will you were sent
to this world that's cursed and bent
go ahead, shout and cuss
it doesn't matter, 'cause none of us
will bother with you, because, you see,
we do not like what you seem to be
once you start, you cannot stop
until you've reached the very top
find your way through our maze
just don't stand there in a daze
bruise your hands and skin your knees
every breath a gasping wheeze
bones that ache and blood that boils
torment you within our coils
...
I have this to say, and I don't lie.
You have no choice. Start, or die.
current mood:  what is he doing?!
current music: The Merge "Losing the Faith"
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12:17 pm - Economics 201: Chapter Questions
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Shea Daily
Cramer
Econ 201
November 6, 2006
Chapter Questions
Chapter 24:
1. Why is it important for policy-makers to take into account the multiplier as they design fiscal policies?
-Because of the multiplier, the total shift in the aggregate demand curve will be larger than the initial shift, which is why policy-makers need to take into account the multiplier as they design fiscal policies.
3. Using the idea of automatic stabilizers, explain why states with more generous unemployment insurance programs will experience smaller fluctuations in out put.
-During downturns, unemployed workers will receive more funds from states with more generous unemployment insurance programs. Thus, unemployed workers wont have to cut back on the spending as much as if they didn’t have unemployment insurance.
5. Why does fiscal policy exhibit long inside lags?
-The inside lags of fiscal policy occur because of the differences in opinion both within Congress, and between Congress and the President on the proper levels and structures of spending and taxation.
7. At one point in the business cycle should we become concerned about federal deficits?
-If the deficit persists when the economy is at full employment, then we have a problem.
9. If a college student received a tax rebate, do you think she would be more likely to save it or spend it? How about a middle-aged married man? Explain your reasoning.
-College students would spend the rebate because they feel secure in the knowledge of a higher income in the future, whereas a middle-aged man would save the rebate based on concerns of the future; i.e. retirement.
Chapter25:
1. Consider an economy in which C=200 + 0.5y and I=200.
a) Find the equilibrium income.
-800
b) What is the multiplier for investment spending for this economy?
-2
c) What is the savings function?
-S= 0.5y - 200
d) What is the level of savings at the level of equilibrium income?
-200
3. A country has a marginal propensity to consume of 0.6 and a tax rate of 0.15. How much of an increase in investment would be needed to raise GDP by 150?
-The multiplier is 2.04. So, investment would need to be increased by 72.5.
5. Explain why in the model in this chapter, a higher tax rate leads to a lower multiplier for the economy. Does that mean that raising the tax rate is good for the economy in the model in this chapter?
-No. Tax rates will also lower GDP.
7. a) Suppose clothing stores anticipate a good season and add substantially to inventories in their stores. What will happen to the GDP?
-GDP will rise.
b) Suppose economists see inventories suddenly increasing. Does this necessarily mean that there are increases in demand?
-No. Inventories could rise because the demand falls short of the expectations of producers.
9. During the 1970’s, President Gerald Ford proposed that taxes be decreased but, to avoid increasing the government budget deficit, government spending should be decreased by the same amount. What happens to the GDP if taxes and government spending are both decreased by the same amount?
-GDP will fall.
11. What are some of the important reasons that the economy may be more stable today than in the past?
-Automatic stabilizers, new inventory-management procedures, and the government having an active role in stabilizing the economy are a couple of things that helped the economy become more stable when compared to the past.
Chapter26:
1. The components of investment spending in the national income accounts include plant and equipment, housing, and inventories. Give a reason why spending in each of these categories is likely to be volatile.
-Housing will depend on interest rates. Inventories will be volatile because they depend on changes in demand over a short period of time. Plant and Equipment are governed in part by expectations of changes in GDP, which can be volatile.
3. “If the real interest rate were zero, it would be a financially sound decision to level the Rocky Mountains so that automobiles and cars would save on gas mileage.” Putting aside ecological concerns, why is this statement true?
-It’s true because, with a zero interest rate and thus no opportunity cost for invested funds, the savings in gas would ultimately pay for the costs of leveling the mountains.
5. A lottery pays a winner $1 million a year for twenty years (starting year1). What is the present value of this sum at an 8% interest rate? … What happens to the present value of the lottery if the interest rate falls to 5%?
-At an 8% interest rate, the present value of the payout is worth about $9.82 million. At a 5% interest rate, the present value of the payout increases to $12.46 million.
7. If the inflation rate is 10% over the year and annual interest rates are 9%, would you invest in a project that only paid an annual real return of 1%?
-Yes.
9. Why does it make sense for individual investors to invest in mutual funds (which invest a wide range of stocks) rather than in just a few individual companies?
-In order to reduce risk through diversification.
11. While deposit insurance protects depositors’ savings and prevents runs on banks, it cane motivate banks to take excessive risks in the loans they make. Explain why?
-The depositors will no longer have an incentive to monitor the investment practices of banks and the banks can take more risks.
Chapter27:
1. Why are travelers’ checks classified as money?
-They are excepted in exchange.
3. If you write a check from your checking account to your money market account, what happens to M1 and M2?
-M2 stays the same. M1 falls.
5.In 1992, the state of California ran out of funds and could not pay its bills. It issued IOUs, called warrants, to its workers and suppliers. Only large banks and credit unions accepted the warrants. Should these warrants be viewed as money?
-No, the warrants shouldn’t be viewed as money. They are not excepted by stores or by individuals, only by large banks and credit unions.
7. Why aren’t credit cards part of the money supply? How do debit cards differ from credit cards?
-Credit cards represent loan transactions. Debit cards are used to transfer money from existing deposit accounts to a purchaser.
9. If no single bank can lend out more than it has, how does multiple expansion of deposits actually occur?
-Multiple expansion occurs because recipients of loans deposit funds into another bank and that bank is only required to keep a fraction of the new deposits as required reserves.
Chapter28:
1. Give another example from your own experience of the liquidity demand for money.
-Wanting to buy the best pair of black-leather, three-inch stiletto-heeled, knee-high boots I’ve ever seen in my life. I need cash on hand for that. Can’t use a bond.
3. If you strongly believed that the Federal Reserve was going to surprise the markets and raise interest rates, would you want to buy bonds or sell bonds?
-SELL! Bond prices fall as interest rates go up.
5. What would happen to the supply of money if the Fed purchased foreign currency held by the public?
-The money supply increases.
7. In an open economy, changes in monetary policy affect both interest rates and exchange rates. Comparing the United States and the Netherlands, in which country would monetary policy have a more significant effect on GDP through changes in exchange rates?
-In the Netherlands -trade is more important for their economy than for the U.S.’s.
9. Explain why the outside lag for monetary policy may be long.
-The outside lags tend to be long because monetary policy must work through changing investment spending. Firms may be reluctant to make major changes in their investment plans in the face of relatively small changes in interest rates.
current mood: I HATE economics...
current music: Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody"
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| Tuesday, November 7th, 2006
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11:56 am - I Will Create As I Speak
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Alright. This one is a bit weird, I'l admit, but I happen to life it very much. One of my best pieces, or so I'm told. What amazes me about this piece is that I created it in five minutes under a free-association writing period in which we were given a sheet of paper with "inspirations" on it and told to write. We weren't allowed to stop writing for the required length of time. It was both boring and successful. *shrugs*
"Abracadabra, the seemingly nonsense word we invoke in magic tricks, comes from Aramaic, the language of the Bible: abraq ad habra. These ancient words mean, "I will create as I speak."
I Will Create As I Speak
I will speak,
and from my lips will flow
words thrown together
in vague attempt to show
everything.
I will speak,
and these words I will say
will spawn beliefs,
ideas,
and I will hear of them
and smile.
I will speak,
and from my mind
words of such magnitude
as to pass for prophets' or saints',
will crawl slyly through the masses
and visciously jump them
and say, "Look. Listen. Live."
I will speak,
and these ideas I have
will be thrust out,
unprepared for,
unthought of,
and I will see my ideas used
and I will believe.
I wil speak,
and my words and thoughts,
created by mind,
spoken by mouth,
will create a new world
of infinite possibilities.
I will speak,
and as I speak,
people will listen.
And I wil finally prove
that words are power.
