The Eagle's Eyrie

Greed:	Low
Gluttony:	Medium
Wrath:	Medium
Sloth:	High
Envy:	Low
Lust:	Low
Pride:	High

The Seven Deadly Sins Quiz on 4degreez.com


You know, I'm not really surprised.

Why do I do these things to myself?

First of all, I passed my Promotional Exams and did pretty well but my grades weren't fantastic. :/

And on top of that, I already have a bunch of things to write, like some half-completed stuff for my Archangel Gabriel's backstory, a Bollywood-style Good Omens spoof I had planned, a James/Lily fic my best friend wants as a birthday present... aaand I am a rabid roleplayer. As if playing Gabriel (cattygabriel

) obssessively at lt_safe_housewasn't enough, over there I also NPC Sister Mary Hodges, an ex-Satanic nun, and Primoris, the first nightmare ever created, and play Pollution (arsenicis4ever) at synechist, and RP both of them, along with War (bloodsoakedsky) at sixwordstories. And I wake up early to catch Jen online (due to different time zones) so we can RP via AIM - usually it's just my Gabriel with her Michael, but sometimes she brings in Aziraphale, Raphael and/or Uriel, and then I play Lucifer as well and we've both played Crowley.

And I have also joined a Marauders-era role-play, elderswear, as James Potter (quidditchlord). Role-play is bloody addictive, I tell you.

As if all that wasn't enough to keep me occupied during the upcoming holidays (I do have a bunch of books to read and studying to do, too), I just signed up at fanfic100, and claimed the character Gabriel from Good Omens. Which means that I am given a table with 100 prompts and have to turn each into a story. A hundred [short, knowing me] stories revolving around Gabriel. Currently I am waiting for my claim/application to be accepted.

I've been looking forward to this for a while, actually, and already have a vague idea of where I'll be going with the plot, though I have no idea about the title. But it's just that I am a very lazy person who needs to practice writing more often. xD

At least I managed to finish my Good Omens Christmas Exchange entry, get it beta'ed and send it in on time. ^_^

On another note, I am more than halfway through DC Comics: Lucifer, and IT IS BLOODY BRILLIANT. I've also started Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon, an interesting read.

Chatlogs from last night's Lower Tadfield Safe House weekly chat, in which I summarise the entire Twilight series (Eclipse got about one short paragraph).\

It's been more than a year since I read the series, thankfully, so I couldn't remember a bunch of details or things that connected 'plot' points. I also cut a bunch of things out. But the main points of the books are here. If you are a Twilight fanatic without a sense of humour, do not read this; I don't particularly want a flamewar here. However, if the hype about the upcoming New Moon movie has made you curious, click away on the LJ-cut as a warning!

Note: Everyone else's AIM names have been changed to initials to protect their privacy. Mine is left as is.

Enjoy!

( Twilight in ten minutes! )
And then we move on to other, saner things. xP

I think my favourite bit was when I mentioned how 'vegetarian' vampires like the Cullens have golden eyes whereas 'normal' vampires who drank human blood have bright red eyes and Ricky was like, "How do the eyes know?" xDDD

A quick copypaste chatlog from Aziraphale's (role-play - stillnotfallen ) LJ.

[14:36] R: folks really...t hat HURTS
[14:36] S: Hm, gay als fröhlich und dann gemeint dass verscmitzt sowas wie scherzhaft heißt?
[14:36] m: you know, I almost understand most of that. except, of course, the third point. translate away
[14:37] S: I wonder why he left in thesex life, though.
[14:37] R: When they met Erziraphael for the first time, many people thought that he was a) English, b) intelligent and c) more mischieveous than a tree full of monkeys who had just breathed in a whole lot of nitrous oxide. They were wrong in two points: Heaven is not England, even though certain poets claim something different. And angels do not have a sex live, unless they do really strenuous work.
[14:37] m: aaahaaahaaahaaahaaaa
[14:37] R: the "wenn sie sich wirklich anstrengen" should be "wenn sie es dringend wollen"
[14:37] m: LMAO FOREVER. more mischievious than high monkeys. wow.
[14:38] R: I think they left it because they didn't realise what gay meant...
[14:38] m: <3 thank you for sharing. that just made my day
[14:38] S: STRENUOUS WORK
[14:39] S: I can't do it. Making a joke about angel sex being strenuous is just too cheap and easy.
[14:39] m: oh my goodness I didn't even notice that!!!!!! strenuous work!!!
[14:39] N: I think the Finnish translation had 'more miss-like than a spinster with a hand-bag
[14:39] m: XD i like that one too



