I love this! It’s always amazing when something I write has inspired other people, and I love seeing other people’s thoughts on the ideas I have. You can give the same base idea to a bunch of people and get completely different results.
I hadn’t really thought about the other Korean and Japanese Hunters and how they would fit into the story. Mostly, I thought about how Jin-Woo’s army would be his shadow army, but as vampires. Though, I do like the idea of his beast summons being created by a forgemaster in this au.
Having Jin-Woo be the forgemaster and that’s why he could accept all of Ashborn’s power is a clever idea and I quite like it. Though whether he’d keep that ability once turned is something I don’t know. I’m not really familiar with much of Castlevania’s lore, so I don’t know if that’s ever addressed. (I never saw any of the games, and I’ve only watched the first 2 seasons of the Netflix show. I just hated how Trevor and Sypha left at the end of the season, right when Alucard was grieving the most! I’ll probably end up watching the rest of it at some point, though.)
I don’t think I’d make Ryuji a forgemaster, though. It would certainly be an interesting plotpoint, but it’s not how I see him in this au. And I see what you’re saying about it helping him be unharmed in his battles against Jin-Woo, but the vampire has never been out to seriously hurt him. Jin-Woo has always seen their fights as sparring, it’s only Ryuji that was out to kill him because he distrusts vampires.
I don’t remember if I mentioned in the original post, but they met on a hunt Ryuji was doing. It was in Jin-Woo’s territory and the vampire was separately investigating humans going missing in one of his towns. Then Ryuji found him, there was a confrontation, and when Ryuji found out why Jin-Woo was there, he didn’t really trust the vampire to handle the monster by himself and actually save the humans, so the two of them ended up sort of working together to find the monster and take it out.
This is when Jin-Woo’s initial interest began. Here was this prideful Hunter, with maybe a kind of gruff personality, but who was clearly dedicated to saving other people. And maybe one of the humans they saved was a child and Jin-Woo got to see Ryuji soften just slightly when talking to them.
After that, Jin-Woo began to seek Ryuji out, perhaps just within his territory at first, accompanying him on hunts. And after Ryuji moved on to different areas, Jin-Woo was intrigued enough to keep seeking him out.
Of course, that just made Ryuji pissed off, and led to him initiating fights against the vampire. But if we know anything about Jin-Woo, it’s that he loves a good fight. And seeing Ryuji’s strength up close and personal just made him all the more interested. (And Ryuji slowly comes to realize he’s got a strength kink, much to his own annoyance. He really doesn’t want to be finding this annoying vampire hot.)
Also, I don’t imagine the other vampires are watching the fights. Talking about it later with Jin-Woo, sure, but Jin-Woo is having to chase Ryuji across the countryside to initiate meetings. The others don’t really care enough to follow him if he’s just meeting up with his crush.
And I was recently going through my notes and realized that I did post more about how they got together in a second post. It’s over here: https://shadow-sovereign.tumblr.com/post/643851107797516289/i-like-stories-that-have-scenes-of-one-character
But it’s basically, sometimes when Jin-Woo sought Ryuji out, instead of sparring, Jin-Woo helped patch up Ryuji’s wounds from whatever monster he was fighting. And at some point, he even saves Ryuji from a blizzard, where he surely would have died if Jin-Woo hadn’t shown up. It helps make Ryuji realize that Jin-Woo might actually be serious about his feelings.
It also mentioned about how humans are turned, that it takes more than just a vampire giving them blood or biting them. Which means that Ryuji can let Jin-Woo feed from him once they’re close enough for that. And Jin-Woo can give his blood to Ryuji, which in my headcanon helps a human live longer, especially if the vampire is powerful.
I liked your description of them being two men, tired with life. Because in some ways, yeah. Jin-Woo is at least a few centuries old, Ryuji is roughly middle age and has Seen Some Things. He’s seen Too Many Things.
Basically, they know the world can be horrible, that it’s not even just monsters preying on humans, but humans will do horrible things to each other too. But on that same note, they’ve seen just as many hopeful things, people going out of their way to help each other. And both of them have the same philosophy, of not letting the world drag them down. They’re both tenacious and stubborn enough to fight for the world they want to live in, even if it’s just within their own little corner of the world.
How they are with each other, after being together for a decade or more is, I think, companionable. They’re comfortable around each other, with existing around each other even in silence. They don’t always need words, just being near the other gives them peace.
Like, they’re more aggressive and playful when they’re sparring and they can be rough when they’re in the mood for it. But otherwise, they’re pretty calm.
