#once again i am not a castlevania blog i just love isaac

[butcharyastark]

thinking once again about how painful but necessary the desire for revenge against hector is to isaac's arc, bc the thing is that it is unfair and it does hurt to see them pitted against each other, but that's part of the point. isaac doesn't really hate hector, he just hates what he represents, and to isaac hector represents a bucking of the security that gives isaac the only purpose he's found, the only morality that makes sense to him anymore. he starts out wanting revenge against hector bc he thinks he's betrayed them, which means betraying dracula, which means breaking down the only thing isaac has left anymore bc the thing is that dracula's presence and goals are both pillars of stability to isaac who doesn't believe in the goodness of people anymore, and so hector presumably unimaginably rejecting that is the necessary broken link in the chain that gets isaac on his road to genuine self-agency and recovery and believing in kindness again

bc the thing is that hector's betrayal (and dracula's following selfless compassion but not the focus of this post) is the first thing that spurs isaac into something he wants. it's him that's angry at the injustice and the fact his last haven of stability is gone. it sets him on the path to exploring and discovering goals of his own, nobody else's, bc before he was relying on dracula's support and plans as a coping mechanism and substitute for having control of his own life bc he had lost hope that there was any point at all to even trying to care about himself or what he might have wanted. and once that first domino tips, and the other players enter the board when isaac finally begins to interact with other ppl again (talking to the captain, that old woman, the demons) instead of shutting himself off, it can only end up one place from there: isaac realizing that he has a choice.

he wants revenge against hector and wants something for himself and realizes he has power to obtain it and makes an effort to care abt something new and he starts to realize that maybe what he really hated was himself bc maybe he never thought he was worth forgiveness either and maybe he thought humanity was hopeless bc he was hopeless and he starts to notice through recognition of the other that both starts and ends with hector that maybe, just maybe, if other people can be kind, if other humans can be worth trying for, if the world can be good--maybe they had never really been pitted against each other at all, maybe they had always been the same and had been trying their best to survive despite the horrors. maybe hector deserves compassion and kindness and tenderness and forgiveness... because realizes he deserves those things too.

[i-prefer-the-term-antihero]

Additionally, your thoughts on Dracula and Adrian from the Netflix adaptation of Castlevania? I find Dracula really tragic, and the ending scene of Season 2 crushed me because I was not expecting Adrian to cry. He’s usually so stoic and calm that I didn’t think he would weep, I expected him to just shrug it off like heroes usually do, but no, when given time to process everything, the first thing he does is break down into tears. Sypha was right in calling him a brooding teen in an adult body.

Ohh man. If you just take a look at my writing blog (or anywhere I post my fanfiction) it’ll become pretty clear pretty quickly how I feel about them XD So far all my Castlevania fics have been about the Tepes Family. Adrian and Drac are my favorite characters in the series!! (Though I do love pretty much all the characters in it.)

YES YES YES!!

They did an incredible job making Drac sympathetic and tragic. I don’t know if you know anything about the games, and granted, they couldn’t put a lot of story stuff in the games, but (at least as far as I’m aware) in most of them it’s like “ya, he was an evil dude who did evil things because he was evil.” So it actually would have been pretty accurate to the source to make him just an unsympathetic, irredeemable villain, but they didn’t and I LOVE them for it. Playing Symphony of the Night (Alucards game) after watching the series l was almost longing for that Drac I know and love from the series, (though it’s fun to see evil Drac too).

As I’ve said, I adore redeemable villains, and they did an amazing job with him, to the point where pretty much everyone in the fandom adores him, which is extremely tough to accomplish—even if you write a redeemable villain well, often large parts of the fandom don’t see it and hate the character. I knew that the point was that they were going to defeat Drac but I have to say, especially since I originally knew nothing of the games, I was hoping they’d save him by the end.

I think the fact that he liked and was kind to Hector and Isaac was evidence that he wasn’t too far gone. I mean, the only two people he genuinely trusted and liked in his court were human…that’s so interesting, I wish it was at least talked about, either in the show or in the fandom. I think he actually liked humans, partially or especially because of Lisa, he just...was so angry, and needed someone to blame. He probably ultimately blamed himself for not being there to save her, and it was just easier to blame the humans he once hated/didn’t understand, even if in reality he didn’t hate them as much as he thought he did...

Doing more thinking and research into the show for my “If These Walls Could Talk” fic I recognize now that symbolically it made sense even within the show that he died when Lisa died (which I can explain more about if you want but id probably end up going off on a long tangent so I’ll save it)...but I still thought practically, in the show, he could have still been redeemed.

