All My Fragile Strength

TO ANYONE READING THE NEWS OUT OF OTTAWA

Sat, 22 Sep 2018 01:29:47 GMT

Alan and I are completely safe. We were not in the path of the tornado, and we haven't even lost power. We are very very lucky.

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Shameless plug

Sun, 03 Jun 2018 02:14:11 GMT

I have signed up for the Great Cycle Challenge Canada with the goal to raise $500 for childrens' cancer research in the month of June. To do this, I have pledged to ride 200 km before June 30. So far I have managed 20.8 km and am pretty sure I can make my goal (so long as I don't succumb to heat stroke - my city is hella hot this year). Link to my donation page is below. Please nobody feel obligated to donate, but if you could share this post/spread the word to anyone who you think might be interested, I would be deeply appreciative. It's a really good cause and also one that I personally believe in passionately.

My page: https://greatcyclechallenge.ca/Riders/SarahDarkes

Also check out my team here: https://greatcyclechallenge.ca/Teams/HoldMyBeer Our team includes a dogge, who is very cute.

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Chocolate Box Letter

Sun, 07 Jan 2018 18:07:57 GMT

Dear Chocolatier,

Thank you so so so much for writing for me!! I am so excited to read whatever it is you choose to gift me with. I'm not very fandom-active generally so I, alas, cannot point you to a body of work to demonstrate the things I like, but I will try to give you as many pointers as I can.

Things to avoid: ABSOLUTELY NO A/B/O. Also abusive relationships, rape (both dub-con and non-con), incest, child abuse, character death, dysphoria, toxic family, suicide. Where these things are canon, please touch on them as little as possible.

Things I do like!!!: (obviously don't try to incorporate all of these, that would be impossible)

PLOT. Love plot. Love more than porn. Let's make things happen!!
FRIENDSHIP FIC. You can never go wrong with this.
Coffee shop or bakery AUs. Cliche, I know, but what's a girl to do?
Historical AUs!!!
People on opposite sides who care about each other!!!!
Complicated relationships/conflicted loyalties in general
Bodyswap!!!
Canon-divergent AUs!!
People being smart/competent!
Time-travel!!

If none of these prompts work for you, that is more than okay!! I'm pretty much good with anything. And once again, thank you so so so much for writing for me!!

Cheers,

Ginger

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Shameless plug

Tue, 03 Jan 2017 17:27:09 GMT

All my friends in the Yuri!! On Ice fandom, you should read this fic! It's written by my lovely friend EmilianaDarling and I was involved in the creative process and also beta-reading. Emiliana does amazing work and this fic is no exception. Laughter! Tears! Love! Drunk Yuuri! Infatuated Viktor!!

Right Off His Feet (7456 words) by EmilianaDarling
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Characters: Victor Nikiforov, Katsuki Yuuri, Yuri Plisetsky
Additional Tags: Grand Prix Final Banquet, Canon Compliant, Falling In Love, Drunkenness, Dancing, Missing Scene
Summary:

One of Yuuri’s hands is sliding around his waist, guiding him effortlessly until they’re dancing together. Really dancing together, and Viktor forgets to think, to breathe. Yuuri’s so close that Viktor can feel the heat of his breath against the back of his neck, the warmth of his skin through his clothes.

Then he closes his eyes, leans into the touch, and gives in completely as he lets Yuuri lead.

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DEADPOOL WAS AMAZING

Sat, 13 Feb 2016 23:23:42 GMT

Go see it.

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Yuletide Letter

Fri, 23 Oct 2015 15:56:10 GMT

Dear Yuletide Marmoset,

You've drawn my name!! Hooray!! I'm so excited to see what you will create for me. No matter what it ends up being, I'm sure it will be amazing.

( General guidelines )
Now onto the individual fandoms!!

( The Raven Cycle )

( Protector of the Small )

( Midsummer Night's Dream )

( Earthsea )( Emelan )

Hopefully that helps at least a little. Again, thank you so much for this!! I look forward to my story with great anticipation.

Yours,

Ginger

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I am so ashamed

Sun, 04 Oct 2015 19:33:26 GMT

In this election, the NDP has gone from first to third place simply because they are not racist enough. What a sad time to be Canadian.