Sex life = very strenuous work

*DIES LAUGHING*

I MET NEIL GAIMAN AND THAT MAN IS THE PERSONIFICATION OF AWESOMENESS.

Pictures at a later date - now I just want to give everyone a link to this and LAUGH MY HEAD OFF.

Beware, you who buy candy to give to little kids, and you who decorate your homes with pumpkins and the colours red, orange and brown, for you are inviting the Devil and his demons in! They will have sex with you and sacrifice your children! 'Tis Devil worship!

Seriously. If Lucifer and his demons even exist, they have better things to do - LIKE MAINTAIN HELL, and possibly Manchester and the Project Work department at my school - than sit around in bags of candy and kill your children and sit on your shoulders to whisper things.

Besides, Halloween has nothing to do with Satan or black magic or any of that nonsense. It started as a harvest festival, Samhain, among the ancient Celts. Yes, they believed that during the night of Samhain the dead would return for a nice hot meal, but here in Asia the Chinese have the month of the Hungry Ghost Festival and nobody says anything.

...During this period demons are assigned against those who participate in the rituals and festivities. These demons are automatically drawn to the fetishes that open doors for them to come into the lives of human beings. For example, most of the candy sold during this season has been dedicated and prayed over by witches...

...Halloween is much more than a holiday filled with fun and tricks or treats. It is a time for the gathering of evil that masquerades behind the fictitious characters of Dracula, werewolves, mummies and witches on brooms. The truth is that these demons that have been presented as scary cartoons actually exist. I have prayed for witches who are addicted to drinking blood and howling at the moon.
While the lukewarm and ignorant think of these customs as "just harmless fun," the vortexes of hell are releasing new assignments against souls. Witches take pride in laughing at the ignorance of natural men (those who ignore the spirit realm).
Decorating buildings with Halloween scenes, dressing up for parties, going door-to-door for candy, standing around bonfires and highlighting pumpkin patches are all acts rooted in entertaining familiar spirits. All these activities are demonic and have occult roots....

*dead of laughter*

Crowley from Good Omens would be so proud of you, Ms Kimberley Daniels. If you aren't actually him, that is.

Quick note as I am in a rush: Happy Halloween! Tonight, the Celts would have celebrated the Feast of Samhain!

Also, IN LESS THAN TWO AND A HALF HOURS I WILL SEE NEIL GAIMAN!!! *rushes off*

Edit: I met Neil and HE IS AWESOMENESS PERSONIFIED.

Which Tarot card am I?


Winged deck:

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Cat People deck:

You are The High Priestess

Science, Wisdom, Knowledge, Education.

The High Priestess is the card of knowledge, instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. She holds scrolls of arcane information that she might, or might not reveal to you. The moon crown on her head as well as the crescent by her foot indicates her willingness to illuminate what you otherwise might not see, reveal the secrets you need to know. The High Priestess is also associated with the moon however and can also indicate change or fluxuation, particularily when it comes to your moods.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Awesome! The High Priestess! :D I LOVE this result!



And if I had been born in ancient Egypt, what would my zodiac sign be?

