I saw you mention the hidden intervention stat on the forum, but I thought it would be better to ask here. What would each RO be thinking during the intervention? Or if they themselves found the need for the intervention?(Btw, this is one of my favourite WIPs,and I find myself loving it more with each update)One more questions(if that’s alright)who is your favourite RO?
I’m so happy you’re enjoying it! This ask is from forever ago, because it was kind of tricky for me to answer. Mind Blind deals a lot with mental health issues, but I’m always wary of openly discussing the underlying “message” since it can sometimes make the material come across as moralizing. My number one priority, above all, is that Mind Blind be a fun read.
The intervention (based off a hidden “depression” stat) is pretty hard to trigger. Saying “I wish I were dead” once or twice won’t be enough to make it happen, but if you exclusively choose bleak/suicidal thoughts, then characters will begin to worry. I wanted to give players realistic options on how their character might respond emotionally to their condition. Despair is one of these reactions, especially for an MC already prone to anxiety or depression. But the ROs aren’t the kind of people to let you suffer in silence.
Sally will be the least concerned, because she believes that Button is mentally strong enough to overcome, or at least cope with, their depression. Sally’s own powers wrecked her mental health as a kid (it took her years to overcome the crybaby stage). She’s a self-trained, rather than natural, optimist, and she’d try to share this world view with Button.
Gray similarly feels confident that Button can get to a better place. His biggest concern is probably a fear that he might say the wrong thing and make Button feel worse. He’s been very much raised to have a “stiff upper lip,” so it’s not always natural for him to openly talk about feelings. Being honest about his worry for Button means overcoming a lot of his own trepidation.
Glitch will be the most empathetic, because they’ve struggled with clinical depression in the past. Because Glitch has such a positive and bubbly personality, however, their own issues went unseen by others. They would’ve been relieved had someone intervened and helped them through things in the past—but no one ever noticed. Thus, they somewhat view the chance to help Button as a chance to help their younger self.
Kent/Kenna is more inclined to look at things clinically. They see Button’s depression as a lack of serotonin, a condition exacerbated rather than caused by their Pollard Zero. If Button’s struggling enough to trigger the intervention, Kent/Kenna might be frustrated if they then refuse to seek professional help. Not because they don’t respect Button’s ability to decide for themself, but because Kent/Kenna feels like their ability to help is limited and genuinely wants Button to be happy.
Rosy is a quiet pillar of support—letting Button know “whatever you need, tell me and I’ll provide.” Rather than talk a lot about why Button feels sad/depressed, Rosy believes it better that Button work things out internally and will try not to impose. Not that Rosy doesn’t want to help, but they believe that true change must be self-motivated. Rosy has no delusions that their love can somehow “fix” Button’s issues, and they wouldn’t have fallen in love with someone they didn’t have faith was strong enough to overcome their issues.
I love all the ROs for different reasons, and picking an overall favorite is impossible. Glitch is the most fun to write, whereas K and Rosy require a lot more deliberateness. But if I were a player, I’d probably romance Grayson or Sally first just because I’m a sucker for the whole slow-cooker-crush thing.
