#hector has very complicated feelings about dracula.

[the-crow-binary]

I don't have a context for this. Just a little talk between Hector and Benedict ❤️ (bestie wanted me to post it for some reason 😔)

BB: Sir, if you don't mind me asking...

Hector: Hm?

BB: Do you think... Isaac loved you...?

Hector: ... I wouldn't say "love". I'd say he was passionnate. He had a fire burning inside him... But neither of us could handle it.

BB: ... What about Count Dracula...?

Hector: ... Do you know about the sea?

BB: I know of it, but I have never seen it, unfortunately.

Hector: Well, neither have I, but I have heard stories about it, and read books about it. You see, when the sea hit the rocks on the shore, it destroys them everytime just a little more. So little you don't realize the rocks are slowly crumbling, until it's too late.

BB: I think I see where you're going with this...

Hector: I was a young rock, in love with the ancient sea. Yes, sometimes, it would become so stormy it's waves would hit and drown me. But it could also be so calm and gentle, the same waves that left scars the previous night would soothe my pain with loving caresses. What I didn't realize is that... Even those gentle caresses were eroding me.

BB: ...

Hector: Don't fall for the same tricks I have, Benedict. The sea is older than you, and it knows much more things than you. It is aware of the power it's waves hold... And it consciously uses it to harm for it's own sick pleasure. Don't let it fool you into thinking otherwise.

[beevean]

So some recent... discourse put into my mind the concept of "power fantasy", and how people relate to it in different ways. Of course, I'm talking about Hector :P

Is Hector, in the games, a power fantasy? I think the answer is "yes but actually no but actually yes it's complicated".

Let's be honest, first: Hector is a product of his time. He is, in many aspects, Castlevania's response to the wave of edginess that was en vogue in the mid-2000s - I don't compare CoD to ShTH for no reason lol. Hector was always meant to be an anti-hero contrasting the pure heroes the games always starred before him:

—Why did you choose the theme of "revenge" for this game? Iga: Up to now, the Belmonts have been seen as the good guys. I thought it'd be nice to do something other than a moralistic "good triumps over evil" theme sometime. After all, Castlevania has always had an excellent world for telling a "dark hero" story. Alucard would be one such character… though even he is fighting for a just cause: "I've got to stop my Father!" So he's still kind of a good guy. This time, though, I wanted the motivation itself to be impure. So this theme is what I came up with, and then I thought it would be even more interesting if each side was out for revenge on the other.

Hector has "impure" motivations. His quest is completely selfish: while all the other protagonists want to face Dracula (or others in his place) because it's the right thing to do, Hector is just in to kill the man who ruined his life. In fact, he really couldn't care less about the Curse, and multiple times in the game he asks why can't Trevor just deal with the issues he doesn't want to deal with lol. This is in line with other characters of the same caliber, such as Shadow sneering at a city being invaded by aliens until there is something in for him, or Guts who declares that he's willing to let a whole town fall prey to demons, as long as Casca is safe. However, this is not a detriment to Hector's character like it would be nowadays, as he's also very much mean to be "cool": while obviously every protagonist has his cool factor, even going back to Simon in the first games who defeated Dracula all by himself and then had to heroically struggle with the Curse, Hector is cool in that, well, deliciously over-the-top way that was all the rage back then. He can ride wyverns as he slashes them, he can go toe to toe with Trevor himself to the point that even he is impressed, he can forge a gun and an electric guitar, cutscenes show him punching a stone devil with his bare first, he gloats in Dracula's face that he can nullify his Curse... yeah, he's a gigachad lol. The flaws are only meant to make him cooler and not "boring", as paragon heroes were seen at the time.

I, personally, never cared about this part. I'm not the target audience for this kind of power fantasy. Sure, I like that Hector is over-the-top cool and I will always joke about his most outlandish feats, but I'm not so keen on reducing him to those alone. I couldn't even explain why avenging your dead lover counts as part of a power fantasy lol.

This is why I latched on so much on the first half of his story, the one where Hector deals with Dracula, and why I insist that Hector is much more than his admittedly cliché archetype of "angry man on a revenge quest".

Calling Hector "stoic" is not even knowing the meaning of the word. Calling pretty much any CV protagonist "stoic" is factually wrong, as even the more serious ones like Alucard and Shanoa have other depths to them (Alucard is still grieving for his mother and we see it in a nightmare, Shanoa was deliberately made stoic and she subtly longs to feel again), but Hector doesn't even begin to fit the definition of "One who is seemingly indifferent to or unaffected by joy, grief, pleasure, or pain". The whole point of CoD is that Hector was left so emotionally vulnerable by his grief that both Isaac and Zead used him as a puppet. Anger is the complete antithesis of stoicism. "well anger is still a toxically masculine emotion" - memes aside, Hector shows other emotions too, most notably around Julia, the only person with which we see how actually gentle and polite he is when he doesn't have Dracula's influence scrambling his brain. By the way, you cannot ignore the effects of the Curse on both Hector and Isaac when you analyze them, especially the former:

It can't be plainer than this.

And it doesn't come out of nowhere, because not only Julia herself tries to warn Hector that Devil Forgemasters are susceptible to the Curse, he acts vulnerable around her. He apologizes for his unjust outbursts, sympathizes with her plight, is visibly affected by her grief when Isaac dies... sure, it might be all because he's lowkey crushing on her, if you want to see it that way (and I do have my words over the plot point of Julia looking like Rosaly: I would have preferred if the game had more time to show that Hector grew to see Julia as her own person beyond her appearance), but the point is that this behavior highly contrasts with how angry and aggressive he is to everyone else, which the reveal of the Curse recontextualizes.

Also, just saying, while anger can be toxic, the point of these storylines is usually precisely that revenge is bad. Unchecked anger is bad for you, and you shouldn't let yourself fall down that spiral, lest you lose yourself. Isaac got consumed by his own hatred and died as a tool; Hector realized in time that he should snap out of it and survives, also because he was nice to Julia and so she grew to care about him and saved him when he tried to kill himself <- a reaction that is very unmasculine, might I add, as toxic masculinity dictates that men should make other people pay for their pain. bro. bro this is the complete antithesis of "toxic masculinity". Again, this is really not knowing the meaning of the word.

I don't even need to pull examples from the manga, but just for completion's sake:

iunno about you chief, but someone who bursts into tears just because wifey told him that she's happy he was born isn't exactly the portrayal of toxic masculinity to me.

Which makes me segue into the next point!

Hector and Isaac are victims of abuse, and this is another very important angle to understand them. And I'm not just talking about their childhoods, of which we only get hints, although of course it does matter that the two experienced so much hatred and rejection in their youth that Dracula was the better option for them.

We don't see the details, but Dracula affected both of them deeply. He put them in a competitive dynamic, favoring Hector over Isaac: Isaac grew bitter with resentment, which made him double down on his loyalty to Dracula, while Hector only got the appreciation he craved at the price of his very humanity and morals, which weighed on him. The point of this favoritism is not really the core of their rivalry in game, as that one was caused by Hector's betrayal, but it gives a different dimension to the character. It would have been easy to have the mistreated guy the one who decided to turn his back to Dracula, but no, it was the golden child. Isaac was so entrenched in this dynamic that he never broke free, choosing instead to blame Hector and do everything in his power to prove himself to an uncaring Lord, including (in the manga) killing his own underlings so that he would be free to face Hector by himself. From PtR:

"My own body is proof of Your expectations for him" is such a hard-hitting line. Isaac fears that he didn't even disappoint his Lord, because his Lord didn't have expectations for him in the first place. It's Hector the one he's so proud of.

And Hector hates it. By all means, he should be happy to have a home, to be respected and appreciated and free to use his powers. And he used to be!

"Lord Dracula... You once accepted and needed my powers. There was a time when such a thing gave me joy..."

Hector was grateful for his Lord, but he couldn't live anymore in the safety of the castle, if the price was committing indiscriminate murder for the sake of a senseless revenge, going against his morals and being used as a weapon. Hector had to make a choice: keep living under Lord Dracula's protection, but losing his humanity piece by piece, or breaking free and facing the world that hated him, but as a free man?

Hector chose freedom over conditional safety and love. He was ready to die, as long as he died a free man. He put himself first, he turned his back against people who did not truly appreciate him, and despite the mess he left behind it was the right decision. And that's the power fantasy I adore, and that is what makes him a strong character in my opinion. It's the embodiment of achieving self-confidence, the healthy selfishness, the affirmation of the self when everyone else around you only sees you as an object or a prize, the reassurance that even if you fall, you can always get up and try again and become a person you can be proud of.

And Hector, after breaking free, very much acts like a victim of abuse. I spent countless words over how he displays the belief that he needs to do something to earn the right to be loved by Rosaly, unaccepting of the fact that she simply does because, well, he likes him and sees the good in him, and that's it. I wrote a whole analysis on how this belief stems from a sad naiveté on how the world works, because Hector is naive underneath the aloof exterior, and it's not something to make fun of him for, but a tragic result of living under Dracula for so long. I'll also point again to him having breakdowns because he hates himself and sees himself as inherently unlovable.

I could also spend all the words about the parallels about how Hector loves Dracula and how he loves Rosaly:

In both cases, he latches onto the only person who has showed him a modicum of kindness. He wants to give his life for them. The difference being, of course, that Dracula only appreciates Hector for what he does (and I could also go into a whole tangent on how Hector was personally raised by Dracula to be his knight and he has a piece of his essence inside him which parallels how abusive parents see their children as an extension of themselves), while Rosaly for who he is. With Dracula, Hector understands that all the shallow care in the world doesn't matter if he isn't also respected as a person: he still cares about him, in some fashion, but not the point of clinging.

