Part one:

The ringing of the phone woke me from my slumber far earlier than usual. I glanced at the time, it read 4am. I had only gotten two hours sleep, so I was half tempted to ignore the ringing and go back to bed. But some nagging feeling told me ignoring this call might actually haunt me.

I pick up the phone and the first thing I hear is crying and whimpering.

“Whoever you are you better have a damn good reason for calling me at 4am.” I growl into the phone.

The somewhat familiar voice on the other end responds to my threat in a way I did not expect.

“Eternas the Destroyer, it’s.. this is Faeblade..” my most recent young heroic foes voice is interrupted by sniffles and barely restrained sobs.

“Faeblade? Why are you calling me? And how did you get my number? And why are you crying?”

I left the question as to why the intrepid hero would be calling at such an early hour unsaid. I may look like I am in my early 30’s but I have been alive for centuries. As a result I have enough life experience to know when something extremely serious is going on. And every fiber of my villainous immortal body sensed something extremely serious had happened to Faeblade.

The young teenage heroes sobs slow, anguish filled their voice once more echoes through my ears. “It’s my parents. I have been busy saving the city and fighting you so I failed to finish my daily chores. My grades have also suffered, and my dad is extremely strict. After our fight today I came home and found Lucky, you know him as FaeHound, dead from multiple iron based gunshot wounds. My father had just..sniff..dumped Lucky’s body on my bed.”

Oops, thanks. Wrote this at like 2AM and not enough proof-reading lol.

loved ones to share it with

The people

Can take away already at the end

Hi Fye! I appreciate the feedback. Lots of food for thought :P Thank you for reading!

“We’re in what?” My voice echoed across the room.

“We’re in debt, my liege,” the man said despite his shaking. He was probably afraid of me. Just being in my presence is enough to send anyone into despair. After all, with their heroes slain in front of their eyes, there was no hope of going against me.

“Did the previous king not have entire warehouses of gold and jewelry?”

“Yes, my liege.”

“Why don’t you use those?”

“Ah… those were personal treasures so we really couldn’t—”

“Well, I don’t really couldn’t give a shit, can I?” I said and shook my head. That bastard spent the kingdom’s money for his own treasures. “Are they enough to pay off the debt?”

“Certainly, my liege.”

“Then make it so,” I grumbled and looked over the documents. “The tax is too damn high… and skewed. Lower the tax to 20% until the people can recover.”

The fight with the kingdom’s heroes did take a toll in some parts of the land. Some construction was being done in those places.

“And apply that to the nobles as well. If anyone wishes to complain about it,” I paused and snapped my fingers. A summoning circle appeared behind the official and a headless armor was summoned. Black flames emanated from it. It was very intimidating.

I smirked and continued, “they can tell it to this instead. Bring it with you.”

“Yes, my liege.” The man bowed and walked away. The living black flame armor followed suit.

‘Oh, thank goodness,” the official thought. ‘This summoned knight was as strong as the sword saint. There’s no way the nobles would disagree. Then again, most of the corrupt ones have been executed.’

“General,” I turned to the former captain of the knights. I killed off all the generals when they opposed me. He was the only one left. He was quite capable too. “Any news of the empire?”

“None, my lord. They are afraid of your power.”

“As they should.” Indeed. That made me feel great. The general was nervous but that was expected. It is impressive he can stand in my presence.

‘The empire actually wanted to send support to rid the kingdom of the evil sorcerer. But thankfully, my men and I were able to convince them otherwise. We’ll just keep feeding them false information. Soon, the kingdom will recover,’ the General thought.

A herald announced the arrival of an envoy from the Theocracy. Another one of the world's powers.

“Ho? Have you come to negotiate my surrender or charge me for my crimes?”

“My lord, we wish to offer you an allegiance,” the envoy knelt and bowed.

“An allegiance? AN ALLEGIANCE?!” I howled. The air became heavy and people felt as if a blade was placed on their necks.

“I-I shall correct myself. The Theocracy will serve under the kingdom.”

“That’s more like it. Now, leave.” I stopped and thought for a bit. “Ah, take this and go. A bit of a reward for knowing your place.”

One of the servants brought a staff. I really didn’t need it. It was a trash staff and the materials were subpar.

“Thank you for your mercy,” the envoy took it and left. ‘The Saint Staff! After all these years, we finally recover it from the clutches of that bastard king. Does he not know its value? No, it simply is not worth his time.’