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Fanfiction request

Sat, 26 Sep 2015 16:39:40 GMT

Anybody know of any good Maria Hill/Sam Wilson fics? Still sick, still really bored, have a hankering after watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier last night.

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Dear Great Pumpkin

Thu, 17 Sep 2015 16:44:08 GMT

Dear Trick or Treat Pumpkin,

You've drawn my name!! Hooray!! I'm so excited to see what you will create for me. No matter what it ends up being, I'm sure it will be amazing.

( General guidelines! )
Obviously not all of these can be incorporated into a single fic. Feel free to use any or none of them!! They should just function as a basic idea.

Now onto the individual fandoms!!

( The Raven Cycle )

( Mass Effect )
( Dragon Age: Inquisition )
( Vorkosigan Saga )
( Emelan )

Hopefully that helps at least a little. Again, thank you so much for this!! I look forward to my story with great anticipation.

Yours,

Ginger

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Fri, 17 Jul 2015 12:46:32 GMT

Currently sitting in YYJ waiting for my flight to board.

......well, Victoria, it's been a grand eleven years.

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Thu, 18 Jun 2015 01:02:53 GMT

Dear Marvel Cinema,

You and I have had a fraught relationship lately. I freely acknowledge this.

That being said, I will forgive you a MULTITUDE of sins if you wil but let the Carol Danvers/James Rhodes romance stand as written.

Sincerely,

Me

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Let's have a party!!!

Sat, 22 Nov 2014 02:10:28 GMT

It's the time of year when moods are crashing. The days are short, the weather is miserable, Wintermas looms on the horizon with all its stresses, frustrations, and problems. At the suggestion of the lovely staranise , it's time to have a [mental health] Downswing Party!!!

By which I mean, come on over and:

complain. go ahead. let it all out. anon comments are screened if you'd prefer other people don't read it (tho if you want me to know who YOU are, signing is good) I won't tell, I won't think you're pathetic, I won't think at you "other people have real problems and you don't". Promise. Also, I will only unscreen YOUR comment if you tell me it's cool. Otherwise, your secret is safe with me.
yell at your mood disorder of choice - MDD, Bipolar, PTSD, anxiety, whatever - anything that's currently fucking you up. The world, maybe. Or your meds! While there is a community for that, it can be fun to do it some more.
post funny cartoons, macros and pictures of cute kittens, great stories you found, instances of people not sucking, hilarious gifs and other things (if it's nsfw, put it behind a link and note it and follow charitable warning systems - we're not here to make people feel WORSE after all).
talk about things that make you happy, no matter how much you swear other people don't care about them.
ask other people who might be reading about other stuff.

There's metaphorical tea, although I cannot recommend highly enough making yourself a cup of tea/coffee/tisane/hot chocolate/hot milk/whatever as a calming, soothing exercise. I'd turn on some music, except I do not know how to make a playlist show up in your computer. ANYWAY.

The only rules are EVERYONE PLAY NICE. If you DEFINITELY don't want any unsolicited internet advice, just stick "NO ADVICE" in your subject line. Even if someone doesn't have that, please offer advice politely, as a suggestion, and with the assumption that the person you are talking to is an intelligent human being. I would like to reemphasize this. Don't phrase it "you should look into X". Phrase it as "have you looked into X?"

Ready? GO.

(points shamelessly borrowed from recessional )

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Dear Yuletide Marmoset

Sat, 25 Oct 2014 22:55:40 GMT

You are writing me a story!! I love stories. This is the best idea ever. Whether you are an old hand at Yuletide or this is your first experience with this lovely fic exchange, I'm sure you are going to do a fantastic job and I look forward to receiving whatever it is you end up writing for me.

Some guidelines before I get into the fandom specifics: I am not the biggest fan of grimdark. Other things to stay away from are graphic descriptions of rape, torture, child abuse, emotionally or physically abusive relationships, and suicide. Things I love, on the other hand, are strong women, maturing character growth, supportive relationships (familial, friendly, or romantic), characters expanding outside of societal or personal expectations, and friendships.

On to the fandoms!!!

