#mc issues

[tales-of-wocdes]

I’ll be honest, while it make make sense for the MC’s recovery, as an adult reader I’d be pretty uncomfortable reading about a child being put in diapers and/or soiling themself in detail. It’d be a huge turnoff for me and I don’t think I would continue to read. Just in general my personal preference as a reader is to lean away from anything that infantilizes the MC more. On one hand, I recognize that their circumstances would mean they’re not on a typical developmental pathway compared to other 7-8 year olds. On the other hand, I think your writing already does an excellent job of capturing that while still doing justice to the MC’s age. They feel like a traumatized 7-8 year old who’s immature and confused because of what happened to them, not a 3 year old, is what I’m saying. I guess just personally I think a diaper or pacifier would sort of ruin that characterization for me, I’d much rather prefer the MC to gain some agency by learning how to navigate the bathroom on their own via wheelchair or rely on more age-appropriate toys for comfort. That said, these are just all my own thoughts as a single reader. Obviously other readers disagree with these preferences, and ultimately I respect that it’s your choice as the author to have final say about what does/doesn’t go. My point isn’t to try to threaten you with a loss of readership— I just want to express my own perspective and ultimately it’s your choice to make! I am really invested in this story and quite enjoy your writing, so I also trust that you know what’s best for your work.

Thank you for these thoughts. I appreciate it. This is valuable feedback and info about reader preferences, even if it is just one person :D I have a feeling you are hardly alone here.

The long post queue allows me time to think, but I don't really go back and edit my answers which are the immediate thoughts most of the time :D That would take a lot of extra time. This however, I think I will let jump the queue because I did say I would get back to you all on this and I think it is better addressed earlier on. And for me it has been several days.

I am willing to consider all suggestions, and appreciate receiving them (at least so far :D) but ultimately it is up to me to decide what I believe to be appropriate or what fits. I retain the right to always change my mind and thoughts mature over time. And here, I agree with you. A pacifier or diapers is not something I see happening in the story, even as an optional extra. Why? Because as you said, MC is immature and very confused but 7-8 years old.

Something to fiddle with? Yes, that could happen. Some kind of chewing necklace? Perhaps. I have been googling and indeed such things are available for older children and even adults. Sensory necklaces/toys I think they are called. For example in the shape of just a tube, or something that look vaguely like a fang. Age appropriate toys? Absolutely. Cool magical toys? Even better. I would be happy to hear ideas about those.

A "gift" from a totally out of touch "grandpa" that thinks giving a child something like a magical suit of armor is a good thing? That gets confiscated by Havard due to property damage? Absolutely... I wonder if there is a way to write random events... I'll look into it. This is btw, something I came up with just now. It is not something I have planned.

A "bathroom arc"? No. After a brief bit of thinking, I don't really want to write it at all so I won't. And I have a feeling that many people would not like reading it if I did force myself to do that. A comment in passing about odd bathrooms are for MC? Sure, that sounds fine to me, but leaving the gritty grimy reality-checks for something else is probably better.

This is all basically flavor text, which is one of the better aspects of interactive fiction but does not need to have a significant effect on the plot :D I want to accommodate reader preferences and offer up a pretty good level of choice, but there is still an overall direction I want to go.

[pandora-rose-xo]

The annoying part of writing when you signed up for a comp. You have a solid idea. But you have FOUR options for your MC and you can't pick. @sunflower-swan love your prompts but why does my muse go into overdrive cause of them?!

[tales-of-wocdes]

I know this question may sound strange (Since it was the typical question that popped into my head when I was about to go to sleep) What about going to the bathroom? I mean, I doubt the kidnappers would have cared about that if they didn't even have the dignity to feed Mc. Or maybe that's why they didn't have to go?

It still makes me wonder if Mc should wear a diaper?

Sorry if it's so weird!

It's fine, I have thought about it too... though I have not considered the diaper but before. Congrats,I suppose(?) :D

I will put the rest under the line since it is not all that nice.

-------------------------------------------

Basically, in what MC calls the void, the kidnappers just left them there chained up, nude and very much unable to go to the bathroom. This is the period when MC was not fed, but they were somewhat fed before being thrown into the void. So at first, they just soiled themselves. Eventually there was nothing to really come out. The magic from the chains kept them alive, and the cycle occasionally triggered body functions that would have at least felt like bathroom emergencies but by that point MC hardly cares.

Let's just say that when the Ancient arrived, the smell was not pleasant but that dude (talking about Sheo) is not easy to phase with a little mess. Or a lot of mess. Or a room full of mangled corpses... Or... well you get the point.

Diapers... might be wise. I don't imagine if such fine muscle control is something that MC has, though the healing baths have done stuff like heal things of course. To what degree? It focused a lot of the scars etc. (because infection, there was a lot of it), and then on the hands which the Ancients directed himself to avoid doing more damage (because injuries from magic overexposure should not be exposed to magic directly).

The healing baths are also self purifying so that took care of the mess (if the baths did not self purify, they would not be very healing).

Muscles are still quite fuc*ed.

Now do I want to write about MC sh*tting themselves after the first proper and nice meal they can remember? Now that I think about it, I have a pretty good spot where it could go.... Not that I necessarily want to do it... but there is certainly opportunity there already... I mean the topic of almost sh*itting oneself has gracefully been brought up by someone in silver armor right at the beginning of C3... and I have planned for MC to think about not wanting to soil themselves again (with a reference to the void).

Yeah... I'll get back to you all about this :D. I mean it does make sense that something like this would happen and there is a certain level of grimy and dirty reality-check feel in writing a scene about it. If I do, it will not be something that is forced upon the reader (similarly to the haircut coping scene in C2).

Updated thoughts in a later post.