Okay okay this mostly just a rant, but can someone please explain to me why every other person decides that the reader just casually calls the subject of the fic by their last name?
I mean, maybe in certain situations. Say, if their an athlete. Makes sense. But like?? Even in real life, most of the athletes I knew in school didn't regularly go by their last names. In fact, I can't think of anyone I ever just called by their last name. (Aside from my friend that had the same name as me and happened to be in JROTC so she told us to call her by her last name).
Ik some places are different. My best friend, who went to a different high school than me, said that her brother's group of friends all call each other by their last names. They're not athletes or in JROTC, it's just something they do.
However, let's think about it. Why would I just be calling my fictional roommate or whatever "Holland" or "Haim," you know? I think it's more common in certain fandoms or AUs but I still find it bizarre because it doesn't seem very natural. Maybe it is for the writer, and I get that. We write what we perceive to sound like natural conversation (or we try to), and that isn't universal, but idk. That just always bugged me.
Honestly, the only time I think it fits is if they're military. But there aren't too many fanfics that take that route, so I don't get why it's such a big thing. Or possibly if you're distinguishing between two ppl w the same first name. That's cool too. Makes sense there.
Maybe everyone was inspired by Harry Potter. I think that's where a lot of that started because Draco calls him Potter all the time, and I think there was some instance where James (Harry's dad) calls Lily (Harry's mom) as Evans. Maybe that's a cultural thing, though. Is that a British thing??
I should stop there. I'm rambling. But yeah, can we lay off the last names? M'kay.
~Mariah
