#and everything she did was for hector's own good

[beevean]

First Hector lost his maturity in general

Then his agency to Carmilla

Then his dignity to Lenore

Then his character arc to Isaac

Finally, he lost his profession to a machine

I guess the last one could be commentary on how AI is robbing people of their jobs?

At least the last one applies to N!Isaac too <3 ... but I can't even be happy because the Devil Forging Machine is clearly inferior to the Devil Forgemasters. Which is to be expected. I mean. It's a devil forging machine it's so fucking stupid--

But yeah, even if I only knew the show, Hector's character was just completely wasted for petty reasons. You can just feel the sadism seeping through the script :\

[emmylksblog]

THE WEDDING RING // H. FORT

summary: reader lost her wedding ring and tries to hide it from her husband

contents: angst, comfort

warnings: my first time ever writing so be patient with grammar errors

a/n: idk if this is good but if you want part 2 tell me in the comments and if you like my writing feel free to request, i only write about hector fort and some barcelona players

You were sitting on the couch, looking through a pile of cushions and under the couch cushions, clearly stressed and worried. You quickly put everything back in place as you hear the front door open and your dear husband who you didn´t want to see now walks in, home from training.

"Love, I'm home!"

Trying to act casual you get up and greet him with a kiss on his cheek "Oh, hey! I didn't expect you home so early." You stand up quickly and try to hide the fact that you were just frantically looking for your wedding ring something.

Clearly, something was bothering her for her to be acting this way, he'd never seen her like this before and they had been living together for 2 years, he considered it a long time to know her well enough and to notice so easily her changes in mood.

Hector left his training bag on the couch and approached you from behind, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you close against his chest. He nuzzled his face into your hair, inhaling deeply. "I know you've been worried about something," he murmured, his voice low and soft. "You don't have to say anything yet, I'll wait till you're ready to talk about it."

You turned in his embrace and playfully mock-scrunches your nose at him. "Ugh, you smell terrible!" you exclaimed jokingly. "Did you roll around in mud after training or something?" Hector chuckled and feigned offense. "Hey, I'll have you know, this is the smell of a real man." He joked back. You smiled and pushed him playfully. "Well, this real man needs to go take a shower. I'll start making dinner."

As he left to shower, you went to the kitchen to start preparing the meal. You tried to keep your mind occupied, but the thought of the lost ring kept nagging at you. You knew you had to tell Hector, but you were worried about how he would react.

----------

Your husband walks back into the room, towel around his neck and hair still damp. He sits down at the table and watches as you quickly finish setting everything up.

As you turn around to join him, you immediately notice his damp hair and can't help but nag. "You should really dry your hair properly. You'll catch a cold like this." Hector grins, clearly amused by your concern. "But I only like it when you dry it for me," he teases, reaching out to pinch your cheek.

You swat his hand away, giggling at his playful banter. "You're such a baby," you tease, "training must have gone well for you to be this cheeky."

Hector chuckled at your comment, knowing that you knew him too well. "It went pretty good," he said, "We did some endurance drills today and I managed to run a few miles faster than usual. The guys were in awe of my speed, as always." He said jokingly, flexing his muscles in a mocking display of pride.

You couldn't help but roll your eyes at his antics. "You're insufferable, you know that?" you said, trying to bite back a smile. "Always bragging about how fast and strong you are."

They continued eating and the conversation slowly died down to a comfortable silence. Hector was oblivious to her inner turmoil, relishing the peace that came with the meal. She, on the other hand, was eating silently, lost in her own thoughts.

Occasionally, she would glance at her left hand, silently panicking over the missing ring on her finger. She wondered how Hector hadn't noticed yet, but his focus seemed to be on his food.

Hector casually asks her to pass him a napkin, and she does so without thinking, using her left hand since it's closer. As he takes the napkin, he subconsciously takes hold of her hand, his eyes darting to her ring finger. His smile fades as he realizes – her wedding ring is missing.

"Where's your ring?" he asks, his voice calm, yet tinged with confusion.

You quickly withdraw your hand from his, feeling the weight of guilt and nervousness. Trying to come up with an excuse, you mumble something about how you must have forgotten to put it on this morning. However, the excuse is flimsy and Hector immediately sees through it. "You never forget to put it on," he says, his expression serious now. "What's really going on?"

Hector's gaze is unwavering, the silence in the room nearly palpable. As you try to muster up the words to explain, tears well up in your eyes. The weight of the truth and the stress of the day finally catch up to you. You try to speak, but all that comes out is a choked sob. You can't bring yourself to tell him you lost the ring, even though his gaze demands the truth.

Hector's tough exterior softens instantly as he sees you struggling to speak through your tears. He gently pulls you into his arms, holding you against him.

"Shhh..." he murmured, his voice gentle. "It's okay, I'm not mad, just tell me what happened."

You bury your face into his shoulder, your words coming out in a teary mumble. "I... I was searching for it before you came," you said, "I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find it. I'm so sorry... I'm such a horrible wife. You shouldn't have married someone like me..."

He holds you tighter, his embrace comforting and protective. "No, no," he whispered, "Don't say that. You're not a bad wife because you lost something, accidents happen."

He pulled back slightly, gently lifting your chin to meet his gaze. "I married you because I love you, for everything that you are. And a ring doesn´t define our love"

Hector softly kisses your forehead, holding you close against him. You remain like that for a while, cuddled up on the couch, taking comfort in each other's presence. Gradually, your exhaustion catches up to you, and drift off to sleep in the embrace of your husband, your head resting on his chest.

----------

[httpsdana]

could u do one with hector in which the reader is older and at first doesn't want to get involved with him, then asks her friends for tips and manages to win her over.

Chasing What's Right~Hector Fort

*Pictures are from Pinterest*

enjoy <3

request from here

master list -> part 2

players/drivers I write for

y/n always tried to avoid him. Not because she disliked Hector, far from it, she enjoyed his company and his charm. He had this youthful energy that was infectious. But every time he smiled at her or made another attempt to start a conversation, something in her tensed.

She felt the gap between their ages like a weight, like a boundary she refused to cross.

It wasn’t fair to him, y/n thought. He should be with someone his own age, someone who wouldn’t look over their shoulder constantly, worrying about what people might think. But Hector didn’t seem to care about any of that.

They were once at a party, one of y/n's friends who was mutual friends with Hector. y/n was enjoying her time, until she saw Hector. As soon as his eye came in hers, he started his walk to her. y/n tried turning around and running away, but Hector managed

“Why are you always running away from me?” he asked, with a boyish grin. His voice held a teasing note, but his eyes were serious, soft but questioning.

y/n sighed looking down to avoid his eyes. “Hector, you know why.” she said softly

He moved closer, just enough so she could feel the warmth of his presence but still giving her space.

“It’s the age thing again, isn’t it?” he said, looking down at her even if she didn't hold eye contact with him

She nodded biting her lip.

“It’s just...I like you, okay? But I can’t let myself get involved. It doesn’t seem right.” she said, finally looking up at him

He shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“It’s not about what seems right. It’s about what feels right.” he tried convincing her

That was the problem. She couldn’t deny that being around him felt easy, felt right. But she also couldn’t help overthinking everything. What her friends might say, what her family might think, the whispers that might follow.

But Hector wasn’t deterred. If anything, her hesitations only made him more determined.

Later that night, Hector had convinced her to take her home, and she agreed. As he parked outside her door, she looked at him with a smile.

"thank you Hector" she said, making him smile. He grabbed her hand in his, raising it to press a kiss on her knuckles. She wanted to pull away, tell him that he shouldn't be doing that, but it felt too right to do it.

"no need cariño. Text me if you need anything" he said, letting go of her hand.

y/n couldn't resist it, so she leaned in and kisses his cheek, leaving him flushed in the car.

That night, all she thought about was what would happen if she agreed on being with Hector. She first thought about the bad things, how her family wouldn't talk to her anymore, or how her friends would judge her if she went to a guy younger than her. But she also thought about the good parts, how she would be the happiest she's ever been.

Before she fell asleep, she received a message from one of her close friends, the girl who was Hector's best friend's girlfriend.

-y/n you will not believe what just happened

She was confused, wondering what had happened with her friend

-what is it?

-Hector came to me during the party. And he started asking me about ways to win you. saying you're giving him a hard time and that he wants to convince you

Something in y/n stirred. She couldn't believe Hector would go all the way to asking her friends how to win her. Was he really that serious about them? She tried holding back her smile, before replying to her friend

-oh he did? what did you tell him

-I won't tell you what I told him. he wants to keep it a surprise;)

-very funny 😒

-now I wanna know why you're giving the poor guy a hard time

- girl you know I'm older than him. that would be weird for others. I mean what would you and the group think about it?

-girly we've been shipping u and hector since you two met. you can't be telling me that u're afraid what we would think?

y/n smiled, glad she has a group of supportive friends who she realized would never judge her.

-well yes but I'm also scared what my family would say. or what hector's fans and family would say. its just not right

-y/n baby please do not think about what people would think. think about what you want. about ur happiness only, if u really like hector then just go for it. don't overthink it

The message left y/n thinking. She really liked Hector and wanted to be with him, even with the nagging voice in her head. She went to sleep that night, only thinking about Hector.

Over the next few days, Hector didn't stop trying. He'd send y/n flowers every morning before she left to work. She'd arrive home after work, and Hector would be at her apartment making her dinner. She appreciates every single thing he did, and slowly he was convincing her to actually go for it and be with him.

A few days laters, y/n arrived to a quite house. It was the first time Hector wasn't there. She went to the kitchen, and saw a note on her fridge.

be ready by 7. we'll be going out for dinner.

-Hector

She shook her head with a smile, not believing that a guy likes her to the extent that he would try his best to make her date him.

By 7, y/n was dressed in a nice black dress, her make up soft while she settled for some fancy heels. As she was putting on her earrings, her belly rang, indicating that Hector has arrived.

She took a deep breath, shaking all the bad thoughts out of her head, grabbing her purse and leaving her room. She opened the door, to be met with a bouquet of red roses. Hector appeared behind the roses, giving her a wide smile.

"hello beautiful. you look stunning" he said, making her cheeks turn red at his compliment.

"thank you. you look handsome too" she said, and it was now his turn to be blushing.

She took the flowers from his, placing them in a vase of water before they started the drive to the restaurant.

