Character A: Mother of the child. Looking for her missing husband. Has a strong, loving bond with her son. Late 20s
Character B: The child. His father went missing and it's unclear if he was taken or left willingly. He is 9/10 years old.
Character C: Another man A has asked to help locate her missing husband. He is a bit standoffish and cold but cares deeply about her and helps when he can. He is in his late 20s. They have known each other for a while but he hasn't met her kid yet.
Takes place in a post-nuclear apocalypse in western America.
I need C and B to bond but I'm unsure how. Their first meeting takes place in a place similar to a war camp. C retrieves food and water for the mother and her son.
C isn't one to joke around or act childish and has never been around kids.
The woman could take a hands-on approach to search with C and offer help. Also what occupation does the C character have? Is he some sort of scavenger or detective
C is recruited into the army (The post nuclear version anyways).
The child could see him as cool and just start hanging out with him whether he likes it or not? And then he slowly grows to love and care for the child.
As someone who works around kids A LOT (But didn't like kids when I started that job haha) I really changed my tune when I realize how much they looked up to me, and how much they all wanted my attention 24/7 (I'm used to having 5-12 kids all trying to talk to me at once lol). Now I'm fiercely protective of my kids, I love them all so much, and I've basically 180'd from where I was when I started that job. I did nothing to change myself, they changed me lol
Child - Missing father, how does he remember him?
Parents tend to become the archetypes of a childs perception of the genders, resonating throughout their social and psychological journey.
How is he coping with separation from his father? Is he expecting his return or is he seeking someone to fill the void his absence has created?
the years 9/10 are the latter years of the childhood stage where their reliance on established authorities begins to be challenged, or cements itself in its 'ways'.
The stubbornly individual drive of the teenage years is before him.
Parental turmoil is a shakey foundation for a growing mind
You can look for grand and systemic influences on the relationship, or my preference is to find similarities in the mundane.
Maybe theres something in B that A just doesn't understand, but C, who for some reason, says the right thing at the right time that inspires the ideas within the developing mind of B to be inspired to overcome some developmental challenge within themselves.
They see the value of another male adult without them having to be 'the dad'
They can just be a cool uncle, potential alternative role model or example of the foils of man
It could be as simple as explaining how to tie his shoes in a way that's irreverant, but resonates the thinking bits of his bonce to push thru his mental roadblock.
A wise man can learn from the words of a fool
Child: who are you
C: I'm (insert name)
Child: You look funny
C: no i do not kid
Child: yes you do
C: no I do not
Child: yes you do
A: Stop fighting you too
(The useless bickering continues and evolves into an unlikely friendship)
