Need help with deciding whether a character lives or dies

[Paul_Tromba]

So I am at a part in my story where Scott, the alcoholic who committed genocide on the London werewolf population is being tortured and killed by Myla, the last/only survivor of said genocide. He is pretty chill about this because he has been wanting to find a way to make amends in some way so he's cool about being killed as retribution. During his torture, the MC and MH show up to save Scott. They successfully detain Myla but Scott goes ballistic and starts beating the absolute shit out of the MC because he has gone completely insane over the course of this. The MH then shoots Scott but I want to know if it would work better to have Myla get shot as well, and die, thus fulfilling Scott's transformation requirements so he is free from the insanity but is now left with all the guilt of what he did. The other option is to let Myla live and have her continue to hate Scott who transforms by not killing her

Basically to summarize,

If Myla dies

1. Scott transforms into a true Elder One with all the enhancements and control
2. Scott is left with all that guilt and pain
3. Myla is big dead
4. Table has to cover it up and the Wiccan college will refuse to work with them

If Myla doesn't die

1. Scott doesn't transform yet
2. Scott is still pained with guilt but less
3. Myla is not dead
4. Table does not have to cover it up and the Wiccan college will continue to work with them

 

[Terrate]

I haven’t read your story so I basically just big spoilered myself here.

Anyway, I don’t know how power scaling works on your work nor do I know why there’s a college that’s providing support, but from the looks of this, just basing it here alone. Scott becomes too much of a threat that everything seems hopeless? Idk maybe you can kill elder gods on your work.



So I’ll go with Myla living. Just so this Scott asshole doesn’t screw everything up.

or maybe Scott will just unalive himself after a certain time cause of his “Guilt and Pain” despite being an elder god. Would feel like an unsatisfying end though.

 

[Paul_Tromba]

I haven’t read your story so I basically just big spoilered myself here.

Anyway, I don’t know how power scaling works on your work nor do I know why there’s a college that’s providing support, but from the looks of this, just basing it here alone. Scott becomes too much of a threat that everything seems hopeless? Idk maybe you can kill elder gods on your work.



So I’ll go with Myla living. Just so this Scott asshole doesn’t screw everything up.

or maybe Scott will just unalive himself after a certain time cause of his “Guilt and Pain” despite being an elder god. Would feel like an unsatisfying end though.

You don't have to worry about it being a spoiler. This is for a rewrite. The current story is way beyond this point.

The college is more or less just political ties. Power scaling isn't an issue as elder ones are basically just humans with a magical or physical buff and a never ending lifespan. They can be killed but then the power goes to someone else.

Fair enough.

Scott wouldn't kill himself. As much as he wants to, he literally can't. Him being an elder one prevents him from taking his own life willingly.

 

[CarburetorThompson]

Flip a coin

 

[doravg]

Give him a redemption arc. Dying is easy, one must have more than one wrinkle on their brain to live. And you'd be surprised to what lengths people will go to continue living. Him just giving up doesn't make sense.

 

[PancakesWitch]

i think she should pretend she forgives him and slowly help him heal his mental wounds, making him appreciate life and looking forward to a future with her, and once he's finally wanting to live again and not die, she kills him slowly. This would be the best way to make him suffer what the innocents he killed suffered.

 

[GlassRose]

i think she should pretend she forgives him and slowly help him heal his mental wounds, making him appreciate life and looking forward to a future with her, and once he's finally wanting to live again and not die, she kills him slowly. This would be the best way to make him suffer what the innocents he killed suffered.

That's both horrifying and aweing.

 

[Paul_Tromba]

@Paul_Tromba is myla hot? If yes then keep alive if no then kill

She's 15...

That's both horrifying and aweing.

I know right

 

[LORD_SHAXX]

She's 15...

Your honour. In my clients defence. He did not know the characters age. When he posted thay comment as he had not read the story...

 

[BearlyAlive]

Either throw in some curveball mastermind that made Scott into a genocider and let him die to introduce some bigger bad, let Myla stop him from his madness and mold him into the role of her protector as redemption arc, half-kill both but the power goes to Myla because magic, let it end the worst way plausible, pull a Last Unicorn and let MC and Myla be saved by one or more survivors, bullshit-power-up the MC so he can kick the Scott out of him and save the day.

Or do something creative, I dunno.

 

[MrPopocap]

So I am at a part in my story where Scott, the alcoholic who committed genocide on the London werewolf population is being tortured and killed by Myla, the last/only survivor of said genocide. He is pretty chill about this because he has been wanting to find a way to make amends in some way so he's cool about being killed as retribution. During his torture, the MC and MH show up to save Scott. They successfully detain Myla but Scott goes ballistic and starts beating the absolute shit out of the MC because he has gone completely insane over the course of this. The MH then shoots Scott but I want to know if it would work better to have Myla get shot as well, and die, thus fulfilling Scott's transformation requirements so he is free from the insanity but is now left with all the guilt of what he did. The other option is to let Myla live and have her continue to hate Scott who transforms by not killing her

Basically to summarize,

If Myla dies

1. Scott transforms into a true Elder One with all the enhancements and control
2. Scott is left with all that guilt and pain
3. Myla is big dead
4. Table has to cover it up and the Wiccan college will refuse to work with them

If Myla doesn't die

1. Scott doesn't transform yet
2. Scott is still pained with guilt but less
3. Myla is not dead
4. Table does not have to cover it up and the Wiccan college will continue to work with them

Kill him and pass the troubles he had to Myla ( his powers, insanity, etc), making her sort of forgive him in future chapters ( as she realized he was crazy, lunatic , his struggles, etc) while also making her controling the power he had better than him, proving to everyone else she was better than him in all aspects and that he could've done better with the power he had.