They talked all the way there, catching up about their day, the conversation between them seeming smooth and easy.

The dinner with Hector was perfect. y/n couldn't deny the fact that Hector has convinced her to be together, the fact that other's opinions don't matter.

By the end of dinner, Hector suggested a walk on the beach, which y/n couldn't say no to. Their walk was silent at first. Their fingers brushing against each other, until Hector had the courage to hold her hand, hoping she doesn't pull back, which she didn't. He breathed out, smiling to himself as he looked at their interlocked hands.

Hector was about to speak, when y/n beat him to it.

"you know I've been thinking..." she said, making Hector raise his eyebrows

"oh yeah? about what?" he asked

"about us" she said, looking up at him. He gave her an encouraging smile so she can continue

"I think I'm gonna give us a chance" she said, making Hector's smile wider.

"really?" he asked, hope lacing his voice.

She nodded, her smile mirroring his own

"am I dreaming? pinch me to believe this is real" Hector said dramatically making y/n chuckle. She hit his shoulder playfully, making him laugh

"don't make me regret it" she said in a teasing tone

"never. i like you way too much to do that" he said, making her smile.

"lucky for you my friends know what I love. or else you wouldn't have none how to win me" she winked at him, telling him that she knows about him talking to her friends.

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, although his cheeks were burning red.

"I had to do anything to convince you" he said softly, making y/n grin

"well you did, so don't mess it up" she said as they stopped walking.

"never" Hector mumbled, grabbing her face in his hands and connecting their lips into a first of many kisses they'll be sharing.

[hyacinthusmemorial]

TW: Mentions of SA

In my works, and other places, people have been asking me my opinion on Achilles attacking Troilus. I would just preface I’m not an expert on the Trojan War. I was sick the week we did the Iliad in high school and they made me perform as Odysseus when we read the Odyssey and i had no clue what was happening, but I am in the process of reading it now.

I think if you are studying these events from the perspective of the god Apollo, then Achilles kind of loses his Brad Pitt appeal that the movie Troy (which I have never seen) gives him. So if Achilles is your guy, stop reading. I’m thought dumping.

There is something wicked and powerful about Achilles k*lling and r*ping Apollo’s own son on his own altar in his own temple. Because that is the implication of the iconography and artwork.

Achilles drags Troilus by his hair to the altar of his father and the story doesn’t say if Achilles r*pes him, but it is implied. For one it talks about Achilles being overcome with lust for Troilus, who is the image of Apollo in human form. A beautiful golden haired, youth.

Not only is Troilus the son of Hecuba, he’s Apollo’s image. Sources say he is the most beautiful of the Trojans and Greeks. But he has been designated a fate where he represents the city of Troy. Hence the name Troilus. If he reaches adulthood, the city survives. If he dies as a youth, the city will fall.

Athena leads Achilles to Troilus to ensure his death and thus Troy’s fall. She does not account for HOW Achilles kills Troilus.

He sees Troilus on his horse, and he is overcome with lust. I think he probably offers Troilus some sort of deal, come sleep with me and I will let you and your sister go, but Troilus refuses and runs away and hides in his father’s temple. He is a little kid running to his father for help. But, Achilles breaks in, finds Troilus, and enraged kills him either on or near the altar of Apollo.

Troilus is the image of Apollo. He is his son. He is a prince of Troy. I think this is a tipping point for everything—the point of no return.

This seals Troy’s fate, but I think the reason for that are because of Troilus’s death. I think before this point there is the possibility there will be peace. I think Big Bro Hector would have sent Helen back, I think peace would have been sued for and Troy would stand. But Fate has to be accomplished. This is the point where Troy no longer gives a damn—their prince has been m*rdered and r*ped on the altar of their chief god. Priam is upset because he loved Troilus as his own son, and he calls Achilles a child-slaughterer after that. Hecuba is besides herself, and Hector wants to kill Achilles. I think this is the point where they decide that, yes, they are going to die fighting this war, but they have a GOOD REASON to. It’s not about Paris and Helen and Aphrodite and a dumb apple. It’s about a boy being murdered.

But Apollo, Apollo is now vengeance. He is acting as an arm of fate. He’s already peeved at Achilles, who had killed another son Tenes. (A different story about Achilles r*ping someone)

I said this to one of my commenters—an altar is a god’s dinner table. Apollo’s hands are tied by something—either Fate or Thetis or his Father, and he cannot stop Achilles who is savagely attacking his own son on his own table. He has to watch, has to sit there and taste his own son’s blood in his mouth, watch him brutally die.

Achilles’s fate is sealed. Apollo is going to kill Achilles. It’s just nine years later.

In the art, Thetis, Athena, Apollo and Hermes are in the background of this event. Athena and Thetis as support of Achilles, but it makes me curious what Hermes is doing there. Is he holding Apollo back? Has Thetis begged Zeus for Achilles life? Athena regretfully watching as she accomplishes her plan only to realize WHY it worked?

I think in this way you can fashion the Trojan War as a direct conflict between Apollo and Achilles. Everything else is going on around it, but at the heart of it, is Apollo and Achilles. Apollo waiting for his father and the fates to give him the go ahead because Achilles will die, and Apollo is going to take away everything from him in the process. Briseis, Patroclus, and then he’s going to take his life.

Achilles is the villain in Apollo’s story. He’s invulnerable, he’s circumventing fate, he r*pes anything under his power, he disrespects the gods. He is a lesson in what men do when no one can stop them, and the most powerful thing is that the Father wins. He finds and kills his son’s murderer even after all the roadblocks in his way.

Troy is a revenge story, and if I ever get to writing it in my series, it’s going to be written like a revenge story.

[streets-in-paradise]

In These Arms - Achilles x (Fem) Trojan!Reader

Warnings: Paris dumped the reader for Helen before she gets to meet Achilles. Includes break up angst + discussion of cheating.

Summary: Heartbroken and publicly humilliated after being abandoned by Paris, you seek peace in the promise of giving up on men without realizing the consequences of his actions would find you one last time.

Turned into a war prisoner and handled to the leader of the myrmidons, the unusual comfort of your master offers you a second chance.

Note: Inspired by two prompt lists by my dear friend @alysinwonderland-at-tea

Angst list - Prompt 4 " Everyone told me you were going to break my heart. I should have listened to them. "

Fluff list - Prompt 2 "I think about you. Ceaselessly."

Tags: @lovelybaka

If everyone else in Troy had reasons for sorrow, on top of theirs you were the most damaged. The man you loved had returned home bringing someone else on his charriot. A stolen queen, woman you didn't have the slightest chance of comparing yourself to given the charm of her famously inhuman beauty. Even when Paris never made any expressed promises priorly, love confessions had once been mutually retributed and you believed in that.

You trusted him going against the advice of many people who attempted to warn you. His own brother had told you that no matter how much he spoke of it, Paris knew nothing about love. Blinded by your feelings, you didn't care, and it turned out the worst mistake of your life.

" Everyone told me you were going to break my heart. I should have listened to them. "

It took you all the strenght you had left not to cry, but at that moment of confrontation it was him the one sobbing in front of you.

" I never meant to! Dear, what I felt for you was real … But it wasn't true love, and I had no way to tell the difference untill I meet Helen. "

You couldn't believe the excuse that was being given to you.

" It was for me, Paris … and because of you I think I will never love again. I gave you everything, but turns out all I am wasn't enough. "

The assumption seemed to have offended him.

" You know I don't mean that! Please, try to understand! "

" What's left to understand? You betrayed your homeland and you betrayed me. You too deserve each other, indeed: a cheater for a cheater … Lovely couple to doom us all! And me the first."

He gave you a hurted look, as if after what he did he still cared for your forgiveness.

" My heart breaks for you, and i am ashamed of myself for the pain i'm causing you … But what can shame do to stop the intensity of love? I would have never accompanied Hector to Sparta if I would have known there I would fall like this for someone else. I couldn't return pretending nothing have happened, and making you live a lie would have been even more unfair than this. You deserve better, I still hold good feelings for you. I swear it on these arms that had comforted you countless times before. "

Paris attempted to pull you closer for a hug, but you stopped him ríght away.

" You humilliated me in front of the entire city! And how strongly I wish I could get granted the mercy of never seeing you again, but Troy is not big enough for that. Blessed is the king of Sparta, who gets the ríght of spreading hate without having to see his wife in the arms of other man every day! Me, instead? I get doomed to watch you smile happyly from afar in the balcony of the palace alongside your mistress for the rest of my life. Do you call that justice, Paris? If that is your mercy, I would rather get your hate. "

In the most twisted way possible, the gods granted at least one of your wishes.

Promising yourself to never love another man ever again after your first love had ended so bitterly, you took the first step into the only path allowed for a woman in your position. With the help of Briseis, who remained your friend despite what happened with her cousin, you seeked to get choosen to take vows in her temple. It was a quick way to restitute your honor in the public eye and be left alone as well. Unfortunately, you didn't get to even try on the priestess robes before the concecuencies of Paris' actions reached you once more.

Greek warriors brought to avenge the husband of his new lover destroyed the temple, killing the priests and taking you prisioner. You would never get to see the great city of Priam again and, despite the sorrow you felt when thinking of your family, that also caused you a dark sense of relief. Because of Paris you have lost everything, even the most bassic of goods such as your freedom. Only after loosing so much, of hitting rock bottom, you had a real chance to be free of him.

Enslaved to Achilles, but liberated from everything you were before, the worst part was having to stand the provocations. The myrmidon enjoyed himself attempting to seduce you, but wasn't forcing you into his bed, and that worked good enough for you in that context.

At one given time you did found his teasing going too far, and only then you became fully honest with him.

" Why did you choose to love a god? I think you will find the romance one sided. "

It made your blood boil, even if you could tell he spoke to you like that because he had no idea of who you were despite knowing your name. Achilles believed to be teasing a priestess and in the discoverment of his mistake you ended up laying eyes on him for longer than you should.

He was wearing the same type of long egyptian styled robes Paris would typically wear in the domestic environment, keeping arms and shoulders covered while fully exposing the torso. It was matched with the same sort of long skirt made of light fabrics opened at the side for more cassual expousure. You could vividly remember he wore a black outfit almost identical to that one during the first night you made love.

And yet, that man looked nothing like him. His sun kissed skin and the sculpted muscles were as contrasting as his blond hair and blue eyes.