And if Hector is ready to lay down his life for Rosaly because she finally showed him what real love looks like, is it any wonder that seeing her die would spark such a fury in him that it makes him prey to the Curse and to being once again twisted into a tool?

The power fantasy comes from the part where Hector breaks free of the abuse and manipulation - twice over. But he is also relatable, with all of his flaws, weaknesses, and mistakes he makes. The whole point of Hector's journey in the first half of his story is that he feels the need to atone for his sins, and the consequences of his actions all catch up to him in the worst of ways. Ignoring this to reduce Hector to an edgelord who only spends his life angry and then hooks up with a Rosaly replacement (which incidentally also ignores Julia's personality and agency and I might even call as misogynist as the plot point itself) is a huge disservice to the thought and care put into him to make him stand out from his own archetype.

Power fantasies are not inherently bad. Depending on the fantasy, they can be inspirational. Hector is inspirational to me, if that wasn't clear, I see part of me in his circumstances and I admire his arc: it tells you, "you can break free too, you have the strength to do so, and you will find people who will love you without reason". And I just generally speaking find him a very well written character despite stemming from a rather outdated context, because all the details come together to make him fleshed out and tridimensional.

[alpaca-clouds]

Let me talk about Women in Refrigerators

You know what? This is a thing that is kinda annoying me in the Castlevania fandom. How everyone is screaming about Women in Refrigerators, while folks so clearly do not understand what the trope actually is about and why it is a bad trope.

Like, there is not a single death of a named woman in Castlevania, that not at least someone has called "fridged". Alright, maybe Drolta. But other than that... yeah, folks definitely have called Lenore and Carmilla fridged. And... No, people, you misunderstand the trope.

The name of the trope was coined based on Green Lantern vol. 3 #54 (from the 90s), in which Green Lantern finds his death girlfriend stuffed in a refrigerator - mostly for shock value in the reader. Mind you, this was the 90s, when superhero comics were really, really edgy and stuff. And in fact the kind of story happened a lot of times during this time. Female characters being killed, raped and tortured for pure shock value, with the story not featuring any idea of what this did to the female character, but rather focusing on what this does to the male characters. (And mind you: Yes, a woman can be considered fridged and still survive the ordeal. A lot of folks do consider Barbara in The Killing Joke fridged as well.)

So, what does "Fridging" in terms of the trope mean? Basically it means that a female character suffers a horrible fate just so that another (most probably male) character can be motivated to do something and react to this thing happening, setting in motion a character arc for the surviving character - or even setting into motion the plot.

In many examples it should also be noticed that at times the female characters mostly just exist to meet their horrible end. Supernatural as a show is really bad in this regard. Like, within the first episode of the show THREE FUCKING WOMEN get fridged, just so that the brothers can travel together and start the plot.

So, let's move back to Castlevania.

Lisa is fridged. There is no way around it. Yes, it does not feel like it, because they still managed to make her a character of sorts, but yeah, she definitely is fridged. She dies a horrible death and that death is what motivates the plot, as well as what motivates both Alucard and Dracula. That is very classical fridging no way around it.

Carmilla and Lenore, though? Yeah, they are not fridged. They are characters who just die. Their death is not used to motivate another character. Their death is also not random, like most fridging deaths. Especially Carmilla is basically asking for her death, of course. She is a villain and gets the same death as all other villains. And while it is a bit different with Lenore, she definitely is not fridged either, giving that she literally dies in the last episode with no plot or development happening because of her death.

In Nocturne it gets a bit more complicated. Is Julia fridged? In a way, I would argue, she is, mostly on the value that she exists as a character to die and for her death to be the basis for Richter's character arc, giving him the trauma he needs to overcome.

Esther meanwhile does not feel fridged to me. Because Annette's trauma is not deeply linked to her death, rather than the entire slavery experience in general.

Tera? Well, for Tera it is too early to tell. I still assume that her change into a vampire is going to be used to have the characters realize, that vampires are not inherently evil, and to give us a view into what vampire society looks like. At least that is what I assume.

By the way: The fridging of female characters is my big issue with the PS2 Castlevania games. Like, in Lament of Innocence both Sara and Elisabetha are getting fridged to motivate Leon and Mathias. And the same is true for Rosalie in Curse of Darkness, who as a character only exists to motivate Hector. I mean, she is so replacable as a character, that Hector fucking replaces her by the end of the game.

[radiant-featherball]

Unstructured, random mess of thoughts about Alucard, Hector and Isaac.

Headcanons, speculation, all jumbled together

Alucard was a mommy's boy. He learned to control his inherited abilities and learned a bit from Dracula but otherwise had little interest in Dracula hobbies/interests/whatever you call it and would rather learn from Lisa. Dracula is a bit annoyed.

Hector was mistreated by his mother and his father ignored his existence and here is a (part)vampire loved by his parents. Hector has complicated feelings about that.

Alucard is born and raised in Castlevania and so have a very sheltered or skewed view.

Canon is that he thinks his cursed blood means he should not exists, my thoughts is IF he spend majority of his life in Castlevania (if Lisa and Alucard lived among humans that's different), he really have no reason to think that before Dracula's madness. Even if Dracula regained his humanity with Lisa and IF Dracula mellowed out, I don't think Dracula ever got to a point he ever admit he is a cursed existence. Lisa loves Dracula so whatever she thinks about him being a vampire, she clearly don't think his cursedness means he shouldn't exist. So Alucard has no reason being raised with those belief. And it's a castle full of monsters (they obviously wouldn't think that), and humans studying dark magic either just because they wanted to (so similar to monsters) or they had nowhere else to go. Someone like Hector with his complicated feelings about his powers could have negative influence on Alucard, though I don't think instilling Alucard with self-loathing would grant you favors with Dracula... So my idea is Alucard only starting think that after Dracula went mad and no talking to him could get him to change his mind. "Being a vampire even if you somehow retained/regained humanity means you're just a ticking bomb" Maybe also Alucard's stoicism is result him scared of letting emotions get the better of him.

As fun as the Isaac is the unfavorite and not respected idea is. He is still a general and has same position as Hector and Death. That is not a low rank and given to someone Dracula has no respect for. We know Hector was valued more for being more powerful, and Dracula wasted resources to find out what happened after Hector fled, but that doesn't necessary means he would give no damn whatsoever if Isaac did the same thing as Hector.

Going against direct orders of Dracula of reporting Hector's status and killing the other followers to silence them = Not betrayal. Killing Dracula's wife = Betrayal They are all replaceable and only living on Dracula's generously and whims, but Isaac has more freedom cause only he is the True Good Loyal Servant, but Dracula's family is untouchable in Isaac mind? Or is just whenever Isaac puts his own wants above Dracula is fine because he is Loyal and would never betray Dracula, and whenever others goes against Dracula that's horrible because how dare they!

The first thing Isaac does in Castlevania is either picking a fight with or bullying Alucard, not realizing he is Dracula's son. No idea why Isaac would be allowed to stay after that. Maybe that a part of reason for his early simpness.

I have hard time imagine what interactions Isaac and Alucard would have. That is not just Isaac putting his foot in his mouth, at least. That one scene in MF lives rent free in my mind.

Like Isaac insulting humans and how demons are oh so much better and Alucard is just don't insult my mother! , and Isaac backpedaling.

Hector first meeting with Alucard involves Death threatening him. Hector might have gotten lost and ended up in a place he's not allowed in. Or Death is annoyed about the Isaac Incident and just is a bit overeager to defend Alucard.

Alucard experimented with alchemy? magic lab? and then everything that could go wrong went wrong and he caused an explosion large enough to blow up a tower. Dunno if everyone knows he caused the explosion or everyone is wondering and just noting Alucard do NOT want to hear about it.

Death as Dracula's most trusted servant is stuck babysitting trusted to look after his son. Whenever Alucard wasn't with Lisa and/or Dracula, Death was with him. Death will report if Alucard ever attempts at mischief to Alucard's annoyance.

"You don't have to tell Father everything" "I will not lie to my master" "You're not lying, you're just not telling him"

Did Hector immediately flee when Dracula starting to kill humans or did he support Dracula ? "When you began slaughtering them indiscriminately, I had no choice but to disobey you." sounds like he fled early. In PtR probably early after he realizes they sending the Innocent Devils to kill humans, then he gets thrown off the castle by Dracula for protesting. In MF it's been months since the start of the war and unless Dracula immediately send Hector to kill Trevor (...before the Church is likely to even have found Trevor by the sounds of CV3 manual...), and Hector wandered for months before suddenly killing the demons with him and went into hiding, or Isaac spent months searching for Hector. Hector could have killed for Dracula for a good while.

Alucard resents Hector for running away. "Only one other person agrees Father gone mad and need to be stopped. ...and he runs off. ...yay" Even more so if Hector was killing humans in Dracula's name for months.

"You betrayed me, Hector… And for that, the punishment is death.

"Still uttering the same nonsense. No matter. Now is the time to put aside your weak human side. And join me in REMAKING THIS WORLD!!!"/"Enough of your nonsense! Away with your humanity! Stand with me as prince of all the world."

Hector's punishment for betraying Dracula is become a hideous monster or death, Alucard's punishment is to be turned into a vampire(which likely includes death and possibly brainwashing).

