This isnt apart of the game,(which is so fun and im loving learning about ppls vamps) but im feeling bold and not socially afraid- what IS/Was the deal with noa and her brother? What are her thoughts/feelings after all this time?
Ohhh thank you for being interested! I'm sorry if this comes out super rambling and incoherent!
I guess it'd just be best to tell their story! It's really not as black and white as it appears, and feelings are extremely nuanced and messy when it comes to family and abuse. It seems easy as an outsider looking it to make commentary and theorize about what you would've done, but you just never know!
Joaquin Hidalgo is the eldest son to Vincento Hidalgo-Giovanni and his wife Ingrid Giovanni. The Hidalgo bloodline had only been a part of the Giovanni clan for a few generations, and young Vincento was a necromancer prodigy who married a main clan daughter who would bear his children and continue the family line. They were blessed with three sons - Joaquin, Eduardo, Ferdinand - and a little daughter, Noa. By all means they were very normal for a incredibly rich family with dealings in the local cartels of Mexico and the secret vampire clans that trace back to Italy. The parents seemed to get along, the children were growing up fine and developing their own ways and personalities. Joaquin certainly felt pressured as the eldest, but it was still "normal."
One evening the family was going out in a chauffeured vehicle, probably to dinner or maybe even a movie, when they were suddenly gunned down by unknown assailants. Joaquin at the time was thirteen and tackled little Noa, freshly seven, to the car floor where they dodged the hail, but the rest of the family were not so lucky. Mother and their other two brothers were killed instantly, while their father had seconds after to try and say something but ultimately couldn't, and the fresh orphans watched him die beside the rest of their already gone family. Joaquin promised Noa next to their bodies that he would never let her be hurt like this, and she believed him, and they vowed to be together for eternity. Not long thankfully after they were pulled from the car by people who called themselves their "family," where they were taken home and a bunch of strangers busied themselves with getting funerals set up and other various grown up things. A few days later, their father comes walking through the front door. Paler, walking with a cane from his injuries, strangely colder in personality, but THERE. Joaquin immediately felt like something was wrong, but Noa interpreted this as a miracle.
Over the years, Father ruled the house as a father would, but he ran it a bit crueler, a bit more seriously. Joaquin, having been old enough to really get that things were off, bit back and fought, and was often put back in his place through physical violence. Noa watched him go through this and learned to keep quiet if she wanted to not be struck. When she got old enough, Father finally revealed the vampiric nature of their bloodline to the both of them. Noa was then ghouled as soon as she could, her body still young, practically stunting her - but it gave her access to incredible magics. Joaquin was ghouled and practically made a mad dog bully for the human side of the clan, which pissed him off further. There was a weird mixture of feelings between the two of them - the jealousy of seeing his baby sister succeed where he always failed, the relief the pressure wasn't on him to be a necromancer, the fury of seeing her adoration and love of family being used to manipulate her. He loved Noa, she loved him, and things grew more and more confusing. He was allowed to go out but nothing satisfied him, especially when he took more and more vitae. She was locked inside the house for her protection, and also to study. In our personal headcanon (though this may be canon for Gio Ghouls??) the vitae makes one fiercely loyal to the Giovanni, and it twists one up to chase after family. Things did get a little "far" between them during this time, but they never fully culminated anything. Things got worse for Joaquin when a Tremere ghoul contact joined his little posse - Nythanel Loken - who became his sister's best friend and biggest advocate. Everything was coming up Noa and it bothered him, and there was a million confusing reasons why.
He finally decided to put his foot down when she revealed that Father told her that she would be Embraced. She was so excited, and then he was told straight from Father later he was going to be shipped off to Italy to both learn things and marry into a bloodline to essentially be a baby pumping factory until he was found worthy of an Embrace or died. No Noa, no real future other than providing some genetics. He knew through his contacts where to find the Sabbat, and he led them right to the family compound to rid the world of one more vampiric smear. However the Sabbat being the Sabbat went harder than he wanted - capturing him and killing and enslaving the spirits of many who were there and not giving him his sister. He had no idea where she was, but she wasn't with him. Eventually he escaped their clutches and ran to America, completely alone. He then dedicated his existence to becoming a hunter, using his knowledge during his time as a ghoul against vampiric scum and even other supernaturals. He met his buddy Ray who joined him for a few good years of hunting, and then it all came crashing down when he found Nyth and Noa again in Reno Nevada in 1993. It's been over a decade since he knew of Noa's whereabouts, and now he was so close. Years and years of weird feelings were crashing back, because it was all real again. He was past forty now, getting desperate to cling to something beyond hate again.
Eventually - Ray was killed by Joaquin for nearly killing Noa, and they were finally together for good this time. No Ray, seemingly no Nyth, and the family out of their hair. He clumsily culminated their long awaited reunion in a motel they ran off to hide in while she still mourned, Nyth's body close by, Ray's left behind, and poor Julian the ghoul in the next room over. Noa afterwards insisted she make a plan with the family to get Nyth back to her, which pissed Joaquin off but he was in love and back with her again so what could he do.
She told him they could be together for good when he was Embraced by her or someone within the family, but he staunchly refused to be turned. He never wants the vitae again, he never wants to become a supernatural creature. He wants to be with her for Eternity, but he cannot become an immortal. This is the defining moment that leads to his demise at her hands. As she worked with the Family and eventually the Setites to bring Nyth back to full health, Joaquin grew more and more irritating and controlling. He hated her deeper descent into Necromancy and dealing with two-faced Kindred, he hated her pulling away from him when they were finally together. She was clearly furious with him, and it felt like it was falling apart.
One night she was sweet to him again, saying that it was all almost over. Nythanel's notes and her own studies mixing with Setite sorcery were going to bring her friend back. They just needed a body to house Nyth. Joaquin killed Julian the ghoul for Noa, and together they prepared the ritual to "resurrect" Nythanel. Joaquin also had the gut feeling this night wouldn't just end in Julian's death, but his own. Noa approached the ritual room dressed in something clingy, and when Nyth and Julian's body was prepped, she explained the rest of the ritual required more blood, more life. They were together for the last time, Noa drinking the vitae direct him him, and in his own terrible way he was happy. She was happy. He was finally satisfying to her. Joaquin died happy.
OKAY SO. It just feels so rambly! Feel free to ask for more specifics I TRIED to do bare minimum but uh….
Noa after this time loves Joaquin, and she still can't let him go even now in modern nights. She knows his spirit is out there, and he will make his way back to her somehow.
It's just very confusing because yes, he took advantage of her and abused her, but she loved him so much. They in a way were all the other had, they just coped very differently… ahhh. Sorry. I don't know if I'm really relaying everything properly! Thank you for asking!!!