One of their favorite couple activities is reading in Jin-Woo’s library, maybe leaning against each other on the comfy couch. Both of them love to learn and Ryuji has a knowledge is power mindset. And I imagine in this older setting, that books maybe wouldn’t be that widespread? As in, I don’t know if they had the printing press yet, so books were probably copied by hand. So, a big library like Jin-Woo’s would be a Big Deal.
Ryuji spends a lot of time in Jin-Woo’s estate, but he still goes on hunts. Only now, Jin-Woo’s people, whichever vampires in his court that like to travel, will send word of various monsters. Some of them, the vampires will just deal with it themselves, since the monster is like right there and actively doing harm. But other times, they’re hearing rumors of things going on in neighboring towns and sending word back, via magic letters so the information gets back pretty quick.
And I see Jin-Woo as having either a teleporting or portal ability via shadows that he can send Ryuji through. So, Ryuji no longer needs to travel quite as much. He deals with the monsters, has a way of contacting Jin-Woo for a portal back, and spends a lot of his time at Jin-Woo’s estate. Reading/studying, training/sparring, maybe helping Jin-Woo manage his estate once it becomes clear to them both that they’re going to be together for the long haul.
Hmm, I wonder if Ryuji could learn magic in this au. Can anyone learn magic in Castlevania canon or do they have to be born with the ability? Well, if not spells, perhaps Ryuji could use magical items that have been pre-charged. I can certainly imagine Jin-Woo supplying him with a heck ton of magical gear, in an effort to keep him unharmed during his hunts.
But back to him helping Jin-Woo with his estate. I think, after they’re together long enough, Ryuji would have the official title of being Jin-Woo’s consort. He’s got a certain amount of authority to direct things and the vampires in Jin-Woo’s court will listen to him as long as it doesn’t contradict any of Jin-Woo’s orders.
And if they disagree with each other on anything, they’re careful not to fight in front of the others. Jin-Woo, because he knows his subordinates would automatically take his side out of loyalty and he doesn’t want to gang up on Ryuji. And Ryuji doesn’t argue in front of the others because he respects that Jin-Woo is their liege lord and doesn’t want to be seen as trying to undermine his authority.
Ryuji doesn’t see himself as inferior in any way, but he understands that Jin-Woo is the one who’s been leading them for centuries, earned their loyalty, and created this estate. He plays a supportive role, to a certain extent, but he will absolutely let Jin-Woo know if he disagrees with any of his decisions, just not in public.
I think, by the time Dracula has set his hoards on Wallachia (roughly ten years after they’ve started dating?) that Ryuji and Jin-Woo would just be very comfortable around one another. High trust, willing to listen to each other. I’ve got a vague thought of when the trio (Trevor, Sypha, and Alucard) reach Jin-Woo’s estate, searching for rumors of a village able to fight off the hoard), they asses the situation and ask Ryuji and Jin-Woo for assistance in taking down Dracula. And Jin-Woo is the one more hesitant, to leave the village he’s guarding, but Ryuji, as a Hunter, is the one who feels duty bound to go out and fight. So, he either talks Jin-Woo into it, or he’s like, I’m going, you can go with me or stay here, and of course Jin-Woo isn’t willing to let his lover go off and fight Dracula without him.
And while traveling together, I imagine the trio will be quite interested in seeing how Ryuji and Jin-Woo interact with each other. Trevor is just bewildered that a Hunter could trust a vampire enough to be dating, Alucard is reminded of his parents, and Sypha perhaps thinks it’s romantic? Kind of a star-crossed lovers trope, and I believe she would find it sweet, seeing the subtle ways they show they care.
Like when they’re resting around a campfire, Ryuji and Jin-Woo sit close together. One of them would plate up food for the two of them or just get rations out of their bag, depending on how much effort they’re putting in to make camp food at the time. And the other would get out drinks for two of them, just little things like that, working together and showing that they’re thinking of each other’s needs.
Something else that comes to mind is that while they’re traveling, Jin-Woo would eventually need blood. Alucard likely would as well, but I assume he drinks animal blood? But Ryuji is used to Jin-Woo drinking from him by now, though it’s usually an activity reserved for the bedroom. So, he wouldn’t be comfortable letting the others see. Instead, Ryuji and Jin-Woo would find a private spot, further into the woods, a separate room, depends on where they’re at, and Jin-Woo would take a small amount of blood, not too much so Ryuji doesn’t get light headed (need to be at top health when fighting monsters).
Alucard would of course smell the blood, but he’s not an idiot, so he doesn’t say anything. And if the others noticed the bite mark, Ryuji would just glare at them and tell them to mind their own business. He really, really doesn’t like others questioning aspects of his relationship with Jin-Woo. Yes, a Hunter dating a vampire is unconventional, and no, he doesn’t want to talk about it. He hates having people question it. Mostly, because he’s a private person, but it also bugs him when people assume that Jin-Woo might be taking advantage of him.