Omg I LOVED that. The longer I take to sit with it, the more I realize just how much I loved that they put him crying instead of shaking it off.

It’s very interesting that Drac and Alucard are more openly emotional characters. I might be totally wrong, but as far as I remember, they (...and Lisa when she dies, and probably Isaac in a flashback), are the only main characters we see openly cry. It’s a pretty bold move to make any of your characters emotional like that, but especially your villain, and your bold handsome hero. It’s sooo easy to get emotional characters and emotions wrong…or just offputting to some people...but more on that later.

I think Adrian and Drac are both rather sentimental, in an odd way. Much of Drac’s motivations in the show and even in the games (the times his motivations are explained) had to do with his wives (yes he was married before Lisa in the games...unless Lament of Innocence was retconned...) which is interesting. So many of his decisions are based on emotion. He lets Lisa in just because he likes her, he goes to war with the world because of Lisa, he sits in his study mourning her loss, he let’s Alucard kill him… I also notice very often he digs his nails into his palms until they bleed, presumably because if he didn’t he’d hurt someone else (in the scene where he hurts Alucard, he does this). His sentimentality doesn’t diminish is power as a villain, which is SO difficult to accomplish.

 I am emotional myself so I absolutely love to see emotional characters, but for most people, seeing even a normal character be emotional diminishes them in their eyes, or makes them whiny, so making your villain even a little emotional, and having that not take away from the audiences perception of their power as a villain is sooooooo hard to do, and I applaud them for making a so well-beloved, and still villainous and intimidating, but also emotional (at times) villain.

For Alucard. I don’t see any problem with him being emotional, but it makes even more sense if he’s a teen in an adult’s body—which was indeed portrayed quite well.

Yes that was interesting when he cried when drawing his parents!! I wasn’t expecting that when I saw him drawing them. I was enjoying and intrigued by his story so much, then when he started crying I was caught off guard—but in a good way. It really made me feel for him, and understand that he was still grieving his mother, and that knew the gravity of what he was currently doing.

I think it’s kind of important to show that kind of thing in a situation like this. It’s easy to think Alucard hates his dad, and they need to show the emotion of the situation to make it clear “no he doesn’t hate his dad, this actually breaks his heart, he just knows he has to do this.”

I loved when he was telling Trevor and Sypha about how much the world would lose by killing Dracula. It’s really interesting that he hides his emotion with them, and that Trevor and Sypha are so stoic. The son of Dracula isn’t the guy you expect to be the only hero who cries.

In “For Love” when Trevor’s like “Don’t get weepy about it” I was sitting there, sobbing, like “No, please get weepy about it! Let the boy cry for goodness sake!! Give me some emotion!!” But I too was not expecting him to cry like he did, and in grieving the death of his parents...

I knew the crying scene was coming because I’d seen pictures of it on here and pinterest, but I had no context for it. In the end it wasn’t just the weeping itself that made the scene so impactful, it was everything surrounding it. I didn’t know it would happen when he was completely alone (and would be for the foreseeable future), and in grieving his parents, or about the ghosts/flashbacks before it (cementing his grief), or that it was literally the last scene of the season, or that there would be no music for both the scene and the credits thereafter.

And that was what really got me.

Because, firstly, we never got to see any flashbacks to his childhood, and that was what I was begging for the entire series (and hence why its what I write about). To finally get it, and it not to just be something the audience gets to see, but something Alucard himself is seeing... a happy memory he’s seeing when he knows that is completely gone, he cannot hope to have it again, and for him to now be in his father’s place…that’s heartbreaking. Like just having your character cry—let alone those kinds of full-on sobs—is painful enough, showing a son grieving his parents is a particularly heart wrenching kind of sadness, but showing that he is haunted by memories of those parents he lost—not only lost but one of which he killed, and, if SOTN is canon for the show, the other of which he could have saved—of a happy childhood, and he is alone with these memories for the foreseeable future...that is truly heart wrenching.

Also the scene with Trevor and Sypha in the wagon earlier in the episode was super sweet, they could have easily put the Adrian crying scene earlier, and had the Trevor and Sypha scene be the last scene of the season (and Trevor’s game actually does end with them looking into the sunset, so ending with the last scene of “For Love” would be accurate as well), and left it on a positive note, and the audience would have been left with a completeness. But they made a conscious choice put his crying scene last, and it was so powerful, because it made you remember that at the end of the day, he isn’t just our bold handsome hero, he was a son who lost both his parents, and that, to him, this isn’t really a triumph, but a loss. It also kinda confirmed that Drac wasn’t an "evil guy, end of story". That there was reason to grieve him, and to show his son grieving, and to leave it there because of it. It was a personal gravity too

In the end, it was the lack of music in the scene, and even more so during the credits, so theres only his tears, and all you are left with in the end is this amplified emptiness that really did me in. I think I literally sat there, tear tracks on my face, my mouth open when I hit the credits.