[glitchlight]

castlevania s4 thoughts

this is basically a live tweet thread but I didn’t live tweet it because a) spoilers for something fairly fresh and b) [ASSHOLE]’s name is all over this, as he was apparently fired after his role had wrapped up anyways.

the tl;dr for s4 and the whole of the series imo is “Incompetent Writing Well Executed” because there are frankly juvenile editing and pacing mistakes everywhere but the animation, voicework, and design are often exceptional.

i also think it’s constructive for creators to develop a strong editorial eye and to be able to see what the flaws in other works are, and what works well, a lot of my thoughts are specifically tied into that, and also criticism since I basically watched it because I have friends modestly interested in finishing it but not wanting to touch it because of [ASSHOLE]. this contains modest spoilers but a lot of the later plot details i refer to only obliquely.

-boy it doesn't feel great seeing [ASSHOLE]'s name as the first name on the title card. I get giving people their due in writing but you could've had a slighly longer title card to elevate the people who worked on it aside from [ASSHOLE] so we can celebrate them. -you could teach the first half of the first ep as what not to do in setting up plot threads it's that blatantly obvious -lenore and hector are basically different characters from s3 because [ASSHOLE] needed to introduce more intrigue to Carmilla's court. -Women need trauma to be villains hack shit. -must we introduce a morally grey androgynous woman of color badass who doesn't care about the deaths of her allies -fly demon becomes a character just cause people liked his scene lol hack shit -isaac remains easily the best and most interesting character in the series (aside from the problematic elements of his character) -fantasy "i'm blocking your number" scene is funny -Vampire Lady Hot -THEY GENDER FLIPPED GRANT??? -boy the animation budget for episode 4 got slashed for no reason?? it looks way worse than the preceding material. -cool st. germain's back and the girl he's into is literally a voiceless random badass-- the fourth such one this season? [ASSHOLE] is a hack but come the fuck on. - I personally liked the implications St. Germain was from a different physical reality than ours or at least a different timeline (such as with the triangular notebook, which I know was a real thing but serves a different purpose as shorthand in a series when it passes without mention like that) but him being from europe still is boring. - the library dimension is fun but would be less jarring if it weren't so visibly 3D in a series that ostensibly aims to be 2D - Yet Another Nameless WoC Morally Grey Badass Facilitating White Male Plot huh. - I get that we're doing a "St. Germain is of the same as Dracula" plot here and that "in service of love people do terrible things" but it's undercut by how much I hate St. Germain as a character and don't give a shit about him. - also, furthermore, i just straight up hate narratives that have to tell you a villain's motivations in detail by giving them perspective. it's hack shit.   - the infinite corridor is a weird plot element that doesn't really add anything to this story beyond a fabled otherworld and some cool aesthetics. -god lenore you interupted hector last season saying "the real people are talking" and now you care about him?? [ASSHOLE] is an idiot. - this entire series of fights is rendered toothless by remembering alucard can literally control his sword with his mind and is just holding it for plot convienence. - this scene of sypha and trevor both, separately, doing what they do best is a good scene. i've been critical of a lot but this is a good scene. - we're triggering the endgame now? like right now? Carmilla's been in one scene. Like I know the prior seasons have been criticized for being too much set up but this is literally set up into climax already?? - well here's where the money from episode 4 went. - You spent all that time in season 3 setting up the sisterhood and then didn't make them the villains of season 4 huh. Fuck off. That's so fucking stupid. - AND HECTOR AND ISAAC?? YOU HAVE FOUR MORE EPISODES YOU ABSOLUTE CLOWN - I am Russian I am Soldier - Soldier boy having the same rant as carmilla we get it vampires are bad -stock-child-laughing-soundeffect.mp3 - "Of course I'm insane!" "The fuck what now?" is actually a kind of fun line. - [ASSHOLE]'s writing style isn't so much a puzzle box plot, one of many moving parts intricately sliding together, so much as heaps of mud being flung at the page from a half dozen different hands. It all sticks together but it does so messily and only with great violence. - this is just a kaiju -Where did this second vampire army even come from, who the fuck is Dorgon or whatever? Was this written for Carmilla's army then got changed because that would make way more sense than this rando -Boy I'm not comfortable with this slur being thrown around even if it's usage is complicated. -the inversion of the invasion in dracula's castle hall is a nice touch. - they did the op as fight music thing. - ah damn this guy has the same fight gimmick as a character i was gonna do dope though - Sypha continues to have the best fight scenes which makes up for her not having a character arc this season in [ASSHOLE]'s eyes. - That plot twist is okay I guess but it's very funny that he talks like that. And says Fucked Up. - I can't believe that after one of the biggest critiques of season 2 was that there were a bunch of vampire fights with nameless voiceless vampires who don't matter and you don't care about, it ends the exact same way. at least the fights are weirder and better than the kind of lifeless scene in S2. - This trope is so common but still works. - This ending is, par for the course in this adaptation of Castlevania, rather anti-climactic - You had to make the shoutout, and i bet you felt so clever [ASSHOLE] - Is that finale worth it in the end. like hell yeah good animation but fuckin didn’t make a lick of sense. - that bit of cleaning up got me to cry but only because i'm a tender-hearted idiot. - this ending is far too tidy (Hack shit) and the sequel hook is bullshit dumbfuckery. - FEET

[youremymiracleelliot]

Castlevania S3 — some thoughts

I really liked the 3rd season a lot and think it was at least as good as season 2. I was hit right in the feels, the plot never bored me but I believe there was more potential to the Infinite Corridor story line. Let’s take a look at the three separate subjects.

1) I’ll start with Trevor and Sypha who, during their travels, arrived in a village called Lindenfeld. They soon are introduced to odd happenings surrounding the priory and so, they stay to resolve the matter.

Anyway, we learn they’ve become a couple and are obviously in love (in their unique ways). It hurt me to listen to one of their conversations:

I mean, I might be Alucard-centered here but I am still pretty salty that they left him behind, all on his own. At least they didn’t entirely forget him (yet) and I’m aware there was good and logical reason for him to stay behind. That doesn’t change, though, that it’s a very inhumane decision. Alucard’s story line in season 3 really hurt a lot and to be honest, we all know Trevor and Sypha are responsible for the happenings as well, at least in one or another way.

Back to the actual plot that happened in Lindenfeld, we witnessed what a powerful fighting couple Trevor and Sypha are. I was pretty surprised and impressed how easily they defeated those two angel-like creatures. The only real opponent was the night creature which was forged by Isaac

(I WAS SO SHOCKED ABOUT THIS! I had some hope left for him to reconsider his actions but I only saw his soul darken. I understand, he’s disappointed by the human race. Still, the captain on the ship was right too. It’s so difficult and complicated — one of the reasons why I enjoy this show so much.)

and which had fed on the souls of the villagers. Thanks to St. Germain they won and thanks to him, we got that plot about the Infinite Corridor. I’ll be honest here, I found this idea so rich and expected very much. Especially more than a few creatures leaking through. Okay, they didn’t already have to travel to different realms but when the door to hell was opened and we even saw Dracula and his wife, I expected things to happen. Them returning, or anything the like. To be blown away. But no, nothing. This disappointed me, though I had already started to hope for family reunion when they encounter their son. Sadly, I didn’t get that.

2) Now I’ll focus on Alucard’s story line (as I’m already writing about him). And as I’ve already written how wonderful a family reuinion would have been, I have to add, Alucard would have needed it. My heart was broken in episode 1, seeing him all alone and abandoned. I knew he’d be alone but still seeing this hurt a lot.

And it was highly unexpected. At least to me. Because of his unbearable loneliness I was so relieved when Sumi and Taka showed up. At first they seemed kind and good. But during episode 7, when Alucard showed them the Belmont archives, I started to realize something feels off. I couldn’t quite name it but I didn’t think the siblings trustworthy anymore. From that scene on, it become more and more obvious, something is the matter. I still would have never expected them to use such a method ...

They obviously exploited Alucard’s loneliness and vulnerability. The worst part about it, some part of me understands why they couldn’t trust him though he never lied to them. Sumi and Taka had been Cho’s captives for so many years, since they were children. So they never learnt to trust anyone but each other. Another part of me wonders from where they got those chain-bracelets they put on him to chain him up. For a moment I feared he’d have to be rescued by his dear parents (during that moment the door to hell was open, so the chance was given) but he could help himself which only serves to underline he’s used to looking after himself and being on his own. Seeing him all devastated and desperate hurt so much, I almost cried as well.

3) As we’re already crying, let’s look at the other character who made me hurt so much during season 3 and also at the queens who rocked this season. Firstly, I need to state I don’t side with the vampires or approve of their actions and how they treat humans. But woah, did you see those vampire queens? In season 2, I was very impressed by Carmilla’s (evil) performance but I’d never thought there are more of her kind!

Carmilla, Morana, Striga and Lenore! They’re gorgeous geniuses! It’s not the fact that they’re the bad women of this plot who turn against humankind but they also have such a strong bond and, it seems, centuries of shared past. It was so lovely to watch them and Striga and Morana being a couple in love is a nice bonus.

Now let’s focus on Lenore and Hector. I enjoyed their story line a lot. For a decent amount of time, I couldn’t tell for sure how loyal she is to her other “sisters”. Maybe she indeed is a kind of good girl, I thought.