“My liege, the offerings have arrived.” A servant announced.

“Good, have them prepared and sent to my chambers.”

I smirked as I sat upon the throne that I took for himself. Beside me, the queen shivered from those words.

“Don’t worry,” I cackled. “You’re still my favorite.”

‘What a relief,’ she thought. ‘I thought he was going to throw me away. I thought my days were numbered. I was at the age where my husband would look for a younger wife. I would have probably been executed under false charges.’

“This is definitely it. All the power, the riches, and the women. People serve me lest they lose their heads. Ah, this is all worth it.”

The servant heaved a sigh. ‘The previous king would have killed me for speaking without permission. May those nobles' daughters forgive me for calling them offerings. Then again, they are after his bloodline and powerful magic...’

There was nothing they could do. I will keep ruling over this place. This kingdom is mine. I made sure to implement some things to deal with the aftermath of the battle. Reparations to the affected locations. Of course, I need to make sure that the citizens working would be paid and fed.

Man, did I really do all this damage? This kingdom was barely standing. Well, whatever. I already prepared for the worst case. I even had a plan if I ended up razing the kingdom to the ground. The people made way for me quite easily. There was barely any resistance.

There were the heroes, some knight squadrons, the king, and some nobles. But aside that, it was easy to take over.

It’s obviously thanks to my power.

“Prepare for a celebration. In three days, we shall have feasts all over the kingdom. Make sure every citizen is fed well,” I got up, grinning at how I’ll show them my power. They will fear and cower under me. “Yes, yes, a couple of dragons should be enough for that. General, prepare some butchers. I will be returning tonight after my hunt.”

“Y-yes, my lord.”

‘Did he just say he was going to hunt dragons?’ FOR FOOD?!' The general, the queen, and every servant in the room thought.

They call me a villain. Why? Because they are ignorant and afraid. Necromancy is a gift to the world. The arcane is but a tool for the worthy to better whatever they please. And black robes adorned with skull imagery? Well that's just plain stylish.

The so-called heroes tried to put up a fight. To protect their precious king. To keep things the same. To keep the people under their thumb, afraid and unquestioning. It wasn't difficult to best them. Believe it or not, it was easy. They ruled mostly out of tradition and image, not true power. Not like me.

My skeletons fight without fear, but not without choice. I bring them back from the dead and offer them the world. A second chance to achieve all of their worldly goals. A second chance at life. A chance that one day their lost family and friends may also rejoin them in continous second life. They beg to help me. To help spread my benevolence. I listen and graciously accept every time.

They tore through the King's Guard in less than an hour. Just boys with sticks compared to a legion of undying passionate soldiers fighting for a cause. The heroes tried casting their own magic back at me, but clearly suffered from never learning about the so called "dark" elements. Their balls of fire and ice just phased through me and got sent to the nether. Once I cast my shadow restraints upon them and banished the king into the nether I offered them a choice to join me or perish. Most joined. Such weak wills they had in the end. The few others will have a chance to reconsider eventually. I always store the remains I collect.

Since then I have taught countless young wizards and witches the art of necromancy so that they may see their loved ones yet again. I taught the people of the arcane. How they can utilize it for their communities. Endless water taps flowing into existence helped irrigate the crops. Nether portals for restrooms ended most of the diaseases not to mention stench of the city. Not to mention the new bussling population of undead who never needed food, sleep, or shelter meant that prosperity all but exuded from the kingdom in mere weeks. The citizens now had the time to pursue their passions loved ones to share it.

The people have never been happier. I am already looking forward to meeting the rest of the cities who think me a villain.

I assume OP meant more as “you wake up in the bed of your soulmate” than “creep from downstairs”

at least, I hope so…

Yup. My first thought on reading this.

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This might sound cute and quirky from a male perspective, but from a female perspective this is fucking terrifying (i meak not the void part but the implication that a crapton of women would end up in beds of creeps without control)

I was certain I had died.

I saw my life flash before my eyes. Or maybe that was just the oncoming truck.

Well, things happened. I eventually came across this traveling merchant and her lovely daughter. Nothing too big, but they gave me a ride to the nearest city.

I was able to understand the words. I could read, and even write the language. At first, I thought that this was just some place on Earth. I don’t recall any kingdom called Marien though.

The pair suggested that I go and register myself as an adventurer. I figured I might as well. It’s not like I can do anything about it. If this wasn’t Earth, then I have no idea how to get back.

