To kiss or not to kiss?

[Elixiink]

This is regarding stories where romance is the subplot.

For the romance lovers out there, what do you feel about two characters constantly shipped by the author themselves only for one or both of them to die before they could confess their love share a kiss?

I don't remember which story it was but I remember reading something where the characters were leaning towards each other to kiss only for one of them to get impaled through the heart in the last second and die =.=;;; The comment section was on fire-

Although this case is different since they were actually about to do it.

Personally, I like both romance and platonic relationships as a subplot because it takes time for me to ship a couple. But if I start shipping them, and they are heavily shipped by the author too but they die off without a confession or anything----

I don't know I'll just have a very unsettling feeling for a few hours and then move on accepting the tragic fate.

Anyways what are your opinions?

[yansusu]

I have to honestly say that I can't remember a single story where someone was killed off that was implied to become a couple with somebody
I think if I saw something like this, I'd be devastated for a while but that would probably have been the intention anyway. So I don't think it's a bad thing at all. To me, it's not important whether they get to confess and/or kiss or whatever either. It'll be tragic anyway just because a beloved character dies. Somebody else being left behind just adds to the heartbreak a bit for me.

[LittleMissDevil]

It can be done well, but personally I am a bit tired of shipping in general. I'd like to actually see wholesome couples on screen/page that don't just die off for dramas sake. The ongoing tease of "will they, won't they?" is really effective in keeping an audience hooked, but that's just it. It is so drawn out.

If an author does it, I would at least like for them to stick the landing. If the characters are being shipped, at least give a satisfying resolution. It's kind of about planting and pay off. If the relationship is planted waaaaay in advance only to cockblock the audience at the finish line it feels really cheap.

[joannekwan]

I haven't read anything like that, especially if the ending of their hopes and dreams is at the end of the story and not near the beginning where the tragedy is impetus/background for the rest of the plot.

To have a strong lens focused on the relationship and romance between two characters only to have one die near the end feels cheap to me. It's like the audience has been baited, thinking this relationship will have a satisfying conclusion with all the build-up then NOPE.

[unknown_user]

I don't remember which story it was but I remember reading something where the characters were leaning towards each other to kiss only for one of them to get impaled through the heart in the last second and die =.=;;; The comment section was on fire-

Well, the author is probably just a good old big green troll

[unknown_user]

About the topic - well, I'm all for any suitable active actions, including NSFW ones. Except, maybe, the cases, when characters have a suitable logically justified reasons, which prevent them from having romantic/sexual interactions with each other (religion, trauma, just being asexual etc).

It the case, described on the main post of the topic, I would be disappointed as well.

[Lummy]

if I really shipped them, I don't know if I could move on. It would leave a bitter taste in my mouth, I mean 'they died, why couldn't the author at least give them one moment of happieness in their lieg ARGHGHGH'!
But I still never have encountred the situation you described, but I suffer from the second lead syndrome regulary so I guess I know how it feels

[TAMAnnoying]

I mean? That just feels like a trolling moment?

I personally like character deaths (especially when they stay dead! 8) ) I’m not against characters getting into a relationship and then one or both of them dying, my problem is more on how it’s done, the one you described just sounds..... like they wanted to annoy their audience. But there’s also lack luster ones like tonks and lupin from Harry Potter where most of the romance was off screen and then next time we see them they dead and I’m just like “great glad I got to experience exactly zero of their relationship so I can feel nothing for this moment.”

Character deaths are important- >the character stops existing and stop being able to actively effect the plot< You should really treat them with a lot of respect weather or not they’re a part of a shipping war or not.

Can you kill a character before they tell their ship partner they love them? Sure! Do it, so long as you put a lot of thought into it and how the others are gonna react to this death.

It might be >really< important. it might be really world shaking for a character to loose a love one before telling them they love them. It can help a character who laughs in the face of danger become humbled by the idea of death when someone they care about actually dies mortality can finally become real for them which can be really great character development.

What your describing sounds much less like someone was actually trying to write a good story and more just trying to shock the audience.

[keii4ii]

Tragic romance is extremely common and popular where I come from (Korea), so people don't feel cheated when this happens. They kind of half expect it. Not necessary deaths, but yeah... That audience doesn't really expect happily ever afters, and they don't even take the possibility of a confession for granted.

Character deaths in particular might be a special case, though, since some authors do it for shock value. That's different from working with an audience that's ready to accept tragic fates.

[silverraven0]

Once upon a time, I Wrote a short novel (novella length) where one of the guy dies after they kissed.

And I'm currently writing a short story where both guys I'll die after a kiss. Both of them is kind of bitter sweet(?), so, uh, yeah....

And just like @TAMAnnoying Said, the author might be trolling since wtf lol.

[Elixiink]

Oof imagine the love interest coming back from the dead-
That is one trope I cannot stand :'D
Its so frustrating XDD I feel like I've been cheated on when characters I love come back from the dead!

[Iris-Grimoire]

Kinda feels like a cheap tear jerker if not properly prepared beforehand, just like any plot twist. If you know one of the characters is dying from a point long before, it really becomes sad and depressing that one or both are counting the seconds to confess, and maybe they don't want to because they don't want the other to be filled with grief soon after - but maybe, telling them that will give them a little more happiness? If they just get randomly killed there's no time to dwell on these thoughts, it's just for an instant reaction.