I will create as I speak.
current mood:  god I'm bored
current music: Bush "Chemicals Between Us"
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11:33 am - Oral Interpretation Speech
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My second speech -not much, I know, but it works. My teacher's expecting sheer brilliance, but I think she might settle for this. *chuckles* That woman drives me nuts. She gives us two days to write a speech and then expects it to be pure outstanding works of art. *snorts* I think she'll be highly dissapointed.
"William Shakespeare is, without a doubt, one of the most celebrated writers in human history. His genius of the written word is awe-inspiring to many. Even now, four and a half centuries later, it is considered an honor and a privilege for an actor to be able to perform in one of his plays. Sadly, not much of Shakespeare’s personal life is known, even his date of birth seems to be clouded in mystery. What is known, was that Shakespeare was considered an upstart pretender by his peers, more specifically by Robert Greene, an impoverished poet and dramatist who immortalized his complaints in his farewell book Groatsworth of Wit, as read here: “…Yes, trust them not: for there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tyger’s heart wrapt in a Player’s hide, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you: and being as absolute Iohannes fac totum, is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a county.” (The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Hodek) But despite the opinion of his peers, it was nonetheless quite apparent that Shakespeare’s works impressed many; he died a wealthy man. Julius Caesar is one of many of his plays, and, to my mind, one of the top five. The sheer duplicity of the wording, the subtle -and not so subtle- maneuverings of the various characters, the politics, and the careful snobbery of the elite; all of these things create a strange, yet exciting world. One of the first things that struck me about this particular play is that Julius Caesar is an oddity among Shakespeare’s plays, not because the main character and most of the supporting characters dies -as that tends to happen in most of Shakespeare’s plays- but rather that the main character, Julius Caesar, dies in the middle of the play. And it was the speeches immediately after his death that caught my complete and utter attention. Shakespeare had managed to capture the nature of upper-class British society -the careful political maneuvers where everyone said one thing, but the meanings as to what they were saying could be interpreted to be entirely different. There is no oration more apparent in this than Marcus Antonius’. He says nothing that, when taken at face value, can be construed as rude or undermining of Brutus, but yet the way he words things clearly presents a hidden agenda of doing exactly that.
At this point in the play, Julius Caesar had just been stabbed 33 times by Brutus and his band of fellow conspirators. Brutus appeals to the commonwealth, saying that it was "not that he loved Caesar less, but rather that he loved Rome more." And then cleverly offers to take his own life as punishment if they so desired. The commonwealth begs Brutus to live, even going so far as to suggest that he be the new Caesar. Brutus begs leave, and prepares them to listen to Marcus Antonius' speech -the one which Brutus and the rest have recieved assurances that would not stir up any problems for them. Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 3 by William Shakespeare “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones; So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious: If it were so, it was a grievous fault, and grievously hath Caesar answer'd it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest-- For Brutus is an honourable man; So are they all, all honourable men-- Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me: But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. He hath brought many captives home to Rome Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: Ambition should be made of sterner stuff: Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honourable man. You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; And, sure, he is an honourable man. I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, But here I am to speak what I do know. You all did love him once, not without cause: What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him? O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason. Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, And I must pause till it come back to me.”"
current mood: ...I need a vampire...
current music: A Perfect Circle "Annihilation"
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| Thursday, November 2nd, 2006
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7:26 pm - Personal Narrative Speech
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Hehe....Yeah. Again, just some more inane chatter done for my Speech 101 class. I figured since I don't update all that regularly, I might as well share with the rest of you what, exactly, it is that keeps me occupied aside from work.
...as you will probably understand as soon as you've finished reading this, it isn't much.
"There are those of us who, if they cared to, could trace their familial ties all the way back to the founding of the original thirteen colonies. And then, there are those amongst us who, if questioned, could not tell you much more about their family history further back than the times of their grandparents. Some, choose to base their familial pride on one side of their family, and sometimes blatantly ignore that they even have a different bloodline. All those who fall into that last category have their reasons for doing so.
I am one such person who falls into the last group. And my reasons have everything to do with my grandparents, and their teachings. In particular, one very specific teaching; a saying. Nemo ut succedo.
Nemo ut succedo.
My paternal grandparents used to tell my two cousins, Joshua and Johnathon (yes that's how his parents spelled his name), and me this all the time. They repeated it constantly, telling us to remember those words and bear them with pride: Nemo ut succedo. And after they had the three of us repeat the phrase, they would settle down and begin to tell us tales.
And, oh, such tales.
They spoke of Germany, before the nation came to be symbolized by death, pain, and evil. They spoke of ancient times, when the occasional Princess mysteriously disappeared and somehow or another managed to end up in dire straights from which they were rescued either by their own feminine cunning or by their dashing knights on their brave steeds. They spoke of my paternal ancestors, the von Wilfred's, before aristocracy had long since faded out of practice and recall. They spoke of Honor and Integrity, and the worth of family. They did so at great length and with amazing detail. My grandparents had needed no books or television set to hold the three of us in complacent, well-behaved stupors. All we needed was our grandparents seated beside the window, tellings us their tales in their oddly accented voices with strange lilts at the end of every sentence.
These were the tales of our history, told to us by our grandparents, who had learned them from their grandparents, so on and so on. These were the stories we grew up with.
And throughout those tales came from the same phrase: Nemo ut succedo. Never once did they tell us what it meant, so we would spend countless hours on our own, making up our own grand adventures. My cousins became dashing heroes and evil villains, while I, given my gender, was inevitably cast into the role of helpless damsel or the evil witch. And I began to resent it. As we grew older, we grew apart; my cousins could only see a little girl needing their protection. despite the fact that I was older and supposed to be looking out for them. And as we grew apart, my mother began to find reasons for me to stay away from my paternal family.
The last time I saw my grandparents together, I was nine. They were both horribly cold to my mother, who had, in their minds, violated the code of Family. My mother reacted violently to their coldness, and I never returned. My grandfather died shortly after that. Things were already horribly strained between my mother and I, and this had not helped. I resented her for interfering, and I blamed her for my grandfather's death, though in hindsight I now realize that she had had no way of knowing that the reason they spent so much time with us was because of their failing health. But most of all, I blamed her for not even allowing me to say goodbye.
My grandmother succumbed to old age when I was twelve, and I waqs among the four visitors she allowed to see her. My father, Johnathon, Joshua, and I each whispered our love, our sorrow, and our prayers to her, and in turn she blesses each of us with her well-0wishes and goodbyes. It was to me only that she whispered, "Remember: Nemo ut succedo. Bow to no one."
Some may come to recognize their familial pride through tracing bloodlines and family trees. Others may come to recognize it in culture and language. And, the rest, like me, choose instead to recognize it through experience and memories."
current mood: ...need ...sleep ....
current music: Unser Vater "E Nomine"
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| Friday, October 13th, 2006
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12:36 am - Requiem Overture, Ch1
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IMPORTANT! YOU MUST READ THIS SECTION: In order to understand this fic, you’ll need to understand this one basic idea that I had had: What if Usagi had dreams, starting when she was nine, about her life as Sailor Moon and Princess Serenity? What if she knew what she would go through before it even happened? How would it change her?
I got to thinking about that, and realized that that would create a paradox, so I changed a few things. (As you'll find out as you read.) This will be a Crossover with Hellsing, and the pairing will be Alucard 'n' Usagi, simply because I'm in love with that pairing at the moment.
As usual, the Usagi that appears in this fic is a strange mixture of all three Usagi's from the anime, the manga, and the live-action (which wasn't as bad as I was afraid it was going to be. The monsters were a little corny, as were the costumes, but the plot was sound for once!) And as usual, a small sliver of myself got thrown in, so don't get to annoyed at her OOC-ness, K?
DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon is not mine. Nor is the song that inspired this fic: Requiem Overture. I have no clue who owns the song, but I like it nonetheless. Don't sue.
