First topic message reminder :

Assignment Five

The Seven Stages of Grief


-Stage One: Denial-


Ok, in fear of more and more people dropping out, I'm going to go ahead and start the big finale. This is where the poetry comes in!! Over the next seven assignments, you will be required to turn in a picture and corresponding(meaning explaining the picture) gothic poem that represents each one of the seven stages of grief. Now, I'm not going completely along with the list of stages...I've picked and chosen the ones that I feel will work the best for this competition. Also, even though these assignments coincide, your pictures don't have too. I'd like to keep these pretty open, but one guideline is that I don't want any cutesy-pie pictures! I would prefer it if you'd stay on the serious side for these last assignments, since grief is a serious thing! Make it your goal to make people cry!

Anywho!! So, here's stage one: denial! Each contestant will be required to submit a photo and corresponding poem that represents denial. Again, this is wide open, but try to keep it serious. Have fun and be creative!

-About the Poetry-

To make it a little easier, I don't care if you write the poetry yourself, or if you use someone elses, just give credit to the original author please!

I suggest you look up gothic poetry online for inspiration and to really get the idea of what it is.

Also, here's a Gothic Poem Generator if you're having trouble....also if you want a good laugh...


-Rules-

1. Please only post ONE picture.

2. No copying!

3. Editing is allowed, but PLEASE keep it to a MINIMUM!! Really, the only editing allowed is stuff like cropping, lighting, stuff like making the pic black and white or sepia...stuff that anyone can do with a basic program. Basically, anything that changes the tone/atmosphere of the pic is ok. Also, if there's something like a bald spot that some of the CC hair has at certain angles, then you can fill it in. But that's it! As for editing that's not allowed is stuff like adding/transposing backgrounds or objects. Basically, if it's not in your game or can't be done in your game, then it shouldn't be in your picture! (CC is considered part of your game, so it's ok, duh. lol) This competition is designed to push the limits of your creativity, so use it!

4. No changing models. You must use the one you entered! You can, however, change her hair, clothes, makeup, traits, everything but her face/body(including skintone).

New!(for the seven stages of grief only) You are allowed to change your model's face to look more sad (in CAS). I know sometimes it's difficult to get a good picture when you're model looks too happy.

5. Other sims are allowed in the picture, just make sure your sim is the main focus.

6. Remember to keep it Gothic!


Breaking the rules may lead to elimination. You have been warned!
I've decided to not disqualify anyone, just eliminate them, when they have broken the rules...unless someone drops out or doesn't show, then they will just have the lowest score. With the rate that people have dropped out, it seems unfair to disqualify people.

If you have any questions about the rules, don't hesitate to ask.



-Models-

Lucille Donovan - KelleD014

Lilith Noir - SweetBaby

Ebony Flame - Bubby189

Lemiko Samura - ChicagoStorm

Kira Gray - LyrianFleur

Jamie May - Toblie

Arabesque Van Albrecht - CeleSeraphym

Despair Ruine - estrellalin

Umbra Willow - RepulsiveDesire1


Good luck!!


-Deadline: 4:00am PST (Los Angeles time) on Thursday, April 1st!-


If you need an extension, don't hesitate to ask!


-Judges-

Akasha O'Connell(me)

awesome_phoebe

anettesb


-Scoring-

?/10 - How well this stage of grief was represented.
?/10 - Creativity
?/10 - Overall (picture and poem together)


-Example-

It really sucks that we keep losing people like that. But you haven't had to actually eliminate anyone so that's a consolation

I'll have to get mine done today if I want to make the deadline. Going to get my teeth pulled tomorrow

Lyrian dropped?! Oh man, she was really creative, too.

RD -- damn...teeth-pulling SUCKS. Hang in there and enjoy all of those happy meds!

Teeth pulling was moved to Weds. My dad keeps delaying it I just want to get in there and get it over with already!








Broken and forsaken
wallowing
dejected
No solace in the bottom of this bottle
no comfort in these pills
Keep drinking to forget
get over these tiny hills


Do I still feel?
Knife digs just a little bit deeper
pain, the only thing that’s real
got to get over these hills
keep drinking to forget

Not enough to get you out of my head
Happiness is a warm gun, that’s what he said
keep drinking to forget
put the bottle to my head
keep drinking to forget
pull the trigger
to forget.

I'm not very good at poetry so I hope you all got the metaphor I was going for.

I have the pic, but no poem!!!
RD and I love your pic..Kelle and sweet baby love the poem and pic..*tear*

I'll post it soon after I finish doing my chapter 5 for my story, yay.

Oh noes not another one dropping out. Aww.
great pic RD look forward to reading the poem that goes with it.

Ooooh you posted your poem, RD! I didn't notice the gun on the table til I read the poem. I love the picture (I already told you in shoutbox, but I'll tell you again ) She is so intense and so is the emotion. Reading the poem (you did a really good job on it btw) her pain can really be felt. You did an amazing job on this!

@CS - Thanks :D And I can't wait to see yours!

