Hey all,

Something has been weighing heavily on me since my “comeback” began. And I want to ask your guys’ opinion on the matter. As you likely know, all of my stories were conceived, written, and many completed a long time ago. Since then, however, a lot of the supporting cast... has disappeared. Sulli, Hara, and Jonghyun are no longer alive, by their own hands; an entire girl group nearly lost their lives as one in a horrific traffic accident. 2ne1 is no longer a group. Big Bang’s Seungri and many of his buddies, being criminals of the worst sort, no longer deserve our support or attention... Apparently, Sungmin and Kangin are no longer part of Super Junior. I heard through a similar grapevine that all Chinese nationals under SME have been kicked out of their groups (e.g. Victoria of f(x), and I guess Amber peaced-out too; SuJu’s Zhou Mi and Henry; EXO-M peeps); are any of these rumors true? The biggest change to cast in my stories, of course, is that Jessica has parted ways with SNSD, and while it seemed that Tiffany, Sooyoung, and Seohyun did the same, this latest comeback proves that SNSD was and is still a full group after all. Thus, I’m not sure where that leaves my stories with Jessica...

So, then, my question is, should I remove these “characters” from my stories? Which is worse, “reanimating corpses” (whether of an actual human or merely the idea of a solid group) and “making them perform” in fiction or replacing/erasing people like SM/SNSD is apparently, ironically doing with Jessica for this “Forever 1” promotion? 

Please let me know, y’all. I hadn’t looked at my stories for years and years either and so too got those dull, hollow jolts in reading the names of the dead in particular. And, obviously, I feel more than a bit uncomfortable joining people who were cast out of their groups or withdrew from people they didn’t want to/can’t be with anymore. 

SPOILER ALERTS in the parentheses below, BUT...

Should I leave my stories as they are, “recast” the lost characters in smaller/semi-non-specific roles (e.g. Jonghyun in “Suspended Animation” of Craving, which I already, awkwardly did, and Sulli in the WaR! series), reappropriate entire fics that rely heavily on specific people (e.g. Cross Our Heart + the PLatSA series for Sulli), or just deactivate those stories (e.g. The Lifeline for Lonely Hearts/Hidden Message, Jonghyun; But I Wouldn’t Count On It, Hara) for good? What about my stories that deal with themes of death, suicide, and suicidal ideation, now that those concerns have become all too real (Antipodal (SoShiBond Story 6 of 9) [too close to Ladies’ Code’s accident] + Before You Became the Reason, Jessica; For Every Time I Still Wished You Were With Me, Tao; Ploys and Exploitation, Jessica and Sulli; Cat and Mouse, TaeNySicStal, the Enough To series, YoonYulTaeNySic)? ...What of just about ALL my stories since they include at least some semblance of SoShiBond with Jessica... Thoughts?

Thanks,

Ashleth