Sresla

Emerald City Comicon - Fairy details

sresla — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 19:07:02 GMT

I've put a lot of thought into what I'd like to offer as a way to pay back the community I've been a part of for several years. I'm going to go over the details. Please feel free to PM me if you have questions I don't cover and I'll add them to the FAQ.

First of all, I've been a member of the BPAL community since 2010. Many of you may know me by my forum name, Rakshasa, although I'm not a very active poster. In the past, I've been lucky enough to have people fairy for me (nekogrrl, bheansidhe, Absinthetics, stellamaris, naeelah - places are reserved for you ladies if you're interested. As a regular participant in both mellifluant and Ajevie's decant circles, I'm saving spots for you two as well.) at various events Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab has attended and now that I'm in the unique opportunity to offer the same service to others, I feel it's only right to do so.

Emerald City Comicon runs March 28th, 29th and 30th. Brian has confirmed that they will be attending (albeit with one booth instead of two). This year, I am a VIP ticketholder to the event. What does this mean to you?

As a VIP, I am allowed onto the convention floor early. I also do not have to wait in line for celebrity autographs. I will be offering the following:

BPAL pick-ups

Autograph pick-ups (Celebrity Guests & Voice Talent)

Art commission ordering & pick-ups/potentially some event exclusives depending on what you're interested in

I will be driving up to Seattle on Thursday, March 27th and my plan is to visit the BPAL booth first thing on Friday. ALL the BPAL/BPTP purchases will be made on the 28th. I'll be driving home on Sunday, March 30th. Ideally, everything will be packaged and shipped on March 31st (I've taken the 27th-31st off from work and so have all day to sort through things on Monday and get them mailed out).

Internationals (because I know you're wondering!): Yes! I am willing to ship internationally. Please be aware, as you know, that our international shipping has gone way up here in the US. I have been setting cardboard boxes aside for this (from my many Amazon.com purchases). Your packages, however, will probably not be mailed until April 4th or 5th. Be aware that it'll probably be expensive, especially if you're interested in a BPTP item, assuming there are any. Expect to pay at least $8 dollars for heavier stuff.

The scents:
LADY CECILY SASQUETS, THE INGENUE: Rose-washed fur and a spray of bleeding hearts, China asters, and peony.
LEOPOLD FREIHERR VON TSEMEKWES, THE POET RAPSCALLION: Black leather and sleek black musk with vetiver, blue chamomile, saffron-infused labdanum, caco-dusted patchouli, tobacco absolute, and oakmoss.
EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER: Brown leather, dusted by the spices of his many voyages: cardamom, red sandalwood, sweet clove, white mastic, mandrake powder, and galangal.
AUBIN GRANDPIED BUNMANCHI, CHILDHOOD PLAYMATE: Pale fur, lavender water, Corsican immortelle, white thyme, benzoin absolute, ambergris accord, and sorrowful carrot seed.

Bottle prices are $23. the breakdown would be as follows:

1 bottle ($23 + 9.5% sales tax): $25.18

2 bottles ($46 + 9.5% sales tax): $50.37

3 bottles ($69 + 9.5% sales tax): $75.56

4 bottles ($92 + 9.5% sales tax): $100.74

Atmosphere Sprays:
SKOOCOOM HOUSE: Vast dark halls of stone threaded by cascading rivulets of beeswax, and the scent of snow-laden fireweed, Pacific silver fir, thick mounds of vibrant green moss, purple lupine, Pacific bleeding heart, and lava ash.
LORD LEOPOLD'S BEDCHAMBER: Leather, thick black fur, yeti musk, red roses, and a waft of opium smoke.

BPAL items are $25, the breakdown would be as follows:

1 bottle ($25 + 9.5% sales tax): $27.38

2 bottles ($50 + 9.5% sales tax): $54.75

and so on. I'll also be offering different shipping options:

1-2 bottles (First Class USPS, recycled padded mailer): $3.50

3+ bottles (USPS Small Priority Flat Rate Box): $5.50

Purchases that include any BPTP items, but are under a pound (Priority Box #4 or #1096): $7

Really big orders, anything over a pound, or that include autographs (USPS Priority Medium Flat Rate Box): $13

Internationals: vary by weight/packaging

All US purchases will come with a tracking number. All international purchases will be given their customs form number.

If you are purchasing only 1-2 bottles but would prefer Priority Flat Rate, this is always a possibility. Insurance will be available to add on, but you'll need to let me know if you want this as an option. I also will have to ask for Paypal fees on our transaction as I cannot accept any payments as gifts (this protects both of us). This is 2.9% + .30 fee for US residents, 3.9% + .30 for internationals. So, if you're in the US and interested in two bottles, and opt to go for just the padded mailer, it would equal out to: $50.37 + 3.50 + fees = $56.10. Correct me if my math is wrong. I used both http://www.taxrates.com/calculator/ and http://salecalc.com/paypal?p=60.44&e=2.9&f=0.3&l=us&r=0&m=2&c=0 as resources to calculate costs.

I will do my very best to divide any frimps/swag equally. I will also be happy to pick up any GC bottles or anything else BPAL brings if you want it. I know lots of people don't like ordering just one bottle and prefer to hang on (and on and on) until they have several things they want. If you're not sure it's going to be at ECCC, but want me to look for it and buy it if they have it, then what I'd do is request the entire sum and then refund you if it wasn't available to purchase. Everyone will at least get a swag card, because I've got them to spare from my past orders.

VERY, SUPER IMPORTANT THINGS:
1. Make sure to include where I would be shipping to, so I can calculate costs.
2. All payments absolutely must be received by no later than Wednesday, March 26th at 11:59pm Pacific. If I have not received payment by that time, I will have to cancel the pick-up. I will not be pestering or poking people for payment. If you're not sure about LJ notifications getting to you in a timely manner, email me at sresla @ hotmail.
3. Double-check that you are on the list if you've requested a pick-up at the very bottom of this post, and that it lists (paid) by your name, once you've paid. Please allow 24 hours for me to update your payment status. This confirms I've got your order! (see the Q&A, below)

Autographs/art/other things are a slightly different beast. I can't possibly cover every scenario so I'll do my best to cover the basics.

If you're interested in a celebrity autograph, your shipping will automatically fall into the USPS Priority Medium Flat Rate Box (it will be the longer, rectangular box, rather than the square) shipping range, as I doubt you want your autograph folded. In addition, you will need to pay for a hard plastic sleeve for it. Examples of these can be found on eBay. I will be purchasing these beforehand in a bulk lot (assuming there's enough autograph interest) in an 8x10-ish size.

Autograph fees are not taxed. Each celebrity costs a different amount. Please be aware that some celebrities do not personalize items (such was the case with Sir Patrick Stewart last year; his lines were simply too long). If you want to have it personalized, and it's possible, I will of course request it. Some celebrities charge more if you're not bringing your own item to have signed. If you've never been to a convention, most celebrities have an array of glossy photographs for me to pick from. So, for example, if you love Mark Sheppard (who doesn't) but REALLY love him as Crowley (Supernatural) over Badger (Firefly [wait, that's impossible, who doesn't prefer him as Badger...]), that's something you want to make me aware of, so I'm not picking the wrong picture. I will probably divide up the autograph getting over all three days. If you have a specific personal item that you'd like signed, we can talk about you getting that to me before the show. I do have friends coming with me, and they've been made aware about what I'm planning on doing; they've kindly offered to help me ferry things back to the hotel so I don't go hunchbacked carrying everything (that special edition Firefly book that I have feels like it weighs 50 pounds after lugging it around for an hour).

