"Verlass mich nicht."
This. Almost killed me. I wanted it so desperately to be perfect, but, well you know, it's just not. The result does not remotely compare to the mental image, because I'm simply not good enough. Not saying this for pity's sake, I just know exactly how breathtakingly beautiful this motive could be rendered when painted by several artist whose degree of skill and understanding of the matter I aspire to achive at some point in the future, and it just can't satisfiy me to be so inferior, especially when it concerns a picture that I want to see in beauty. Maybe in a year I'll try again.
To give credit where credit's due, this image was inspired by a scene in To become a Child of Night by Aerus. In chapter 3 the Count is severely depressed, and Herbert fears for his father's condition and 'life'. It's heartbreaking and sublime when he pleads for his father not to leave him and the Count's reaction to this. (That's also what the words in the picture say.)
Frankly, this total affection and love between the Count and his son, the Count indulging Herbert in every way and Herbert in turn lighting up his unlife, this symbiosis in which they exist, their mutual need for each other and each others company, and with that also the mild exasperation that one may provoke in the other with his demeanour and views sometimes, is my favorite fannishly viewed and exploited element of Tanz der Vampire.
Yes, I'm always off the point somehow.
... But you might have noticed that, unsurprisingly, I don't exactly have many characters among my favorites that have a shiny love relationship to their daddies. Most of them have heavy complexes and issues that follow them around throughout their lives, at times quite literally, so I plan to indulge in Graf von Krolock and Herbert to the fullest.
Also, I've drawn this with the love-bingo square ' c o m f o r t ' in mind. And for all the hurt, it is comfort, too.
[click image for the original size]