" I have choosen nothing, fate forced me to seek shelter in the cult of Apollo after being abandoned by the love of my life. I told myself that, if i could never love again, I could at least give my devotion to the regent god of my city. Because of you I never got to become a priestess, so now i'm a double spoil: rejected for marriage and dragged out of the temple. "

Although standing ríght in front of you, disbelief faded some of the cockiness.

" You won't be rejected here, that's a promise. I had a minor altercate with Ajax because we found you so pretty we both wanted to keep you."

He sat on the ground ríght next to you and observed you with tenderness before taunting you once more.

" Did I ruin your life, or arrived just in time to restaure your faith in men? I don't understand how a girl like you could think of running to hide inside a temple instead of getting herself a better man. "

You answered with the truth, but carefully crafting enough disdain.

" There was nothing I could have done to keep him with me when the competition was the most beautifull woman in the world. The majority of men would have done the same, and that's why I have choosen not to believe in any other ever again. "

Achilles wasn't expecting to find out he was struggling for the attention of the woman that the trojan prince had left behind in his pursuement of the spartan queen.

" Will all mankind pay for the crimes of Paris? That bastard is not even a man. You are so much better without him, consider that perhaps the queen has made you a favor. If he is your reason to give up on men, I have to say it's quite offensive for the rest of us. "

You could tell where his speech was coming and you tried to stop him.

" You would have given me to Ajax if Briseis wouldn't have ran away. I didn't left with her only because I have nothing left to live for. Living in Troy is unbereable for me, but at least here I don't have to worry about seeing them and that's the only perk i expect. Don't try to pretend you could be any different, specially when I'm here because you couldn't find any other more beautifull slave girl to claim yours. "

His hand was then on your face, lifting up your chin so your eyes won't leave his as his thumb caressed your lips.

" I think of you, ceaselessly. If there is any daughter of trojan judged more beautifull than you, I don't need to know and I don't care, because I want you over any other. "

Your hand followed his and pulled down, rejecting his contact.

" Sweet lies won't win me over, not this time. "

It frustrated him, but wouldn't make him desist.

" Would you believe me if I bring you his head on a spear? I can make him cry a painfull death to pay for your tears. Whatever vengeance Menelaus dreams of would be called mercy compared to what I can do to that trojan bastard in your name."

The strange rush of passionate defense encouraged you to reveal yourself.

" Revenge is not on my interest, all I want is to forget. Can you make me stop thinking of the first man who made my heart beat? The moments when we were happy still haunt me like a disease of the spirit, but then I remember someone else occupies my place now and it's like my heart gets eaten raw inside my chest. Pain and regret is all I have for you, son of Peleus. Paris drained me of anything else. "

Achilles got rid of his black robe and wrapped your shoulders with it.

" One night in my arms is all i think that would take me to vanish the memory of that fool from your mind. You haven't yet been loved by a real man: whatever he gave you would taste like few once you would have tasted me."

The fabric was still warm from the contact with his skin and he was holding both sides of it on top of your chest in an attempt of wrapping you tighter.

You didn't try to escape him that time and he used the new proximity in his advantage to trap you in his strong grip, pushing your body against his.

" In this arms you will find happiness again, if you allow me to show you how good I can do just for you. "

[gavisimmaculaterizz]

It was evening and y/n was in the bath doing skincare routine, but then she started crying because she started getting acne. She didn’t want to show it to Hector, but he did find out and he started supporting her and explaining that she was the most beautiful girl

Sorry for my English, is not my native language 🤪🤪

— beautiful girl / hector fort.

summary: you’re having troubles with your skin, but hector tells you he loves you no matter what.

warnings: mentions of breaking out (acne), some negative thoughts

masterlist

university has been eating at you, not being able to care for yourself properly. school work on top of school work, test on top of test, you never got enough rest. you always hated yourself for not being able to care for yourself when uni got that bad.

you were such an organized person, always doing your skincare, and as of now, even the smallest parts of your daily routine were far gone.

to say the least, you were a mess.

your boyfriend héctor always offered to do your skincare, being fond of your perfectionist routine. but you always denied, telling him that it wasn’t his problem, and that he shouldn’t have to worry.

————————————————————————

as you finally had a day of rest, you decided to take matters into your own hands, and finally fix yourself up. you did your nails, had your everything shower, and put on nice pajamas.

the evening was nice and calm in barcelona , and that set you in a better mood to continue in with your routine.

but as you started on your skincare, you noticed red dots on your skin. as you got closer and closer to your bathroom mirror, there it was. something you never expected..

acne..

it never occurred to you to check in the mirror before you went to uni, because of how busy you were, but now looking at yourself, you were deeply regretting not checking once in the mirror.

you rarely had problems with acne, your skincare routine always provided a good protection against acne. but since you haven’t been able to take care of yourself, there you were, having to deal with problems on your skin.

it could’ve been hormonal changes you were going through, but you couldn’t find why you broke out. but there you were..

you couldn’t help but start to tear up, thoughts racing through your head.

“how come i never noticed?”, you whispered to yourself. tears began streaming down your face, not being able to control your emotions anymore.

as your emotions began to take over, your mind went wandering..

‘why does my boyfriend even like me?’ ‘am i even good enough for him?’ ‘why did i not take care of myself properly?’

as you were so in your head, you never noticed the bathroom door opening.

héctor had just came back from an outing with his teammates. when he came back home, he heard soft sobs heard from your shared room, and he decided to investigate.

when he opened the door to your shared bathroom, he noticed you crying. confused as he was, he decided to walk quietly to you, trying to figure out why you were crying.

he noticed you rubbing at your skin, saying something he couldn’t comprehend, but that’s when it hit him.

you were crying because you broke out.

he felt sad that you weren’t able to properly take care of yourself, and deep down he knew you were blaming yourself for having university overload you with stress.

he quietly hugged you, which quickly got you out of your thoughts.

while there were no words exchanged, the only thing heard were quiet sobs from you.

as minutes passed by, you spoke up.

“dime la verdad héctor, me quieres así de fea?”, you said, clearly emotional. (tell me the truth hector, you love me this ugly)

“como crees que no te amo!! i love you the way you are baby.. why do you think that?”, hector said, voice lingering with sadness and confusion. (why do you think that i don’t love you)

“don’t you see my skin amor! how do you love someone like me, who’s skin looks terrible..?”, you said quietly, voice cracking at the end.

“i love you with or without acne amor,” hector started.

“you need to understand that this happens to people. you’re the most gorgeous person i’ve ever laid my eyes upon! te quiero sin o con maquillaje, sin o con problemas de piel.” héctor said softly. (i love you with or without makeup, with or without skin problems)

his words calmed you down. you thought you weren’t enough for him. he was a gorgeous man, with great skin, not a single problem with his skin.

you felt insecure with those pimples, although it would be gone, you still felt a bit insecure.

he noticed your face and decided to reassure more..

“you know amor, you’re the most beautiful girl ever.. i love you no matter what.”, your boyfriend said.

he ended it with a kiss.. problems soon faded away.

you were his beautiful girl and he loved you no matter what.

a/n: first héctor fic! ngl i didn’t know how to even start it so if it seems weird pls forgive me! also mind my shitty writing for dear life.. please send requests if you have some🤍

[cherubcameron]

Love Espresso

Chapter two: welcome back to Kildare island

Synopsis: after her breakup with Rafe and him kicking her out. Her best friend offers her a new job and a place to stay. But when Rafe comes back from Morocco. He realizes he’d made a grave mistake. Will Sofia go back to him? Or will she decide that her new life means more to her than him?

Sofia was placing books by their respective shelves. She stared down at one that read “how to win his heart back,” then immediately shoving it back into one of the shelves. Even when she tried to not think of Rafe. Signs of him were everywhere. Like he was cursing her for what she did to him. And she couldn’t blame him for being angry. She would have been too. If it were her.

“Sofia! Do you know where I left the bookmarks?!” Liliana yelled. Sofia attention deviated from the books.

“Yeah! It’s in the back. Next to the printer!” Sofia yelled, she came out of the shelves. Finally finished with her tasks. Wheeling out the book cart with her, to place in the back.

“Okay, found them! Can you please start the coffee machine?!” Liliana yelled again, now in the back.

“Got it!” Sofia yells back, walking swiftly towards the coffee machine. She was glad that Liliana taught her how to use it properly. She knew how to make drinks thanks to the country club. So it wasn’t much different from that. She began to set it up, allowing the coffee machine to heat up.

She began to make sure that she had enough coffee beans, making sure it was cleaned, and making sure things were working smoothly. Before letting the machine do its thing on its own. It was ready for its first batch of coffee.

Liliana came out from the back finally. Carrying the box filled with bookmarks. A big grin on her face.

“I made these myself.” She said proudly, showcasing them to Sofia. Sofia looked at each other, her eyes roaming through them.

“Those are so pretty.” She said in awe. “You’ll definitely stand out with those. They’re not like the typical ones you see at the bookstores. It looks like you took some time with them.”

Liliana blushed, “It just took me three days to finalize. Oh! Also Hector is coming to help us with the shop. He’s going to be making all the little pastries.” She waved Sofia’s comment away. But Sofia could tell it meant a lot. Liliana loved anything creative. It made perfect sense that she made the bookmarks herself.

Sofia looked at her agaped, “Hector? Seriously? How?”

“I’m good at finding what makes people heart sing.” Liliana said, her eyes closing as she smiled. Sofia gave her an incredulous look.

When Liliana finally opened her eyes, she spotted the look Sofia gave her. Her smile dropping replaced with a scowl.

“He likes to bake. I helped him discover his dreams and to chase them.” Sofia raises an eyebrow at her, Liliana face drops once more.

“Rude. Anyway, he’s going to help us on that front. You and I can switch between doing the register and the floor. I’m still trying to hire more people.” Liliana explains, looking around. “They do say it takes a village.”

Sofia smiled up at her friend, she couldn’t help the way her heart swelled. She was so proud of her friend. Happy that she got to experience this with her.

Liliana goes to squeeze Sofias hand. “Thank you so much for helping me. I wouldn’t have done this without you.”

“Same here.” The words hold more weight, she hopes Liliana understands how much everything she’s done means to Sofia. She can only squeeze her hand back.

