Life After
stops.
I can't remember when I met ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
keiliss; it was so long ago it just seems like she was always there. It felt like she would always be there. To get the news today that she is no longer in this realm of existence makes me feel a great deal of sadness. And yet, as sad as a world without Kei is, a world of never knowing Kei would have been worse.
I know that it is somewhat tradition to write an homage to those who have departed (and I am certain I will, with time), but I would like to propose a new tradition - to share with others the works, the inspiration, the snippets of the past, to pass along to those who perhaps did not have the chance to meet or know as well those who have sailed on to a new adventure.
Kei and I collaborated, and we also wrote for each other in a variety of exchanges, and there were events that we participated in (or, sometimes, participated in the planning of something that didn't happen, but was still interesting or fun to do). One of the stories Kei wrote for me was called Life After - it's one of those Glorfindel/Erestor stories with a side of Gildor that's got a cozy feel, like wrapping yourself in a blanket that just came out of the dryer on a cold night. If you haven't had a chance and that intrigues you, I highly suggest a read (it's under 3K, and every word is great). Also, I like to believe that we still get to check our kudos counts in the hereafter, so please show some love if you do read and enjoy it.
I'm going to close out with what I said once to someone who was just getting into the fandom and somehow connected with me before most others; I never shared this with Kei, but I probably should have. So, let's start another tradition -- if there are people in the fandom who make you happy, whether you've known them forever and a day or just met them in the last hour, share that with them.
From 2017: And Keiliss is a really good author (and just a really nice person) - she currently has a WIP called The Pink Flamingo, but has other finished things, too - she's one of the few who goes into the 'way back' time with me in terms of stuff - she and I could sit on a porch in rockers and talk about how we had to walk five miles in the snow to find fanfics or something
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Oh Zhie, it does feel like everything stops, and at the same time it all just continues, seemingly heedless...
Kei was the first person I struck up a chat with when I discovered Discord, two days shy of a year ago. Pandë had told me that she's a fellow South African, and we were mutually delighted to discover our ranks swelled to two — and that we're actually in the same town at the tipity bit of Africa to boot! We shared a good few lekker local laughs after that, and some mutual encouragement. Some people you just feel comfortable and connected with right from the start, and that's what I experienced with Kei. I know life threw a lot at her in the short time I've known her, and I've been impressed — and inspired — by her warmth, her energy, and, well, her general Keiness. And if I'm feeling a big Kei-shaped hole after barely a year, I can't fathom how that feels for those for whom she's been a big part of their lives.
And, I'm so grateful for the vast treasure of fics she's given us to continue enjoying, and yes, I'll join you in believing that comments and kudos do get delivered beyond the Circles of the World...
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I also knew Kei since what felt forever, and I believe right from my first steps in the Tolkien fandom ten years ago, and we connected very quickly through comments and reviews, as I fell in love with her work right away. She helped me so much to find my own writing voice, and find confidence in my writing. I'm currently finding comfort in reading some of her stories, and am beyond grateful that she left us such a rich legacy with her amazing work.
And yet, as sad as a world without Kei is, a world of never knowing Kei would have been worse.
This. ♥