As I walked to the guild, I noticed a lot of other…non-humans. This was definitely not Earth. Unless it was an elaborate event for roleplaying, or a prank.

There were elves, some draconic humanoids, and even those with more than two legs.

I went ahead and registered at the guild. They tested out my magic power, which had me worried.

But that went out the window when I was told I had a lot of magic power. I had a huge potential for magic.

After that was a combat test.

I admit, I don’t have any combat experience. I was living a peaceful life. I get by from paycheck to paycheck.

But my body seemed to move better than I had thought. My reactions were better. My movements were more agile.

I was a promising young adventurer, huh? Even my body seemed to have gotten younger.

As I was looking for a quest, I was approached by a lovely young woman. She started calling me the promising rookie and taught me all sorts of things. From edible herbs, to picking the right quests.

As that lesson went on, several people entered the guild. There were those in uniform armor, led by a woman wearing a white habit. As much as the garment seemed holy, her curves were still quite visible. If anything, they were accentuated.

They approached me, almost immediately, and bowed.

They called me an otherworlder. With that, the whole guild clamored. Some said it makes sense. Others were very excited. Some said it was the birth of a new hero.

I see. So this was the norm here.

To help me with my growth and potential, the Saintess (as she introduced herself) joined my party.

I was requested to come with them to visit the King. I couldn’t really refuse. It felt like such an honor.

There, I met the princess. Lovely as she was, her skill with the blade and fire magic was not to be trifled with. She, too, joined my group. She offered to teach me all she can. They also called in the court magician. At first, they were worried when she introduced herself. She had a huge single eye. They said some otherworlders would not welcome other demihumans.

I said that I really don’t mind. She, too, wanted to impart her knowledge of magic.

As if by perfect timing, there was an envoy from the elven kingdom. Word traveled fast, apparently. The guilds have a network system so my existence was already known.

It might be stereotypical of me, but I assumed elves were great at archery. That held true. And I was even shown a sample of what spirit magic was like.

That day, a celebration was held. A feast that lasted well into the night.

Well, and more so beyond that. My delusions had me thinking about it, but I didn’t know it was actually going to happen. I had several night visits.

As I wondered what tomorrow would bring, my body felt heavy. I figured I was tired from it all. The dancing and cheering, the eating and drinking, and everything else that came after. I closed my eyes as my senses faded to black.

—

“It seems we are too late,” a figure from afar watched the ‘Marien Kingdom’. It was not some grand kingdom bustling with people. What they saw was a mass of writhing tentacles that encompassed a huge area of land.

“A shame,” their companion shook their head. “It was unfortunate that they arrived within the Marien’s territory.”

They had detected a huge surge of magic. That normally meant that an otherworlder would be arriving in this world. But, the location was a very unfortunate one.

“If we had gotten to them first, maybe we could have saved them.”

“Unfortunate,” a sigh escaped their lips. “But at least they may have bought us some time. With that amount of magic power, the Marien would be satiated well. It would be at least 10 years before that man would be completely digested.”

“Then, let us make the most of the next decade.”

"A necessity, Richard. Yes, yes, Rick, I'm aware of the repercussions but it needs to happen. Look, look, Rick - if the balloons aren't ready by noon, Lila's party will be the worse for it, so you will hang up that goddamn phone and get them. Cancel every meeting you have today if you need to, Rick. She's a valued and loyal employee, and she hasn't had a birthday party without balloons a single year with us. You want to break an eleven-year-streak?"

I sighed. "Good. Thank you, Richard. You're a dear."
Walking along the porch of my home, I fielded other confirmational texts from employees - it was 11:16, and we were almost finished the party preparations.

My phone rang.

"This is Delilah Sescilies, how may I help you?"

Lady Luck, it's me, it's me, Samson Weathers. I - I need your help.

"Mr. Weathers, I laid you out cold over the Arrowhead Enterprises skyscraper not a week ago. What could possibly possess you to come to me for help?"

My mother . . . she shot down my dog.

"And . . . what? Did she also spit at a dying baby? Your dog's dead now, kid. What do you expect me to tell you? I'm many things, but a Cleric I am not. Get a new one."

I . . . I'd like to come live with you. Please.

"Samson, I feel obligated to ask. Have you taken or been in close or extended contact with recreational drugs within the last few hours?"