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Requiem Overture
Chapter 1: In Which a Bunny Dreams
By: Coiled_Heart
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Usagi dreamed…
Her heart was thudding, tears rolling down her face as the violins wailed in the distance. She stood tall though, the death of her friends replaying in her mind: she had to be strong, she had to be worthy of such devotion. As she approached, the devil that was Queen Beryl appeared closer and taller. Sailor Moon shivered, but drew to a pause, defiantly staring up at her nemesis…
…she was in her Eternal form, on a pillar of crystal, listening as the violins grew deeper, warning of danger. Her wings -those four stunted things that she often held in such contempt were fluttering behind her as she concentrated on her Tier. She was having difficulty focusing, her head was spinning. The full moon, her guide, her mother, was fading, and then there was naught but darkness. Blue-black fire surrounded where the moon should have been, emphasizing the absolute darkness of her past-home…
…she was spinning, round and round in a void of pink power, almost dead. Distantly she could hear sharp spikes in the dangerous sounds the violins were giving, as if everything was about to explode in a cacophony of sound. Through half-closed, glazed eyes, she saw her first wand -the Crescent Moon Wand spiraling down after her, the crystal shining, shimmering as it drained her of more and more energy. And the world went white…
…it was dark again. The warning sounds were fading into the background as they became higher-pitched, as if screaming at her to hear them. Red lightning flashed; lighting this dull void, and she realized she was in her Eternal form again, captured by vines with inch-long spikes that were masquerading as thorns. Her wings were caught, giving her pain. And even though her eyes were closed, she could still see that awful blue-black fire dancing around the shadow that had been the moon. And she could feel the heat of the fires that the lightning was creating around the plant holding her prisoner…
…lights burst before her eyes as the violins quieted -this did not give her peace, but only increased her dread. The lights dissolved into a spiraling discord through which she could see her beloved Mamo-chan, no, Tuxedo Kamen. He was in pain, and was crying. And then he was fading, much like the senshi had done when their Star-seed had been stolen. He was gone…
…the violins were back. The music building to a crescendo as Ami’s downcast eyes appeared before her vision. And then Ami was turning away, allowing her to see the grief and pain within them…
…her Mamo-chan was hiding in the dark, pain written on his face as he clutched his shoulder. Blood was forming underneath his hands, but he did not move from his spot. He was muttering under his breath, cursing…
…Rei was walking away from her, her eyes sad, self-contempt flaming in those precious violet windows to her soul. And then she was turning slightly to face her, and the tears were falling…
…Chibi-Usa was running; in fear or anger, she couldn’t be sure. Her soft cotton-candy-pink hair was trailing behind her as she raced down the sidewalk and into Hotaru’s arms. She clutched Hotaru to her and wailed….
…Luna’s human crush -what was his name, Kakeru?- was walking through the blizzard. He was coughing, desperately trying to breathe, and then he was falling down, down, down. Dead…
…light flashed and Queen Neherenia’s lavender-white hands were throwing black lightning at Sailor Jupiter, who was doing her best to protect her. She glanced up, eyes blank as Jupiter screamed in sheer agony as she was hit again and again and again. She watched as the soldier fell, crumpled and weak in front of her, a single pink-rose earring falling off and hitting her knee…
…light flashed again, and then she was holding the fallen Tuxedo Kamen, crying as she felt the pain of his death tearing apart her soul…
…Luna was weeping in the snow, mourning for a love she would never have a chance to feel…
…Metallia was a black void in the sky over the Moon Kingdom as the evil entity shot a sickly white-green beam of pure energy that broke the hold she held on her darling Prince’s hand. They were screaming -or was it just her?- and then they were dying as they floated in the air. Tears gathered in her eyes as she said a silent farewell to her mother and Prince…
…Sailor V slid down the wall, bleeding profusely from several cuts. She was shaking, her eyes closed as she clutched her limp and oddly shaped arm to her body. She was crying…
…she was crying, curled up alone in a phone-booth, clutching her shirt because it was the only thing that she knew she could touch without destroying. Just look what she had done to her friends, her love? Everything she touched turned to shit, and the weight of it came crashing down on her all at once…
…Chibi-Usa was running towards Hotaru, who was lounging in that throne her father had made for her darker side. She was crying, screaming for Hotaru to wake up. Before she could reach her, she slammed into a barrier, black power rippling off the spot she connected with. Glistening white energy gathered at a central point on Chibi-Usa’s forehead before rocketing off in blinding symphony to her screams as the energy acted instinctively and pushed her away from the barrier…
… the crescendo broke of into a flurry of sound, the violins wailing their horror, malice, and anger to her ears. And she was crying, eyes void of any thought as she raced towards Sailor Saturn, flying for the first time on butterfly wings with power lent by her scouts…
…pain. That’s all there was in her suddenly narrowed down world . Her soul was being shredded. She screamed and screamed as dark power ripped through her core and caught her star-seed, tugging and tugging at it, forcing it to leave her body. Pain…
…red light, weak and darkened, revealed the Starlights as they howled their agony at losing their Princess, tears streaming as they all leaped as one towards her falling form...
…she was using the crystal, trying to save her friends and the world they were about to impact upon. It was too weak, she was too weak, but she kept pushing, needing to save them too much to care about herself. Her eyes widened as she felt the crack, and then dulled as the thing shattered into thousands of tiny pieces. She felt her life slowly draining from her, and fell backwards, welcoming the eternal peace that she sensed lie ahead…
…Chibi-Usa was unconscious, falling through the sky, plummeting towards her certain death. She was falling too, straining to reach her beloved future-daughter. Despair ate at her, knowing that one of them would die, and she did not care -as long as Chibi-Usa lived…
…she was in darkness again, lying on her back. Pain centered around her throat, and she sat up. She started to look around, only to clutch her throat as the wound throbbed in earnest. Her eyes glazed over as she struggled to remember what had happened, and how she got to this place of darkness…
…Chibi-Usa was under the covers, clutching the pillow to her as she wept for everything she had lost, and everything she feared she would loose…
…Ami was swimming, down, down, deeper and deeper into the water as she struggled to reach the boy in time. She caught him, and reared upwards, struggling to swim up with the weight of two people, and her eyes glared defiantly at the youma that awaited her…
…Uranus and Neptune were fading, even as they crashed against the roof…
…she was in that circle of black roses again, staring in disbelief at the thing masquerading as her beloved Endymion. She screamed as the vines constricted, and dark power raced through her veins like acid…
…the black roses were gone and she was falling backwards as Endymion approached her, smiling darkly. She struggled to relearn how to breathe as he drew his sword. She lifted her head, and tears fell down as she beseeched him to remember her, to remember them. He wasn’t even listening to her…
…she was reaching out, crying out for her friends to not leave her alone. Tears gathered and her arms dropped as she realized that they were gone, and they were never coming back. She wept, her heart heavy and her mind, for the first time since she had met them all, empty of their presence…
…she was staring into space, her face was devoid of any emotion. Her eyes deadened. Something was calling her, so she slowly rose her head to face it…
…she was on a black floor, watching with morbid curiosity as it began to lighten, showing the floor to be made of tiny glass boxes, and in those boxes were …children. Horror ate at her…
…light was racing towards her, and she clutched Chibi-Chibi in her arms, trying to protect the little one that meant so much to her. Her eyes closed, and she waited for the pain…
…Chibi-Usa was fading, even as she beseeched her future-father to wake up, to remember her. She was weeping as Queen Neherenia laughed in the background…
Usagi woke with a startled gasp, her eyes wide and wondering, filling with tears even as she struggled to keep from screaming. She clutched her night-shirt as she breathed, wondering what the hell that dream meant and who those people were. Her nine-year-old mind raced, struggling to recall where she might have seen those faces or even heard the names.
But her mind could not grasp anything that would lead to such detailed inventions of her imagination, and she could not, under any circumstances accept the violin music that echoed piercingly throughout the whole dream.
She shivered. She hated classical music, but violins had always held a special place in her heart. She loved the breadth of emotion and sound one could convey through a single note. But the music in her dreams cast a frightening aspect, one that terrified her.
She shook her head, trying to get rid of these less-than-happy thoughts, and laid her head back down, hoping to catch some peaceful sleep. Fate seemed to be kind, for the second her head hit the pillow, she was in a deep dreamless sleep.
But unknown to her, the images stayed with her, burrowing themselves deeper in her mind.
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Okay. So I realize I’ve been neglecting my other stories. And what’s worse, I’m getting bitten by new muses almost every time I turn around. I realize this is not conductive towards my goal of not burning out, but hey, what can I do? I can’t write when I’m not inspired by something. ((Actually, I can, but trust me on this one, it isn’t pretty. Ever read my fic Light Reflections? The three sentence chapters? That’s what happens when I force myself to write.))
