#modern inheritance exposition

[modern-inheritance]

An Update and Ramble on the Forgiveness Prompt

The ‘forgiveness’ prompt fill is somewhat completed, but it feels…off. I’ll be honest, I’ve never actually thought out how Brom would actually react to seeing and interacting with Murtagh (and Thorn, who I think would soften Brom up a bit because he’s not only a dragon but has a fiery spirit and let’s be real, MIC!Brom has a major soft spot for spitfire types).

I’m just going to ramble this out here. If you’re waiting for the prompt itself and don’t want anything spoiled, then wait to read this. 

I thought back to the two bigger stories where Brom and Murtagh interacting was a major focus: Judge Me Not and Judge You Not. Brom is gruff in those, establishing his baseline of how he interacts with most everyone in MIC. He is reluctant to give any compliment, grouchy, and verbally rough. Murtagh is somewhat haughty, fiercely defending his right to be seen as someone other than a copy of his father, and easily angered but slightly confused as to Brom’s occasional leeway/grudging acceptance. Brom, deep down, wants Murtagh to become so much more than Morzan and also wants him to carry on a memory of Selena. He has high hopes for him, and is almost desperate to steer him away from Morzan’s path.

The only other hints at how Brom would react to Murtagh post war are found in Father and Son and Collateral (Smoke and Mirrors). Brom erupts in rage at Murtagh claiming that Eragon is Morzan’s son in the former, and in the latter Brom is hovering around the same level of rage as he had before he met Selena, but while it is generally around Oromis’s death, the rage is more about how he essentially failed to save Murtagh from that path, and in some way he feels that the only way to save him and Thorn now is to kill them. And he hates that.

Murtagh and Thorn are more wildcard for me concerning how they act and feel post war. We know they are traveling to find themselves and be at peace with what happened to them. I have some interaction between Murtagh and Arya post war, where Murtagh is less haughty than before and is almost humble in a way. I feel like Murtagh is a raw wound. Everything hurts and stings, he needs comfort, and yet somehow he’s almost…calm about it. Constant anxiety over how Brom would react to him and Thorn, always wondering when Brom is going to lose it and try to destroy him, but he deep down wants things to be, if not good between them, at the least okay. He wants to be understood but is uncomfortable with that, and maybe even feels like he deserves whatever Brom says or does in retaliation for what he did under the King’s influence.

So I was stuck. I knew that what was sort of expected was gruff, angry Brom laying into Murtagh, maybe cuffing him upside the head a few times, then realizing that he was under the King’s control for most of it and forgiving him. But that’s not how I see it happening really.

Brom deeply loved Selena. Eragon got his devoted puppy love gene somewhere and it had to be from dad. Selena in a sense gave up after Eragon was born, returning to Murtagh only to die. Brom hated that he couldn’t be there to save her or show her that there was more to live for since Morzan was dead, and somewhat blamed himself for not being able to save her. Murtagh fought the King’s influence for as long as he could, but despite Thorn pushing for more resistance, he also gave up when he saw what the King was doing to torture Thorn.

So Brom, a year after the war, after coming upon Murtagh and Thorn, is hit with the realization that Murtagh gave up to save Thorn. Selena gave up, maybe in part because she knew that if Morzan made it back alive there would be no way to hide Eragon’s existence and so gave up her life to save him. He’s reminded that he was in Morzan’s estate for long enough to have made a plan to rescue Murtagh as a child, that he could have tried to save him and prevent any of this happening.

I didn’t want angry Brom. Brom without that undercurrent seems a bit off. But again, this is post war. He has less to hate. He can finally fully let go of all that rage he had towards Galbatorix and the Forsworn. Meanwhile, Murtagh is trying his best to let go of his own anger and hate towards the world and finds that Brom is someone he still really wants a connection with because he managed to look through his father and see Murtagh as an individual.

I donno. I think I gave up the general plot of the forgiveness fill right there but…I needed to justify what I wrote before I post it and make it canon. This is another one of those that I’ll probably rewrite at some point, as it took me several false starts to get going, and then a few more before settling on that one.

I promise I’ll post in the next few days, just gathering intel and reactions from some people to help guide me on if I’ve established post war characteristics properly. Cheers!

[molter-writes]

MOLTER!!!!!!!! your fics have me going absolutely feral

I started off reading love is complicated and then I consumed all your other fics because they've all been so good, and so different from each other, they all seem so fresh and full of life

grey ridge- it has to be my favorite out of all of them, I'm kind of a sucker for ceo rhaenyra, but can we talk about alicent in this fic???? she is so good??! I disliked Otto in this (as one does) but the flashbacks that happened made me understand him a lot more and, although I don't think they redeemed him for me, it really shows how three-dimensional you made him. the happiness that R+A have in this is really what makes it for me - and I really like Harwin and Erryk as supporting characters, they stood out to me as faves

song of the exposition- there's that argument that alicent has with rhaenyra in grey ridge at the cocktail party in ch 5 where she expects Rhaenyra "to answer rejection with rejection, like she used to, when they were younger" and it's kinda cool to see a glimpse of their younger-selves before they finished growing up

ride the dragon (do it quickly)- I really like this one! especially how it is the closest to canon, it's nice to have "what could have been" type thing when one inevitably thinks about how the show/book ends with these two. the second chapter from daeron's perspective was really great, I imagine it must have been fun to write! I like how not everything isn't perfectly resolved at the end of ch. 1, the messiness of it, if you will, adds a sense of realism I enjoy with it

leaf and blade- this is the one I read last out of all of them bc I wasn't sure what to think of a teacher au, but it's sooo good, it's one of my faves (which is hard to say when all 6 are my faves!) syrax being a lizard is so great and funny and ur so right that this really is a summer fic with the way that it reads. I really love the kindness in this fic and it's hard to read about Rhaenyra and her struggles with her inheritance+future but it's also so good to read at the same time? I don't know how you do that but it's so incredible to read

love is complicated- the first fic of yours that I read!!!! it is such an Immense, richly-packed fic that I honestly struggle with what to say about it because there are so many little details that I'd like to comment on. I love Alicent's big sad wet brown eyes and this fic defo provides that, but Rhaenyra is so sweet in this to Alicent and I just love them both in this, I also really like the little boardgame group they have going on and I sure as hell like Laena a lot more in this than in bodhrán beat, but all of the friends (and brothers) in this are really good!!

bodhrán beat- umm modern royals? it goes so hard! I can't find it in myself to hate Rhaenyra in this for cheating on Alicent bc you're sooo good at characterization that I can really understand the difficulties that both of them are going through in this. I really liked the part with teenage Rhaenyra spending time at Rheanys' house. I am putting my heart in your hands, trusting that it will all turn out in the end

Thank you so much for writing dude, I've really, really love your works and super appreciate all the time and work you put into them

insanely generous insanely caring simply insane i wish i could thank you by name and the way you deserve

[alicentsgf]

I love how many don't see the nuances on Alicent rejecting Jace and Helaena marriage proposal from Rhaenyra... Alicent sees the truth, they are bastards and it's a big insult to her, also she takes it as Rhaenyra saving her own ass. Same with the whole Vaemond Velaryon' speech, many said that since Lucerys was bethrored to a Velaryon woman so there wouldnt be an issue anymore with their kids when the issue is that a non Velaryon was going to be the next lord, Rhaena wasnr important

In fairness people don't see the nuances because the writing doesn't encourage you to. We know marrying Jace would be dangerous for Helaena, we know it's a huge insult, but the show did frame it as though Alicent was just prejudiced against bastards because she's religious/bitter/jealous (idk take ur pick) because they never actually explain why that is a totally legitimate prejudice to have given what the result would likely be.

No one ever actually talks the audience through why having a bastard take the throne would be an issue, or what having a bastard for a father would mean for Helaena's children. The political and legal ramifications are totally glossed over and it makes Alicent look admittedly sort of irrational. There were gaping holes in the exposition. The extremely likely succession crisis upon Jace's ascension would pit Alicent's sons and their descendants against Rhaenyra's sons and theirs - Alicent was not going to set herself up to lose a child or grandchildren no matter the outcome. We know that. We know how Westerosi society works because we've all invested way too much time into learning about it lmao. But most of the audience is not necessarily going to understand all that.

There's this very modern pusedo-progressive lense on the show that is rejecting the social and political nuances of this world all the while indulging the aesthetics of violence and incest. The show is either assuming the audience has knowledge they don't, or it's deliberately omitting things in order to make Rhaenyra look more sympathetic, and I can only think it's a bit of both given how they don't explain or linger on Rhaenyra calling for little Aemond to be 'sharply questioned' aka tortured, which means the moment doesn't make any impression at all really, when it should be shocking. It should have made us question, really question, who Rhaenyra is.

And whilst I think Vaemond is undoubtably ambitious for his own ends, he was still absolutely right to question Luke's claim. So what if he's betrothed to Rhaena? Betrothals can be broken. People can die. I know and you know that in our modern world it shouldn't matter who has whose blood when it comes to inheritance, but this is a world where it legally absolutely matters, and Luke is not Laenor's blood. And the same people who preen themselves over Rhaenyra's line continuing to Daenerys, will say it doesn't matter that a boy of no Velaryon blood would be sitting on the driftwood throne, when they have clearly grasped the concept of blood legacy Vaemond holds so dearly.

[parkers-notebook]

The House

(This is the opening to a lesbian horror story I wanted to work on when I was stuck on Red Death Ball. I know it's really exposition heavy, and I plan to edit that when the story is finished, but I wanted to share the backstory of the haunted house I'm creating)

There were signs all over the place. Really, my first clue should have been the fact that the listing was that underpriced. I mean, fifteen thousand for a rambling old Victorian mansion? One that was up to code, according to the inspector I hired to find out what the catch was, completely modernized while still maintaining the old world feeling? One that came prefurnished with lovely antique furniture, and even had a butler and maid service already set up? I should have run the other direction. I really should have.

And, I mean, I checked online. Most of the manors in this part of the state were going for four or five times that cost, and I'm talking for houses that are roughly half the size of Gracebourne Manor. This place is huge. Like... six acres of land, and a manor house that reminds me of Downton Abbey. There are servant passages in the damn walls! The last owners did a huge remodel, too, making sure all the plumbing was up to date and the house had electricity. It really was a good deal for the house.

Besides, Anna and I, we wanted a large place. Nice big plot of land for the kinds to play, if we ever got around to having those. We'd been talking about it for a while, but the time wasn't right. Even so, how many women in their mid twenties get the chance to own a place like Gracebourne Manor? Anna's inheritance would cover the cost outright, we didn't even have to mortgage it. And her trust fund could keep the property taxes covered, plus any emergency costs that might come up. We didn't need to worry about any of that.

I didn't marry Anna for her money, of course. Hell, I didn't even know her family was wealthy until we were engaged. Anna never cared about any of that. And sure, the Breckinridges never really liked me. Her mother, the high and mighty Lucinda Breckinridge, refused to her dying day to acknowledge that her only daughter was even a lesbian. Whatever. Alistair, her father, was cordial enough, and he made sure Lucinda didn't disown Anna for marrying me. He even refused to let Lucinda demand a prenup for our wedding. He just wanted Anna to be happy, and if Miss Evangeline Dumont from backwoods Georgia was it, then by God, he was going to make me feel welcome. Hell, half the money was left to me outright in the will. I didn't expect that, but it was nice.

So we could afford it. And I wanted Anna to have a bit of the privilege she was accustomed to. She said it didn't matter, that we were happy in our little walkup apartment in Savannah, but I wanted more for her. Hell, I wanted more for me too. I didn't intend to find Gracebourne Manor; I wanted a little house outside the city, but most of those were going for twenty thousand or more, and when the realtor mentioned Gracebourne Manor, well, I jumped at the chance.

But yeah, there were signs that something was off. I knew the history, of course. Gracebourne Manor, built in nineteen hundred by Mister Edward Henry Gracebourne. The Gracebourne family itself dated back to before the Civil War, but the original house, on a plot of land that no longer connects to the current acreage, burned down during the war. You see, the Gracebournes were good people, abolitionists in slave owning Georgia. They were accused of treason during the Southern succession, and while they escaped the charges, fleeing North during the war and staying there for a few decades after, the house was set aflame. A warning against them ever returning to Savannah.

But in the late eighteen nineties, Edward Gracebourne and his new bride, Miss Avaline Pritchard, returned to the ancestral land. They marked off six acres of the dozen or so that they still owned, and sold everything outside of that, including the spot where the original house stood. Edward designed and built the new Gracebourne Manor. It took ten years, during which time Avaline lived in a townhouse in downtown Savannah with her husband and their growing family. That townhouse, incidentally, was turned into apartments in the seventies, and is actually where Anna and I lived until we bought the manor.

But I digress. So, in nineteen ten, the new house was finished, and Edward moved his family into it: Avaline, their nine year old son, their seven year old daughter, and the three servants who lived with them. They kept the townhouse, so they had a place to stay when they were in the city. Everything was fine for about two years. During that time, Avaline gave birth to another little girl, Elizabeth, and they hired a new nanny to tend to her. Edward was away constantly, tending to his business interests up North, but he hired a caretaker for the manor and his family, one Richard Jameson.

It was rumored in town that little Elizabeth Gracebourne was not actually the daughter of Edward, but of Richard. She looked nothing like him, after all, though honestly, who can say what a child is going to look like when they grow up? But people were nasty gossips, and Richard living in that big house with Mrs. Gracebourne set tongues wagging. Edward didn't believe a word of it, of course. Avaline swore that she was faithful, and that was good enough for him.

It was during one of Edward's visits home that things began to go sour. The older daughter, Matilde, began claiming that there was a man in her room at night. Naturally, they at first assumed that she was imagining things. Until the night that Avaline, going to tend to her daughter after hearing her cry out, caught Mr. Jameson in the room with her. I won't say what he was caught doing, but I'm sure you can guess. Well, Avaline shrieked bloody murder, and Edward came running in with a pistol. When Avaline screamed, RIchard Jameson leapt on her, trying to make her hush, and when Edward saw that man atop his wife, half dressed and throttling her... he shot him.

Unfortunately, the bullet missed him. It didn't miss poor Avaline, though. Richard rolled away from her and fled past Edward, who was beside himself at the turn of events. He dropped that gun and went to his wife, trying to save her. Matilde's screams brought the butler running, and before long, the police had been summoned. Edward was arrested for the murder of his wife, though he was later acquitted when Matilde was able to testify that he'd been trying to protect Avaline. He returned to Gracebourne Manor, and there he stayed.

Matilde committed suicide at fifteen. She couldn't get past the trauma of what Richard Jameson had done to her, or the trauma of seeing her mother die in front of her. Her younger sister, Elizabeth, found her hanging from the banister of the attic hallway. Elizabeth herself went missing, also at fifteen, never to be seen again. Edward ate a bullet in nineteen twenty seven, a year after Elizabeth's disappearance. And the son, Edward Jr? He began to receive letters from an unknown source, each one containing a tantalizing clue about his sister's whereabouts, though they never panned out. Elizabeth was declared dead in nineteen thirty. Edward Jr sold Gracebourne Manor and moved back to the townhouse in Savannah. During World War Two, he was killed in a battle in France. No one knows what became of Richard Jameson.

Every owner of Gracebourne Manor has reported seeing things, feeling cold spots, all the usual haunted house claptrap. So Anna was wary about the house. But we couldn't raise a family in that little walkup apartment. We couldn't even have a dog there. No pets allowed. And we had the money, so why not make the change?

Besides, she changed her mind once she saw the house. It really was a lovely old place, and as I said, completely modernized inside. We even had internet. And a pond on the property, where we could teach kids to swim. So after the inspector returned a clean bill of health for the house, we signed the papers and started the process to move in.

I really should have paid attention to the signs.

[pagebypagereviews]

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[weirdponytail]

How modern is everything in MIC? Like what technology do they have? Plus, what does dragon armor look like in this universe, I’m really curious, lol?

Haha, once again that’s a sort of difficult question that needs to be answered!! Buckle in, folks. Sorry the post got so damn long!

Modern Inheritance Cycle is a bit of a misnomer, really. Technology varies pretty widely, so I can’t point to a chunk of our history and say ‘iz like that!’ for MIC. I’ll do my best to give a general overview.

Big things are that fossil fuel engines do not exist. Planes, automobiles, etc, do not and will not exist in MIC. Horses and walking are still the main travel methods. Both swords and guns are used. In the Broddring Empire, the most technologically advanced computers are those box computers from the late 90s early 2000s. Somehow, MP3 players exist, but not the sleek ones we know now (Eragon has one that he keeps on his person at all times). There is some difference between the level of computer tech humans have when looking at the Empire and Surda. Elves and dwarves have their own levels of tech that are more advanced. Radios are a thing, but for communication and entertainment/news, and again differ somewhat between races. 

Also, big note that my friend Cor brought to my attention: My dumbass completely forgot about the Urgals and figuring out their levels of tech. It’s low, mostly due to combat focused and rather secluded (iirc) lifestyles. 

Alright, let’s get down to specifics.

Handheld Weapons: While guns are a thing (modern, right here, right now guns), they haven’t taken over swords and other bladed weapons completely. Heck, swords are still a major part of the series! Close combat is done with swords, while guns are usually pistols, rifles, etc, used mid to long range. Things like AKs and very large magazine automatics aren’t very common, but burst fire and semi auto are okay. Examples: Arya and Brom both carry pistols and occasionally a long gun or combat rifle of some sort, while Murtagh has a specialized rifle he uses. Fäolin was a trained sniper. It’s sort of up in the air really. I add them when I feel like it. 

Large Weapons: As mentioned in my MIC Dwarves post (LINKED), dwarves developed some artillery type weapons and small tanks (WW2 levels at the highest), run on magic energy. This energy is usually stored in mid to low quality minerals and crystals and can be replenished either via putting your life energy into it, or (and this is something new, I’m not sure if it’s going to stay or not) channeling the resulting energy release from basic exothermic chemical reactions into the crystals, though this is only a thing that dwarves know how to do and they are NOT sharing that information.

Armor: Oddly enough, Kevlar isn’t really prevalent. There’s still enough of a focus on hand to hand sword fighting that there’s mixes of other materials that could deflect sword blows with materials that can dissipate the impact of projectiles. Dwarves are the best to look to for their lightweight metal alloys for this purpose, and Saphira’s armor is the pinnacle of that technological achievement. I’m rusty (HA!) on my metallurgy and aramid fiber applications info, so you’ve sparked my urge to do some research. I’ve not figured out a good dragon armor design yet, but when I do I’ll definitely draw some up!