Bastet You look for balance and harmony, anxious, devoted. Often rash and impatient. Colors: male: yellow ochre, female: grey Compatible Signs: Sekhmet, Horus Dates: Jul 14 - Jul 28, Sep 23 - Sep 27, Oct 3 - Oct 17 Role: Goddess of cats, women, and secrets Appearance: Cat or cat-headed woman Sacred animals: cat What is Your Egyptian Zodiac Sign? Designed by CyberWarlock of Warlock's Quizzles and Quandaries

Bastet! The cat goddess! Awesome!

I tried posting this earlier this week but LJ ATE MY POST! After I spent ages uploading three quarters of the photos! >_< I tried again last night, something went wrong and for the THIRD TIME THIS WEEK I am attempting to share these photos.

Deepavali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, was on October 17th. The photos in this post are of the preparations - shopping, cleaning, baking, henna etc. It will be HTML-heavy, so I sincerely hope that LJ will not screw with me. Crowley, I'm talking to you too.


 

( Deepavali Photos, Part One )

 

Part One over, Part Two, with the celbrations on the day itself and all the FOOD, coming soon!

On October 15th, 2007, my beloved Golden Retriver, Rusty, died.



He was an absolutely adorable dog, with his soft golden fur and that endearing goofy, happy, loving smile. He was very, very intelligent, and attention-seeking, and a ladies' dog. He was a better judge of character than we were. He was an utter coward when it came to thunderstorms, balloons, boxes, pails, or sticks, as he had been abused badly and abandoned before we took him in, but when it came to protecting us, or jealously inserting himself in between me and any other dog I touched... *smile*

He was a good dog, and he deserved a much longer and happier life. Hanging, flailing in mid-air over a staircase railing while your leash holds you back, and nobody hearing over the rain, is no way to go.

It's been two years, today, but it still hurts to come home and not be greeted by an exuberant, energetic, bouncing, licky bundle of golden fur. I miss seeing his utterly pathetic look on our doorstep, as he tries to guilt us into giving him more food. I miss his joyful reaction when I take the leash and say, "Want to go for a walk?". I miss the way he chased birds. I miss holding his trembling body when it rains. I miss sitting and crying and having him silently comfort me with a lick and a request for a belly rub. I miss the way the moment anyone sits on the floor, he bounds over and lies down, paws in the air, begging for a tummy rub. I miss the way, on Sundays, we'd hide a cowhide bone or some such treat in his bowl of kibble and he'd bound over, all bouncy, and dig it out and sit and enjoy it, and THEN eat his kibble.

I know I'm biased, but he was the best dog in the world to me, and I miss him.

I hope that wherever my beloved dog is now, there are no thunderstorms. Rest in peace, Rusty.

One more exam to go... Tamil Literature Paper 2 on Wednesday, and then in the next two days I will have to clean the large house, bake some snacks, and do henna for myself, my sister, and my friend who wants to learn (she is Chinese) before Deepavali on the 17th.

And I also have a HUGE reading list for after the exams, involving the entirety of DC Comics: Lucifer, the collected works of Oscar Wilde, Jane Austen's Emma and Northanger Abbey, Titania Hardie's The Rose Labyrinth, Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, Milton's Paradise Lost...

Also, I have bitten off more than I can chew for the Good Omens Holiday Exchange 2009, methinks. Note to self: Next year, do not get overexcited about the new fandoms you have discovered and stick every single thing in the 'What you're willing to write' field. If you want to add cameos from Dream or Delirium or John Constantine or Shadow or Odin or Gabriel, then just add them in while writing. Don't advertise it in the application.

Obviously, I am pretty excited about my prompt, as I was last year (this is only my second time participating). I love writing. It's just that thus far, most of my work is oneshots. Fluffy oneshots, at that. My two longest works are Recuperation and Cassandra's Prophecy, which are also probably the only things that actually have an actual setting-buildup-climax-winding down sort of proper plot. Any chaptered works I attempted are abandoned.