This entire fic was inspired by both the video and the song contained in the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sK6IVhMrZg
If you’ll notice, I tried to follow the course of the video as inspiration for her dreams, but I couldn’t remember the situations for each and every single one of them, so I fudged a few things. I also fudged a few details in the dreams by expanding them by what I knew happened after the clips, or by adding my own personal touch to it.
I hope you enjoy this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it! The next chapter of Demeter's Daughter should be up soon. I'm just tweaking the final details in that one.
Ja Ne,
Ceris Malfoy
current mood:  oh shit. Not again...
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| Thursday, October 12th, 2006
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9:19 pm - Sailor Moon Fanart
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8:48 pm - Demeter's Daughter, Ch 3
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Goddamn, I’m obsessive. I recently started watching Hellsing AMV’s on YouTube. And I must say that I have found some of the weirdest shit in the world. Links to my favorite stuff can be found in my profile. -
I promise, the shit’s hilarious.
And the one video I’m posting in there was the inspiration for my story Becoming Animals. …well, not the video, but the song. I was playing it over and over again while writing the damn thing, until Dad started playing Nine Inch Nails’ “The Becoming”, which influenced the end of that ficlet.
So.
Stuff is on the horizon. I’m planning on doing a few more Hellsing ficlets to get inside the characters’ heads so that I can finish Eclipse. I’ve decided to break that one up into a trinity. Eclipse 2: Running the Gauntlet will involve the trials that Siva and her loyal ones have to go through to reconnect and meet up back home. Eclipse 3: The Trouble With Eternity will involve the Eclipsed-Moon Empire and the Inter-Dimensional Alliance, and the problems which arrive through such a thing. The details involved are all kinda vague at this point, as I’m still trying to figure out how to finish Eclipse.
And I may even do a few side stories to the trilogy, just for kicks.
As for my other fic, Light Reflections, I’m afraid that that one will be on hiatus for awhile (like that’s anything new). I don’t want to jinx myself by writing four fics at once like I did last time. I swear that is the quickest way to burn out. As it is, writing two chapter-fics and the random ficlet that pops up in my head, as well as working full-time, going to college, and drawing, I’m probably going to be infrequent.
So don’t get panicky if I don’t update for a length of time. I’m still there, I’m just …simmering.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing is mine, except the plot. And the various lands and their descriptions. And Chaos. … .
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Demeter’s Daughter
Chapter 3: War on the Horizon
By: Coiled_Heart
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Selenity paced relentlessly as she eyed the clock. Her daughter had always been a willful child, going where she pleased without informing her, arriving at all hours of the night with her dress torn and muddied and eyes full of bright mischief. But ever since that fateful day when her daughter had first ventured into the Dead Lands, she had …changed. There was something very much like a storm brewing in those lovely sapphire eyes, and she was reminded once again of her daughter’s given name.
“Stormbringer,” she muttered. What on earth had possessed her to name her daughter ‘Stormbringer’? She sighed. It was no use . The naming ceremony was something that was sacrosanct. The higher powers had decreed her daughter to be the Stormbringer, and so she was.
Selenity glanced again at the clock, and shifted uneasily, the first threads of fear, true fear, as she realized that something was wrong. Her daughter had seemed almost remorseful as she had left the house to say goodbye to her friend -the nameless friend that only could be met in the Dead Lands. Questions raced through her mind. ‘What if she had never made it to the Dead Lands? What if she had been taken hostage? What if she had gotten lost?’
No. Silly questions, born of terror. Best think rationally. For almost fifty years her daughter had been leaving at the most oddest of times to go to the Dead Lands, a place where none of the rest of her people would tread. She always claimed to meet someone there, though discreet inquiries lead to the belief that her daughter was either meeting no one, or was meeting an outsider. Selenity preferred to believe that her daughter was alone, but she could not afford to overlook the possibility.
Selenity glanced again at the clock and shuddered. Her daughter may be late many times, but she was never missing for ten hours straight. Gone then. She shuddered again, then straightened up, a cold look spreading across her features.
She would hunt down her daughter. She would turn the world upside down and inside out in her pursuit. She would make the Summerlands into a wasteland before she would consciously allow her daughter to come to harm. The coldness deepened. And goddess help the one who was responsible for her disappearance.
For there would be no mercy from her.
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He wasted no time upon reaching his home dimension. The first Realm of Darkness, before he had spread his people across countless galaxies. He immediately deposited a still-weeping Serenity in his chambers, and went to prepare his people for their new Queen.
Everywhere he went, servants and nobles alike bowed deeply welcoming him back after nearly a millennia of campaigning. He looked at his court, at the powers gathered there, and smiled.
“My people, today is a grand day. For today I have brought you a Queen.”
The silence was deafening. Everywhere he looked, shock registered on their faces.
“Everyone knows of the Summerlands, the realm of purity and of light. Of the sheer power that is to be found on those green hills, waiting for some enterprising person to merely grasp it.”
A shiver ran through the crowd. Most of his people could not abide the light, and others had no wish to be condemned by what they had betrayed.
“It is among this realm that I have found your Queen, my soon-to-be bride.”
Only one noble was brave enough to step forward; his adoptive daughter Hotaru. The tall beauty with violet-black eyes and pale, pale skin and long raven-black hair moved through the crowd, which parted easily before her. Those violet-black eyes stared at him. “My Lord….” she paused, as if contemplating how far she wished to go.
He nodded at her to continue.
“My Lord, this new brings me much joy; I have so longed for a mother.” Her eyes softened, but then hardened. “But I must wonder at the soundness of your judgment.” At the angry mutters of the crowd -no one defied their Lord- she raised her chin proudly; defiantly. “I refuse to accept this woman, this stranger, as Queen.”
He merely stared at his adoptive daughter, thinking. He had found her on the edge of some backwater galaxy that nonetheless had many strong powers to its name; she had been in a deep sleep. When he had awakened the mere child, he had understood why. The powers to be found in that galaxy were of Light, while this one had the potential to rival his own powers. There were some who whispered that the only reason why he had adopted her was because he was afraid of that girl-child, and they were partially right. Under his tutelage, she had blossomed into a power to be reckoned with, one that could rival him.
He walked over to her, a smiled a gentle smile. “My daughter, would you not meet her first? Or would you pass judgment like others have done to you?”
Hotaru glared at him. “Not this time, father. I’ll not let you guilt me into this. I am thinking about your people; you’ve seemingly forgotten them. You’ve been gone for far too long. With each new realm you’ve conquered, new powers have joined this court; all of them sick of the Light that betrayed them or failed to protect them.” She looked up at him, face strangely earnest. “And you would bring the embodiment of light here, to rule over them? Have you completely forgotten us?”
“Ah, but therein lies the error of your judgment, Hotaru.” He waved his hand dismissively. “She is not the embodiment of light, nor did I find her in the Summerlands, but rather the Dead Lands.”
Hotaru gasped. “Impossible! Those of the Summerlands do not walk that wild path! They hide behind their barriers and magic and cower in fear of that outside of it!”
He grinned. “But find her there, I did. Learn from her lips the defenses of those pure lands, I did. I know every facet of their culture and beliefs, because of her. I ask again, my daughter. Would you not meet her before passing judgment?”
He already knew the answer, so did not do more than merely smile when she nodded and whispered a solemn, “Yes, my Lord.”
“Until then, let us prepare. You-” he said pointing to another that bore striking resemblance to his Hotaru, the reason he chose her as a companion for his daughter, “-bring me Alucard. I must prepare for war.”
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YES! A short chapter, I know, but believe me the next chapter more than makes up for it. If you’ll notice, I’ve completely gotten rid of the narration. I was going to make it a sudden thing -POP no more narration, but I decided to weed it out gradually. So, Prologue and a good bit of the first chapter was narration. The second chapter had a little bit, but was gradually less. And now this one, with none at all.
This chapter is short mainly because I got bored, and I didn’t want to reveal the next portion as of yet. But so that no one tears my head off and impales it on a stick, here’s a few teasers:
Serenity eyed the girl. “You’re not her anymore, are you?”
“Hotaru?” Saturn shook her head. “No. I am the Senshi of Death and Rebirth, Soldier of Silence, Sailor Saturn. But like this, in her body, you may call me Saturn.”