Oh, more armor! Elves have perfected spidersilk armor, and when properly mixed with metals or aramid weaves it creates fantastically resistant cloth and plating. Arya’s jacket, mentioned plenty of times in MIC stories, is made of this spidersilk cloth mixture. It’s stopped bullets before, and is pretty resistant to cutting from nearly everything but a Rider’s sword or other crazy rule breaking/bending magic. Arya’s armor in my original ‘The Soldier’ drawing is also spidersilk, though it’s more spidersilk alloy plate. If you see anything that’s a mottled texture, mottled blue or blue grey in my MIC art, that’s had spidersilk added to it. Elvish armor (and even some weapons) relies on it heavily. 

Elves tend to have the ‘highest’ level of tech, but it’s mostly due to an abundance of magic, time, and knowledge in other fields that lead to strange new inventions. They don’t develop it often, as it’s mostly a fleeting hobby, but when they do implement it with their magic it can be pretty dang cool. Glenwing studied, among his mental health and medical training, electrical engineering type things and thus knows how to rewire both nerves and devices. Rhunön is quite adept at working magic into her forging, as well as mechanical and electrical (sort of) work. When Glen loses his arm in the ambush, Rhunön is the one that makes a prosthetic for him that sort of ends up being like Fullmetal Alchemist Automail, but without the painful surgical requirements. It requires only the same amount of energy that movement and actions with muscle and tissue would require with his real arm, so it is linked to his own energy. Arya, meanwhile, picks up a lot of mechanical engineering from bothering Rhunön as a kid and gets even more experience with it via dwarvish tech, weapons sabotage, and ‘use everything till it falls apart’ forced rationing with the Varden, leading to a combination of her and Glen’s skills to create their squad’s special radios that are mentioned in a few of the MIC stories.

Dwarves are the most mechanically inclined and, again, use energy storing crystals very frequently in their creations. I think it’s mentioned in my dwarf post that many many households have items and tools that house these crystals. I go more in depth with the post I mentioned so that’s probably where you’ll get the most info.

Humans are kinda stuck. Galbatorix tends to draw from things reported on/seen while fighting against other forces and has his people develop from those. Military weapons have been the main focus, so there’s not much in the way of computers or that kind of stuff. Those old box computers are usually only used in businesses that can afford them for finances and the like. As for artillery, the Broddring Empire has developed ‘cannonbombs,’ artillery shells that are clusterbombs inside an outer shell that can be on a timed fuse for detonation before impact or explode on impact and releases several more explosives (If you want a better explanation, check out MIRV grenades from from the Borderlands games). They’re the bane of trench fighters.

Meanwhile, in Surda, computers are a little smaller! Due to the hot climate, Surdans learned to make more efficient cooling systems and were able to make them smaller and more compact, leading to an explosion of research into making the rest of the equipment smaller as well. They’ve moved on to tower+flat monitor type computers. Surda is more interested in chemical engineering and tech towards the center of the kingdom, while defensive tech and development takes precedence along the border for obvious reasons. 

Even though humans seem to have gotten the short end of the stick, I always want to mention that in MIC, humans are the most ingenious, able to use, reuse and repurpose due to their ‘limitations’ when side by side with other races. They think outside and all over the box, occasionally cutting the material of the box to see if they can make something out of that. It’s something that most dwarves and elves just don’t understand, and thus often overlook or underestimate. 

That’s...all I’ve got at the moment. I hope that helped a bit! Please, if you have any more questions, ask! :D I love world building!!

[cresvalkyrie]

Exposition Post 5: Aura Wielders of the Present Day

Tagging @fangaminghell, @alltheoutsinfreeeee, @lurker-extraordinaire-657645​, @kiroons-hyperfixtations​ and @lemonade-juley​ for their exposition post subscription alerts.

Ancients

Descendants of the Blessed warriors of the War. Their powers originate from their spirit Pokemon, a spiritual entity that serves as a representation their true self. Should they undergo Degeneration or are transformed, they take on aspects or the form of their spirit Pokemon.

Known members:

Artemis (pre-Calamity) - Electric/Fire

One of the last surviving members of the Viator Clan (formerly Viotto), and the current host of the Paradigm Crest. Due to her otherworldly origin, she possesses foreknowledge of the tumultuous events that will soon transpire in Aevium although she is uncertain on her stance regarding the matter. Her spirit Pokemon is Argentrine Virtuous Mode.

Hauyne - Electric/Fire

The ‘light’ aspect of Artemis’s splintered soul, and the representation of her idealised self. She retains Artemis’s memories of her life in the real world as well as her metaknowledge, but is unaware of her status as a split personality or of her original self’s life in a pre-Calamity Aevium. She seeks to exploit her knowledge to create the ideal future for her would-be allies. Her spirit Pokemon is Argentrine Virtuous Mode.

Viviere - Ghost/Fire

The ‘dark’ aspect of Artemis’s splintered soul, and the personification of her negativity as well as the ‘shameful’ parts of herself. She keeps the memories of her original self’s time in Aevium ten years prior to the Calamity up to her fateful demise, but lacks the memories of her life before Artemis’s descent onto this world. As she is not resurrected by Crescent, Viviere can only appear in the World of Nightmares. Her ultimate goal is to rejoin with her other half, so that her original self could be restored. Her spirit Pokemon is Argentrine Fell Mode.

Artemis (post-v13) - Electric/Fire or Ghost/Fire

Reborn anew through the reunification of her two aspects, Artemis now possesses the tertiary Ghost affinity and is able to alternate between them via envisioning her spirit Pokemon shifting between its forms. While she has both Hauyne and Viviere’s memories, she seems to identify more closely with Hauyne’s identity and therefore uses her name as an alias. Her spirit Pokemon are both forms of Argentrine.

Orion - Ice/Dragon

One of the last two surviving members of the Viator Clan (formerly Viotto), Artemis’s long-lost older brother and the current Champion of Reborn. Because of their reputation as a formidable battler (even for a Champion-class trainer) and their status as the region’s celebrated hero, they were given the epithet ‘Black Dragon of Reborn’. Their spirit Pokemon is Astarealis, better known as the Original Dragon of Unova. 

Moderns

The current generation of Aura Wielders, created by a resurfaced Nymiera as part of Aevium’s latest line of defense against threats like Vitus. Unlike their Ancient counterparts, Moderns draw upon their powers from their bonded Pokemon or “familiars”. Should they Degenerate or transform, they will take on aspects or even the form of their bonded Pokemon.

Known Members:

Anju/Angie - Ice

One of the Protectors of Aevium, who fell in battle against Vitus and was subsequently corrupted by his presence. Her familiar is Regice.

Vivian - Rock

Another member of the Protectors of Aevium. She sacrificed herself in a ritual for the sake of the world, dooming her soul to an endless cycle of reincarnation. She is later succeeded by her final incarnation, Aelita, who also inherits her abilities as an Aura Wielder. Her familiar is Regirock.

Aelita - Rock

Vivian’s final incarnation and her successor. One of Artemis’s closest friends through Hauyne, having stood by her side since the beginning, and her fellow co-leader of their group. Her familiar is Regirock, though she has yet to draw upon this power.

Hazuki - Steel

The final member of the Protectors of Aevium sans Nymiera. She was the only one to survive the battle against Vitus, if only because of her husband’s trickery. Upon discovering this deceit, she descended into a state of righteous insanity and turned her back against everything that she once stood for. It was only after her defeat by former student Artemis’s hands did she come to her senses, and sought atonement through ritual execution by her student’s blade. Her familiar is Registeel.

Saki - Steel

Hazuki’s granddaughter and the heritor of her Aura Wielder abilities along with her role as a Protector of Aevium. She’s the fourth highest-ranking Gym Leader of the Aevium League, specialising in Steel-type Pokemon, and a good friend of Artemis through Hauyne. Currently in a comatose state as her consciousness is gradually transferred back into her original body. Her familiar is Registeel.

Potential Aura Wielders

Those who have the potential to become Aura Wielders due to their close blood relations with pre-existing ones, but have yet to unlock their powers for various reasons. Known members include:

Ayame (Saki’s mother and Hazuki’s daughter)

Kreiss (Anju’s son)

Taelia (Vivian’s reincarnation; deceased)

Nora (Taelia’s daughter; deceased)

Descendants

Individuals with at least one Aura Wielder ancestor somewhere in their lineage. While they lack the potential, they do have a derivative of their ancestor(s)’s mystical gifts that is passed down through the bloodline. Its known members are:

Taube Alcantara

Phoenix “Solaris” Alcantara

Mintaka “Taka” Alcantara

Elias Hazel

Luna Hazel

Zina Vanhanen

Fantasia “Anna” Vanhanen

Painter “Noel” Vanhanen

[modern-inheritance]

I’ll be live-streaming and playing Mass Effect 3 starting at around 7pm EST (~an hour). If anyone wants to say hi or ask MIC or IC questions please feel free to join me at twitch.tv/agenttexlives

[siriusfan13]

If you had to compare BNHA to a famous piece of literature, what would it be and why?

The Princess Bride would probably be my comparison, as weird as it may seem. It's probably a stretch, but this is why:

In Princess Bride, you have Wesley, who only wanted one thing, to win Buttercup's love. He was not supposed to have it, given his implied status versus hers, but he worked toward it anyway, was successfully moving toward achieving it, and then met someone Dread Pirate Roberts) who granted him abilities that he did not seem capable of gaining. He works with this mentor, gains the ability and in doing so gains much more, since he inherits Dread Pirate Roberts' entire persona, problems that go with being Dread Pirate Roberts, but also the perks. He now gains what he wants completely, but is not the only one who wants it. He works with others to defeat Humperdink who is trying to steal Buttercup and ruin everything. In Bnha, you have Izuku who wants one thing, a quirk that would allow him to be a hero. He was not supposed to have it, given his weird toe joint, but he worked toward being a hero anyway, was successfully moving toward achieving it, and then met someone (All Might) who granted him abilities that he did not seem capable of gaining. Izuku works with his mentor, gains the ability to contain the quirk but in doing so gains much more, since he inherits a quirk and history that has helped form All Might's persona (to the point where Todoroki thinks he is All Might's secret love child, and even Izuku has a hard time not just trying to BE All Might). He also inherits the problems that go with having All Might's powers (AFO), but also the perks. He know gains what he wants completely (a quirk that can make him a hero), but he is not the only one who wants it (AFO wants OFA as well). He works with others 1A to defeat AFO who is trying to steal OFA against its will and ruin everything.

You also have in Princess Bride the character, Inigo Mantoya, who is filled with hate because of what the six-fingered man did to his father, and who winds up making a series of bad decisions. But in a battle, Wesley treats him with honor, finds out about his problems, and earns his trust and respect, even though one of them has to be taken down.

In Bnha, you have Todoroki who is filled with hate because of what his father did to his mother, and who winds up making some bad decisions. But in the sports festival, Izuku treats him with honor, finds out about his problems, and earns his trust and respect, even though one of them has to be taken down.

I could go on with characters, but I'll swap to theme: A solid theme of Princess Bride is that "love conquers all" and "true love is connected with true heroism" and that "no one has to go it alone, nor should he if he wants to succeed" In Bnha, a clear theme is that "friendship is stronger than hate" and "teamwork is connected with true heroism" and "no one has to go it alone, nor should he if he wants to succeed."

Setting: Both are set in an abstract time period. Princess Bride is set in a random, vaguely "medieval" period that only slightly feels medieval because sometimes things just feel too modern. Bnha is set in a random, vaguely "futuristic" period that only slightly feels futuristic because sometimes things just feel too modern.

Plot: Exposition for both is a Prologue introducing us to the entire storyline. Princess Bride is grandpa and his storybook, telling us the background we need to understand the story. Bnha is Izuku teling us the background of quirks that we need to understand the story. In both we meet our main protagonists, are introduced to our basic (vague) setting, and learn what life was like for him. We learn of the protagonist's problem (the thing each wants, seems unable to get, and then works to get anyway).

Complicating Incident: Both protagonists meet someone who winds up completely unlike what they expected from the legends, the protagonists impress that person enough that he mentors the protagonist, and eventually gives the protagonist the means to achieve his goal. But gaining the goal is what actually triggers the problem for the rest of the story.

Rising Action: A series of quest-like events happening that allow the protagonists to meet new friends and enemies (sometimes the enemies even become friends), learn more about the goal, learning more strengths, more about teamwork, more about love, etc., meeting antagonists, repeatedly almost dying, etc.

Climax/ Turning Point: Protagonist will have to face the primary antagonist, but protagonist has been weakened and must rely on teamwork, even though he had tried to go it alone. He understands the importance of teamwork and must face the baddie. (We are around here in Bnha, but I'm sure we will have a bit more Rising Action blurring with this before we hit the fully climactic scene), so I can't fairly continue plot past this point.

Anyway... that's my "bored and need an excuse not to work on my chapter" defense of my choice:P

[thefrostqueen]

Hanyo no Yashahime

Season 1 Review

It’s review time

Hanyo no Yashahime is the sequel to the classic anime InuYasha, in which a teen from present day travels back to Feudal Japan where demons and magic are very much a reality. The sequel follows the children of the main characters from InuYasha and puts them on their own adventure to save the world.

Note: All opinions are my own. This is a critical review of entertainment media, and will include criticism. If you do not agree, then simply ignore.

The Plot

Early on, it was established that Towa and company would seek out the dream butterfly and get back Setsuna’s dreams/sleep. Treekyo told them they would have to defeat Sesshomaru and Kirinmaru. After many episodes, this plot line was unimportant and almost discarded. Passing and fleeting, the true motive of the girls quest is sporadic and mentioned sparingly, and for many episodes it seemed they were only there to slay high level demons.

Mysteries and questions were extremely abundant and established early on, and as the episodes went by, it was clear they wouldn’t be answered. At least this season. One thing the fandom has noticed is how many questions there are, and how in some crazy way sunrise managed to withhold all answers and key plot points from the plot for so long. Treekyo? Not that important apparently. Her prophecy? Never mentioned again. The dream butterfly? Seen not explained. It’s connection to Kirinmaru and Zero? Contradicted in the show. InuYasha and Kagome? Just as forgotten as Moroha when there is a fight.

The pacing of this show was all over the place and inconsistent, providing too much focus on filler in some episodes and not enough plot in others. And in the episodes where we got to come back to the main story, we would get info dumps. I mentioned in my mid-season review how info dumps are cheap in the scheme of writing and plot outline, and I’ll say it again because I was surprised as the episodes went on how inconsistent everything was getting.

Now, don’t get me wrong, InuYasha had lots of fillers too, but unlike Yashahime, they established a lot of exposition and plot within the first 12 episodes; we got the main characters and their ambitions/conflicts, the main villain, the dual antagonist (Sesshomaru, at least he was a villain for a bit anyway) and the basics of the magic system was established and explained. Yashahime did set up the character’s goals, but the character’s quickly seemed to forget them, while in InuYasha their goal of finding the jewel shards was always at the forefront of the majority of the episodes. The main villain was supposedly Kirinmaru (his careless attitude throughout most of the show did not provide the antagonistic “high stakes”) and he sent demons to battle the girls, but the girls were so overpowered and perfected their powers so quickly that the demons provided no real challenge or added any stakes or drama.

The ability/powers of characters were retconned. This was odd and not something I expected. One of the most notable examples is how certain abilities are apparently genetic and inherited through dna instead of through the swords that harbored them like the original series established. An example is Moroha’s “Crimson Backlash Wave” where it mimics the ability Tessaiga has where it sends an opponent’s own demonic attack right back at them, destroying them with their own demonic energy. Moroha does not use Tessaiga, she uses Kurikaramaru. The backlash wave was said to be unique to Tessaiga, and only able to be used with Tessaiga, but that lore was weirdly chosen to be retconned. It is unclear wether or not this will be expanded upon in season 2.

In episode 19 of Yashahime, there was blatant homophobia and transphobia. No excuse, there was. InuYasha also had homophobic and transphobic characters. Yashahime could have changed that, but it perpetuated that instead, and it was extremely disappointing. In episode 20, Shiori, a beloved character from the original series, is shown changing into her human form during a solar eclipse. Yashahime chose to whitewash the character by lightening her dark skin. In InuYasha, several characters had darker skin, like InuYasha himself, and when he turned into his human form, his skin would stay the same. There is no excuse for this. Both of these episodes blighted Yashahime’s potential to step away from those things, but it continued to do it instead.

The final episode of the show was fast and full of unanswered questions. The dream butterfly was still not explained, Rin did not wake up, InuYasha and Kagome were not even mentioned, let alone released, and Kirinmaru parented Towa and Setsuna better than their own father. Zero flees, using spider silk (she strangely has many parallels with Naraku, even down to spider imagery) and sets herself up to be the main villain. And Setsuna dies, and Sesshomaru doesn’t seem that worried at all. It was interesting however to see Kirinmaru fight the girls, and he basically began teaching them about their moves and powers. Another interesting aspect was how Sesshomaru is apparently, potentially, time traveling. He shows up and hands Towa the Tensiaga, and the rain stops, and when she takes it, the rain starts again. Towa looks up and it is shown Sesshomaru has vanished instantaneously.

The Characters

Towa Higurashi: In the first two episodes, Towa was portrayed as a tomboy who kicked ass and cared for her family. She was confident and had ambition. Once she came to the feudal era however, her entire personality changed. Her surroundings and the people/beings she met were indeed something she had never encountered, but she suddenly became a moralist, and cautioned Setsuna and Moroha to never fight, despite she herself being notorious in modern day for fighting bullies and bad people. It is almost like her fighting persona in modern day had never happened. Overall, it felt her character was overly gullible, and though she meant well, her sudden drop from “school fighter” to “naive moralist” was odd and seemed to contradict the character they set up in the first three episodes.

Setsuna: Like father like daughter, Setsuna retains her father’s most iconic personality traits, and is focused on her ambitions and remains cautious around people and demons alike. She was, perhaps, the one out of the three princesses to have the most backstory and character focus (despite Towa being the main character) The mystery of her connection with the dream butterfly was genuinely interesting, though it did feel like it dragged on for too long in certain aspects (some lore even felt contradicted) Writing wise, Setsuna felt the most consistently written character of the three girls, both in personality and in development.