So, if you wanted two bottles of BPAL + Mark Sheppard's autograph, it'd be $50.37 + $40 + $13 shipping + fees = $107.06 (plastic sleeve not included as of yet, price TBA if I get enough interest, otherwise they are $5 on site at the convention).

Convention artists normally don't charge for autographs, but VIPs don't - I don't think - get to line-jump like they do for the celebrities. In my own personal experience, people like Katie Cook, Mike Mignola and Charlie Adlard can have long lines. Still, I know a lot of people don't get the opportunity to go to events like these, so if you love, say, Wendy and Richard Pini or Stan Sakai, I'll really try my best to make it happen for you. In these cases, you will want to send me what you want signed, because I can't predict what their merchandise table will have or what it will cost.

I don't expect anyone to take me up on this, but it's out there anyway. Many artists at the convention do take on-site commissions. Prices on these vary wildly. I do know Katie Cook draws 1 small watercolor character (not detailed) of your choice for $10 and she often has a lot of pre-made ones at her table and they're all pretty difficult not to buy. I'm not sure where mine is, I'll dig around for it later and post it as an example. Basically, if you want an art commission of some sort, I'd suggest you get in touch with the artist in question (seriously, they're approachable, just email them or "Ask" them on their Tumblr) to find out their prices. Then, you'll just need to tell me what it is you want, send the money and I'll swing by their booth and order it. If you do want Katie Cook, I'll just be buying a pre-made as I can't do multiple characters and clog the line. Joseph Michael Linsner (Dawn) was there last year and his prices started at $50 for a bust and went up from there. Generally, I'd suggest if you want this, you'll want to stick to established characters the artist is familiar with because I'm hesitant to go to ECCC with someone's original character - even with references (although I plan to do this myself, but I've commissioned Sara Richard before and am confident of the results). On the flip side, people like Amy Mebberson (of Pocket Princess fame) just opened her ECCC commissions and welcomes original characters, so. It's up to you. You want it - I'll do it, basically, so long as you let me know who/what (I know the where). These will also require the plastic sleeve I mentioned previously in regards to autographs, unless it's tiny, like the Katie Cook variety. Here's one I got done of Zevran, from Dragon Age: Origins: http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b415/Sresla/8e381dc2-874c-4109-9213-a5927a701937.jpg.

Finally, Convention exclusives. Because I'll be occupied with BPAL on Friday, I probably won't be able to get you special event comic covers (even for myself!), or things of that nature (like, I know people love the Capcom event exclusive Hello Kitties that sold out in 2.1 seconds at PAX). Keep an eye on their Exclusives tab on the ECCC web site if these interest you.) and am happy to swing by places like Espionage Cosmetics (even if I'm a little out of place buying eye shadow) and get their *Con exclusive Alter Ego set. These items will impact shipping although I think for most things, a USPS Medium Flat Rate Box should cover it. If you've ever wanted a specific Funko figurine, these events are the places to have me look for them. There are literally a billion booths with them. Although they've never had a Legolas; I suppose considering the feels I've got for elves, this may be a good thing.

Here are some edge cases I wanted to cover:

Q: What if the X I want sells out and you're not able to get it for me?
A: I will refund you.

Q: What if there's human error involved in my order?
A: This one is trickier. I will not intentionally send anyone the wrong item, but if it happens, I hope that whoever else might be involved will speak up and let me know they received the wrong thing. Worst case, you can send it back to me and I'll refund your money. Back when Knows Perfume was doing Will Calls, I went for the Champagnes for myself and my best friend, we accidentally got a bottle of Champagne and Opium rather than... I don't remember what it was now. I think Champagne and Absinthe. I didn't realize this until much later in the evening when everything was sold out. If this happens, I'll ask the person in question if they'd be willing to take that alternate bottle instead, so it won't come as a surprise when you receive it. I'll try to go through everything Friday night and make sure it's right to the best of my ability but we're human and so... yeah. I've only got 1 bed to spread everything out on in the hotel room, but I'll have several pairs of eyes on it and lists so if we've got mistakes, I'll try to rectify it on Saturday before there's an issue. Trust me, I want to do a good job for everyone involved.

Q: My bottle was smashed, never arrived, leaked on the mail deliverer or was on fire when I opened the box. There may have been a snake in there, trying to bite me as well. WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?!
A: I've got reams of bubble wrap and will package everything to the best of my ability. Once it's out of my hands, though, there isn't anything I can do besides apologize. I cannot offer refunds in this case. I can suggest you make friends with the snake as soon as possible, so he gives up the precious. I hear the smaller ones accept bribes. Perhaps your tiny dog as a peace offering?

Q: My bottle label has a ding/rip on it.
A: I'll do my best to prevent this from happening. This is a really gray area for me because I'm not sure what the Lab does in regards to bigger on-site orders but I imagine there might be a little jostling of the bottles. Again, if this happens (and I sincerely hope it won't), I hope people will be willing to err on the side of, "The inside still smells good."

Q: When can I expect things to be shipped?
A: Everyone's orders will be shipped no later than April 5th (both US and internationals).

Q: The BPAL list is live, and I want X, Y, and Z. TAKE MY MONEY.
A: Please wait for me to provide you with a total, don't just send it. This will confirm I've got you onto the spreadsheet I'll be keeping and am not stuck wondering who the heck you are and why you just sent me money. I'll also ask that you provide me with your mailing address in the Paypal notes, as well as your order, LJ username and forum name, if you have one. Your email address in the notes wouldn't hurt either, just to make sure I have a working address to contact you at.

And... that's all I can think of, for now. I'll edit this post as needed. As of this moment, I don't know how many people will be interested, so I'm not capping it right now, although if I get to a point where I need to make a cutoff, I will. If this happens, I hope you'll understand if I have to draw a line and you are excluded. Internationals: no promises, but I may make exceptions for you guys because I know how hard it is for you in general to get some in-person BPAL love.

If you've got a question, please email me at sresla @ hotmail. I'll check in on this post regularly. One more thing - I work very VERY long shifts during the work week, but have Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. So, if I don't reply to you during the week, it's because I'm sleeping or working (literally, that's all I feel I do sometimes).