And now I am working on a prompt/assignment that calls for plot things, and cameos and crossovers/settings within a certain 'verse (I don't know the recipient, so I doubt she'll be seeing this, and anyway I'm trying to be vague). Now, while I am obviously familiar with most of those canons I have never actually properly written for them before, and the first plot idea I came up with and stuck with for a while made extensive use of Hellblazer canon which I am only slightly familiar with. In the end it would leave too many loose ends and angst issues so I abandoned it and am now trying to think of a bloody plot which will fulfill the first part of the prompt. The rest I can handle, eventually, but the first part of the prompt is a little problematic.

I have a vague idea, but... now I'm trying to think of something, and the things I come up with usually end up consigned to the metaphorical wastepaper basket. Damn writer's block. Damn the fact that I was always too lazy to do actual plotty things.

On the bright side - plot practice! I may try some practice pieces, which is bad news for my poor betamuse steadfast. (Prepare yourself, Jen!!) And now I have no excuse not to write plotty things.

Now... *goes back to scribbling plot ideas on paper, drawing outlines, and crossing things out* Yes, I still write in longhand, on paper ;P


Edit: I completely forgot that Scepticism and Of Promises and Warmth actually do have plots. Maybe I'm not completely useless after all. xD I never thought the day would come when I had so many stories written (relatively speaking) that I'd forgotten half of them. *dance* Also, thank you for the support, Jen! *points to comment thread*

We were doing some last-minute revision before the Chemistry paper and Gena, aka Birdie, realised that her calculator wasn't working. Hence the 8O expression. xD It worked after a few minutes, but I must say Alvina, the photographer, has impeccable timing. *smirk*

Found a link to this at quantum_witch's LJ.

The Animal Rescue Site

Click on the big purple button to donate, it's that easy and it's FREE! Sponsors do the actual donating, so all you have to do is click! ;)

Because I need a break from the ethical implications of stem cell research. xD *glares at GP file*

HAPPY MICHAELMAS, EVERYONE!

Being the angel geek I am, I couldn't let this go. :D I have some Michaelmas gifts for everyone *points at previous two entries* so let's all celebrate the feast day for Michael, Gabriel and Raphael! :D



His hair's a bit too long here, I think. And the wings look... off, somehow, I thought his would be bigger. Personally, I picture him as looking almost exactly like Simon Baker. xD Maybe with less laugh lines. Still, it's an awesome picture.

*goes back to glaring at notes*

More Michaelmas goodies for the folks at mad_prophecies! Although I doubt these can really be called goodies, seeing as how I suck at drawing. These were all just doodles, quick sketches in the margin of notes or on foolscap paper that was being used for essay outlines.

 

( A sketch of the Archangel Raphael, a sketch of a six-winged Seraphim, and a doodle of some random angelic warrior. )

Aaand that's it. xD

Okay, so Michaelmas, the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel that is also the feast day for all Four Archangels (Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael), is actually on the 29th of September. I have exams coming up and am not sure I'd be able to post this on the day itself, so I'm posting this early.

A gift for the folks at mad_prophecies, in celebration of Michaelmas! And many thanks to my lovely beta, steadfast!

Title: After the Storm
Canon: Er. Based off the role-play versions from lt_safe_house. Gabriel is my own, as is Lucifer's characterisation, though the latter is based on Neil Gaiman's from Murder Mysteries.

Summary: A lot has been written about how the Fallen dealt with their loss. But those who remained in grace were not completely unaffected, either. A companion piece to Reflections , though it can be read on its own.  

 

 

Disclaimer: If I owned the archangels, I’d be Someone who has a lot more pressing matters to attend to than writing fanfiction. I’d also, presumably, have a better computer.  

After the Storm 
 

     

( The sky over the City was darker than it had ever been; it bore a reddish glow, as if to match the blood that had been shed in the Silver City that day.  )

 

~*~

 

NEIL GAIMAN IS COMING TO SINGAPORE AND I'M GOING TO GO SEE HIM!!!

Ahem.

First things first.