Moroha: The perfect mix of her parents, Moroha has had little to few familial relationships and friendships in her life. Her goal of earning money seemed petty at first, but when Moroha finally got her own episode, it was revealed to have a deeper meaning. That episode highlighted Moroha’s strength and perseverance. What was a poor move on behalf of Yashahime’s writers was the strange choice to constantly omit Moroha from vital fights (and even basic fights) It happened pretty much every time, and Moroha was never around for key information about her parents or their quest. It is unclear why her being there for the information would be a bad thing. Her relationship with Towa and Setsuna was shallow, and their bonding had no real emotional impact. In fact, Towa and Setsuna openly mention how they need her for her abilities, not because they like her. The one episode they tried to make them bond fell flat due to the lack of build up and relationship development.

Conclusion

Hanyo no Yashahime was inconsistent and fell flat with several character relationships and motivations. Plot point execution was sporadic and lacked emotional depth and coherent understanding, leaving viewers more confused than awed. Characters from InuYasha were out of character and felt hollow; some of them were not even involved as much as one would think and one didn’t even show up. Kirinmaru is perhaps the most interesting new character to come out of the series, and his respect for the Great Dog Demon has led him to enter a deal with Sesshomaru, and even protect the three princesses. This contradicts several actions he took, and makes a compelling mystery in certain aspects. In conclusion, the show felt rushed and lacked emotional and character depth, and presented several problematic and harmful themes.

Note: Again, all opinions are my own. You are free to comment, but please be respectful.

[modern-inheritance]

Arya makes videos like this during her earlier years with the Varden to bring back and show Faolin because holy fuck these humans are putting such weird things into their mouths.

[faraway-wanderer]

BOOKS BY ASIAN AUTHORS MASTERLIST #stopasianhate

In light of recent events and the growing anti- Asian hate in the US and UK over the course of the pandemic I wanted to put together a masterlist of books by Asian authors. Obviously, it’s not extensive and there are HUNDREDS out there, but supporting art by Asian creators is a way of showing support; read their stories, educate ourselves. It goes without saying that we should all be putting effort into reading stories of POC and by POC because even through fiction we’re learning about different cultures, countries and heritages. So here’s some books to start with by Asian authors!

Here is a link also for resources to educate and petitions to sign (especially if you don’t read haha). It’s important that we educate ourselves and uplift Asian voices right now. Your anti-racism has to include every minority that faces it.

https://anti-asianviolenceresources.carrd.co/

for UK peeps, this is a good read: We may not hear about the anti Asian racism happening here, but it is definitely happening. https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/culture-news/a35692226/its-time-we-stopped-downplaying-the-uks-anti-asian-racism/

 THE BOOKS:

·         War Cross- Marie Lu ( the worldbuilding in this is IMMENSE.)

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. 

·         Star Daughter- Shveta Thakrar

A beautiful story about a girl who is half human and half star, and she must go to the celestial court to try to save her father after he has fallen ill. And before she knows it, she is taking part in a magical competition that she must win!

·         These Violent Delights- Chloe Gong (I told my little sister to read this book yesterday bc she has a thing for a Leo as Romeo- so if you want deadly good looking Romeos, badass Juliet’s and to learn about 1920s Shanghai- this is for you.)

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. A Romeo and Juliet retelling.

·         The Poppy War- R.F Kuang (My fave fantasy series just fyi- it’s soul crushing in the best way. Rebecca Kuang is a god of an author).

A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy.

·         Loveboat Taipei-  Abigail Hing Wen  (Really heartwarming and insightful!)

When eighteen-year-old Ever Wong’s parents send her from Ohio to Taiwan to study Mandarin for the summer, she finds herself thrust among the very over-achieving kids her parents have always wanted her to be, including Rick Woo, the Yale-bound prodigy profiled in the Chinese newspapers since they were nine—and her parents’ yardstick for her never-measuring-up life.

·         Sorcerer to the Crown- Zen Cho (if anyone is looking for another Howl’s Moving Castle, look no further than this book)

At his wit’s end, Zacharias Wythe, freed slave, eminently proficient magician, and Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers—one of the most respected organizations throughout all of Britain—ventures to the border of Fairyland to discover why England’s magical stocks are drying up.

·         Emergency Contact- Mary H.K. Choi (very wholesome and fun rom-com!)

For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. When she heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind.

 ·         Jade City- Fonda Lee (I am reading this currently and can I just say- I think everyone who loves fantasy and blood feuds in a story should read this.)

JADE CITY is a gripping Godfather-esque saga of intergenerational blood feuds, vicious politics, magic, and kungfu. The Kaul family is one of two crime syndicates that control the island of Kekon. It's the only place in the world that produces rare magical jade, which grants those with the right training and heritage superhuman abilities.

 ·         A Pho Love Story- Loan Le

When Dimple Met Rishi meets Ugly Delicious in this funny, smart romantic comedy, in which two Vietnamese-American teens fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighbouring restaurants.

·         Rebelwing- Andrea Tang

Business is booming for Prudence Wu. A black-market-media smuggler and scholarship student at the prestigious New Columbia Preparatory Academy, Pru is lucky to live in the Barricade Coalition where she is free to study, read, watch, and listen to whatever she wants.

·         Wings of the Locust- Joel Donato Ching Jacob

Tuan escapes his mundane and mediocre existence when he is apprenticed to Muhen, a charming barangay wiseman. But, as he delves deeper into the craft of a mambabarang and its applications in espionage, sabotage and assassination, the young apprentice is overcome by conflicting emotions that cause him to question his new life.

 ·         The Travelling Cat Chronicles- Hiro Arikawa

Sometimes you have to leave behind everything you know to find the place you truly belong...

Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he's going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru. 

 ·         Super Fake Love Song- David Yoon

From the bestselling author of Frankly in Love comes a contemporary YA rom-com where a case of mistaken identity kicks off a string of (fake) events that just may lead to (real) love.

  ·         Parachutes- Kelly Yang

Speak enters the world of Gossip Girl in this modern immigrant story from New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang about two girls navigating wealth, power, friendship, and trauma.

·         The Grace of Kings- Ken Liu ( One of the Time 100 Best Fantasy Books Of All Time!)

Two men rebel together against tyranny—and then become rivals—in this first sweeping book of an epic fantasy series from Ken Liu, recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards.

·         Wicked Fox- Kat Cho

A fresh and addictive fantasy-romance set in modern-day Seoul.

 ·         Descendant of the Crane- Joan He

In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.

 ·         Pachinko- Min Jin Lee

Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan's finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee's complex and passionate characters--strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis--survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history.

·         America is in the Heart- Carlos Bulosan

First published in 1946, this autobiography of the well known Filipino poet describes his boyhood in the Philippines, his voyage to America, and his years of hardship and despair as an itinerant laborer following the harvest trail in the rural West.

 ·         Days of Distraction- Alexandra Chang

A wry, tender portrait of a young woman — finally free to decide her own path, but unsure if she knows herself well enough to choose wisely—from a captivating new literary voice.

·         The Astonishing Colour of After Emily X.R Pan

Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love. 

·         The Gilded Wolves- Roshani Chokshi

It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

·         When Dimple met Rishi- Sandhya Menon

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

·         On Earth we’re briefly Gorgeous- Ocean Vuong

Poet Ocean Vuong's debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, a first love, and the redemptive power of storytelling.

·         Fierce Fairytales- Nikita Gill

Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself, Fierce Fairytales is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation.

 BOOKS BEING RELEASED LATER THIS YEAR TO PREORDER:

·         Counting down with you- Tashie Bhuiyan- 4th May

A reserved Bangladeshi teenager has twenty-eight days to make the biggest decision of her life after agreeing to fake date her school’s resident bad boy.

How do you make one month last a lifetime?

·         Gearbreakers- Zoe Hana Mikuta- June 29th

Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they're fighting for a common purpose--and falling for each other--in Zoe Hana Mikuta's high-octane debut Gearbreakers, perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu's Legend series

·         XOXO- Axie Oh- 13th July

When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.

·         She who became the sun- Shelley Parker-Chan- 20th July

Mulan meets The Song of Achilles in Shelley Parker-Chan's She Who Became the Sun, a bold, queer, and lyrical reimagining of the rise of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty from an amazing new voice in literary fantasy.

·         Jade Fire Gold- June C.L Tan- October 12th

Two girls on opposite sides of a war discover they're fighting for a common purpose--and falling for each other--in Zoe Hana Mikuta's high-octane debut Gearbreakers, perfect for fans of Pacific Rim, Pierce Brown's Red Rising Saga, and Marie Lu's Legend series

  Keep sharing, signing petitions and donating where you can. The more people who are actively anti-racist, the better. And if your anti-racism doesn’t include the Asian community then go and educate yourself! BLM wasn’t a trend and neither is this. We have to stand up against white supremacy, and racism and stereotypes and we have to support the communities that need our support. Part of that can include cultivating your reading so you’re reading more diversely and challenging any stereotypes western society may have given you.

 Feel free to reblog and add any more recommendations and resources of course!

[templeofshame]

just a few thoughts on representation as i get to the end of this book:

we have a great nb character as the most important secondary character, and it’s super casual. no explanations or discussions, no misgendering even when a bad guy is plotting their death. and that’s nice, love to see it, feudalish fantasy society that’s not heavy on the gender roles or conceives them differently, right?

except, that’s not what we see at all. we see a heavily gendered and sexist society, where gender roles seem based around fertility and inheritance in a very familiar (and trans-exclusive) way. and since the societal acceptance of the nb character is so casual, we never get a word for it. maybe it’s even a stretch to call the character nb; all we really know is they use they/them pronouns. they never seem to have to tell anyone this. maybe it’s actually a third gender that corresponds to a different type of anatomical or phenotypical presentation and not something akin to transness at all. or maybe the words we use to talk about genders outside of male and female just sound too modern (apart from two-spirit, which would seem culturally appropriative to put into a very white-feeling fantasy world), and exposition about how this sexist society manages to accept nb people so fully didn’t fit into the story. but as a result, we just don’t know.

and, whether because there’s no word for it or not, what we end up with is a very straight cis couple whose favorite other living person is (presumably) nb, and who never act like this is new or unusual to them, but also never reference the existence of nb people (beyond using their friend’s they/them pronouns). they make a point to discuss their cultures’ customs regarding same-gender marriage (also an interesting take on feudal/ancient cultures that i would have liked to hear earlier and see implications) without any such thought to how an nb person might marry. we hear about the dangers of a woman traveling alone and the threat to respectability of a woman traveling with a man she’s not married to, plenty of things get coded to gender, but outside of Zale being one, the role of nb people is just unspoken.

(do want to give credit that the nb character isn’t another species or a robot or anything, and is genuinely a good character, and most of these thoughts only hit me close to the end. but i do think the it’s-so-normal-we-don’t-need-to-talk-about-it can falter quickly when... we do talk about lots of normal things! we don’t comment on people’s gender every time we meet them, but we talk about gender, and if we talk about some genders and not others, it does seem to undermine the argument that the not-talking is fully a matter of normalcy)

oops did i write an essay no one wants to read again

[aquilaofarkham]

Much like his infamous father, the aesthetic of Alucard has changed tremendously since Castlevania’s start in the 1980s—yet certain things about him never change at all. He began as the mirror image of Dracula; a hark back to the days of masculine Hammer Horror films, Christopher Lee, and Bela Lugosi. Then his image changed dramatically into the androgynous gothic aristocrat most people know him as today. This essay will examine Alucard’s design, the certain artistic and social trends which might have influenced it, and how it has evolved into what it is now.

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INTRODUCTION

Published in 2017, Carol Dyhouse’s Heartthrobs: A History of Women and Desire examines how certain cultural trends can influence what women may find attractive or stimulating in a male character. By using popular archetypes such as the Prince Charming, the bad boy, and the tall dark handsome stranger, Dyhouse seeks to explain why these particular men appeal to the largest demographic beyond mere superfluous infatuation. In one chapter titled “Dark Princes, Foreign Powers: Desert Lovers, Outsiders, and Vampires”, she touches upon the fascination most audiences have with moody and darkly seductive vampires. Dyhouse exposits that the reason for this fascination is the inherent dangerous allure of taming someone—or something—so dominating and masculine, perhaps even evil, yet hides their supposed sensitivity behind a Byronic demeanour.

This is simply one example of how the general depiction of vampires in mainstream media has evolved over time. Because the concept itself is as old as the folklore and superstitions it originates from, thus varying from culture to culture, there is no right or wrong way to represent a vampire, desirable or not. The Caribbean Soucouyant is described as a beautiful woman who sheds her skin at night and enters her victims’ bedrooms disguised as an aura of light before consuming their blood. In Ancient Roman mythology there are tales of the Strix, an owl-like creature that comes out at night to drink human blood until it can take no more. Even the Chupacabra, a popular cryptid supposedly first spotted in Puerto Rico, has been referred to as being vampiric because of the way it sucks blood out of goats, leaving behind a dried up corpse.

However, it is a rare thing to find any of these vampires in popular media. Instead, most modern audiences are shown Dyhouse’s vampire: the brooding, masculine alpha male in both appearance and personality. A viewer may wish to be with that character, or they might wish to become just like that character. 

This sort of shift in regards to creating the “ideal” vampire is most evident in how the image of Dracula has been adapted, interpreted, and revamped in order to keep up with changing trends. In Bram Stoker’s original 1897 novel of the same name, Dracula is presented as the ultimate evil; an ancient, almost grotesque devil that ensnares the most unsuspecting victims and slowly corrupts their innocence until they are either subservient to him (Renfield, the three brides) or lost to their own bloodlust (Lucy Westenra). In the end, he can only be defeated through the joined actions of a steadfast if not ragtag group of self-proclaimed vampire hunters that includes a professor, a nobleman, a doctor, and a cowboy. His monstrousness in following adaptations remains, but it is often undercut by attempts to give his character far more pathos than the original source material presents him with. Dracula has become everything: a monster, a lover, a warrior, a lonely soul searching for companionship, a conquerer, a comedian, and of course, the final boss of a thirty-year-old video game franchise.

Which brings us to the topic of this essay; not Dracula per say, but his son. Even if someone has never played a single instalment of Castlevania or watched the ongoing animated Netflix series, it is still most likely that they have heard of or seen the character of Alucard through cultural osmosis thanks to social media sites such as Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and the like. Over the thirty-plus years in which Castlevania has remained within the public’s consciousness, Alucard has become one of the most popular characters of the franchise, if not the most popular. Since his debut as a leading man in the hit game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, he has taken his place beside other protagonists like Simon Belmont, a character who was arguably the face of Castlevania before 1997, the year in which Symphony of the Night was released. Alucard is an iconic component of the series and thanks in part to the mainstream online streaming service Netflix, he is now more present in the public eye than ever before whether through official marketing strategies or fanworks.

It is easy to see why. Alucard’s backstory and current struggles are quite similar to the defining characteristics of the Byronic hero. Being the son of the human doctor Lisa Țepeș, a symbol of goodness and martyrdom in all adaptations, and the lord of all vampires Dracula, Alucard (also referred to by his birth name Adrian Fahrenheit Țepeș) feels constantly torn between the two halves of himself. He maintains his moralistic values towards protecting humanity, despite being forced to make hard decisions, and despite parts of humanity not being kind to him in turn, yet is always tempted by his more monstrous inheritance. The idea of a hero who carries a dark burden while aspiring towards nobility is something that appeals to many audiences. We relate to their struggles, cheer for them when they triumph, and share their pain when they fail. Alucard (as most casual viewers see him) is the very personification of the Carol Dyhouse vampire: mysterious, melancholic, dominating, yet sensitive and striving for compassion. Perceived as a supposed “bad boy” on the surface by people who take him at face value, yet in reality is anything but.

Then there is Alucard’s appearance, an element that is intrinsically tied to how he has been portrayed over the decades and the focus of this essay. Much like his infamous father, the aesthetic of Alucard has changed tremendously since Castlevania’s start in the 1980s—yet certain things about him never change at all. He began as the mirror image of Dracula; a hark back to the days of masculine Hammer Horror films, Christopher Lee, and Bela Lugosi. Then his image changed dramatically into the androgynous gothic aristocrat most people know him as today. This essay will examine Alucard’s design, the certain artistic and social trends which might have influenced it, and how it has evolved into what it is now. Parts will include theoretical, analytical, and hypothetical stances, but it’s overall purpose is to be merely observational.

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What is Castlevania?

We start this examination at the most obvious place, with the most obvious question. Like all franchises, Castlevania has had its peaks, low points, and dry spells. Developed by Konami and directed by Hitoshi Akamatsu, the first instalment was released in 1986 then distributed in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System the following year. Its pixelated gameplay consists of jumping from platform to platform and fighting enemies across eighteen stages all to reach the final boss, Dracula himself. Much like the gameplay, the story of Castlevania is simple. You play as Simon Belmont; a legendary vampire hunter and the only one who can defeat Dracula. His arsenal includes holy water, axes, and throwing daggers among many others, but his most important weapon is a consecrated whip known as the vampire killer, another iconic staple of the Castlevania image.

Due to positive reception from critics and the public alike, Castlevania joined other titles including Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Mega Man as one of the most defining video games of the 1980s. As for the series itself, Castlevania started the first era known by many fans and aficionados as the “Classicvania” phase, which continued until the late 1990s. It was then followed by the “Metroidvania” era, the “3-D Vania” era during the early to mid 2000s, an reboot phase during the early 2010s, and finally a renaissance or “revival” age where a sudden boom in new or re-released Castlevania content helped boost interest and popularity in the franchise. Each of these eras detail how the games changed in terms of gameplay, design, and storytelling. The following timeline gives a general overview of the different phases along with their corresponding dates and instalments.

Classicvania refers to Castlevania games that maintain the original’s simplicity in gameplay, basic storytelling, and pixelated design. In other words, working within the console limitations of the time. They are usually side-scrolling platformers with an emphasis on finding hidden objects and defeating a variety of smaller enemies until the player faces off against the penultimate boss. Following games like Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest and Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse were more ambitious than their predecessor as they both introduced new story elements that offered multiple endings and branching pathways. In Dracula’s Curse, there are four playable characters each with their own unique gameplay. However, the most basic plot of the first game is present within both of these titles . Namely, find Dracula and kill Dracula. Like with The Legend of Zelda’s Link facing off against Ganon or Mario fighting Bowser, the quest to destroy Dracula is the most fundamental aspect to Castlevania. Nearly every game had to end with his defeat. In terms of gameplay, it was all about the journey to Dracula’s castle. 

