also i wish to talk about how much i hate rivals/enemies to lovers
to clarify they are DIFFERENT. rivals are two sides chasing the same goal, and enemies are two sides chasing opposing goals. example, a rivalry would be aiming for a trophy in an academic setting. an enemy would be someone who is trying to actively kill you. i odnt know. best i could explain it
its always straight and mlm and its getting repetitive and BORING. when its straight people its normally something along the lines of the guy being this cold-faced, only warms up around her kind of vibe [after the aforementioned rivalry or enemy situation has become more lovers] and the girl is this squeaking chihuahua who keeps opposing him but loves him secretly.
if it ISNT that, then they fuck in the third chapter. forced proximity is NOT that hot when youre with someone you actively hate, or delude yourself into hating. also, on the topic of hate, i HATE when the dynamic is like "i hate him...but hes so hot..." "if evil and going to kill me why sexy?"
why do all stories start off with the protagonist already willing to spread their legs for the to-be love interest? and i said it like that because there is NO way that modern-day enemies to lovers fiction ends up with the duo being "lovers". they just fuck and live together. and then fuck some more. and when there IS romance, its borderline, surface level, and they dont have chemistry like that. ESPECIALLY with straight couples.
now im not heterophobic [if youre into the opposite sex GOOD for you im so happy you know what you want /genuine] but when straight people are portrayed in media it ends up playing into stereotypes. "big strong man...little girl :3" which honestly just feels non consensual sometimes. and that is bad considering history
i have a similar feeling for mlm couples. now the reason i dont mention same-sex kissers as a WHOLE is because, since wlw isnt as represented, we havent had the time [or i havent] to sit and marinate in it enough for me to be tired of all these tropes and start subconsciously assigning gender roles. when i look at lesbians i go "they are both women" but when i look at most mlm couples in fiction im going "there is clearly one feminine and one masculine" which, against my best wishes, plays into that fem = woman and masc = man kind of stereotype WHICH IS NOT WHAT I WANT TO CONSUME :(((
ive gotten off topic. anyway. rivals to lovers and enemies to lovers never seem to ever, EVER be interesting as theyre just blatant copy-pastes of the other. and theyre way too sexual sometimes. look, coffee aus? overdone, overthought, but overrated? never. i will drink coffee aus like monster. and i have had 3 cans in the past 2 days which is not much compared to SOME OF YOU DEGENERATES but its enough to be concerned id reckon
but honestly, rivals to lovers is boring too. boohoo. you want to be the prettiest girl at the party! im going to be the prettiest girl at the party :3
sorry no thats not on topic my brain went powerpuff girls bubbles for a second. my point is that boohoo you want to be the strongest man ever OH NO THERES SOME GUY DOING THE SAME THING oh he MUST be —oh? hes sexy? hes hot? oh youre in his bed? ohhh what a tale as old as time.
omg...is that the prince of the enemy kingdom? oh my god are you guys in battle? do his lashes flutter seductively while he blinks away debris you kicked into his face to distract him so you can uppercut him only for him to dodge because hes oh so strong~ and so hot? oh do you guys meet at a secret tavern by chance? oh my? yall are fucking in the tavern's yard? oh my god—someone recognises you? political parties go wild? oh noooo your love is forbidden ohhhh what a TALE AS OLD AS TIME GIVE ME SOMETHING NEW FOR GOODNESSFUCKING SAIKESW
WHERE is the lovers to enemies. NO. WHERE IS THE LOVERS FORCED TO BE RIVALS THAT DONT END UP BEING LOVERS AGAIN. GIVE ME THE ANGST. GIVE ME THE HEARTBREAK. AND IF YOU DONT WANT THAT, THEN CREATE A BETTER STORYLINE. YOU ARE BEING SO
im sorry. none of this is coherent. im tired