Rafe stared up at his house, apart of him hopeful. Maybe she hadn’t left. She hadn’t run off, this whole situation was messy. He hated not having the chance to talk to her. He wished he hadn’t let his anger get the best of him. She still betrayed him, so why did he feel like shit about it?

Once he managed to get himself to walk inside. He walked in slowly, trying to see if he could hear any noise. He didn’t hear any movements. He began to walk in quicker to the kitchen. He took a harsh intake of breath.

There lay the ring.

So she hadn’t taken it. She hadn’t left with it, to pawn it. She’d let him go, just like that. He didn’t know why he felt so upset. He’d told her to pack up her shit and leave. Of course, she listened. It was Sofia.

Rafe ran a hand through his buzz cut. This is not what he had anticipated. And now he had to admit to himself that he wished she had fought for their relationship.

“Hey Rafe?” Sarah says coming into the kitchen. She stops once she sees what he’s looking at. “That’s mom’s ring.”

Rafe nods, his eyes glued to it. He couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that Sofia had just left it.

“You gave her mom’s ring?” Sarah asked, in shock. Rafe doesn’t speak at first, the regret building a home in his heart. Why didn’t he hear her out? He never found out the reason why Sofia did it.

“Rafe—

“I don’t want to talk about it, okay.” Rafe says quickly. He doesn’t want to be around anyone at the moment. He wants to be alone. This was all too much. He sees how spotless the house looks. Like Sofia had never even step foot in here since he’d proposed. Since he… broke up with her over the phone.

Sarah looks at him, but doesn’t say anything more. Rafe can feel her eyes on him and he tries to keep his face neutral. But he can’t help but let a scowl appear on his face.

“Rafe, she obviously meant a lot to you.” Sarah whispers. Rafe stares only at the ring. Tears start to film in his eyes and he wants to be alone. But doesn’t know how to say it gently. So he just shrugs.

“She betrayed me. Why am I the one who has to feel like shit for breaking up with her?” He asks bitterly, his voice is hoarse.

Sarah puts her head on his arm. A gesture that was very foreign for the Cameron siblings. But things had changed.

“You still loved her Rafe. That doesn’t change how you felt.”

Rafe finally managed to walk towards the kitchen counter. Picking up the ring in his hands. Letting the light glint against the diamond.

Sofia met up with Catalina. She still worked at the country club and she’d just gotten out of her shift for the day. Catalina took one good look at her and smiled.

“Mi amiguis!” Catalina squealed running towards Sofia. Sofia laughed, as Catalina wrapped her arms around Sofia. Sofia returning the hug.

“Hey cutie.” Sofia looked towards the country club. Seeing it again stirred emotions she didn’t think it would. Her smiles falters for a second before she turns her attention back to Catalina.

Catalina can see the conflicting look on sofias face. She sighs.

“He’s back.” She simply says, Sofia hearts drops.

“Oh.” She wasn’t expecting Catalina to tell her that. She lets a fake smile appear on her face.

“Good-good for him.”

“Sofia. I know you’re not happy about it.” Catalina says, unfortunately her friends could read her like a book. A quality that she both admired and hated at the same time.

“It’s fine. It’s— fine.” Sofia lies, she’s not ready. She can feel her heart sink. She doesn’t know how she’ll face him. She’s glad at least she’s no longer apart of the country club. She doesn’t have to deal with Rafe and his kook friends. Sofia lets out a sigh.

“Let’s go, okay. I’m hungry.” Sofia is glad that Catalina changes the subject. Sofia nods and takes Catalina to her car.

Song Sofia is listening to on her playlist

[blackjackkent]

It doesn't feel real, truly.

Hector never considered himself a lonely man. The concept didn't really have meaning at the monastery; nobody was alone and yet everybody was, all of them existing primarily inside their own heads in worship or philosophy or study. If no one held him or spoke softly to him, caressed him or asked after him or loved him, what did that matter? He had the life of the mind and the history of the whole world to occupy him; he had the warmth of Selune's gaze in the moonlight outside the window of his bedroom cell.

That was before. Now... everything is different.

There was no one like Karlach at the monastery. Karlach is immediate and real, all flesh and blood and bone and fire. He loves her as he has never loved anyone before, but sometimes it feels as if he does not know how, as if he is learning, over and over again, what it means to live in his body, to feel things so deeply with his flesh and his heart as well as his mind.

It doesn't feel real - to have someone who will touch him, who wants to feel the soft give of his skin or the rough stubble of his beard. She is always touching him, desperate for it after ten years of denial. When they stop for a break on the road, her hand always finds its way to his arm, his back, over his shoulders, her fingertips ruffling the hair at the base of his neck. Where her touch moves, it leaves trails of heat on his skin and makes his heart race. She explores him with her hands as if she wants to map out every part of him, as if she thinks he is a gift and she can't believe her luck.

It doesn't feel real - to kiss and to be kissed, to need and be needed. He can roll over at night and press his lips to hers and even in her sleep she will smile against his mouth. After a life of isolation it feels decadent - no, illicit - to be able to simply ask for a kiss from someone he loves and know that it is there for the taking.

It doesn't feel real - to be held. Karlach's arms are warm and all-encompassing. In her embrace he is safe and the rest of the world, with all its trials and threats, does not exist. He smells the scent of her - heated metal and sweat and something sweeter like wine - and it seems impossible that all of her should be his, and more importantly, that all of him should be hers.

And it hurts. He does not know how to explain it. He loves her and she touches him and it is good and wonderful and it hurts, as if she is reaching deep into his chest and adjusting his heart until it fits into place properly under his ribs. It aches like frozen flesh brought into warmth for the first time, the straining and stretching feeling of a cramped limb uncurling itself. It is so good and it hurts...

And it hurts all the more because he knows that it cannot last. That same heat that warms him in her embrace will consume her at last and take her from him, as surely as the moon rises and sets.

------

"You 'wake, Hec?" she mumbles to him one night.

He is curled into her arms, his eyes open in the darkness, fixed on the curving point where her neck meets her collarbone as if fixing every line of muscle into his memory. That soft ache rolls and rolls in his chest and twists sharply upward at the sound of her voice.

"Yes," he murmurs back.

"Wha's'a matter?" She presses her face into his hair.

He smiles. He does not know how to tell her that sometimes he cannot sleep for how much he loves her. He has no idea how to explain that the feelings she wakes in him are beyond anything he was ever equipped to bear.

"Nothing," he says softly. "Nothing... you're perfect... that's all..."

[alpaca-clouds]

Why I loathe CoD Hector

Something I really wanted to write a proper blog on, is Hector. I answered on another blog on this before, and wrote a shorter thing about this before. But I really wanted to write something on its own. Because I will once again iterate: While Hector in the animated series definitely gets to finish out his character arc, he works a lot better as a character than his game counterpart. And that even though the game came out at the time, where Castlevania tried to go more for storytelling.

Yet, there is this thing, and that mostly comes from it still being an old action-centric game... How the need of making the main characters of action games until sometime in the 2010s into the stoic kind kinda made them worse characters.

I said it before: The Castlevania games for the longest part never really were that interested in telling characterdriven stories and focused more on the gameplay. Which is very much fine. But even when they tried to include more story, for the most part they still keep the brutish, stoic protagonist. Even Alucard, despite looking like a beautiful princess, is very much the stoic male protagonist. This is just a thing with action media that was going on for way too long. Sure, even stoic characters could make for good fan interpretation in stuff like fanfics, it often is an issue that the media itself does not want to actually explore the characters emotions.

Or, to make it fairly clear: This has very much to do with this idea of toxic masculinity. A lot of old action media (not only games, but also movies and such) will not allow male action heroes to show emotional vulnerability, because that would be unmasculine in the eyes of the writers. Which then boils the characters down onto the supposedly "masculine" emotions, like anger and the urge for revenge.

And this is kinda where we get to Curse of Darkness.

We have this whole backstory through the manga, that goes into Hector's background and all that. While I will say that here I prefer the animated version, too, I will fully admit that this is just a subjective thing (I like that the animated version draws some clearer cultural aspects into it, while also giving Hector the agency of killing his abusers, rather than having it happen as an accident), because I definitely can see why people would prefer the manga version.

Where this ends, however, is already at the moment when Hector joins Dracula. Yes, I will fully admit that I am not a big fan of game!Dracula in general, though I will not go into the why here. He works as a game villain, I will admit that, though.

No, what I dislike about Hector's story with Dracula is more the: "And he becomes like the best forgemaster. Like he is so amazing and so strong, and did we tell you how amazing he is?" It goes too much into the power fantasy to me. While I get that the game canon heavily drew on this idea of the main conflict between Hector and Isaac being one of jealousy... I will just say, that a conflict of jealousy is actually so much more boring than a conflict of ideals. And the backstory by far had enough going on there to make it a conflict of ideals, as Hector did still - like in the animated version - not like the idea of killing thousands. Which could have been used for a lot of conflict, but... yeah.

I will still say, that for the most part, the backstory works. While I roll my eyes already at everything with Rosaly, because Rosaly is very much the incanation of the trope where this pure hearted girl saves the soul of the corrupted man (I don't know how this trope is called, but it is for sure a trope), it does work so far.

No, where Hector as a game character stops working is... at the game. Or rather in the moment that Rosaly does do the thing that she as the sole female character in this entire fucking story has to do: She dies so that her death can motivate Hector. And that is to me where game Hector as a character does stop working.

They could have given Hector any motivation to face off against Isaac. They had put up more than enough story fragments in the manga that they could have build from. They could have made it that Isaac wanted to go for revenge and before he could do it, Hector tried to go in there to protect the people he had now learned to love. They could have made it that Isaac tried to ressurect Dracula. They could have made it that Isaac tried to continue Dracula's work until Hector decided that he could not let his former friend do this, because Hector now knows better. There could have been several interesting and good motivations.

But no. Instead they went with: "Girl dead. Boy sad. Boy angry. Boy wants revenge." The fuck?! This is just so bad in terms of storytelling. It is just the refrigerated woman trope, in its most lazy iteration.

They could have given Hector an interesting motivation and conflict. But no, instead they went for revenge. Ugh.

But that was not enough for the writers of this game. Ooooooh no. If it was just that, I would still hate it, but I would be fine with it. Because let's face it, a lot of games use the "revenge for loved ones" trope. Sure, this game is not using it in the most creative way, and it could have done a lot better from the backstory that was set up in other media, but... It is fine. This is fine.

