Not as garbage as I expected

[st_aurafina]

I was going to make a post about how I've been quiet because life has been a bit garbage, but this morning I woke up and things were a little bit okay?



lilacsigil has been sick, there was an ambulance involved, it's been harsh. Things aren't in crisis but she's still unwell and uncomfortable and unhappy. I would tentatively say that she's on the mend? But it was grim and scary for a while, and very much led to flashbacks of the cancer times. We're both a little shattered.

Things have been dire at work - everyone is sick, the roster is a patchwork quilt of emergency workers, and I have had to bring in a social media policy because eighteen year olds don't know it's not okay to snipe at each other in public where their boss can see it. (Insert me yelling FOR FUCK'S SAKE a lot to myself.)

And my town had a major tragedy - two lifesavers were killed saving a tourist who didn't understand/chose to ignore signs. They weren't more than acquaintances of mine, so the loss isn't personal but it's very sad and strange to be in a small community heaving with grief.

April and May have so far felt like there's a pall of grey hanging over me, the town, and the world and it's been hard to get words out in public. So, hi.


While this was going on, I somehow managed to churn out 1000 words a day for Camp Nano in April, and finish one of my big WIPs, clocking in at 80k. I'm editing that now, and I hope I can start posting soon. I finished my gift fic for the Person of Interest exchange and I'm tooling around with some treats now. (Weirdly, while we were in hospital I had this urge to go back and re-read my Twin Peaks/X-Files crossover, and I've only just now realised that I wrote that the last time there was major health stuff going on. Maybe I write more when I'm stressed? IDK I can live with writing less, if that's the case.)

Also, the whales have started appearing to scope out the whale nurseries along the coast, and that is always reassuring, when you are feeling overwhelmed by the imminent collapse of the world.

Linkspam
Some of these have been in my to-post folder for a while, so apologies if it's been seen around everywhere already.

- podcastjoy - I started a podcast comm! (With glinda!) It's for all kinds of podcast things, and I'm planning a weekly Watcha Listening To type post, because I crave new podcasts.

- audiodrama, because it never rains but it pours, there's also a comm for audio dramas, so, fictional podcasts. Added bonus: there's a kinkmeme here:Prompt/Kink Meme. Go leave prompts!

- from my network, the signs as upsetting vintage dishes. It's Facebook, but it's unlocked. And the dishes are very vintage, very upsetting. Lots of jello.

- Harry Potter: Wizards Unite available in Australia and New Zealand in open beta at theverge.com
lilacsigil and I are playing it right now - it is a mix of adorable and clunky, but I think as the activity ramps up and they start finetuning the gameplay, it will be fun. (Also, I had to rescue a Chudley Cannons player, and she was super hot.)

- snickfic has a great idea to follow Reading Wednesday, Thursdays are for Reccing.

- via lilacsigil who sent me the link: People might have lived in Australia twice as long as we thought (at The Guardian)

- rachelmanija posted a round-up of people currently reading Enid Blyton boarding school stories, and a poll: Boarding Schools.
(Please see relevant rec at the bottom of this post)

- Schitt's Creek episode guide type thing by thingswithwings.
I keep trying with Schitt's Creek and bailing for embarrassment squick, but maybe this will be helpful to others?

- The Pyrex Glass Controversy That Just Won't Die at Gizmodo
I have my nonna's pyrex from the sixties and seventies and it is precious to me for this reason. (Among other reasons.)


Thursday is for Recs even though it's Friday here
I guess my theme is unexpected crossovers that work really well?

For King and Country by killalla (Harold Finch/John Reese, Teen)
The crossover here is Person of Interest/Lord Darcy Series - Randall Grant. As far as I can tell (and I'm sure someone on my flist will know more) the Lord Darcy Mysteries is an contemporary alternate history where the Plantagenets survive and also there is magic? I don't know more than that, and this fic works, because it's all iddy hand kissing and fealty swearing and THAT IS GOOD YES.

of course it's beastly when anybody dies by suitablyskippy, (Gwendoline Lacey, general)
The crossover here is Malory Towers/Death Note, where Darling Gwendoline finds the notebook. This is dark and messed up, and Gwendoline is exactly as awful as you'd expect with the power of life and death in her hands.

Comments

[sholio]

Oh gosh. *lots of hugs to both of you* I hope lilacsigil feels a lot better soon; that sounds awful.

[st_aurafina]

Thank you - she's crawling up out of the worst of it, but it's been a slog. *hugs you*

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, I'm so sorry. I hope lilacsigil feels better soon! <3

Thanks for all the links! Everyone's suddenly talking about boarding schools? (NOt nearly enough on the Chalet School, though, which is obv. the best.)