Emily of New Moon: These books were some of the best-loved of my childhood and I have often mourned how difficult it is to find fanfiction of it. I would happily read a fic focussing on Emily and Teddy's relationship post-Emily's Quest, and I would be even more delighted with a fic from the perspective of Teddy during the Emily Climbs or Emily's Quest era. What my heart truly longs for, though, is a fic about Elizabeth and/or Juliet as girls. What were they like? What was their relationship like? Where were they similar and where did they differ? Did Juliet ever regret leaving her family? Did Elizabeth ever feel lonely and wish she'd made different choices?

Emelan: I confess I feel a little bad about this, because I love all the Emelan characters, but I really only want a story about Tris. I love her so. Whether it is at Lightsbridge or struggling to establish herself afterward, or at any other point in her life and career, I would eat it up with a spoon. I need more about my prickly, introverted, sensitive darling.

The Last Light of the Sun: This is one of my favourite books of all time, and I just need...more. What happens to Alun and Kendra, and how does their relationship grow in the light of the special bond they have? How does Rhiannon grow and change after the events she witnessed? What happens when fierce Judit goes north, and how does she carve a space for herself?

Tigana: This book for me was all about the women. I want to see Alais moving outside the home and learning her father's business, challenging the constraints of womanhood in a country struggling out from underneath two tyrants. I want to see Alienor face her demons and move beyond Castle Borso and find happiness.

Go forth and write, gentle author!! And again...thank you.

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Bliss

Sat, 18 Oct 2014 02:34:55 GMT

The only thing better than kitty cuddles? DOUBLE KITTY CUDDLES.

(Thank you, Jackson Galaxy)

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Tentative success

Sun, 20 Jul 2014 19:28:45 GMT

Merlin is home. He is still lightly sedated and very confused. He hates his lampshade collar passionately. I am currently typing this one handed because he is curled up in the crook of my other arm. The only way to get him to rest is to hold him. He cries piteously if he cannot see at least one of his humans at all times. It would be adorable if it wasn't so heartwrenching.

The surgery was more successful than anticipated. The laceration to his eye was Y-shaped, with two branches on the cornea and one on the sclera. If everything heals cleanly he will still have partial vision in the eye. The main challenge now is keeping it clear of infection and scarring. He's got a followup appointment in two days, after which we will know more about how things are healing.

Big thanks to everyone for the help and the signal boosts. I have the best friends in the world. This is really difficult. He's still so tiny, which I think will make this easier for him to adapt to, but it's so hard to see him in distress. He's a tiny trooper, though. He still purrs his lungs out whenever we hold him, so I think he will be fine.

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Please help my kitten

Sat, 19 Jul 2014 21:43:36 GMT

We had an accident today.

I have been gradually introducing our new kitten (officially named Merlin) to Sunny, and things had been going really well. Sunny's been a bit standoffish but completely not hostile towards the kitten, confining her activities to observation and gently (claws sheathed) swatting him when he crosses a line. She doesn't even hiss at him anymore. Today, however, the kitten was playing on an armchair that Sunny tried to leap up on. I honestly think they were both equally startled; long story short, the kitten hissed and bit her and she scratched him. By extreme misfortune, one of her claws punctured his right eye.

Merlin is in surgery right now. They're trying to save the eye, but due to the fact that he is so little (only nine weeks old!) the vet has been honest that the chances are slim. Whether or not they are successful, the most important thing is to make sure it doesn't get infected. Either way, we're looking at vet bills around $1000. In a pinch we can cover it, but my employment has dried up and I'm still looking for new work. I know some of you contributed to Sunny's recovery, but if you have anything to spare for my kitten, I will be endlessly grateful. I will make you cookies or a cross-stitch thing or knit you a hat or do SOMETHING. He's just a baby still. :(

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Scents for swap/giveaway

Fri, 23 May 2014 02:25:22 GMT

Sorry this took so long. Organized by category.

