Fanfic Discussion - Blog Posts

I love Afterglow so much! But would you care to indulge my curiosity? Do you imagine reader to be slightly older than Mark? I imagine to be in her mid- to early twenties bc of her expansive career in the medical field, though I'm only going by the impression that she only started working after graduating; unless she's been working for some time already? Idk how careers work ajkdshfldf

˗ˏˋ❝Afterglow❞ˎˊ˗

Mark Grayson x Med!Reader♡ྀི

‎…..ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ…..

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AHHH first of all—thank you so much for the love on ”Afterglow”!! This is such a fun ask, and I’m honestly so happy someone’s curious enough about something to dive into it with me.

You’re feeding my writer ego. I hope you’re proud of yourself.

So! Let’s talk canon real quick (I’m letting out my inner nerd rn):

In the comics, Mark starts out at 17 years old, but he ages pretty fast—and by the midpoint (around where ”Afterglow” would be happening, give or take), he’s roughly 19–20 , depending on how closely you track the arcs.

He’s been through it (emotionally unwell, physically worse), and is already working full-time with Cecil, so we’re definitely not dealing with “freshman bio class” energy anymore.

The man is seasoned. In trauma.

If we were going by the animated series, though—it’s a little fuzzier.

Season two makes it clear he’s just recently turned 18, so if you’re seeing ”Afterglow” through a show-only lens, Reader might come off as a bit older. But that’s kind of the fun of it, right?

Different interpretations work depending on what canon you’re leaning into. Especially since she’s employed, competent, and not trying to flirt while holding a scalpel backwards.

(Unlike a certain someone in goggles.)

Also! In ”Afterglow”, Mark is still wearing that iconic yellow-blue disaster suit, which firmly locks the timeline into late Season 2-ish // early Season 3 vibes if we were following the showverse.

As for Reader? Yes—I do personally imagine her to be a bit older. Not by decades or anything, but enough to feel the difference. Maybe 21–23ish, depending on how chaotic and accelerated you want her backstory to be.

Either she’s a prodigy who skipped grades and sprinted into the trauma field, or she’s just a few years older with a no-nonsense attitude and a résumé that could legally intimidate a superhero.

She’s sharp, capable, and absolutely not here to babysit—which just makes Mark being utterly down bad for her even funnier.

Regardless, I love the dynamic of “older, exhausted professional woman” × “younger, slightly feral man with devotion issues.”

BUT! While ”Afterglow” is loosely grounded in comic canon (especially in tone and timeline), it’s very much doing its own thing.

The plot, pacing, and character dynamics all live in their own little sandbox. Nothing’s rigid. It’s vibes first, logic second. As it should be.

Hope that answers the curiosity!! And seriously—thank you again for caring about this chaotic little universe enough to ask.

I’m legally required to write more now.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌a/n: okay—not a new chapter (pause for dramatic disappointment), but if you’ve ever sat there wondering where exactly “afterglow” falls in the timeline or how old anyone even is while mark is out here catching feelings mid-shift… this one’s for you. huge shoutout to the anon who asked and accidentally unleashed my inner lore geek.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌ongoing TAGLIST: @pickledsoda @f3r4lfr0gg3r @bakugouswh0r3 @katkirishima @delusionalalien @bellelamoon @monaekelis @feminii @sketchlove @lilacoaks @cathuggnbear @forgotten-moon94 @lalana1703 @smikitty @barbare2 @sleepyzzz3 @sunspl0tionjuice

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taglist sign up: 𓉘here𓉝

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Ok so I've been thinking back on fanon Virgil, and the fanfics I used to read back in the days (the horrors, I know) and one trope/genre(??) was "neko" stories. And just, something about the worlds in some of those... It's kinda uncomfortable? Like in most of them the nekos are kinda treated like pets and below humans, even though most of the time they're literally just humans with cat ears and a tail. Like they're fully sentient and can (most of the time) talk!! Also most of the stories I read involved the neko(in my case typically Virgil) being rescued by the others from the black market or something like that.

Now all that isn't entirely bad, I've actually read a few that were pretty good and with an interesting premise! (Although it was forever ago and I doubt I'd find them again) One in particular I really enjoyed was one where it was set just a few years after it had been made illegal to trade/buy and keep nekos as pets, and they've been legally recognised as people. The story followed Virgil being rescued from being trafficked on the black market by the sides,who's been Champaign for neko rights for years. And it follows him learning about and accepting that he is in fact a person, and that the world is not like the one he's been raised in anymore. Sadly it didn't get that far.

Another interesting one that kinda sometimes teeters on the edge of being icky is when nekos are still considered pets, but the sides are huge believers in neko rights. Like they think the way they're commonly treated is disgusting, but have to go along with it in public due to laws. I think it can have some really good dynamics, and the story still works and stuff. Idk I like the way it acknowledges the weird parts of it. I find it pretty interesting.

The ones that just feel kinda yucky, are the ones where they're just treated as pets and property, but it being portrayed as completely acceptable. I think the ickynes is definitely strengthened by the fact it's fanfics. Cause you already know these characters, you see them as people. So seeing one of them being treated as lesser than by the others, it just feels weird. Like yeah sure, the villains treat them as animals, fine, sure. But the "heroes"? The people who are supposed to rescue them from this horrible situation treating them the same just they're not beating them?

Like let me just give you a bit of an example of a typical story: the sides finds/rescues Virgil, go "aww can we keep it?" They clean him up, and give him a bath(cause he couldn't possibly bathe himself, cause he's got no bodily autonomy) they bond, they ask him his name (cause remember, he can speak English) he reacts badly to something, or says something out of pocket. They pitty him going "awe poor thing must've been abused" and stuff. And later they're all like "oh hey let's go shopping! We need to get him a collar :D" which is like???? Like yeah sure lets have this wholesome moment where they get him new clothes and a collar, cause he's not allowed to be outside unless he's accompanied by an owner and on a leash :) (like do you see what I'm getting at?) and one of the most outrageous ones is one where they have a wholesome moment where he gets actually good food for the first time, and he has to eat on the fucking floor?!?!? Hello???

Now, I think what irks me is the way it's conveyed? Like the way these moments are conveyed as wholesome and cute, it feels as if the author doesn't see anything wrong with it. Like I don't think I would be that weird to me if the author ever said something like "I know this might be seen as weird, but it's not intended and it's just fiction so let's move on" it's the idea that they don't see the issues. Like I love reading fucked up and problematic shit (toxic ships and yandere tropes my beloved) but at least that's typical with the understanding that we both (reader and author) understand the fact it is problematic and fucked up.

Idk this is really long and rambly, and don't know what else to say, just wanted to get my thoughts out about this I guess??? might be making a different post about old fanon Virgil cause oh boy-