What is not fine however is Julia. I hate Julia. I hate everything about her as a concept.

And again, mind you. I absolutely would not have a problem with Julia if she was just "some girl" or just "Isaac's sister". Then Julia would be fine. It would even be fine if Hector caught feelings for her, even though I would once again roll my eyes at this.

No, what makes Julia so offensive is the fact that she looks and sounds like Rosaly. Meaning, that she explicitly, not just implicitly exists to be a replacement for Rosaly. And that just makes it all so, so badly written.

Worst of all: This gets never explained. Julia just is Rosaly's doppelganger. Just because... Well, because the writers of this game wanted to have their cake and eat it too. They wanted to motivate Hector by revenge for a dead girl, but also wanted to have him end with the girl. And it is just... misogynic writing. I am sorry.

It portrays women as "things" that can be easily replaced. And I hate this so, so much. It is the reason why, even though CoD might not be the worst game in the series, it is by far the one I loathe the most.

And they could have so easily done it differently. Either by not motivating Hector through Revenge in the first place, or by just making Julia a different person from Rosaly. Make her strikingly different and then have Hector fall for Julia. That would have been fine. Just this: "I broke one doll, but I will just get a replacement" thing that game has going is... horrible.

And yes, additionally I will say that another reason why I do prefer the animated version of Hector is, that he is not the stoic kind of character, but he is actually fairly vulnerable. He is a bit of an idiot who easily fall for people. He definitely does not get to have his power fantasy. But it is exactly this that I like. Because it is a story we usually do not get with male characters.

The story of Hector in the animated series is very much a story that would have usually been given to a female character. And I adore this fact. I adore how they switched the gender stereotypes around for this.

Yes, I am well aware that some fans of the games hated this, too. But I honestly have to say: Look, the game characters might have some minor differences, but all in all they all fall under the stereotype of the stoic action protagonist. Yeah, the series needed to switch this around a bit, because it would have gotten boring otherwise.

And frankly. I am sooooo sick of protagonists being all stoic all the time. Give us some variety. It won't kill these characters to smile from time to time... Or, you know, be vunerable.

[jarondont]

These Actions Haunt My Days

Odysseus was used to getting weird dreams. But this one was different.

Someone was watching him.

“Athena?” he called into the dream-void.

A soft chuckle came from behind him. “Don’t mistake me for one of the immortals, Laertides.”

Odysseus whirled around as a man’s figure faded into view. It was someone he recognized, but couldn’t quite put a name to. “Who are you?”

“I’m just a man.” The figure raised a hand and gestured to him. “Like yourself.”

Odysseus’s hand flew to his waist, then he remembered that this was just a dream. He can’t hurt you. And you can’t hurt him.

“What do you want, stranger?” he spat.

“You call me stranger, yet you too triumphed over my fallen body.”

So he was a ghost. An enemy … Odysseus almost didn’t dare ask. “H—Hector?”

The Son of Troy smiled—a gentle smile, although his eyes held a controlled rage. “No respect for your opponent, it seems. It took you that long to recognize me.”

“Why are you here, prince?”

His smile faded as his expression hardened. “I wanted to talk to you, one father to another.”

Oh.

“If this is about your son—”

“You did it to protect your own. I understand that. But…” He sighed. “You and I are not as different as you might think, Odysseus.”

The tactician titled his head, cautious but curious. “Oh?”

“You are a king, fighting for your country. You fight for your wife, who awaits you back at home. And your son, who you want to see grow up to live a glorious life. And you will do anything necessary to protect those you love the most.” Hector stepped closer and softened his voice a little. “I, too, fight for my people. For me, my city is my first love. I did everything in my power to try and protect it, but my efforts were in vain.”

Odysseus lowered his eyes.

“My wife, my Andromache—she longed for an end to that terrible war so that we could be happy together. But I told her … I told her that I might not come home—as surely you must have told your Penelope.”

“You—”

“And my son. All I wanted was for him to grow up to become a good prince—Lord of the City, as we called him.” His eyes filled with sorrow. “He was an infant, Odysseus. I understand that it was between you and him, but … he didn’t deserve that. He didn’t deserve to be slaughtered in such a dishonorable way. You were given a choice, Odysseus, you—” his voice caught in his throat. “You could have raised him; you could have given him the life I never could. But you didn’t. You chose the easy way out.”

“Easy?” Odysseus’s temper flared. “You think it was easy to hold your son over the walls of Troy, all while looking into his eyes and only seeing my own? You think it was easy to ride inside that horse into the city as the people celebrated, knowing that their joy would be short-lived? You think it was easy to watch the city burn as the people screamed for mercy, calling for their loved ones so they could breathe their last in each other’s arms? All while knowing full well that it was your fault this entire massacre occurred?” Tears were running down his cheeks now, staining his chiton. “None of this was easy, prince. It haunts my every step; occupies my every thought. I wish—how I wish I could have prevented this, but in the end, it was never up to me.”

“No,” Hector whispered. “But you could have tried.”

Odysseus’s heart ached. “I did,” he choked. “I really did.”

“There’s blood on your hands,” Hector said softly. “And there will be more. But whose blood—that remains up to you.”

With that, Hector’s figure disappeared, leaving Odysseus to fall to his knees and cry, each sob clenching his heart with guilt.

[bibibbon]

Netflix Castlevania is a REAL doozy! Our protagonists, the Belmonts being treated horribly by their so called friends and love interests, but it's always depicted as a joke at their suspence, never being the one to beat the grand big bad or have their most greatest power (The Morningstar whip) being treated as useless, gets paired with the female love interest who doesn't treat him with much respect and is inconsiderate of his feelings and all? Check. They even had one of Dracula's generals go through severe abuse, r*pe, torture, locked in a dungeon, tricked into being magically bound to his female abuser/r*pist, mocked and demeaned in by his female abuser to other vampires, and yet be the one to apologize to HER and fall for HER that he cried when she took herself out when she loses her powers! 3/5

Part 1 part 2 part 3

I have watched castlevania (though it's been a while) so I can definitely add a lot of input here.

I see where you're coming from with the way the narrative treats Trevor Belmont's situation and trauma (I do partially agree here) we are first introduced to Trevor in season 1 episode 2 where he is visibly drunk and gets into a fight due to his family crest. From that whole ordeal in episode 2 we find out a few things:

Trevor is from the Belmont family

The Belmont's don't have a good reputation in Wallachia and were thought to be evil people who dealt with dark magic and evil beings

Trevor is homeless

Trevor is the last son (person) from his family

So the things we have learnt about Trevor aren't any good and it's already implied that there's a lot surrounding his backstory and trauma in general.

(I do think that season 1 and 2 so handle Trevor's, alucards and Hector's trauma quite well my problem stems at the end of season 2 till season 4)

The later half of season 1 we see that Trevor's social skills are significantly lacking with the way he fails to comfort sypha when she watches her grandfather and the other speakers leaving and from that we are revealed to the fact that Trevor has been travelling on his own for quite a while meaning that he has never actually made a long term human relationship in years and that sypha is his first one in a long time. No we are aware that Trevor does have regular human interactions since he does go to a pub or an inn from time to time but they're incredibly brief and sometimes outright negative interactions at worst and neutral interactions at best. So I think there's a highlight about sypha being his first positive human interaction in quite a while and one where both are experiencing a lot of various emotions together (I did hope that the show might of made a bit of emphasise on Trevor's loneliness and how he was a lone wolf for quite a while)

Early season 2 we get a lot more information about Trevor and his backstory. We got news that he for one couldn't actually read

(I don't think he ever learnt to read in later seasons either) and that he lost his home and family when he was 12 or around that age. I do like the fact that there is an emphasis on the fact that everything seems to be a blur to Trevor since he physically can't remember what age he was when all of his family was excommunicated by the church or what age he started to travel alone. The show at least allows for both sypha and alucard to be genuinely shocked by this information and even have alucard make an offer handed comment on how he had a longer and much more stable childhood than Trevor did (I do like this and I think it actually shines a lot on Trevor's past).

I think the whole memory loss thing with Trevor can be linked to two things :

Trevor resorts to alcohol to forget or feel numb about what happend to him as a child

Trevor's brain couldn't physically handle all the trauma so it just blocked it/made him forget it to protect him

The end of season 2 gives trevor a nice conversation that I personally enjoy and one that actually addresses his behaviour within season 1 and season 2 when sypha asks him to accompany her and travel with her.

I do think that they shouldn't of actually defeated Dracula in season 2 but season 3 ( I wanted more of the trio and honestly I still thought that they were massively under prepared when it came to fighting Dracula). When it comes to Trevor not getting the main spotlight when fighting Dracula that's something I get why and honestly I still do think that alucard should be the the main one to fight and take down his father as it's much more symbolic that way (alucard is Dracula spelt backwards and alucard literally defined himself to be the exact opposite of his father it's something that's a part of him and something that he needed to let go of after the fight)

However, Trevor does get his time to shine considering that he fought death itself in season 4 and survived!

I think what bugs me the most is how when it comes to Trevor and his trauma (basically his trauma is very integral to his character it's literally influenced his actions IE drinking a lot and an overall lack of self care or self preservation) the idea of the show using trevor and having sypha and alucard be disgusted at themselves in a way that reminds them of trevor rubs me the wrong way and I can't fully comprehend or articulate why.

I think it's the way the narrative tires to play it as a joke where Trevor ends up being the punching bag maybe that's why it rubs me the wrong way. Maybe it's that because I do think that those moments could be used as a way to have the characters get closer and understand Trevor a lot more and vice versa.

Now moving onto alucard I think the whole thing he went through with Sumi and taka was unnecessary. I really hated the fact that the writers chose to break up the trio after season 2 and I hoped that we could of seen both Trevor and alucard rebuild their childhood homes together and both of them heal from their trauma while also dealing with the other vampires and hoard left. I think we should of gotten a sypha pov where she is somewhat torn about going back or staying behind with Trevor and alucard (in the end I do think she would go back to the speakers to meet her grandad and then come back to complete the trio)

I think the thing is alucard already had enough trauma there was no need (in my opinion) to add the whole sumi and taka thing + him being so lonely that he literally made dolls of trevor and sypha (that broke me). Like I would of enjoyed if the show took its course focused on alucard processing what happend to both his mother and that fact that he had to kill his dad and he now resides in that exact house with everything still there and fresh. We could of just had alucard grieving and sypha and Trevor there to support him (every single time I remember that sumi and taka may of reminded alucard of Trevor and sypha and that maybe why he let them be so close to him I tweak) there's also the fact that you could have alucard go through a bit of an identity crisis and not knowing how to fit into the vampire world or how to help stop the hoard and what maybe left of Dracula's army.

