A healthy forum like BL constantly renews itself: new posters register (as do Food's and CV's various sockpuppets, but let's not focus on those right now), old accounts drift into inactivity, and the community as a whole persists. The ephemeral nature of forumites' presence here is, I sometimes have to remind myself, actually something to celebrate. I imagine that many once-active members have left in order to spend more energy on their studies, careers, relationships, or other interests not involving Type-Moon.
Having said all of that, I still feel a bit nostalgic for the posters whose creativity and witty banter inspired me to join BL in 2011. Not all of the following people have left permanently, but they don't fill up the "New Posts" list quite like they once did.
Aiden, whose fevered imagination could flesh out any Nasuverse side character and turn the crackiest of crack pairings into gold.
RadiantBeam, whose writing provided a counterexample to Oscar Wilde's warnings about the dangers of excessive sincerity and whose equanimity as a moderator I greatly appreciated.
Seika, whose erudition was matched only by her unwillingness to suffer fools lightly. Her clarity of thought and expression was humbling.
DarkPulse, a guy whose writing talent and sense of humor I miss terribly. I remember reading through Of Leaves and Lilac in one night, then prodding him to complete it the next afternoon via IRC. It wasn't the most polite thing I've ever done, but what can I say, the story moved me.
LeopardBear, to whom I owe much. From Derrida to geopolitics, Leo's posts have challenged me to reexamine my preconceptions. And for a guy whose stock-in-trade is irony, Leo can be surprisingly helpful and patient. I've heard rumors that Overwhelmed by Anime is actually just Leo in disguise, but I don't find those rumors credible.
Thanks and good health to all, wherever you may be. Prosit!
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Originally Posted by Bird of Hermes
