So, I have a lot of stories. And I find the ending to this one interesting. I wonder if anyone here would disagree with his reasoning. Or what you think of it as the end of a story. So the guy here becomes strong to save his family and in doing so he breaks through the wall of potential and as such he is like a god! He saves the day, but realizes the tragedy, he can't go back. He broke the wall down. He can visit his family, but that is it. The energy literally pulsing off of his body can kill normal people. If he were to become angry, he could destroy a city accidently from the force of this pulse alone. And even if he controlled the energy, constant exposure would kill people too, after about a month. So safely the guy could visit his family for about 3 days once a month. But constant risk that he could kill them accidently if he lost control of his emotions. He, understandible, leaves. He doesn't want to put people at risk. So he goes on to live his life alone away from all forms of life. He quickly begins to think that he can't love. As he would say it. "Even if I found someone I loved. How could I love them? I would always be afraid that I would accidently kill them." To add to it, though the guy doesn't yet know it. His natural life span was increased. He can now live to around age 5,000. In all fairness, it is possible another person could break through and join him, but well he wouldn't want that for a few reasons. "I am in a sense cursed. I don't want another, espcially one I love to feel my curse. And even if that did happen the odds of us, whoever the other is, to be the person I love? So unlikely." Do you think the character is right and they can't feel love? Do you like the concept for this being the sort of bittersweet ending?
So it's an ending? Interesting. It actually sounds like the character could potentially be more interesting afterwards so I would if I were you explore what he becomes now. Could make an interesting tragic villain, mentor or balancing neutral power.
As to whether he could love, yes. His situation would complicate his feelings and make a loving relationship, especially non -platonic, difficult. But your feelings exist regardless of pain or inconvenience. I know because I've had crushes on straight guys, not love but nonetheless feelings existing regardless of bad circumstance.
My story is an expanding universe. So yeah, that is true. Except he won't be the focus anymore. More like, the story continues going back to the other character, such as this guys family, to whom he does visit. And a new bad guy might emerge prompting this character to emerge into the field again, but as you said. Now as a mentor/helper. As they finished the main arc they were going to be on.
Makes me think of Dr Manhattan. Well, the danger of being around him thing is more like the lies spun about Dr Manhattan, but either way, in the case of that character he did feel very separated from humanity which made it difficult for him to care about them. There's definitely something about being an outsider and knowing you can never get in that damages your ability to empathize, which is a big part of love. I don't think he'd be incapable of it. Most likely he'd still feel love and the fact that he can no longer act on it in any real way would be very bittersweet - all that power but at what cost etc. After a few hundred years of effective isolation, though? Who knows. It might get a lot harder for him to love or really invest himself in anything ephemeral. My assumption is that it's not only to do with romantic love, but love in general. And it's important to remember that a character can be 'romantically apathetic' but still has the capacity to love in general. Probably counts as quibbling, but yknow.
I was thinking more romantic love but any love is valid. In a sense, my argument is this. "To me, a big part of love is lowering your guard and making someone important to you." How can someone in the above situation do that? Lowering their guard with can cause emotional pain, and emotional pain could kill people(including the target of love) and as such the person has to keep their guard up. So if part of love is lowering a guard but the only safe way(literally) for you to exist around others. How can you love? In a sense, we seem to agree, what you say with empathy and my lowering guard seem to be striking the same button. Right?
Yeah, I think we're kinda on the same page. I more meant that keeping your guard up permanently - as he'd have to do - would make it hard for him to keep in touch with his sense of empathy - and losing empathy would make it harder to love in the first place. It'd be the kind of thing that feeds itself, conceivably.
Logically, love would be obsolete to a demigod with no reproductive capabilities. It is an old instinct that has outlived its function. The guy could potentially suppress his desire for love by consciously recognizing its obsolescence.
Yeah, but well wait. I mean, your saying they don't need love so they should ditch it? Yeah, but kind of brutal. Technically they were born a normal human! So, not sure how their reproductive stuff world work under these conditions. lol. I mean, in theory it still works normally, but yeah, kind of gets into conflict with it is amplified like the other things. Actually until the guy learned better control, the rush of climax would likely cause said "killing everyone around them" spike of energy. So yeah, I guess technically having a child concieved might be tricky under those conditions.
Yeah, doctors would need hazmat suits to deliver the radioactive "atom bomb baby". As for ditching old instincts, many people have already done so with their desire to hunt animals. It's not impossible to overcome these things. I was born straight, but I've willed myself to become asexual after evaluating the potential risks and rewards of romance.
Well if his body is constantly radiating destructive energy, I doubt there's hope for love. He could essentially throw it all out the window, but if the other unbridled human, in all the chances, happens to be "the one"... Then it could get interesting. Human nature will make him feel love again through a painful mental breakdown and inner questioning of his past decisions. Pretty cool! Also if his body is as said, constantly radiating energy, I think his secretions would have the same, if not more pure, levels of energy. Would totally advice against having relations with this man. As unfortunate as it sounds for the poor fellow.