In the end I dont know I just think the whole sumi and taka thing + Trevor and sypha leaving him behind was unnecessary and unfavourable. This is more so especially after season 4 proceeds to introduce Greta and somewhat not fully explore all of the trauma alucard receives due to the whole SA situation with Sumi and taka. Sure I think it would be interesting for the show to have alucard be incredibly hesitant of trusting Greta but having alucard silently yearn for trustful and valuable human contact and interaction.

However, I do like the way the show went about exploring the trauma alucard had in season 1 and season 2 with sypha being the one to make a lot of the connections and even having the show display alucarda conflicted feeling about his mothers death and his fathers rage thay got him injured.

(like I said I haven't watched castlevania in a while so there maybe some mistakes but this is my take on all of this)

[beevean]

A more fleshed out idea of how I would have ended the Lenector story in the most balanced way I can think of.

Lenore is Hector's prisoner, as per canon. He still treats her as nothing happened, like a good friend, but Lenore is sulking and angry and not even bothering to keep up the façade like Hector used to do in her position. It's unfair, after she treated him as her only confidant, and she couldn't care less, that's what the traitor gets. Hector thinks he should be happy, to have reversed the roles on her... but he isn't. Unlike Lenore, power over another person doesn't satisfy him. He can't help but see her as a depressed animal in a cage... much like he used to be.

He wanted to protect her, he really did, but only now he's seeing how much hurt he caused her. Much like she said she meant to do with the ring, although to this day he doesn't know if it was a lie or the truth. There is no joy in inflicting her the same fate she inflicted upon him, even if it comes from a place of well-meaning and not selfishness. He has seen what that kind of "eye for an eye" mentality brings to the world, and he wants none of it.

So, he finally takes a decision for himself, and repays the one debt he has with her. He helps her flee from the castle. He is, for the first time, showing empathy to a person and not an animal.

(I don't even think Isaac needs to be kept in the dark. Lenore on her own is harmless, nothing like Carmilla who became a danger to the world. Hector and Lenore are dangerous tools in the wrong hands, but they lack the ambition that makes them solid threats, as they are mostly concerned with feeling safe. If Isaac truly wants to do good to everyone, he has no reason to keep Lenore as a prisoner, not even to force her to work for him. Same for Hector, since the two might have "forgiven" each other, but they have no relationship whatsoever. Perhaps him heeding Hector's request could show more how compassionate he has truly grown.)

Lenore is confused as to why, and Hector more or less explains that he couldn't bear watching her drinking herself into a stupor. Lenore snaps, and yells at him that he has no right to feeling sorry for her after what he has done, after going behind her back, after ruining her life... and is promptly shot down by Hector flashing his mutilated hand. Every ounce of ire Lenore directs at Hector is actually directed at herself, and they both know it. She is deeply regretting everything she did for the sake of people that didn't even respect her, she is just too proud to apologize. And her pride, her insecurity, her need to be the one in control, was what prevented her from truly being the good person she wanted to be. The very reason Hector wasn't happy with her despite her best efforts, and destroyed her life.

She really thought something so paltry as a slave ring would tame the human spirit. She really thought humans, like vampires, would care more about safety than freedom. For a diplomat who set herself to bridge humankind and vampirekind, she let her basic instincts get the better of her.

"Why didn't you just kill me back then?" she yells, attacks, it feels so good to blame Hector rather than herself. "At least I wouldn't have known how little I matter to you!"

"I'm no longer that child," Hector responds. "I'm no longer the boy who believes to have the right to punish others. Besides, shouldn't you know the desire to spare someone's life no matter what?"

They had never breached that subject again, not after Lenore dismissed it in a fit of denial. It still weighs on her. He can no longer care.

"All this time," Hector says at last, "I expected an apology, but I think I don't need it anymore. As much as I don't need you anymore. I'm grateful for your efforts to protect me from your sisters' ire, so now I'll use them to live for myself. I'm sorry it had to be this way."

He holds no grudges anymore, and he has genuinely come to appreciate the real Lenore behind her masks and the way she took care of him during the previous six weeks, when the world would have chewed him and spit him out; but at the same time, he can't bear staying with her. She makes him too sad. It reminds him of how low he allowed himself to be brought for the sake of some scraps of love. She reminds him too much of a version of him he doesn't want to be. There are too many conflicting feelings in him. He can't help but think that, in another life, the two could have been genuine friends, if not more... but not this one. Too much baggage, too much shared misery. He is done with it. No more will he seek safety and love in other people, as if he wasn't strong enough. He deserves better.

Lenore doesn't know what to think anymore. She wants to die so badly, she is almost tempted to not hide herself from the sun: she can't concieve her existence as nothing more than a black hole, unworthy of living. She is nothing more than a disgusting monster doomed to spread misery to the world, she thinks, and she should die like one. She has nothing left, no allies, no home, and the one person she fell in love with is pulling away from her, and she can't bear being abandoned, and she completely understands why he's doing so. At the same time, however... Hector too has nothing left, and yet he wants to live. After everything he went through, after himself desiring death at Isaac's hand, he wants to experience real life, not survival like he has done since he was born. Lenore pretended to praise his strength when she was manipulating him, but now she has come to genuinely admire that trait. Can she, a vampire used to nothing but comfort, be as strong as a human being?

She wants to ask Hector if he thinks she's a good person. A glance at his mutilated hand answers her more than any word could. Lenore, all this time, had no idea what being "good" meant, she was only good at putting up a façade of gentleness, and she thought it was enough. All this time, she behaved like a vampire pretending to be human... so now, she will learn from the best human she has ever met. The best person. The only one who saw her as a person as well, behind her masks, behind her usefulness.

Even if Hector is now walking towards the dawn, with nothing but his resolution. For the first time, he will live for him, for himself.

They will never meet again, but in a twisted way, they gave each other what they needed to grow.

[not-eli]

Some peeps asked for Heather character analysis and that's literally what I live for so let's go

pay attention this is long.

Heather is portrayed since the very beginning like the perfect example of the word brat. Her literal first line is, "I'm calling my parents, you can't force me to stay here!"

Even though this could hint that she has a very close relationship with her parents, at the same time in the extra clips for the parents from home we understand that her parents aren't really so caring for her, since they were celebrating at the thought of her leaving.

Even if this can seem controversial, there's a perfect explaination for this kind of behaviour:

As an example, my cousin is a goddamn brat (so glad my family doesn't know about my blog), always whining and asking for my aunt's phone, even cussing in front of his parents, and he's about 5. The thing is, due the desire of not hearing him protest my uncles tried to please him in everything, giving him what he asked so he would stop crying.

i think that Heather's parents kind of did the same: They complied with her every request so as not to hear her complain, not because they cared about her but because they wanted her to keep quiet. Heather of course got used to this and that's literally all she knows. She knew that if she conplained, she would get what she wanted.

We also know that her parents used elettro shock therapy on her in order to "make her nicer" which also hints that they didn't have a goddamn clue of what to do with her.

Furthermore, in tda when she thought she was about to die she wrote her will where she left most of her possessions to her mother. Plus, when Chris offered the team a chance to talk to the person they were closest with, who was the person suggested to Heather? That's right, the mother.

When she "opens up" a little to Harold she asks, "do you think it's good to be hated by everyone?"

I think that her bratty behaviour, maybe even in order to gain a little of attention from her parents, led people to stay away from her and to cope she became even worse, trying to convince herself that it wasn't her, it was them.

In an extra clip (cannot find it) we learn from her younger brother that she was used to be seen as "unattractive" when she was younger, which adds to the whole "no one likes me but who cares" thing.

I have the feeling that she closed herself off for so long to avoid being seen as weak, someone who can't provide for herself. We know that her number one objective is winning and only winning, she wants the money and for what? To start a life of her own, show the world that she's Heather and she's so worth it.

However, we sometimes caugh some moments of weakness: When she broke down while teaming up with Harold, when she looked upset when Lindsay and Beth stayed away from her (who, to remember, were the only friends she made on the show), when she comforted Courtney after the whole cheating thing and lord, even when Sierra the creepy crazy girl got hurt she showed to care for her. Also, did you see how happy she looked when Cody called her "the good guy"? (well not exactly but you get my point) or when she won?

And when she fell for Alejandro, she probably thought that was stupid - why falling for a boy that will just slow you down, break your heart?

Heather is hated by everyone, it's true. But deep inside she's just a girl that never understood how the world really worked. She never got how she had to actually behave in order to be liked. When she and Alejandro had that lovey dovey honeymoon phase she genuinely looked so happy because he was treating her like a literal queen. In my opinion, she finally felt respected and that was enough for her. Until Chris mentioned the money that is.

She deserves to win again :(

@math-is-math

@cass-hector-simp

[spinningbuster98]

Since yesterday we talked about my *favorite* story: I think what really confuses me about the NFCV fans who defend Hector's writing by praising his final action, letting Lenore go, as the rightful conclusion of his character arc... is that it only works if you completely memory hole S3.

Hector is introduced as someone who burned his own parents alive after a childhood of abuse, bitter enough to believe humanity needed to be culled. From this perspective, him learning to forgive Lenore, or at least granting her mercy and dignity, could be a good character development. But Hector through the show was not written to be bitter, vengeful and violent: that was Isaac.

Or alternatively, Hector's biggest flaw is that he needs to be loved, so much that his favorite spell is reanimating dead animals so that they could love him unconditionally. He forces those creatures to him. He keeps this behavior by clinging to Dracula, then Carmilla (he could have ran away, he chose to stay with her after Dracula's death), then Lenore (after Carmilla's death and Isaac making him live, Lenore became his only certainty in life). From this perspective, him not forcing Lenore to live an existence she didn't want to live, but accepting her decision, could be poignant. But Hector never actively sought anyone: he was swayed and lured in. Besides, his pets stopped being relevant after S2.