Playing Symphony of the Night after watching the show is really interesting in exploring his character. I knew there was very little story, so I wasn’t expecting much from the story, but I actually found that I was beyond excited whenever there actually was some story, and the few lines they did say are stuck with me.

Maria comments early on that Alucard’s not very good at talking. At first I just chalked it up to...weird translations or whatever. But the more I played the game and the more I thought about him in the show...I think she’s right. He’s not very good at talking, yet if and when he does talk he’s quite eloquent, and precise with his words. (This actually makes him a somewhat difficult character to write). I wonder if perhaps this has some connection to his emotionalness. He’s very careful with what he says, and this may spread to what he does—such as being careful when he shows emotion. I’m curious why he’s like this. It could just be his nature, but I wonder if as a kid he was ever hated because he was a vampire—maybe people made fun of him, and he cried, and they made more fun of him because of it—and he learned both to hide his emotions, and that he had to be very deliberate and show people he didn’t mean any ill will with his words. (And he looks older than he is so people might call him immature for acting his mental age). All very speculative, of course. But it’d be fun to write about!

Also, another thing from SOTN that is related to this topic, there was a fight that really struck me (enough I actually wrote a fic about it (inverted recurrence)). SOTN takes plays 300 years after the events of The Netflix Series (aka Dracula’s Curse). Most of the bosses don’t seem to have a lot of meaning story-wise, they’re just there for you to fight. The other day I (Alucard) walked into a boss room...and there were Trevor, Sypha, and Grant (who was omitted from the Netflix series). They were fake versions of them, of course. And there’s no dialogue in the fight so maybe I’m just speculating, but what struck me was that the fact that Dracula could use them against him probably means he still cares about them, even after 300 years. It probably also means that they’re some of the only friends he’s ever had. Granted, he was asleep for a good chunk of those 300 years, still. It goes back to that sentimental-ness I was talking about earlier.

I few years ago I watched the Gravity Falls commentaries, and from them I got a lot of the writing advice I still think about and use today. Alex Hirsch said something on this subject which I really liked which is “Hold your tears.” When a character cries they’ve broken, that’s as far as they can go. So if you make a character cry when the audience themselves doesn’t feel the weight of the scene, or it doesn’t feel like the character has broken yet, it can feel like too...much/cheesy, and distance the audience. especially with cartoons where the way it’s drawn can actually affect your sympathy for the character (it can look weird or accentuated).

They did such an awesome job with this by literally holding his tears until the very end. I don’t know how other, non-emotional people felt about it, but Ive don’t know if I’ve ever seen tears used so well in a show, pack such a punch. To have it not just be a part of the scene but literally the focus, and at the end...it was powerful.

Sorry for the long response, and more importantly, I’m beyond sorry for taking so so SOOO long to respond. I hope you enjoy my response, if you see it <3

P.S. For anyone else who made it all the way to the end, I actually have a Castlevania sideblog now: @symphonyofthewrite !! I’d be beyond happy to recieve asks like this over there, if you’d like to hear more of my thoughts!!

[paintedrecs]

For the fandom talk meme thingy: C (not trying to start drama I swear), I, K, R, and X. =D

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will.

Hmmm, there are a few ways of answering this. One is by listing all my NOTPs, which would be excessively long and ultimately boring because it essentially boils down to “anyone else with either member of my OTP.” I monoship my primary pairings, so I’m pretty strict on what I do and do not like. 

(With the way fandom is now, I should clarify that NOTP means that I personally do not like a ship and I therefore go out of my way to avoid it - by muting terms, carefully filtering tags and search results, curating my own space, etc. It doesn’t mean I think the ship is badwrong or that anyone else should stop shipping it. It just means I do not ever want to see it.)

This feels a little less specific on that front, though, maybe more just: people like this and I’m meh about it?

So Allydia comes to mind. I don’t hate it, and if the Sterek’s good enough I’ll still read a fic with them as a background pairing, but I don’t ever like it as a romantic ship. While I ship Lydia with lots of different characters, including Cora, I’ve always seen Allison as straight, so I suppose that’s part of it? And I love Lydia & Allison as bffs - I see them as entirely platonic, like Scott & Stiles, so introducing romance just doesn’t work for me.

Another one is Sheriff Stilinski/Peter Hale. I...I don’t understand it. Unlike the last answer, this background pairing will prevent me from reading a Sterek-central fic.

