Fictional Worlds

Despite the conflict, there is an attraction. This is obvious to everyone around except the couple.

Harry Potter

authors didn't check themselves for subtext

Not intentional? Come on.

shipping is just a consequence of plain old human nature: we are wired to seek a romantic partner in such a powerful, fundamental way that we even get a considerable kick out of doing it by proxy — and fictional characters are plenty, easy to relate to, often in want of someone to make out with, usually get their happy ending and nearly never fall out of love

Ship Sinking is a scene that, whether deliberate or not, seems to kill any reasonable chance of a relationship occurring between two characters

If well done, this can actually cause the fans to Abandon Ship, but don't always count on that; some ships refuse to sink.

Lord Vetinari

omniscient knowledge

genius level intelligence

Reality itself is mutable before the will of the plot

amazing things don't happen to the main characters because they're the main characters — rather, they're the main characters because amazing things happen to them

This is where no one is exempt from being killed, including the main characters

multiple deaths, happening at different points in the story

No competition, no rivalries