Thanks for writing this. I imagined the beast as a lot of things!
Did you have any particular person or concept in mind as the king? That was something I couldn't nail down, though it didn't detract from the impact.
I wrote a short review here--I hope other people get to see this too.
https://intfiction.org/t/another-neo-twiny-jam-review-topic/62874/11
hey! want to say that i loved your review: i really appreciate people who take the time to comment on my work no matter their opinion on it, because it takes care, and it's always motivating to get better :)
onto your question: my intention with the king was for him to be someone whose opinion matters a lot to MC: a childhood friend, someone MC wants to love but can't because the king is an outspoken critic of MC's addiction, to the point of ditching. at least, that's what MC thinks, and can't blame the king for it either. By reaching out to him MC would be encouraging the king to put his money where his mouth is; if you're going to speak out against MC's struggles, then help them when they ask, if that makes sense.
of course, the monster is still MC's keeper at the end of the night. so they fail. but, in theory, one day they would be strong enough to craft a support system and escape the beast's keep.
again, thanks for your comment. greatly appreciated it and hope you enjoyed :)