And there you have it. All the news that's fit to print. ~S

The List of Olfactory Bliss
nrl1978 - LEOPOLD FREIHERR VON TSEMEKWES, THE POET RAPSCALLION & EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER (paid) 9400109699937455077998
metalstorm6 - EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER (paid) 9400109699937455127105
kobals_tears - LEOPOLD FREIHERR VON TSEMEKWES, THE POET RAPSCALLION, EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER & AUBIN GRANDPIED BUNMANCHI, CHILDHOOD PLAYMATE (paid) 9405509699939793798507
middagen - LEOPOLD FREIHERR VON TSEMEKWES, THE POET RAPSCALLION (paid - international) LJ 003 635 952 US
acciochocolate - EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER & SKOOCOOM HOUSE (paid) 9405509699939794664153
tasllyn - LADY CECILY SASQUETS, THE INGENUE, EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER, TARASQUE & LORD LEOPOLD'S BEDCHAMBER (paid) 9405509699938337222263
writes - LEOPOLD FREIHERR VON TSEMEKWES, THE POET RAPSCALLION, EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER & LORD LEOPOLD'S BEDCHAMBER (paid) 9405509699937456151027
mellifluant - LEOPOLD FREIHERR VON TSEMEKWES, THE POET RAPSCALLION (paid) 9400109699938336069026
Bluestblood - LEOPOLD FREIHERR VON TSEMEKWES, THE POET RAPSCALLION x2, EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER, AUBIN GRANDPIED BUNMANCHI, CHILDHOOD PLAYMATE x2 & WITCHBLADE (paid) 9405509699938336391885
morpheus0013 - EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER (paid) 9400109699937455354433
midnight_aeval - LEOPOLD FREIHERR VON TSEMEKWES, THE POET RAPSCALLION & EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER x2 (paid) 9405509699937455470075
Skitz_phenom - LEOPOLD FREIHERR VON TSEMEKWES, THE POET RAPSCALLION & EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER (paid) 9400109699937455522344
mrgrumpybear - LEOPOLD FREIHERR VON TSEMEKWES, THE POET RAPSCALLION & EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER (paid) 9400109699938336683796
Epiphany‏ - LEOPOLD FREIHERR VON TSEMEKWES, THE POET RAPSCALLION & EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER (paid)
ajevie - EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER, AUBIN GRANDPIED BUNMANCHI, CHILDHOOD PLAYMATE, SKOOCOOM HOUSE & MARK SHEPPARD
AUTOGRAPH (paid) 9405509699938348542770
Seussela - EDGAR MICHE (paid) 9400109699939794198211
jules_hoshihito - LEOPOLD FREIHERR VON TSEMEKWES, THE POET RAPSCALLION & EDGAR MICHE, MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURER (paid) 9400109699938337118532

AS OF 4/4, EVERYONE'S PACKAGE HAS BEEN DROPPED OFF AT THE POST OFFICE.

Why Steam makes me stupid

sresla — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 08:54:51 GMT

I hate First Person Shooters. Have I ever mentioned that? Imagine giving a horse a rifle, except the rifle weighs three hundred pounds, and the horse is trying to hold it in its mouth, and has no way to pull the trigger, so it just stumbles around drunkenly under the heavy weight. You think you're picturing some insane, brought on by too much ice cream before bed scenario but what you're actually imaging is me trying to play any game of said genre. I'm quite terrible.

The final damage for Steam's Summer Sale (I did somehow manage to earn my King of the Fort badge, even though I could have sworn I didn't vote first day):

Aztaka - $2.49
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction - Echelon Edition (crazy) - $11.49
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction - Insurgency Pack (crazy) - $2.49
Jade Empire (finally on sale, Maker) - $7.49
*Note: Those fucking bastards put it on the Daily Deal on the 23rd for $3.74. Really? It hasn't been on sale since 2010 (or, ever?). When it went on the Summer Sale, I was all, "Yay!" (obviously, by my earlier comment), but now I'm like... well, imagine some swearing and then imagine it being YELLED AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS FOR 20 MINUTES. And then times it by one hundred.
The Bard's Tale - $2.49
Garshasp The Monster Slayer - $1.25
Legend of Fae - $2.49
Robin Hood - $2.49
Double Fine Bundle (bought mostly for Stacking. And the fact that you can turn into a rainbow unicorn in Costume Quest) - $7.49
Ys: The Oath in Felghana (something I bought that wasn't 75% off? FOR SHAME) - $5.09
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (another one that's never been more than 50% off... UNTIL NOW) - $4.99
Beyond Good and Evil - $2.49
The Longest Journey (I should have bought the bundle) - $2.49
Dragon Age: Origins Prima Official Strategy Guide, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening Prima Official Strategy Guide (for when the zombies come and I can't grab my physical copies... or something. Yeah, don't question my addiction. At least I'm addicted to something good for you, unlike DA2.) - $4.98
Thief Gold - $2.49
Thief II - $2.49
Dungeon Siege III Treasures of the Sun DLC (Don't even talk to me, I bought DS3 when it was first released for... I'm going to pretend I don't remember the full price. I know, this qualifies me for another crazy label on this one) - $2.49
Fable III Collection - $11.49
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood Deluxe (Wait for it...) - $9.99
L.A. Noire Complete Edition (only probably crazy) - $7.49
Max Payne Bundle (crazy) - $3.74
The Witcher 2 - $15.99
Ys: Origin (again, not 75%, what was I thinking...) - $7.99
Assassin's Creed Revelations - Gold Edition (okay so now you're wondering, "Why didn't you buy the Assassin's Creed pack, you fool?" Probably because Steam's been dicking me around for over a year, putting the AC games on sale piecemeal and because I'm such an impatient purchaser, I ended up buying them all separately, because IT WOULD NEVER POSSIBLY BE ON SALE ON STEAM EVER AGAIN [just like the Prince of Persia pack I BOUGHT ALL BY THEMSELVES. FFFF----]) - $16.99
Legend of Grimrock (first day of the sale, I think this and the Star Wars were reactionary, "SALEOMGSALE" purchases) - $5.99
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II - $9.98
Trine 2 - $3.49

I'm not completely selfish, though. I also gifted:

Dragon Age: Origins - Ultimate Edition (two copies)
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition (two copies)
Civ V DLC - Polynesia
Civ V Cradle of Civilization Denmark DLC
HOARD: Complete Pack

And was gifted:

Dead Space Pack

And managed to reluctantly resist:

Skyrim (my computer can't run it, but I'll /wrist if the sale doesn't come back around in December)
Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition (Dude, I don't know, but now I want them [crazy])
Fallout 3 (crazy)
Bioshock Collection (this really needs to be less than $4.99 a game, and it hasn't been, like, ever)
Alan Wake
Batman Franchise (I told myself I didn't want Gotham City Imposters - and this is true, because I'd never play it... remember the horse? But really, I'm probably an idiot for passing on it, because the sale price was like getting all the GCI stuff free anyway...)
Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga (I was at work when this one went on sale)

There are a host of others I didn't buy - Dungeon Defenders, Vessel, Two Worlds, Might and Magic (there was a M&M pack right?) for no real, discernible reason. Of everything I bought, only eleven of the games were on my wishlist. And I spent... over a paycheck. I have no shame.

The real question is - will I have played any of them by the time the next Steam Summer Sale rolls around? That should be an achievement too:

Complete at least one game you purchased from the Steam Summer Sale in 2012. And by complete, we mean win. If it's possible to win by slaying the dragon, or whatever passes for a dragon these days. It could also be a zombie. Potentially many zombies. There also may be zombie dragons. We're not sure - we never actually play these games either, but our Library looks fucking AMAZING.

Bibliophile

sresla — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 18:46:15 GMT

Moving is a chore. Carrying 50,000 pounds of books up three flights of stairs tested even my stamina and endurance not to chuck the whole lot in the nearby (and at ground level) dumpster. I think it's time to invest in some sort of e-reader, so I've begun re-reading my library to see what goes and what stays.