I even began to ship them, though deep in my gut I felt this isn’t right. Maybe she is up to help him, in her way. I had hopes because during the first scenes I just felt hurt about the way Hector was treated and tortured. It really got to me. I already was hurt by his story line in season 2 and knew things surely won’t start better in this new season but I hoped, things for him would improve throughout the season. But no. Lenore’s scheme was unexpected and truly blew me away. This was so cruel and the similarity to how Sumi and Taka deceived Alucard was breath-taking. Using Hector’s loneliness and hopelessness was a masterplan and I can’t help but marvel at Lenore’s brilliance to magically bind him to her and also her vampire sisters (once more I’m amazed by the relation between those four), so they can exploit his skills as forgemaster. Plus, Lenore plans to use him for her own entertainment and that’s something that gave me even more goosebumps.

I’m still shocked how much more downhill things got for Hector and the only hope I currently have left for his rescue / freedom is Isaac and his night creatures attacking the castle but as we’ve learnt, he as well seeks revenge, so my hope is extremely fragile.

To end this, let’s take a look at the outcome of season 3. It felt as if everything is darkening. The situation itself with those four strong vampires but even more the mood of the protagonists. They seem to have lost hope. Alucard, all alone and abandoned, has given up on humankind and shut everything off. Hector is no longer a captive but now even a slave who has no way of freeing himself. Trevor and Sypha, though killing the night creatures in Lindenfeld, couldn’t save the villagers and even those persons whom they thought trustworthy and good turned out to be evil to the core. It’s like there’s no good in the world anymore. It’s clearly depicted in their expressions.

Considering this end of season 3, I’m curious to see how season 4 will continue the story. How will our three heroes be motivated to go and annihilate the four vampire queens? Which path will Isaac choose?

Sadly, I think we’ll have to wait another few years for the continuation...

[the-pug-addict]

Love your blog❤️ I’m wondering if I can have some headcanons about the reader in a love triangle with Hector and Godbrand?

A Love Triangle with Hector and Godbrand:

Both of these men desire you deeply. However, they have different reasons for doing so. Hector has been your friend for a while and has come to grow romantic feelings for you. Godbrand, on the other hand, lusts for you so hungrily that he intends to bring you home as his human pet/concubine.

Actually, becoming a concubine is a near-solid fate for you. The arrangement was Carmilla’s idea– even though you were Dracula’s loyal servant, that bitch was somehow able to convince him to let her arrange it. To your horror, it was decided against your wishes: once the War on Humanity was over, you’d be passed on as a gift to Godbrand.

Everyone knows about your fate. Even Hector, whose beyond crushed to hear the news. It’s a stab through the heart for him to hear that you’re bound to belong to another. The fact that it’s Godbrand makes him feel even worse.

At first, you gladly accept your fate as a future pet, and you begin to act as if it’s already happened. It’s not so much for affection for Godbrand as it is out of sheer spite towards Dracula for neglecting you. You began to spend more time with Godbrand, even standing by his side at meetings. Inappropriate comments and flirting were frequent, but you got used to it after a while.

Things were complicated, though. You’d already developed some feelings for Hector beforehand. Neither of you revealed your feelings for one another until after the arrangements. However, you immediately tried to distance yourself from Hector out of the fear that it would never work.

The distance doesn’t last for very long. Unable to contain yourselves one night, you and Hector wound up in a frustrated slurry of kissing and lovemaking. From then on, you two carried on a secret romance.

Eventually, the secret comes out, though. Godbrand grows increasingly suspicious of your behavior, and not just out of possessiveness. One night, you forgot to wash your hair shortly after making love to Hector, and Godbrand caught the scent. Right then and there, he confronts you viciously for answers.

The lustful viking goes nuts. No way in hell is his prize going to get taken away from him before he can get it. You are his.

Cue the brutal threats towards Hector in the hallway. A fight ensues until the men are finally broken up by the other vampires, Dracula included.

You and Hector would’ve been strictly restrained from each other, had it not been for Godbrand’s sudden “disappearance” (thanks Isaac). With the viking now being accused for cowardice, the concubine deal is called off, and you’re free once again.

Only for both you and Hector to be taken away and enslaved by Carmilla.

[meny-sempai]

CASTLEVANIA is so good! Watch it on Netflix!

My art blog is becoming a total mess with these types of posts, but I just can’t control myself! Alucard is such a beautiful child and should be celebrated and hugged like a cute little cat. 

Warning: Alucard fangirl is writting this XD

Warning: SPOILERS

I have to say thanks to the creators of the show and everyone who worked on it. Season 1 was a good introduction, season 2 was awesome and impossible to forget. I never played the games, but I knew about the Castlevania series because of the beautiful art and music for the games. Still, you can easily tell the show runners are fans and gamers and that they care so much about the details. 

The fight scenes are some of the most imaginatively choreographed sequences I’ve ever seen and are animated and directed masterfully. You can feel the weight of characters when they move, you fill the pull of the swings and the gravity, you can feel and hear when the whip snaps and winds up, you feel the pressure she’s putting on the surroundings when Sypha goes full Avatar, you can see and feel the difference in the way vampires move from the way humans do. Even if the battle defies the laws of physics, even if the characters are over-powered, you don’t care. Not because it’s a cartoon based on a video game, but because the fights are grounded with good animation and sound effects. It also helps when the creators add characters making remarks, showing raw emotion, stumbling, missing the mark or playing “dirty”. It adds to realism.

I hear people say animation is stiff and low budget. I can see where they’re coming from, and I do admit, some scenes are stiff, they do avoid complicated movements and finesse in the “quiet parts” of the show. But, for me, I can let them be “lazy”, because all of these scenes have great lightening, fabulous backgrounds, good sound, fantastic VA work, top-notch quality dialog, good directing. Please, don’t forget how hard and time consuming it is to animate anything. And the creators chose to have a style that imitates Ayami Kojima’s. Animating in a complicated and detailed style is even harder. 

Another plus that season 2 has is that they included original music. When I heard the first notes of Bloody Tears I flipped. I hope we’ll get more original music in season 3. 

I heard there were some big changes in the characters of Isaac, Hector and  Carmilla. As someone who never played the games, I can only say: I liked their characters and their roles in the show. I liked how they were introduced, I enjoyed all three of them and I can’t wait to see how they’ll grow in season 3. (Isaac, I respect you so much, but you scare the hell out of me. Hector, you are so naive and stupid, yet I can’t help but love you and feel like you are such a hurt and lonely person. Carmilla, I get your anger and I like your strength and independence, but you’re a bitch and you need to be stopped.)

Speaking of characters and “quiet parts” I love the fact that the writers decided to make this type of show into a character driven story. I have no clue how any of the main three and Dracula were in the games, but watching the show they feel like real people to me with real virtues and flaws and problems. What makes them so impactful as characters is the constantly evolving dynamics they have with each other. And this dynamics is all shown in seemingly pointless banter and silent looks and touches. Because of these moments the deep and emotional conversations have weight. They don’t come out of the blue, they are not out of character.

My favorite part of the dialog/or lack of it is the way they present the conversation. They care so much about the way the words are said, what expression people make when they say something, what kind of light there is in a frame, what objects are there and how people interact with them while they speak. 

All in all, Castlevania has a very simple plot, but it does wonders with it. We are rooting for the good guys, but we’re also rooting for the bad guys. It’s insane. 

Another insane thing is that a short show about video game hunters and vampires managed to hurt me on a deep emotional level. I did not see the bloody tears coming, man. 

Yes, yes, it’s all Alucard, but you’ve been warned. I’m a woman with needs and I have a type.

I have no idea how the final battle in the game went down, but I think this was one of the best boss fights and the most appropriate way to put Dracula to rest. Everything and everyone was perfect in that final battle - the way the dork trio teamed up using each other’s strengths and protecting each other, the way Dracula was OP as fuck (while starving) and was pissed at everyone because he was tired of life, the words the son an father exchanged, the My boy... Our son... line, the way Dracula begged his son to kill him, the fear, confusion and pain of Alucard, the way Dracula wanted to hug his son, the way Trevor understandably wanted to protect Alucard and sliced Dracula’s head off, the way Alucard moved out of the way for Sypha to incinerate his father, the way those three welcomed the morning together - PERFECTION. 

Those three are just perfect, I adore how they show their friendship and respect/trust to one another... and I like how Sypha and Trevor are a thing now... BUT WHY, why did you leave him alone? 

He was so not ok, from the beginning of the show, he was way past being ok. 

He’s sassy and can laugh, but he is so lonely, detached, cold... angry - just like Sypha said. 

He wanted to make a grave for himself (to die), and my best bro Trevor pulled him out of the depression a little by giving him a task and his ultimate love/trust. But, that’s not enough. He’s still alone in the house with all the painful memories and proofs of death he himself had inflicted. 

He needs a hug, he can’t be left to cry alone, what are friends for? I hope the power couple comes back quickly. I don’t think Alucard has anyone else.

Guys, watch Castlevania. I recommend the English dub. There is just something special in the English dub that I can’t put my finger on. 

If I can make a wish for the season 3, I’d like to see more of this:

And this:

More juicy flashbacks for all our children, new and old, and more of Alucard acting like a vampire. Like... does he feed, how old is he exactly etc? Seriously, though, I want to know more about the vampires and about the Belmonts. They already teased us with Leon! Ooohh boy! 

BONUS:

Just some proof how well rounded and real the characters are here.

Nope. This whole post was totally not an excuse to watch the show again just so that I can screenshot the fuck out of the golden half vampire bastard. 