As video games grew more and more complex leading into the 1990s, Castlevania’s tried and true formula began to mature as well. The series took a drastic turn with the 1997 release of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, a game which started the Metroidvania phase. This not only refers to the stylistic and gameplay changes of the franchise itself, but also refers to an entire subgenre of video games. Combining key components from Castlevania and Nintendo’s popular science fiction action series Metroid, Metroidvania games emphasize non-linear exploration and more traditional RPG elements including a massive array of collectable weapons, power-ups, character statistics, and armor. Symphony of the Night pioneered this trend while later titles like Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow solidified it. Nowadays, Metroidvanias are common amongst independent developers while garnering critical praise. Hollow Knight, Blasphemous, and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night are just a few examples of modern Metroidvanias that use the formula to create familiar yet still distinct gaming experiences. 

Then came the early to mid 2000s and many video games were perfecting the use of 3-D modelling, free control over the camera, and detailed environments. Similar to what other long-running video game franchises were doing at the time, Castlevania began experimenting with 3-D in 1999 with Castlevania 64 and Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness, both developed for the Nintendo 64 console. 64 received moderately positive reviews while the reception for its companion was far more mixed, though with Nintendo 64’s discontinuation in 2002, both games have unfortunately fallen into obscurity. 

A year later, Castlevania returned to 3-D with Castlevania: Lament of Innocence for the Playstation 2. This marked Koji Igarashi’s first foray into 3-D as well as the series’ first ever M-rated instalment. While not the most sophisticated or complex 3-D Vania (or one that manages to hold up over time in terms of graphics), Lament of Innocence was a considerable improvement over 64 and Legacy of Darkness. Other 3-D Vania titles include Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, Castlevania: Judgment, and Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP, a remake of the Classicvania game Castlevania: Rondo of Blood which merged 3-D models, environments, and traditional platforming mechanics emblematic of early Castlevania. It is important to note that during this particular era, there were outliers to the changing formula that included Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, both games which added to the Metroidvania genre. 

Despite many of the aforementioned games becoming cult classics and fan favourites, this was an era in which Castlevania struggled to maintain its relevance, confused by its own identity according to most critics. Attempts to try something original usually fell flat or failed to resonate with audiences and certain callbacks to what worked in the past were met with indifference. 

By the 2010s, the Castlevania brand changed yet again and stirred even more division amongst critics, fans, and casual players. This was not necessarily a dark age for the franchise but it was a strange age; the black sheep of Castlevania. In 2010, Konami released Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, a complete reboot of the series with new gameplay, new characters, and new lore unrelated to previous instalments. The few elements tying it to classic Castlevania games were recurring enemies, platforming, and the return of the iconic whip used as both a weapon and another means of getting from one area to another. Other gameplay features included puzzle-solving, exploration, and hack-and-slash combat. But what makes Lords of Shadow so divisive amongst fans is its story. The player follows Gabriel Belmont, a holy warrior on a quest to save his deceased wife’s soul from Limbo. From that basic plot point, the storyline diverges immensely from previous Castlevania titles, becoming more and more complicated until Gabriel makes the ultimate sacrifice and turns into the very monster that haunted other Belmont heroes for centuries: Dracula. While a dark plot twist and a far cry from the hopeful endings of past games, the concept of a more tortured and reluctant Dracula who was once the hero had already been introduced in older Dracula adaptations (the Francis Ford Coppola directed Dracula being a major example of this trend in media).

Despite strong opinions on how much the story of Lords of Shadow diverged from the original timeline, it was positively received by critics, garnering an overall score of 85 on Metacritic. This prompted Konami to continue with the release of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow—Mirror of Fate and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. Mirror of Fate returned to the series’ platforming and side-scrolling roots with stylized 3-D models and cutscenes. It received mixed reviews, as did its successor Lords of Shadow 2. While Mirror of Fate felt more like a classic stand-alone Castlevania with Dracula back as its main antagonist, the return of Simon Belmont, and the inclusion of Alucard, Lords of Shadow 2 carried over plot elements from its two predecessors along with new additions, turning an already complicated story into something more contrived. 

Finally, there came a much needed revival phase for the franchise. Netflix’s adaptation of Castlevania animated by Powerhouse Animation Studios based in Austen, Texas and directed by Samuel Deats and co-directed by Adam Deats aired its first season during July 2017 with four episodes. Season two aired in October 2018 with eight episodes followed by a ten episode third season in March 2020. Season four was announced by Netflix three weeks after the release of season three. The show combines traditional western 2-D animation with elements from Japanese anime and is a loose adaptation of Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse combined with plot details from Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and original story concepts. But the influx of new Castlevania content did not stop with the show. Before the release of season two, Nintendo announced that classic protagonists Simon Belmont and Richter Belmont would join the ever-growing roster of playable characters in their hit fighting game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. With their addition also came the inclusion of iconic Castlevania environments, music, weapons, and supporting characters like Dracula and Alucard. 

During the year-long gap between seasons two and three of the Netflix show, Konami released Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls, a side-scrolling platformer and gacha game for mobile devices. The appeal of Grimoire of Souls is the combination of popular Castlevania characters each from a different game in the series interacting with one another along with a near endless supply of collectable weapons, outfits, power-ups, and armor accompanied by new art. Another ongoing endeavor by Konami in partnership with Sony to bring collective awareness back to one of their flagship titles is the re-releasing of past Castlevania games. This began with Castlevania: Requiem, in which buyers received both Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood for the Playstation 4 in 2018. This was followed the next year with the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, a bundle that included a number of Classicvania titles for the Playstation 4, Xbox One, Steam, and Nintendo Switch.

Like Dracula, the Belmonts, and the vampire killer, one other element tying these five eras together is the presence of Alucard and his various forms in each one.

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Masculinity in 1980s Media

When it comes to media and various forms of the liberal arts be it entertainment, fashion, music, etc., we are currently in the middle of a phenomenon known as the thirty year cycle. Patrick Metzgar of The Patterning describes this trend as a pop cultural pattern that is, in his words, “forever obsessed with a nostalgia pendulum that regularly resurfaces things from 30 years ago”. Nowadays, media seems to be fixated with a romanticized view of the 1980s from bold and flashy fashion trends, to current music that relies on the use of synthesizers, to of course visual mass media that capitalizes on pop culture icons of the 80s. This can refer to remakes, reboots, and sequels; the first cinematic chapter of Stephen King’s IT, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and both Ghostbusters remakes are prime examples—but the thirty year cycle can also include original media that is heavily influenced or oversaturated with nostalgia. Netflix’s blockbuster series Stranger Things is this pattern’s biggest and most overt product. 

To further explain how the thirty year cycle works with another example, Star Wars began as a nostalgia trip and emulation of vintage science fiction serials from the 1950s and 60s, the most prominent influence being Flash Gordon. This comparison is partially due to George Lucas’ original attempts to license the Flash Gordon brand before using it as prime inspiration for Star Wars: A New Hope and subsequent sequels. After Lucas sold his production company Lucasfilms to Disney, three more Star Wars films were released, borrowing many aesthetic and story elements from Lucas’ original trilogy while becoming emulations of nostalgia themselves. 

The current influx of Castlevania content could be emblematic of this very same pattern in visual media, being an 80s property itself, but what do we actually remember from the 1980s? Thanks to the thirty year cycle, the general public definitely acknowledges and enjoys all the fun things about the decade. Movie theatres were dominated by the teen flicks of John Hughes, the fantasy genre found a comeback due to the resurgence of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic works along with the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, and people were dancing their worries away to the songs of Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Madonna. Then there were the things that most properties taking part in the thirty year cycle choose to ignore or gloss over, with some exceptions. The rise of child disappearances, prompting the term “stranger danger”, the continuation of satanic panic from the 70s which caused the shutdown and incarceration of hundreds of innocent caretakers, and the deaths of thousands due to President Reagan’s homophobia, conservatism, and inability to act upon the AIDS crisis. 

The 1980s also saw a shift in masculinity and how it was represented towards the public whether through advertising, television, cinema, or music. In M.D. Kibby’s essay Real Men: Representations of Masculinity in 80s Cinema, he reveals that “television columns in the popular press argued that viewers were tired of liberated heroes and longed for the return of the macho leading man” (Kibby, 21). Yet there seemed to be a certain “splitness” to the masculine traits found within fictional characters and public personas; something that tried to deconstruct hyper-masculinity while also reviling in it, particularly when it came to white, cisgendered men. Wendy Somerson further describes this dichotomy: “The white male subject is split. On one hand, he takes up the feminized personality of the victim, but on the other hand, he enacts fantasies of hypermasculinized heroism” (Somerson, 143). Somerson explains how the media played up this juxtaposition of “soft masculinity”, where men are portrayed as victimized, helpless, and childlike. In other words, “soft men who represent a reaction against the traditional sexist ‘Fifties man’ and lack a strong male role model” (Somerson, 143). A sort of self-flagellation or masochism in response to the toxic and patriarchal gender roles of three decades previous. Yet this softening of male representation was automatically seen as traditionally “feminine” and femininity almost always equated to childlike weakness. Then in western media, there came the advent of male madness and the fetishization of violent men. Films like Scarface, Die Hard, and any of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s filmography helped to solidify the wide appeal of these hyper-masculine and “men out of control” tropes which were preceded by Martin Scorcese’s critical and cult favourite Taxi Driver.

There were exceptions to this rule; or at the very least attempted exceptions that only managed to do more harm to the concept of a feminized man while also doubling down on the standard tropes of the decade. One shallow example of this balancing act between femininity and masculinity in 80s western media was the hit crime show Miami Vice and Sonny, a character who is entirely defined by his image. In Kibby’s words, “he is a beautiful consumer image, a position usually reserved for women; and he is in continual conflict with work, that which fundamentally defines him as a man” (Kibby, 21). Therein lies the problematic elements of this characterization. Sonny’s hyper-masculine traits of violence and emotionlessness serve as a reaffirmation of his manufactured maleness towards the audience.

Returning to the subject of Schwarzenegger, his influence on 80s media that continued well into the 90s ties directly to how fantasy evolved during this decade while also drawing upon inspirations from earlier trends. The most notable example is his portrayal of Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian in the 1982 film directed by John Milius. Already a classic character from 1930s serials and later comic strips, the movie (while polarizing amongst critics who described it as a “psychopathic Star Wars, stupid and stupefying”) brought the iconic image of a muscle-bound warrior wielding a sword as half-naked women fawn at his feet back into the collective consciousness of many fantasy fans. The character and world of Conan romanticizes the use of violence, strength, and pure might in order to achieve victory. This aesthetic of hyper-masculinity, violence, and sexuality in fantasy art was arguably perfected by the works of Frank Frazetta, a frequent artist for Conan properties. The early Castlevania games drew inspiration from this exact aesthetic for its leading hero Simon Belmont and directly appropriated one of Frazetta’s pieces for the cover of the first game.

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Hammer Horror & Gender

Conan the Barbarian, Frank Frazetta, and similar fantasy icons were just a few influences on the overall feel of 80s Castlevania. Its other major influence harks back to a much earlier and far more gothic trend in media. Castlevania director Hitoshi Akamatsu stated that while the first game was in development, they were inspired by earlier cinematic horror trends and “wanted players to feel like they were in a classic horror movie”. This specific influence forms the very backbone of the Castlevania image. Namely: gothic castles, an atmosphere of constant uncanny dread, and a range of colourful enemies from Frankenstein’s Monster, the Mummy, to of course Dracula. The massive popularity and recognizability of these three characters can be credited to the classic Universal Pictures’ monster movies of the 1930s, but there was another film studio that put its own spin on Dracula and served as another source of inspiration for future Castlevania properties.

The London-based film company Hammer Film Productions was established in 1934 then quickly filed bankruptcy a mere three years later after their films failed to earn back their budget through ticket sales. What saved them was the horror genre itself as their first official title under the ‘Hammer Horror’ brand The Curse of Frankenstein starring Hammer regular Peter Cushing was released in 1957 to enormous profit in both Britain and overseas. With one successful adaptation of a horror legend under their belt, Hammer’s next venture seemed obvious. Dracula (also known by its retitle Horror of Dracula) followed hot off the heels of Frankenstein and once again starred Peter Cushing as Professor Abraham Van Helsing, a much younger and more dashing version of his literary counterpart. Helsing faces off against the titular fanged villain, played by Christopher Lee, whose portrayal of Dracula became the face of Hammer Horror for decades to come. 

Horror of Dracula spawned eight sequels spanning across the 60s and 70s, each dealing with the resurrection or convoluted return of the Prince of Darkness (sound familiar?) Yet these were not the same gothic films pioneered by Universal Studios with fog machines, high melodrama, and disturbingly quiet atmosphere. Christopher Lee’s Dracula and Bela Lugosi’s Dracula are two entirely separate beasts. While nearly identical in design (slicked back hair, long flowing black cape, and a dignified, regal demeanor), Lugosi is subtle, using only his piercing stare as a means of intimidation and power—in the 1930s, smaller details meant bigger scares. For Hammer Horror, when it comes time to show Dracula’s true nature, Lee bares his blood-covered fangs and acts like an animal coveting their prey. Hammer’s overall approach to horror involved bigger production sets, low-cut nightgowns, and bright red blood that contrasted against the muted, desaturated look of each film. And much like the media of 1980, when it came to their characters, the Dracula films fell back on what was expected by society to be ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ while also making slight commentary on those very preconceived traits.

The main theme surrounding each male cast in these films is endangered male authority. Dracula and Van Helsing are without a doubt the most powerful, domineering characters in the story, particularly Helsing. As author Peter Hutchings describes in his book Hammer & Beyond: The British Horror Film, “the figure of the (male) vampire hunter is always one of authority, certainty, and stability (...) he is the only one with enough logical sense to know how to defeat the ultimate evil, thus saving the female characters and weaker male characters from being further victimized” (Hutchings, 124). The key definition here is ‘weaker male characters’. Hammer’s Dracula explores the absolute power of male authority in, yet it also reveals how easily this authority can be weakened. This is shown through the characters of Jonathan Harker and Arthur Holmwood, who differ slightly from how they are portrayed in Stoker’s novel. While Dracula does weaken them both, they manage to join Helsing and defeat the monster through cooperation and teamwork. In fact, it is Harker who lands one of the final killing strikes against Dracula. However, the Jonathan Harker of Hammer’s Dracula is transformed into a vampire against his will and disposed of before the finale. His death, in the words of Hutchings, “underlines the way in which throughout the film masculinity is seen (...) as arrested, in a permanently weakened state” (Hutchings, 117).

This theme of weakened authority extends to Holmwood in a more obvious and unsettling manner. In another deviation from the source material, Lucy Westenra, best friend to Mina Murray and fiancé to Arthur Holmwood, is now Holmwood’s sister and Harker’s fiancé. Lucy’s story still plays out more or less the same way it did in the novel; Dracula routinely drains her of blood until she becomes a vampire, asserting his dominance both physically and mentally. This according to Hutchings is the entirety of Dracula’s plan; a project “to restore male authority over women by taking the latter away from the weak men, establishing himself as the immortal, sole patriarch” (Hutchings, 119). Meanwhile, it is Helsing’s mission to protect men like Arthur Holmwood, yet seems only concerned with establishing his own dominance and does nothing to reestablish Holmwood’s masculinity or authority. Due to the damage done by Dracula and the failings of Helsing, Holmwood never regains this authority, even towards the end when he is forced to murder his own sister. His reaction goes as follows: “as she is staked he clutches his chest, his identification with her at this moment, when she is restored to a passivity which is conventionally feminine, suggesting a femininity within him which the film equates with weakness” (Hutchings, 117).

So Van Helsing succeeds in his mission to defeat his ultimate rival, but Dracula is victorious in his own right. With Jonathan Harker gone, Lucy Holmwood dead, and Arthur Holmwood further emasculated, he succeeds in breaking down previous male power structures while putting himself in their place as the all-powerful, all-dominant male presence. This is the very formula in which early Hammer Dracula films were built upon; “with vampire and vampire hunter mutually defining an endangered male authority, and the woman functioning in part as the site of their struggle (...) forged within and responded to British social reality of the middle and late 1950s” (Hutchings, 123).

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Alucard c. 1989

As for Castlevania’s Dracula, his earliest design takes more from Christopher Lee’s portrayal than from Bela Lugosi or Bram Stoker’s original vision. His appearance on the first ever box art bears a striking resemblance to one of the most famous stills from Horror of Dracula. Even in pixelated form, Dracula’s imposing model is more characteristic of Christopher Lee than Bela Lugosi.

Being his son, it would make logical sense for the first appearance of Alucard in Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse to resemble his father. His 1989 design carries over everything from the slick dark hair, sharp claws, and shapeless long cloak but adds a certain juvenile element—or rather, a more human element. This makes sense in the context of the game’s plot. Despite being the third title, Dracula’s Curse acts as the starting point to the Castlevania timeline (before it was replaced by Castlevania: Legends in 1997, which was then retconned and also replaced by Castlevania: Lament of Innocence in 2003 as the definitive prequel of the series). Set nearly two centuries before Simon Belmont’s time, Dracula’s Curse follows Simon’s ancestor Trevor Belmont as he is called to action by the church to defeat Dracula once he begins a reign of terror across Wallachia, now known as modern day Romania. It is a reluctant decision by the church, since the Belmont family has been exiled due to fear and superstition surrounding their supposed inhuman powers. 

This is one example of how despite the current technological limitations, later Castlevania games were able to add more in-depth story elements little by little beyond “find Dracula, kill Dracula”. This began as early as Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest by giving Simon a much stronger motivation in his mission and the inclusion of multiple endings. The improvements made throughout the Classicvania era were relatively small while further character and story complexities remained either limited or unexplored, but they were improvements nonetheless.

