Relationships Part 1

Based on Kieron Gillen’s quote on an episode of his podcast, Decompressed: “I don’t have favorite characters, I have favorite relationships”, let’s explore the types of relationships and the conflict, interactions, and dynamics between them from the zTHBs I’ve built out already.

zTHB #0001: Pop Squad

[DOUBTER] and [BELIEVER] and [ANTITHESIS]

• DOUBTER is someone who started to question the common beliefs, practices, and/or values of their life. They ask questions, bring up anecdotes, and joke about them in front of someone close to them, someone they trust (spouse, teacher, friend), the BELIEVER.
• BELIEVER benefits from the MECH of the world. They are the privileged, the lucky, the peak of the “for argument”. They cannot see the downsides or choices of people who refuse and/or are against the rules, laws, and practices created by MECH. They are entitled or pulled up the ladder.
• DOUBTER will inevitably give up talking to BELIEVER, stay silent, or suppress their thoughts, emotions, or whatever in front of BELIEVER, as they’re looking to explore the ANTITHESIS. They may start acting shady, avoidant, or distant.
• In a professional environment, DOUBTER will lose focus, break protocol, mess up, get “off their game”, or lash out. A BELIEVER colleague will have to clean up after them, fire them, ask where they’re at, talk through the situation, or get frustrated at the DOUBTER.
• DOUBTER will eventually meet and converse with ANTITHESIS. DOUBTER will create this situation in a way where it’s safe for them to extract their side of the story (power dynamic where DOUBTER uses authority to imprison, entrap, or hold them hostage, retaining control), OR DOUBTER will disguise themselves to spy on the ANTITHESIS’s organization, acting as a new recruit, and slowly get sucked into their world and start adopting the ANTITHESIS beliefs, values, and practices.

zTHB #0002: Open House

[COURTER] and [BELOVED] and [RIVALS], applies to [BUYER] and [SELLER] relationship as well. Also applies to [BENEFACTOR] and [SUPPLICANT].

• COURTER is someone who secretly admires, loves, or is infactuated (crushes on) the BELOVED. They want to pursue, recruit, start something, partner with, mate with, or gain power over BELOVED.
• BELOVED may or may not be aware of COURTER’s existence and the actions they’re taking. They may be too distracted with their current situation, their self-doubt, their other obligations, their pursuit of (or attention from) RIVALS.
• COURTER will have a whole bag of tricks. Preening themselves, small gifts, promises, careful attention to BELOVED’s needs, delightful surprises, games and quests, the extra effort in external signalling, gestures, interactions (secret, orchestrated and/or grand).
• RIVALS may be a constant off-page threat, or embodied in an actual character(s) that have their own bag of tricks.

COURTER/BELOVED/RIVALS zTHBs with Similar Relationship Dynamics:

• zTHB #0006: Witch Guide: The COURTER is trying to save BELOVED, but must make a great sacrifice in their own position. The RIVAL is the BELOVED choosing to go on or give up, which in this case, may mean suicide.

Thought: Would the tags make more sense if it’s [BENEFACTOR] and [SUPPLICANT]? If so, is there a third party in this relationship? It could be multiple benefactors or supplicants, but is the supplicant always at risk of loss of life? Loss of existence certainly. Wait. This is essentially the “Drama Triangle” in psychology. We have the [RESCUER], the [VICTIM], and the external [PERPETRATOR] who is (or is alledged to) be causing the suffering. That is, the attack on the victim may be real or perceived, but regardless, a benefactor or rescuer is solicited to help.

zTHB #0003: COURT MAGIC

[SEDUCER] and [EXPLOITED] and [CONQUESTS], applies to [BUYER] and [SELLER] as well, but more deception involved, a con or bad deal. More likely a [PREDATOR] and [PREY] situation.

