So, while Aiko and Louis prepare to discover a few things about themselves and each other, we’re gonna quietly close the door and give both of them some privacy.

The genesis of this came with a late-night talk with a friend who’s a FTM trans (and who’s pretty well served as the model for Aiko since Day 1, incidentally) that conflated, in a strange, drunken kind of way, the idea of pre-destination and free will, but mixed in with what would his life had been like had he been born a guy like he wanted. We talked about what it would be like to wake up one morning and suddenly realize that, wow, everything you wanted was there, all in place, and how no doubt disorienting that would probably be. Jacques (not his real name) admitted that he wasnt sure how he’d react, that while part of him really wanted it, another part was scared of what it would mean.

I can pretty well understand that. It’s not easy finally admitting who and what we are — whether that means being gay or lesbian or bisexual or trans or fetish-oriented or hopelessly addicted to Olivia Newton John albums… we all have that something about ourselves that we desperately wish were true and real — but the idea of actually embracing it is… well, scary. Especially if it involved Olivia Newton-John.

Still, embracing it is what makes us who we are, and we should never be fearful of that. During this series, one of my friends noted that “fantasy is hard work” — and yeah, it is. But as a lot of people who’ve jumped over that chasm will tell you, it’s worth it.

Many, many thanks also to Sandra Wagner, who provided some cool insights along the way. Lady, you’re the best.

OK, we’ll be coming back to these two later and see how they’re doing. Tomorrow? Probably a few one-shots, then maybe it’s time to look in on Ray and Doc and see how that’s moving.