I - Has Tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why?

This turned into a complicated and kind of roundabout answer, so I’m putting the rest of the questions under a long-post cut!

I stopped frequenting tumblr for two main reasons:

that whole weird purge thing that made me think everyone was leaving, so I just gave up, which might’ve been premature cause it seems like folks are still going strong on here

the emergence of antis, specifically within the Voltron fandom (although they’re everywhere at this point)

There’s a saying in fandom now: 

“Why is the younger fandom generation like this?!??” “Tumblr raised them.”

For me, for years, tumblr was a really wonderful space where I had a lot of great conversations and read very thoughtful threads that helped me to learn some important things about myself, other people, and a world much wider than my own.

But I was an adult when I joined this site, and it really does seem like there’s a whole new crop of kids who have no actual context for ideas like social justice, the need for canonical representation in our media, and a lot of other things that eventually got folded into a big ball of disconnected rhetoric that they now fling as hard as they can at the heads of fandom creators who are committing the ultimate sin of creating content for ships they don’t like.

It’s late, and I don’t feel like getting into a whole Essay Rant about all that.

So on an entirely personal level, I quit running appreciatejack (my Check Please/zimbits/Jack Zimmermann blog) because someone sent me really vile hate for daring to ship Shiro/Keith from Voltron (two unrelated adults in a cartoon). It’s why I turned my ask boxes/anon/chats off on most of my blogs, and then eventually just...got tired of running them.

When I started up appreciatederek, I got a couple asks from people who wanted to know if it was going to be multiship or just Sterek, and when I said it was Sterek, they presumably went off to find other things they were into, because I never heard from them again. Y’know, the reasonable reaction. And then the rest of it was wonderful: finding content for it, and getting responses from people who enjoyed that content.

I thought appreciateshiro would be similar, but it was all so messy from the very start. The Sheith tag was FULL of hate. I was initially checking it every day, trying to find artists and writers and gif-makers to reblog and encourage and support, like I’d done in Sterek fandom, but instead I’d spend literal hours blocking people who came into that tag just to talk about how much they hated the ship.

Every day, I’d look for content for my OTP, and every day I’d come away from it angry and sad and frustrated. I never seemed to run out of people to block. And they never, ever seemed to run out of hate.

It was exhausting. It made me reluctant to go on tumblr at all. And eventually I just...sorta stopped.

So the answer to this question is more, I guess, “fandom made me stop liking tumblr, and in the process I stopped liking most fandoms.”

I’m sure you can kinda tell from the fandoms I’m currently the most invested in.

I love Sterek, and I will always love Sterek. Part of that’s the ship itself, of course, and part is because I had an incredible fandom experience with it. People within this fandom are still really great - always so welcoming and super excited about new content, even so many years on.

Otherwise, my current fandoms are kiiiiinda tiny:

Xanatowen (Gargoyles), which currently consists of exactly 2 people and 12 fics (3 of which are mine).

Trevorcard (Castlevania), which only has ~200 fics on AO3.

Taibani (Tiger & Bunny), which is an oldish fandom with only ~600 fics on AO3.

Remember, I came from a fandom that has SIXTY THOUSAND fics.

So while I feel very lonely and very sad about the low content levels in these fandoms, they’ve also given me the space to let go of some of my fandom hurt & anger and remember what it’s like to just...peacefully love something. I really miss just loving things and talking about loving those things and searching for other people who also love those things without running into....thousands upon thousands of people who HATE that you love that thing.

(Until I wrote all that out just now, I actually hadn’t realized how much this had still been hanging over me, or why I was so hesitant to come back to “reclaim” a space I’d once been super active and happy in. Essay over! Next questions.)

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

Answered here!

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

Answered here! 

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

Found family. This is probably a big part of why Sterek was my first real fandom, because the idea of Pack makes it incredibly natural to build out relationships beyond just the central romantic pairing. 

It doesn’t have to be a werewolf thing, though. I’m honestly not hugely fond of the whole puppy piles concept - I’m less interested in “biological urges make characters literally physically all snuggle up together in bed” than I am in the actual build of the friendships, and the concept of choosing people who will become the family you’ve been missing for whatever reason.

Maybe it’s reconnecting with biological family, or maybe it’s discovering that your friends have been filling that space for you all along, without you even fully realizing it. (The concept of “home” is another big one for me. Home is where your heart is etc etc.)

And hey! Now I can pull back in another question from earlier: about “pairings” that I might not have initially considered. As I suspected, I do have more! Mostly platonic.