One of the things that ties into that is collars. In this verse, some vampires have a custom of like, their favorite human wearing a collar. For some, it’s an ownership thing, having a human slave. For others, they have their human consort wear a collar, to show other vampires ‘this one’s mine, under my protection, don’t even think of touching them.’
And in the latter case, there are usually protective spells woven into the collar that can actually keep other vampires and monsters from being able to lay a hand on the human. It’s limited by how strong the vampire is, but Jin-Woo comes from a very strong vampire bloodline.
When Jin-Woo first heard about the collar custom, he wasn’t interested in it. He was recently human and thought it sounded way too possessive and that no human would actually want to wear a vampire’s collar. But then he started getting attached to Ryuji, finding him after he fought various monsters, helping to patch up his wounds. And he realized that if Ryuji was wearing his collar, imbued with protection spells, it would have helped him greatly in avoiding at least half of those injuries.
Jin-Woo probably wouldn’t bring it up at first, maybe at least...five years into the relationship? He’d suggest it as something to try in the bedroom first, having learned by then that Ryuji is at least willing to try out some new things if it’s related to sex. Ryuji probably gives him a narrow eyed stare at the suggestion, makes a dubious hmm, but agrees to think about it.
Ryuji doesn’t really get what the appeal is for Jin-Woo since he knows this vampire, at least, doesn’t see humans as property, and that if Jin-Woo saw the collar that way he wouldn’t have suggested it at all. But he does understand the normal jealous and possessiveness that people feel in a relationship, where they want their partner to be theirs and no one else’s. And after trying the collar on, he does notice that Jin-Woo seems even more satisfied after sex, so he continues to wear it from time to time.
But Ryuji doesn’t personally see the appeal, until one morning when he wakes up with the collar on and it feels like Jin-Woo is still in the room. (Normally not noticeable since Jin-Woo likes to wake up together, but this time he had an early morning meeting or something.) Since the collar is enchanted with protective spells and powered by Jin-Woo’s magic, then the collar always subtly feels like Jin-Woo’s mana.
Now, Ryuji is not likely to admit that he likes this, but he does. After 5+ years of dating, he does actually like Jin-Woo. And likes having him around. When he’s away on Hunts, he does begin to miss having his lover around. But it’s not always practical for Jin-Woo to go with him, and Ryuji is dutiable enough that he’s not willing to quit going on Hunts altogether. He likes his job, that he’s making the world safer, but he has to admit, at least to himself, that during Hunts that go on for weeks, having Jin-Woo’s mana around might be...nice.
I imagine it would be a while before he’s comfortable wearing the collar outside of the bedroom and he would wear a scarf or something to hide it at first. Eventually, he’d be more comfortable wearing it openly around Jin-Woo’s estate, where it’s mostly just other vampires around who understand the culture of it and know not to comment on it.
However, he’s getting the most comfort from it out on his Hunting missions, where he could be spending weeks away from his lover. (Weeks, because it could take him time to track down the monster after it’s gone through a village, longer if he hears news of another monster after that.) And while he’s outside of the estate is when he definitely feels the need to hide the collar.
After all, things like that can be controversial now, imagine how it would be in that time period? Would they even have any other reference for collars besides slaves? Just, Ryuji has no interest in dealing with people’s reactions. He just wants them to leave him to go about his life.
And the collar isn’t just a comfort item. While he didn’t expect it, those protection charms do come in handy, saving his life a few times. Though it can be annoying when a weaker vampire recognizes the feel of Jin-Woo’s mana and takes off running, forcing Ryuji to chase him down to enact justice.
(It especially galls him that they’re running because they’re afraid of Jin-Woo, rather than himself. He’s killed so many monsters that were hunting humans, but do the monsters care? Noooo, of course not. They just see a human and automatically think he’ll be easy prey. It definitely pisses him off.)
Hmm, it means that Alucard would be able to sense Jin-Woo’s mana on Ryuji, though his mind probably wouldn’t automatically go towards collar, not with the prideful and somewhat aloof way Ryuji acts.
Ryuji would probably get flustered if anyone outside of Jin-Woo and his vampire subordinates saw the collar and then get annoyed at his own reaction. He’s not ashamed of wearing it, not anymore, but it is very personal. He hates the idea of anyone misunderstanding what’s practically a wedding ring by this point, a symbol of Jin-Woo’s care for him and a way of keeping his lover close even when far away.
