and it didn't even occur to me that I'd gotten them drunk for first-time sex

lol! It really did give the last scene a dreaminess appropriate to the tone of the rest of the story, and it just worked out that way, and that's totally cool.

and have probably a huge essay on that, how each of them has a species/race their plotlines are most associated with and how that plays into their personality

That is so, so fascinating. I'd love to read that essay! And more fic working through it. Neat.

I'm having a ball reading the 'thon stories too. Great stuff. Kudos for organizing.