[st_aurafina]

Thank you. She's better, or at least not in crisis. You know how it goes - a good knock takes a while to come back from.

Don't hate me but I never clicked with the Chalet School much? Maybe I picked it up at the wrong time - I think the book I started with wasn't the beginning of the series? - but it just didn't work for me. I know it inspires much passion though.

[auroracloud]

I'm sorry you've had so much hard stuff going on. :-( Hope lilacsigil feels better!

*hugs and support*

But I'm glad you've had some good things as well, and yay for all that writing for Camp NaNo! And thank you so much for the community recs, I've been into podcasts and audio dramas for a while, too, and reading Seanan McGuire is causing my urban fantasy interest to surge, so those are relevant!

Also, reccing Thursday sounds like a great idea! I keep meaning to rec things and then I don't, so trying to think of one day being for them might help!

[st_aurafina]

Thank you - she's doing better the last two days.

I hope reccing Thursday takes off, even if I'm delivering it on Friday my time. (Stupid round world with timezones!)

[raven]

Urgh, I'm sorry things have been rough recently. Thank you for the recs! I haven't seen PoI, but know all the others and these are both really fascinating.

[st_aurafina]

Thanks - it has been a lot.

Yay, glad the recs worked. I'm thinking about checking the Lord Darcy stories out - the vibe I got from the crossover was very much a thing I like.

[smallhobbit]

I do hope lilacsigil recovers soon.

I'm not really into boarding school fandoms, but whenever I see a mention of Malory Towers/St Clare's/Chalet School I happily follow the links - so many childhood memories. And I did enjoy the Gwendoline story.

[st_aurafina]

Thanks - she's getting there.

whenever I see a mention of Malory Towers/St Clare's/Chalet School I happily follow the links - so many childhood memories.

Right? Enid Blyton was a huge part of my childhod, so it's always interesting to see other peoples' takes. When I first started getting into fandom, I was so pleased that people wrote fic for the school stories.

[goss]

*tight hugs to you both*

[st_aurafina]

*hugs hugs*

[falena]

I'm sorry to hear the past couple of months have been so har. I hope lilacsigil will make a speedy recovery and that both of you are doing all sorts of self-care, as needed.*hugs*

I joined the podcast comm, such a neat idea!I also love the idea of Reccing Thursdays and have done my bit.

[st_aurafina]

Thank you - I hope so too.

The podcast comm will hopefully be fun - I love learning what everyone else is listening too.

[oracne]

I've been meaning to read the Chalet School books one of these days.

I hope you and yours gets some time to take care of yourselves after all that.

[st_aurafina]

The Chalet books are deeply loved, just not by me! I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series - I think the fact that I only had access to books in the middle was a bit off-putting to me as a young reader. (And there's a heap of them, too, so if they work for you, you're set for a while.

Thank you for the good wishes - hopefully we're coming through the worst now.

[copracat]

Glad you are both okay. What a rubbish time.

[st_aurafina]

IT WAS TOTAL RUBBISH. All that rubbish, plus election bullshit, I'm basically done.

(Thanks <3)

[havocthecat]

I've been baking bread in vintage pyrex and I love it.

My aunt deals in vintage Pyrex on Ebay and this explains why she does so well at it!

Here's to hoping lilacsigil does better soon.

[st_aurafina]

My younger sister bought her pyrex new (probably because I scammed all of Nonna's) and hers basically exploded for no reason. It was so weird.

Thank you - she's doing better.

[kass]

I am so sorry to hear about lilacsigil's illness. Hoping for healing and comfort for both of you.

[st_aurafina]

Thank you so much! She's doing better. <3

[vass]

lilacsigil has been sick, there was an ambulance involved, it's been harsh.

!!!!! Bloody hell. I'm so sorry. &you both; Please let me know if there's anything I can do. Care package, meetup in Geelong for distraction, quiet place to hang out with food and a cat if you're in town for specialist visits, someone for either or both of you to vent to by text?

April and May have so far felt like there's a pall of grey hanging over me, the town, and the world and it's been hard to get words out in public. So, hi.

I know the feeling. Hi! It is very good to see you posting.

Also, the whales have started appearing to scope out the whale nurseries along the coast, and that is always reassuring, when you are feeling overwhelmed by the imminent collapse of the world.

Thank you for telling me. That is soothing to hear. Good whales!

I keep trying with Schitt's Creek and bailing for embarrassment squick,

Ooh, thanks for the warning! I had it on my list of things to look into, but nobody told me there was embarrassment squick.

