the validity of emotions for fictional characters
Mourning a fictional character is valid!
Feeling heartbroken because a beloved fictional character will die is valid!
Feeling grief-stricken because a beloved fictional character will be going through a lot of pain is valid!
What even is fictional from an emotional point of view? How many hours have we spent with the characters of shows, books, movies? How many words have we written about them? How many times did we talk about them, think about them? How much hope did we invest in their growth?
How much of ourselves did we notice in them?
I know that this kind of grief is often belittled. Frowned upon. Laughed at. It’s disenfranchised. And still it is legitimate. It isn’t ridiculous. It’s valid. It’s real. And we all are allowed to experience it without adding insult to injury by misjudging the validity of our own emotions. Grief. Cry. Rant. Clown. Allow yourself to feel. Don’t rush yourself. Your emotions are valid. From the first tear to the last “fuck you” addressed to canon: Valid, all of it.