No Ma'am. I would like to come live with you. You're practically the only one in this godforsaken city I know. I need a place to stay.

"Do you not live with your parents? What, has their house been foreclosed?"

No, Ma'am. They kicked me out of the house.

"What, for a day? A week? Just book a fucking hotel! What are you bothering me for? I'm busy."

I'm not sure you understand, Ma'am. They kicked me out because I came out to them. I thought they'd be understanding, or at least outright hostile, but apparently being a Good Christian involves being wicked to everyone else.

". . . Darling . . . Very well. Come on down. Bring as much as you can sneak out of your personal effects. I'll buy whatever else you need."

It took a moment. Samson Weathers hung up the phone, and a few seconds later, he was standing on the porch with me, holding a diminutive cardboard box.

His voice had been relatively steady over the phone, but in person he looked broken. His bottom lip quivered and his face was a red blotchy mess. He stiffened into my embrace, flinching as I kissed him on the forehead.

I looked him in the eye. "We don't fight anymore. You're my baby now. Understood?"

He nodded, sniffling. "Yes, Ma'am."

"Ah-ah. No. Delilah. You call me Delilah. Mrs. Sescilies in formal company. You are in my care now, not my employ."

At his nod, I turned, walking off of the porch and into the house, motioning for him to follow. "Speaking of which, we have a party to organize."

Items then people eventually appeared in the void and they found that Dreams loved them.

A suspiciously high amount of humanoid female companions have joined the male humanoid on his quest.

In a dark corner of a large room sits a small end table of what appears to be black wood.

On that end table sits an old red rotary-style telephone.

It starts to ring.

On the other side of the large catacomb decorated room a 30 something looking man raises his head and looks at the phone curiously. By the middle of the second ring he is by the phone picking it up and putting it to his ear with a puzzled look on his face.

" 'Allo?"

A short silence, followed by a sobbing rambling monologue that the man can only catch a few words of, "parents.... chore..... killed.... throwing...... gay...."

He raises his left eyebrow in puzzled recognition of that voice. 'Let's see, it's a young female. Don't know too many of those. Hmm, doesn't sound like Crimson Slaughter's daughter, or Death Trap's niece.'

"Mr. Void, are you there?" The voice asks tremulously.

"I'm here Starburst." That's right that annoying new Heroine. "Can you please repeat that, slower this time?"

"Um, my parents told me to clean my room yesterday afternoon, right before I left to patrol the city." She paused for a moment gathering her strength for the next few sentences. "After I got back from patrol, I found a note on my door, saying that what awaits in my room is the consequences for not doing my chore. I walked in and saw they had killed..." her voice stopped for a few seconds, "rascal, my dog. I, i think i fell to my knees. I don't know how long I sat there staring, but, when I looked up to where all my pictures used to hang, I noticed everything was gone, all my stuff. There was another note pinned to the wall, 'there will be no homosexuals in this house, your stuff is in the dumpster where you belong.' I tried to dial the other Heros, but they all said that they can't be seen helping someone like me. I remembered you had mentioned your phone line was the first in the area last week during our fight near that cemetery and I just tried the lowest phone number, and you answered. I don't know who else to turn to..." she said not quite as quickly as before.

He sighed, 'Over 3000 years of cultural, societal, and human evolution and this still happens.' "You remember the symbol on my cloak?"

"Yes... I think so?" She answered cautiously.

"I need you to draw that symbol on the back wall of your closet, in both your blood and your dog's blood, and then knock on the symbol 4 times."

She gasped as she realised she would have cut her beloved pet to get to the blood.

"And bring your dog too." He said right before he hung up.

He gave minimal thought as to how Starburst would react to the portal that minor ritual would open, or the fact that it would lead her straight to the workshop he was standing in, or the experiments and... remains of his... 'willing' volunteers strewn about said workshop. He concentrated, drew some blood from a finger, and wrote a small, complicated, set of symbols, that he had used far too often for his liking. The symbols glowed an eldritch dark blood red before a Door appeard in the wall near the phone. He slowly walked over to it and opened the door. Inside was a bedroom that wouldn't be out of place in any upscale American home. It was minimally decorated in neutral but warm calming colours. The Queen sized bed had a set of small stairs on one side, perfect for pets that couldn't jump up onto the bed.

As he was inspecting the room to make sure all the furniture had formed properly there was a loud gasp and a small hiccup/sob from his workshop.

