The 5 Stages of Falling for a Fictional Character (Send Help.)
(and We Love It)
It starts innocently. A little smile. A witty line. Maybe a tragic backstory or a morally gray smirk. And suddenly… you’re Googling “X character x reader fanfic” at 2am with tears in your eyes. If you’ve been personally victimized by a fictional man (or woman, or sentient cursed object), this post is for you.
The 5 Stages:
1. Denial:
“I don’t even like him like that.”
Just because you paused while reading to reread their dialogue… doesn’t mean anything. Right? RIGHT?
2. Bargaining:
“Okay but if I just imagine them dating someone like me, it’s totally fine.”
Maybe if you pretend hard enough, your enemies-to-lovers arc is coming.
3. Obsession:
You’re suddenly looking up their birthday, zodiac sign, and building Spotify playlists titled “feral yearning (character’s name edition).”
4. Existential Crisis:
“He’s not real. But what if… he was?”
You’ve crossed into fanfic. You’ve seen art. You’ve read analysis threads. You’re emotionally invested in a relationship that physically cannot exist.
5. Acceptance (aka Delusion):
“He would totally fall for me if I were in his world.”
Congrats, you’re spiritually married. You have a ship name. There’s no turning back.
What stage are you in right now? Lmao
Need support? My inbox is open, and my bookshelf is full of dangerous fictional men.