• SEDUCER (or PREDATOR) has zeroed in on a new victim, someone to be EXPLOITED. They may sing their praises, or delight in discussing how this PREY is better, the best, or worth pursuing. Or it’s a cold, logical thought process.
• SEDUCER (or PREDATOR) shares the steps, the process, the fetishes in which they execute their hunt. The same tools as a COURTER, but with malicious intent.
• EXPLOITED (or PREY) may resist, but the gifts, promises, and games keep luring them into the trap. They are fazed or besotted with the attention. They want more and more.
• At one point, the EXPLOITED PREY will come across the SEDUCER’s previous CONQUESTS. Either secretly, or an ally shares gossip or rumor, a warning, or they literally meet them. This is the Blake Snyder “Half-Man” in a horror film. They were burnt by the SEDUCER/PREDATOR and they are a mess. Their life is a warning to others to stay away. But it’s nearly always too late. The PREDATOR has won and it’s a cautionary tale

PREDATOR/PREY/CONQUESTS zTHBs with Similar Relationship Dynamics:

• zTHB #0004: Ten Deals: Here, the PREDATOR is passive and simply offers power in exchange for “side effects/hidden costs”. It is the EXPLOITED/PREY who keeps walking into said trap of their own accord over and over again. They choose to be a victim via FAFO scenarios. The moral lesson here is one, to not FAFO, but two, to not take the easy route where cheating is involved, and to struggle with life to learn from the struggle.
• zTHB #0005: Hungry Mothers: Here, the PREDATOR is the PROT. They’ve gotten a TASTE of a PREY that thrills them in a way that hasn’t before. The PREDATOR is always afraid of hurting those they love (like Wolverine). The PREDATOR has CONQUESTS collected like a serial killer keeps momentos. The PREDATOR has a MENTOR, former teacher, or parent who represents a safer, easier way of hunting. But in order to get more of the new kind of PREY, they need to up their game, or compromise their “code”. ALLIES get hurt in the process.
• zTHB: #0007: Indian Experience: The PREY is in a desperate situation and succumbs to the friendship of the PREDATOR. There are no on-page RIVALS here, unless you count the heavy social commentary and analogue to historical exploitation of native Americans. It’s clever in that we see the on-page historical analogues told via a microcosmic story.

I don’t know if I’m going about this the right way, which is why I’m labelling this entry “part one”. I suspect I might be abstracting too much here as the last two seem to fall under the “Drama Triangle” of Perpetrator, Victim, and Rescuer. And if that’s the case, we then have:

• BENEFACTOR/SUPPLICANT/VILLAIN
• PREDATOR/PREY/SAVIOR

So, in the first, the story about the benefactor and supplicant’s relationship and how they deal with the villain or perpetrator. Ihe the second, the story is the predator looking to redeem themselves via mentors, lovers, saviors. But we can also have stories like Ten Deals with the Indigo Snake and Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience where the PREY/VICTIM is the PROT and they’re just willingly walking into the PREDATOR’s trap.

So maybe the relationship potential here is in the three pairings?

• RESCUER/VICTIM
• PREDATOR/BENEFACTOR
• VICTIM/PREDATOR

OK, so by using Drama Triangles, I can ensure there is always a dynamism between character interactions.

What about Pop Squad where we had DOUBTER/BELIEVER/ANTITHESIS? The story is DOUBTER exploring beliefs, and changing their mind (slightly) in the end after a conversation with ANTITHESIS. Well. More like confrontation. I suppose that triangle can also produce three pairs here.

• DOUBTER/BELIEVER - Someone has lost their faith
• BELIEVER/ANTITHESIS - Straight up fight
• ANTITHESIS/DOUBTER - Convincing someone on the fence to turn, join the cause. Radicalize them.

But actually, because fiction relies on a singular POV, we could also flip those pairs can’t we?

• BELIEVER/DOUBTER - Holding space and steadiness to keep them from turning, or doing something bad.
• ANTITHESIS/BELIEVER - Straight up fight again?
• DOUBTER/ANTITHESIS - This would be Pop Squad. The POV reached out to the mom in the jungle.
• VICTIM/RESCUER - Reaching out to someone after getting burnt or threatned by the perpetrator/predator
• BENEFACTOR/PREDATOR - Stopping the bad guy?
• PREDATOR/VICTIM - Straight up hunt and kill

LESSON HERE: Always have a triangle even if only two are on the page. You want two on the page to create tension and conflict, but they need that third point on the triangle to drive their relationship.