Another example of this slight progress in storytelling was Castlevania 3’s introduction of multiple playable characters each with a unique backstory of their own. The supporting cast includes Sypha Belnades, a powerful sorceress disguised as a humble monk who meets Trevor after he saves her from being frozen in stone by a cyclops, and Grant Danasty, a pirate who fell under Dracula’s influence before Trevor helped him break free from his curse. Then there is of course Adrian Fahrenheit Țepeș who changed his name to Alucard, the opposite of Dracula, as a symbol of rebellion against his tyrannical father. Yet Castlevania was not the first to conceptualize the very character of Alucard; someone who is the son of Dracula and whose name is quite literally the backwards spelling of his fathers’. That idea started with Universal’s 1943 venture Son of Dracula, a sequel to the 1931 classic that unfortunately failed to match the original’s effective atmosphere, scares, and story. In it, Alucard is undoubtedly the villain whereas in Dracula’s Curse, he is one of the heroes. Moral and noble, able to sway Trevor Belmont’s preconceptions of vampiric creatures, and with an odd sympathy for the monster that is his father. Alucard even goes as far as to force himself into an eternal slumber after the defeat of Dracula in order to “purge the world of his own cursed bloodline” (the reason given by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night’s opening narration).

When it comes to design, Castlevania’s Alucard does the curious job of fitting in with the franchises’ established aesthetic yet at the same time, he manages to stand out the most—in fact, all the main characters do. Everyone from Trevor, Sypha, to Grant all look as though they belong in different stories from different genres. Grant’s design is more typical of the classic pirate image one would find in old illustrated editions of Robinson Crusoe’s Treasure Island or in a classic swashbuckler like 1935’s Captain Blood starring Errol Flynn. Sypha might look more at home in a Dungeons & Dragons campaign or an early Legend of Zelda title with a large hood obscuring her facial features, oversized blue robes, and a magical staff all of which are commonplace for a fantasy mage of the 1980s. Trevor’s design is nearly identical to Simon’s right down to the whip, long hair, and barbarian-esque attire which, as mentioned previously, was taken directly from Conan the Barbarian. 

Judging Alucard solely from official character art ranging from posters to other promotional materials, he seems to be the only one who belongs in the gothic horror atmosphere of Dracula’s Curse. As the physically largest and most supernaturally natured of the main cast, he is in almost every way a copy of his father—a young Christopher Lee’s Dracula complete with fangs and cape. Yet his path as a hero within the game’s narrative along with smaller, near missable details in his design (his ingame magenta cape, the styling of his hair in certain official art, and the loose-fitting cravat around his neck) further separates him from the absolute evil and domination that is Dracula. Alucard is a rebel and an outsider, just like Trevor, Sypha, and Grant. In a way, they mirror the same vampire killing troupe from Bram Stoker’s novel; a group of people all from different facets of life who come together to defeat a common foe. 

The son of Dracula also shares similar traits with Hammer’s Van Helsing. Same as the Belmonts (who as vampire hunters are exactly like Helsing in everything except name), Alucard is portrayed as one of the few remaining beacons of masculinity with enough strength, skill, and logical sense who can defeat Dracula, another symbol of patriarchal power. With Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse, we begin to see Alucard’s dual nature in aesthetics that is automatically tied to his characterization; a balance that many Byronic heroes try to strike between masculine domination and moralistic sensitivity and goodness that is often misconstrued as weakly feminine. For now though, especially in appearance, Alucard’s persona takes more from the trends that influenced his allies (namely Trevor and Simon Belmont) and his enemy (Dracula). This of course would change drastically alongside the Castlevania franchise itself come the 1990s.

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Gender Expression & The 1990s Goth Scene

When a person sees or hears the word “gothic”, it conjures up a very specific mental image—dark and stormy nights spent inside an extravagant castle that is host to either a dashing vampire with a thirst for blood, vengeful ghosts of the past come to haunt some unfortunate living soul, or a mad scientist determined to cheat death and bring life to a corpse sewn from various body parts. In other words, a scenario that would be the focus of some Halloween television special or a daring novel from the mid to late Victorian era. Gothicism has had its place in artistic and cultural circles long before the likes of Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, and even before Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto, a late 18th century novel that arguably started the gothic horror subgenre. 

The term itself originated in 17th century Sweden as a descriptor of the national romanticism concerning the North Germanic Goths, a tribe which occupied much of Medieval Götaland. It was a period of historical revisionism in which the Goths and other Viking tribes were depicted as heroic and heavily romanticised. Yet more than ever before, gothicism is now associated with a highly specific (and in many ways personal) form of artistic and gender expression. It started with the golden age of gothic Medieval architecture that had its revival multiple centuries later during the Victorian era, then morphed into one of the darkest if not melodramatic literary movements, and finally grew a new identity throughout the 1990s. For this portion, we will focus on the gothic aesthetic as it pertains to fashion and music.

Arguably, the advent of the modern goth subculture as it is known nowadays began with the 1979 song “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” from Northampton’s own rock troupe Bauhaus. The overall aesthetic of the song, accompanying live performances, and the band itself helped shaped the main themes of current gothicism including, but not limited to, “macabre funeral musical tone and tempo, to lyrical references to the undead, to deep voiced eerie vocals, to a dark twisted form of androgyny in the appearance of the band and most of its following” (Hodkinson, 35-64). This emphasis on physical androgyny in a genre that was predominantly focused on depictions of undeniable masculinity was especially important to the 80s and 90s goth scene. Bauhaus opened the gates in which other goth and post-punk bands gained popularity outside of underground venues, including The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Southern Death Cult. Much like Bauhaus’ “twisted form of androgyny”, these other bands pioneered a romantic yet darkly feminine aesthetic which was then embraced by their fans. It wasn’t until the producer of Joy Division Tony Wilson along with members from Southern Death Cult and U.K. Decay mentioned the word “goth” in passing that this growing musical and aesthetic subculture finally had a name for itself. 

The goth movement of the 1990s became an interesting mesh of nonconformity and individual expression while also emphasising the need for a mutual connection through shared interests and similar aesthetics. Unique social outsiders looking for a sense of community and belonging—not unlike Stoker’s vampire hunting troupe or the main cast of Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse. Paul Hodkinson author of Goth: Identity, Style and Subculture describes the ways in which goths were able to expand their social networking while making the subculture their own. In order to gain further respect and recognition within the community, “they usually sought to select their own individual concoction from the range of acceptable artefacts and themes and also to make subtle additions and adaptations from beyond the established stylistic boundaries” (Hodkinson, 35-64). This was one of the ways in which the goth subculture was able to grow and evolve while maintaining some typical aesthetics. Those aesthetics that had already become gothic staples as far back as classic Victorian horror included crucifixes, bats, and vampires; all of which were presented by young modern goths, as Hodkinson puts it, “sometimes in a tongue-in-cheek self-conscious manner, sometimes not” (Hodkinson, 35-64).

The vampire, as it appeared in visual mass media of the time, was also instrumental to the 90s gothic scene, reinforcing certain physical identifiers such as long dark hair, pale make-up, and sometimes blackened sunglasses. This was especially popular amongst male goths who embodied traditional gothic traits like dark femininity and androgyny, which had already been long established within the subculture. 

As always, television and film did more to reinforce these subcultural trends as recognizable stereotypes, usually in a negative manner, than it did to help people embrace them. In media aimed towards a primarily teenage and young adult demographic, if a character did not possess the traditional traits of a hyper-masculine man, they instead fit into two different molds; either the neurotic geek or the melodramatic, moody goth. However, there were forms of media during the 90s that did manage to embrace and even relish with no sense of irony in the gothic aesthetic. 

Two films which helped to build upon the enthusiasm for the vampire were Francis Ford Coppola’s lavish adaptation of Stoker’s novel titled Bram Stoker’s Dracula starring Gary Oldman in the titular role of Dracula and another adaptation of a more recent gothic favourite among goths, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. The majority of the male goth scene especially emulated Oldman’s portrayal of Dracula when in the film he transforms into a much younger, more seductive version of himself in order to blend in with society, everything down to the shaded Victorian sunglasses and the long flowing hair; a vision of classic, sleek androgyny combined with an intimidating demeanor without being overly hyper-masculine. 

Primarily taking place during the 18th and 19th century, Interview with the Vampire (the film and the original novel) also encouraged this very same trend, helping to establish European aristocratic elements into the gothic aesthetic; elements such as lace frills, finely tailored petticoats, corsets, and a general aura of delicacy. 

Going back to Hodkinson’s findings, he states that “without actually rendering such categories insignificant, goth had from its very beginnings been characterized by the predominance, for both males and females, of particular kinds of style which would normally be associated with femininity” (Hodkinson, 35-64). However, it is important to acknowledge that the western goth subculture as described in this section, while a haven for various forms of gender expression, placed heavy emphasis on thin, white bodies. Over the years, diversity within the community has been promoted and encouraged, but rarely do we see it as the forefront face of gothicism.

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The Japanese Goth Scene & Ayami Kojima

Modern gothicism was not limited to North America or Europe. In Japan, the subculture had evolved into its own form of self-expression through clothing and music that took inspiration from a variety of 18th and 19th century themes (mostly originating from European countries). Yet despite the numerous western influences, the eastern goth community during the 1990s and early 2000s embraced itself as something unique and wholly Japanese; in other words, different from what was happening within the North American movement at the same time. To refresh the memory, western goth culture focused primarily on the macabre that included completely black, moody wardrobes with an air of dark femininity. Japanese goth culture maintained those feminine traits, but included elements that were far more decadent, frivolous, and played further into the already established aristocratic motifs of gothicism. This created a new fashion subculture known as Gothic Lolita or Goth-Loli (no reference to the Vladimir Nabokov novel Lolita or the themes presented within the text itself). 

In Style Deficit Disorder: Harajuku street fashion, a retrospective on the history of modern Japanese street fashion, the Goth-Loli image is described as “an amalgam of Phantom of the Opera, Alice in Wonderland, and Edgar Allan Poe” (Godoy; Hirakawa, 160). It was an aesthetic that took the western notion of “gothic” to higher levels with a heavier emphasis on opulence and an excessive decorative style—think Gothic meets Baroque meets Rococo. Teresa Younker, author of Lolita: Dreaming, Despairing, Defying, suggests that during the early years of the Gothic Lolita movement, it acted as a form of escapism for many young Japanese individuals searching for a way out of conformity. She states that “rather than dealing with the difficult reality of rapid commercialization, destabilization of society, a rigid social system, and an increasingly body-focused fashion norm, a select group of youth chose to find comfort in the over-the-top imaginary world of lace, frills, bows, tulle, and ribbons”. One pioneer that helped to bring the Goth-Loli image at the forefront of Japanese underground and street fashion the likes of Harajuku was the fashion magazine Gothic & Lolita Bible. Launched in 2001 by Index Communication and Mariko Suzuki, each issue acted as a sort of catalogue book for popular gothic and lolita trends that expanded to art, music, manga, and more. 

According to Style Deficit Disorder, during this time when Gothic & Lolita Bible had helped bring the subculture into a larger collective awareness, the Goth-Loli image became “inspired by a yearning for something romantic overseas (...) and after taking on the “Harajuku Fashion,” ended up travelling overseas, while remaining a slightly strange fashion indigenous to Japan” (Godoy; Hirakawa, 137). Then came KERA Maniac, another magazine launched in 2003 that had “even darker clothing and international style points and references, such as features on the life and art of Lewis Carroll, Japanese ball-jointed dolls, or interviews with icons like Courtney Love” (Godoy; Hirakawa, 140). The fashion trends that both Gothic & Lolita Bible and KERA Maniac focused on also found popularity amongst visual kei bands which were usually all male performers who began sporting the very same ultra-feminine, ultra-aristocratic Goth-Loli brands that were always featured in these magazines. 

Similar to traditional Kabuki theatre, “this visual-kei placed great importance on the gorgeous spectacle created onstage” (Godoy; Hirakawa, 135). One particular visual kei performer of the early 2000s that became Gothic & Lolita Bible’s biggest and most frequent collaborator was Mana. Best known for his musical and fashion career, Mana describes his onstage persona, merging aristocratic goth with elegant gothic lolita, as “either male or female but it is also neither male nor female. It is both devil and angel. The pursuit of a middle ground” (Godoy; Hirakawa, 159).

Opulence, decadence, and femininity with a dark undertone are all apt terms to describe the image of Japanese gothicism during the 90s and early aughts. They are also perfect descriptors of how artist Ayami Kojima changed the face of Castlevania from a franchise inspired by classic horror and fantasy to something more distinct. As a self-taught artist mainly working with acrylics, India ink, and finger smudging among other methods, 1997’s Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was Kojima’s first major title as the lead character designer. Over the years she worked on a number of separate video games including Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors, along with other Castlevania titles. Before then, she made a name for herself as a freelance artist mainly working on novel covers and even collaborated with Vampire Hunter D creator Kikuchi Hideyuki for a prequel to his series. Kojima has been dubbed by fans as “the queen of Castlevania” due to her iconic contributions to the franchise. 

Kojima’s influences cover a wide array of themes from the seemingly obvious (classic horror, shounen manga, and East Asian history) to disturbingly eclectic (surgery, body modification, and body horror). It is safe to assume that her resume for Castlevania involves some of her tamer works when compared to what else is featured in her 2010 artbook Santa Lilio Sangre. Yet even when her more personal art pieces rear into the grotesquely unsettling, they always maintain an air of softness and femininity. Kojima is never afraid to show how the surreal, the intense, or the horrifying can also be beautiful. Many of her pieces include details emblematic of gothicism; skulls, bloodied flowers, the abundance of religious motifs, and lavish backgrounds are all commonplace, especially in her Castlevania art. Her models themselves—most often androgynous men with sharp cheekbones, flowing hair, and piercing gazes—look as though they would fit right into a gothic visual kei band or the pages of Gothic & Lolita Bible.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair was the final Castlevania game Kojima worked on, as well as her last game overall. It wasn’t until 2019 when she reappeared with new pieces including promotional artwork for former Castlevania co-worker Koji Igarashi’s Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and a collaboration with Japanese musician Kamijo on his newest album. Her work has also appeared in the February 2020 issue of TezuComi, depicting a much lighter and softer side of her aesthetic. Ayami Kojima may have moved onto other projects, but the way in which she forever influenced the Castlevania image is still being drawn upon and emulated to this day.

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Alucard c. 1997

There were actually three versions of Alucard during the 1990s, each of which were products of their time for different reasons. The first example is not only the most well known amongst fans and casual onlookers alike, but it is also the one design of Alucard that manages to stand the test of time. Ayami Kojima redesigned a number of classic Castlevania characters, giving them the gothic androgynous demeanour her art was known for. Most fans will say with some degree of jest that once Kojima joined Konami, Castlevania grew to look less like the masculine power fantasy it started as and more like a bishounen manga. No matter the differing opinions on the overall stylistic change of the series, Kojima’s reimagining of Alucard for Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is undoubtedly iconic. His backstory has more or less remained the same, carried over from Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse. After killing his father Dracula, Alucard, unable to fully process his actions or his bloodline, decides to force himself into a centuries long slumber in order to rid the world of his dark powers. Symphony of the Night begins with the Byronic dhampir prince waking up after nearly 300 years have passed once Dracula’s castle mysteriously reappears in close proximity to his resting place. The only difference this time is there seems to be no Belmont to take care of it, unlike previous years when Dracula is resurrected. Determined to finish what was started during the 15th century, the player takes Alucard on a journey throughout the castle, which has now become larger and more challenging than past incarnations.

Despite being somewhat of a direct sequel to Dracula’s Curse, Symphony’s Alucard is not the same dhampir as his 80s counterpart. Gone are any similarities to Bela Lugosi or Christopher Lee; now Alucard bears more of a resemblance to Anne Rice’s own literary muse Lestat de Lioncourt from her ongoing Vampire Chronicles. Instead of slicked back dark hair, thick golden locks (which were originally black to match his father) cascade down Alucard’s figure, swaying with his every pixelated movement. Heeled leather boots, a black coat with gold embellishments along with an abnormally large collar underneath a flowing cape, and a high-collared cravat replace the simplistic wardrobe of 80s Alucard—from a traditional, minimalist goth mirroring his father’s masculinity to an extravagant, aristocratic goth with his own intense, almost macabre femininity.

With the early Metroidvanias came the inclusion of detailed character portraits designed by Ayami Kojima which would appear alongside a dialogue box to further establish the illusion of the characters speaking to each other. Symphony of the Night was one of the first titles where players got to see Alucard’s ingame expression and it looked exactly as it did on every piece of promotional poster and artwork. The same piercing glare, furrowed brow, and unshakeable inhuman determination, the sort that is also reflected in his limited mannerisms and character—all of which are displayed upon an immaculate face that rarely if ever smiles. Just by looking at his facial design nearly hidden behind locks of hair that always seems meticulously styled, it is clear that Alucard cannot and will not diverge from his mission. The only moment in the game when his stoic facade breaks completely is when he faces off against the Succubus, who tempts Alucard to give into his vampiric nature by disguising herself as his deceased mother Lisa. Yet even then he sees through her charade and, depending on the player’s ability, quickly disposes of her. 

Despite his delicate feminine features, emotional softness is not one of Alucard’s strongest suits in Symphony. Though for someone in his position, someone who must remain steadfast and succeed in his goal or else fail the rest of humanity, where little else matters, Alucard’s occasional coldness (a trait that would return in recent Castlevania instalments) makes sense. There is a scene near at the climax of the game where he exposits to the other main protagonists Richter Belmont and Maria Renard about how painful it felt to destroy his father a second time, but he reframes it as a lesson about the importance of standing up against evil rather than an admission of his own vulnerability. However, he does choose to stay in the world of mortal humans instead of returning to his coffin (depending on which ending the player achieves).

The second 90s version of Alucard is a curious case of emulation, drawing inspiration from both Kojima’s redesign and other Japanese art styles of the 1990s. Castlevania Legends was released for the Game Boy the exact same year as Symphony of the Night and acted as a prequel to Dracula’s Curse, following its protagonist Sonia Belmont as she traverses through Dracula’s castle alongside Alucard and becomes the first Belmont in history to defeat him. It was then retconned after the release of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence in 2003 due to how its story conflicted with the overall timeline of the series. As with most of the earliest Game Boy titles, the ingame graphics of Legends are held back by the technological limitations, but the box art and subsequent character concepts reveal the game’s aesthetic which seems to take the most inspiration from other Japanese franchises of the decade. The biggest example would be Slayers, a popular comedic fantasy series that included light novels, manga, and anime. Legends Alucard is portrayed in this particular animated style, yet his design itself is very similar to how he looks in Symphony of the Night with only minor exceptions. 

