Title: Coming Around Again
Author: bnomiko
Rating: R
Pairing(s): Trevor x Alucard, Trevor x Sypha x Alucard, Richter x Alucard, Alucard x Maria, minor Soma + Mina
Spoilers: post S4 animation + "best endings" for the referenced games
Disclaimer: "Coming Around Again" is performed and recorded by Carly Simon. Castlevania is the creation and property of Konami. Castlevania (animated series) is the creation and property of Netflix. This is a not-for-profit fanwork and I do not own any of these characters.
Summary: During the events of Grimoire of Souls, Alucard learns that Elgos' catalogues are not the only way to bring back those loved and lost from the distant past. An immortal heart, an eidetic memory, vows of love and friendship, can call forth beloved, brave souls all the same. But once crisis is averted, what happens to those same heroes who have been forgotten even by the annuls of history? A reunion tale combining aspects of various game canons including Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow, Grimoire of Souls, Judgment, plus the original Castlevania animation. May include some minor referencing of other games / source material. Trevor, Sypha and Alucard's relationship based off "Under the Milky Way," my post S4 animation canon based series, but this story can be read as a standalone. Maria and Richter based off Symphony of the Night and Nocturne of Recollection.
Archived at: http://www.phenixsol.com/Miko/FF/

* * *

Coming Around Again

Ch. 14: Friends vs. Food

* * *

The harvest case continued to flummox Arikado. A second analysis of the airline crash data yielded the same results: the plane went down due to mechanical failure and any fire damage in the area of the carved symbols was consistent with something burning after the crash and explosion; there was no evidence that any fire originated from those areas. The airline and the Japan Transport Safety Board did their part to publicly apologize for any oversights, promising to ensure that such an incident did not occur again, even as talks of lawsuits and stricter regulations arose as government agencies and corporations argued over responsibility and compensation.

For a couple weeks the incident remained a top concern for the general public, but even after news shifted to the next headline, the next scandal, the next problem, the Agency's Special Investigations Department APAC-Japan continued to be frustrated. They were no closer to tracking Ms. Castillo's path through the country once she'd arrived at Tokyo Station. She did not visit any of the vampire enclaves in the Tokyo area or in Kyushu, nor did she utilize any traceable services after disappearing into the metropolitan's crowded streets, other than her trip on the doomed flight.

While they did verify that posts made by the account Mari79 on the vampiric forum had indeed originated from her IP address, the other account, the one Arikado was far more interested in, traced to a computer in an accounting center in Texas which had recently shut down. As the center had been heavily staffed by temporary workers in its final days it was proving nearly impossible to track who exactly might have been corresponding with her as different people could've had access to the machine, all under the same log in. Arikado still made requests for lists of all the workers who'd worked there on the day the entries had been made, but clearly, whoever it was had done as much as they could to obscure their trail. Same with the source of the blessed silver used in the restraints; there was no record of any Agency controlled metal going missing in the last ten years, which meant whoever had gotten a hold of it had found an underground or unethical source - stolen religious relics, for example, sold to the highest bidder.

As far as the victim / co-conspirator herself, interview transcripts from Ms. Castillo's companions in the commune painted a picture of a despondent woman who had been turned against her will and forced to abandon her husband and young daughter - a sad but common tale - and had tried for years to vent her feelings through her art, before apparently reaching the end of her rope. The last time anyone saw her was two nights before she left for Japan, when she'd given away a number of belongings including some of her art supplies, to a close neighbor and friend. When asked why, she had only said that she'd be going on a long trip and refused to divulge anything further.

In the meantime, new cases continued to pop up, and despite the persistent gut feeling that the matter needed more attention, Arikado reluctantly reassigned his team to deal with more pressing matters. A group of yakuza trying to traffic a night creature, vampires blackmailing a politician, social media posts about strange sounds on a forested mountain trail where demons had been routed before... those were more typical and expected. At least things were quiet on the Dracula / Soma front, so Arikado figured he couldn't complain. Maybe it was because he kept expecting something to happen that that became the source of his unease.

An unrelated headache was the fact that his family had done a little "experimenting" behind his back, before informing him that they'd apparently gained some sort of rapid healing ability similar to his. And now they were curious about all sorts of things. Could they age? Could they die? Could Sypha get pregnant again or carry a baby to term? That would certainly solve the issue of Julius being the last of the line, but neither woman had had her menses since their return.

Adrian thought back to what he'd observed with Trevor and Sypha nights earlier. Richter and Maria... they didn't look significantly older than when he'd first met them. But like Sypha neither one of them were as he'd remembered at first meeting, unlike Trevor, who'd apparently grabbed his attention immediately and refused to let go.