Today's the Autumn Equinox! xD

Also, I sprained my ankle last Wednesday but today I think it's completely healed! :D No comments about my badly grazed knee, though.

And, NEIL GAIMAN IS COMING TO SINGAPORE! For the Singapore Writers' Festival! He'll be giving a reading (with Amanda Palmer) and a talk and doing an autograph session at the Arts House on October 31st, and tickets are FREE but have to be collected from the Arts House box office at 11AM this Saturday, so MY DAD SAID YES AND WE'LL BE GOING TO GET MY TICKETS THIS SATURDAY!

I was so amazingly overjoyed after my dad said yes, I went into my room and shut the door and jumped around and screamed and had this humongous grin on my face. xD Then I called my best friend, Lakshmi, and screamed, "LAKSHMI,  NEIL GAIMAN'S COMING TO SINGAPORE AND I'M GONNA GO SEE HIM!!!"

Being very excited, I said this very fast and was steeling myself to repeat it when she was like, "OMG SIVA THAT'S AWESOME, I'm so happy for you! When's he coming?" See, that's the mark of a best friend, they understand what you're saying no matter how many kph your talking speed is. ^_^

Oh mannn, I am so freaking over the moon about this! I'd like to get all my Gaiman books signed but poor man, his hand will be tired. So I'm going to get him to sign my copy of The Sandman: Season of Mists, maybe American Gods, and definitely Good Omens. And I will take a photo with him. And I will kidnap him and make him write more stuff for me. And hopefully I don't scream or faint or otherwise make a fool of myself!

Hopefully I get my tickets! I hope my dad is okay with us going there an hour early, because I have a feeling other obsessed fans would do what I want to and get there REALLY EARLY so they're assured of a ticket. Wish me luck!

Off to post this news at lower_tadfield so any Singaporean/Malaysian Gaiman fans there are informed of this joyous event. xP

It's September 22nd! And that means...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BILBO AND FRODO BAGGINS, HOBBITS OF THE SHIRE!

May you hair always be curly and your ale never run out!


I wish I could relax under the Party Tree with a hobbit's party spread (and considering their views on food, it would be HUUUUGE), relaxing and listening to their singing, instead of worrying about my Promotional Exams. :S

It's 09/09/09! :D

Nine was considered a sacred number by many ancient mythologies/cultures. Most of them held both three and nine in high regard. The Egyptians had their Ennead, the nine powerful gods of Heliopolis. The Greeks and Romans considered nine a powerful and sacred number and some prayers were recited three or nine times. The Hindus have our three powerful gods, Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Siva the Destroyer (my namesake), and we often recite prayers three times, or nine. We have a festival, Navaratri, coming up, which literally means nine nights, since that's how long it is. The Christians have their Holy Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And in Norse mythology, Odin the Allfather hung from Yggdrasil, the World Ash Tree, for nine days and nights, to learn the runes of power.

And if I started on the significance of a triad of women in nearly every single culture I'd go on for pages and pages. ;) The three Hindu goddesses Saraswathi, Lakshmi and Parvati, the Greek Fates, the Greek Furies, the Greek triadic-witch or Hecubae, the Norse Norns Urd, Verthandi and Skuld, the archetypal three witches, the maiden, mother and crone... Okay, I'll shut up now. xD

But come on, it's a cool date! :D

So I found this gorgeous artwork of Gabriel the other day.

And since I'm always on the lookout for more icons for my dear role-play character, the Archangel Gabriel, I was very excited - this might possibly be the best painting of him I've ever seen, that actually somewhat fits my mental requirements. Okay, so in my head Gabriel's hair is black while here it's merely brown. It's still pretty damn close. xP I love the wings. Although I must say that those excessively loose, weirdly draped robes are not flattering at all.