For instance: Derek and Sheriff Stilinski becoming bffs. I thiiiink I can probably tie my ABSOLUTE LOVE of this concept back to HalfFizzbin’s can't be hateful, gotta be grateful. And then Cupboard Love really has to be the source of ALL my alive!Hales feels, which also includes folding Stiles into their family.

Fic is largely responsible for building out Derek’s relationship with Boyd, Erica, Isaac, his sisters...making them into an actual pack and friends and family in the way the show never bothered. And frankly while I don’t like canon!Scott at all at this point, I love his friendship with Stiles in fics, and I absolutely believe Stiles and Lydia would be amazing friends once he got past his crush on her. I’d point to another fic here, owlpostagain’s will to follow through, as the ultimate source for major Team Human feels.

So yeah. I’m always going to be drawn to stories about family, in whatever form that takes, particularly if it’s one that’s a little bit off the normal white-picket-fence path.

In Tiger & Bunny, it’s Barnaby joining the Kaburagi family, and learning how to be a dad and a friend to his new husband’s daughter.

In Gargoyles, I’m completely obsessed with the (canonical!) idea of a family that consists of a man, his wife, their son, and the chaotically loyal fae babysitter/tutor/third parent. It is not a stretch to tweak this the tiiiiiiniest bit to turn it into a nontraditional family structure of a man, his wife, his son, and his fae boyfriend. Honestly.

In Castlevania, the fic that made me sob my eyes out at one point does something the show would absolutely never. It gives Alucard the time to rebuild his physical home while befriending the people in the little town that crops up around it. It’s about Trevor and Alucard falling in love, but it’s also about them making a place for themselves in a world where that kind of comfort and stability and friendship is so badly needed.

I think we all kinda need that in our world right now. So I love being able to find it in fic, for the characters who’ve grown to mean something to me.

[emptymasks]

I Won't Rest Until I Find You

Pairing: Alucard | Adrian Tepes / Trevor Belmont

Words: 3208

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Read on Ao3

Notes:  This is set during Curse of Darkness, but in my mind it could continue on with the show’s continuity as well.

So I guess I want to start with a disclaimer if Trevor seems out of character to some people: I haven't watched the Netflix show yet. I know Castlevania from the games. But I do plan on watching the show.

I’m making Castlevania art too, and if you’re interested in fan-merch and pins, I’m going to be starting a Kickstarter soon for some Castlevania pins.

I've been loving these games and characters more and more and have been wanting to create content. I also make art (@emptymasks on social media and on my Etsy shop) and I am soon going to launch a Castlevania pin Kickstarter.

I also want to say something about kins, so if that isn't your thing or makes you uncomfortable then please stop reading. I'm @emptymasks on tumblr, but I just made a side-blog (which is also a kin-blog) for Castlevania @princeadriantepes.

Also, also! I have a Castlevania Discord server! DM me or send me an ask for the link Sever is LGBT and kin friendly.

Phew, thank you so much if you read all of that text. Now onto the story...

“Why did you attack me?” Hector’s shout echoed through the empty castle.

Trevor shook his head and sighs.

“The place to which Isaac has gone can only be entered by those who possess very advanced powers; I had to test you.” He explained.

“I see.” Hector moved forward. “Meaning you would have me pursue him?”

“Indeed, but first you shall need my help. Come.”

Trevor led them throughout the castle. He hated that he remembered the layout. Everywhere he looked there were memories. Fights and injuries and screams. He had fought Grant along that corridor not too far into the castle. The poor man still awoke in screams, fearing he was in a body that wasn't his own. He’d been working hard to rebuild the villages and houses. And then Sypha, having to hide her magic from the world. Trevor had seen his fair share of dark magic and monsters before facing Dracula, but despite that had not been so blind to think magic could only be evil.

Trevor slowed his walking as they entered the main hall. The place of their final battle, and unfortunately it seemed, for future final battles as well. They had made a great team, his ‘legendary three warriors’ as people had already begun calling them. Grant, Sypha and…

Trevor’s feet halted.

“It’s for the best.” Alucard had said.

“Who for? Because it certainly isn’t for us. It isn’t for the people who you could help protect.” Trevor yelled.

Sypha had put a hand on his arm, wanting to calm him.

“Trevor, after everything I have done… I cannot risk becoming like my father.”

“You won’t.”

“You cannot know that!”

Trevor had never seen Alucard shout before. He looked so distraught.

“Cursed blood flows throughout me. It is only a matter of time that it turns sour, or some dark powers try to turn me into him, or use me for his resurrection.”

“You are stronger than them, Alucard.” Trevor tried to reach out his hand, but Alucard stepped back.