[vintage1981]

#FlashbackFriday to Jess Franco’s Faceless/Gorezone Issue 6

Toward the end of the decade of decadence (aka the 80s) exploitation auteur Jess Franco attempted to break into the commercial horror market. Faceless is the most notable production, with a cast that brings together ex-porn actress (and Jean Rollin regular) Brigitte Lahaie, British genre icon Caroline Munro, German character actor Anton Diffring, Luchino Visconti muse Helmut Berger, and seventies US TV and film superstar, Telly Savalas! Although still a low budget affair, this Rene Chateau production does offer a slick and glamourous look, unlike anything typically seen in a Jess Franco production.

Dr Frank Flamand (Helmut Berger) runs a posh clinic that specialises in expensive beauty treatments and quack "youth-enhancing" therapies for the excessively rich and vain. What his pampered clients do not know though is that many of their treatments are developed at the expense of kidnapped experimental subjects who are kept prisoner in the soundproof padded cells behind a locked door deep within the labyrinthine corridors of the clinic!

When a dissatisfied patient (who was horribly scarred during bungled plastic surgery) attempts to gain revenge by throwing acid in Flamand's face, she instead hits his beautiful sister, Ingrid (Christiane Jean) and badly disfigures her. Flamand vows to restore the beauty of his beloved sister and, together with his ice-cold assistant (and lover) Nathalie (Brigitte Lahaie), organises the kidnapping of coke-addicted model Barbara Hallen (Caroline Munro) with the intention of using her in a new face-transplant operation he intends to develop for his sisters benefit. Barbara is the daughter of wealthy industrialist Terry Hallen (Telly Savalas) and after his daughter's disappearance, Hallen hires American private detective Sam Morgan (Chris Mitchum) to find her. Meanwhile, Flamand and Nathalie consult Dr. Karl Heinz Mozer (Anton Diffring), an ex-Nazi associate of Flamand's mentor Dr Orloff (Howard Vernon), and employ him to help them experiment on more kidnapped victims in their attempts to perfect the complicated operation.

Gorezone Issue 6: Caroline Does Splatter by Steve Swires

Fantasy films’ first lady has been systematically subjected to an onslaught of cinematic indignities — stalked by slashers, menaced by madmen and terrorized by tormentors. Rarely, however, has she been asked to exercise her acting ability; usually, she is merely required to look helpless, scream her lungs out and defer to the heroics of her male co-stars.

Finally, after two decades of dramatic dues-paying in such creatively constrained circumstances, Caroline Munro feels confident enough to test her talent. A veteran of 13 consecutive genre excursions— including Dracula A.D. 1972, Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter, Maniac and The Last Horror Film — she recently ended her involuntary screen hiatus by starring in two new English-language European horror movies, Paul Naschy’s Spanish-lensed The Howl of the Devil and Jess Franco’s French Faceless. Reaching beyond the limitations of her cult status, she also made her first non-genre appearance in 20 years, in the British TV movie Maigret.

Selected by her Slaughter High collaborators Peter Litten and George Dugdale to play the female lead in their proposed big-budget production of Dr. Who: The Movie as well as the title role in their unorthodox multimedia creation Roxscene, Munro grew increasingly restless as both major projects were delayed by a lengthy development process. Anxious to resume her acting career after four years as hostess of the popular British TV game/variety series 3-2-1, she gratefully accepted the unexpected offers of overseas employment.

“The more I’m on camera, the better it is for me,” the British actress reasons, relaxing one morning in her London flat. “As with an athlete or a dancer, an actor must keep training. Since Doctor Who and Roxscene have yet to reach fruition. The Howl of the Devil, Faceless and Maigret gave me an opportunity to get out and do a bit of work. Frankly, I become very bored when I’m not working.”

There were few occasions for boredom on the rugged Spanish locations of The Howl of the Devil (a.k.a. El Aullido del Diablo). Shot in Madrid and the quaint mountain village of Loyzoya— complete with cobbled streets and an 11th-century monastery — during July and August of 1987, the film was written, directed by and stars Paul Naschy. A short, toupeed, barrel-chested John Belushi look-alike whose real name is Jacinto Molina, Naschy has appeared in more than 75 Spanish movies bearing such luridly Anglicized titles as Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror, The Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman, Count Dracula’s Great Love and Night of the Howling Beast, earning him the crown of Spain’s King of Horror.

Designed as an ambitious showcase for his performing abilities, Howl presents Naschy in 10 different roles, reflecting his affection for the classic Hollywood movie monsters of his youth. A demented retired actor named Hector lives with his young nephew Adrian in an ominous chalet, where he dresses up as Fu Manchu, Rasputin and Bluebeard to torture nubile female victims procured by his loyal manservant Erik, portrayed by Howard Vernon. A horror fan himself, Adrian (played by Naschy’s 12-year-old son, Sergio Molina) fantasizes visits from his favorite celluloid creatures, recreated in elaborate prosthetic makeup by Fernando Florido and embodied by the ubiquitous Naschy: the Frankenstein Monster, the Phantom of the Opera, Quasimodo, Mr. Hyde and — inevitably— Naschy’s best-known character, the melancholy werewolf Waldemar Daninsky. This Happy home life is eventually interrupted by the reappearance of Adrian’s dead father, Hector’s twin brother Alex, a rotting corpse also essayed by the resilient Naschy.

Cast by novice producer Juan Gomez after he spotted her photo in David Quinlan’s book The Illustrated Directory of Film Stars, Munro plays a poor Spanish maid named Carmen, relentlessly pursued by the homicidally horny Hector. Unfamiliar with Naschy or his work, Munro asked her solicitor father to read the clumsily translated screenplay, which was filled with guilt and retribution, sexual repression and religious obsession. “Obviously, he didn’t think it was brilliant,” she admits. “But he said, ‘It’s certainly no worse than some others you’ve done, and it might be an interesting part for you.’ I thought it could be a mistake for me to do it, but because I liked my part, I decided to take a chance. Besides, if my dad thought it was all right, then it must be OK.”

Burdened by an unwanted glamor image as a perennial sex symbol, Munro enthusiastically donned plain-looking clothes, flat shoes and an apron, and pinned back her long dark hair to* convincingly portray her earthy character. Likewise, Munro actually scrubbed floors and even chopped the head off a real dead chicken on camera. “I wasn’t very keen on that,” she concedes. “Paul gave me a whacking great knife — twice the size of Crocodile’ Dundee’s, knife— and said, ‘Cut the head off the chicken.’ I told him, I can’t do that.’ I just cut it gently down the middle. He said, ‘That’s no good. You must look like you’ve done it all your life.’ So I finally did cut the head off. It was a touch of the Tom Savini there.” A popular genre figure in Europe and Japan, Naschy has yet to conquer the more demanding American market, his voice will subsequently be dubbed by an American actor. This unusual production problem created an awkward acting situation for Munro, who performed her part with her normal British accent, at Naschy’s instruction. “It was a bit more difficult than I was used to, but that made it more of a challenge,” she notes. "Most of the master shots were done over Paul’s shoulder, showing me speaking. Some of the time, he was actually speaking Spanish. Because I understand Spanish fairly well and I knew the intention of the scenes, I could tell what he was saying and when it was time for me to speak. “I was nervous at first, because Paul is a foreboding-looking fellow with a great deal of energy. He is very intense in his work, very European in his approach, with extraordinarily piercing eyes. But he was exactly right for his character. Once we began working together, I found him quite easy to get on with.” Naschy even allowed Munro to rewrite her own dialogue. “I’m hopeless at writing,” she maintains. “But the script left something to be desired, because it was translated too literally from Spanish to though three of his films were released here theatrically in the mid- 1970s by Sam Sherman’s Independent-International Pictures and several of his other movies are currently available on home video. To facilitate American distribution, Naschy shot The Howl of the Devil since he doesn’t speak the language, he delivered his dialogue phonetically, and English. Many of the lines were archaic and ungrammatical. So I rewrote my dialogue to make it more conversational. I offered to help rewrite the rest of the dialogue as well, but Paul didn’t want to confuse the other actors.” Adding her creative input in such a manner is a new occurrence for Munro, who previously would passively accept her scenes as written, regardless of any misgivings. “That comes with experience,” she observes. “You learn what you will or won’t do in a scene. There are certain things I won’t do. Generally, there isn’t much substance to the characters in most genre movies, unless you create some for yourself. Now, I feel I’m in a position — at my age — to be thinking more about characterization.” Munro, satisfied with her Spanish sojourn, believes The Howl of the Devil will spotlight a more self-confident side of her acting personality. “I won’t say I enjoyed every minute,” she acknowledges, “but I was certainly kept on my toes. I hope people will see more range from me as an actress than they’ve seen before. I had to extend myself more in the role. I had some initial reservations, but everything felt right while we were making it. There was nothing about my scenes that offended me. Of course, I don’t know how the finished film will turn out, but for my part, I’m really pleased I did it.” Completing her Howl of the Devil role in 12 shooting days over a three-week period, Munro next flew to Geneva, Switzerland to star in the unusual industrial show The New Travels of Marco Polo. While in Geneva, she was contacted by director Jess Franco, offering her a leading role in his latest thriller Faceless. Filmed in and around Paris during November and December of 1987, Faceless (a.k.a. Les Predators de la Nuit) revives the moribund subgenre of surgical atrocity movies initiated in 1959 by Georges Franju’s classic Eyes Without A Face (a.k.a. The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus) and imitated by Franco’s own The Awful Dr. Orloff in 1961. The first feature produced by Rene Chateau, France’s leading video distributor, Faceless boasts an impressive international cast including Helmut Berger, Telly Savalas, Anton Diffring, Chris Mitchum and 79-year-old Howard Vernon , reprising his tireless Dr. Orloff persona. Jacques (Lifeforce) Gastineau provides graphic makeup FX. Doubling as screenwriter under the pseudonym “Fred Castle,” Chateau personally chose Munro, having seen her work in Starcrash and Maniac, which he released on video in France. In a resonant bit of casting, she plays jet-set American model Barbara Hallen, whose mysterious disappearance motivates the entire storyline. Kidnapped from a modeling session by actress Brigitte Lahaie (France’s most notorious porno queen in a rare mainstream role), Barbara is brought to a fashionable health farm run by sinister plastic surgeon Doctor Flamand (Berger), who constantly requires fresh blood and organs with which to rejuvenate his chic clientele. 