Oh-ho-ho-hooooo that's DECENT right THERE...beautiful job on that RD! It has a cool, dark retro vibe to it. Nice...

wow RD. You could really feel it. Even if you didnt have the pic, you could still get a visual.

its good RD! the poem has a lot of meaning in it.

and thanks chicago! i cant take credit for the poem though, i got it off of deviant art

3 left to turn in their pics!

Is the deadline Tuesday night/Wednesday morning? I'm hoping like hell to have mine done tomorrow. If not I'll drop, but it should be done.

I honestly don't have the SLIGHTEST CLUE how to make a poem for this. I can come up with sort of okay stuff if I'm in that mood at the time, but getting into this one is really hard. I've had to change things so many times already...

Hey ladies what's happening. Come on Cel i am sure you will come up with something that will blow our minds.

It's actually due Thursday morning, Cel. And you can't quit now! If you do, I will send 10 extremely sexy and delicious men to.....wait that would be a plus....damn....

You'll do fine, Cel! You worry too much!

You can always send them to meeee!

lol! Oh it's due thursday morning! thank goodness...i have a wee bit more time...(still trying to get it in today - busier than i thought i'd need to be today).

i have to say that the more i get into finishing the shot and really thinking hard about the poetry, the more depressing this is getting. not because i can't come up with anything, but because it's all so...sad and dark. i'm not at all afraid to go there normally but this one is ROUGH. i swear i've been near tears a couple of times, and it'll get worse as i start writing!

but what a hell of an assignment! Kash, you've given us something SO far outside the plastic cookie-cutter modeling competitions that flood the forum...this is some DEEP SHIT. gotta love it...

I loved this one.It's a release to unleash your dark side for time to time.

I unleash my dark side a lot as it is! I'm used to gutting out all the darkness within me through writing (I call them my Poems on the Edge), but this is different...it's the topic I chose. It's just...difficult.

I'm making it sound cooler/better than it is. It's just a little rough. I'll just say that I can't WAIT to be finished with this poem...

Silent and Abrupt. It Moved.
Your very Existence Unconscious. Extinct.
The Gates of Hell Leaked. Darkness.

Seek Refuge in Hardened Stone
Death Seeks an Isolated Soul
but It's not Alone.

Stifle Unheard Whimpers
No one hears the Cry of the Undead
Cold. Vice Grips prepare to Terminate.

Agonizing Screams
Tormented Soul. Fight No Longer
You were already Six Feet Dead.

Holy hell Chicago -- that's unbelievable! I love it -- did you write the poem yourself? Could you write mine? lol It's stunning...the whole thing is stunning!


Gah! Am I the last one left?! This sucks so hard!

lol yeah I wrote it myself. It was so hard..I had to listen to dark-ish songs to get it out of me. Thank you, I tried hard on it. Pain in the ass. I doubt I could do another.

I listened to the Queen of The Damned soundtrack.

wow chicago thats awesome! very dark and sobering

thank you Kelle. And I didnt know Deviant art did poetry.

Wow love your entry CS. So dark. Both the picture and the poem are awesomeness!

I don't think you're the last one, Cel...Has anyone heard from estrella?

I try.

Estrella. Did she get the memo about switchin over here?

I don't know... I hope we don't lose her too

Sweet Pic Chicargo, wow love it.

As long as she checked the assignment #5 thread in GD she should be able to find us. It's weird not to have heard anything...hope she's still in this!

CS, I'm listening to music too, and it's really the perfect vibe for trying to make this picture. I just wish the pic itself was better, but the poem is going to kick my ASS. I don't even know where to BEGIN with it. I have all these ideas running back & forth in my head, but nothing remotely concrete. I'm crossing my fingers that it won't sound like a 3rd grader wrote it LOL

I doubt I will think a 3rd grader wrote it...you're gonna deliver! What also helped was I thought of it as a story..took some lines, twisted it a bit..and voila.

Like my 'The Gates of Hell Leaked. Darkness.' I pretty much thought of that as a picture and described it. Aint no Grim reaper jus gonna walk out his hidey hole with a cup of Joe ya know.

This poem is so different that what I usually write, or at least the subject matter is different from what I normally write about. I actually have no experience with this subject whatsoever, and I have to really put myself into it. There's a part of my brain that just won't let me do it -- won't allow that door to fully open. It must be a defense mechanism or something, shielding me from a frikkin' tsunami of depression...maybe...I'm not sure. But I feel that there's something blocking me from REALLY getting into this and going there.

I normally don't mind that sort of thing at all -- I've written a few poems that I could NEVER show my mother for fear of her putting me in a rubber room! But this is territory I've never explored and it just disturbs me on a deeper level.

Like I said before, I'm making it sound MUCH more dramatic and cool than it really is. Maybe I just need to eat...

I understand what you mean. Takes awhile to really get into this kind of mind set. At least for me.

Ooo eat ice cream lol butter pecan mmmm

Omg guys!! This is freakin hilarious!! And applicable! ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_Z3lmidmrY

I get this message:

"This video contains content from Turner (Adultswim), who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds."

*sigh* What do they have against Canadians!

I feel the same way. sigh. Clicked on it and it isn't available in your Country.