She moved into the Dead Lands, a snarl on her beautiful face as she prepared to rip her daughter’s kidnapper’s still-beating heart from his or her chest.
And beyond it, the Dead Lands loomed menacingly, as if waiting for its turn at ravaging the Summerlands.
Alucard studied him and a strange look passed over his features. “It is strange that you would bring a being of Light into this world of darkness, power aside.”
“The Heart if Darkness, indeed.”
I hope that gives you some kind of hint as to what is going on. If not, I hope they tease you properly.
Ja ne!
Coiled_Heart
current mood: ..what happens when I click..?
current music: Lacuna Coil "Falling Again"
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(comment on this)
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| Friday, September 22nd, 2006
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11:34 am - Demeter's Daughter, Ch2
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So it seems that many of you have found this story interesting. I was surprised to note that I was receiving more reviews for this story than I usually do. Especially considering that it was an idea that I had rushed because I wanted it out of my head before I lost it.
So, yeah. Alright. Pimped-out Chaos-plushies complete with leather pants and attachable smaller Serenity-doll go to:
-Liza (Thanks for the great review! I hope this next chapter doesn’t disappoint!)
-mystic soldier (Yes, here’s your plushy. I hope you enjoy! And I updates sooner than I normally would, just for you.)
-Helin Lote (*munches on cookie* Mmmm….I love cookies. Just for you, a longer chapter. I added a couple of scenes for you. )
and -Patricia16 (I did! Hope you enjoy!)
And to everyone else, I’m giving out a different plushy for every chapter, so hopefully you’ll have a chance to earn one. I only give plushies to those who review, so review already and get a plushy!
DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Not mine. NOT MINE!
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Demeter’s Daughter
Chapter 2: Mine
By: Ceris Malfoy
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That was their first meeting, though it was not their last. Serenity came to him whenever she sensed him near -it was a tingling feeling that ran through her blood and made her breathless and awakened the butterflies within her stomach. None of her people seemed to sense him, so she kept his true nature a secret from her mother; she mentioned a friend, nothing more. At the first hint of that feeling, she would go running to the Dead Lands, a place that they could both meet in secrecy; her people did not tread there. During those meetings, she sometimes got the sense that he was playing with her, although was not sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. Other times she got the sense that he was hunting her. This, too, she was unsure of; unsure of the responding surge of feelings she had whenever that smile of his would cross his lips briefly, or when his eyes got this look inside them, as if there was something darker, something more …dangerous underneath.
Serenity was a quick learner, and she knew that this creature was not what he seemed. She supposed he thought he was being reassuring, what with his gentle smiles and sweet touches, the way he allowed her to grace his head with freshly woven floral crowns like tributes, or the way he simply sat there and listened to her babble on and on about her life, her people, her world. But, instead it made her wary of his intentions.
She would sometimes recall their first meeting, and remember how he had hesitated before giving his name…it was almost as if…. But that was a silly thought, for why would he lie about something as simple as a name? And it wasn’t just the first meeting, or even the second, that caught her eye in the dead of the night, when the world was quiet and there was nothing to keep her from thinking.
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“Luna! Luna, where are you?” Serenity raced through the fields at unimaginable speeds. Occasionally she would trip or fall, but always she was up and moving just as fast, if not faster than before. “Luna!” She cried despairingly. Where, oh where, could she have gone?
She tripped again, and collapsed. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she finally gave up. “Oh, Luna,” she sobbed. Although she only got to see the cat when she came to the Dead Lands, Serenity had grown quite attached to the beautiful kitten.
“Mew.”
Serenity’s head snapped up. And she gasped.
“Where…?” She looked around. “Where… am I?” She was no longer in the meadows of the Dead Lands, but a forest. The trees grew gnarled and bent, packed closely together and yet not close enough. The leaves looked sharp and strange blossoms grew haphazardly alongside them. The grass was growing wild and tall and razor sharp. The earth felt soft and moist, and weird…as if it was a sponge she was lying on and not earth at all. But despite the almost …ferocious look to it, there was an air of magic, of freedom that lingered; it kept her from being frightened of this …place.
A smooth, male voice answered her, and she nearly wept at the familiar sound in this unfamiliar place. “You’re in the Dead Lands, as they truly are.”
Serenity turned semi-frightened eyes to Hades. “What do you mean? I have never seen them like this.”
Hades shook his head and chuckled, moving with care through the lethal blades of grass towards her. “These lands must favor you greatly for you to be able to change them so.”
“What?” Her brow furrowed. “Would you stop talking in riddles?”
“This-” his hands gestured to showcase the forest, “-is the Dead Lands’ natural appearance. The meadow that you’ve played in for so long now, does not exist. I noticed it the first time you approached while I was there; the trees and grass sank into the ground as if engulfed. And flowers appeared in their place like waves on the sand. And at their wake, who should I find, but you?”
Serenity was silent as Hades took her hand and lifted her up. “What were you doing there?” she asked. It was a question that bugged her often.
That smile. That slow, sweet, smug smile that dug at her senses. “Watching, of course.”
“And what were you watching?”
Hades’ smile grew and he shook his head.
“Mew.”
Serenity’s head whipped around. “Luna!” she cried, as the little black kitten rushed towards her. “Oh! I thought I had lost you, my little one,” she whispered. Luna curled in her arms, she turned back towards Hades. But he wasn’t there.
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“Hades?”
The dark being in question looked towards her. “Yes, sweetling?”
She gave him a look of irritation. “Don’t call me that.” The look softened. “What is your home world like?”
He looked at her then, truly looked at her, and she could feel the weight of those black eyes studying her; not for the first time she wondered what he saw when he looked at her like that. “It is very different from your world,” he said at last. And no matter how she bugged him about it, be would not say any more on the subject.
So she changed it.
“What are you a god of?” she asked.
He laughed. “My aren’t you curious today!”
She pouted. “I’ve told you almost everything about me, but I know so little of you!” Seeing his face start to harden, she placed her hand on his shoulder and whispered softly, “Please, Hades. You’re my friend. I just want to know about my friend.”
He sneered and stood up. “Death. Chaos. Destruction.” (1) He hissed the words out and left.
And Serenity wept.
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For his part, Hades was delighted with his find. Raw, untapped power that practically flowed from her slight form, power that he fed off of, power that consequently made him more powerful; it was at his beck and call. She was a funny creature -beautiful in her own way, but down to earth and with her own faults. She was also very informative. The more time he spent listening to her, the more he learned about her world, about her people and their culture.
He learned more about their defenses from this mere slip of a girl than he had from observing from the Dead Lands. He wondered how she would react to knowing what her information was going to do to her ’perfect’ world.
He was also rather intrigued by this girl. She would seem so childish for hours at a time, but then she would get this look over her face, usually when she was gazing at him in contemplation, that said she was much, much more than a child. (2) She was a puzzle, and he could never resist puzzles.
And so days turned into weeks and weeks into months, which slid into years. Both of them had elongated lifespans, so neither noticed as much as they probably should have. Serenity eventually reached her Maturity (3) -the second and final Awakening of her people. Now she would be able to gain access to her magic, and be able to be trained in the various gifts that came with it: healing, cleansing, and defense. Alongside those gifts were natural abilities that all of her race possessed, the ability to reveal lies and illusions. (4)
Hades was in awe at the now-woman that answered the next summons (5), and a wave of sheer want raged through his veins. He had thought to play with her, use her and then discard her, but he had begun to become intrigued by the puzzle she represented, and that interest lead to others, some more base than others. He noticed the odd look on her face as she stepped lightly towards him, and he wondered at it. Usually she was all smiles and laughter as she raced towards him.
Serenity finally stopped a foot away from Hades, and gazed at him. “You are not who you said you were,” she stated softly. Her eyes held no accusations, no anger; just a soft questioning, a simple sadness.
He smiled ruefully. “No, I am not.”
She nodded, as if she expected this answer. “I had wondered for years now, if what you had told me was true.” She sighed. “I had hoped….” she shook her head and stared up at him, smiling ruefully. “I am to be married soon.”
He blinked at this abrupt change in subject, and blinked again at the surge of sheer rage that met the words. “What?” He asked incredulously.