“We cannot know what the future holds. I cannot take the chance that I will hurt others…”

“And what of the chance that you could help them? You’re reasoning makes no sense, are you truly so blind that-”

“I killed my own father!” Alucard turned to face him, tears streamed down his face. “Do you not understand that! I know what he did, I know he was deserving of such a fate… But that does not ease the pain in my soul…”

“Adrian…”

“Let us help you.” Sypha said.

“I care about you both greatly. Thank you for being my friends… But this is something I must do. I will not ask permission, nor seek approval. But please do not think badly of me, and do not blame yourselves.”

Alucard turned to look at them one last time.

“I love you.” He stared at Trevor as he spoke.

Trevor lunged forwards, but Alucard had already transformed had flown into the shadows of the night.

“Belmont? Are you alright?” Hector’s voice cut through his memories.

“Ah, yes. My apologies, I was simply remembering exactly where…” Trevor trailed off as he walked towards the centre of the room.

He pulled off a glove and reached for his knife. He didn’t wince as he pulled the blade through his closed fist. His nails dug into the cut as he squeezed, and the blood dripped out and mingled with the red carpet.

The stains glowed for a second, before a seal grew out from below them.

“There. ‘Tis done.”

“So, the Belmont blood acts as a key…” Hector mused. “And what lies beyond this point?”

“Do not ask. If you knew your heart might waver. For now, hold the image of Isaac in your mind, think only of defeating him.”

“Very well.” Hector said and stepped onto the seal.

“Hector, hunt him down. And when you have him, show him no mercy.”

He watched Hector’s body disappear into the light, and his feet started to move backwards.

He knew Alucard was here… Or rather, his body was. Sypha had knocked him out that night as nothing could console him. Sypha had been trying her best, but she could see his heart was not whole anymore.

“I miss him too, Trevor.” She had said one night. “But he made his choice, we have to respect it.”

“Why must we?” He bit back.

She signed.

“I heard Grant was asking after you again today.” Trevor was aware his voice sounded distant.

“Yes… He hasn’t given up on me yet.” She made her voice sound light, as if she was wanting Trevor to laugh.

Trevor shifted, unsure if he should face her.

“Would you… Are you considering taking him up on his offer?”

He saw her eyes widen slightly. He thought for a second she was going to slap him.

Instead she sighed.

“Do you want me to take him up on his offer?”

“I just want you to be happy Sypha… I fear that your happiness cannot be found with me.”

She stood up walked across the room.

“You loved him back?” She mumbled.

“Didn’t we both?”

She chuckled, but she sounded sad.

“Perhaps you should look for him?”

“And what happened to leaving him with his choices?”

She walked back over and pushed his longer hair away from his face, her fingers grazing over his scar.

“Because I want for you to be happy too. I do not think I can stand one more day of you sulking.” She smiled. “I try and reach for him sometimes… There’s something of him in the castle’s ruins. Whether it’s just memories or it’s him I cannot tell but…”

“It’s the only place I have to start…”

“You’re not mad I didn’t tell you sooner?”

“Sypha… Love, you have only ever tried to protect me from my own stupidity. I do not blame you for protecting yourself from it too.”

Trevor glanced back at the seal. It can only be closed from the inside, which meant Hector should have no trouble leaving (unless he fails), but… if he leaves it does mean something could follow Hector inside… The castle was rather empty though…

Before Hector had arrived, he’d sworn he was close. There was something amidst the ruins behind Dracula’s accursed throne. The presence of another entering the castle caused him to cease his search for he feared Isaac was entering.

He wouldn’t be leaving the room… He would only be taking his eyes off the portal for a short while…

Well it didn’t seem to matter what his brain thought the right thing to do was, because his body was already doing the selfish thing. He dug through the rocks until he found a hole. He ran back to grab one of the candles from the wall and gave one last glance to the seal, before he jumped down.

The candle didn’t provide much light, but that combined with the small rays coming in from the entrance to pit revealed more stone. Parts of pillars and archways and cracking gargoyles. None of them seemed to have life in them, but Trevor brought his whip out all the same. He held the candle up to the back wall, hoping to see something there, when his foot become wedged. More stone, Trevor assumed, until he felt his knee resting against the same object. He brought the candle to scan the shape. It was far darker than the rocks, and it stretched out beyond where the candle could see. Trevor kept himself along its side as he manoeuvred around it. The edges seemed to get wider as it went up and Trevor’s breath caught in his throat as they become thinner again almost at the top. He kept his whip in his hand as he reached a finger out and sure enough there was a lip, an opening.

Trevor took a deep breath and hoped Isaac wasn’t about to jump out at him.

In one motion Trevor threw the lid of the coffin open and jumped back with his whip ready to strike.