Currently Reading:
Lois McMaster Bujold: The Sharing Knife

Mercedes Lackey: The Mage Wars trilogy (Black Griffon, White Griffon, Silver Griffon), Sword of Ice and other Tales of Valdemar, Vows and Honor (HC with Oathbound and The Oathbreakers), By the Sword, Brightly Burning, Exile's Honor, Take a Thief, Exile's Valor, The Lark and the Wren (Bardic Voices), Owlsight, Winds of Fate, Storm Warning, Storm Rising, Sun in Glory and Other Tales of Valdemar, The Last Herald Mage (HC with Magic's Pawn, Magic's Promise, Magic's Price), Queen's Own (HC with Arrows of the Queen, Arrow's Flight, Arrow's Fall)
Kept: Queen's Own trilogy, The Last Herald Mage trilogy, Take a Thief
Read Before You Die: The Last Herald Mage trilogy
Die Before You Read: The Mage Wars trilogy, Brightly Burning
Note: Both Queen's Own and Take a Thief are autographed by Mercedes Lackey. I don't know why I didn't have her inscribe The Last Herald Mage, as its by far my favorite of anything she's written. I've become signicantly less enamored of the series over time, simply because I think I need my heroes to be slightly more flawed, which I think *is* executed well in Vanyel's books but less so in everything else. But since Heralds are, by definition, paragons of good... yeah. Doesn't mean I still don't look for the new titles at the bookstore, but I'm wary of buying them anymore.

Richard K. Morgan: Altered Carbon, Broken Angels
Note: I got drawn in by Altered Carbon, which is... alright. I think I like the concept better than the execution. Broken Angels was a letdown once I finally found a used copy.

Lois McMaster Bujold: The Curse of Chalion, Paladin of Souls, The Hallowed Hunt, The Sharing Knife
Kept: The Curse of Chalion, Paladin of Souls
Note: Both The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls are autographed. The Hallowed Hunt, which is set in the same "world" as Chalion and Paladin, but is not a sequel to one or the other, just never grabbed me - which is a shame because I like the other two.

Richard Adams: Watership Down, Tales from Watership Down
Kept: Watership Down, Tales from Watership Down
Read Before You Die: Watership Down
Note: The animated movie made a tremendous impression on me - especially Blackavar for some reason - but I haven't watched it in years.

David Adams: Den of Thieves
Note: Another book premise I should have loved. Thieves! Stealing stuff! Except everything felt very predictable. Malden, our main character, a mediocre thief, steals something more valuable than he knows. Obviously, once he's in over his head, our bumbling crook must also encounter a lady fair who needs rescuing, too, while trying to make everything right. Having learned my lesson (see Night Angel, below), I did not continue on to the other two books in the series A Thief in the Night and Honor Among Thieves. I can't pinpoint whether or not I think the characters felt too one-dimensional or whether the story felt too uninspired. OR overly compicated, because not only do we have the stolen, magical crown (erk, spoilers) but we've also got the Ancient Blades running around, carrying weapons of demon-killing potential, except there aren't any demons around anymore. Except the human kind. So, some remain paragons of virtues and others become sellswords. And there's bound to be conflict. All in 300 pages! Again, though, I do have to give credit for a bit of the worldbuilding - the city where Malden lives is the last "free" city. In other words, if you step outside its gates, any lord can enslave you as a serf, or what have you. Which makes the city just as much a cage as taking a risk you can find yourself a bit of land and live freely. In that respect, I do feel the book succeeds in sticking Malden in an untenable position - does he stay where he's barely subsisting or does he go into something potentially worse. Too bad I never really end up caring about his decision one way or the other.

Torchwood (various authors): The Torchwood Archives
Kept: The Torchwood Archives
Note: I have several of the Torchwood books in audio form: Border Princes, Hidden, In the Shadows, Everyone Says Hello and The Sin Eaters. I also have the audio adventures: Asylum, Golden Age, Lost Souls and The Dead Line. I love me some audio adventures (Big Finish has my heart), so I fully recommend them. Burn Gorman's reading of Everyone Says Hello is brilliant and if you were to purchase one audio book, it's the one I'd recommend. The Torchwood Archives is autographed by John Barrowman, who is love.
Watch Before You Die: Torchwood

Carole Nelson Douglas: Cat in a Jeweled Jumpsuit
Note: The Midnight Louie series is a guilty pleasure for me - I really enjoy Temple Barr, Midnight Louie and Electra (I am significantly less taken with Matt, Max Kinsella and Detective Molina. Midnight Louise I can take or leave). The problem I've had with the later books is the significant number of pages devoted to the romantic triangle between Temple, Matt and Max. I'll stick with M - for Murder. I had, at one time, the first half of the series, but they seem to have made their way to Powells - or I haven't found them in the stacks yet.

Chris Bunch & Alan Cole: The Far Kingdoms, The Warrior's Tale, Kingdoms of the Night
Kept: The Far Kingdoms, The Warrior's Tale, Kingdoms of the Night, The Warrior Returns
Read Before You Die: The Warrior Returns
Note: I met Chris Bunch prior to his death in 2005 at a surprisingly low-attended book signing at Powells. This series was one of the first I ever read - long before George R.R. Martin became a household name - where I consciously thought, "This would make a brilliant movie/TV series." I didn't necessarily feel obligated to pick a favorite, but I think I did like The Warrior Returns the best of all four. However, I don't recommend reading the books out of order as they contain significant spoilers.

Blake Charlton: Spellwright, Spellbound
Note: I met Blake Charlton back in September 2011, at a book signing a Powells. Mr. Charlton is an extremely affable author - dyslexic, he's written a very linguistically oriented pair of books which, as a premise, I liked very much. However, I was not a tremendous fan of Spellwright, but took the plunge with Spellbound anyway because I (nominally) wanted to see what happened to the characters. Unfortunately, I found the second novel even less to my taste (as in, I disliked it. Quite a bit, actually. It was something of a trial to finish).

Brent Weeks: Night Angel (HC with The Way of Shadow, Shadow's Edge and Beyond the Shadows)
Die Before You Read: Anything he's ever written
Note: I don't know that I have words for how much I disliked the Night Angel trilogy. On its surface, it has everything I should like - assassins! But the books themselves were terrible and I'm absolutely baffled by the number of high marks the series receives in reviews. Kylar has to learn how to skillfully use every weapon ever created, ever, in order to be an effective assassin. Maybe if this book spanned 100 years and Kylar never aged or dies (he doesn't, oops, spoilers) that'd be realistic, but it doesn't. For being an assassin, he kills almost no one - good thing, because he's still mastering the battle axe back on page 138. And then Beyond the Shadows is devoted mostly to his relationship with his girlfriend (who he's loved for his ENTIRE LIFE) and alternating between them calling each other 'Honey' (literally, the only term of endearment they apparently know) and them fighting. Thankfully, she dies. This book almost made me wish I'd die in the middle of it, but when you pay $17 for something, you feel obligated to see it through to the end. Like a bad movie, you know you've already sunk your $12 into it, and you know that the theater isn't REALLY going to give you your money back, so you might as well sit there and finish your popcorn which is already cold and you know the guy put butter on it in the midddle even though you said "No butter," but you didn't want to be a dick and make him dump it out when you saw him doing it, so now it's just sort of this oily stuff on your fingers and you just want to get through that layer to the next layer except it's soaked through ruining the rest of the box you overpaid for - and you didn't even get the large drink for .25 extra. It's like that. Don't buy these books. Don't buy anything he's ever written. Ever.

