Journal of Mistress Kat

 

Aly / Alyjude / Alyburns / Alyjude_Sideburns (depending on the era, fandom, or platform) died just after Christmas. She was a bright light in Sentinel fandom, with 181 stories written and posted.* Her most recent was a short story for 2025's Secret Santa. I beta'd it for her, and she was so pleased to be writing again -- on her phone, no less! Her love for Jim and Blair was immense, and the relationship she depicted between them shone from the pages. They had their ups and downs, just as in the source material, and some of her stories were very angsty indeed, but she always, always gave them a happy ending. (Well, almost always. There are a couple that are bittersweet.) I remember she once said, "Jim and Blair sing to me," and it showed in her work.

She also wrote a bunch of Stargate SG-1, and a few Stargate Atlantis. Unfortunately, in those days, I was so focused on the Sentinel fandom that I didn't notice her Stargate stories. Shame on me! (Of course, it didn't help that they were in a different archive; I may not even have known about them until she posted them at AO3; I've slept since then, and memory is hazy. Thank goodness for a central archive.) But I've since read a few, and her deft story-telling shows in those stories, too -- Jack-and-Daniel snark for the win! If anyone knows a Stargate comm where this information would be appropriate, feel free to link to this post.

Unfortunately, Aly's health in recent years was not good, but she never complained. She'd text something like, "Tired. Just got out of the hospital. I'll write tomorrow," and that would be all she'd say about it. Magician tells us more on Aly's Facebook page. Where it says "# friends posted on Aly's profile," click "See x more." Magician's post is under the name "Queenie Nln."

I'm going to miss her so much. In recent years, knowing she was confined to her home with only her cat for company, I made it a habit to email her several times a month, with jokes and pictures and little video clips that I found elsewhere on the net. At least two or three times a day, I find myself thinking, "Oh, gotta save that for Aly." No more.

Rest in peace, Aly. I'll remember you, and miss you.

--

About that * next to her story-count. Several years ago, I was going through Aly's stories on AO3, making sure that I had copies of each of them saved to my computer. (Yes, I hoard stories; I've seen too much disappear from the net, and I want everything in my hot little hand.) I discovered that I had a bunch of saved Aly stories that never made it to AO3. Several years before the "several years ago," a number of Aly's friends helped post her stories from the several sites they had been on, to AO3. I was part of the project, and it was... kind of hectic, to be honest; so much work to transfer. There were so many of us, sharing out files so that each person didn't have to post too many stories, that some obviously fell through the cracks.

Aly and I discussed it. She herself admits that punctuation in her early stories was eclectic; she was writing with feverish inspiration on Web TV -- no way to save her work for "later," or to have someone beta it. Basically she posted "live," as each story was written. Now, she had only her phone for editing and uploading. Ugh! We agreed that I'd do a beta pass on the stories, format them for AO3, then upload them with what I thought was appropriate summary and tags. Later, when she felt up to it, she would go in and make any additions / notes / changes she wanted.

So, I made a collection -- Alyjude's Rediscovered Sentinel Stories, and gleefully jumped in. I got 33 posted... and then got distracted by "stuff." (My niece moved with my help, my sis had a big project with my help, etc, etc, etc.) And Aly didn't push, or nag; she knew I'd do it eventually. But now I look at the last posting date, and it's coming up on two years. Shame on me! I've been meaning to post the rest of them -- about 20 more -- maybe in time for her birthday, but now it's too late for her to see them.

<sigh> Aly was excited to have her "lost" stories at AO3, and I want them available to old and new Sentinel fans; they're part of our shared fandom history. So, in Aly's memory, I will get the rest of her stories up before the end of the year. My health is pretty good, but... we just never know, do we?

I hope she'll look down and be pleased to see folks still enjoying her stories.