But nothing jumped out.

He kept his arm outstretched as he neared the coffin and peered over. Despite the low light, there was no mistaking the pale skin and golden hair. Trevor had to fight the urge to reach out and touch him. He placed the candle down in order to reach for a vial Sypha had given him.

“Once people hear you’re searching for someone, it might not take some long to realise who it is. And you know how those succubi like to transform into loved ones to lure people in. Throw this onto them and any illusion like that will be displaced. If you pour this on him and nothing happens, then its him.”

Alucard was going to kill him for drenching him… Not that he wasn’t going to kill him for stealing him away either but… that was something he could deal with later.

He splashed the potion onto Alucard’s chest, remembering Alucard throwing a fit anytime Trevor got his hair wet. He watched the potion soak through the shirt and… into his binding. Trevor was going to have to tell him off for that later… But if this was a random monster, it wouldn’t know to wear binding… Trevor hoped and waited, made himself count to twenty just to be certain, and Alucard’s body didn’t change.

Trevor reached out a shaking hand to cup Alucard’s sleeping face. He looked so peaceful… Trevor could feel the guilt welling up, but… This wasn’t just for him. He hoped he could help Alucard too. He shouldn’t have locked himself away because he thought the world was better off without him… He needed help… He needed to allow himself to be helped.

Trevor felt the rumbling beneath his feet before he heard it. Rocks started to fall into the pit and it felt as though the ground was moving upwards…

Not again…

He grabbed Alucard’s limp body and slung him over his shoulder. Jumping on top of the coffin he flung his arm up so that the whip latched onto a pillar above them. He carefully removed a hand from Alucard, letting him angle his body up to support the weight, and used both hands to climb the whip. He was lucky that despite his height, Alucard didn’t weight very much. He carried Alucard out from the ruins and into the hall, before setting him down and going to inspect the seal, which was now glowing brighter.

Shit.

He could see the spires raising up past the windows and could hear the storm more clearly. The castle was once again flowing with power. The seal seemed to be pulsing now and Trevor could feel the power coming from it. The castle was waking up and it wouldn’t be long before everything inside it would too.

Wait… Everything…

Trevor heard a groan and the whip was ready to lash out before he had even turned around.

He gasped.

“Alucard…?”

Trevor watched as Alucard brought himself to his feet. The dhampir seemed to come to his senses at the sound of his name, his head shooting up and pale eyes locking onto Trevor’s. His eyes scanned across Trevor’s body, taking in the new clothing and hair… And his ageing, Trevor thought as he felt a little self-conscious.

“Did something happen? Is there some emergency?” Alcuard's voice was dry.

“Not exactly… That is to say, there is a fight going on, but not one we need take part in…”

“Then… Why am I…?”

“Need I repeat what I said before? You deserve to live, Alucard. You deserve to stay alive, and you deserve a chance to be happy.”

“I was.” Alucard spat. “You couldn’t be satisfied could you?”

Trevor walked towards him, but Alucard stumbled back. His strength clearly hadn’t returned to him yet.

“Why, Trevor? Why did you have to wake me up? Why did you have to bring me back?” Alucard’s voice was breaking.

“Perhaps because I couldn’t live with myself.” Trevor continued to walk towards him. “Perhaps because you told me you loved me and then ran away. Perhaps because you gave up and left to go and die for no-”

“I wanted to die!”

Alucard’s voice rang out throughout the castle. The storm seemed too quiet. Alucard was shaking and he bent his head down and clutched at it as he cried.

“No one should feel like that…” Trevor whispered. “Let me help you, Adrian. Let me take care of you. I love you too-”

Trevor groaned. Why did this shit always happen?

He saw red hair out of the corner of his eye, and glanced down at the blade sticking out of his chest. He was dimly aware of Alucard lunging up and Isaac easily pushing hem out of the way.

“Fiend. What are you doing here?” Trevor tried not to move too much around the dagger.

“I can’t have you interfering beyond this point.” Isaac kicked Alucard as he tried to stand. “Only just awoken, little lord? You haven’t any strength in you at all yet. As for the seal, I left that to Hector.”

Trevor tried to reach out to Alucard, but Isaac pulled him back against the dagger.

“Impossible. The seal can only be undone by a torrent of demonic energy, Hector could not know that.”

He felt Isaac move back and prepared for another blow, when Isaac fell and Trevor grabbed onto the dagger to stop it leaving his chest, wincing is it cut into his hands through his gloves. Now wouldn’t be a good time to die of blood loss. He stumbled onto his knees and leant forwards.