Aided by ex-Nazi scientist Juan Moser (Diffring), Flamand plans to graft Barbara’s exquisite face onto his horribly disfigured sister, until a savage assault renders her skin unusable. Meanwhile, alarmed by his daughter’s inexplicable absence, New York millionaire Terry Hallen (Savalas) sends Vietnam-veteran-turned-private-detective Morgan (Mitchum) to Paris to discover her whereabouts. As Morgan’s investigation draws him closer to the truth, Flamand and his sadistic henchman Gordon sharpen their chainsaws and drills for the inevitably gruesome final confrontation.

Chiefly confined to a padded cell in an actual clinic undergoing renovation, Munro spends most of her screen time in a short white hospital smock. As her character recovers from her brutal attack, she is repeatedly injected with debilitating drugs, hastening her mental and physical deterioration. Abdicating her reluctant glamor image with a vengeance, Munro had no qualms about appearing progressively more disheveled. “I wanted to look as extreme as I could get,” she insists. “In fact, I encouraged them to make me look worse. It actually helped me as an actress. The worse I looked and felt, the better my performance.

When I was crying, my tears were real. I didn’t need glycerine, because I felt truly degraded. It had to be that way, it was so important to see the change in Barbara— to show the glamorous, confident, attractive woman at the beginning, and the poor, sad, pathetic creature at the end. Otherwise, the film wouldn’t work.”

Responsive to the actress’ concerns. Franco thoughtfully decided to shoot Munro’s unpleasant scenes in reverse order. “That way, I could look forward to feeling clean,” she points out. “It was a good method, because I hated being so dirty. I had grease in my hair. I really looked a mess. But it felt absolutely right for the part. “In fact, I looked almost too convincing,” Munro smiles. “At one point, I was walking down the back stairs at the clinic, wearing only a little white smock. I was made up with a bloody cut on my face. One of the real nurses saw me and exclaimed, ‘Oh, mon Dieu! What happened?’ She thought I had really been injured. Many of the actual patients gave me very funny looks. I should think it put them off going back to that clinic.”

Jess Franco, according to Munro, proved to be a surprisingly careful and considerate filmmaker. “I had never heard of Jess before, but I enjoyed working with him very much,” Munro remarks. “I trusted him and felt confident with him. He speaks very good English. I could ask him questions, and he would help me. He has a great sensitivity with actors. He understood how we felt and gave us encouragement.”

A former model herself, Munro easily mastered the American accent she delivers in Faceless. “It’s better than the American accent I did in Slaughter High,” she comments, “because I’ve had more experience at it. But it’s still quite a soft American accent, since the character has been living and working in Europe, and that has affected the way she speaks. I suppose it’s more of a mid-Atlantic accent. I just hope people won’t assume I’ve been dubbed by an American actress again.”

Finishing her Faceless fright fest after three hectic weeks in France, Munro next appeared in her first TV movie, Maigret. Directed by Paul (Prom Night) Lynch, the film is based on a popular series of mystery novels by Georges Simenon. Munro portrays Carolyn Pace, power hungry secretary to scheming American millionaire Patrick O’Neal.

“I just want to be a working actress,” she says, then pauses to reflect on her future plans. “Frankly, I never thought of myself any other way. I’ve never wanted the huge success that other people have wanted for me. I’m very happy doing smaller films. “Without shouting to the whole world, I can push myself quite far within these roles and not be looked at too critically,” Munro decides. “The success or failure of these movies is not on my shoulders. Each one’s just another acting experience for me. And I find I get better with each new experience; I’m still learning my craft all the time.”

[beevean]

Thinking again of this post, because I read a Fridge moment on TvTropes that made me think:

Well, to me it was rather obvious that Lenore put on makeup, and took time to brush her hair in that complicated hairdo, and chose the prettiest dresses: she clearly cares about being beautiful. Of course, being just "beautiful" is not the point: it's being humanly beautiful. Carmilla is also an attractive woman if you're into #girlbosses, but she has chalk-white skin, hair that matches, and long claws, so she's very clearly inhuman.

And this all feeds in Lenore imitating humanity. While with this logic it's a bit odd that she doesn't hide her red eyes and pointy ears, otherwise she puts a lot of effort in her appearance, and most importantly to look human and vulnerable. She cuts her claws and puts blush on her cheeks to look more human, less creepy. She says she enjoys eating human food to "live well".

Another underrated line is this:

Lenore: You didn't hear me enter. Hector: No. You have a scent. Like… jasmine and wine.

It's easy to chalk up this as a way to make Lenore even more appealing, in an outstandishly Mary Sue-ish way for a grown professional writer lol. But why would a vampire smell like flowers? What if vampires naturally carried the reek of the dead, but Lenore cannot afford to be anything less than perfectly attractive, so she doused herself in perfume to the point that Hector was able to smell her out as he was engrossed in his book? It's all calculated to the detail.

Everything is, of course, in function of her role as a diplomat. One, she needs to be approachable, and put the other person at ease: basically, she wants to avoid falling into the uncanny valley vampires naturally reside in. Two... well.

Lenore, thematically, goes against Dracula's thesis.

Did you hear Godbrand down there? "Livestock," he said. So many of my kindred are the same. They can no longer conceive of humans as thinking beings. Just livestock. It's the privilege of our condition, I suppose. You can't hate livestock. They are simply what they are. Grazing animals to be slaughtered. But you two are different. You are human. You are not looking at the scouring of humanity from the earth as an opportunity to get the livestock under control and to fill stables, and abattoirs, and pantries. You hate your species. You hate humans. You have a focus and clarity that the others lack. You understand that humans think, and scheme, and betray. You understand why they all must die.

The reason Dracula trusts Hector and Isaac more than his fellow vampires is that, according to him, vampires have essentially blue and orange morality regarding humans, and don't see them as sapient beings. They kill because they feed on them, and that's it, they don't spare much thought about them. The Forgemasters, as humans hurt by humans, understand how they think, and as such empathize with Dracula's plight.

Dracula was right when it came to the other vampires. Carmilla waltzes in and the first thing she asks is why is Dracula mobilitating all vampire forces for what she sees as a pet: in fact, this is more or less the whole reasons she schemes against him. When Hector is dragged to Styria, Striga refers to him as an "it", like a stinking dog. Carmilla herself has to be told that maybe beating a Forgemaster and then expecting him to work for her is not exactly a galaxy brain moment, because well, said Forgemaster may have feelings. You have vampires on one side, and humans on the other side, and they see each other as nothing but beasts for different reasons.

Lenore is, in theory, the exception to the rule.

Yes, at first she also saw Hector as an animal, as some sort of stray dog to domesticate. But unlike the others, she understands how humans think. She knows which buttons to push. She's better than Carmilla at pretending to care about Hector, who only limited herself to some shallow praises and to spin her plan as "it's going to save your life"; no, Lenore asks what Hector wants, she's physically affectionate, she compliments not just his skills but him as a person, she even asks him if she can come visit him again pretending Hector has a choice in the matter, with the purpose of making him feel wanted.

She knows how to talk to a human, like a human, looking human.

And this is what makes her much more terrifying than Dracula or Carmilla, who at the end of the day are only monsters with human feelings.

You're not likely to encounter a genocidial madman who plans to kill all people in the world because wife died, or an insane radfem who wants to conquer the world because men stupid.

You are, however, very much at danger of falling into the trap of a charming sociopath who knows very well how to pretend to love you, and tricks you into loving them, only for them to imprison you in a terrible, humiliating, stifling, toxic relationship - and then they have the balls to pretend they're only acting for your own good, mocking you all the while.

This is how Lenore blurs the line between vampires and humans. This is what made her, despite all the other writing flaws of S3, an interesting character. This is how humanizing a character can be a bad thing. And incidentally, this is how you incarnate the themes of a mask (that really should have gone to Carmilla): Lenore puts on makeup and perfume and acts sweet to hide the monster inside her. (yes i know that actually she sounds smug and condescending af, but i'm going with the intent)

Lenore might not want to target all of Europe which makes her less of a threat than Dracula or Carmilla, but she's the incarnation of human hunger for power, as she clearly enjoys mentally subjugating other people (her "diplomacy" is, after all, nothing but a bunch of lies and gaslighting), and she perfectly looks the part, and it's actually very clever.

She also acts as the perfect foil to Hector, who is a human who doesn't think like a human, doesn't empathize with other humans, and can suggest to enslave other humans without a hint of malice in him - much like vampires feed on humans not out of cruelty, but because it's part of their nature.