The third and arguably most obscure 90s Alucard comes from the animated children’s show Captain N: The Game Master, a crossover that brought together popular Nintendo characters like Mega Man, Kid Icarus, and Simon Belmont. The episodes were presented as traditional monsters of the week, meaning each one focused on a brand new story or environment usually taken from Nintendo games. One episode that aired in 1993 centered on Castlevania and featured a comedic and parodied version of Alucard. Although the episode took elements from Dracula’s Curse, Alucard was meant to be a stereotypical representation of rebellious 90s youth, i.e. an overemphasis on skateboarding and “radical” culture. A colorful, kid-friendly version of the character that was never meant to be taken seriously; much like the rest of the show.

Out of the three variations, Ayami Kojima’s Alucard is the one that made the biggest and longest lasting impact on Castlevania. Redesigning an iconic franchise or character always comes with its own risks and gambles. In the case of Symphony of Night, the gamble made by Kojima—and by extension Konami and director Koji Igarashi—paid off. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said regarding Alucard’s next major change as a character and an image. 

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Lords of Shadow

“What motivates a man to confront the challenges that most of us would run from?” This is a question put forth by Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, the first attempt by Konami to reinvigorate and inject new life into the Castlevania brand name by completing rebooting the universe. Starting from scratch as it were. Originally, Lords of Shadow seemed to have no connection to the Castlevania franchise. Announced by Konami during a games convention in 2008, this was meant to give more attention and not distract from the upcoming Castlevania: Judgment. However, merely a year later at Electronic Entertainment Expo, it was revealed that Lords of Shadow was in fact the next major step that Konami was taking with Castlevania. From its announcement and early trailers, the game was already generating a healthy amount of media buzz due to its updated graphics, design, and gameplay. Having Konami alumni, video game auteur, and creator of the critically acclaimed Metal Gear series Hideo Kojima attached to the project also helped to generate initial hype for this new phase of Castlevania (though it should be noted that Kojima was only credited as a consultant and advisor for the Lords of Shadow development team). After nearly a decade of near hits, substantial misses, and a lack of focus for the franchise, Castlevania had once again become one of the most highly anticipated upcoming games. To quote gaming news and reviews website GamesRadar+ at the time, “this could be a megaton release”.

And it was—so to speak. As mentioned in previous sections, the first Lords of Shadow did relatively well, garnering critical and commercial success. By November of 2010, nearly one million copies had sold in North America and Europe alone. While not a monumental achievement or a record breaker, Lords of Shadow soon became the highest selling Castlevania game of all time. But enough time has passed since its release and nowadays, fans look back upon this reinvented Castlevania timeline pushed by Konami with mixed feelings, some more negative than others. 

The main criticism is that when it comes to gameplay, environment, and story, Lords of Shadow changed too much from its original source material. Change is not always a terrible thing especially in regards to long-running franchises and Castlevania had already gone through one massive upheaval with Symphony of the Night. Although the difference is how well that dramatic change was executed and how players reacted to it. For many, Lords of Shadow felt less like the game it was supposed to be emulating and more like other action hack-and-slashers of the time. The gameplay didn’t feel like Castlevania, it felt like Devil May Cry. Elements of the story didn’t feel like Castlevania, they felt like God of War. Each boss fight didn’t feel like Castlevania, they felt like Shadow of the Colossus (a frequent comment made by fans). Despite the familiar elements from past games that made their way into this new instalment, for many, Lords of Shadow was too little of Castlevania and too much of everything else that surrounded its development. Meanwhile, the afformented familiar elements seemed like attempts at fanservice in order to make sure that longtime fans felt more at home.

Does the game and its following sequels still hold any merit in terms of aesthetic and story? They do, especially when it comes to its style. Lords of Shadow, its midquel Mirror of Fate, and the sequel Lords of Shadow 2 are not unappealing games to look at. When examining the concept art of characters, enemies, and environments, one could argue that the Lords of Shadow series has some of the most visually striking Castlevania art in the series. The monster designs in particular take on a much grander, ambitious, and menacing presence that take inspiration from various mythological and biblical sources, the best example being Leviathan from Lords of Shadow 2. 

By the 2010s, AAA video games in general were going through a sort of golden age with titles such as Assassin’s Creed 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Red Dead Redemption among many others. Not only were the stories and gameplay mechanics improving by ten folds, so too were the graphical capacities that each game could uphold. Due to technological advancements, Castlevania had the chance to become more detailed and fleshed out than before. The locations of Lords of Shadow and its sequels, which ranged from gothic castles, to modern decrepit cities, to fantastical forests, grew lusher and more opulent while the monsters evolved past the traditional skeletons of the series into far more imposing nightmarish creatures.

The first game along with Mirror of Fate kept themselves fairly grounded in their respective environments. Nearly every character looks as though they firmly belong in the gothic fantasy world they inhabit. Gabriel Belmont and the rest of the Brotherhood of Light are dressed in robes reminiscent of medieval knights (with a few non-historical embellishments) while the vampiric characters of Carmilla and Laura dress in the same manner that typical vampires would. However, a new location known as Castlevania City was introduced in Lords of Shadow 2, modelled after a 21st century metropolitan cityscape. Characters with designs more suited to God of War or Soul Calibur intermingle with NPCs dressed in modern clothing, further highlighting the clash of aesthetics. While this is not the first time Castlevania has featured environments populated with humans, the constant shifting between a dark urban landscape with more science fiction elements than fantasy and the traditional gothic setting of Dracula’s castle can feel like whiplash. 

The Lords of Shadow timeline was an ambitious attempt by Konami to try and give fans a Castlevania experience they had not seen before. New concepts that were previously unexplored or only alluded to in past games were now at the forefront. Yet the liberties that each game took with established Castlevania lore, both in terms of story and design, were perhaps too ambitious. The biggest example is the choice to have the Belmont protagonist turn into Dracula through a combined act of despair and selflessness, but Alucard went through a number of changes as well. Transforming him from the golden-haired aristocrat of the 90s and 2000s into an amalgamation of dark fantasy tropes. 

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Alucard c. 2014

After the success of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Alucard reappeared in a number of following titles, most of which depicted him in his typical black and gold wardrobe. There were exceptions, including Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and its direct sequel Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow where he adopts the alias of Genya Arikado, an agent for a futuristic Japanese organization dedicated to stopping any probable resurrections of Dracula. Because of this need to appear more human and hide his true heritage, Genya’s appearance is simple and possibly one of Ayami Kojima’s most minimalistic character designs; a black suit, shoulder length black hair, and the job is done. In Dawn of Sorrow, Alucard briefly appears as himself, drawn in a less detailed anime style that softens his once intensely stoic expression first seen in Symphony. The next exception is Castlevania: Judgment, a fighting game where characters from separate games and time periods are brought together to face off against one another. Konami brought on Takeshi Obata (who by then was famously known for his work on Death Note) as the lead character designer and in many regards had a similar aesthetic to Ayami Kojima, creating lavish gothic pieces that were heavily detailed and thematic. 

Like Kojima, Obata was given free range to reconceptualize all of the characters appearing in Judgment with little to no remaining motifs from previous designs. This included Alucard, who dons a suit of silver armor and long white hair to match it. Judgment’s Alucard marked a turning point for the character in terms of appearance; a gradual change that was solidified by Lords of Shadow.

This is where things get complicated. While Castlevania could be considered a horror series solely based on its references, aesthetic, and monsters, nearly every iteration whether it comes down to the games or other forms of media tends to veer more towards the dark fantasy genre. Edward James and Farah Mendleson’s Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature describe the distinction between traditional horror and dark fantasy as a genre “whose protagonists believe themselves to inhabit the world of consensual mundane reality and learn otherwise, not by walking through a portal into some other world, or by being devoured or destroyed irrevocably, but by learning to live with new knowledge and sometimes with new flesh” (James; Mendleson, 218). While horror is a genre of despair, directly confronting audience members with the worst of humanity and the supernatural, “the protagonist of dark fantasy comes through that jeopardy to a kind of chastened wisdom” (James; Mendleson, 217). 

Dark fantasy is ultimately a genre of acceptance (i.e. characters accepting a horrible change or embracing the world they have been forcibly thrown into), but it also represents a rejection of traditional tropes implemented by the works of Tolkien or the Brothers Grimm, thus defining itself by that very same act of rejection. An example of this is the theme of failure, which is common in many dark fantasy stories. There are far more unhappy or bittersweet endings than happy ones while the construction of the classic hero’s journey hinges more on all the possible ways in which the protagonist could fail in their quest. 

Going off from this definition, the Lords of Shadow timeline fits squarely into the dark fantasy genre, especially concerning its two leading men. We already know that Gabriel Belmont sacrifices his humanity in order to become Dracula, but what happens to his son borders on a Greek tragedy. Before the “deaths” of Gabriel and Maria, they had a son named Trevor who was immediately taken into the care of the Brotherhood of Light and kept away from his father in order to protect him. Years later when Trevor is an adult with a family of his own, he vows to defeat Dracula for bringing shame and dishonor upon the Belmont bloodline. Yet when their eventual confrontation happens, Dracula easily beats Trevor who, on the verge of death, reveals the truth about his connection to the lord of vampires. In a desperate act of regret, Dracula forces Trevor to drink his blood and places him into a coffin labeled “Alucard” where he will seemingly rest for eternity.

Time passes and Trevor Belmont—now transformed into the vampire Alucard—awakens, just as he did at the beginning of Dracula’s Curse and Symphony of the Night. During his disappearance, his wife Sypha Belnades was killed by Dracula’s creatures, orphaning their son Simon Belmont. The two eventually meet and work together to stop Dracula, but Alucard cannot bring himself to tell Simon the truth.

Despite a well-deserved happy ending in Lords of Shadow 2 (he and his father reconcile before going off to presumably live a peaceful life), the character of Trevor/Alucard is built upon the same themes of failure and learning to accept terrible change found within dark fantasy. His design is especially reminiscent of one of the darkest and most tortured protagonists in the genre, Michael Moorcock’s Elric from his Elric of Melniboné series. First appearing in the June 1961 issue of Science Fantasy, he stands out amongst most sword and sorcery heroes, different from the hypermasculinity of Conan the Barbarian for his embittered personality, philosophical motifs, and memorable design. Elric is constantly described as looking deathly pale with skin “the color of a bleached skull; and the long hair which flows below his shoulders is milk-white” (Moorcock, 3) and a body that needs a steady stream of potions in order to function properly or else he will gradually grow weaker, nearer towards the edge of death—more a corpse than a human being. 

Lords of Shadow Alucard is very much like a walking corpse as well. His long hair is the same milk-white tone as Elrics’, his skin is deprived of any real color, and his open chest outfit reveals a body that is both robust yet emaciated. Moorcock’s Elric was the prototype for many other white haired, pale faced, otherworldly antiheroes in fantasy that came afterwards and the darkly ethereal aesthetic that reflected his constant state of self-loathing and tragedy was the most ideal fit for this new version of Alucard. Both fail as traditional fantasy heroes, both abhor their physical states, yet both learn to embrace it at the same time.

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A Brief History of Modern Animation

Before we move onto the final iteration of Dracula’s son, let us first acquaint ourselves with an artistic medium that has not been fully discussed yet. This essay has gone into detail concerning the aesthetics of video games, fashion, filmmaking, and music, but where does animation fit in? Since 1891’s Pauvre Pierrot, the only surviving short film predating the silent era with 500 individually painted frames, animation has evolved into one of the most expressive, diverse, and groundbreaking art forms of the modern age. There were earlier methods that fit into the animation mold before Pauvre Pierrot including but not limited to shadow play, magic lantern shows, and the phenakistoscope, one of the first devices to use rapid succession in order to make still images look as though they were moving. Throughout the 20th century, with the help of mainstream studios like Warner Bros. and of course Walt Disney, the medium quickly began to encompass a variety of techniques and styles beyond a series of drawings on paper. Some of the more recognizable and unique styles are as followed:

Digital 2-D animation

Digital 3-D animation

Stop-motion

Puppetry

Claymation

Rotoscoping

Motion capture

Cut-out animation

Paint-on-glass

The most common forms used in film and television are traditional hand drawn and digital 3-D, sometimes merged together in the same product. There has been much debate over which animation technique has more artistic merit and is more “authentic” to the medium, but the reality is that there is no singular true form of animation. Each style brings its own advantages, challenges, and all depends on how it is being used to tell a specific story or evoke a feeling within the audience. For example, the 2017 semi-biographical movie Loving Vincent is animated in a nontraditional style with oil paints in order to create the illusion of a Vincent Van Gogh painting that has come to life. As Loving Vincent is about the influential painter himself and his tragic life, this animation technique works to the film’s advantage. If the story had used a more traditional form like 2-D or 3-D, it might not have had the same impact. Another example like the film A Scanner Darkly starring Keanu Reeves uses a somewhat controversial technique known as rotoscoping, which entails tracing over live action scenes in order to give it a realistic yet still animated feel. A Scanner Darkly is a futuristic crime thriller meant to evoke a sense of surrealism and discomfort, making the uncanniness of rotoscoping the perfect fit for its artificial atmosphere. 

Throughout its history, animation has gone through a number of phases corresponding to political, artistic, and historical events such as propaganda shorts from Walt Disney during World War II and the rise of adult-oriented animators who rode the wave of countercultural movements during the late 1960s and early 70s. Animation meant for older audiences was especially coming into its own as most audiences had become more comfortable associating the medium with the family friendly formula perfected by the Disney company. The only other western mainstream animation studio that could stand toe to toe with Disney while also dabbling in mature subject matter at the time was Warner Bros. and its juggernaut Looney Tunes, which even then was mostly relegated to smoking, slapstick violence, and mild suggestive material. Meanwhile, the works of Ralph Bakshi, arguably the father of elevated adult animated features, dealt with everything from dark humor, sexuality, profanity, and complex themes most of which delved into pure shock value and were highly offensive in order to make a statement. There were later exceptions to this approach including Bakshi’s own adaptation of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Wizards, and Fire and Ice, a high profile collaboration with Frank Frazetta, in which both films utilized rotoscope animation to create unique, fantasy-based experiences for mature viewers.

With the right amount of funds and creativity, other countries began developing their own animated features with distinct styles that reflected the culture, social norms, and history in which they originated from. The 1960s are referred to as “the rise of Japanese animation”, or as it came to be known worldwide as anime, thanks to iconic characters of the decade like Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, and Speed Racer. The longest running anime with over 7,700 episodes to date is Sazae-san, based on the popular 1940s comic strip of the same name. Western audiences commonly associate modern anime with over the top scenarios, animation, and facial movements while having little to no basis in reality when it comes to either story or character design. 

While the Walt Disney company was steadily losing its monopoly on the animation industry with financial and critical disappointments (making room for other animators like Don Bluth) until it's renaissance during the 1990s, the 1980s turned into a golden age for ambitious, groundbreaking anime projects. Not only were films like Akira, Grave of the Fireflies, Barefoot Gen, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind among many others, appealing to a wide variety of audiences, they were also bold enough to tackle mature, complex subject matter with a certain degree of nuance that complimented each film’s unique but often times bizarre or surreal styles. Akira watches like a violent cyberpunk splatterfest with extreme body horror and juvenile delinquency, yet its borderline exploitative methods serve a larger purpose. Akira takes place in a bleak, dystopian Japan where Tokyo has been rebuilt after its destruction in 1988, setting up an allegorical story that directly confronts government experimentation and the fallout of nuclear warfare.

Artists of all mediums have always influenced one another and the impact that anime has had on western animation continues to this day whether through passing tongue-in-cheek references, taking inspiration from common anime tropes while also depicting them through a western lens, or shows that feature a heavily emulated anime style like Avatar: The Last Airbender and its successor The Legend of Korra. Then there are shows that completely blur the lines between western animation and anime, with the ultimate distinction usually coming down to where it was originally developed (i.e. North America or Japan).

--

Alucard c. 2017

The overall aesthetic and image of Netflix’s Castlevania is built upon a number of different influences, the majority of which come from Japanese animation. Executive producer and long time Castlevania fan Adi Shankar has gone on record saying that the show is partially “an homage to those OVAs that I would watch on TV (...) and I was like, “This is beautiful, and it’s an art form”. He has also directly compared the show to those golden age-era ultra violent anime features of the 80s and 90s, including titles such as Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and Ninja Scroll. Director Samuel Deats, another avid Castlevania fan, has mentioned the long-running manga series Berserk along with its 1997 anime adaptation as one of the animation team’s primary inspirations numerous times, explaining in further detail in a 2017 interview with io9: “I pulled out my ‘I love the Berserk manga, Blade the Immortal’ and all that. That dark fantasy style of storytelling, character design, how gorey it gets… I put together a bunch of drawings and sketches, and a few color images that channeled all of that”.

Watching Castlevania, the aesthetic references to Berserk are obvious. Both series merge together medieval fantasy elements with gruesome horror but they are also similar in their particular animation styles. One director from Korean studio MOI Animation who partnered with Powerhouse Animation collaborated on the feature length film Berserk: The Golden Age—The Egg of the King along with its two sequels. But the biggest inspiration for the design of Castlevania, especially when it comes to its characters, is Ayami Kojima herself. 

From the pre-production phase, the team at Powerhouse knew they wanted Kojima’s art to be the main basis of how the finished product would look and feel. According to Samuel Deats, “In the back of everyone’s heads, we knew that we wanted to heavily reference the style Ayami Kojima used in the Castlevania games. We wanted to bring the same shade-before-image sort of thing”. However, due to the sheer amount of details and embroidered style of Kojima’s aesthetic, many of her original designs had to be simplified into 2-D animated forms (just as they had to be reduced into pixelated form for Symphony of the Night).

Alucard’s animated design is the best example of this simplification process, but it took some trial and error in order to arrive at the finished product. When Castlevania was originally planned as a movie, his design veered closer to the otherworldliness and corpse-like aesthetic of Lords of Shadow Alucard—something that looked as far from a human being let alone a dhampir as possible. Following the years of stifled development until Netflix picked up the project, Powerhouse opted to fall back on Kojima’s artwork for sheer iconography and recognizability. 

