"I'm sorry, but I can't be with you anymore. It's for your own good."or
"I'm too dangerous. You can't be around me anymore."or even
"I'm breaking up with you" (and in the character's mind, they say "It's for your own good" and don't actually explain it properly to the other character and the other character is left wondering what the hell they did wrong).Just...just....
Dear characters who say this, you know what you should do?
1. Properly explain to your boyfriend/girlfriend/friend/whatever-other-relation why you think it's dangerous for them to stay with you.
2. Freaking let them decide for themselves whether they want to stay with you.
3. Respect their decision.
By not letting them make their own decisions, you know what you're doing? You're being unfair. And you're being unreasonable. And, quite frankly, for the reader (uh..well for me at least), you're being freaking annoying.
The characters always try and justify doing this- the whole "it'll all be worth it if they're safe"- and maybe that might be true in some cases, but the characters never seem to think about what would happen if it were the other way round. If someone else were breaking up with them because it's "too dangerous". Is there seriously anyone who would like it if this happened to them? I'm going to hazard a guess and say no. NO ONE WOULD EVER LIKE IT.
For me, this trope is honestly my most hated trope of the lot. It trumps instalove, it trumps love triangles, it trumps convenient plot twists...IT IS JUST THE WORST.
Anyone else find this trope irritating? (Or is it just me haha)
Is this your most hated trope? If not, let me know what your most hated trope is.