Not wanting Trevor to consider resorting to stabbing himself with kitchen knives in an effort to test his newfound possible invulnerability, Adrian figured some things could only be determined with time. So far they'd learned that facial and body hair seemed to grow at a normal pace; if cut, it didn't magically and immediately return to the previous length, but it did slowly grow back. Nails too, didn't suddenly grow back if trimmed. The bite marks he'd left in Trevor's thigh had healed up completely. But that didn't guarantee that they wouldn't physically age, or that they could survive fatal wounds. There just was no way to safely test every possibility.

So just like solving a case, they'd need to revisit it later. Maybe they could talk to Lucy and Hermina to see if there was something that could be done if this new twist caused issues. Though currently, it sounded like a blessing in disguise; if they didn't age, if they couldn't die. Adrian would never be alone again, not for the rest of his lifetime. But that sounded too simple, too good to be true. And not everyone wanted to live forever. It had been hard enough for Adrian to cope with being a man who stood outside the flow of time... How would humans deal with it? What if they couldn't? Would he be able to let them go, again, if that was what they wanted?

The next couple of weeks blew by in a blur. Arikado dutifully went to the office, Soma remained safe, things were packed, paperwork arrived in fits and starts. Trevor and Richter were scheduled to start their job delivering furniture and appliances the week after they themselves moved. Maria too had a job lined up, as a sales clerk at a Kate Spade store in Ginza thanks to Yoko pointing out that she'd get employee discounts. Even though she knew Adrian would be happy to buy her as many dresses, ankle boots, and handbags as she could ever want, it didn't sit right with her to not contribute to her own upkeep when even she knew she was outspending the others.

Figuring it best to get all the paperwork done at once, Adrian supplied Sypha with a work visa as well but she remained undecided on what she wanted to do, and since there was no pressure to choose immediately she opted to take her time and think things through. She spent her days visiting libraries, tutoring Trevor in Japanese - and interestingly, it turned out that he had a far easier time making sense of a logographic writing system and so was actually picking up on kanji, miracle of miracles! - and regularly checked in on Soma and Mina.

Adrian had no complaints about that. Frankly he thought Sypha's approach made the most sense: he could financially support all of them without issue, and he saw no value in her taking on a mundane job when it was of no interest to her. Plus he was happy to see that she'd gotten close to both Soma and Mina, stemming from her interest in the modern education system as well as the Hakuba family's deep ties to Shintoism, which then blossomed into actual friendship.

Then the day of the move arrived. Ives showed up to help, mostly because he was conveniently located, even though he normally stayed holed up all weekend to play Call of Duty. Alucard couldn't help but mutter a comment about the other dhampir's super casual garb: baggy sweats fraying at the hem, a white T-shirt that read Frankie Say Relax, and a faded hoodie that probably had been black at one point.

Ives glared at the observation. "I came, didn't I?"

"And we appreciate it," Sypha said, easily smoothing any ruffled feathers. Having been a wife to two men and mother to three children - the youngest of whom had been extremely headstrong and opinionated - she was old hat at keeping peace amongst family. It didn't matter that they didn't really need extra hands, what with nearly all the rented furniture already in place and only the last few boxes of Adrian's belongings, some toiletries and perishables, and a couple bags of clothing to move. Ives was offering to pitch in, without being explicitly asked.

Partially as a thank you and partially because Alucard couldn't let anyone go hungry for even a single meal, he still treated Ives to lunch, even though the move took less than an hour. Ives accepted the meal, ate and left, leaving the quintet to finish unpacking and settling into their new apartment.

As Adrian didn't have a dedicated bedroom, he mostly focused on setting things up in the kitchen while everyone else worked on their private spaces. Once he was done with the preliminary round he went and hung the Tepes family portrait on the main wall of the living room, then proceeded to poke his head into each bedroom to see how things were going. Richter's room was the first door on the left, an austere oasis in varied shades of blue - a navy duvet, steel blue sheets, midnight drapes over the southern facing window to cut out the light. He wasn't a man for frills or embellishments; the silver pocket watch nestled in its case on the bedside table was the most decorative item in place.

Adrian couldn't help but smirk. He could just visualize Maria strolling through a store and pointing at linens, her brother dutifully picking up a plain set and carrying them to the register.

"You, Maria and Annette were always better at this kind of thing," Richter confirmed, as if he'd plucked the thought right off of Adrian's face just by looking at the tilt of his mouth. He followed it up with a hand on the shoulder, a shift of his weight, until Richter was half leaning into Adrian. "Feel free to change anything you want; it's your space too."

Richter's casual, easy camaraderie was bittersweet. It gave Adrian hope, it made him want to press for more, but he held back and stayed silent, having promised the hunter that he'd give him the time he needed to sort through his feelings. It wasn't like he was even proposing anything more than assessing storage space...

The shared wardrobe was mostly filled with Adrian's clothing, but there was space to add another unit once Richter added to his attire. As it currently stood there was enough room, so both men were satisfied with the arrangement for now.

Maria's room was next, at the end of the hall, and she eagerly took Adrian by the arm to show him around. In contrast to her brother, her sanctum was bright and colorful. A riot of rainbow flowers splashed across her bedspread and a thick, fuzzy green rug centered the space like meadow grass. A buttery yellow throw was draped invitingly across the end of the mattress. Her gilded mirror hung over her desk, which she was apparently planning to use as a vanity for the time being. She'd picked up a few decorations at some point as well, like a cut glass trinket box, a be-ribboned accent pillow that made Adrian think of an Easter basket, and a little plush owl that dangled from the back of the chair. He had always liked her taste in décor, how it felt lively and young and feminine, but not so over the top that it made him feel like he was intruding. It made him take in a deep breath and smile, almost as if he could smell springtime in the air, even though that was most likely just the ever present scent of edelweiss in her hair.

Sypha and Trevor had the largest room, on the right. Though it really wasn't all that much bigger than the other two it did have direct access to a bathroom, which Adrian would also be sharing. As Trevor didn't give a shit about what a bedroom or bathroom looked like he'd left it up to Sypha, so she'd opted for a relaxing spa sort of aesthetic, the linens all pristine white or muted beige with thin tonal stripes, floating over a pale blue area rug that ate up almost the whole space. Their family portrait proudly hung above the bed like a crown.

Already there were books stacked on one corner of the desk, like Sypha couldn't wait to get back to her current research. And perhaps that was the case...

She had begun reading up on the history of their extended family, having recently received permission to borrow some Agency held texts, but it quickly became apparent that most volumes only covered the better known Belmont heirs. But there were the Belnades lines, other branch families, friends and comrades who had supported them and carried on their will... they too deserved to have their stories told. Even Adrian was merely a footnote, though when she asked about it he admitted he did not wish for his role to pull focus from everything the Belmonts had accomplished, even if it meant that he'd been minimized to the point of being referred to as a Belmont companion, as she'd seen in one document.

Unlike many other Speakers, she'd always believed that history needed to be written down, for accuracy - and it was clear here that even with everything the Agency and the Belmonts had archived, they were still lacking the complete story of their family, more concerned with cataloging the color of Fish Man scales and the properties of various alloys of bronze in weaponry, than the lives of the men and women who stood between humanity and darkness.

Well, she had said she couldn't decide what she wanted to do in this era, hadn't she? Adrian had suggested archival work as something that could be of interest to her, and maybe it wouldn't be a permanent thing, but she obviously couldn't let things stand like this either...

"Should we get an extra bookcase for this room?" Adrian asked.

Sypha smiled up at him and his astute observation. "I think that would be a good idea. Thank you."

Adrian nodded and wandered back into the living room. A bookshelf for Sypha, a proper vanity for Maria, an extra wardrobe in Richter's room... Some of those could probably be sourced from the Belmont manor, in addition to the dining table and other pieces he'd already asked for. Or he'd have to look for more furniture stores, maybe ones that specialized in imported European antiques. Yoko had once accused him of being super picky and Julius had added that that was because Alucard liked old things, being quite aged himself, but... well, they were probably right.

The new apartment was already shaping up to be a good thing. Now, they just had to make it feel like home.

* * *

As everyone thought a housewarming party would be a wonderful idea, Yoko finally got what she was hoping for: a home cooked meal from Alucard, one week and a day after they'd officially moved in. Since she'd dismissed anything "easy" like hot pot, and there were a lot of mouths to feed, Alucard opted for dim sum instead. Anyone with capable fingers was invited to join in on the dumpling party, even guests; one hundred and thirty something dumplings weren't going to fold themselves. He already had a big pot of pork congee going and smashed cucumbers and cold rice noodles with shrimp and slivers of vegetables in the fridge. Steamed turnip cakes were being fried and tossed into an electric wok to stay warm, alongside blistered long beans. And at least a dozen condiments and add ins were available in smaller bowls or bottles, from sauces to scallions to century eggs.

Adrian had even made time to make a batch of blood sausage a couple of days earlier. It was something he hadn't done in over a hundred years, and while they hadn't come out exactly like the ones he used to make as a younger man, it was close enough that even Trevor agreed they tasted a bit nostalgic.

Other than friends and family Alucard had invited his department too, though he made sure to emphasize that no one ought to feel obligated to come, so only Delilah Yang and Matsunaga confirmed they'd be attending. No offense was taken; he chose his team for their competency, not their sociability, and half the group had spouses and children to prioritize anyhow.

Soma and Mina arrived early to do a Shinto blessing of the apartment, which Sypha observed with interest. It was more a nice gesture than anything as Arikado obviously didn't subscribe to the belief system, and he and Sypha had already warded the space, but the miko dutifully threw salt across the threshold - which Trevor commented wasn't enough to actually deter a demon - said some prayers, and hung a trio of ofuda in the entry hall for protection and prosperity.

Ives arrived next with a folding card table and chairs, rightfully figuring extra seating would be needed. The rest trickled in after, bringing booze or desserts: Julius hauled in a couple of huge bottles of Belgian ale, Matsunaga brought sake, which he promptly dropped at the entrance - Alucard only realized after managing to catch the bottle in the nick of time that the youngest agent had never seen his true face. Matsunaga of course had a hundred and one questions, stars dancing in his eyes, but he backed off as soon as Trevor started snarling at his inquisitiveness and overt interest - he couldn't blame the man for looking, but it wasn't going any further than that. Their relationship situation was already messy enough as it was! Delilah made a large pan of her Hawaiian mother's chi chi dango mochi, and Yoko had boxes of macarons from whatever manga event she'd gone to the day before, stamped with character's faces. Hammer and Shinji had also tagged along, as Yoko figured Alucard wouldn't mind extra guests. He didn't, but since Hammer didn't know Romanian he instead spoke a rapid fire, slang laden English that Trevor struggled to keep up with. Thankfully with the others on hand to help explain, and a bit of gesticulation, the older hunter was able to get the gist of things for the most part. Trevor ehded up taking a liking to Hammer and even told Yoko as much, saying he approved if she ever decided to marry him, which earned him a groan and an eyeroll from Yoko and a hearty guffaw and a slap on the shoulder from the big bald man. Hammer was so happy to have gotten "Gramps'" blessing that he promised to help get them into the paintball arena at Camp Zama; although he was no longer active duty, he had enough pull with the right people to get them on base.

Given the amount of food that had been churned out, any number of extra guests wouldn't have been a problem. Everyone had plenty to eat and chatter flowed as freely as the alcohol as like minded people naturally began clustering together.

Trevor poured a round of ale for the boisterous men seated at the dining table as Julius joked about how the apartment had to be the most monster-proof location in the entire world at the moment, as it not only had been blessed by an experienced miko, but every single hunter in Japan was currently on location. Hammer brought up Julius' impending retirement, and all the old hunter could do was shrug - Curtis wouldn't be twenty until spring, and even after he came over to Japan to train he'd probably need anywhere from two to five years before Julius would deem him ready to take over his duties. Trevor could only shake his head at how much things had changed... he hadn't thought anything of handing over the Vampire Killer to a 15-year-old Frediric and sending him out into the world; Richter had been nineteen when he'd stormed Dracula's castle. But then again they hadn't needed a driver's license, or to learn a completely new written and spoken language. There'd been no consideration for distractions like higher education. And Trevor certainly did not wait until twenty to drink! On that note, he made sure to get up and keep Soma's glass topped off, even if he wasn't hanging with the men, since he was now legal.

As the alcohol began sinking in the hunters began bragging about the biggest monster they'd fought or the worst predicament they'd found themselves in. The more outrageous the story, the better. Trevor couldn't help but retell the tale of how he and Alucard had first met in the catacombs of Gresit, how he'd found himself pinned under the other man with fangs at his throat, thinking he was about to die at the hands of the most bewitchingly beautiful vampire he'd ever seen. He would've probably gone into a lot more detail about how turned on he'd gotten except Adrian walked by right then and smacked him on the back of the head while delivering more dumplings to the table. Trevor got his revenge by slapping his husband soundly on his ass when he turned to walk away. The look Adrian shot him almost promised a live reenactment of that first meeting, except maybe with Adrian kneeing Trevor in the balls instead.

Staying away from the tomfoolery, the rest of the guests floated in smaller clumps in the living room. Yoko and Maria talked about fashion and hair care with Shinji, who sported newly dyed ruby-tipped bleached hair a shade lighter than Yoko's, which was slightly incongruous with the fact that he was ethnically half-Japanese. Soma, Mina and Sypha casually chatted nearby with Delilah joining in intermittently mostly to avoid the subject of work, even glaring at Matsunaga when he came over and asked about a meeting next week, though she carefully gave surface level answers to Sypha's questions about the history and formation of the Agency.

By the time Alucard served up the third wave of perfectly steamed dumplings people were starting to shake their heads in resignation - no matter how delicious it all was, it was simply way too much food! He sheepishly pointed out that he hadn't cooked for a large party in a great number of years, but on the bright side that meant there was plenty to give away when all was said and done. Alucard gave the kids first dibs on leftovers but there was enough that everyone else could get at least one extra meal out of it too. In fact Ives left with the remaining congee, pot and all - promising to return it later - as well as the rest of the blood sausage, which earned an amused eyeroll from Trevor; apparently those sausages were like honey to a bee for dhampirs.

Before Shinji took off Alucard managed to snag him for a quick trim. The younger Belnades was more than happy to do so, especially since Alucard let him take almost thirty centimeters off; he tucked the clipped strands into a pouch as Alucard slipped out to show his family his new shorter cut. It was now closer to the length of Richter's hair, reaching down to mid back instead of brushing like fringe against his hips and thighs as he walked. Maria liked the resulting bounce in his hair so much that she begged Shinji to do the same for her, so he obliged, keeping what he'd trimmed from her ends as well, in case her hair was also suitable for amulets. He promised to send them some once he was finished, as a thank you.

Once the last of the guests had left, Sypha shooed Adrian out of the kitchen as it was clear he was intending to start cleaning up after that marathon of cooking. Even with the bigger kitchen there was only so much room, and knowing Richter was the slowest and least willing to help she instead told him it was his job to make Adrian sit down and take a breather, which he accomplished by slinging his long legs across Adrian's lap as the blond went to get up off the sofa again.

"Sorry, the lady says you stay put, so stay put," the hunter said with a grin, doing his best to look casual even while restraining a perturbed Adrian.

"I was simply going to get my laptop..." Adrian began protesting.

"No working either!" Sypha yelled back from the kitchen. "How hard is it to just sit still and not do anything?"

"You're trying to get me in trouble," Richter said, laughing.

Adrian grumbled but stayed. And then began fidgeting. But by the time the others had finished cleaning up, the blond had nodded off, torso tilting towards Richter and arms loosely crossed and resting on top of the younger hunter's legs. For as much as Richter pooh-poohed at domestic chores, he was at least good at dealing with tired and grumpy dhampirs. And as much as Adrian had been burning through restless energy, he couldn't slow down or let up until he'd felt it was safe enough to do so. He now looked so comfortable where he was at that Richter motioned for a blanket to toss over them both, and they remained there, dozing, until it was almost sundown.

* * *

Life fell into a new rhythm, not unlike the routine they'd already briefly become accustomed to, just with more room to roam, both inside the larger unit and out, as everyone began finding their place in their second shot at life. Some of the lingering tension in the household began to ease as the others began expending energy at work or in research and study, as they all grew more comfortable with one another's idiosyncrasies.

Trevor had to admit that moving furnishings wasn't terribly exciting, but he liked feeling the stretch in his muscles and knowing that he was doing meaningful, if straightforward, work. Richter seemed to be fine with it as well despite his lack of enthusiasm; he did his part, handling the driving and communication but otherwise following Trevor's lead as they learned how to best maneuver futon frames and refrigerators through narrow apartment hallways.

Trevor and the others were still able to spar with Julius and his team when time allowed - and trying their hand at paintball had been outright fun, especially since they all healed so quickly the resulting bruises were no problem - but he knew he was still a long way away from earning a spot as an Agency hunter. But he was optimistic: already his Japanese was improving enough that he could manage to answer basic questions, and he could even read some of the kanji on signs they saw around the city.

Sypha expanded her research with digital copies of documents, courtesy of Nolan Lecarde and the folks at Elgos, who saw no harm in sending her what they had. She still saw Soma and Mina regularly but even Adrian admitted that there didn't seem to be a present threat, so the kids were mostly occupied with school and part-time work and club activities, just like normal college students.

Maria enjoyed her shifts at the store, mostly because her coworkers were interested in fashion too, and everyone was impressed at the number of languages she could speak and how personable she was. In no time at all she became the go-to clerk when they had foreigners or male customers who were looking for gifts for someone special, because she was good at making recommendations. She proudly said that that was because of her boyfriend, who was kind, educated and handsome, but a little quiet as well. Unsurprisingly her coworkers wanted to meet him because he sounded like an absolute prince, and she could only smile and hold her tongue from answering that that wasn't so far from the truth...

Adrian's days at the Agency went on as usual; thankfully there weren't any new big cases to distract him or his team. At night, he continued his weekly rotation between rooms, letting Maria and Trevor mostly set the pace, with Sypha of course being the voice of reason and moderation. He still spent one night with Richter each week despite the fact that things stood at a stalemate between them; if nothing else Richter was willing to provide a place of respite when Adrian needed a break from the rest of the world. No pressure, no expectations, just a good night's sleep.

Once they were mostly settled, Adrian delivered on an earlier promise and took Maria to get her owls. The majestic female Eurasian eagle owl she renamed Diana, after the goddess of the hunt; the little male, the curious one they'd visited with that day at the cafe, she dubbed Lune. Her intention was to train Diana in combat but Lune was too small for that purpose, so he'd simply be a companion; it didn't sit well with her to leave him at the shop when he'd been so sweet to her on their previous visit.

Adrian really wasn't convinced it was a good idea to let either bird leave the dwelling but Maria reminded him that they were masters of stealthy flight, so she began letting them slip out late at night from the balcony so they could spread their wings above the park below. Adrian awaited the inevitable complaints but when none were forthcoming, he let the matter drop. If the pair picked off some rodents he doubted anyone would complain. At least they were always back inside by the time he woke up for work.

Then one evening about a week after Diana and Lune's arrival, Trevor came home with a mewling box that he placed on the coffee table. "Cat," he announced without preamble, popping open the box and releasing a black blur that immediately darted under an armchair.

"You... you just bought a cat?" Maria gasped. Already Diana had blinked away her sleepiness, perking up and twisting her head to fixate on the area of the floor close to where the feline was last spotted. Lune joined in the surveillance, so now there were two feathered heads bobbing up and down.

Friend, not food, she conveyed to her birds, as the cat has appeared small enough to trigger an owl's desire to hunt. Diana flapped mightily on her perch next to the sofa, but didn't jump down.

"It's fair. You got your owls, Maria," Richter gently reminded her.

"We went to one of those cat cafes at lunch. I took a liking to one, Richter helped me with paperwork, and voila - cat," Trevor explained as he crouched down and made little tutting sounds to get the animal's attention.

Sypha joined him. Twisting her head a bit let her see a pair of golden eyes blinking back from under the chair; between the shadows and the dark fur, it was impossible to tell how big the cat actually was, until it carefully slunk out to sniff at her before sauntering to Trevor instead, pressing its face against his knee. It was rather small, so likely still young, though no longer a kitten. But with its slender frame cloaked in solid black and giant citrine eyes, it was obvious who the cat must've reminded Trevor of. "Cute. You have a definite type," she joked.

Trevor simply grinned in response. "Yeah. This one's a girl, though."

Maria's head tilted. The older hunter didn't seem like a cat lover at all, but maybe even he had his unexpected soft spots. "What did you name her?" Maria asked as she joined the other two in kneeling down.

"Name? 'Cat' is fine, isn't it?"

"An animal in your care should have a name, especially in this era. How will you take her to a vet without even giving her a name?" she protested.

"Uh... is that the doctor for animals?"

The blonde simply shook her head. "She needs a name," she persisted.

Trevor huffed. He'd always called all the cats in the castle "Cat" and that had worked fine. Made it easy when Cat begat more Cats and some of them looked the same. But... if she was going to pester him about it... "Ok, fine... uh, Beer. Beer the cat."

"... Beer," Maria echoed flatly, as Richter began snickering.

"Well, Biiru," Trevor corrected himself, grinning. They were in Japan after all, and it was one of the first words he'd learned. "You can call her Biiru, I'll call her Cat, and it's all good, right?" He went to scoop up his pet and while her body stretched out like taffy as he pulled she ultimately went without protest. "See, she's just fine with it, right, Cat?" he asked, standing with Biiru dangling in the air between his hands.

Maria rolled her eyes, but began relenting since the cat didn't seem to mind, that was, until she looked into the box and realized there was nothing in there - not a blanket, not even a single can of food. She glanced at Richter, who could only hold up his hands in surrender, then back at Trevor. "Where's her food? And she needs a bed, toys..."

"It's a cat, not a baby," Trevor scoffed, even as he cradled the feline in the crook of his arm.

Sypha quickly cut in, before Maria puffed up even more. "... Despite how Trevor comes across, he was most often the one to take care of the animals. And the cats all liked him best." She turned to her husband. "But we should buy some food at least. We don't have offal or fresh goat milk on hand any more."

Trevor grunted, conceding. He put the cat down, and looked at Maria. "Wanna come with then?"

She was surprised at his invitation, but maybe he realized that if she helped him pick up supplies, then she couldn't complain that he'd somehow missed something. "Oh... okay."

"If Maria's going with you, then I'll see about getting dinner prep started here," Sypha said.

"I'll drive. I need to drop off the truck anyhow," Richter offered, tossing the keys lightly in his hand.

Maria nodded and ran to grab her purse while the other two headed for the front door.

* * *

Trevor and Maria returned with two bags stuffed full of kitty things: cans of wet food in various fish flavors, little toy mice and jingling balls and feathers on a string, a glittery gold collar, and a floppy orange bed that looked like a cartoon monster's open maw, complete with teeth. They'd even picked up a backpack style cat carrier, as Maria had been displeased with Trevor's assertion that he could just use a box again if the cat needed to go to the vet. They walked in to find a staredown in session: an arched, puffed up black cat, and an unamused dhampir in the entrance of the kitchen.

"Your cat hates me, Trevor," said Adrian.

The hunter dropped the bags and went to pick up his pet. "She's just not used to you yet. You know how it is; cats are sensitive to the supernatural."

Adrian sighed. Yes, he'd gone through that with the colony of cats that once lived in the stables; they'd go scattering when he walked in but would start sticking their heads back out if Trevor was there too. But that hadn't bothered him because it wasn't like he hung around the stable all that much. It would be a much different situation if he couldn't even sit down on the sofa without being spat at.

"She's probably hungry too," Maria added, digging out a can of food.

Adrian eyed the bags, then wrinkled his nose. "Please tell me you got a litter box as well."

Trevor's eyebrow lifted. "Uh... a what now?"

"Oh my goodness, I didn't think about that!" Maria gasped. Of course it was Trevor's cat, but she'd gone with him specifically to ensure that he didn't forget any essentials. She bit down on her lip and looked at the door. Did they have time to run out and buy one real fast before the pet store closed?

The dhampir facepalmed, groaning loudly. "For God's sake, if that stupid cat pisses all over the apartment..."

"We can just put her outside," Trevor reasoned.

"Outside. On a balcony fourteen floors up..." Adrian snapped.

"It's a fucking cat, they're smart enough to not jump off of shit," Trevor clapped back just as fast as Biiru dug her claws into him, not liking Adrian's tone. "Ow, shit! Hey now..."

Maria interrupted, hoping to quell the argument. "Can I take the car and...?"

Gold eyes flicked in her direction. "I only got Richter a license so far."

Maria immediately turned her attention to her brother. "Richter, drive me? Please?"

Richter had no reason to protest. He shrugged and went to get the keys.

* * *

By the time the siblings got back the delicious scent of dinner was wafting through the apartment. They quickly went to set up the litter box in Trevor's bathroom, then Maria went looking for the older hunter to let him know they'd returned.

He was sitting out on the balcony, tucked into his leather jacket for warmth, his nightly beer in one hand and Biiru on his lap. Apparently Adrian had booted him and his cat out until he had assurance that Biiru wouldn't be using his closet or shoes as a makeshift bathroom.

"Litter box acquired, and it looks like it's dinner time too," Maria said, satisfied that she'd done her part.

"Hey, thanks." He flashed her the same easy going smile that she used to see on Richter's face, except with Richter, it no longer reached his eyes.

Maria nodded, grateful for the gratitude but dismayed at her realization.

"Well, Cat, let's see how this thing works," he said, standing and carrying his pet back inside, with Maria at his heels.

* * *

Later that night, Adrian tried to remind himself that he'd do anything to assure his family's happiness. But participating in a video call with the Lagos office was a bit more trying with a pair of owls hooting in the background, and when he went to take a shower later on he apparently startled Biiru, who shot out of her litter box, trailing bits of crunchy, grainy litter pellets as she ran.

Even worse, when we he went to join his husband and wife in bed a couple nights later, he couldn't help but notice Biiru sitting on the end of the bed, judging him, her glowing eyes narrowed in suspicion. As far as the cat was concerned, the female human was acceptable with her lilting voice and delicate hands that smelled of warm fires and winter air, but the tall alpha predator that radiated an unsettling mix of dark and light magic was an unwelcome presence. He was too close to her chosen human servant and they were making weird noises... was the supernatural being planning to lure him in and eat him?? But then, who would feed her? And where was she supposed to lie with the intruder taking up so much space on her pillow?

Adrian finally gave up with a frustrated groan and tugged at Trevor's hair, earning a grunt of protest. "I can't... not with this stupid cat," he grumbled as the other man lifted his head, wiping at his mouth. The brunet was working in futility at this rate. Adrian couldn't stay hard while being stared at, not by a cat.

Trevor glanced back at Biiru. He liked cats, but he loved sex more. "Go on now," he urged, shifting down the mattress slightly to nudge Biiru with his foot. She leapt off with a protesting mewl, then gracefully turned and sat back down with a flick of her tail. He responded with a sigh; she was now glaring at both of them from the floor instead, her eyes like two little judgmental candles in the dark. "Should I just put her out?"

Adrian's lip curled, revealing a bit of fang. "And then what? She still needs to get to the litter box."

The hunter scrubbed at his face. He hadn't really thought that part through.

Sypha squinted at them both in irritation. Trevor looking for the quickest, dumbest "fix" was one thing, but Adrian clearly wasn't thinking either. Because the answer should've been obvious, right...? "Fine, I'll handle it!" she declared, getting up and tossing the cat out before spinning around, heading to the bathroom, and opening the hallway door before closing the connecting door behind her. "Do I have to think of everything here?!" she asked as she hopped back into bed, waving her hand to indicate they should continue from where they'd left off.

"Thank God one of us is smart," said Trevor, grinning. He crawled back between Adrian's legs, glad to see the dhampir hadn't completely lost interest. "Now then, where were we..."

* * *

It wasn't easy winning over a wary animal, but over the next few days and nights Biiru eventually stopped freaking out every time Adrian was in the room with her. She never quite liked him and didn't want him to touch her, but if he held out a treat she'd sometimes deign to snatch it from his fingers before retreating to eat it, all while eyeing him as if waiting for him to suddenly turn monstrous and hungry. And she stopped bolting if they happened to end up in the bathroom at the same time, making it a point to walk off stiffly with her tail lashing about behind her, as if daring him to get closer, because she would defend herself.

Biiru was far happier when one day, Richter and Maria brought home a small plastic tree and began hanging red, white and gold foil decorations and tiny lights that flashed like fireflies. Christmas was a few weeks away, and the two wanted to celebrate, so Maria got the idea of decorating a tree from seeing them in the shopping districts around her store. The owls were very curious about it, their heads swiveling like mad, but they obediently refrained from picking at it. But as far as Biiru was concerned, the humans had brought her a gift, one that was oh so shiny and fun to swat at!

"I bet the cat's going to wreck it by the evening," Richter commented. Already one ornament had a small tear, and the garland was lopsided in several spots.

"Hmm. Trevor, can you bring her over?" Maria asked, scooting over on the sofa as the older hunter did his best to wrangle a handful of fur and claws which clearly didn't want to be dragged away. "I find birds much easier to communicate with but sometimes other animals can hear me."

"If you can just tell her STOP it'd be fuckin' fantastic," Trevor murmured as the cat finally gave up the fight and began drooping in his hands. He sat down with Biiru in his lap, and Maria placed a gentle hand on her head.

The cat looked up with wide eyes, and Maria couldn't help but smile and think of Adrian blinking up at her after having woken up from a nap on her lap. It hadn't happened frequently, but she'd always thought it was so cute...

With a shake of her head, the blonde concentrated on the cat. A few seconds passed. Biiru's tail swished, then she nosed Maria's palm before slinking off Trevor's lap. The hunter let her go, not wanting to get clawed up even more, regardless of how quickly he'd heal. "Well?"

"I... think she understands?" Maria said as the cat went and sat in front of the tree once again. "Whether or not she actually listens is another thing..."

Over the next few days, they'd find an ornament askew here or there, and one was even located in Biiru's bed, unharmed. Clearly Biiru couldn't quite stop herself from touching it, but at least the tree stayed up, unshredded.

Talk turned to the possibility of hosting a family luncheon or dinner for Christmas - and that meant most of the guests that had come for the housewarming. Though it wasn't widely celebrated in Japan and half the household was somewhat neutral on it, Adrian didn't think it was a bad idea. For years he'd been letting the day pass without much thought, but now for the first time in a long while, he had a reason to celebrate and an excuse to cook.

As Christmas fell on a Thursday Adrian proposed scheduling the meal on the Sunday after, to make it easier for everyone to attend. The rest of the group agreed; it wasn't the date itself that was important, but the thought behind it. They also agreed to do a small gift exchange amongst the immediate family group - nothing extravagant and just for fun, on the day of; they'd also get Soma and Mina a little something as a group. With another ambitious meal in the works and dates set for the other events, the last month of 2036 was really starting to fly by.

... And then eight days before Christmas, on the seventeenth of December, an otherwise ordinary Wednesday afternoon, Adrian disappeared...

* * *

Author's Notes:

- Dun dun DUNNNN...

- Yes, Soma and Mina will always be "the kids," even though 1) Daddy and 2) Alucard looks about their age (and Maria looks even younger).

- I couldn't find any mention of what type of armed forces Hammer might've served in, so I just went with army.

- For anyone who skipped the Trevor x Sypha x Alucard lemon (ch. 10) Yoko's half-brother Shinji is a hairdresser who makes and sells protective amulets imbued with magic infused hair. Hence Alucard (and Maria) being of interest to him.

- Thanks to Nenya85 for beta work. Reviews are appreciated!

October 1, 2026