On the one hand, animated Alucard’s facial expressions are identical to his game counterpart with the exception of a few liberties taken; same determined scowl, same intensely golden eyes, and same lush eyelashes (there’s even a note from his character sheet specifically stating that they must cast shadows for close-ups). Most of all, the same feminine androgyny of Kojima’s work. But there are just as many omitted details from Alucard’s updated model as there are those that were carried over from the original design. When compared to Symphony of the Night, his wardrobe seems to be severely lacking in excessive ornaments, instead opting for a sleek black coat with simple gold embellishments, knee high boots with a slight heel, and a white shirt with an open v-neckline. Despite these supposedly easy changes and evocation of Kojima’s art style, Alucard is still one of the more difficult characters to animate as stated by Deats: “I mean, Alucard has to be just right. You can’t miss an eyelash on him without it looking weird”. 

For the most part, it shows in the final product. There are moments when the animation goes off model (as is the case with most 2-D animated shows for time and budgetary reasons), but rarely is Alucard drawn from an unflattering angle. The other reason for his change in design is the fact that Castlevania takes place three centuries before the events of Symphony of the Night. Because of the story constraints and console limitations, players were not given an in-depth look at Alucard’s character beyond his quest to defeat Dracula and the guilt he felt afterwards. It would make sense that his demeanor differs from the stoic nature of how he reacts to certain situations three hundred years later. As a result, Alucard is given a toned-down design to reflect what he might have been like as a younger, brasher, and more immature version of himself.

This immaturity and juvenile nature of his visual image comes through in his portrayal. While the show is in its third season, we will primarily focus on season two as when compared to the others, it revolves around Alucard’s personal journey towards an important aspect of his long established character the most; namely, the reason for his rebellion against Dracula and his eventual act of patricide. Because Alucard only appears as a silhouette in episode one then makes his full introduction during the last fifteen minutes of the final episode, season one gives the audience a very limited idea of his character. What we do get from Alucard is the same impression that Symphony of the Night left fans with: someone who is determined, intensely fixated on his goal, and is willing to use any means to accomplish it—even if it involves striking a tentative truce between a vampire hunter and a scholar of magic. Season two expands upon this, showing an Alucard who is soft-spoken, careful in his mannerisms, more feminine than masculine, yet always rises to the occasion whenever he needs to match Trevor Belmont’s own crassness. For all of his grace, Alucard’s high emotions coupled with an unchecked immaturity (especially in the presence of Trevor) show how ill-equipped he is when dealing with human interactions.

One other piece of evidence that adds to this chink in Alucard’s carefully crafted metaphorical armor is the goal of stopping his father. Throughout small interactions and moments of dialogue, the truce struck between him, Trevor, and Sypha eventually develops into more of a friendship, yet Alucard continues to suffer from extreme tunnel vision, going as far as to chastise his two companionships whenever they get too distracted or unfocused from their mission. This character flaw is also touched upon in Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls when characters remark upon Alucard’s (otherwise referred in the game as Arikado) overly serious nature. A flaw that does more to unintentionally push others away rather than any attempt to bring them closer to him.

When Alucard finally achieves his goal of killing Dracula, it leaves him feeling hollow. He doesn’t quite know how to fully process this ultimate decision, maintaining a delicate sense of composure on the outside while in the presence of others. It’s only when Alucard is left alone does he allow the emotions of everything that has just happened to overwhelm him in a moment of genuine vulnerability that was only alluded to in previous scenes.

--

Conclusion

Despite the show being renewed for a fourth season, the future of the Castlevania franchise in general remains uncertain. There’s been no talk of any other past games being set for rerelease, Grimoire of Souls continues to make sporadic updates to its gacha system rather than its story mode, and Konami has since chosen to take a step back from developing video games in favour of manufacturing pachislot machines. Symphony of the Night and Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night creator Koji Igarashi has mentioned in past interviews that should Konami somehow make a return to Castlevania, he would be willing to direct a new instalment. But at the present time, rumors have remained rumors and there are no signs of a new official Castlevania game in the near future whether developed by Konami or an outside company.

No matter what direction Castlevania takes in the years to come, it seems as though Alucard will always follow it, just as Dracula and the Belmonts will as well. This is his franchise as much as it is theirs thanks to continued fan popularity. He’s taken many forms in the past thirty years and become the visual representation of certain trends, yet one thing about him never changes: he is still Dracula’s son, the opposite of his father. He can be cruel, powerful, cold, and everything else a Byronic hero should be yet he can also reject his masculine inheritance in both character and aesthetic. 

Above all else, the human side of Alucard is greater than the monstrous side.

--

References

Bannister, Matthew. White Boys, White Noise: Masculinities and 1980s Indie Guitar Rock. Burlington: Taylor & Francis, 2017.

Castlevania Wiki | Fandom. https://castlevania.fandom.com/wiki/Castlevania_Wiki

Dyhouse, Carol. Heartthrobs: A History of Women and Desire. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017.

Godoy, Tiffany; Hirakawa, Takeji. Style Deficit Disorder: Harajuku Street Fashion, Tokyo. San Francisco: Chronicles Books, 2007.

Hodkinson, Paul. Goth: Identity, Style and Subculture. Bloomsbury Fashion Central, 2002.

Hutchings, Peter. Hammer and Beyond: The British Horror Film. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1993.

James, Edward; Mendlesohn, Farah. The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012.

Kibby, M.D. Real Men: Representations of Masculinity in the Eighties Cinema. Sydney: Western Sydney University Thesis Collection, 1997.

Kojima, Ayami. Santa Lilio Sangre. ToÌ"kyoÌ" : Asukashinsha, 2010.

Metzger, Patrick. “The Nostalgia Pendulum: A Rolling 30-Year Cycle of Pop Culture Trends.” The Patterning. WordPress.com, 2017. https://thepatterning.com/2017/02/13/the-nostalgia-pendulum-a-rolling-30-year-cycle-of-pop-culture-trends/

Moorcock, Michael. Elric of Melniboné. New York: Ace Fantasy, 1987.

Narcisse, Evan. “The Animation Studio That Made Castlevania Explains Why It Was A Dream Project.” io9. Gizmodo, 2017. https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-animation-studio-that-made-castlevania-explains-why-1797476526

Younker, Terasa. “Japanese Lolita: Dreaming, Despairing, Defying.” Standford Journal of East Asian Affairs, 2012, 97-110.

[wits-writing]

Ultraman Z Ep. 1: “Chant My Name!” (TV Review)

(Original Air Date: June 19, 2020, Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi, Writer: Kota Fukihara)

Tsuburaya Productions (TsuPro for short), have recently been making greater strides to increase their Ultraman franchise’s availability internationally. Most recently that’s been taking the form of blu-ray releases from Mill Creek Entertainment of classic and modern series. As a fan of Japanese tokusatsu (“special effects” features) in general, official releases like that have me excited for the potential of what’s to come for the international availability of the genre in general. This week has started a new step on that path. For the next two weeks, on the official Ultraman Youtube channel, TsuPro has made the first episode of the latest installment in their iconic franchise, Ultraman Z (pronounced “Zett”), available with English captions.

This first episode marks an action-packed introduction to the titular intergalactic hero in-training, Zett (voiced by Tasuku Hanaka), and rookie giant robot pilot for the organization STORAGE, Haruki Natsukawa (Kohshu Hirano). We see them going through reactions to how they’re treated by their respective superiors, deal with the threat of a giant monster and when a near-death experience for both of them requires them to merge their life energy in this efficiently paced introduction to a new story in the Ultraman legacy.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

Keeping the action going through most of the episode’s runtime establishes how the setting for this series will work going forward without slowing down for exposition. The monster attack in the cold open presents this as a world that needed an organization like STORAGE using giant robots to deal with these attacks before the titular Ultraman shows up. Details from that sequence come back later to parallel and re-establish some classic rules of the Ultra franchise, like the shared 3-minute time limit for fighting between STORAGE’s robot Sevenger and Zett himself, signaled by his Z-shaped color timer. Full explanations of how everything in this series is supposed to work will likely come later but keeping the first episode action focused helps draw the audience in and make them want to see more.

In between the action in this episode we get glimpses into the supporting cast that make up the members of STORAGE in how they react during and after monster attacks. As an organization, we get an idea of how they operate to manage the dangers of monster attacks. It’s a professional process of clearing the center of the attack of any bystanders before releasing one of their robots into the area to deal with the threat and mitigate collateral damage. There are brief looks into the interpersonal dynamics of the team, like when we see Haruki getting chewed out by his superiors after him distracting Yoko (Rima Matsuda) during the opening caused greater collateral damage and during the fights where Yuka (Hikari Kiroki) gets excited over how cool the attacking monsters are. They’re set up well as character I look forward to seeing more of, especially since the presence of STORAGE’s robots means they’ll occasionally be entering the fray against monsters alongside Haruki and Zett.

With the series being named after him, it makes sense that this first episode’s focus is in getting to know Ultraman Z and Haruki as individuals before they merge at the end. The monster attack in the opening gives Haruki a literal Save the Cat Dog moment, demonstrating where his priorities lie while doing his job. He’s clearly still new to all of this when we see him processing how his superiors tell him that while his commitment to saving lives no matter what is admirable, it’s not an excuse for reckless behavior.

With the other half of the partnership, we’re introduced to Zett as another rookie desperate to prove himself to the person he’s declared his mentor, Ultraman Zero (voiced by Mamoru Miyano). Though the elder Ultra denies it and declares Zett to be “barely one-third hero”, that doesn’t stop Zett’s determination, especially once Zero’s trapped in another dimension and leaves Zett to deal with the monster on his own. The hero being a massive fanboy seeking to inherit the legacy of his heroes and the way he mixes overly dramatic speech, like saying “I beseech you!” in the subtitles, while also saying he’s “Ultra-shocked” at Zero’s dismissal of him adds a level of comedy to the show that makes Zett amusing from the start. The sequence that officially merges Haruki and Zett, a visual callback to the first episode of the original Ultraman, shows hints at where this dynamic between Ultra and host could go in the future. Their banter, especially during Haruki’s first use of the Ultra Z-Riser, already suggests how their qualities can help them develop together.

One of the best places the two characters come together in this first episode is in the action. I keep coming back to the cold open for this episode not only for how it efficiently sets up the world and character, but for how impressive it is as a technical feat. The mix of digital compositing and suit acting to make Gomess, the first monster we see, and Sevenger appear to be on different scales, while showing them behind the running Haruki is some of the best work I’ve seen in televised tokusatsu in a while. Suit acting between Sevenger and Zett adds a sense of character to the action. Sevenger’s design, a charming look from the Showa-era of the franchise, requires a tackle and grapple style of combat and there’s the bonus of how Sevenger’s eyes switch to an angry expression when it’s time to fight. Haruki using Sevenger to fight alongside Zett lets them quickly develop a trust as Haruki can see that Zett is working to defend the city from the monster Genegar. A notable difference occurs between regular Zett, before merging with Haruki, and afterwards when he’s in Alpha Edge form, calling on the powers of past Ultras. Once Zett and Haruki are accessing those powers the pace of the fight against Genegar speeds up and Zett’s fighting style becomes more martial arts focused and more powers, like energy blasts, coming into play.

“Chant My Name!” kicks off Ultraman Z with a bang, from the characters to the action and effects work, this is the best foot forward I’ve seen an Ultraman series open on since my personal favorite series, Ultraman Geed. It’s also a stellar start for the beginning of greater accessibility to Ultraman as a franchise from TsuPro. Much of what makes this episode so effective, like the music and the cliffhanger introducing the series antagonist, I’ve barely had space to mention. If you’re in the mood for an extra bit of action in your week, checking this episode out while it’s on Youtube is the perfect chance for that.

If you like what you’ve read here, please like/reblog or share elsewhere online, follow me on Twitter (@WC_WIT), and consider throwing some support my way at either Ko-Fi.com or Patreon.com at the extension “/witswriting”

[jadekitty777]

Pier

Sorry I’m late y’all! Day 3 was not technically finished and I originally planned to just split the entry into two chapters and maybe finish this one off later but... instead my dumb ass was like: No! Finish it!

So I did and now it is past midnight. I am very tired and things may not be edited properly.

I also gave up the secret on this one to a few readers... this entry is actually a continuation to Umbrella, which I had written a few weeks back. I do recommend reading that one first.

Day 3: Family

Dedicated to: @chiherah/@chiherahcreations

Rating: K+

Pairing: Qrow/Clover, Raven/Tai/Summer

Word Count: 5k

Ao3 Link: Pier

Summary: Every year, it was a tradition for Qrow to head up to Lake Bowen and spend the holidays with his sister's family. It was not, generally, tradition to bring a boyfriend along for the ride. [Modern AU]

~

Qrow flicked on his turn signal, fingers drumming a nervous rhythm over the steering wheel as he waited for the light to turn. Usually, he was relieved once he’d hit this stoplight, as it acted as a beacon marking the last leg of the grueling four-and-a-half hour drive it took to get from his little apartment in Wilmington to his sister’s grand cottage in Lake Bowen. It was a chance to finally stretch out his legs and get tackled down by his little gremlin nieces who would spend the majority of the next three days begging to know what he got them for Christmas. He’d get a glass of iced tea and a hug from Tai and a kiss on the cheek and a cookie from Summer before they both banished him from the kitchen. Spent the better part of the waning afternoon munching on finger food while catching up with Raven and entertaining Yang and Ruby as they tried to tug him into half a dozen different games.

At least, that’s how it was supposed to go.

But typically he didn’t have someone else with him.

“Everything alright?” That same someone else who had also easily picked up on his growing anxiety.

“Yeah, fine.” He said gruffly, turning left as the light finally changed.

“That was convincing.” There was a rustling as Clover set aside the newspaper he’d been reading (the dork had to be one of the last of the dozen living humans left to have a subscription), turning his full attention on him. “Come on babe, what’s on your mind?”

He glanced at him and it was a mistake, because there was no way he could argue when looking into those earnest teal eyes – especially when looking through those cute, wire-rim reading glasses. He sighed, fingers starting up their drum solo once more. “I just want this week to go well.”

“Why do you think it won’t?”

“Because,” He faltered, chewing on the edge of his lip. “My sister’s side of the family isn’t exactly what you’d call normal.”

“So you’ve said, about a thousand times.” Clover replied, “And as I’ve said a thousand and one times, it’s fine. I’m not gonna start judging the people you love just because they aren’t a traditional nuclear family.”

Qrow gave a noncommittal hum. Kept drumming.

He wasn’t really worried about that – though, he didn’t quite forget the nightmare when one of his partners tried to exposit some ‘helpful advice’ about the Rose-Xiao Long-Branwen family’s living situation. Raven had near about shoved the carving knife in Kimi’s chest when she tried to enlighten to Summer how three people sleeping in the same bed will give the children questionable ideas. After getting thoroughly screamed at by three furious adults, his girlfriend had run out of the house in tears – and stole his car to get away from his ‘crazy fucking family’. It had taken him a good two months to get it back, and he certainly didn’t get her back with it. Not that it was a great loss.

Come to think of it, that disaster was the last time he’d braved bringing anyone by at all. Ruby hadn’t even been talking yet.

“Alright,” Clover’s voice broke him from his thoughts. “Let’s try something different. What’s the biggest thing you’re afraid of?”

“Snakes.”

A snort. “Qrow.”

“I mean, it is.” He guaranteed. “They’re scaly and slithery and gross and Raven put one in my bed when I was ten and I never forgave her for it.”

Clover gave his arm a light smack. “About the meeting, birdbrain.”

Qrow rolled his eyes. “Oh, bird insults, how original.”

“I’m a classics kind of guy.”

“You are not Mr. I-haven’t-seen-anything-made-before-the-80s.”

“You’re avoiding the question.”

He opened his mouth, then shut it. Frowned at the street they were driving over. “It’s just, what if they don’t like you?”

His boyfriend tilted his head. “All of them?”

His fingers clenched over the wheel. “What if you don’t like them?”

“All of them?” He echoed with a touch more amusement.

He grunted, slouching low. “Okay I get it, I’m being dumb.”

“No, you’re not. It’s normal to be stressed out about this. I was just trying to point out your fears are probably getting the better of you. Do you really believe all of us are going to just hate each other?” Clover refuted gently. Qrow liked that about him, how he could so easily retrack his mind out of the harmful places they tended to journey to.

“Maybe not all of you. But Raven? Definitely.” He grunted. “She hasn’t liked a single person I’ve dated, ever.”

“Um.”

He shot him a look. “What?”

Clover grinned guiltily in return. “We’ve talked about some of the people you’ve dated and your track record isn’t the best.”

Mildly offended, he snipped back, “Oz was a good one!”

“The guy with four kids?”

“It wasn’t that he had four kids, it was that he lied about having four kids.” When all he got was an arched a brow as if to say ‘that’s better?’, Qrow scowled. “Shut up.”

Clover laughed. It wasn’t long before he was laughing with him. He liked this about him too, how an air of comfort always seemed to surround his boyfriend. He was always ready to lighten the mood with a joke, a smile or his laugh, which even after the seven months they’d been dating, Qrow was still utterly captivated by. More than that, he was slowly coming to the realization he didn’t want to go a day without it – or without Clover.

He knew things were getting serious, which was why he so desperately needed this week to go well. He needed his family to support his new relationship and he needed Clover to accept his strange little family. Because if he got those two simple things, then he would see there was a possibility for a future in which Clover was part of his family.

He knew that fateful meeting was coming closer as he spotted the last landmark they had to cross before they would find themselves at the house. “There’s the bridge.”

As they started over the lake, it was comically cartoonish how he could practically see the sparkle effect in Clover’s eyes as he plastered his face against the window. With no traffic behind them, Qrow slowed the car down to give him a chance to really take it in.

Once, when he’d been invited on yet another date to the beach, he’d joked that Clover was just like his namesake because, as a weed, it was only natural he’d want to suck up as much of the surrounding water as possible. It wasn’t just the sea he was completely enamored by, but also lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, and anything and everything in between. Heck, even their first true meeting was thanks to his obsession – Clover eventually admitted the only reason he’d left early that day was because he wanted to go out and enjoy the rain.

“As luck would have it, I got to enjoy some great company along with it.” He had said with a wink.

Qrow wouldn’t say he necessarily understood it, but it was impossible not to enjoy the excited way Clover would go on about subglacial lakes or tell stories about how he used to catch newts whenever spring came around and tried to keep them as pets. Topics that he probably would otherwise have found boring was different seeing it through the lens of someone so passionate – and Qrow knew he was just the same whenever he talked about fencing or birds. He still recalled the night their interests made a rare alignment, when they ended up having a long talk about Kingfishers.

