there is no blood in betrayal

Lies are a common part of life;

it's the 'archivist for three years' we place in our resumes,
it's the stories we tell kids to avoid them from harm,
it's that 'why yes i am a doctor' pick up line we use every Friday night.

We use it all the time, for both good and evil - it exists.

For the most part, it means no harm. Its purpose is to withheld the truth and we all know that. The moment it becomes harmful is when we choose to believe it; the moment the lie becomes the truth is the moment when we decide to fool ourselves.

Like an idiot chasing a mirage while completely aware of the mirage itself.

So the moment YOU chose the confident liar over the stuttering truth, it's the moment you choose to live a lie.


Cheers.

fall of the arisen, part one

morning after, chapter twelve

They said to me, close your eyes long enough and you'll see the world spinning (in chaos).

-

I woke up to witness the sun beaming between the blinds, pulsating due to the rapid cloud movements of Melbourne's spring weather.

Sat up at the side of my bed with my hands covering my face. Headache; as words from previous agendas echo over. and over,

I felt betrayed..

. . . someone who has done so much and trusted upon.

. . . 'a mutiny' of ten including one of us.


My head still trying to wrap over the idea of what just happened, more importantly, why. There was a time when we were called 'elites' (elitists).


November first.

And so we were gathered.

Usually something of this significance would be the result of a face-to-face meet but in the light of this urgency, I attended in a digital way that my era had provided with - webcam. Bear in mind that gathering of this sorts does not occur commonly, so when we were summoned, we expected melancholy.

Though my presence was more of a formality than actual necessity, what was told had more questionable assumptions than actual rationality. It was not a question of who was wrong or right but which story had more holes and false providence than the other.

"one of you." she said. one of us.


written by I.O.

inoperable tumor

"I survived a war did you know that?

I survived a war where they put bodies into mass graves where there was once a playground.

I survived the deaths of family; my parents, my brothers, my sisters. Then I survived the death of my wife and child where they starved to death in a refuge camp.

I survived the lost of my country - of hearing my mother tongue spoken of and knowing what it feels like to have a place to call home.

I survived.

And I will survive the lost of my legs. If I have to, I'll survive it, okay?


But Derek."


"Yes?"


"There's always a way.

When things looks like there's no way, oh, there is a way. To do the impossible, to survive the unsurvivable, there's always a way.

And you...

You and I have this in common - we're inspired. In the face of the impossible, we're inspired.

So If I can offer one piece of advice to the world's foremost neurosurgeon;

today if you become frightened, instead become inspired."

-isaac, grey's anatomy.

ted mosby, architect

The great moments of your life won't necessarily be the things you do, they'll also be the things that happen to you.


Now I'm not saying you can't take action to affect the outcome of your life, you have to take action, and you will. But never forget that on any day, you can step out the front door and your whole life can change forever.

You see the universe has a plan kids, and that plan is always in motion.

A butterfly flaps it wings and it starts to rain. It's a scary thought but it's also kind of wonderful. All these little parts of the machine constantly working, making sure that you end up exactly where you're suppose to be, exactly when you're supposed to be there.

The right place at the right time.

-himym

to friendly hellos and pleasant goodbyes

Thousand Bend. Sunday afternoon.

We rarely do sit together and talk over a cup of coffee. pleasant companies are always welcome.

We spoke a fair bit. Mainly updating each other on our own lives and how amazed we were that the tables had turned on most of us. How those who were were singles back then happen to be the ones that are dating now and those who used to be dating, aren't anymore.

But it wasn't all about sappy lovey-dovey stories and kyoot! moments, there were talks about general ideas and life itself as well. However, our conversation just tasted different compared to our previous meets.

It's just your sense of content that left me pondering.

From someone who had faced so much at one time and finally getting what you deserve - happiness; and some freakin' stability.

I felt rather embarrassed telling you my stories. After hearing myself explaining it to you, the stories itself felt rather minuscule; sounding more idiotic than the complex/dramatic version rolling over in my head exploded to giant proportions than it actually was - a common habit I need to unlearn. hehe

Oh! Not to mention, you've given the best reaction to my story than anyone else I've told, "You did what?!".


well, to another lovely spring day then.

Cheers.

to someone we love,

I don't usually mention names but this post is dedicated to Sam. A., someone who has helped most of us a lot.

We here at Eleven Stripes wish you a speedy recovery and would like you to know that our prayers/support are always here for you.

Get well soon. :)

With love,

stripes

you'll never know til you try, right?

"Describe your ideal woman?"

"Well, I could describe about her 'til who knows when. But the real question is whether or not I'm her ideal man."