Thanks for the unexpectedly apposite crossover fic recs. Here's one for you:

I Have Quite Forgotten Their Names, by Basingstoke.
Person of Interest/Lord of the Rings. Joss Carter, a Ranger of Gondor, meets a mysterious elf and a wizard who are travelling west together.

[st_aurafina]

Thank you! So far, there's no specialists or anything to worry about. Maybe keep fingers crossed that it's no big deal? She's just really wrung out and taking a while to bounce back.

The grim stuff is always harder to deal with when it's election time - that constant background rumble of angry people really wears me down. (I take great comfort in having already voted, and now I can really ignore everything.)

Schitt's Creek apparently gets better in the third season, from what I've heard? IDK, I love all the actors? Just the scenarios get me down a bit.

Thank you for the rec! I will enjoy.

[lurkingcat]

Oh my goodness. That's a *lot* to be dealing with. I hope lilacsigil makes a good recovery.

Thank you for the boarding school links. I'm not exactly in any boarding school fandoms but I still enjoy a re-read from time to time.

[st_aurafina]

Thank you - she is doing a lot better now.

And you're welcome - I'm glad I can still wallow in the fandom a bit, which isn't always the case for things I loved as a kid.

[yuuago]

Nice to hear from you. <3
Wow, there are whales near where you live? :O

[st_aurafina]

Thanks! It's nice to be posting again.

Yes, Southern Right whales calve here, and there are visiting blue whales, orca and dolphins all along the coast. (I'm about half an hour inland from here: Whale watching in Victoria.)

[watersword]

Best wishes for a better rest-of-May for both of you!

I love the Lord Darcy books, there are only three full novels, I think?, and a collection of short stories, which I think are weaker. They can be hard to track down but are totally worth it if you love Lord Peter Wimsey but feel they need more magic and royalty.

[st_aurafina]

if you love Lord Peter Wimsey but feel they need more magic and royalty.

This is pretty much my perfect canon! I will go on the hunt.

[colls]

Wow, that's a lot happening - sending good vibes your way.

Congrats on the writing. And thanks for the links. ;)

[st_aurafina]

Thank you - yeah, it was a big couple of months.

[senmut]

Here is to hoping Lilacsigil stays on the mend.

Sorry to hear a tourist got brave people dead.

Take care of both of you.

[st_aurafina]

Thank you and thank you. *hugs*

[lilysea]

lilacsigil has been sick, there was an ambulance involved, it's been harsh. Things aren't in crisis but she's still unwell and uncomfortable and unhappy. I would tentatively say that she's on the mend? But it was grim and scary for a while, and very much led to flashbacks of the cancer times. We're both a little shattered.

I'm sorry. That sounds so very hard on both of you, both the actual current illness and the emotional flashbacks. :(

I hope things get less-hard very soon. <3

[st_aurafina]

Thank you - she's doing a lot better now.

[musesfool]

*hugs*

I hope lilacsigil has a speedy recovery!

[st_aurafina]

Thank you! She's doing a lot better now.

[redfiona99]

Send my best to lilacsigil and I hope everything calms down and becomes less eeek for you too.

In re: podcasts, I don't know if I've told you about the Wine and Murder Night podcast before (https://wineandmurdernight.podbean.com/) it's cosy murder mysteries and wine. I know one of the two podcasters via stats and soccer football. I would comment on quality of podcast but I find podcasts difficult.

[st_aurafina]

Thank you - things are calmer, and of course everything is a bit easier to manage now that lilacsigil is doing better.

Ooh, thank you for the podcast link - that definitely looks interesting. I will check it out!

[china_shop]

*meep* Much hugs to both of you from me, too!

[st_aurafina]

Thank you - it was a very meep kind of time.

[wendelah1]

I hope lilacsigal continues to improve.

[st_aurafina]

Thank you - she's doing much better now.

[out_there]

Lots of hugs. I'm sorry there's been so much hospital and health stuff, but i hope lilacsigil is on the mend.

"Insert me yelling FOR FUCK'S SAKE a lot to myself.)"

For very good reason. Eurgh.

[st_aurafina]

Thank you - she's much better now.

I am still flabbergasted that I had to tell two adult women this? For fuck's sake!

[dirty_diana]

Hi! Wow that is a lot of words, congrats. Glad lilacsigil is on the mend.

[st_aurafina]

It was a lot of words! And now, let the editing begin. *sobs*

Thank you - she's doing much better now.

[kindkit]

Many hugs to you and lilacsigil. I hope things get better soon.

[st_aurafina]

Thank you! She's doing much better now. (Hope you're going okay too.)