“Fools!” Isaac picked himself up from where Alucard had tripped him. “Do not equate a devil-forgemaster’s power with that of an ordinary sorcerer. For a seal like that, the magic produced in battle is more than enough. Placing a guard there proved to be your downfall… But enough talk.”

Isaac reached for the dagger’s handle, still sticking out of Trevor’s back. Alucard pulled himself upwards and tried to beat Isaac to it. Isaac’s hand was grasped around the handle when a sudden burst of light knocked both of them backwards.

Trevor cried and fell to the floor, and Alucard crawled over to him.

“Julia! You still insist to side with them?” Isaac wiped the blood off the dagger with his hand.

“You may not realise it yet, but I am trying to help you brother.” She said.

Isaac stared down at the fallen Belmont and laughed.

“I would stay and chat, but Hector is waiting for me.” He cackled as he teleported away.

Julia rushed to Trevor’s side and started to push him onto his back, only for Alucard to grab her wrist.

“I’m trying to save his life. You would do well to help me.” She urged, pushing his hands aside and getting to work.

“Am I supposed to know who you are?” Alucard slumped back, tiredness and confusion overtaking him.

“I’m Julia.”

“…Right”

Trevor was dimly aware of Julia’s hands pushing his clothes open as she murmured incantations. Whatever she was saying seemed to be helping as his vision came more into focus and the pain lessened.

He cast his eyes over to Alucard. He seemed to be staring at Julia as if he wanted his eyes to burn through her. Trevor chuckled, and in an instant those pale eyes were on him instead.

“I see age hasn’t made you any less overzealous.” Alucard said.

Trevor could have wept again if he wasn’t so tired.

“Come here,” Julia turned her head to Alucard as she stood up. “You both need taking somewhere safe to rest and heal.”

Alucard dragged himself over to them. Julia tapped her staff on the ground and after the light engulfing them faded, Trevor looked upon a familiar building.

“Should I be worried that you know where I live?” He questioned Julia.

“You should be thankful, I just saved your life.” She put an arm around him to help him up.

Alucard came around his other side to help as well, but he still seemed as if he might collapse at any moment and so Trevor tried to not put too much weight on him.

“Thank you, Julia, truly… What will you do about your brother?” Trevor asked.

“Isaac has been lost to me for many years now. All I can do is aid Hector and hope he frees my brother from this curse.”

“Then I wish you luck. But be careful inside that castle.”

“I will be.” She nodded goodbye and transported herself away.

“So… Who is she?” Alucard asked.

“I have no idea.” Trevor replied.

He looked over at Alucard and smiled, a smile which grew wider when he saw Alucard fighting against his lips twitching upwards.

Trevor moved himself closer and groaned

“You’re supposed to be resting.” Alucard’s hands were on his shoulders.

“So should you.”

Trevor’s hands moved upwards and pushed the coat off Alucard’s shoulders. Alucard seemed too tired to fight him. He moved his hands up to cup Alucard’s face, his thumbs gliding over the pale skin.

He let out a shaky breath. He was crying again, but he wasn’t ashamed. He’d done it. He’d found him.

“Please, stay. I know you wanted to be asleep, but I promise you I can help you. I can make you feel better, closer to whole… And if I’m allowed to be selfish, then please don’t leave me. Alucard, Adrian please, please I can’t lose you again, I won’t survive it, so please…” Trevor was aware that he was rambling and saying the same things over and over but he couldn’t seem to stop.

He didn’t want to stop begging until he heard Alucard’s reply.

He watched Alucard’s eyes widen and his hands come to grip at Trevor’s coat.

“You missed me this much…?” He said in wonder.

“Of course I did. How could I not? Please… Say you’ll stay… Stay with me…”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It is. It is easy. We’ll deal with trouble as it comes. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, but I promise I can help ease the pain of it. I promise. I promise I’ll take care of you.” Trevor’s hands were moving backwards and grasping around Alucard’s neck.

He sobbed when he felt Alucard’s arms come around him. He was aware that Alucard was crying too.

“Please…”

“I can’t promise that I’ll get better.”

“I know. But give yourself a chance. Let yourself try.”

“…And you’ll stay with me.”

“After everything that just happened, does it seem like I’m going to let you out of my sight.”

He heard Alucard let out a choked laugh and held him tighter.

“I’m not going anywhere, Adrian. And neither are you, agreed?”

“Agreed… I suppose I should say thank you…”

“You don’t have to say anything. Let’s just get some rest. And you better be here when I wake up Adrian Tepes because I swear to god-” Trevor cut himself off as Alucard started laughing.

He shuffled back and pulled Alucard down with him onto the bed.

“Rest, Adrian. I’ll be here when you wake.”

“As will I.”