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Escapade, a muti-fandom slash/shipping convention, took place on February 20-23, 2026, in Los Angeles. Several of Aly's friends were in attendance and we decided to have an informal get-together to remember our friend. Since her birthday would have been the 25th, we brought some of her favorite goodies, including her traditional birthday cake (chocolate on chocolate) and bottles of Bailey's Irish Cream.
We put out a con-wide announcement and were happily surprised by the turnout. A few people had heard about her; a couple remembered reading her stories. One person looked up her AO3 page and was astonished by how many stories she'd written. But most were people who wanted to learn more about her life in and out of fandom. By the time the cake was eaten and the memories shared, we had a wonderfully lively group, exactly what you'd expect when celebrating a life well lived. Aly would have enjoyed being right in the middle, chatting away, but she was definitely with us in spirit.
Partiers L to R: Nola, Regina, Sally, Kameo, Jen
Goodies L to R: snickerdoodles, chocolate snickerdoodles, sugared lotus seeds (for Chinese New Year), bourbon brownies, chocolate cake (yes she was a chocoholic). Off-screen: Bailey's (two flavors!), pineapple vodka and mango (for screwdrivers).
Happy birthday, Aly!