Post by mermaiden_mim in Dark Parts comments

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I'm so glad that you didn't mind the long ass comment. It didn't occur to me until after commenting that it was in fact a whole wall of text to get through. I just had so many thoughts because again, this game is like one of the most interesting things I've seen in a while. I love seeing all the bits of context and information you leave in the comments. It's nice to know a bit more about the characters and your thought process behind certain things.

I know I touched on the MC's characterization before but I forgot to mention that I really appreciate the option of agency that's given. They don't have to be passive and just let shit happen to them with no pushback. There are opportunities to pull away or stand up to Benji and Ellis. (how well they take that is... besides the point) But I think that's part of the reason that the mc feels so grounded and not like a cardboard cut out.

Also I had a few questions, which I totally get if you can't answer because of spoilers. First off, what the fuck is wrong with Benjamin? I get that what happened in high school was definitely extremely traumatizing, but like that guy is intense even considering that. (his reaction to MC's self harm comes to mind) I guess I was just wondering if there were any other factors that inform his outlook/needs and how he goes about relationships, specifically his relationship with MC. And has their relationship always been unhealthy or was it that incident that sparked it? The both of them reference "how it was before". MC talks about how much she used to lean on him and how after college she decided to stop. I’m curious about what that time was like for them and what made MC want to change? And last question I promise, just out of morbid curiosity, what is Benji’s ideal situation when it comes to the MC?

Sorry if that was one too many questions. I am just endlessly curious about them. I’m sure you can tell but Benji specifically makes me feel many different emotions and none of them should be possible to feel at the same time! I’ve already done a bit of fanart and I’d love to share but I just need to work up the nerve. (reddit scares me lol)

Memo17 days ago (1 edit)

I LOVE walls of text, so no worries there. And as you can see, I’m prone to writing them myself.

Glad you like mc’s agency! This game is essentially a character study, so I wanted choices that build (or even regress) character. We’re human, change our minds, or have lapses in judgment, so I also wanted to give chances to take things back, too.

Now, onto your questions! I plan to continue weaving bits of backstory, but happy to expand here as well. Benji became a parentified child early on, taking care of the house and mom's emotional needs (his first codependent relationship). This doesn't mean his behavior is excused by family trauma (we should still hold him accountable), but he’s definitely repeating patterns.

I’d say Benji’s always been a caretaker in mc's life, but in smaller, subtler ways. Mc was his consistent source of attention, so there was likely some possessiveness. But after what happened, his guilt/fear exacerbated his tendencies. Mc was in and out of depression, so they didn’t have energy to stop him from taking the reins…might’ve even felt like a relief. Eventually, mc realized it wasn’t actually helping, and started to feel less like a person and more like a stove that needed constant checking.

Lastly, I think Benji’s ideal situation can shift depending on his development, but ultimately, he wants to be mc’s one and only. Platonic, romantic, doesn’t matter, as long as they need him and ONLY him. He would burn the world down for mc, but he also wants that in return. He’s not at the world-burning desperation yet, so right now, he just wants old mc back. But if continually pushed, who knows?

Hope that answers your questions! And please don’t worry, I enjoy these discussions so much! Also, I totally understand, most social media stuff scares me, too.

itch.io

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