[Also, while I was working on this reply, I got this message from i-bring-crack that says:
hi hi hi, (。・∀・)ノ゙ sorry for sliding in just had a small thought that popped into my head wile i was re-reading the castlevania/solo leveling AU nothing and i wanted it to voice it out somewhere (you can ignore this if you like thats fine im just too nonsleep rn) and that is: what if Jin Woo kinda knew Vlad and Lisa before, like he was also meeting other vampires who resonated with the 'no killing every human they meet' agenda and met Alucard at that young age (kinda like a parallel to Goto meeting young trevor) but parted ways with them and years later jin woo can recognize Alucard but Alucard cant--- also I just imagined a bit of Jin Woo reflecting how he would react if they also tried to kill Goto like they did with Lisa but in the end just trusting that he is able to take care of himself (not to mention that Goto already has a lot of nobles that respect him around the world, not much but a lot, considering he has been hunting down demons for ages so if anything they wouldnt dare anger him much less try to kill him. )--- okay thats it bye bye take care just wanted to share the ideas somewhere (。^▽^) (oh yeah, I think Min byung gyu as a vampire would be fun to explore but anyways bye bye) ]
I like that idea of Jin-Woo meeting young Alucard. Perhaps after Jin-Woo moves to Wallachia and begins establishing his territory, he would be scouting out which local vampires would be potential enemies and which could be allies. And since Vlad had a human wife at the time, Jin-Woo reached out and they had a relatively amicable meeting.
And if Alucard doesn’t recognize him, he was probably fairly young, under 12 at least, and maybe wasn’t paying that much attention to his Dad’s ‘work friends’. But Jin-Woo would be fascinated by this little vampire/human family with their halfling son. Fantasizing about such a relationship with Ryuji, though whether they’d want kids, I don’t know. They can’t have any the normal way, but there is adoption, and maybe magic to give them biological children?
I don’t see them as having any children at the time of Dracula’s madness, but ten years of dating isn’t that long for a vampire, especially with Jin-Woo extending Ryuji’s lifespan, so they’ve got plenty of time to decide whether they want to raise little ones together.
And once Vlad goes crazy, Jin-Woo would definitely start thinking about how he’d handle it if Ryuji died. But I think a major difference is that Vlad used to kill humans before he met Lisa, that he already seemed to hate humans before she softened him up. Jin-Woo was never like that, he’s much less likely to go on a murderous rampage. But if Ryuji died, Jin-Woo would definitely go hunt down the people or monsters responsible and get revenge on those specific beings.
I hadn’t considered the idea of Ryuji knowing some nobles before, but that gives me worldbuilding ideas. Because how do Hunters get paid in this world? Whoever has money and has a local monster problem. Who’s got the most money and the most to lose if a monster starts rampaging? Whoever’s in charge of that area.
Some of the Nobles would be good people and actually respect his work, while others just barely tolerate him for his skills. And when that whole mess with the church going after the Belmonts happens, there’s probably a worry that they’ll go after Ryuji next. But the difference between the Belmonts and Ryuji, is that he’s got a very powerful vampire lord on his side. (Even though they might not have been together yet at this point, I’m not quite sure on the timeline.)
But Jin-Woo absolutely would have gone around to the Nobles and either subtly or outright blatantly threatened them if they went after Ryuji. And since Jin-Woo has his own estate and is essentially running that little coastal town, he likely counts as a type of noble himself. And probably is a noble back in his own country, inherited from Ashborn.
So, he’d send word ahead to the nobles that he’s visiting, noble to noble, and they’d invite him in, unaware of what he is. And perhaps remain unaware of what he is, depending on how the meeting goes. But he’d definitely make his affection for Ryuji known, along with how many loyal soldiers Jin-Woo has. And how he’d most definitely take it personally if anyone goes after his beloved.
And Ryuji’s response to this would really depend on how long they’d been together by this point. I haven’t sat down to write out a timeline for this au, but it would at least be very early on in their relationship. But Ryuji isn’t necessarily going to be pleased by this.
He’s a proud man and doesn’t appreciate Jin-Woo going around, trying to warn his enemies off for him. But he’s also not stupid and can acknowledge that nearly the entire Belmont family was killed off (or might even assume it’s all of them depending on whether anyone knows that Trevor is alive at that time.) Whereas Ryuji is just one Hunter. Does he believe he can survive what an entire Hunter family couldn’t?
So, he’s not happy about it, but he can understand why Jin-Woo did it. And deep down, is a little relieved to know it wouldn’t be him against the entire country if the Church decides to declare him an enemy as well.
And I can’t think of anything else. It doesn’t entirely feel done, but if I keep trying to think of more things to add, it’s going to be even more years before I post this.
I quite like this au. Someday, I might want to write a short original story based on this concept. A vampire lord and Hunter that fall in love in medieval times, and possibly have to avert some kind of supernatural disaster? It could be fun.