So, if there are two characters who are on opposite sides of a social barrier, and neither one trusts the other, what would be capable of making them interact without violence for the first time?
A tension, psychological or verbal? Really though, I need to know more about the situation to be of more help.
The basic idea is that the primary character is in a town around the 1600s when witches are feared and hated, (and considered real by many people). It's an alternate version of our world, not just in the past, and in this case witches actually are real, and various groups are accusing and killing many witches and innocents. The main character grows up around this massive inquisition, and is obviously extremely distrustful, even hateful, of witches and everyone accused of being one. The secondary-main character practices witchcraft and is keeping it secret from pretty much everyone, but when she's discovered I need a plausible way for the main character to help the secondary character. A common enemy doesn't really fit with the setting or the context, and everything else I can think up just seems weak and unlikely.
Maybe the MC and the SC became trusted friends before the SC's secret got out -- and the revelation changes the MC's view those accused of witchcraft. Or -- and I like this one better -- maybe the MC could discover some horrible conspiracy going on with the accusers, the people who run the show. When the truth about the SC comes out, the MC would realize that someone's witchcraft is nothing compared to the sceme the power-players have going on. Hope that helped at all.
Their humanity. Why can't the MC just be a compassionate person who sees what goes on around her, but is helpless to do anything about it. Then, when she discovers the SC, it's her chance to help and make a small difference in the world.
All good ideas... I'm leaning towards a conspiracy between the accusers, which the SC knows a little about, and maybe something happens to the MC to shake his beliefs.
I considered something like this for a long time before posting here, but decided if the character was raised to think of all witches as malicious killers, humanity wouldn't hold much weight. His views'll change over time, but at first the chances are high that he wouldn't think of a random witch as a real human with actual human thoughts and emotions.
True. And having his views change over time gives you the opportunity to develop the character and have him undergo a transformation.
This is just something I'm tossing out as an example. Please don't think I'm saying that you should actually write it this way, as I'm only attempting to offer inspiration. The first thing to pop into my head with your setting and criteria was: A serious witch hunter, working hard and diligently with the inquisition to "deal" with the "witch threat" to society, sees many actual heretics and devil worshiping witches tried and burned for their sins. Along the way, our hero also encounters instances where local politicians and nobility use the "witch crisis" to their own advantage, having their political rivals and enemies charged with selling their souls to the devil in exchange for the power of black magic...and subsequently burned at the stake. After a moral crisis, the MC concludes that no man made system is perfect and if the only way the Inquisition can rid the world of actual witches is to turn a blind eye to the misdeeds of the nobility, then such a course is the lesser of two evils. Then, one day, our hero finds a young lass before his tribunal, charged with committing unspeakable sins with the devil and using black magic. Maybe she has a pretty face, maybe she reminds him of a past love, maybe she just seems innocent and the evidence against her is flimsy at best, but for whatever reason, the hero takes pity on her and faces an uphill battle convincing the rest of the tribunal that she is innocent. He meets with her in her cell late at night during her trial, where she finds him to be a man she thinks she can trust. She confesses to him that she actually did sign a blood pact with the devil to gain the power of magic, but only to use it to save her dying child from his terminal fever, after the physicians gave up on him. She never intended to harm anyone with her witchery and sought only to sacrifice herself to save her child. The MC takes pity on her and manages to have her found not guilty of her charges. After the court proceedings, she is alone with the MC in his private chambers, and thanks him for sparing her. This is when the MC explains that the time has come for her to "PAY" for her freedom. Thinking herself about to be sexually violated for sparing her life, she defends herself in the only way available to her, by reaching deep within her now tainted soul to conjure up a devilish curse to strike her assailant dead... Only the hex fails to slay the MC...shocked, she cannot believe her eyes. That bit o' witchery should have slain any living man? "Silly witch...why do think I spared you from the flames? Blood with the dark taint of the supernatural is the ONLY food suitable for one as ancient as I." smiles the MC as he lifts his head back, revealing his pale flesh, dark sunken eyes and pointy vampiric fangs. I like it because the innocent isn't so innocent...the good guy isn't so good...and the Inquisition turns out to be right after all. How's that for a plot twist? As previously stated, I'm not trying to tell you how to write your story, I'm just tossing out the first example that popped into my head as an example. Hopefully, some of it may offer you some inspiration. Just an idea...
Good story, even if it deosn't fit into Rennat's premises. Sexual/romantic attraction works well across social boundaries. Or they may secretly discover they are blood relatives. One of them may be the other's half-sibling from their father's extramarital affair. For added poignancy, all their other relatives are dead, so they only have eachother.
Most famous example : A christmas tree and a football match lol Even across deep divisions there is something that can provide a unifying force.
That's very... special. seriously though, that's an interesting idea. I doubt I'll use it though, excepts maybe to put in some kind of a twist near the ends.