Walter Jon Williams: Ten Points for Style (HC with The Crown Jewels, House of Shards and Rock of Ages)
Note: Ten Points is currently in my 'maybe' pile. I enjoyed Crown Jewels and House of Shards but disilked Rock of Ages. Why do so many sci-fi writers seem enamored of making Elvis a deity in the far future? Not that I dislike Elvis. It just seems predicable. WJW hasn't written any other Maijstral novels since 1995 so I don't expect there'll be a surprise follow-up at any point either. Given that I like so few science fiction books anyway, it might be worth it for me to pick up another couple of his books, to see if it was his style I liked or more the subject matter (Drake is a professional thief). As a side note, The Crown Jewels is available on the Kindle (and perhaps other ebook options, I'm unsure) for .99, and for that price, I definitely recommend it.

Roberta Cray: The Sword and the Lion

Alan Dean Foster: The Deluge Drivers

Robert Aspirin: Phule Me Twice

Douglas Niles: A Breach in the Watershed, Darkenheight, War of Three Waters
Note: Douglas Niles is better known (supposedly) for his contributions to the Dragonlance universe - none of which I've ever read. I read this trilogy out of order, after being sucked in by the amazing cover art for Darkenheight (Ciruelo Cabral, be very very proud). This is another book I remember liking more when I originally read the series (pretty sure I cried when ________ ________ died) and less so now on the re-read. I'm noticing a lot of flaws in the plot that bother me enough to want to question the author as to the thought process involved, out of sheer irritation. "How is it that a non-martial culture like the Faerines didn't think to employ magic against the minions of Duloth-Trol, ever? Not once do they ever attack magically, despite their entire society being built around the hallowed position of Auramaster. Why didn't they block these open passes in the Watershed, rather than leaving them with undermanned garrisons?" Yes, I realize without some (all?) of this, there wouldn't be much of a story but... credit where credit is due, though, I do like the worldbuilding. Oi, and the pacing is terrible in the third book too. Authors take note - tack a timeline up somewhere and figure out how long (realistically) it takes to physically traverse areas and be consistant. If an army is travelling from A to B, and Jack and Jill are walking from point C to D and the Red Shirt characters are sailing a ship to meet the army, Jack and Jill at E, everyone does not luckily arrive at the same time. It just doesn't work like that. And three children cannot sail a huge ship by themselves. You cannot handwave at me and just say, "Magic!" because sailing a ship isn't something just anyone can wake up in the morning and do. Okay, obviously you can tell these three went into the rage-resale box.

Anthologies: Catfantastic II, The Cat that Wasn't There, More Whatdunits

Writer's Block: ONTD Games Giveaway

sresla — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:58:47 GMT

Zevran Arainai from Dragon Age: Origins. He's an amazing character and there's no one I'd rather have as a BFF (and more...)

Runner-up would be Red VIII from Final Fantasy VII.

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab - bottes & imps swaplist

sresla — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 04:44:37 GMT

The Fine Print
What can I say? I've finally reached critical mass with my Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab oils. I've tried (nearly) every leather scent the lab makes (give or take 500 or so others) or has made and have narrowed down my DISOs to a mere handful. However, in the process of doing so, I've amassed quite a collection.

What I'd prefer to do is swap what I don't love for something I do - to parlay what I have into what I want.

DISO: De Sade, Geburah, Loviatar, The Traveller, Rivet.Goth, Lord Ruthven, The High Priest not to be Described, Morven the Strong Man, Kunoichi
*I will almost always be able to find room in my budget to purchase bottles of these DISO blends and am usually willing to swap/buy even an imp's worth. The exception is De Sade; I will take anything I can get - halves, even testers - as he is my signature scent.

Have a Stash but will take more: Le Pére Fouettard 2008 only, C. Auguste Dupin, Brom Bones, Enkhespalos, Phyllocrania Paradoxa v3, Thunder and Blazes, CBBOB1, Dead Man's Hand, Dead Man's Hand v8, Clockwork Couture: Male, Quincey Morris, Prosperity of a Country, SN: Burning Book, The Red Rider, The Rat Speakers, Shrunken Heads, One to Tie, Two to Win, A Blade of Grass, SN: Wild Dandelion, A Low Candle-Lit Room, Hatta, The Visionary, Nowhere in Particular, The Heinous Hedge Maze, Sky City (Before), The Manuscript, Outlaw, Stonehenge at Dusk
*Is it possible to have too much of a good thing?

Bottles: Sacrifice, Casanova, Olisbos 2010 only, Unexpected Golf Hazard, Strength, Love Hooch (TAL), Eloquentia IV (TAL), India Ink, NVPR4, Adam, Ian, Black Cherry Love Oil (TAL), Formula 312 (TAL), Love Attraction (TAL [maybe]), Pile of Fallen Leaves, Hans Trapp
*I would prefer bottles of these, but you're welcome to try me with imps. No halves or sniffies, please.

Samples: A Murder of Crows, Poe, All Hallows' Apple, Absinthe, Ace of Pentacles, Ameles Potamos, Anteros, APDAY3, A Brilliant and Ruby Colored Fluid, Blacker than the Raven Wings of Midnight, Badger (2008), Banned in Boston, Bensiabel, Bloodlust, BTSB, Byron v13, Bocal de Sang, Caliban, Calico Jack, Captain Cully, Cheshire Cat, Calocyclas, Corazon, Cthulhu, Daylillies at the Bottom of the Stairs, Daddy, Debauchery, Deep in Earth, Dr. Henry Jekyll, Elf, Ebisu Making Love As Two Octopuses Look On, Fairy Wine, Fearful Pleasure, Fenris Wolf, Fighter, Fulvous Snow, Galvanic Goggles, Halloween 1914, Herbert West, Hunter, HR1, HR2, ICD23, Iago, Karmê (Κάρμη), SN: King Mandarin, Kyoto, Krampus 2013 only, Krampus Chains, LUES11, Les Anges Déchus, LUMF2, Liadain and Curithir, Lightning, Madrid, Mage, Mischievous Spirit, MML2, Mary Read, Mattie Silks, Nosferatu, Noisome Clockwork Tin Locomotive, NVF02, Old Demons of the First Class, Olokun, Paduan Killer Swarm, Planting Moon, PPN134, Psychodynamic Discharge, Quicksilver Phoenix, Rogue, Rocking-Horse-Fly, SN: Siberian Musk, Satan Talks to Sin and Death, Satyr, Scherezade, Sea of Glass, Singing Moon 2012, Summoning Stone Play Structure, Salma, SGR4, Seeds of the Pomegranate, Leaves of the Poppy, Tattie Bogle, Tarasque, The Buggre Alle This Bible, The Book, The Ghost Children, Tempest, Traipsing through the Crop Circles, Time's Infliction of Eternity, The Host of the Air, The Night-Raven, The Ninth Cage, The Raven, The Schoolhouse, The Ta-Ta (leather heavy), The Arabian Dance (leather heavy), The Sea Foams Blood, The Bow and Crown of Conquest, The Deserted Village, Tympanidium, The Witch's Garden, The Deep Ones, TP'ed Trees, Trachhelophorus Giraffe v3, Vicomte de Valmont, Villain, Verdant Decay, Whippoorwill, Wilde, Witch-Cursed Castle, Whitechapel, Y'ha-nthlei, Yule Buddies
*I would prefer imps of these. Some I only need testers of and others I might consider a bottle (The Red Rider... possibly a couple of others) but usually I'm just looking for imps because the scents haven't really graduated or grabbed me enough to motivate a D/ISO (or I've already got bottles that aren't getting enough love). Too, I'd like lab imps that don't look like they've gone through the wash or fallen in the dirt and been trod on (Madrid imps, I'm looking mostly at you). Please note that I'd really prefer to do imps for imps for these, rather than bottles for imps, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Trading Post: Lair of Nefarious Misdeeds, Dungeon original, Boothill, Candlelight, Le Cafe du Rat-Mort, Wererat-Infested Sewer, Lich's Laboratory, Unspeakably Evil Temple, Crow Moon 2007 3X crew neck, Raven Moon 2009 shirts, Crow Moon 2013 shirts, Goblin Sack, Footworn Steps Leading Into a Dank, Suffocating Crypt, Black Pomegranate and Blackcurrant
*Some of these I know only come in squirts, which is quite alright. Also, I'm relatively open to room sprays I haven't tried; you're welcome to check with me and ask what I've sampled. Lair of Nefarious Misdeeds, Dungeon and Boothill are love, and probably fall into my DISO category.