And this is one of the infinite reasons the Lenore of S4 offends me. Now her beauty is a sign of her inner goodness. Now her proximity to humanity is used to make her sympathetic, because poor thing she's appalled at Carmilla's insanity, as she wasn't an enthusiastic participant when it was convenient to her. In a frantic quest from the writing to give her "humanity" in the sense of "a good side that makes her deep", she becomes duller, flatter. In her way, S4 Lenore still has potential as an interesting character, as it becomes more obvious that she's the unfavorite of her sisters much like Hector was considered an idiot by Dracula and Isaac, and that could have been used to explain why she seems so famished for control over the one creature weaker than she is. But after the heels of S3, it comes off as whitewashing her for the sake of a ship pandering to the fans who found her hot and nothing more in S3, and it's at the very minimum dishonest. She was much more interesting as a double-faced amoral villain made of nothing but masks.

[beevean]

Hector and/or Isaac x Trevor + Family :)

... so I'm going to actually follow the prompt for once and not write a short story lol. i apologize, creative juices be drying up.

All three boys have a complicated family history. Trevor was the luckiest one in this department: he and his family were shunned by other people for their powers, but at least he still had one. He inherited the Vampire Killer and was trained as a vampire hunter with the same teachings passed on since Leon's times: he deeply feels kinship with his clan name. And then, he finds himself close-knit friends: he marries one of them to have his own family, and we can assume Grant stuck around as a family friend. Yes, he was very lucky :)

Hector and Isaac, of course, weren't. We don't know much about Isaac's parents and what motivated him to run away, but we know that Hector was rejected by his own parents, painfully too. In short, both of them found a new family in Dracula's castle: Dracula himself and each other, at the very least. Perhaps Lisa and Adrian too.

Isaac was content with his new home. Hector was not. Hector chose to put himself and his morals above the person who welcomed in, and was ready to face a life of isolation, or even death. In the meantime, he also ripped Isaac's home away from him.

Instead he found Rosaly, and for a while, they formed a small family: either just the two of them, or them and a bunch of orphaned children Rosaly took care of lol. But it was enough for Hector, who had finally found his place.

Yeah :)

Isaac, on the other hand... well, he's not exactly one for normal relationships lol. He seems to be most comfortable in a hierarchy, serving someone (Dracula) and commanding others (his Devils). In fact, I'd say that, during those years Hector was living the good domestic life with Rosaly, Isaac's only family were his own Devils, whom he sees as his children. His own creations, who do everything he says and who kill for him: that's all he needs.

But he also has a sister. And we can speculate all day about Julia, and what happened between them. My headcanon is that Isaac tormented Julia when they were children like the little angry bully that he is lol, but when it came to anyone else, he was a violently protective brother who would beat anyone who dared to make her cry. In fact, maybe Isaac ran away to protect her :) but then Julia was not accepted in the castle, perhaps because her powers were deemed too weak or useless. I hope she found a group of witches to welcome her.

(I also headcanon that they have the same father, but not mother, which would complicate even more their family situation and Isaac's feelings of being rejected and the "other" one lol)

Anyway, even if Isaac survived the events of CoD, I doubt he'd be remotely willing to live with Julia again. That bridge has been burned by that point, Julia gave Hector her blessings to kill him, Isaac apparently avoided her after the fall of Dracula's castle. Isaac isn't even the type to have a heart-to-heart with anyone, let alone feel guilty for what he did. He'd leave the country and maybe live a life of bloody fights until someone finally, finally mercy kills him.

Hector, on the other hand... well, you know I don't like the idea of him staying with Julia lol. Too much baggage. But you know who'd be more than happy to welcome him as yet another member of his family?

Trevor :) Trevor would absolutely give him a place where he can live in peace, like he has always wanted since he was a child. As good fire-forged friends :) (and help with the kids is always welcome lol)

[beevean]

I don't know what this is. I just had this idea in my head for a while. Yes, it's related to the sapience of Innocent Devils thing. It has slipped out of my control. Help.

Tags in the AO3 page.

~

I pride myself to be the perfect extension of Master Isaac’s needs and desires.

I am the most intelligent, powerful and competent among the many Devils that Master brought to life: this is what he’d always say, and I believe him, because Master Isaac never lies. I am his very first creation, brought into the human world back when Master was a child, and ever since then, I grew in body and power with him. He may have forged my brethren for many different purposes, but I am the one who never leaves his side, and understands him the best.

But ever since we lost our home, Master Isaac has become more and more distant.

If only he had called for me when he needed my help.

For weeks, I could only stand back and observe the small Fairies fretting over the wounded and feverish Master Isaac. They were young, weak and inexperienced, because Master Isaac seldom called for their help, and yet more useful than I was. I can only allow Master to slip past cracks in the walls to go anywhere he wishes, or maim and kill whoever stands in his way. I tried to shield Master Isaac with my wings during the colder nights: I felt that he appreciated it.

He still gives me orders, orders that I carry over efficiently. While the simple Golems are relegated to hunting animals, and the Mages help around with their elemental powers, I still do what I do best: slaughter any human who could harm Master Isaac. I care not about who they are, if they carry weapons or not, if they are looking for Master or they are just walking by: Master Isaac does not want anyone near the cabin that he found, and I do what Master wants.

But it’s not enough.

I feel every emotion Master Isaac feels as if they were my own, and there are plenty of them. Some were simple enough that I could recognize them, but Master Isaac is far more complex than I could ever be, and so I do not always understand what the swirling vortexes of sensations forming in my core meant.

Master Isaac felt different emotions for every inhabitant of our old home, but only two of them would fill our cores to the brim. Lord Dracula was someone important to Master Isaac, and the depths of my gems reverberated with the magic emanating from the vampire: part of him was part of me as well, infused into my being through Master Isaac’s power. However, I only respected him because Master did, and in truth, I was not sure why Master Isaac cared about Lord Dracula so much, when their encounters usually put him in a bad mood.

And then there is General Hector.

I do not know what to make of the second Devil Forgemaster. There used to be a time where the mere sight of him would make Master Isaac blossom with joy, and so I became fond of the young man and came to trust him. Hector was the very first person to whom Master Isaac eagerly showed my latest form, even before Lord Dracula himself; and Hector complimented Master Isaac with sincerity, and my gems resonated with my Master’s pride and another warm emotion I had no name for, the same one I felt when Master Isaac would say nice words to me and pet my head. Perhaps Hector was to Master what Master is to me?

But then the emotions pouring from Master Isaac became more complicated, and not so pleasant anymore. He stopped liking Hector so much, but not completely, which confused me. I would watch as Master Isaac drained himself of all of his energy creating more and more Devils, only because Lord Dracula would say that he needed to improve. How could he? Master was already powerful, one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. He created me, and my brethren; wasn’t that enough? For being a Lord, he seemed blind to reality. But Master Isaac was not angry at him, but rather, at the other Devil Forgemaster who put him in that situation, and I was angry with Master.

And now, I hate Hector with every fiber of my Master’s power coursing in my gems, because the mere thought of him causes Master Isaac a deep pain I cannot protect him from.

It has happened again. Master Isaac has used his magic to spy on Hector, who is living somewhere neither of us could reach, or I would have already killed him and cheered Master Isaac up. I cannot understand why Master Isaac enjoys hurting himself: he ruined his body by staining it with ink, he decorated it with metallic jewelry, and ever since we moved into the cabin, he keeps insisting on watching Hector live his new life, even as the other man’s smile in the glass fills his eyes with hot tears and makes him gnash his teeth so hard that I fear they would crack.

But Master Isaac’s wishes are always more important than my own. Even when they leave him hissing in pain on the bed, bleeding from new cuts. Even when they leave him seething, as he cuts open the wolf on the table with more strength than I know is necessary.

I like it better when he whistles and hums during his work. His silence worries me.

I recognize the burning emotion in my core: it reminds me of when Hector would show his Devils to Lord Dracula, and somehow, the vampire lord always preferred his to Master Isaac’s. But Master Isaac is not inferior to anyone; his magic is brilliant, and he is so nice, he deserves to have someone at his side like Hector and his woman.

... Perhaps I have found a way to make Master Isaac happy again.

I have seen Hector do it in Master Isaac’s latest vision, and the way my core was seized with a lurching, slashing want, before Master shattered the glass, tells me everything I need to know.

I hover next to Master Isaac. Intent on gutting the wolf, he seems to pay me no attention; I wait until he poses the knife and turns to scratch me under my chin with bloodied fingers. My body cannot feel any physical sensation, not pain that would slow me down, nor any gentle touch; however, the affection coming from Master Isaac is palpable in my gems, and we are both at peace.

“Aww, Abel, don’t look at me like that,” Master Isaac croons with a smile that does not reach his eyes. “I’m fine.”

Master Isaac does not look fine to me at all: his cheekbones and ribs are poking from his sickly pale skin, the shadows under his eyes make his handsome face resemble a skull, he cares not for the tattered state of his uniform, and he does not walk with the confidence he used to have, instead dragging his feet to the ground as if it were a strenuous effort. Truth to be told, a few times I have had the thought to check his breathing while he was sleeping. But Master Isaac never lies to me, so I believe him.

Still, I am sure that I can make him feel even better.

I am made of the sturdiest stone Master Isaac had found, my mouth designed to tear flesh to shreds. My lips are not as soft as a human’s, but nonetheless, I bow and touch Master Isaac’s.