Hector's arc was one of passivity. You can't miss it: even Isaac points out that Hector lacked agency. Hector spent his entire arc being thrown around left and right, lied to, beaten, humiliated, dehumanized, and he simply... existed. He has no objective, he barely has any negative emotions. Hector in S3 was a blow up doll, and we audience were meant to laugh at his stupidity while jerking off over the submissive and breedable peggable guy being called "good boy". S4 pretends he grew, with his working behind the scenes to resurrect Dracula, but it's not enough, for all the reasons we know. That's why him letting Lenore go feels like the last spit in the face for him: not only Hector is the only character in the season who is left with a bittersweet ending at best, but... he didn't do anything to affirm himself. He didn't choose to leave Lenore: Lenore chose to leave him, and he simply nodded to that. He didn't talk to her about their problematic relationship, now that nothing was between them. He didn't take the chance to recognize his own self-worth in the same way Isaac did. We don't know what he plans to do with Isaac, we don't know if he plans to leave the castle at some point. The pattern of him going "sure why not" at everything thrown at him was not shaken.

(I don't need to tell you that as someone who loves the original Hector's story precisely for the way he seizes agency for himself, this pisses me off something fierce. More idealistic? Maybe, but also encouraging.)

I'll be honest: Hector as a character is so empty that I feel his fans simply project themselves into him, especially victims of abuse who see the way he crawled back to Lenore and think that it was an intentionally nuanced representation of the way abuse twists your mind and priorities. And if his story resonates with you, I can't take it away from you, but I can assure you that the guy who spent a whole episode writing his puppy fetish for no reason other than fanservice does not give a single shit about the realism of abuse, let alone the things he was accused of.

And I wonder if the same can be applied to other aspects of the show, like Trephacard's friendship that straight up doesn't exist on screen, or Isaac's "development" which might resonate with people similar to him. Just a lot of projecting and filling in the holes, of which the show has plenty because it would rather waste its time with pointless filibustering and people being mean and crass to each other or piss jokes.

This is gonna sound very cynical but the main reason for the show's success is, essentially, that it's superficially deep and insightful.

Superficial presentation can go a very, very long way in hiding very egregious writing flaws, stuff like great fight scenes, emotional music and dialogues that sounds very cool, philosophical and deep can easily convince people that what they're watching is far more than it really is. These are cases where, if you don't pay attention to the finer details, you would really be led to believe that it's exactly what the show is presenting itself as

As another example: Sonic fans, even after all of these years, still like to parade Mephiles around as the best written villain in the series, even though his plan makes less than zero sense. This is because he looks cool (?), has cool powers, has a cool voice and the game consistently presents him as a mastermind...so folks fall for it, it's all about the vibes and how they emotionally impact the viewers, who in turn don't tackle the material with actual critical thought. Some seem to do so, given the plethora of in-depth analysis of characters like Isaac, but, and I know this is really offensive of me to say, I think they are still being influenced by the emotional impact of the way the story likes to present itself, preventing them from truly being 100% objective

People see Hector's pseudo philosophical speech to Lenore, they see her killing herself with the beautiful cinematography and music, and they mistake it for actual art, because it makes them forget or reinterpret the likes of S3. The reason why so many undermine or even justify Lenore's treatment of Hector in S3 is not, I believe, out of genuine rape apologism, but rather becaus people have a subconscious need to have everything neatly fit into their view of events

The ending of S4 looks so beautiful and deep and meaningful, but their relationship in S3 is in direct contradiction of that, so instead of recognizing that they twist the facts in their own head in order for all of it to make sense, because if you admit the existence of S3 as it truly was to yourself, then S4 and it's "beautiful" emotional impact falls apart like a ton of bricks

This is sounding very arrogant if not downright misanthropic I know, as I'm essentially saying that people don't know how to consume the media they like and that they don't even truly know what it is that they like. I feel a bit ashamed in saying this because it's the type of reasoning that would anger me usually, especially if directed at me, so in a way I guess I'm being hypocritical...but I truly don't see any other way to explain this phenomenon

Isaac is, of course, another good example: it's "easy" for most people to forget his hypocrisy because the show puts such a laser focus on his "development" and emotions and philosophy etc. It's like dangling keys in front of a toddler in order to distract them from some other thing

Something like Other M could have had the same effect, but the difference I feel is that Other M is far more egregious in its superficial dialogue: Samus sounds boring and stupid even at a surface level, she can't fool the audience, and Adam's character doesn't feature nowhere close as many "distractions" from his shitty behavior, especially since the authorization mechanic is pervasive throughout the whole game, so people immediately see what a douchebag he is and how self contradicting the story is about him.

[asterinthewritten]

The world is waking.

Sunlight blooms and stretches across the mountains, blessing the snow with an ethereal glow as it shines upon Styria. Dawn is approaching, gently, as if to give the peace of the night more time for its goodbye.

Hector was glad of it. He might have thought that the sun itself slowed its ascent for him as he poured the last of the wine into the two glasses he was holding. He sighed, looking out at the windows, seeing the sun touch the peaks of the mountains and brightening the sky.

For years, he’s been conditioned to know the sun well and to be wary of it. It’s one of the things his job as Forgemaster entails, really, and with what his former masters were. He supposed it is plural now, for he’s been passed on from one vampire master to another because of the curse of his talents. Sunlight, therefore, had always been a novelty, a rare delight he could only really enjoy with his own company. 

He pocketed these thoughts in a vault as he rose to bring the wine-filled glass to the woman crouched on the love seat, head in her hands. 

“It’s nearly your bedtime,” he said, a half-hearted attempt at wit as he handed her the glass.

Lenore looked up at him, dazed from her own thoughts. “I’m not finished yet,” she said, taking the glass the way she always does when Hector gives her something. A small touch, a caress, before accepting whatever it was in his hands.

It has never failed to warm his blood.

But… there’s just something about the way she looks up at him that doesn’t do that today. Maybe it’s the tiredness in her eyes, or the slump of her body. Wit seemed to be his only option to light her up.

“You might not be,” he replied, hearing her drink as if it was her first glass, “but the wine supply is definitely over.” He heaved a sigh as he flopped down on the couch adjacent to hers.

“Oh, it’s all over, Hector.” His eyes were closed, but he could see her waving her hand in condescending nonchalance. 

“It’s really not.” He almost smiled. He rose to face her. “Things just changed, that’s all.”

She huffed, almost pouting. “Vampires aren’t... big on change.”

It was his turn to huff, then. “Well. Someone should have told Carmilla that,” he said, taking a swig from his glass.

“You still misunderstand her.”

“Oh, come on. Even you were terrified of what she turned into.”

Lenore stared intently at her glass, swirling the wine inside ever so slightly. Finally, she sighed. 

“The scale of it, maybe. And the chaos it would have introduced into our lives.” She raised her knees to her chest, curling up perfectly against the couch as her brows knitted in perfect contemplation. Hector had a strange, sudden urge to curl up beside her, straddle her, offer her comfort. Just to rid the creases of sadness on her face.

Maybe it was a good thing he’s learned how to hide his emotions better.

“I still say that at the root of it all was the vampire’s virtue.” Her voice was indignant now, almost defensive. “We want everything to remain the same, to remain stable.” 

He couldn’t contain his scoff. “Ah, the vampire’s virtue. Bloody hell, there’s an act of philosophical acrobatics for the ages?”

“Oh, shush with your trying to be clever! You people spend 60 years bumping into things and call it a life. We have to take a longer view. So we want stability.”

“And you’re saying you had that.”

 “We did,” she said, nostalgic. “As a quartet, my sisters and I had strength. The strength to enforce a stable environment. Strength can fight a war, yes, but it can also build a shelter.”

She looked at him now, cheeks reddened with wine or rouge, he couldn’t decide. “Are you following me?” She asked, a little scornful as she raised a brow in question.

“Just bumping into things along the way, huh,” he replied. “Small shapes are stronger than big ones, Lenore. Carmilla wanted more than a weatherproof shelter.”

“In the end--but it all came from that virtue, do you see?” She sounded almost desperate.

He shook his head, defiant still. “Strength and power are different. You wanted strength. Carmilla wanted power.” 

The wine in his hand wasn’t appealing anymore.

She sighed aloud, her way of conceding. “In the end, yes.” Her eyes turned downcast as she concluded, “Which is what ruined my life.”

She took a swig from her glass, eyes closed, relishing the warmth in her throat. “Power. Big, international, non-diplomatic, projected power is something else. It lends you more might, but it doesn’t have the utilities of strength.” 

She turned towards him now, eyes alight, trying to make him understand. “It lays eggs in you, it becomes a parasite you have to feed! Power does nothing but eat!” 

Silence befell the room then. She curled back up in her seat, having been caught up in her passions not to notice her own movements.

Hector loosed a breath. “Like a vampire?”

Her eyes widened as the full weight of the realization hit her. It was stupid, really. She should have known all along. She was a bloody vampire herself, wasn’t she? 

So she finally drawled out, “Like a vampire.” 

Read more...

[writing-whump]

Hurt leg

Hector's hurt after a fight with a wolf pack. His estranged brother Isaiah happens upon him. Reluctant comfort, broken leg, emeto out of pain, angsty reunion.

Hector was glad he was alone.

There were tons of things he had to deal with upon his return to the city. Many packs who have gotten ideas, while he was away. Conflicts his pack wasn’t sure to start, but that he could put a very quick end to. The first night he got back, he had already visited two pack leaders.

The confrontation today marked the third. He didn’t take anyone with him. As a show of strength, that he wasn’t afraid of bad odds and uneven numbers.

And a little out of concern that someone might see him like this.

The fight was vicious, physical and over quickly. If Hector didn’t have such excellent control over his shadow, it might have been worse, but he could heal himself with unrivaled speed. So it didn’t really matter how badly he got slashed with other powerful shadows. Not having to worry about getting hit gave him an edge in battles like these.

Except maybe he had a bit overboard tonight. His shadow healed all the slashes that would have been mortal - the one over his throat, the hit to his spine, the one that almost ripped off his arm from the shoulder down. 

As it happened, it was out of capacity for healing today. 

And his leg was very much still bleeding and broken. Hector couldn’t stand on it without agonizing pain shooting through him. Afraid he would black out, he limped his way to a nearby bench and resolved to spend the night in the park. It was alright. He was alone, it was calm and cold. His shadow would likely regenerate enough until morning that he could show up back at his pack’s central unbothered and healed, bringing news of victory that would only solidify his position as branch leader in the city. 