Loved Notes: Leather. Followed by grass, dandelions, red musk, lavender, dirt, fougeres, aquatics and anise/licorice (how did that sneak in there?) - but mostly leather.

The Truth of it All
All the bottles listed are available, but some things I'm going to be pickier about than others. It is, as they say, how these things go - so please don't be offended if I say no.

A Little Finer Print
Bottles have been cleanly tested, but a sizable number I have purchased on the secondhand market. Those that I can guarantee as lab fresh I will mark with a *. Items marked in bright green are potentially pending, ones with a ~~strikethrough~~ have been swaped or sold. Red swaps are only for my DISOs.

Bottles (at label or above)
~~Glowing Vulva at Ryogoku Ridge swap only~~
Pinched with Four Aces swap only for DISO (even then, will be very picky)
Banshee Beat x2 swap only
VILF (male label) swap only
Snake Charmer Resurrected swap only
The Girl (skull label) swap only
Cabaret.Goth swap only
Vamp.Goth*
Steam.Goth*
Lindworm x3*
Zmey Gorynych x2*
Cuelebre x2*
Leather Phoenix x2*
Luna Sanguinem*
Yule Buddies*
Haute Macabre (original release)*
Butterscotch Balls and Black Beetles*
Peach III*
Peach VII*
Peach XI*
NGG023*
SGR4
Phyllocrania Paradoxa v6*
Edge of Chaos MCCCLXIII
Edge of Chaos DCXXXX
Edge of Chaos DXLIX
Revisiting Scenes of Past Delight*
Forever is Mercy Built x2*
G'Milut Chasadim*
Sparkling Apple Cider*
Miss Fanny Phippany*
~~Who Killed Amanda Palmer: Blackberry Jam & Scones~~
Gothic Literature: The Infernal Lover
The Order of the Dragon: Count Dracula
Carlin
Hand of Glory
~~Asp Viper~~
Sir Hugh Ockram's Winding Sheet
Midnight Carnival
Halloween in New Orleans
Selkie
The Fairies
Lovers with Rutting Cats
The Aurora Spaceship Takes a Dive
~~Daddy~~
Black Temple Burlesque Troop (2009)*
The Phoenix in Summer
Polyphemus*
New Year's Eve in Dogville
Dog Days of Summer (wounded label)
Milk Moon 2007
Crimson Peak: All that I Possess*
Dorian*
Cathedral
Olokun

Partial Bottles (anywhere between just below label and testable amount, as I consider at/above label to be "full"; all listed levels are approximate)
The Witching Time of Night (1 imp or less)
The Stormhold (60%)
Feast for the Greatly Revered Ones (1 imp or less)
~~Penis Admiration (75%)~~
Shattered Pumpkin (50%)
Halloween in New Orleans (20%)
Toad Hall (80%)
~~Mole (1 imp or less)~~
~~The Mysterious Warning (90%)~~
Paduan Killer Swarm: Doll's Eye Infused Honey (60%)
Paduan Killer Swarm: Doll's Eye Infused Honey (20%)
Velvet Panther (80% with wand cap)
~~Clockwork Couture: Female (20% with wand cap)~~
Into the Maelstrom: The Tell-Tale Heart (20%)
~~The Solider (40%)~~
~~Eldritch Dark (40%)~~
Holiday Moon 2006 (cobalt bottle, 90% with wounded label)
~~Tombeur (20%)~~
L'Essence du Chagrin (60%)
L'Essence de la Passion (35%)
Corrupt Chancellor (20%)
Who Killed Amanda Palmer: Manus Dei (20%)
Signoir Dildo (35%)
~~Gothic Literature: The Byronic Antihero (1 imp or less)~~
~~Schrodinger's Cat (20%)~~
Vicomte de Valmont (20%)
Villain (30% in non-lab brown apothecary bottle)
Dracul (20%)
Phoenix Steamworks (95%)
~~Mutant Hot Rodders from Hell High (60%)~~
Olisbos 2011 (20%)
SN: King Mandarin (90%)
Dr. John H. Watson (50%)*
*These full/partials are the bottles that I know are dead to me.

Stash (These are bottles that I overbought or simply never wore as intended; fills as listed, or full, if no designation)
Fearful Pleasure
Quicksilver Phoenix
Quicksilver Phoenix (40%)
Rocking Horse Fly*
Scherezade*
Kyoto x2*
Fighter (male label, full with wand cap)
Dr. Henry Jekyll
The Schoolhouse x2
Tarasque*
Deep in Earth (95%)
Sangria Champagne*
Crow Moon 2007 (95%)
Crow Moon 2007 (30%)
Paduan Killer Bees: Paduan Killer Swarm
Spanked 2011*
The Arabian Dance*
The Arabian Dance (60%)
The Ta-Ta x2
Dungeon Crawl (20%)
Meditation in Autumn (30%)
Satan Talks to Sin and Death (1 imp or less)
Satan Talks to Sin and Death (50%)
The Bow and Crown of Conquest*
Blood and Judgement So Well Connected
The Host of the Air
The Host of the Air (1 imp or less)
A Christmas Carol: Christmas Eve on the Moor
The Orgy (1 imp or less)
Tympandium (35%)
Calocyclas (70%)
Pandemonium (20%)
Badger (1 imp or less)
Badger (50%)
Badger (20%)
*It's time for some tough love.

Should I stay or should I go? (needs another test)
The Geek Show Prototype
Protagoras*
Ligeia: Bewildered in a Dream*
Ligeia: Blacker than the Raven Wings of the Midnight (45%)*
NVPR4*

Other E-Tailers
Murder of Crows (Conjure Oils)
~~Alhambra (Arcana)~~

Overbought (I'll never get through the excess)
Corazon
A Blade of Grass
The Heinous Hedge Maze
Siberian Musk
Crypt King
Geek
All Hallow's Apple

Imps are Fiendish
Yes, I have quite a few. I cannot even begin to qualify what is lab fresh and what isn't anymore (because if I didn't keep them, in general, in some sort of organized container, they'd swamp me like letters as if I was Moist von Lipwig at the Ankh-Morpork Post.) Please assume that they've been tested once. LE's are decants. I'll try to indicate fill level on ones I know to be 50%-ish or less, but sometimes I won't know until I check them after you express an interest. As a side note, I have a date stamper, which I try to remember to use on any general catalogue imps when I receive them to give them an approximate age date, but keep in mind, some of these have come to me second hand so the stamp only indicates how long they've been in my possession. If label conditions are a concern, or if you'd like to know more precise fill levels, ask and ye shall receive.