She nodded again. “My mother has become worried over my frequent disappearances into these Lands. She believes that a husband will help me settle down.” She smiled that rueful smile again.
“And what do you have to say about this?” he asked cautiously.
She shrugged. “What can I say about it? I am of age, of suitable pedigree and power for my intended, and without another to contest the claim.”
He snorted. “I hardly find that believable.”
She smiled that smile again, although this time there was a touch of bitterness. “Surely you have noticed that I am different from the others?”
He nodded, unsure of where this was going.
“My looks and manner are one thing -my people don’t much care. I am an oddity, unique; that alone should have guaranteed more suitors than my peers.” Her eyes darkened slightly as she touched a golden upturned crescent moon that was perched proudly on her forehead.
Hades started. Since when did she have a sigil on her forehead?
She sighed. “And I am of the line of Hekate (6), a Moon Guardian; a prize to be had.” That smile turned fully bitter. “But my name…” she trailed off.
He eyed her. “Your name?” he prompted.
“Our names are a sign, and mine is a very bad sign indeed.” She kept her eyes on his, and he wondered what sort of name could have made her the pariah?
She sighed again, and wrenched her eyes from his. “I have come here this day to wish you a fond farewell. I am afraid that this will be our last meeting for a very, very long time.” She turned and started to walk away.
He watched her go, and could not bear it.
“Stay with me.”
She stopped. “What?” She turned around, confusion in her eyes. “What did you say?”
“Stay with me.”
Her eyes widened, her frame tensed. “Do you even know what you’re asking?” she gasped out.
“Yes.”
There was silence then, the two beings staring at one another from across the distance. One carved of light and honey, the other of darkness made flesh. Two wills battled against each other; one hopeful, the other fearful. He pressed.
“Stay with me.”
And with a shaky sob, she gave in. “Alright. I’ll stay.”
He smiled and held out his hand. Several shaky steps later, she was grasping his hand, crying softly. He drew her to him, and ran his fingers through her hair, inhaling the scent of her: vanilla and sandalwood. “Mine,” he whispered, and in an instant, they were gone.
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So? What did you think? Should I have left out the scenes with Serenity and Hades before she reached her awakening? Tell me what you think!
Ja ne,
Ceris Malfoy
NOTES:
1. Hades is the lord of the dead and ruler of the nether world, which is referred to as the domain of Hades or, by transference, as Hades alone. However, I wanted Chaos to hint at what he is to her, so I added some extra stuff.
2. This I’ve taken straight from both the anime and the manga. It’s rare in the anime, but sometimes you’ll see this pensive, adult look on her face that belies her ditsy behavior. But, like I said, you can more often see it in the manga.
3. The Awakening basically awakens them to "life", while the Maturity awakens them to their "gifts".
4. Which is why there are no lies amongst her people. What use for them, when everyone can detect them immediately?
5. The reason that none of her people can feel Chaos is because he deliberately directs his power to summon her.
6. I was originally going to use "Line of Serenity", but that's kind of overused, so I changed it. HEKATE was the goddess of witchcraft, magic, the night, the moon, ghosts and necromancy. She was the only child of the Titanes Perses and Asteria who received power over heaven, earth, and sea from her parents. Hekate assisted Demeter in her search for Persephone and after their reunion became Persephone's minister and companion in Haides. Hekate was usually depicted in Greek vase painting holding twin torches. In statuary she was sometimes depicted in triple form. Hekate was identified with various goddesses, including Artemis and Selene (Moon), the sea-goddess Krataeis, the goddess of the Taurian Khersonese (of Skythia), the Kolkhian Perseis, and Argive Iphigeneia, the Thracian goddesses Bendis and Kotys, Euboian Maira (the dog-star), Eleusinian Daeira and the Boiotian Nymphe Herkyna.
current mood: grrr...
current music: Gunther "Naughty Boy"
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| Thursday, September 21st, 2006
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5:54 pm - Ananke In Swirling Violet
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This is a crazy-ass piece that took me forever and a day to create. I'm sure you'll understand why. The swirling void behind her took the longest though.... I wander why? *note: that is sarcasm!*
current mood: just check out the damn pic!
current music: Nickelback "Rockstar"
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| Thursday, September 7th, 2006
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6:29 pm - Hellsing Deleted Scenes
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5:46 pm - Goblin's Folly
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Okay. This poem is a bit weird, I'll admit. I wrote it on one of my Labyrinth-obsessive stages. It took me alot longer to fix the damn thing than to write it, unfortunately. There's something about the rhyme scheme that rubs me the wrong way, as most people can't seem to identify it. That being said, I think that it is hardly productive of me to keep changng the poem to make it fit the rest of my peers' sub-level understanding of poetic structures. So, instead of posting the modified version, this is the original, unedited. Bold-italicized words are Jareth speaking. Regular italics are Sarah speaking.
Goblin's Folly
I heard a distant voice,
-the whispers of nights long passed-
voices no one else could hear.
Your voice, twisted and refined in every way,
it was ringing in my ears.
I walked in silence,
yearning for respite and something more...
...something more than merely tears.
Come away, you purred,
and in your voice, I knew my fears.
You were the Prince of Dreams,
the Once and Future King;
remembered today, loved long in the past....
You always found me in solitude; lonely and lost.
Far from the light of day your spell you cast,
weaving tales of enchantment; you promised me your magic.
Suddenly my rapture was alive,
burning deep within me, raging far too fast.
Say the words, you laced a finger through my hair,
and I will set you free at last.
I surrendered,
longing for the world to stop its spinning
so I could place my feat and land.
Somewhere, I wanted you so badly,
aching for the touch of silken bands.
I wordlessly cried out your name,
then set the spell in stone.
Away from this place, to a world of glass and sand.
Delirious and heady with despair,
I dreamt I held your hand.
The windows burst open,
lightning flashed,
the house went dark, leaving me alone.
But not for long, the Goblins came in haste;
like a shadow, you simply were, as the moonlight darkly shown.
A light in your eyes,
a playfulness, a smirk.
A King with slanted eyes and sparkling hair and empty throne;
diaphonous skin, alabaster pale and smooth.
Pleasures taken, murmurs of desire; secluded, unknown.
Goblin-King, I started,
backing up in fear,
I never knew.... I didn't mean.... I knew not that you were there!
You answered not, only grinned again;
circling me, your prey caught unaware.
Once more, I begged, return from whence you came.
My sorrow lies deeper than the worth of my name.
You tapped your finger on your cheek, gestured in the air.
What's said is said, you laughed the words;
a crystal formed beneath your glare.
The words are spoken.
You are mine.
Don't fight; it won't be sweet.
I struggled madly; you held me fast.
You laughed, Is this a proper way to greet?
Like lovers trysting,
tangled dance,
and only we can hear the beat.
We knew each other, now and always: destined, cursed;
poor strangers, lost souls; 'til fate would bade us meet.
I never knew you! my lips cried, my lips cried. My heart, alas, forlorn.
For to me it was known
you'd take me away
to live as your Queen in your home.
You'd keep me locked up: a dream; a rose;
an ornament for your throne.
Then I knew it was a trick;
I'd felt you all along.
Watching, waiting, hesitating,
ever growing strong.
When I weak and pensive,
you protected me from the throng.
Now you wanted compensation;
the price, to me, seemed wrong.
My mouth slammed shut,
my legs gave way;
I saw no need to try.
Escape was barren, lifeless, dull;
I had no tears to cry.
One last glance around my room,
cried to this ruse,
Goodbye!
I felt my body trembling,
finding love to be a lie.
Your golden hair was streaming down,
soft flutters on my face.
You smiled a secret smile at me,
my figure you embraced.
Touching, leaning, promising lips;
a word of bitter bliss.
I wept in passion, sobbed once more;
my first and only kiss.
current mood:  I'm gonna get in trooouuble...
current music: Leave's Eyes "Into Your Light"
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(comment on this)
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| Thursday, August 31st, 2006
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10:55 am - Razor
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I love the look of it….
….the gossamer silver-lined dance of scarlet and crimson….
….entwined together to create an intimate whole.
I love the grasp of it….
…the blunt silver-grey with its razor edge….
….that even now gathers my deepest secrets….
…and keeps them….
…flesh, blood, bone.
