That age thing again

[carsonshepherd]

If you want your character to appear to be underage at all, you've already gone the whole nine yards into countravention of the meaning of the ban, haven't you? Trying to pussyfoot around it doesn't change anything--you want to create the impression of exactly what is banned here.

Yeah, that's kind of the point.

 

[carsonshepherd]

I agree if the person buying the slave thinks the slave is, indeed, a "boy" (i.e. not 18). BUT, I think the intent isn't to make him appear "underage" so much as sexually "innocent."

One way this can be gotten around is simply in the way the "seller" sells the "boy" to the new master. In the movie Pretty Baby, Brooke Shield's first movie, she played a 12-year old living in a brothel. There's a famous scene where the brothel owner "sells" her virginity to the highest bidder. She's brought out all decked up in white, looking scared and pure and innocent. Afterwards, we see her on the bed, apparently ravished. She sits up a grins and we find out that this is the sixth or seventh time the brothel has sold her virginity and she's far from sexually innocent.

The person selling the slave could say that the "boy," though a "mature" 18, is yet as innocent and as "boyish" as he looks. This might well intrigue the buyer who does not want to have sex with a "boy," but does want to have sex with an innocent, "boyish" virgin.

This would not contravene Lit's ban. Lit's ban is to avoid scenes of underage sex...but there is a whole category of "first time" which celebrates that first "lesson" where the innocent is introduced to the wider, wonderful world of sex.

Exactly. As a matter of fact, he has signed affadavits proving his virginity, so he's worth a lot more than the average slave. Making him 18 won't be that big of a deal, although he looks about 16. He lives with foster parents, so they're going to sell him to make up for the cost of fostering him all those years; since he's not married and still lives with them, they can still sell him even if he is 18. Besides, he might look innocent and boyish but in the story, it's soon to be clear that he's much too dangerous and resourceful to be a kid.

 

[Vermilion]

easiest way to deal with the sitaution is to do as someone already suggested and stick a disclaimer in as an author's note. That way you cover your's and Lit's backs, yet don't have to work anything awkward into the story.
Look forward to reading it and good luck with the writing
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