Imps (in roughly alphabetical order)
A Mirror of Spring Pleasure on Kites, ~~Amaterasu v3 (sniffie)~~, Athathoor, As Above, Ah'duno, Absinthe v7 (tester), A Companion of the Same Nature, Aremata Popoa, Autumn Overlooked my Knitting, Al-Shairan, Arcana, Athens, Absinthe (decant), Akuma (taped), Akuma, Aperotos Eros, A Countenance Foreboding Evil, Amsterdam x2, Ave Maria Gratia Plena, Arkham, Aeval, Antony x3, Azathoth, All Night Long

Blue Fire (decant), Blue Fire, Budding Moon, Bat's Blood, Blood Countess x2, Baghdad x4, Bitch, Black Dahlia, Binah, Bleeding Heart, TAL: Bastet's Laughter (tester), Blood Lotus, Black Lily, Bluebeard, Black Rose, Bastet, Beer from the Marsh Woman's Brewery x3, Black Hellebore, Brimstone x2, Bensiabel, Bensiabel (taped), Bengal x2, Bordello, Burial, Belladonna, Bien Loin D'ici x2, Baobhan Sith x4, Bliss, Brown Jenkin, Bess, Bruised Violet Compound x2, Bohun Upas x2, Black Annis

Count Dracula, Champagne & Cigars (tester), Champagne, Chocolate & Cheap Sex (tester), Cupcake Spatter Pattern Analysis (tester), Chintamani-Dhupa (tester), Carfax Abbey, Clio, Caligula x3, Cordelia, Cathode x2, Cairo x2, Catherine, Chaotic, Chimera, Coyote, Crossroads, Cockaigne

Delousing Powder x4, Dublin x2, Dark Chocolate with Wormwood, Fennel, Sweet Flag, and Lemon Verbena, Dusted with White Sugar Truffle, ~~Diable en Boite (2009)~~, Day of the Skulls, Deathly Pride (tester), Durian Fruit Infused Honey with Brandy, Desdemona, Dr. John Seward, Daya x2, Doozers, Danube, Democrat x2, Danse Macabre x2, Dragon's Bone x2, Dragon's Tears x2, Dragon's Eye, Dragon's Musk x2, Dragon's Reverie x2, Dragon's Blood x2, Dragon's Hide, Dee x3, Devil's Claw, Dwarf, Dance of Death, Dirty, Dian's Bud, Djinn x3, Darkness, Dorian x2, Dwarven Ale, Detox

Elf v4 (sniffie), Elf v4 (tester), Empyreal Mist x5, Ecstasy of True Love, El Amor y La Muerte, En Eski Aşk Şiiri (tester), ~~Eau de Ghoul~~, Ephemera x2, Eternal, Envy, Eris, Eclipse, Embalming Fluid x2, Egle, Eros, Evil x2, Euphrosyne, Elegba

Foolish and Vacuous, Fenris Wolf v2 (half), Fascinum x3, Fallen, Follow Me Boy, Fenris Wolf (decant), Fire of Love x2, Florence

Ghost House, Golden Wave x4, Gollettes, GOP x2, Green Party x3, Graveyard Dirt Revisited (2008)?, Gothabilly (sniffie), Gluttony, ~~Gingerbread Satyr~~, ~~Gingerbread Villain~~, Goneril x2, Gorg's Garden, Godfather Death, Goblin x2, Gomorrah, Gnome x2, Grandmother of Ghosts x2, Grief, Greed

Heraeon of Argos (sniffie), Hunters in the Snow (tester), Hymn to Prosperpine, ~~Hippie Ghost~~, ~~Heroine~~, Humbug, Hekaerge, Hagsgate, TAL: Haitian Gambler (half), Hemlock Honey x3, Havana x2, Himereus, Highwayman, Horn of Plenty x2, House of Night, Harlot's House x2, Hades, Helena, Hollywood Babylon, Hairy Toad Lily, Harlot. Hellcat x3, Hymn, Hemlock x2, Half-Elf, Halfling,

Ile De La Tortue x2, Io, In His Hands All Thy Cruelties Thrive, I Married a Vampire from Planet X, Independent, Iambe, Intrigue x2

J-Horror, Jailbait, Jezebel, Jazz Funeral, Juke Joint, Jezirat al Tennyn

Kether x2, Khephra, Karmê (taped), ~~Knight in Shiny Armor~~, King Haggard, Kathmandu x2, Kumiho, Kuang Shi, Kill-Devil, Kitsune-Tsuki, Kali x2, Kabuki

Leaf-Strewn Couch, Leaf-Strewn Couch (tester), Loli.Goth, Luna Azul, Luperci 2008, ~~Lucifer (tester)~~, TAL: Lady Luck, Le Revenant, Love's Torments, La Calavera Catrina, L'Inverno (tester), LUW1 (tester), Leipreachan, Le Serpent Qui Danse (tarted), La Belle Dame sans Merci x4, Ladon, Libertarian x2, Lysander x2, L'examen de Minuit, Les Bijoux, Lyonesse. Lurid, Lawful x2, London x2, Love Me x2, Laudanum x3, Lear x2, Lilith, Libertine x3, Lustration, Love's Torments x2, La Petit Mort x2, Lust x2, Leanan Sidhe

Mr. Fezziwig's Ball (half), Midnight Kiss x4, Midnight Kiss (decant), Mariposita (half), ~~Miles (tester)~~, ~~Marche Funèbre en Memoire de Maxamilieni~~, Mahana x3, ~~Mr. Edward Hyde~~, Moon Rose, Moonshine and Mist x3, Madrid, Mutant Hot Rodders from Hell High, Magdalene (taped), Masabakes, Masabakes (half), Madonna, Midnight x2, Midnight Carnival, Melancholia, Melpomene, Masquerade, Malediction x2, Maenad, Mary Shelley, Mania, Mandrake

Needle in a Haystack, Netzach, Netzach (decant), Nothing Gold Can Stay, Neo-Tokyo, Nevar, Nine Mysteries x2, Numb, Nostrum Remedium, New Orleans, Nyx, Night-Gaunt, Neutral, Nocnitsa, Night-Gaunt

Old Sybaris (tarted), Old Sybaris, Overprotective Possessed Talking Doll, Old Moon 2011 (tester), Orange Pumpkin Floss (tester), Ops x3, Ophelia x2, O x3, Othello x2, Oblivion, Ode on Melancholy, Odin, Obatala, Orc

Psithyristês (tester), Pumpkin 2 (2014), Pumpkin 1 (2012), Polynesian Pop, Pahoehoe, Premature Burial, Pink Mood (half), Placophobia, ~~Peter Quint~~, Privilege, Psyche x4, Paris, Phoenix Steamworks x2, Poisoned Apple x3, Persephone x2, Polyhymnia, Port-Au-Prince, Penny Dreadful, Plunder, Prunella, Pontarlier x2, Pride x2, Pannychis, Phantom, Port Royal x2, Prague, Paladin, Pain, Perversion

