I'm going to have to go with you on this one, sbj. There is a lot of psychological baggage/damage that comes with being raped (not that I have - God forbid and knock on wood, seriously) and, unfortunately, even if some women manage to pick themselves up by the bootstraps post-rape, there is still a degree of insecurities in them that women - even years down the line - still feel that horrible vulnerability, whether it be subconscious or not.

I really never condoned rape as a plot device, especially in The Powerpuff Girls because, to me, it always seemed like a cheap gimmick. Now, with Alicorn's story, I can understand where she comes from, but, to be frank, most rape centered stories are not something I would agree with - especially if it's used as a plot device to further a romance between two characters. Now, if the story is to show the damage, trauma and survival of such a kind of attack, then I can understand because it's showing the more realistic side of it. But not something, as you said, to move to characters together.

Also, most sexual stories aren't really something I would condone for younger people. There is such a fascination with lemons/limes in fics that, at times, the powerful emotions that could be portrayed between two characters is diminished immeasurably by the sex that is written. Some manage to achieve both - the emotion and the actual action - and encompass it to mean something more, but most don't. And it's truly saddening when people loose the focus of the story/characters and just go for the actions.

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: I concur with you. Rape =/= love.

...I hope most of that made sense ^^;