BPAL

Rapture
~~Queen Alice~~
Nocturne
~~Glasgow~~
~~Lady Macbeth~~
~~Lightning~~
~~Lady of Shallot~~
~~Carnal~~
Ra
~~Kitsune-tsuki~~
~~The Schoolhouse~~
~~Mantis~~
Love Lies Bleeding
October 2007

Arcana

~~Straightjacket~~ ~~(5ml)~~
~~Byzantium~~

Let me know if you're interested in any of these and if there's anything you want to swap for them.

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SMELL ALL THE THINGS!! (Part 3: Miscellaneous)

Wed, 07 May 2014 19:56:13 GMT

I am home sick with strep throat today and bored out of my mind, so I figured I'd write up the last bag of perfume samplers I have as a way to distract me. This is sort of a random grab-bag of samples from various places.

( Onward to the smells!! )

Swaps and give-away list will be going up sometime this week. Maybe even today, depending on how I feel.

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SMELL ALL THE THINGS!! (Part 2: BPAL)

Sat, 12 Apr 2014 22:55:08 GMT

These are the rest of my haul from taennyn . All are BPAL unless noted otherwise.

( Smells here! )

I have one more stash of imps to test and write up and then I'm done. I will put together a list of swaps and give-aways after that. :)

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SMELL ALL THE THINGS!! (Part 1)

Sat, 12 Apr 2014 02:04:54 GMT

I have a taennyn in my living room, and she brought me all the pretty things to smell. Notes follow!!!

( Smells! )

And this is just the beginning!! Tomorrow....THE SECOND ROUND OF BPAL SCENTS!!!

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Can I kill everything?

Mon, 07 Apr 2014 19:56:58 GMT

I am having the most unimaginably shitty day. I want to murder multiple things. I hate the world. Context may be forthcoming soon, after I have calmed down a bit. For the moment, I want to set everything on FIRE.

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[smells] Machu Picchu and Lyonesse

Thu, 03 Apr 2014 23:03:09 GMT

These two are (coincidentally) from the same collection - Wanderlust.

Machu Picchu (BPAL) - Sweet tropical fruits burst through deep, wet rainforest boughs, enormous steamy blossoms, over thin mountaintop breezes, mingled with the soft, rich golden scent of Peruvian amber.
- in the bottle this smelled very headily floral. As in HELLO I AM FLOWERS HELLO HELLO. I was Dubious. Once applied, the flowers died down almost immediately and the fruit took the fore in a big way. I smelled like a papaya. Which, you know, props for getting the tropical note Just Right, but...papaya. Fortunately the amber started coming through after about half an hour and it all blended together into a really bright, fresh, summery scent. Definitely one for brilliant sunny days and floaty sundresses. It's cheery. I like.

Lyonesse (BPAL) - Golden vanilla and gilded musk, stargazer lily, white sandalwood, grey amber, elemi, orris root, ambergris and sea moss.
- this was one of my favourites from ages ago and I leapt at the chance to acquire more. I had an important interview today and wanted something familiar to inspire confidence, so I tried this, hoping it hadn't changed from when I last wore it several years ago. It has not, and I still completely adore it. The vanilla, sandalwood and amber all come out for me and blend into an incredibly sweet, rich, comforting scent. It's everything I could possibly have wanted and I love love love it. <3

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Further experiments in smells

Wed, 02 Apr 2014 01:33:14 GMT

Slowly working through these. Here's two more (yesterday and today)

Mictecacihuatl or The One I Can't Pronounce (BPAL) - Copal, precious woods, South American spices, agave nectar, cigar tobacco, and roses
- not going to lie, I was initially really apprehensive about this one. It wasn't on my first request list simply because of the agave nectar and my horrible, very bad allergy to ingesting anything agave (never forget the tequila experiment). Nobody else claimed it, though, so I picked it up to test. This was yesterday's perfume. I put it on, spent five minutes intermittently huffing my wrist....then went into the bedroom, completely changed my outfit, put on eyeliner, and accomplished four tasks I had been procrastinating on before 10:30 that morning. It makes me feel like a queen. Initial application smells green and.....spiky, somehow. So probably the agave. It quickly moderates to mainly the spices and smokiness with some balsamic notes (the woods?) and a bit of sweetness from the rose. So I guess agave is only a problem when I put it in my mouth. I'm counting this in the win category.