*hugs Bubby* I mean... we're basically America Jr... so why can't they include us *sniff*

SweetBaby wrote:

*hugs Bubby* I mean... we're basically America Jr... so why can't they include us *sniff*

I know we are neighbors and decent neighbors at that.( I think any way) I've wanted to see a video before but no! Cannot see due to your being Canadian gasp!

America jr. I live about 20 minutes from the Vermont border.

LOL yeah, that's one of the better Robot Chicken clips. I forgot all about it -- thanks Kash!

So you can't view that vid if you're in Canada?! How weird..."America Jr." is TOO funny! I don't know why people regard Canada that way, especially in South Park...lol! Sorry...

Haha that was so hilarious.

Youtube is silly, I couldn't view a clip before because I wasn't in India or somewhere. Weird.

This has been the hardest assignment so far for the writing. I think my poem is waaaay too long and not goth/depressing enough. I don't know what to do! It took me a long while to write it, but it doesn't flow like everyone else's. I know not all poetry has to be the same (and that goes for gothic poetry also), but this is just...I don't know. Like my belly button lint wrote it...

I just got so carried away with it and I'm really apprehensive about the length and tone. I'll be posting it in a bit...but should I whittle it down or something?

Dammit!

I must agree with you. This is by far the most difficult assignment, especially for writing. I absolutely obsessed over every word in my poem, and I've been second guessing myself as to whether mine is "denial" or "goth" enough :/

I, personally, don't want you to whittle it down. I can't wait to read it, and I'm sure it will be amazing!

Okay...let me just say that I really, really apologize for the length - I had no idea it ran so long, and it didn't seem TOO bad until I posted it here. I'm REALLY sorry -- it just got away from me... SS, if you need me to chop it I will.


Arabesque Van Albrecht - Denial




A swath of ivory silk and lace
Shrouds a porcelain expression of
Quiet and sleep
Slumber softly now dear child
You wail a silent song they slight,
Lie in delicate form that only
My eyes bear witness
I pray
Slumber softly now my Anna Rose
Not in cold and dark and death as they would tell me
They utter words
Savage
And heartless
As to tear my bleeding heart asunder
What sin have I wrought to suffer such an
Unimaginable fate?
Existence without you, beloved Anna Rose,
Unbearable
Unthinkable
Unfathomable
Lo, I would sooner rake the knife 'cross
Cold indifferent skin and bleed
Than accept such circumstance
Rather drift the searing ashen antechambers of
Purgatory than
Bask in radiant life on a barren earth in a
Spoiled house
Near a
Bare, dead cradle

Let them whisper venomous words
And deliver the baleful eye
Let them clad themselves in fine black mantles bespeckled with
Tears that fall for a fallacious ending
In unfounded grief,
Heavy quietus looms in an ominous cloud, a mirage
Needless bereavement
Impertinent sympathy
Nonsensical condolences for a
Perfect babe that rests not in the arms of a
Covetous God
But here with we who gave her life
In malevolent banter they opine:
"He giveth and He taketh away,
That which He bestoweth in earthy grace
Be remit to Heaven in one breath
Borrowed for now
Then relinquished in twilight embers and dust"

You and I alone, my perfect Anna Rose,
Rest here in this
Hidden country,
A perpetual bond untainted by
Suffering, by morose, by this thing they call
Death
Leave this place grim reaper, and collect an aged soul
My innocent has gasped but a pittance of breaths in this
Short life
Tiny feet have never grazed bare ground,
Glistening eyes have yet to ingest this striking world
Plummet into the black eclipse of
Hell and leave us be
Compel them, O Lord, to see my mortal Angel as I do
Not dead, but asleep!
Merely slumbering in her soft warm cradle
Not fodder for slithery creatures
'Neath the ground
Skin that might touch linen finery
Not rot in dank and sodden mire
Briny tears trail in joy and mirth
Not their piercing endless bitter sorrow

Entombed in suffocating Silence
and Still,
This burial a fait accompli it would seem
Never will I affirm such destiny, blind, complacent
Compliant
Obedient
Nay could Divine God need you
More than I
They suggest it is delusion
A mind broken
Wrecked
Ruined
A soul despaired
Disconsolate
Comatose

These implications would ring true
If not for your
Helpless cry this morn
One that only I can now hear
One that I alone will forever know

As they wrenched you, frigid and rigid
From my arms that night
So shall I seize you from the Almighty's hands
And hear no more of
This business of Death

Slumber softly now my Anna Rose.

(the pic looks really dark here for some reason... )

that is super fantastic, wow, i almost shed a tear. Well done.
and the picture wow. all i can say.

*jaw drops to the floor*
*wipes tear*
*picks up jaw off of the floor*

WOW WOW WOW

wooooowwwww cele! :'( that is amazing!

Thanks guys You wouldn't believe how glad I am to be done with that...really hard to write about.

thats so sad. the way you wrote it though makes it believeable that the child really isnt dead, they are just somewhere else. where did you get the cradle?

I think that cradle is from Sims Lumani or whatever the name of the place is.

Are scores going to be posted here?