I love the feel of its biting…
…flesh to steel…
…blood to blade…
…the way the silver reflects…
…incandescent colors amongst my ivory glow.
I love the truth of it…
….how it sends me over the edge…
…yet keeps me from going too far…
…the ultimate forbidden pleasure.
I love the secrecy of it…
…the way Night seems to envelope me…
…safely within her arms…
…in the middle of the day.
I love the game of it…
…the way I never know which will win…
…silver and steal…
…flesh and blood…
…continuous and interchanging…
…with all the grace…
…of a land-locked swan.
current mood:  god I'm bored
current music: Creed "Bullets"
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(comment on this)
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| Tuesday, August 15th, 2006
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7:27 pm - The Fallen Labyrinth, ch.2
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*squeals* I'm so glad you guys like it! The first couple of chappies are kinda short, just to warn you, but they do get way longer, k? Remember, read and review and I'll give you a Jareth plushie!
Jareth shows up in this one!
DISCLAIMER: Characters, except Jareth, are copyrighted and owned by ME. Instant pain to anyone who uses them without my permission.
The Fallen Labyrinth
Chapter 1: I Know That It Will Save Us All
By: Coiled_Heart
Jin flopped back on his bed, his body sore. Yet a strong sense of triumph flooding his senses. He stared at the ceiling, his eyes growing steadily heavier and heavier until he was fast asleep; his body and mind too tired to deal with life.
The world swam around him in silver and black spirals. Couples were twirling around to a soft, enchanting music of the likes he had never heard before; it filled his mind and soul with such peace and he was entranced.
There was one couple that caught his eye immediately. A man of indeterminable age, but with an aura of sheer power was arguing softly with an exotic beauty. They were in the center of the dance-floor, and both seemed to be defying the dress-code of silver and black.
The man had feather-light, white-blond hair; mismatched eyes that gleamed with a dangerous light. Fine-boned and pale-skinned, he was gorgeous enough. But the deep navy-blue and gold suit that he was wearing was amazing. The woman was dark where he was light. Intense emerald-green eyes glared out at the man, her thick, black- and-violet, semi-curly hair cascading down onto her shoulders. She wore a crimson and gold dress, which only served to amplify the color of her eyes, and lend more warmth to her golden skin.
Jin moved closer and closer to the couple, until he began to hear snippets of their argument.
“-know why?” Her voice was as lovely as a jewel, multi-faceted and resonating deep within the soul.
“Look, my time here is almost done. Why can’t you just be happy for me?” His was equally as beautiful, but for different reasons. His was deep and melodious, hinting at something smooth and dangerous that lurked just below the surface.
“Happy? Happy? I’m supposed to be happy that you’re blowing off our engagement for some mortal?”
“It was arranged for us, Ananke, and we both knew that we didn’t love each other then! I found someone to love, who loves me for who I am, and not for my title!”
Ananke turned her face away, anger lining every inch of it. “I never once tried to get close to you for your title, impressive as it may be.” She did not give the man, Jareth, a chance to reply. “So what do you want of me? You’ve apparently already made up your mind, so why even bother?”
Jareth sighed. “Why must you always be so difficult?”
Ananke sneered at him. “Why must you insist on humiliating me?”
“Look. My leaving you for a mortal isn’t going to sit well with the others. I have no future here-”A delicate snort from Ananke. “-and I would rather that someone I trust take over for me.”
Ananke started to laugh, and the sound was bitter. “So not only are you breaking off our engagement for a mortal, but now you’re condemning me to a lifetime of kidnapping in that hellhole you dare to call a kingdom!” Tears fell from her eyes and she wiped them away angrily. “To tell you the truth, Jareth, I would rather die.”
Jareth looked like he had been slapped, before a hard look crossed his features. “You don’t really have a choice, Ana, darling. Consider it a present.” He flicked his wrist and a crystal ball formed within his hand. Ananke’s face showed terror at the sight of it. He tossed it at her and she disappeared in a shower of sparkles.
“I curse you...” The sound of her voice echoed throughout the room, lovely and heartbroken and angry. “You will know nothing but pain and loneliness for as long as I do. Never will you find your beloved mortal. Never.”
Jareth’s face went white.
So? Yeah, Ananke is a vengeful bitch. She's my character, through and through. Jin is Molly's. And I'll reveal the inspiration behind the others as they show up. And because someone asked, Jin's full name is Nurkuki Jin, and Ana's is Ananke DeLa Vega. The whole idea of The Fallen was that a bunch of misfits/exiles from a mixture of different countries met up, and ...conected. Sorta. I'm still not clear on a few bits, but they're getting cleared up (hopefully) within the next week or so.
current mood: damn cats....
current music: Brittany Spears "Toxic"
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7:21 pm - Demeter's Daughter, Ch 1
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So here’s the first chapter for Demeter’s Daughter. As promised, it does not contain a narrator reading off a bunch of time compressed into a single paragraph, but rather a true story with actions and words. My cat is driving me nuts, so read and enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: No characters appearing in this story are mine, though the appearance of Chaos is purely my own.
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Demeter’s Daughter
Chapter 1: Call Me Hades
By: Coiled_Heart
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Serenity hummed a nameless tune as she skipped through field, her pure-white dress seemingly floating around her form. To the unknown watcher, she appeared to be an angel -the effect of which was ruined as, with a loud, startled shout, she tripped and fell. But that just increased her appeal to the watcher. To the watcher, who had seen naught but ethereal beauties within this world, she was a breath of fresh air. Someone who was not perfect, and who did not care to be.
Serenity stood up, grumbling softly as she brushed off her dress, now stained irreparably with sharp green. She sighed as she took in the damage to her dress. ‘Mother’s going to kill me,’ she thought, before turning her gaze to the thing that she had tripped over. It was a small, black kitten with a crescent bald-spot, looking for all the world like Serenity had just insulted the Queen.(1) Laughing delightedly, she reached down and gathered the adorable ball of fluff in her arms.
“Oh, how cute!” she squealed. “Such a pretty little kitty. Oh stop looking at me like that. I didn’t mean to trip over you!” She started to pet the funny little creature, and laughed again when the kitten swiped at her hand and hissed. “Oh all right, I’ll put you down.” Down went kitty.
Serenity plopped down next to the cat and cocked her head, an unreadable expression crossing her face. The kitten turned slightly and returned the stare.
“Where’s your mommy, kitty?” She never blinked, just continued to stare at the cat with the same unreadable expression.
“Mew.” The kitten cocked her head, blinked, and turned away.
“Oh you poor thing,” tears gathered in Serenity’s sapphire eyes. “Can I be your mommy?”
If the kitten heard or understood her, was left unclear as it promptly pounced on a near-by butterfly.
The tears vanished as Serenity laughed at the kitty. “Well, mother or not, I can’t just keep calling you kitty. So lets see, what should I call you?” She absently started to weave a flower crown as she thought. “I know! How about Luna?” She appeared to be thinking for a moment, before nodding decisively. “Yes. I shall call you Luna….My Luna,” she continued softly, smiling softly.
In that moment, she did not look like the mere child she was to her people, but the woman that her mother had foreseen she would be.
It was that moment that the watcher decided to approach this strange woman-child. It was at that moment when Serenity suddenly tensed, fear striking through every one of her senses, demanding that she leave at once. But, do to her own curious nature, she was also compelled to stay and find out who this …man was that approached her was.
The man was tall, taller than she was by a good foot, maybe more. His skin was not brown -it was black. He looked as if he had been carved from ebony. His cheekbones were high and sculpted, the chin a little too sharp for her taste. But it suited the frame of his tall, muscled body. Under the soft light of the sun, he looked deceptively soft -as if a mere touch could break a bone, but somehow Serenity knew this man was Power. His hair was the same shade as his skin, and did not reflect the light so much as suck the light into itself and make it its own. It was long, and wavy, and reached to mid-back. The tips of his pointed ears showed through the thick mane, and it was by those ears, more than any other feature, that told her he was not apart of her people, that he was an Outsider. No being that graced this particular world had pointed ears, and none ever would.
He wore black armor that made no sound as he approached her.(2)
She stood, because as he approached, she realized that her neck was going to hurt if she tried to watch him sitting down. He paused slightly, as if convinced that she would run away any second, but continued to approach.