 

I cropped this out to make an icon by adding some text, but it was still so lovely on its own:




So I then proceeded to make myself an icon by adding text - only I couldn't decide what to add. Originally I was going to put God's Left Hand but then I remembered what Gabriel's name means and thought it would be cooler. I was aiming to get the word God in a bigger font than the other words but Paint wouldn't let me do that and I was lazy. xP 




Then I made this one, which I preferred and am using as one of my icons for cattygabriel:




I love it. ^_^


And then in the past half an hour, I decided to go mad and made four more, all from the same picture. 8D


( More Gabriel icons! )

Okay, okay, so those extra four were probably overkill. What can I say, I like the picture. xD

Also, could one of you help me out? I have this gorgeous picture of Santiago Figueras, the model I'm using as my Gabriel PB, half-tuned away, which would be perfect for me to edit in wings, so he's exposing them -  something significant, considering my characterisation for him.

The problem is, I suck at photo manips.

 <--- I want to edit his wings in so it looks like he's shirtless and is offering his wings to be groomed.

This is something like what what I imagine his wings to look like:



But obviously that won't do for the picture, so heck I'd be content with editing this in even though it's a bit too cutesy. :( I could make it look like it's only the top of his wing, since I picture them as huge.



If anyone reading this has some tips, I will love you forever! <3

nevermore_1106  tagged me with this. xD

Post in own lj with answers. Then tag 8 folks.

Tagging: steadfast , fantasybookgirl , apocryphal_muse , kunenk , gottalovenana , foxxfire5 , ciarakit , minselding .

Who sleeps in bed next to you?
> I wish I could say pre-Azkaban Sirius Black, but currently it's a long pillow and an adorable little stuffed dog.

Have you ever lied to a teacher to get out of a deadline?
> ...Yes, but usually it was to get my friends out of deadlines.

What kind of magazines do you read?
> Not much. Movie magazines, usually, but occasionally if there's a Harry Potter article or something in Teenage I'd get that as well. xP

What's your occupation?
> Junior college student, fanfiction author, rabid role-player. xD

What's really creepy?
> Insects! Evil ghosts/demons/etc. Stalkers. Mentally unhinged people.

Who is your celebrity crush?
> Mm. Johnny Depp!

What's your current fandom/obsession/addiction?
> Role-play, Good Omens, Sandman, anything and everything by Neil Gaiman, Harry Potter, the Discworld series, angelology and demonology, mythology. xD And knitting and drawing and writing. xP

What are you listening to right now?
> Mm. I'm not really listening to anything right now but last night I was listening to the soundtrack of The Prince of Egypt.

What are you most excited for?
> The end of my Promotional Exams - last day is October 15th!!! :D

What websites do you always visit when you go online?
> My mail, LiveJournal, and Meebo if I'm not using the Acer (which has Trillian), so I can access AIM. And the school website for my notes.

What was the last thing you bought?
> Besides food? The Sandman: Season of Mists and Smoke and Mirrors, both by Neil Gaiman!!!

What's your favourite season?
> I live on a tropical island. It's summer all year round. >_<

Does the weather affect your mood?
> Er, rainy days make me go mad for joy, if that's what you mean.

What is your zodiac sign?
> Cancer.

Do you want to learn another language?
> HELL YES. Currently I can speak English and Tamil, but I want to learn Sanskrit, French, Old English/Anglo-Saxon, Latin, Ancient Greek, Old Norse, Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Mayan, Aramaic, Ancient Hebrew, Ancient Babylonian, Ancient Mesopotamian, Ancient Sumerian... Hmm. Can't recall the others but do you really want me to go on? ;)

5 things (not people) you can't live without?
> BOOKS, a computer with Internet, food and drink, beautiful nature surroundng me, pencil and paper to write on.

Do you have any siblings?
> Yes. My sister Sivagami is six years older than I am and I love her dearly, and my brother Sivabalan is ten years older than I am and he's an egotistical maniac.

What's something you'd like to say to someone right now?
> Er. Dunno.

Do you have to pee?
> No, and what sort of question is that?! xD

Say something to the person who tagged you:
> TEACH ME OLD NORSE! xD