 

[MasFaqih]

So I am at a part in my story where Scott, the alcoholic who committed genocide on the London werewolf population is being tortured and killed by Myla, the last/only survivor of said genocide. He is pretty chill about this because he has been wanting to find a way to make amends in some way so he's cool about being killed as retribution. During his torture, the MC and MH show up to save Scott. They successfully detain Myla but Scott goes ballistic and starts beating the absolute shit out of the MC because he has gone completely insane over the course of this. The MH then shoots Scott but I want to know if it would work better to have Myla get shot as well, and die, thus fulfilling Scott's transformation requirements so he is free from the insanity but is now left with all the guilt of what he did. The other option is to let Myla live and have her continue to hate Scott who transforms by not killing her

Basically to summarize,

If Myla dies

1. Scott transforms into a true Elder One with all the enhancements and control
2. Scott is left with all that guilt and pain
3. Myla is big dead
4. Table has to cover it up and the Wiccan college will refuse to work with them

If Myla doesn't die

1. Scott doesn't transform yet
2. Scott is still pained with guilt but less
3. Myla is not dead
4. Table does not have to cover it up and the Wiccan college will continue to work with them

I mean if your character development based on insanity in the first place,maybe not having myla dead is the best choice,it can also make the reader pondering when myla will kill scoot or maybe create a whole new storyline where myla and scoot reach understanding of each other,i mean if scoot cant wash away his guilt by helping myla the last survivor then its better for scoot to die

 

[Sylver]

I haven't read your story but did read your post. Are there any plans for Myla if she survives or is this the fulfilment of her role in the story? Being the sole survivor of anything is enough to catch intrigue and develop a character in creative ways, but if this is it for Myla's role in your story then my answer is indifferent.

I tend to look at character deaths as a question of what did they fulfill through their death? Death is random and unpredictable in real life, and unless that is the message your story conveys it's often that fictional characters die only if it's for a purpose. It sounds like you have some plans for the aftermath of Myla's death, but not much change happens if she survives. It kind of pains me to say this but if my assumption is correct, it's probably better to kill her off if that leads to a greater effect and more events happening.

Your call though, of course!

 

[Paul_Tromba]

I haven't read your story but did read your post. Are there any plans for Myla if she survives or is this the fulfilment of her role in the story? Being the sole survivor of anything is enough to catch intrigue and develop a character in creative ways, but if this is it for Myla's role in your story then my answer is indifferent.

I tend to look at character deaths as a question of what did they fulfill through their death? Death is random and unpredictable in real life, and unless that is the message your story conveys it's often that fictional characters die only if it's for a purpose. It sounds like you have some plans for the aftermath of Myla's death, but not much change happens if she survives. It kind of pains me to say this but if my assumption is correct, it's probably better to kill her off if that leads to a greater effect and more events happening.

Your call though, of course!

In my first draft of the story, I let her live but she never had any use after that. She kind of has growth during the book, dealing with being the sole survivor and all, so I can say she fulfilled a role. Originally, she was supposed to be Scott's redemption but

Spoiler: Spoiler

I intend for Scott to join the antagonist side due to finding out that his wife faked her death and orchestrated the genocide that he did in her name due to going insane from a synthetic demon she implanted in him with coercion. Once a desire is fulfilled, IE he wants justice for his wife, with the help of a demon, he is granted its full power with no cons and would transform into an Elder One and become more powerful.

If Myla dies then it affects the world but not the plot. If she doesn't die then the world doesn't change much but the plot will slightly. It's kind of a choice of which one I was willing and/or wanted to alter for the sake of avoiding plot holes.

 

[Sylver]

In my first draft of the story, I let her live but she never had any use after that. She kind of has growth during the book, dealing with being the sole survivor and all, so I can say she fulfilled a role. Originally, she was supposed to be Scott's redemption but

Spoiler: Spoiler

I intend for Scott to join the antagonist side due to finding out that his wife faked her death and orchestrated the genocide that he did in her name due to going insane from a synthetic demon she implanted in him with coercion. Once a desire is fulfilled, IE he wants justice for his wife, with the help of a demon, he is granted its full power with no cons and would transform into an Elder One and become more powerful.

If Myla dies then it affects the world but not the plot. If she doesn't die then the world doesn't change much but the plot will slightly. It's kind of a choice of which one I was willing and/or wanted to alter for the sake of avoiding plot holes.

Go with what affects the plot. World building is fun but for your story, it's better to maintain focus on what your audience is invested into.