Queen Gertrude x2, Queen of Sheba x3, Queen, Quietude

~~R.M. Renfield~~, Romanti.Goth (tester), Rigorous Love (tester), Rigorous Love, Reptoid Dominion, Red Velvet Truffle, Red Moon (believe it's 2004 but not positive), Rosalind, Regan, Rage x2, Reindeer Poop, Rangoon Riptide, Red Devil, R'lyeh x3, ~~Ranger~~, Rapunzel x2, Redoul Honey, Rakshasa, Rome x2, Rose Cross x2

Singing Moon 2012, Sweets to the Sweet (half), Skadi 2004, Snow Glass Apples, Scattered Gloom, Strings in the Earth and Air, Silk Road x3, Sundew, Suspiro x3, ~~Scorpio (Celestials)~~, Sleepy Moon, Succubus x3, Szepasszony, Sophia, Spare Change x2, Smilin' Servitors of Hyperdimensional Holiday Hits, Screeching Parrot, Shroud x3, Schwartzer Mond 2011, Spider x2, Strangler Fig, Sacred Whore of Babylon, Sed Non Satiata, Sin, Salome x3, Sybaris, Sloth, Skuld, Spellbound, Seraglio, Succor, Safari, Seduction, Swank x2, Sjöfn, Siren, Shub-Niggurath x2, Sheol

Tanuki No Sekimochi, The Deepest Mysteries of Creation (tester), ~~The Sailor's Den (tester)~~, The Infernal Lover, Two Loves (half), The Bloody Bannister (tester), The Bloody Bannister, Terpsichore, The Sinister Salon (tester), The Sinister Salon, The Dole of the King's Daughter, The Witch Queen (decant), The Castle, The Isle of the Dead (tester), Tum x2, Tears, The Passionate Shepherd to His Love, Tarot: The Hermit, Tarot: Temperance, Taphophobia v2, The Wrestler Onogawa Kisaburo Blowing Smoke at a One-Eyed Monster (tester), Thousands of Lights, NG's The Magician (decant), NG's The Magician (decant), The Ninth Cage (decant), Thorns, Twenty One x4, The Lotus Tree, The Scales of Deprivation, Tisiphone, Tavern of Hell, Tenochtitlan x2, Troll x4, The Old Goblin, Tamora x2, The Ghost x2, The Phantom Wooer x2, The Raven (taped), The Grave-Pig, The Apothecary, Tushnamatay x2, TKO, The Black Rider, Tushnamatay, Thanatopsis, The Witch's Repast, The Coiled Serpent x2, The Robotic Scarab x4, The Great Sword of War, Tintagel, The Dodo

~~UOH34~~, Usher, Utrennyaya, Urania, Une Folle Entreprise, Urd x2, Ulalume x2, Uruk x2, Ugh, Undertow x2

Velvet Dogs Playing Poker (tester), Venus, Vinland, Venice x2, Voodoo Lily, Viola, Vixen, Versailles, Voodoo

Wormwood Field, ~~Waraizome~~, TAL: Wealthy Business, Whispers of Monstrous Things, Wolfsbane x3, Wilde, ~~Wanda~~, Whitechapel, Wicked x2, Wanton x4, Water of Notre Dame, Windward Passage x2, Wrath

XCDL13 (tester)

Yesod, Yerevan x2, Yggdrasil x2, Ya-Te-Vo, Yorick, Yellow Jessamine Honey, Yew Trees

Zorya x2

13 (04/2007), #20 Love Oil x2, 2-Ply Bristol (tester)

Sets
Deathrock, Cabaret.Goth, Fetish.Goth, Steam.Goth, Vamp.Goth
The Sephiroth set (minus Geburah, special edition imps)
The Qliphoth set (complete, special edition imps)
Lindworm, Cuélebre, Bakunawa, Zmey Gorynych

Black Phoenix Trading Post
Room sprays, hair gloss, bath oil and everything else, oh my!
Various postcards

Full
Bah Humbug*
L'essence du Coeur Libere des Tenebres Extrait
Pyriphlegthonian Pomegranite*
Mechanical Dragon Manufactory*
Peaches in the BPAL Garden*

Partials
Harvest Festival

Decants
Scrooge's Apartments
Konditorei
Aphrodite Eyrkine
Krampus
Fairy Hordes Attacking A Bat

Squirts
Villa Diodati (Prototype)
Okiya
Alchemical Laboratory
Doc Constantine's Medicine Show
The Queen's Croquet Ground
The Fainting Couch
Down the Rabbit Hole
Fae Forest
Cathouse
Mahogany Hall
Thrive
Saloon #10
The Inn (Prototype)
Exotic Bazaar

The Kitchen Sink
Absolutely unrelated to anything perfume, but things I will happily swap/sell (may be impacted by shipping costs).

Books: None at the moment

Nail Polish: Misa - When U Say My Name, Color Club - Kiss Me Mistletoe

So you made it this far
I'd prefer to stick to a three imp minimum for swapping but I'll make exceptions for some things (De Sade...)

Now, you may be thinking: Hey, I have The_Red_Rider01 but nothing else from your ISO list, but I see four imps I want! Well, the answer here is that I'll try to work with you as best I can. Having something I want already puts you on the, "I'm interested" list and I've got friends with wishlists too - so there's room to negotiate. I'm also open to imps for bottles or bottles for imps (this is on a case by case basis) and have no fear of shipping internationally.

Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have and I'll answer them to the best of my ability.

Out of the Blue: Besides my friend's wishlist, I'm open to a few other oddball items... Lunacy shirts, specifically Crow 2007 in 3X. Villainess suede Smack, Haunt Archeo soap, anything Dragon Age: Origins related (shirts, action figures, Set #1 and #2 RPG books, autographed items, 'Con swag... more specifically, all things Zevran, not limited to actual licensed merchandise. I'm also potentially open to oil for art trades or Cafe Press items), some other Dragon Age merchandise would be considered from Inquisition (likely I wouldn't want anything from DA2 but feel free to ask), Lord of the Rings/Hobbit related merchandise (specifically Legolas/Thranduil items - legos, lanyards, bookmarks, shirts, you name it, I'd take it. REALLY wanting the standees of these two), regular black, polyseal 5ml bottle caps (not wand caps, though!), Doctor Who items, Torchwood stuff... if you've got SDCC (or other *Con merch) try me, I'm flexible (for example, I just got my SDCC Spartacus/Walking Dead bag signed by Charlie Adlard and Tony Moore - and I got it from a BPAL swap!) I will also consider nail polishes and stamping accessories. There's always the World of Warcraft Pet Store and Star Wars: The Old Republic cartel coins - I'm cheap in that regard and so I'd take those virtual items too. And books and comics! I'm always down for books and comics. I'm saving towards an eReader (a Kindle), and my booklist to switch from paperback to digital is only a mile long, so like an Amazon gift card would do the trick nicely. I don't know if you can gift specific books. Probably not, or else it'd become the book version of Steam (which is the very devil). Will also accept Steam games from my wishlist.

Other eTailers I may be interested in
Haunt: Winchester (all products)
Blooddrop: Linden Blossom SN

The Wishlists of Friends
Bottles: Celestials: Capricorn
Imps/Testers: Arkham (Diabolus), Stranger in Camp, The Cup of Death, Santo Domingo, Snake Oil, Spanked 2011 (or was it 2012?)
Twilight Alchemy Lab Imps/Testers:
Has a Stash but Might take More: