Vanessa Goffe

Vanessa Goffe (legally Vanessa Cole) is the mother of Hector Goffe. She formerly worked as a stage director.

## Personality

While her husband, Samuel Goffe, was alive, Vanessa preferred to spend her free time with him, only initiating interactions with Hector out of necessity, such as helping him to skip school better to avoid being bothered at work or helping him take care of Colt’ children. Even back then, Vanessa was a very private person, though not as much as her husband, whom she helped to hide his mental problems from their son.

After Samuel died, the grief from his loss has changed Vanessa’s behavior considerably. She puts little effort in being polite when talking to most people, and for a time was outright vicious towards Hector, who she blames for her husband's death. However, after realizing that her son is all she had left, Vanessa gradually began to treat him better and even show genuine concern for him. Generally, she prefers to spend her time alone (distracting herself by watching television or reading), avoid engaging others in conversations, and is overall de-motivated.

Vanessa thought about committing suicide multiple times, but had never attempted it, without being sure whether it’s simply self-preservation instinct or the knowledge that Samuel wouldn’t have approved stopping her. However, while she refuses to die, she doesn’t have the will to build new life for herself either, refusing an offer from Gina to find a new job for her and accepting living with her son as her only option.

## Relationships

Vanessa never excelled at making friends in the first place, but the few she’d possessed had abandoned her the second they learned her son was a fugitive. She doesn’t have any siblings, and with both her parents and husband dead, her son is the only family she has left.

### Hector Goffe

Vanessa never loved Hector, despite hoping for a very long time that her maternal instinct will activate. She considered putting Hector up for adoption more than once, but Samuel insisted they’d keep him. When her husband was alive she was at least trying to play the role of a mother, but after he died and Vanessa learned that his killer was someone Hector fought before, she decided that Samuel’s death was Hector’s fault and she never wants to see her son again. However, she eventually realized that Hector is quite literally all she has left, and began to show genuine concern for him.

### Samuel Goffe

Vanessa's husband, who she loved very much. His death broke her.

## Appearance

Vanessa is a slim black woman with brown eyes and black hair. A few weeks after the death of her husband, she had become outright gaunt.

## History

Vanessa presumably spent her childhood in a place without working electricity, which necessitated using candlelight.

During Hector’s childhood there was a period when Samuel and Vanessa struggled to find work, often having to take jobs in separate cities, presumably because bills were piling up. They were always trying to readjust things so that they could both get a job in the same place, and because of that changed cities a lot. When Hector was ten years old, they accidentally left him behind in previous city once, and only realized he was missing after a week.

Vanessa was at work when Geoffrey came to her house and killed Samuel. After Calman High Massacre she was living in the hotel under the protection of police detail. When Hector explained what actually happened with Samuel, she told him to leave and don’t return, but did not turn him in even after the police heard her shouting.

A few weeks later, she was still in the process of moving out of her old house and living in a hotel. Vanessa escaped the reporters hounding her by changing her name, and lost her job (presumably by quitting). After Hector explained that her life was in danger, she agreed to come with him. Following the defeat of Atreya task force, Vanessa attended the celebratory dinner with the Queen, and even talked to her directly. After that, she came to live in Warrenhold with Hector. When Rainlords found shelter in Warrenhold, she met and talked to some of them, including Horatio.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 ‘*She’s not living in your old house anymore. She’s still in the process of moving out, but she’s staying in a hotel at the moment.*’

He’d seen her on the news, though not recently. All the media attention he’d gotten had of course spilled over to her. Hector could only imagine what she’d had to endure over these past few weeks. Even if time would have somehow changed her opinion of him, he knew that not nearly enough of it had passed. There wasn’t a chance in hell that she wanted to see him again.

‘*She changed her name, too. She’s Vanessa Cole, now.*’

‘*I guess that’s why the reporters have stopped hounding her so much...*’ He hesitated with his next question. ‘*Did she... lose her job?*’

‘*I think so. Though, I imagine she quit. Just being related to a criminal isn’t grounds for being fired. Or at least, I’d hope it isn’t.*’ - Excerpt from page 469
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Occasionally, Gina would try to engage her. “So what do you do for a living, Mrs. Goffe?”

“I was a stage director,” she said.

“Stage director? You mean like for plays and musicals?”

“Yes.” “Wow, that’s cool!”

“It was. Before... everything.”

Gina frowned. “Of course. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“You know, I bet I could help you find new work after this is all over. I’m pretty good at finding things.”

“No, thank you.” - Excerpt from page 501
3. ↑ Hunger drove him downstairs, despite how sore he still was. He found his mother in front of the refrigerator.

When she noticed him, she frowned. “Your school called,” she said. “Why did you miss class today?”

He lowered his eyes. “I... wasn’t feeling well... I stayed home and slept.”

“Are you being bullied again?”

“I’ve never been bullied...”

“You’re too quiet, sweetie. If you were a bit more outgoing, I’m sure they’d stop bothering you.”

“I’m not being bullied, Mom...” As difficult as it was to talk to her, he couldn’t help being a bit glad, still. She was showing concern for him. That was rare enough on its own.

Her brow furrowed. “Well, whatever the case, if you’re going to skip school, then at least get good at it. I used to call the school and pretend to be my mother when I was your age.”

“Are you... encouraging me to skip school?”

“Don’t be stupid, sweetie. Of course you should go to school. But I can’t force you to go, so if you’re going to skip, then do it in a way that they don’t end up calling me while I’m at work. I nearly lost a client because of the interruption today.”

Hector just looked at her.

“Hold on.” She left briefly and returned with a small box. “I made you plenty of notes.” She handed it to him.

“Uh...” He was usually able to figure out what he wanted to say after a bit of fumbling, but this time he had nothing.

“Or you can just call ahead and pretend to be your father. Or do something creative. Whatever.”

Incredulous, he stared at his mother. “Uh... is Dad okay with this...?”

“Of course. You’re old enough to make your own decisions about your life, sweetie. You’ll be eighteen in a couple years, and then you’ll be on your own. It’s best you learn to start being responsible for yourself now. Goddess knows you’ve been a burden on your father and I long enough, already.” And she left him there.

He wasn't sure what this feeling was. At once confused, distraught, and still faintly happy to be thought of. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but he wondered if causing trouble would earn him further attention. He immediately discarded the notion.

Back upstairs with turkey, cheese, and tomato on toast, he sifted through the notes she had given him. Her signature was on all of them, as were a plethora of different excuses, usually involving some kind of sickness. Impressively, some were paired with forged doctor’s notes with the dates left blank. Some for P.E. Some for band. Some for chemistry. He might have been genuinely amazed, if he were actually enrolled in any of those classes.

Still, he supposed the generic notes could be useful. He smirked. He never would have expected this from his mother. Strange as it seemed, she may have just helped him and Garovel save someone’s life. - Excerpt from pages 46, 47 and 48
4. ↑ When he entered, he found his parents in the den. His mother was sleeping against his father’s shoulder. The man saw him and the children, and Hector could see the thought process taking place on his father’s face.

The man gently woke his wife. They stood and approached him together. “Hector,” his father said, “why do you have two babies in your arms?”

‘*You got this under control?*’ Garovel asked.

‘*We’ll see*,’ thought Hector. “A friend of mine is having, uh... kind of a... a family emergency. He needed someone to look after his kids. And, um. I’m sorta the only person he could rely on...”

His mother cocked an eyebrow. “Who is this friend?”

“He’s a cop...”

“A cop?” she said. “How did you become friends with a cop?”

“Ah... a school program thing. He and some others were doing... like a... seminar type thing...”

His father folded his arms. “And that was enough for him to entrust you with his children, was it?”

“I, uh... well, I sorta got more involved than the other kids did. Visited the police station and... yeah.”

“Uh-huh,” she said. “And what sort of family emergency are we talking about here?”

“I’m not completely sure about that, myself... but he needed my help, so...”

“How long does he want you to look after them?” his father asked.

“Uh... a few days, maybe? That’s sorta unclear, too...”

Samuel and Vanessa Goffe exchanged looks. Then they both eyed the children another time.

His mother frowned. “Are you sure this friend of yours didn’t just abandon these children?”

“...He’d die before doing that.”

She raised a doubtful eyebrow. She put her hand up to the baby girl, who grabbed it. Smirking, she looked at Hector again. “Where are the supplies?”

“What?”

“The baby supplies. Surely, your friend gave you a bag. Bottles? Powder? Diapers, at least?”

“Uh... um...”

“Ugh, wow. Okay. Looks like I’m making a trip to the store tonight.”

Hector blinked. “Ah--I-I’ll take care of it... It’s my responsibility.”

“Pfft,” said Vanessa. “What does a sixteen-year-old know about taking care of a baby?” She grabbed her coat by the door. “I’ll go get the essentials. Back in a jiffy.” She kissed her husband and was out the door. - Excerpt from pages 244 and 245
5. ↑ *‘My dad takes medication,’* said Hector. *‘Sometimes, he has... bad days... and... I mean, even normally, he’s not very... um... talkative. But... he likes to be alone on his bad days...’*

*‘Hmm. What kind of medication?’*

*‘Eh... honestly, I’m not sure...’*

*‘What?’*

*‘My parents have always kinda... hid it from me... I think Dad’s embarrassed by it. And Mom just... I don’t know...’*

*‘How could you tell he was having a bad day, then?’*

*‘He was home when he should have been at work, for one thing. And... I could see the tremors... in his hands. They were weak, but...’*

*‘Ah.’* Garovel paused. *‘Y’know, I could follow him around and probably figure it out, if you want.’*

Hector’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. *‘N-no, that’s... please don’t do that...’*

*‘Why not? You’d rather not know?’*

*‘I just... That’s, um... My parents are very private people. My dad even more so than my mom. I don’t... wanna... do that to him... I mean, he doesn’t want me to know, so...’* - Excerpt from page 112
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 “S-someone came to the house... after you left for work... and... they took Dad h-hostage and... brought him to my school... which was where he was... killed...”

“Why would they do that?” Her voice trembled. “Who were they?”

“A lunatic... His name was Geoffrey Rofal.”

“You knew this person?”

He cringed at the question.

‘*Don’t lie about being a vigilante. She already knows. The police told her.*’

“Geoffrey was a... he was a criminal... he and I fought before... a-and, ah... he, uh--”

“During one of your *outings*, is that it?” Her anger showed through now. “One of your little adventures fighting crime, right? It came back to bite us. You went and got involved in something you shouldn’t, and now your father is dead because of it. My husband...” She breathed hard. “Because of you! You got him killed, didn’t you?! That’s what happened, isn’t it?!”

Hector couldn’t look at her.

“Answer me! You didn’t kill him yourself, but you’re still responsible for it, aren’t you?! Well?! Just tell me!”

“...Y-y-yes. I... I’m...”

‘*Hector, please. It’s not your fault. Don’t let her convince you that it is. That won’t help anyone.*’

There came a knock at the door. “Ma’am, is everything alright in there?”

Vanessa settled her breathing. She looked at the door, then back at Hector.

He could see her considering what to do. He stood, preparing to run as her gaze lingered on him.

She answered the door.

Hector was surprised when she didn’t ask the officers to enter and arrest him. He watched her block the doorway so they didn’t spot him, watched her reassure them of her safety, watched her close the door behind her. He couldn’t understand what she was thinking. “Mom--”

She held a hand up. It clenched into a fist. She put her knuckles to her mouth and closed her eyes. “Just. Go.”

“But... please, just listen--”

She glared at him, furious tears in her eyes. “I don’t care what your reasons were,” she said shakily. “I don’t even care how you got in here. Just leave. And don’t come back. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

His face cracked. “Y-you, you don’t mean that...”

“Get out.”

“Mom, please...!”

“Don’t test me, Hector. If you don’t leave right now, I *will* turn you in.” - Excerpt from pages 288 and 289
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 “So are you going to tell me why you’re here, or do I have to guess?”

“I... I need you to come with me. You’re not safe here...”

“Ah. So you’ve put my life in danger now, too.”

“I’m sorry...”

“Don’t waste your breath on meaningless apologies, Hector. I honestly don’t care how bad you feel.” She stood from the bed and began packing her bag. - Excerpt from page 476
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 She had never loved him, not truly. And yet now, he was the only family she had left. Worse, he was the only person to whom she had any meaningful connection. Friends? She’d never excelled at making those in the first place, but the few she’d possessed had abandoned her the second they learned her son was a fugitive.

It was all his fault. He’d ripped her out of the world and placed her here. She’d already decided that she would never forgive him for that. She knew she would carry that grudge all the way to her grave.

However.

There was still... *something*. A conflict. She’d realized it after Hector returned from his fight with Abolish.

If he died, she would be entirely alone.

Even if he was to blame for everything, even if she didn’t want to be around him, Hector really was *all* she had now. Vanessa genuinely didn’t know what she would do if Hector died, too. Pitiful as it was, she didn’t think she had it in her to go back out into the world again and build a new life for herself from scratch.

A small part of her wanted to admit this to him right now. The notion flared up in her mind, and for a terrible moment, as Hector again stood there waiting for her response, Vanessa wasn’t sure what was going to come out of her mouth.

But she struggled in silence for long enough that Hector apparently took it to mean that she wanted him to leave. “Alright,” was all he said as he turned for the door.

“Hector,” she blurted.

He stopped and looked back at her.

She hesitated, unsure of what she was about to say. “...Is your trip going to be dangerous?”

The question seemed to confuse him. “Um... probably, yeah.”

“Then... be careful.”

Hector stared at her like she’d just confessed to murder.

She immediately regretted what she said and looked away, filling her vision with the empty wall next to her.

“...I will. Th--uh... th-thanks, Mom...”

She shut her eyes and rubbed her forehead as she listened to him leave. - Excerpt from page 780
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 “...Have you eaten anything recently?” his mother asked.

Had he? Why was it so hard to remember all of sudden? “Er, no, I haven’t...” Truth be told, he was fucking starving. He was only marginally more exhausted than he was hungry.

“I’ll make you something, then. What do you want?” - Excerpt from page 1747
10. ↑ Without a working television to occupy her attention, Vanessa had taken to reading. It didn’t really matter what the book was, nor did it matter if she retained any of it. Just the distraction of fresh words in her mind was enough. This current one about war during the last century was a morbid bore through the majority of its pages, but the part about the Jungle Wars managed to hold her interest. She recalled Mr. Norez mentioning them at their dinner with the Queen. - Excerpt from page 777
11. ↑ She didn’t often leave this dark room. Some days, she didn’t even get out of bed. Sleep was perhaps the only thing she actually looked forward to anymore. It was the easiest way to avoid thinking about Samuel. - Excerpt from page 778
12. ↑ More than once, she’d considered ending her own life. Maybe burn *herself* along with all of those boxes. Poetic, but probably a terrible way to go. In the end, she realized that, regardless of the method, she simply didn’t have the conviction. And she didn’t know *why*, either. She didn’t feel afraid of dying, necessarily, and if there was any point left in living, she couldn’t tell what it was; but even still, she didn’t want to go through with it. Maybe it was just the natural human impulse. Or maybe it was the knowledge that Samuel wouldn’t have approved. - Excerpt from page 778
13. ↑ Vanessa took a long breath, perhaps irritated, perhaps just bored. “So what are you going to do now, anyway?”

“Uh... I’m not sure yet.”

“We can’t stay here in the palace forever. And I assume we’re not returning to Brighton, either.”

His brow receded. It struck him as odd that she was already accepting of the idea that she would continue living with him. He thought it would surely be an ordeal, convincing her to stay where he could protect her. - Excerpt from page 585
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Hector’s expression faltered. He shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “She... I... I’ve never been sure if she actually, um... if she actually cared about me. But... I’ve always known that she loved my dad. The two of them were--” He shook his head. “--They tried really hard to stay together. Their entire lives revolved around one another. And... now...”

Garovel frowned.

“Mom doesn’t have any siblings. And her parents died years ago. So I’m... I mean... I think I’m the only family she has left...” - Excerpt from page 286
15. ↑ She’d always found it strange. Mothers were supposed to feel something different for their children, weren’t they? Maternal instinct? Where was hers? She’d never felt it. From the moment she first realized she was pregnant, she’d kept expecting something to change, some switch to be flipped inside of her. She thought, surely, she would be able to feel it when she held him in her arms for the first time. It was the only thing that let her endure those nine horrific months. But no. All she’d felt was relief that it was finally over. And afterward, she thought it might come when he took his first steps. Or when he could feed himself. Or dress himself. Or go to school on his own.

But nothing. Not really. He was just some child. No different from anyone else’s. The only distinction was that she had a societal obligation to this one. So she pretended. She played the role as best as she was able. - Excerpt from page 779
16. ↑ Hector shook his head. At this point, he was honestly just curious. “If that’s the case... then why didn’t you just put me up for adoption?”

She seemed amused by the question. “I thought about it more than once. But your father was stubborn. He insisted we keep you. Though, if you’re thinking it was because he loved you, then--”

“I already know he didn’t,” he said, suddenly wanting to get there before her. He felt a change taking place in himself, a kind of quiet epiphany, though he wasn’t quite sure where it was coming from just yet.

The look she gave him then seemed more disappointed than surprised.

“Dad never wanted to show any weakness. If he didn’t want to put me up for adoption... then it was only because he was worried how it would look.” - Excerpt from page 518
17. ↑ About the only things Hector took from his mother were her eyes and hair, but as he kept his head shaved, that left only the prior. - Excerpt from page 111
18. ↑ A mirror greeted him next, his face reflected through a slight cloud of soapy fog. Everything looked the same. The black skin, the shaved head, the somber brown gaze--all his. Somehow, part of him expected to see someone else. Part of him wanted to. - Excerpt from page 4
19. ↑ “Oh. Uh... th-thanks.” He went through the door and found a change of clothes next to the spotless sink. He saw himself in the mirror and blinked, abruptly remembering that first day after Garovel originally revived him. It felt so different this time, yet so familiar. His face still had that same gloomy look as before, but he didn’t mind it so terribly now. His hair had grown out a little, though, and that, he did mind. It’d always looked like the rough side of a blackened sponge to him. - Excerpt from page 580
20. ↑ Then he saw his mother’s face. He almost didn’t recognize her. She was so gaunt. She’d always been a rather slim woman, but now she looked *unhealthily* so. It hadn’t even been three weeks since he last saw her. He didn’t understand how she could have changed so much. - Excerpt from page 476
21. ↑ There was still no electricity. According to Madame Carthrace, the new generator would arrive in a few days, but Vanessa wasn’t terribly bothered about it. She’d always liked candlelight well enough. It reminded her of her childhood. The quieter moments of it, at least. - Excerpt from page 777
22. ↑ For a while, he merely listened to the motorcycle and the wind roaring together. *‘When I was younger, uh... my parents both struggled to find work. They’d often have to take jobs in separate cities--I guess because the bills were piling up or something. They were always trying to readjust things so that they could both get a job in the same place. So, ah... we ended up moving around a lot. And there was this one time... when I was about ten... and, um... ah... b-basically, they, uh... they left me behind.’*

Silence drew out, and Garovel waited for Hector to continue.

*‘I spent, like, almost a month in foster care, I think... and then the police found me. My parents thought they’d lost me somewhere in the new city. They didn’t, uh... they didn’t realize I was missing until like a week after the move...’*

*‘A week is rather specific,’* said Garovel. *‘How do you know it took them that long?’*

*‘Well, on the way back, the cops were really happy. Um... they told me it was amazing, because I’d been missing for three weeks... and I knew it had been longer.’* - Excerpt from pages 206 and 207
23. ↑ “Then stop me,” said Geoffrey. “Give me a real fight, at least. *Amuse*me. Fail, and this will not end with Ms. Trent. When we are done here, we will go visit your mother at work and try again. Hopefully, your reaper will be ready by then.” - Excerpt from page 271
24. ↑ ‘*Yes. I do know. She’s in a hotel with a police detail.*’ - Excerpt from page 285
25. ↑ “We wanted to say farewell before you left,” said the Queen.

“Oh, I see.”

And a long silence followed, wherein Lynnette could only assume that one of the reapers was speaking. Then the Queen went over to talk to Hector’s mother. - Excerpt from page 611
26. ↑ He found his way to the parking garage and decided to wait there for his mother to catch up. It took a while, but when she arrived, she had a small escort of two with her. There was an elderly woman in a faded rainbow dress and a rather tall black man in a white-and-blue guardsman’s uniform.

His mother stopped in front of him and stared. “I’m not even going to ask what that was about back there. Lynnette is upset with you, though. She asked me to tell you that.”

“Ah... oh...” He figured it best to just take his mother at her word and move on. “W-who are these two?”

The old woman stepped forward to introduce herself first. “Amelia Carthrace,” she said, offering Hector a wrinkly handshake, which he eventually took. “At the Queen’s behest, I am here to help you manage your affairs from now on. Pleased to make your acquaintance, young man.”

The guardsman took his turn next. “I am Jamal Easton. A call went out looking for people to work for the Darksteel Soldier. Seems I was the only one who answered.”

Hector looked between the two of them. “Um... I don’t, ah...”

“Hector, just go with it,” his mother said. “I’m sure we could use the help right now. From the sounds of it, the Queen has gifted you quite the white elephant.”

He glanced at Garovel, who just shrugged. “O-okay. Do you guys know the way to this Warrenhold place?” - Excerpt from page 613
27. ↑ Yovess continued where her servant left off. ‘*A few have expressed concern that you might have been pretending to be weaker than you really are. Acting like you needed a climate suit, for instance. And now, your mother appearing to be relatively young and a non-servant.*’

Oh shit, they’d met his mother already? He hadn’t even thought about how she must be handling all of these foreign visitors.

‘*Now, of course, if you ARE older than you say, you have every reason to keep that information private*,’ said Yovess, ‘*so it would not be terribly surprising that you would want to put on an act in front of us, and I don’t think any of our kin would hold it against you.*’

‘*This sounds like more than rumblings*,’ said Garovel. ‘*It sounds like you believe these things yourself.*’

‘*I don’t know if I do*,’ said Yovess. ‘*But it would make a degree of sense, I suppose*.’

Hector wanted to intervene with a question that he doubted Garovel would ask. “Have you met my mother?”

“Briefly,” said Horatio. “She seemed a curt woman.” - Excerpt from pages 1779 and 1780