Birthdays! *twirls*

So there are TWO birthdays today. There's brilligspoons, who was one of my first friends on LJ. I love you hon, and I hope you have a fantastic day! I still remember that long, long discussion we had on feminist literature way back when, it was GREAT. Also, I love that you indulge my love of poetry. Speaking of which, here, have a poem:

( Fully Empowered, by Pablo Neruda )

But it's also halflinen's birthday! Megan, oh Megan. One half of my Canadian OTP, she's been there during some tough, tough times for me and, just, she's supportive and sweet and amazing and funny and posts awesome recipes and writes lovely stories--I just, okay, I'm so glad she's in my life. Happy birthday, lady, I feel confident that it's going to be a good one. ♥

( And since I can't be there, dammit, have a kitty and some story recs )

International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women

I had two posts to make today; this one is the one I shouldn't need to make. Today is the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women. It's a long name for a day and a hefty undertaking, unfortunately, because this is a world where women get hurt. And I can't actually write a post about this, because the terrible things that happen to women, it's the thing I carry and don't know what to do with because it hurts so goddamn much.

And by that I mean I know too many women who have been hurt by somebody, I've taken too many phone calls, you know how it goes, but I can't stop taking the phone calls or hearing the stories, even when I have no idea what to say. Really, there isn't much you can say except "I'm so sorry someone did that to you" and "I'm here" and "I love you."

So here is a story of mine. A ficlet, really. It'll have to stand in for meta, today. Let's just all agree that this fucking bullshit needs to end.



Title: On Your Marks
Pairing: Alicia gen.
Warnings: reference to past rape and violence.
Word Count: 975
Summary: AU. Alicia is fighting a revolution and she is a former prisoner of war. She wasn’t expecting to see one of her jailers again, let alone as one of their prisoners, but that's okay, she has things she needs to say.

A/N: Technically, this is set in my Big Bang verse, but all the context it needs from that is in the summary. Also, this is in no way intended as a commentary on what victims of sexual assault should do/need to do/or what closure should look like, this is a story I needed to write and something I need to post today. ETA: And I forgot to say, thesamefire looked at this for me back in June when I wrote the first half, and she told me the thing I needed to fix the ending. Thank you again, darling.

( Oh, yes, she knows this man. )