The 5 Men in Urban Fantasy You Want
If you were in an urban fantasy world looking for a good man, could you identify him? Thanks to my previous post, you know which guys to steer clear from, but which ones are the good ones? It might seem like all the men you’d come across are monsters or are too damaged to be redeemed, but you’d be wrong. Look for the brother, awakened, fallen or another of the good guys.
The Brother
Tall and handsome in a cute, gentle way, the brother is quiet but determined. He will love you second only to his brother whom he seeks to save. You’ll come to love his gentle ways and respect him for his tough determination. When the going gets tough, he gets going. That’s when his soft, little boy exterior will wash away to reveal the capable bad-ass beneath. After the vamp has been put to rest, however, he’ll check that you’re OK and apologise for putting you at risk.
Where You'd Meet Him
Either you’ll meet the brother in a dive bar rescuing his sibling from himself or working at an animal shelter or soup kitchen. When he isn’t actively saving his brother he is helping other people, so look for this guy at charities, especially ones that require physical labour.
What's Right
Being the brother, he isn’t the prime target of all the big bads in the world. That means you won’t be in too much danger of being used as a bargaining chip by an evil warlock seeking domination. So long as you don’t mind coming second place to his brother, you’ll do well. He’ll love you and respect you and work with you to make the world a better place.
How to Recognise Him
- His shirt never seems to rip off, even in savage fights where his brother’s shirt does.
- Hair flick combined with shy smile.
- Eats healthy food at every opportunity.
- Is a hugger.
The Honourable
Beautiful and young looking but with wise and sorrowful eyes. The honourable will be fascinated with you. He will tell you that you’re special and you’ll believe him. Of all the people he’s met in his long existence, you’re the only one he can’t read like an open book; you’re a mystery. As such, he’ll become convinced that the two of you are fated. But, he’ll not push his suit or take advantage of his vast experience. His family will be pleased that he has found someone he cares for while also being worried at where the relationship may lead.
Where You'd Meet Him
You’ll meet the honourable at school of course. Just why exactly such a wise and knowing young man is going to high school, you won’t quite understand, but you’ll be glad he does. From that first meeting you’ll keep meeting him every time your life is in danger, until you snag a date with him. Then you’ll meet him in your bedroom at night when he somehow manages to sneak in despite the latched window.
What's Right
He’s old, feels cold and comes from a background of death and pain but he’s kind and gentle. He is as vegetarian as he can manage because he doesn’t want to bring harm to the living. Having decided that you are his fate, he will guard you and keep you safe from the dangers of the world forever. The nice thing is that when he says he’ll love you forever, he means it.
How to Recognise Him
- Classic British good looks.
- A family of siblings all apparently the same or similar ages.
- Sparkling… eyes that look into your soul.
- Drives a hot Euro hatch.
The Awakened
The awakened is of medium height and clipped, almost shaved to the scalp, brown hair. You’ll never catch his name, but you’ll get to know him well as he records his life and releases it as edited journals online. Once, he was an arrogant tool, but after he read some books about how the real world worked, he woke up. That wasn’t, however, until after he’d managed alienate his friends and get kicked out of and banned from most of the cafes in his home town. You’ll come to appreciate the armour he wears under his clothes and the fact he carries a retractable baton and taser after you discover yourself being hunted by something you can’t quite catch a glimpse of.
Where You'd Meet Him
The awakened likes to hang around courtyard pizza restaurants, rock climbing gyms and the modest offices of his own security consultancy. While you could meet him just about anywhere, you want to be sure it is after he has awoken to the true nature of the universe and not before. With that in mind, you want to avoid him if you spot him in a bookshop or at estate auctions.
What's Right
Once he has had his eyes opened, the awakened is grateful and full of a desire to help people. Where he once was arrogant and dismissive, he is now caring and willing to meet everyone with an open mind. It won’t have mattered if your own past is sketchy or even if you’ve betrayed him, he’ll stick by you. It could be easy to dismiss his loyalty as puppy-like or naive, but in reality it is a symptom of his dedication to making the world a better place and anger and revenge won’t achieve that.
How to Recognise Him
- He wears long pants and a jacket at all times of the year.
- Most of his friends are women and all of them are capable.
- Makes bad jokes and does bad impressions.
- Communicates only by encrypted apps.
The Fallen
Black hair, blue eyes and stubbly, but not scruffy. The fallen can sometimes be a bit of a mixed bag, but he is well worth the effort. At first, he’ll be confused and misunderstand what should be easy to navigate social situations, but with your help he’ll start to get it. He’ll have a penchant for wearing a formal suit to all occasions and won’t look or feel comfortable wearing anything more causal than his Sunday best.
Where You'd Meet Him
You’re as likely to meet the fallen wandering the city streets in his neat suit with a bemused look on his face as you are to find him standing at the back of the church during a sermon. If you find him stalking the city streets at night, you might want to just get his number and move on because he’s probably “working” and not available for small talk.
What's Right
It would be easy to initially confuse the fallen with one of the guys you should avoid. On first blush he’ll appear similar to the troubled loner, but with a small difference; he won’t hide things from you in an effort to “protect” you. Instead he’ll work with you as his partner and armed with the knowledge he imparts, you’ll be perfectly safe, or as safe as is possible.
How to Recognise Him
- Mysterious puffs of feathers floating to the ground when he leaves.
- Childlike wonder at seemingly mundane things.
- Well dressed, but not creepily so.
- Carries a silver sword.
The Escapee
A big smile and slightly worried-looking eyes. That’s what you’ll notice the most about this man full of the joy of life. He’s been somewhere and seen things he won’t talk about, but rather than leaving him a hollow shell, it’s given him a new love of everything, it seems. His enthusiasm for life is infectious and he can’t help but lift everyone around him. He doesn’t do much with his hair and his clothes are often a little rumpled, but his glowing joy outshines it all.
Where You'd Meet Him
You might meet him literally crawling and dragging himself out of a graveyard covered in dirt. More likely you’ll find him twirling about in obvious delight with arms outstretched in a park or city square. The one place you won’t find this guy is sitting still. There’s more to it than a simple wanderlust, he looks over his shoulder before moving on.
What's Right
His exuberant love of life and strong sense of freedom means you’ll never feel down or uncertain around this guy. If you let him, he’ll take you on fantastic adventures and open you up to a world of colour and excitement you never realised existed. These adventures aren’t without danger, of course, but though the forces of hell are on his tail, he won’t be brought down. Lean into the wonder and joy and leave your own demons behind by following his example.
How to Recognise Him
- Cheeky grin and wide eyes.
- Loves fast cars, bikes and boats.
- Weird scars on his back that he refuses to explain.
- While not religious, he wears multiple holy symbols.
Conclusion
The urban fantasy manscape can seem filled with ragged-edged survivors of trauma and monstrous, ancient beings out for blood, but that is not true. If you keep your wits about you and keep an eye out for the red flags, you can skip past the poor choices and find the diamonds in the rough. Whether you like the brother, dedicated to his family, the honourable, fascinated by you or one of the others, there are good men. Keep an eye out for them and good hunting.
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