He knew if he told anyone about that night, they’d probably just laugh and tell him how dull it sounded. And yet, for him, it remained as one of his favorite dates.

“Man, how incredible it must be just to live out here.” Clover said after they’d made their way across, the lake giving way to land once more and opening into a very small business district. “How does your sister’s family afford it?”

“It’s inherited. Tai’s uncle willed it to him when he passed.” He took a left, heading up towards the lakeside neighborhood. The street itself narrowed considerably, and spindly, white-trunked ash trees flanked them from either side.

“His uncle did?” He echoed, not hiding his confusion.

“Yeah. I don’t know all the details but he basically raised him. So, I guess he was more like his surrogate dad than anything.” Qrow explained, feeling his anxiety spike as the two-story dwelling peeked between dense vegetation. “Heh, actually I’m pretty sure that’s why Tai’s so insistent I come visit so much. He probably invites me over more than my own sister does.” Scratch that, he definitely did.

He pulled down the driveway to the garage situated in the back. As the house was on the waterside, the front was facing towards the lake and the driveway and garage were in the rear. It was a bit strange, but he’d gotten used to it over the years, just like he’d gotten used to the fact the dwelling was one of the most unique in the neighborhood. Made to appear like a log cabin, it seemed more suited for a place in the middle of the woods or up in the mountaintops. Tai’s little sunflower garden framed either side of the doorway, and bushes of roses and birds of paradise were interspaced down the west and eastern sides of the house. From memory, he remembered the front had a large porch with an overhang and a path made of stones that led from the door down to the small, privately owned pier.

The engine was cut, and he heard the passenger door opening - but Qrow stared blankly at the dash, hoping the next ten seconds would be enough to mentally prepare him for the next seven days.

“Hey. Look at me.” Clover’s larger, tanner hander covered his own, thumb brushing over his knuckles that had whitened from their too-tight grip on the wheel. It took him a moment to tear his gaze from the touch to actually do as asked, and was consoled by the tender, reassuring smile his boyfriend gave him. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

He swallowed down the lump in his throat. “How are you so calm about this?”

“’Cause I’ve got you at my side. Just knowing you’re with me gives me courage.”

The words made his heart stutter. It stuttered again when Clover lent forward to kiss him. His eyes slipped closed, giving back as much as he was given. The strength he’d been looking for filled him so that when they finally pulled away and exited the car, the knot that had been in the pit of his stomach had loosened its hold considerably. Just in time, as faint barking from inside definitely announced their arrival, drawing his attention to the back door.

A second later, the screen door came flying open as his youngest niece came barreling out of it, screaming at the top of her lungs, “UNCLE QROW’S HERE!!”

It was hard to tell if the snickers on the other side of the car were from the seven-year old’s antics or perhaps from her odd sense of fashion, as she was sporting a long, red bathroom robe that he swore was Raven’s, what appeared to be an old Flash costume from Halloween, and a pirate’s hat. As she came racing towards him, he realized she also had on light-up shoes.

He lent down, scooping Ruby up and lifting her effortlessly. “Hey there pipsqueak.”

She snuggled into his shoulder. “I missed you.”

“Missed you too.” He kissed the top of her head. “So, what’s with this little getup?”

She pulled at the loose belt meant to hold the robe closed. “Mama said you might need saving, so I dressed the part.”

“Did she now?” He carefully kept the annoyance off his face but oh, was he so getting his sister back for that.

“Uh-huh! I’m Rapid Ruby, at your service!” She tipped her hat.

Before Qrow could think up an appropriate response, a coo of ‘Ooh who’s this little guy?’ drew his attention towards his boyfriend. The man was kneeling on the ground, accepting little licks from what was certainly not a little guy. In fact, it had to be the fattest corgi he’d ever seen in his life. The poor thing was shaped exactly like a swiss roll cake and colored like one too.

“That’s Zwei! Mommy brought him from her office.” His niece chirped brightly, but when Clover looked up at her, she shrunk against Qrow’s neck, trying to hide. His hero.

He rubbed her back soothingly. “Ruby, this is Clover. You remember me talking to you about him over the phone right?” She only gave a little whine. “He’s left-handed, like you.”

That got her to lift her face, looking at the man with a wary curiosity. “Do you have to use special scissors too?”

“I do.” Clover smiled at her, still kneeling on the ground so he appeared less threatening. Or maybe he just wanted to get more kisses from the dog, it was hard to tell.

“And can openers are dumb, right?”

“The dumbest.”

“And, and!” She tapped her chin, thinking hard. “Have you ever taken your mommy’s tea by accident during lunch and had to spit it out cause it’s gross?”

He chuckled. “Not tea, but I did take a swig of my dad’s whiskey once.”

Ruby spat out her tongue. “Yucky!”

“Yeah, it really was.”

“Well,” An orotund voice cut in. “It’s nice to see everyone getting along out here.”

Mostly content to just watch the two’s adorable exchange, Qrow hadn’t notice the newcomer who had stepped outside, a welcoming grin spread on Tai’s face as he approached.

Newcomers, he amended, as he spotted Raven watching them from the threshold.

He juggled Ruby carefully, holding out an arm to accept the side hug his brother-in-law gave him. “Good to see you brother.”

“You too. Glad you could make it.” Tai ruffled his hair before he pulled away to shake Clover’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you! Qrow’s told us a lot.”

“Likewise.”

Before things could potentially get awkward, Qrow cleared his throat. “So Tai, what’s with the cake roll?”

The blond glanced back at him, then down at the dog who plopped down at his feet. “Zwei? Someone dropped him off a few weeks ago. No tags or chip. And you know Summer, she just couldn’t leave him to starve in a cage.”

“Think starving’s the least of his problems.” He grumbled under his breath.

“She’s a vet, right?” Clover spoke up.

“Yeah, we run a little place together. But you’d swear, with how many animals get abandoned there that we’re actually the town shelter.” Tai joked. “We usually end up fostering the ones in need of special care.”

Ruby tugged at his shirt collar, excitement sparkling in her eyes. “Daddy says we’re gonna keep him.”

“No. Daddy said we will discuss keeping it.” Raven chided across the yard, still barring the door like a sphinx waiting for the right answer.

“But maaaa!” Ruby started to wiggle enough that Qrow let her down so she could run over and plead her case.

Now out of earshot, Tai lent over and whispered, “We’re putting a collar and leash in Yang’s stocking and some dog toys in Ruby’s.”

“Bet that thrills Raven.” He murmured back. She’d never been much of an animal person.

“It was her idea.” His eyebrows shot up in surprise, but before he could comment, his brother was slapping him on the shoulder, continuing on in a louder tone, “Alright, how ‘bout we get your guys’ stuff inside so y’all can settle in?”

While Raven brought Ruby and Zwei inside to keep them out of the way, the trunk was popped and the luggage pulled out. Between the three of them, they were able to juggle their bags and the box of gifts inside, the latter being dropped off next to the heavily decorated Christmas tree the moment they entered the great room. As Tai led them towards the stairs, Qrow took a peek at the archway that lead to the kitchen, and though he only caught the back of Summer’s head, he could smell the delectable scents of whatever she was preparing wafting in from here.

“We only have one guest room, so I apologize the accommodations aren’t the best.” Tai was saying after they’d set the bags inside the guest room. The words were entirely for Clover’s sake, as he never said them when Qrow came here alone. Perhaps because the room only housed one bed.

Clover was too preoccupied swooning over the window nook that overlooked the lake to notice such a trivial detail. “I think it’s perfect.”

What a dork. Qrow rolled his eyes, having to fight the smile from his face.

“So, Qrow tells me you like to fish.”

Oh god, now they were never going to shut up. While they chatted, Qrow ducked out of the room to use the bathroom. By the time he was passing by his room again, Tai and Clover were chatting about lure types, so he decided to make his way back to the ground floor, passing Zwei laying in his doggy bed by the couch, and entered into the kitchen where all the girls had collected in.

Raven was at one side, frosting sugar cookies before handing them over to Ruby who was sitting on the counter. Her job was to decorate each cookie with little chocolate chips, peppermint crunch, or cinnamon bites before setting them on the plate (and both were stealing candy pieces to munch on). Opposite them, Yang was standing on a stool to be tall enough to reach the counter, vigorously peeling through carrots before handing them off to Sumer, who chopped them into smaller pieces with the vegetable knife before adding them into a pot. The oven was on, the faint outline of a cooking dish the likely culprit of what he’d gotten a whiff of coming inside.

“Mmmm, I don’t even know where to start.” Qrow said more to announce his presence than anything.

“There you are, you scoundrel! Was beginning to think you weren’t gonna come say hello.” Summer chastised as she walked over to him, Irish accent thick as ever.

He knelt down to accept his cheek kisses. “Thought you woulda appreciated me not immediately invading your kitchen for once.” Tiny, strong arms found their way around his waist. He dropped his hand into golden curls, smiling down at his other niece. “Hey there firecracker.”

She pressed her chin into his ribs, giving him a stern stare that made her look so much like his sister. “I’m making dinner tonight, so you better like it!”

“I’m sure with you behind the helm, it’ll be wonderful.” He snorted. A threat as a greeting hadn’t been his expectation.

She was grinning now, giving one more, “You better!” before hurrying back to her station.

“She’s really excited.” Summer explained, following her. As he poured himself a glass of sweet tea from the pitcher sitting on the island, she asked, “So where’s yer lad? I was hoping to get a good gander at him.”

He leant back against the counter next to his sis as he replied, “Tai got him talking about fishing, so he’s never coming down.”

They were probably sharing different casting methods right now. Not that he could complain – he figured Clover would hit it off with Tai immediately. Similar hobbies aside, they both had easy-going, friendly personalities which tended to blend well with small talk. Knowing he’d also managed to get his shy niece to talk to him so freely was also a bit of a blessing.

But the real problem was the woman currently bumping her shoulder against his. “Fair warning, Tai’s been filling his pocketbook with every fish pun he can think of.”

“And you let him?” He squawked, utterly scandalized.

She replied, completely straight-faced, “They’re reel good.”

Qrow blinked. Blinked again. Deadpanned, “I’m not related to you anymore.”

“Good, get out.”

They glared at one another, the seconds ticking by.

Raven broke first, turning away to hide her smile.

“Hah, I win!” He took a cookie as his trophy.

“Mommy, they’re being dumb again.” He heard Yang murmur.

“Yeah, they’re a buncha dopes.” Though it was meant to be an insult, Summer’s tone was nothing but endearing.

Before Qrow could think of an appropriate comeback, the sound of heavy steps on the stairs and chatter drew attention towards the entryway.

“Then it just smacked me right in the face! I was so shocked it just fell right out of my hands and back in the water.” Tai was saying.

“Well that’s one way to lose a fish.” Clover laughed heartily.

As they entered the room, it was hard to miss the blond’s smirk as he replied, “It’s alright, I’m quite good at catching other types.”

“And dear, what other types are those?” Raven spoke up.

He winked her way. “Types like you babe.”

She looked unimpressed, but Summer started to giggle. “I mean, if you like swordfish.”

“Ut-! Excuse you! I’m a shark.”

Qrow snorted. “A goblin shark, maybe.”

“Careful, you’re in stabbing distance.”

He shifted away, just in case.

Tai was chuckling, nodding to her. “Clover, the shark is my lovely wife Raven and our daughter Ruby.” He waved to the other side of the room. “And this is my other lovely wife, Summer and our daughter Yang.”

“I’m the cook today!” Yang said proudly, brandishing a tiny knife at him. “You better like dinner!”

“Honey, don’t point with the knife. That’s rude.” Summer chastised.

“Oh, sorry.” She set it down to point with a carrot instead. “Now you better like dinner.”

To his credit, Clover managed not to laugh, only saluting her. “Yes ma’am. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Good. If you don’t lie about it, then I like you.” Yang decided before turning back to her work.

Her father pat her on the head as he walked by. “Clover would you like anything? Water? Sweet tea?”

“Water would be wonderful, thank you.” He replied, taking the opportunity to slip over to Qrow’s side.

“So, you’re an Irish lad?” Summer asked.

Qrow winced. He was afraid that would be the first thing she’d dig at. The other woman had been born and raised in Ireland, and had initially only come to the states to study Veterinarian work on an apprenticeship at Cornell Uni. She had had plans to return to her homeland – until she met Raven and Tai, both of whom were also studying at Cornell under a scholarship.

The rest of that incredible and confusing love story Qrow was told through long distance telephone calls while take his own, more modest level courses at UNC Wilmington. He remembered how certain he had been that the two were just pulling his leg the entire time until he actually had Summer standing right in front of him, rather than the ghost of a person his sibling and best friend were feeding him.

He’d liked her immediately. She was funny, quick-witted and extremely compassionate, especially towards animals (“Ravens especially,” she always joked). She was easy to get along with, even if she herself could be a bit meek – but touch anything about her culture with even a hint of pretentious air and a bit of her own brashness would come out as she happily kicked someone down a few pegs.

While trepidation settled in his gut, as inconspicuously as possible, he slid his hand into Clover’s, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

His boyfriend didn’t seem to share his worry, lips only quirking upwards, squeezing his hand back as he answered, “Yeah, on my mom’s side.”

“Did she name you for the shamrock or for the four-leaf clover?”

“The four-leaf.” He took the glass of water as Tai handed it to him, continuing, “I was uh, apparently not expected to make it to term, so my parents always considered me a ‘lucky’ birth. My mother thought naming me Clover was perfect because of that and her heritage. She didn’t know there was a difference. My pa actually told me it started this whole big feud between her and her grandparents because it had offended them so much.”

As they continued to converse, Qrow exhaled softly.

Any air left whooshed out of him as fifty pounds of child thumped against his back. “Uncle Qrooow, this is boring. Can we go play video games?”

“Uh,” He hesitated. He’d never really been one to deny his youngest niece, but he couldn’t just leave his boyfriend to the wolves, so to speak.

A thumb brushed along his knuckles. Clover was still preoccupied by whatever Summer was saying, but he gave him a side-eye and a small smile, before letting his hand go.

Taking that sign, Qrow conceded. “Alright kiddo, jump on.”

“Yes!” She clung to him as he hitched her onto his back and carried her out to the living room, where he let her pick the game.

They jumped around as bubble-blowing dragons until dinner.

~

Qrow liked to think of his vacation mornings as perfectly lazy.

He would roll out of bed maybe at 8 or 9, spend the next twenty minutes milling about sleepily as he took care of his bathroom routine and shuffled through what clothes he wanted to wear. He had it down to an art, wherein he was usually the last to make it downstairs and sometimes no one would see him until after 10. He’d probably benefit from setting at least one alarm so he could enjoy an extra few hours with his family every day – but why fix what wasn’t broken?

Problem was, when his bedmate was 90% of the reason he was staying warm at night and said bedmate was a ridiculously early riser, it was hard to stay asleep longer than twenty minutes past when he’d vacate the space.

So, Qrow found himself shuffling into the kitchen a little after 7, the smell of brewing coffee guiding him to the pot. Everyone else was bound to be awake soon, but for now the only other person in the room was his sister.

“Morning.” She greeted.

“G’mornin’.” He returned, fetching down a mug. “Where’s Clover?”

Raven inclined her head towards the window. “On the dock, somehow not freezing to death.”

He glanced out, seeing the dark outline of his boyfriend sitting right at the edge of the pier, waiting patiently for the sun to rise. He hadn’t even bothered to put on any additional layers, still in the tank top and shorts he’d gone to bed in.

Qrow had a feeling this would be the running theme for the week. With anyone else, he probably would have found it annoying; instead, all he felt was fondness.

The microwave beeping had his eyes pulling away, watching as his sister took out a mug of steaming water. As she steeped her tea, she said, “He’s a real interesting one.”

“Is that a lead in to how you’re about to tell me everything wrong with him?”

“Hmm, well,” She stretched out the word like a car engine getting ready to gun it down the street. “He’s got really stupid hair.”

Here we go. Qrow sighed. Turned away to pour his coffee as he waited.

And waited.

And…

…

He looked up from the cutlery drawer to her, seeing her watching him with unadulterated amusement. “Wait, that’s it?”

She shrugged. “That’s it.”

“You actually like him?”

“No.” She clipped easily. “He’s a bit too much of a model boy scout type and I think that’s annoying. But, I like the you that you are when you’re with him.”

He went back to his silverware search. “Uh, meaning?”

Raven rolled her eyes. “You’re happier with him, stupid.”

“Hold up.” Qrow waved a spoon in the air, “I’m calling bullshit on that one. I was happy with my other partners before this.”

“You also weren’t any less happy without them. It’s, just different, okay?” She ran a hand through her hair, “Tch, you know I’m not any good at this.”

For as little as his sister was saying though, he could hear the paragraphs hidden in between. She’d been with him his whole life; had seen every stupid decision he’d ever made. Like how he was convinced that Sienna was the love of his life when they were only seventeen and when she ultimately dumped him, he acted like his entire life was over. Or at twenty-one, when he had been so convinced that Roman was The One, he asked him to marry him only six months into their relationship – only to find out the guy had a criminal record. Then there were disasters, like Kimi.  Broken trusts, like Oz. Incompatibilities, like Winter, Robyn, Tukson.

There were joys in all of them – but looking back, he didn’t regret the breaks either.

“Nah, I get it.” Qrow stirred in the sugar. “Guess I’ve had pretty shit luck when it comes to relationships, huh?”

“It all went to the better twin.” She joked back, holding up her tea to cheer herself before taking a sip.

“Oh, mom and dad found a long-lost triplet?”

He only laughed when she smacked his arm, ducking away before she could potentially continue her assault, taking his coffee with him. Her call of “Jerk!” followed him as he slipped out the back door. They may have found it unbearable at times to live with each other, but it was comforting to know she still looked out for him. He would thank her later.

For now though, he walked the length of the porch, following the stone path that gave way to wood and finally ended at Clover.

“Didn’t expect to see you up so early.” He greeted as Qrow sat down beside him.

He took a sip of the coffee before setting the mug down on the post next to him. “Well, my space heater left, so I came looking for it.”

“Sorry about that.” Clover wound an arm across his shoulders, drawing him in. “Better?”

He looked out across the lake, where the water was reflecting the colors of the lightening sky. Took in the horizon breathing in a new day, welcoming them to experience it together.

Qrow melted against the other, sincerely vowing, “It’s perfect.”