The act feels awkward. I cannot understand why Master Isaac wants this, but I do not need to, as long as he is happy with it.

... but he isn’t. The warmth is not here, and he is not moving. Something is wrong. I pull away, to a frowning Master.

“What are you doing?” he asks in a low voice.

Master Isaac never asks me questions: when he is not thinking out loud, he only gives me orders to carry or compliments to bask in. I do not know what to do in such a case: I cannot speak like my Master can, and I have never felt the need to until now. But he wants an answer, so I must give him one. I try to approach Master Isaac again.

“Stop!”

I stop still.

“Did you... did you see... did you think that...” Master Isaac’s stammered words keep tumbling one over the other, to the point that I struggle to understand him. He grows more and more upset, I can see it from his eyes darting all over the place – eye, one of them is hidden by unkept hair that I wanted to brush away, but my body is frozen by the command - until he finally snarls: “This is the last thing I need! I already know that the only creature who loves me has no choice in the matter!”

Master Isaac’s voice cracks, and so does my resolve.

What has happened? Wasn’t it what he wanted, when he saw Hector kiss the woman?

Master Isaac turns his back on me, and he’s shaking, and I cannot let that happen, so I approach him—

“Stay away.”

I fly away from him.

“Hector had a choice in the matter, and look what he did with it,” Master Isaac growls. The knife creaks as it gets stuck into bone. “He turned traitor. He’d rather betray everything he stood for than stay...”

His body jolts, and I am overcome by a profound sadness that I have not felt ever since Master saw his fallen home. I want to reach him, but he has forbidden it.

He makes a strange sound that almost resembles a laughter. “Well, you wouldn’t leave me to die like an animal, would you? Hah, but of course not. I made you that way. You look and feel nearly human, and thus I forget that you’re actually not much different from my spear. Only a mindless creature would—”

This time, Master Isaac’s soft voice is interrupted by a harsh slap. He sinks his long nails into his reddened cheek, and drags them down, leaving bright welts.

The command stay away rings in my gems and stills my wings. I can do nothing but watch as Master claws at his own face, groaning with a desperation that leaves me cold inside.

I did this. I made Master angry. It is the first time I have misinterpreted one of his wishes. What good of a Devil was I, if I failed at the very thing I was created for?

I understand Master better now, but for once, feeling closer to him does not bring me cheer.

Master Isaac sighs and throws the carved pieces of the wolf on a pan. I lower my gaze, to not look at his scratched face.

“Return, Abel. Let me eat in peace.”

I grunt in defeat and return to my place of rest, longing for the days where my mere presence was enough to keep Master Isaac happy.

[beevean]

This is more or less the direction I took game Hector in relation to Isaac :P and dracula to a more complicated extent

It makes sense. They were both very unlucky, although Isaac was a victim too, one who perpetuated the cycle of abuse by being distant, aggressive and demanding in his profound insecurity: in my vision, it took some years for Hector to understand that Isaac was no angel nor devil, just a poor unfortunate boy like he was, and they cared for each other and he misses him but they were not good for each other.

Lenore has more in common with Dracula in this regard, having all of the power over Hector - and that's what could have made their relationship in S4 so intriguing from this point of view, that no matter how "nice" she acted by keeping him company, she was still his mistress and jailer and he did not choose to stay with her of his own volition, and by the time he did, he did so because he literally had nothing left in his life. It was a fake, hollow relationship, but it was better than nothing. Kind of like in the games, Dracula offered Hector conditional love, "I will welcome you here and keep you safe and praise you as long as you become my weapon", and he accepted because conditional love is still love. Lenore and Dracula gave the two Hectors crumbs of what real love is, but for a starved person, that is a feast.

Going back to the show, the frustrating part is not really the abusive relationship, but how cowardly the writing was. We all know the drill, the show forgot that Lenore was a cruel manipulator who raped Hector into slavery and wanted us to find their banter cute, Hector's choice to stay with her romantic, and her suicide a tragic loss. I pointed out how Hector simply doesn't have any feelings because the writing is more focused on making us feel sorry for Lenore and the fact that she was sidelined and all, as if her feelings of uselessness were more important that Hector coping with yet another instance of betrayal and imprisonment. It accidentally implied that Hector was happy about being raped into slavery because the gilded cage was comfortable, and he wasn't wrong in thinking so. And, of course, in a finale where everyone got what they wanted Dracula included, Hector was simply let with nothing but a roof on his head and a tentative ally, not having grown at all after all the torture he was put through.

If you (general) want to write delicate themes like abuse and manipulation and the lengths a human can go through to feel loved, commit. If you want to write a morally grey character that combines kindness and evil much like a human would, commit. But that would require sensitivity.

Lenore and Rosaly really are opposites, in the same way Lenore is meant to be an evil (show) Hector while Rosaly is meant to incarnate all the goodness (game) Hector had never experienced. Lenore is a bungle of lies and deceit and masks, she wears the disguise of a loving woman not knowing the first thing about love (perhaps not by her own fault: she is still a vampire, and vampires are inherently predators, again Carmilla's quote about vampiric love is perfect), while Rosaly is incorruptible pureness and innocence, perhaps to a fault, but it's precisely what the jaded Hector needs at that moment. She is what Lenore can only imitate.

Anyway all of this to say that I'm excited for your ideas and the scene where Hector confronts a mirage of Lenore reminds me of game Hector telling Dracula off in CoD which I love love love :'D

Hot take: Lenector is a much more interesting, compelling ship if you see it from the optics of two fucked up people hurting each other and stuck in a toxic, codependent relationship

I was wondering why Lenore was kept in the castle as a prisoner after Isaac conquered it. She's doing nothing. Isaac, who has vanished in thin air, doesn't seem to be wanting to ask her for help when he's a young inexperienced king who only got a kingdom by stealing the throne and she is one of the former queens and highly skilled in commerce - sure, probably she would have told him to go fuck himself, but had he asked her for help it would have been a good way to show that he was serious in his intention to build a kingdom. Basically Lenore is just a depressed mouth to feed (with Hector's blood, I presume, the stash won't last forever, not that the show ever touches on the idea of her parasitically feeding on her pet as exchange for his safety). She is not a threat. She doesn't want to do anything dangerous. And had she not killed herself, she would have outlived her jailers anyway and left free to regain control of the kingdom or do anything else she wanted. So, why isn't she let go?

Because Hector wants her there. For no reason other than, well, he has nothing left in his life. He was planning to die, but Isaac took it away from him, so he was left confused and lost and clung to his only certainty in his life, the woman who abused him but also kept him safe when no one else did. Even after physically freeing himself of her and mutilating himself, he did not mentally break free. He did not gain the courage to face the world, he was kept too sheltered.

Why doesn't she try to run away? Well, she has nothing left in her life but Hector. The same man who destroyed her life for no good reason, but also the same man who was willing to listen to her no matter what and never saw her as a stupid useless girl. Maybe she resents him, but hey, it's what she deserves after what she did, right? (assuming she has enough conscience to think so; in my ideal version she has, but she's too much of a coward to acknowledge it, remember "oh shush you were having fun")

I made a post a while ago where I compared Hector keeping Lenore safe during Isaac's assault on the castle to Hector refusing to kill Isaac in PtR, leaving him to witness the castle's fall. I said that in the latter's case, it's hard to say if Hector spared Isaac out of friendship or out of superiority. And if there were ulterior motives for show Hector's cruel mercy, it could have been brilliant. Finally, we're seeing the twisted Hector who resurrects dead animals because he wants pets because he just wants to be loved.

Hector is keeping Lenore as his prisoner not out of revenge, which never seems to cross his mind, but because he wants her as company. No matter how she or Isaac feel about it. After all, she never cared how he felt, and it's not like he knows much about love, so he's just imitating her brand of vampire love, the love you show by keeping things as close to you as you can :) underneath his kind demeanor, don't forget how selfish and out-of-touch with people he is.

Hector and Lenore are nothing more than tools without drive or direction. Hector only wants safety, and Lenore only wants comfort. They found it in each other. But it's not love what ties them. Not real, healthy human love anyway. They are miserable together, but they have no one else, and they are going to sink their claws in each other out of desperation and craving of human warmth that they cannot give to each other because they keep lying to each other in an effort to precisely mimicry that companionship.

This also ties with my idea that Hector would be filled with resentment for how cruelly Lenore broke his heart, but putting up a façade of politeness, and Lenore would be aware that he's not happy, but like I said she's too much of a coward to address it, so she puts up a façade of playfulness in hopes that eventually he'll get over it. He doesn't. He never grows to love her, only to depend on her. And Lenore never learns how to love as a human, she always sees Hector as her pet, a cherished one but a pet nonetheless. Which is why the situation of imprisonment drives her mad: she should have power, damn it! But she lost it. She only has Hector now.

They bonded through lies, deceit and betrayal, their relationship is nothing but toxic and the pretense of happiness is barely surface deep, and this would have been so cool if the writer did not spend so much time pretending she's a poor widdle girl who did nothing wrong

listen i just love relationships between two unwell people built on codependency and the primal need for each other no matter how unhealthy it is, it's why game Isaactor makes me go all 👀

(also yes in this sense Lenore killing herself makes more sense. She feels worthless, she is removing herself from the picture because she refuses to cope with her uncomfortableness and to free Hector from her toxic self. Without her, Hector is finally free to face the world. Or, since I would like Hector to have agency for once, they could just go their own separate ways, I don't want her to die, I just want Hector to grow, something he didn't do in the show.)