"In here Starburst." He called not even bothering to turn around.

After a few minutes he heard small shuffling noises behind him. He turned around and saw that Starburst was cowering near the doorframe, holding her dead dog closely in her arms.

"Come in and sit on the bed." Void said in a calming tone.

Starburst looked fearfully at him, then his workshop and then back at him. "...."

He sighed, 'I guess I forgot to clean things up a bit out there.' He slowly raised his left hand, "I swear upon my existence that I will not intentionally harm you while you are under my protection except in self defense." His body flashed an eldritch blood red.

Starburst slowly entered the bedroom and gingerly sat in the bed. "What happens now?" She asked, obviously frightened of the things she saw in the workshop.

"Now, I retire for a bit, again. And before you ask why, the reason is, I'm going to be raising you until you are healed from this well enough to live your own life."

"Why?" She asked, worried and a bit confused.

"Those things that gave birth to you and killed, at least temporarily if you let me, your dog, are not going to be enjoying, well, the afterlife. I have a low tolerance for certain things. Like what has happened to you for example." He said gently.

Starburst started to nod in understanding before realising what he said about her dog, "Wait, what do you mean, temporarily if I let you?"

Void nodded, "You have seen some of my powers when we fought near the cemetery. I can bring your dog back to life, well, as a zombie dog, for the rest of either your life or what would have been the rest of its life."

Starburst gaped and sat stock still.

"I'll give you till tomorrow to think about it. Try to get some sleep." He turned around and walked out, gently closing the door.

THE END, maybe.

I did in Darth Vader’s for some reason

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I would take economics lessons from Father Jonathan. He's got a good perspective and really knows how to keep an audience's attention. I appreciated the occasional mentions of the students' reactions; they kept the whole thing from being a straight-up monologue.

As for crit, I'm assuming Father Jonathan hews closer to a micro view: it fits with his emphasis on the little details of life and his advice to focus on changing your world instead of the world. I think I'd have liked that to be more explicit, if only to tie up that tiny loose end where he brought up "macro" and "micro" and then only detailed the "macro" worldview. On a somewhat related note, the economic terms he dropped throughout his speech were a nice touch too.

Good words!

This was briliant.

You caress the photo lovingly as a tear threatens to drip from the corner of your eye. Power is useless if everything you love is taken. The phone rings, breaking you from your thoughts. As it rings again you blink and cock your head. Intrigue sets in, and you set down the photograph.

Very few are privy to this number, and of them only a select few would dare call it. Being one of the oldest villains, it doesn’t come as a surprise that everyone fears you. The younger generation even have named you Chronos when you harnessed the sands of time. Reaching over, you pick up the phone from its cradle.

“Yes?” You answer, curiosity growing.

“Is this Chronos?” A wavery feminine voice comes over the line. Odd you don’t recognize her voice, but you decide to give her the benefit of the doubt. Anyone who gets this number has the right to be heard. You run your hands over an ornate hourglass on the table, loving the way the Victorian grooves feel in between your fingers. You pick it up and then redirect your attention to the call.

“You have two minutes to capture my attention before I hang up.” You pause for a moment, before gracefully turning the hourglass over, watching the stark white sand spill through the bottleneck.

This was not the voice of one of the other villains. There was something familiar about this voice, but you can’t quite place it.

“Please don’t hang up, you have to help me.” A sob escapes over the phone.

“I am a villain; I am not in the business of helping people.”

“You somehow got the wrong number, find a hero if you need help.”

“I am a hero though!” You feel your left eyebrow slowly raise, as if caught with a fishhook.

“Oh, a hero calls me. What even makes you think I will help a hero, I am a villain after all.”

“…Selene told me to…” You sit forward, resting on your elbow, you wave your fingers and the sand in the hourglass slows to a halt as another sob escapes the phone. Your eyes focus on the photo.

“How do you know that name.” Anxiety funnels into your being and the grains of sand begin to dance erratically inside the hourglass. The sobs get louder, and your patience grows thin.

“You don’t seem to understand, I kill heroes. Tell me how you know that name or so help me…” rage boils inside you as you trail off.

“She loved me…” and just like that, the fire in your soul was doused by a freezing revelation. You know this voice, and of course, how could you ever forget? This was her voice.

“What do you need?” A gruff answer, barely conveying the muted cacophony of emotions echoing inside your soul.