Come To Me (BPAL) - A phenomenally powerful attractant. Sexual and commanding in the extreme
- I don't know what the people who wrote that description were smoking, but it has to have been something pretty damn strong. In the bottle, this perfume smells like dryer sheets. Slightly lemon-scented dryer sheets, but still. Dryer sheets. On me, it smells like sun-dried clean linen sheets and....violets? I think it's violets. Something lightly purpley floral. Not what I was expecting from "a phenomenally powerful attractant"....buuuuut then I met the Boy after work and he hugged me hello, paused, demanded "WHAT are you WEARING??" and buried his face in my neck. And then proceeded to continue doing that every five minutes. He's still doing it. So maybe they actually knew what they were doing, or my terrier is a little cracked in the head. Or both. I'm not ruling it out.

(edit: I read the description to the Boy and he cackled and is now cracking jokes about being sexually attracted to laundry. A girl looks at her life. A girl looks at her choices.)

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Scenty things

Mon, 31 Mar 2014 01:59:32 GMT

This weekend I acquired some nice scents from recessional and have gleefully trying them. Only three so far but I figured I would join the ranks of perfume documentation, as much for my future reference as anything else.

Scent #1: Honey Tobacco (Arcana) - I LOVE this. Love it so much that I ignored my nice bag of new smells and just wore this for several days. It's probably one of the simpler scents I own, but very comforting and exactly what it says on the tin. Would be interesting to see what it does as a layering note, I think, but it's very nice just on its own.

Scent #2: Spicy Patchouli (unknown): This apparently originated from a small shop below a yoga studio in my hometown. I may have to go investigate further. When first applied what I mostly get from this is just the spice part of it, but it dies down fairly quickly. I couldn't place what the scent that replaced it was for the longest time, only that it made me really really happy and reminded me of my aunt. I have now. It's moose hide. Not leather. Very specifically, moose hide that has been tanned and worked until it is beautifully supple, the kind of spicy smokiness that curls in the lungs and throat. Very familiar, very nostalgic, and very very loved.

Scent #3: Reign in Hell (Arcana) - This one actually has a write-up! It is "Rich cocoa absolute, black tea, cassia cinnamon, blonde tobacco absolute, apricot, patchouli, and vanilla oleoresin." This was actually acquired from taennyn in the fall of 2011 and then accidentally lost in moving chaos, only to be rediscovered in a dusty box yesterday. I love it as much now as I did then. The initial note on me is overwhelmingly the cocoa, but as it dies down the notes of the tea, cinnamon, and hints of patchouli start coming through. This also gets bonus points for making Boy bury his nose in my neck and demand to know why I smelled so good. So! WIN.

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The EVEN MORE BELATED Wintermas list

Tue, 17 Dec 2013 03:04:42 GMT

Prompted by Liz's post yesterday and the sudden realization that I too had to generate a list. General disclaimer: anything and everything anyone chooses to give me will be greeted with joy and happiness. I'm not picky. That said, for people who want more specifics, from the easily obtainable to the extremely wishful thinking, continue below.

1. The ubiquitous gift cards. Chapters, Starbucks, La Senza, Smart Set, anything of that ilk. Lovely. Always appreciated.

2. Good decaf coffee or tea. Still surprisingly hard to locate.

3. The perennial favourite, wacky socks.

4. Anything moose themed or patterned. I have a particular yearning for a pair of moose-print pajamas, but anything moosey will send me into paroxysms of joy.

5. A good (West Coast) winter coat. Mine is literally falling apart at the seams.

6. Connected to the above, good winter mittens/gloves. If they are wool, lined please. I hate itchy hands.

7. Boozy things. I have a growing fondness for mead in all its permutations. White wine, sweet or dry, also appreciated. Craft beers also lovely, but please stay away from excessively hoppy things. Anything above about 20% alcohol content has started doing Bad Things to me if I drink more than about an ounce, so if aiming for stronger stuff, please take care.

8. Chocolate. Still haven't kicked the chocolate addiction.

9. Crap, I don't know, peace on earth???

10. A HIPPOPOTAMUS. FOR CHRISTMAS. ONLY A HIPPOPOTAMUS WILL DO.

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