Soon he was within touching distance of her. She merely stood there, watching, waiting. He smiled, revealing straight white teeth, although the upper and lower canines were slightly longer and pointier than they should have been.
She tensed. Something primal moved through her, urging her once again to flee, filling her veins with liquid ice.
“Relax,” he soothed. “I wish you no harm.”
Serenity had no knowledge of lies, had no inkling of evil or what could befall her should she believe the wrong person. Her people were above all of that, and so she believed him. She knew no reason not to. She cocked her head curiously as she took in the sight, the sound, and heaven’s above, the smell of him -warm and intoxicating with the scent of chocolate and something that she would later learn was the scent of blood.
“What-who are you?” She hoped the stranger did not catch her slip. She had no business being so rude as to ask that.
He smiled indulgently; he had caught the slip, and found it amusing. So he decided to answer both of the questions. “I am,” he paused. There was no way that he could reveal his true name, his true form. Should she even mention him even once to any of her race, his purpose, his mission would fail. He observed her, observed her innocence, and smiled a secretive, dangerous smile.
That primal instinct started screaming at Serenity to flee when she caught sight of that slow, smooth smile. She shivered at the strength of her feelings, and from something else…something she had no name for. (3)
He reviewed the cultures of all the realms he had conquered, and nearly laughed at the idea the identity he would assume gave him. He eyed her once more and decided that she would do. “I am a god of a distant realm,” he told her, smiling that dangerous smile. “You may call me Hades.” (4)
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Yeah. I rock. Bow down and worship me! (giggles) I'm just teasing. But, seriously. I am absurdly proud of this fic, and I love it! Read and review and get a plushy!
Ja Ne,
Coiled_Heart
NOTES:
1. Luna had always struck me as kind of haughty, as if she were the Queen herself. So there's my bit to express that. In truth, however, I've always loved Luna, and had often wondered what she would have been like if she had been raised as a kitten by Usagi's side. So that, too, influenced my decision to make Luna a kitten.
2. It's Chaos-sama! In his true form. Or, at least, how I'd always pictured him. Like darkness incarnate, you know?
3. (giggling) That, dearest Serenity, is called lust. (winks)
4. No, Chaos-sama's name is not going to be Hades. It's a false identity, so don't get confused if I suddenly stop calling him Hades.
current mood: bitchy
current music: Rihanna "Pon de Replay"
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7:15 pm - Demeter's Daughter, Pro.
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Okay. This is a sub-reality type thing, centered around Sailor Moon. It started out as a Serenity as Persephone, Chaos as Hades sort of thing, but it rapidly evolved into something else entirely. So, don’t get confused. Some Sailor Moon characters are in this, some are not. And some are….twisted. I can’t really explain, so you’ll have to read it for yourself.
As for the old Greek legend about Hades and Persephone that this story revolved around, it too evolved under my touch. I was going for the version of the story by The Bawdy Balladeers called “Demeter’s Daughter”, but it sorta didn’t like the many ideas….so instead of agreement, it’s all out war.
You’ll understand later.
DISCLAIMER: Sailor Moon, Hellsing, Greek Mythology, and Labyrinth are not mine, and never will be. But I can always hope, can’t I?
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Demeter’s Daughter
Prologue: The Beginning
By: Coiled_Heart
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In all the alternities, and eternities, in all the realms and worlds, there was one that stood out from all the others. For it was a strange realm, untouched by evil or impurity. For unlike all other possible dimensions and timelines, the people were calm and gentle, with no need of jealousy and greed. The women of the race were renowned for their beauty and poise, and were the source of many an impure dimension’s envy. They were either tall and willowy or petite and curvaceous, with long, shimmering hair and large multicolored eyes. Their movements were graceful, their voices were as of melodies. They were treasured by their men folk, who were, by comparison, hideous.
But it was not for their beauty that the women were cherished so.
They were the source of life. Every female was capable of bearing a child. One single child. And because the children of that particular people were fragile and prone to sickness and death, it made the women rise to near goddess-status for their ability to bear and nurture these delicate beings into adulthood.
One woman in particular was revered among the others. She had given birth to a tiny baby girl, the gender of which was even more accident prone than the male children, three months early. Which in itself was a death warrant. The clan-like people gathered together and began to prepare for the woman a mourning ceremony, to honor the soon-to-be-dead babe and gift it’s soul with a name that it would not be cursed in the afterlife.
To the people’s consternation, however, the woman showed no signs of preparing to lose her child, but rather, appeared to be content with caring for her newly delivered babe. And it was to the people’s great shock, that the babe survived . And grew stronger. On the girl’s second birthday, the people realized that they could not put it off any longer. The naming ceremony had to be done.
The naming ceremony was an ancient ritual that has long lost meaning for our realm, as it held an ancient belief in non-scientific or non-religious things. The people believed that the name of the child determined not only their role in the community, but how they would later grow. In short, the name chosen was believed not to be a name given to influence how the child would turn out, but would instead reveal some great importance to them. (1)
The woman, a tall, willowy creature with soft lavender hair, gentle azure-colored eyes, and a soothing smile (2), looked lovingly down at her toddler, and spoke her name. Power rushed through the people as they beheld their latest member’s awakening.
“My little Serenity, I call upon your name to awaken your soul from it’s unjust slumber. Come to me, awaken unto us, Serenity Stormbringer, Heart of Darkness.”
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Perhaps it was the strangeness of the name her mother had gifted unto her, or perhaps it was the sheer lateness of her soul being awoken, but Serenity grew to be a puzzle to her people. She was not full of the ethereal beauty that the womenfolk had. She was not thin or willowy or petite or curvaceous. Rather, she grew to be a middle height, and had some curves to speak of, but seemingly only enough to identify her as female. As a matter of fact, compared side-by-side to her mother -easily the most beautiful in a race of beauty- she was an ugly duckling.
But everything from the neck up marked her as one of theirs. Her eyes were a brilliant sapphire -a shade of blue that was, strangely enough, rare. Her hair was long and shimmering, the gleaming sight of sun-kissed gold that flowed in waves down to her ankles from two intricately-weaved buns -one on either side of her head.
She puzzled her people. Everything about her, from her rapid mood-swings (practically unheard of in an unpregnant female) to her remarkable lack of grace. She was at times vastly intelligent, but more often remarkably stupid. She was the antithesis of what their race should have been. The Young Ones attributed it to her late awakening, but the Elders muttered in secret corners about thename she had been gifted with. ‘Stormbringer’, ‘Heart of Darkness’, what could such epithets refer to? There were no storms in their world, and no true lasting darkness. The various Storm Elementals among their race confirmed for them that no storms would be appearing in the future, and the Guardians of the Outer Walls informed them that the Darkness kept its careful distance of their light.
But whatever it was, among her own generation, she was known as the Strangling. She was not teased or taunted or ignored, but there was a strange distance between her age-mates and herself that Serenity mourned. She had many acquaintances, but no friends.
Which was why, on her sixteenth birthday, the Lord of Darkness found her in the Dead-Lands (3)without an escort, laughing gaily at a frolicking kitten as she wove a crown of flowers.
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So? What do you think? It’s an interesting project, one that I’m really proud to be working on. It’ll get less narrator-y in the actual chapters. But for the Prologue? I felt the style best for introducing the story line, yes?
Ja ne,
Coiled_Heart
NOTES:
1. Alright. The naming ceremony was based in part off of the ancient belief that if you had no name, you were a cursed, soul-less being. It was also based on the "blessing the child" actions seen in many fairy tales. Only, instead of gifting them with power or beauty, it is a prophecy they lay on their childs shoulders. The mother is in a trance, and she names her child. She bears no knowledge of why she named her child that, so protects the validity of the prophecy and does not cause a paradox.
2. It's Queen Serenity! Only, for the sake of being able to tell the two apart (because she's not a Queen in this fic) I shall call her Selenity.
3. This is a misleading name. The land is wild and dangerous. The trees grow wild and thickly, gnarled branches moving at the slightest wind. No animals live in there: hence the name Deadlands. Pools are stagnant and lakes are treacherous. Grass grows tall and lethally sharp. However, by some power that will not be revealed right now, but later, that is not what Serenity sees or feels when she walks through those treacherous lands.
current mood: bitchy
current music: Rihanna "SOS"
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