“I don’t know! My family…they killed my dog, the one Selene got for me.” You feel the phone crack under your tightening fist.

“Why?” You barely contain yourself as you bite through your lip. You are retired, you don’t kill the innocent. She made you promise not to.

“I didn’t finish my chores.” Crash The hourglass shatters as you grind your teeth together.

“…when they found out I was gay… they kicked me out” She sobs again, and you hear her voice grow hoarse from the effort. Your lip curls up in disgust.

“Please, can I stay with you? I don’t have anywhere else to go!” She moans through the phone. You eye the picture and see Selene’s smile staring back at you.

“I can’t wait to have her meet you one day!” You close your eyes, as a tear falls. Selene’s final words, tug at your heart cord as they ring in your ears. With a heavy sigh you collect yourself, raising your hand as the hourglass reforms.

“Do you know of the Crawford Estate down on fourth?”

“Yes, but no one is allowed on the grounds.”

“Be there in two hours, someone will be here to let you in.”

“But what are you---” You hang up, reaching over and picking up the picture.

“Selene … I loved you. You wanted me to be a better man, to stop killing. For years I stayed in the background.” You stroke the photograph affectionately. A soft smile works it’s way onto your face, but it quickly falls into a grimace. You clench and unclench your fist and shake your head.

“Time has been harsh, and now to preserve the love that you had for her…I will make your love’s life better. I will provide for her the way you would have.” You set the image down in the center of the table, kissing your fingers before you press them over her smiling face. You stand up straight, tightening your fist as you do.

“But first I must make sure that they pay for what they have done.” The glass shatters as you turn on your heel and march to the door. Stopping, you place one hand on the door jamb, turning back and locking eyes with the picture again.

“I failed you, but I will not fail her, even if I have to break that promise to you.” You leave with a scowl, cutting across your face, but inside you feel your power bubble with excitement and a viscous smile breaks across your face. “I am going to thoroughly enjoy this.”

[Poem]

I arose from my dreams into a nightmare.
Sterile silence, black asphyxiation.
My body and mind converged on
a moment of awareness,
enlightened, invisible.

I had gone to sleep expectant.
(Not of this.)
She had already made the passage,
and it was my pillow
on which she blinked drearily
into adulthood.

What to make of my fate?

I remain agnostic on this, God’s new
Law of Attraction.
Polarity is a matter of fact.
I am Nothing (Everything minus Everything).
And you know what is said about opposites?

It's further down in the thread. Thanks! I'll fix the typo :D

hippocratic oath

Also, part 3?

Unrequited love is one of the more difficult romance tropes to handle. On one hand you have a relationship between two characters where feelings are very one-sided and seemingly go nowhere. On the other you have a chance to show off a reason why there is this rebuff. Like in real life, not everyone in a story gets a happy ending nor does the hero always get the girl or guy as the case may be. One of the any ways I've seen this is by having the character who is on the receiving end of the affection be some sort of cosmic plaything where they are doomed to some inescapable destiny of doom. While this certainly explains it, it's almost like you avoid the issue by making it a complete non-start.

There are countless ways that this can be done without detracting too much and without having to resolve the relationship by having the object of affection slowly come around. Take this for example. Five adventurers set out on a trip. Kate is over heels for Clark. Clark is pining over Claudia. Claudia however wants Kate. Violet and Pine are twins and can't pick who out of the other three to go after. Now, all of them are aware of the attractions and Claudia as our example only has eyes for Kate. The other three might as well not exist for her as romance options. No matter how often Violet or Pine say something to her, she'll be gentle and say no to it. You can keep this dynamic right on through even if Claudia doesn't get Kate in the end. The one sided nature of this can actually spur your character to act rashly in front of the object of affection ad maybe even sacrifice themselves to save them.

This particular relationship is difficult because we want a relationship to be a two way street. We love seeing characters slowly fall for each other. So when we run into this type of relationship where the love is heavily one-sided and not returned, we wonder why and maybe even write fanfiction about these characters where they don't have these hang-ups.

The thing to remember is this. Real life love goes unrequited all the time. There's no rhyme or reason as to the fine details of why or how as there are many explanations. Having a character experience this may allow you to bring someone into their life that's willing to return their affection. Then you can pull them slowly together and go from there. Equally reasonable is to just let it happen and stay that way. After all, the hero doesn't always have to get the girl at the end.

Thank you for catching my mistakes. Glad you enjoyed the story.