Uncle Grayson had been reluctant to give him command here, despite the perks the branch extension would have for the pack. Hector knew it was because of Isaiah’s presence. All the more reason to prove himself capable and unbeatable as quickly as possible. 

Hector leaned against the wood of the bench, careful not to jostle his leg. The wound didn’t look so bad, hidden under his jeans. It bled only a little on the back, and that wouldn’t be visible to humans in the dark. He felt the break though, the pain was pulsing through him with every heartbeat. At least it was in the right position, not sticking out in any weird angles.

Hector didn’t risk closing his eyes. Checking his phone, he found messages from Delaney that bordered on concerned. He typed a quick reassurance that everything went according to plan and ordered her to leave him alone. She was his second in the pack, but he didn’t want her around any more than he did anyone else. Maybe more than that.

His senses prickled with a new presence. Someone was coming in his direction.

Hector straightened up on the bench, stretching out his good leg and leaning against his elbow, like he was simply relaxing. If this was a human, it wouldn't matter, but a wolf could smell the blood. Well. He had enough of foreign blood on him that would probably mask his own. What an unexpected advantage of this night.

The figure appeared from the shadows at a slow pace. Unhurried. Without raising his exhausted shadow, he couldn't tell if it was a wolf or not until he was closer. 

The figure came closer, a long black coat flapping behind. Black slightly wavy hair was longer than Hector remembered, framing his face in an unruly way. The comb and gel were missing, though the suit was still the same. Leave it to Isaiah to never leave without his suit on. 

Jesus Christ. Just my luck. 

It truly couldn't have been a worse person to witness him in such a weak state. 

Not weak. Just unseemly. Hector wasn't weak and he wouldn't be intimidated.

"Hello, brother," Hector said with as much disdain and mocking as he could. Isaiah was a joke of a brother and Hector liked to remind both of them of that fact.

Isaiah said nothing, regarding him carefully. Hector immediately felt irritated by the silent judgment sweeping over him. The bloody splotches of his enemies on his shirt. The rips in his leather jacket. He couldn't have moved his injured leg if he tried, not even bothering to identify the exact place of the break. It simply hurt all over and blindingly so if he tried to stand. 

Hector crossed his arms over his chest. "Well? All done? Cause now you can hurry along. Nothing for you to see."

Isaiah's face was completely devoid of any emotion. "Do you want my phone? To call someone?"

Hector gave him a disbelieving look. "And what for?"

He had gone alone to fight the troublesome pack. He had overdone it and he would not call anyone to help him with a mistake or temporary weakness. He couldn't just as much as he wouldn't. Weakness was not something wolves allowed and not something the Wolfson pack would forgive. 

Hector was sure that was obvious even to Isaiah. They grew up in the same pack after all. 

"You are pushing yourself too hard. Again," Isaiah said.

"I fail to see how that's any business of yours. You don't belong to our pack anymore." 

Isaiah said nothing. 

Hector scoffed. He wished for a reaction. He wanted a pained wince, shock, anger, anything. Anything that would show what his brother was thinking. How much he regretted leaving, how hard it was on his own. 

Hector dreamed of following Isaiah into the city since he left. Leading his own branch and showing him how he succeeded him, how he would replace him as the next leader. He wanted to bask in Isaiah's misery, that surely came with being a lone wolf. No one would choose that fate willingly. 

Instead, Isaiah had seemed stronger, not weaker for his experiences, famous all over town as the wolf who didn't need a pack to get by, to be important and solve every argument. 

Now Hector was hearing he moved in with a wolf and a witch. They didn't call themselves a pack, not yet, but Hector didn't think they were far from it. It was an obvious move, an obvious betrayal of Isaiah's promise and just made Isaiah's leaving all the worse.

"Can't someone pick you up?" Isaiah asked, his gaze sliding to Hector's leg. How did he know, damn it all?

"I'm fine. Just a few hours until dawn and I will go back on my own." Just a bit of time for his shadow to recover and heal him. If admitting this helped get Isaiah off his back, then so be it. 

Isaiah gave him a long look and then stepped closer, offering his hand.

Hector glared at it as if it was a deadly viper about to bite him. "I don't need your help." 

"Yes, you do. Come on. My car is close by." 

"I'm fine on my own."

"It's 1 in the morning. If someone comes across you, you will make an easy target. Don't make such a drama out of it. Anyone sensible would have accepted help by now." Isaiah said, hand still in the air. "It won't change anything between us," he added quietly. 

Hector growled at him, flushing at Isaiah's words. Then he relented, uncoiling his hands and motioning for Isaiah to get closer. "Just to your car." 

Isaiah jumped into action immediately, sliding his arm around Hector's back and arm. "Lean on me," he commanded, hoisting him up.

Hector clenched his jaw, but Isaiah did hold his weight securely. He pushed himself up with his good leg, letting the other hang limply in the air, not touching. This way, maybe he could function. 

"Why the sudden urge to help?" Hector asked, his own arm wrapped around Isaiah, grabbing a fistful of his coat. 

"Don't flatter yourself. I would have helped anyone."

Hector clicked his teeth in annoyance and hurt. "Go somewhere and die already."

Isaiah only chuckled at that, unfazed. 

They made their way through the park, Hector's hurt leg hanging between their encircled arms. Hector hopped a bit awkwardly, but they were making progress, so he didn't complain. 

It wasn't until they turned the corner and left the sidewalk, that his hurt leg grazed against the asphalt. The road was lower than the park ground and neither of them noticed in their effort not to look at each other. 

The tiny pressure from the tip of his foot shot up his leg, jostling the break around the knee. Hector's breath caught in his throat in surprise and then the shock of the pain razed through him like lightning. He shut his eyes, trying not to scream through his clenched teeth.

"Sorry, sorry," Isaiah whispered in his ear, readjusting his grip. 

Hector tightened his grip on Isaiah's coat, but the white-hot pain made his whole body shudder, sparks exploding in front of his eyes. He couldn't form thoughts, he couldn't control anything, the world disappeared in pain, titling backward.

Isaiah cursed, his hold tightening as he stood between Hector and the gravity. And good thing he didn't let go. Hector pitched to the side instead, stomach jumping into his throat and shooting out of his mouth.

He couldn't stop himself and he didn't care. Only gradually, as the world came back into focus did he feel the dripping liquid on his lips. A puddle of whitish vomit formed under him. Hector blinked at it in confusion, before he felt the rest of it in his mouth and spat it out on the pavement in repulsion. 

"Sorry. Just a minute longer and you can lie down," Isaiah said, something urgent entering his voice for the first time. 

Hector looked up at him, his stomach flipping angrily. He swallowed, trying to hold it at bay now that the pain was subsiding. Isaiah squeezed his arm and pushed him into a vertical position again.

Hector gave up all pretense of toughness after that, looking only down at his leg, afraid of anything that could touch it again. 

So he didn't notice, when Isaiah suddenly stopped to get his keys out, opening the front door of a building he never saw before.

"Where is your car?" Hector asked weakly. The pain waves always came with such heat he was sweaty all over. 

"At its parking place, as always," Isaiah said nonchalantly, opening the entrance door with one hand awkwardly to shuffle Hector inside. 

They took the elevator up to Isaiah's apartment. Hector was too tired and sweaty and gross to question it. The pain made him so helpless and panicked with the mere possibility of returning he didn't care to argue. It could hardly be any worse anyway.

Isaiah brought him inside, not bothering to take off his shoes in favour of positioning Hector on the couch in the living room. Hector sighed in relief at being able to finally sit, leaning against the cushion and closing his eyes. The nausea was still there, rising and ebbing with no rhythm whatsoever and he was trying to breathe through it.

He opened his eyes only as he felt Isaiah unlacing the shoe on his good leg before inspecting the injured one.

"No. Don't touch it," Hector said through gritted teeth, face going white.

"Do you want to put it up?" Isaiah pointed to the empty space on the couch beside Hector. 

"I can't stretch it. It's the knee." Even adjusting to sit was jostling it enough to make Hector's breath hitch. He buried his hands into the couch beside him, curling his fingers.

"I'll get you some painkillers for it," Isaiah said gently. He gripped his shoulder again before leaving.

Hector wanted to glare at those casual touches that his older brother had no reasonable excuse for. Except he disappeared out of his sight, which Hector didn't like at all. Isaiah's measured calmness was steadying and his judgmental perfection made Hector hold onto the remnants of his composure. He was afraid he would crumble without it.

Wolves ought not to be good with pain, since their shadows carried their injuries. Hector had gone overboard and asked too much of his shadow more than most, but even he wasn't used to such prolonged pain. His breathing was getting fast with the strain, as if we were running and it was making the nausea stronger.

Then Isaiah returned, holding a glass of water and two white pills. Hector refocused on him, feeling his face going lax immediately. 

"Wolves don't use painkillers," Hector said angrily, reaching for the pills. He could wait out the pain till morning and be up and about as if nothing had happened.

Isaiah watched him with a small amused smile. "Obviously they don't need it." 

Hector rolled his eyes, swallowed the pills and grinned back at him. 

"What's going on here?" A new voice joined. Hector turned his head to catch the sight of a girl with long blond hair, a thick woolen sweater over her shoulders. 

"Hey. Nothing much. Just my brother came for a visit." Isaiah stood beside the couch, hands in his pockets, obviously trying to look unconcerned. 

The girl's eyes widened as if that was the first time she even heard Isaiah had a brother. Hector rolled his eyes again. That actually wouldn't have been surprising. 

"So you must be the witch," Hector said, straightening up. It was a welcome distraction. And she obviously was, for the smell of ozone and jasmine coming off of her. 

"No, this is Seline," Isaiah said chidingly.

The girl turned to him abruptly and then gave him a dazzling smile. Isaiah's face softened at the sight so visibly Hector frowned. That was way more emotion than he was ever allowed to see. So a witch touchy about being introduced as one? He had never seen that either. Witches were always proud creatures, angry at anything mundane that threatened to distract them from their magic. They wore the term as a title. 

Even if they become a pack, it will be one of weirdos. 

He let out a deep breath, leaning back again. The pain was becoming duller and he actually felt sleepy now. It still surprised him that after all these years and unfinished grudges between them, Isaiah's presence still put him at ease that way. 

He was not in the mood to fight it. Just for today.

@bellysoupset