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. 4: Trevor & Alucard vs. The 9-to-5 Grind (Part I)

* * *

Trevor awoke alone, but as soon as that realization dawned on him, he was also struck by the savory scent of food being cooked somewhere close by. He sniffed the air, liking what he smelled, then rubbed at his eyes before looking for the time. It was nearly nine. In his old life, he would've been up hours earlier, but as he'd told Adrian his apartment was very comfortable and quiet, so he'd slept a touch too well.

Adrian had bought him loungewear, but Trevor found himself slipping into the plush burgundy robe conveniently hanging on a hook on the side of the wardrobe. The thick collar reminded him slightly of the fur ruffed cloaks he used to wear, but instead of the musty scent of hides, this one smelled of Adrian, a pleasing combination of exotic woods and warm spices.

Adrian glanced up as his husband wandered into the living area. He had sausage frying, bread ready for toasting, and some kiwifruit cut up in small cups. He had also been rapidly tapping on a metal rectangle the size of a large book, though it was turned sideways.

"Morning. That looks good on you," the dhampir said, smiling as he eyed the swell of Trevor's calves and the slice of bare chest visible at the neckline. The rich dark red suited his coloring better than Adrian's pale tones, that was for sure. "You can have it if you'd like, I'll buy a new one for myself if I need it."

"Oh... thanks." Trevor shrugged. It felt soft as a cloud against his skin, so if Adrian didn't mind, he was happy to keep it. He stepped closer and peered at the metal object on the counter. "That's a, uh... computer?"

"Did Soma teach you that?" Adrian responded, impressed. "You are correct; this is a laptop, a type of computer. I don't know if he explained what it does?"

Trevor shook his head. The young man had tried, but given the language constraints and all the technical jargon, it had gone right over his head.

"This device allows me to research, compile, and exchange information very quickly. As Julius mentioned, I need to get at least a little bit of work done, since it has piled up." The smile faded and was replaced with a frown. "Looks like there's a case that needs my attention, but I can work on it after breakfast." The blond turned back to the kitchen. "What did you think of coffee, by the way?"

Trevor tried to remember. "Creamy but a little bitter, like tea that oversteeped."

"Soma got you one with milk, the way he prefers it. You may find it more palatable sweetened. Or I can make tea instead."

"Beer?" the brunet asked with a hopeful note, which earned a laugh.

"If you really must, I'll give you some coin and you can buy some at the convenience store. Otherwise, wait until later in the day. I'll set you up with my mobile payment account so you can get whatever you need, whenever you want it." Adrian plucked up his laptop and took it to the dining table. "Have a seat, I'll have breakfast done in a few minutes."

Trevor did as he was told, though it was a bit boring to watch Adrian as he dispensed hot water from a cylinder into a glass pot with some soil-like crumbles on the bottom, then pushed the sausage to one half of the pan and cracked a couple of eggs over on the other side. As Adrian put the bread in a silvery box under a cabinet, the hunter finally asked, "Can I do anything to help?"

"You can take the fruit to the table. And there's jam in case you want it..." and a glass jar was popped open and slid across the counter. "Silverware is in the drawer closest to you. Grab forks and knives, if you would?"

Trevor carted the various items back to the table, then made yet another trip for sugar and milk and spoons for coffee, and yet another for a plate of toast. He was instructed to drop off the single piece of lightly browned bread next to the laptop, then sat down to frown at it.

"Is that seriously all you're eating?" Trevor complained. "A thin piece of bread, a bit of green fruit?" He prodded at one of the cubes of fruit at his own place setting, then popped it into his mouth. Some sort of oddly colored strawberry?

"I need to ease back into eating breakfast. As mentioned, I fell out of the habit. But that much should be okay."

The brunet cocked his head, another question on his tongue, and then he decided there was no need to ask when he could just do.

By the time the blond delivered Trevor's loaded plate to the table, there was a stack of sliced bread rectangles on Adrian's.

Adrian pursed his lips momentarily, then smiled. "You remembered."

"Of course."

Adrian had to admit, breakfast didn't seem so irrelevant when one had a companion to dine with. They ate and chatted; Trevor cheekily licked a bit of jam off Adrian's fingers. Trevor also decided that he preferred his coffee with a bit of sugar and milk, both of which helped to dull the beverage's bitter edge. When the meal was over - and compliments to the chef given - Trevor cleared off the table while Adrian set up in the living room. He saw no harm in letting Trevor watch him work; perhaps the hunter could even offer some insight on the matter, considering he'd dealt with it himself before.

Trevor ended up as Adrian's backrest, lounging on one corner of the sofa with the dhampir seated between his legs. As Adrian read and responded to emails, Trevor finger combed his hair, winding the ends into little ringlets and collecting his reward of soft, rumbling purrs, until even he had to accept that he couldn't hide his restlessness.

"Why did your hair color change?" Trevor mumbled into his lover's shoulder as he mindlessly began plaiting Adrian's hair. He'd never gotten very good at it but Adrian had; both their daughters would beg their papa to braid their hair when they were little.

"When I woke up in 1797, this is how it was." Adrian shrugged slightly. He really hadn't thought about it at the time and hadn't cared afterwards. "Even full-blooded vampires don't sleep as long as I did, so I may have overdone it."

"May have overdone it...?" It was a minor miracle that he had reawakened; even vampires would eventually expire from depletion if they remained entombed too long, despite being a form of undead.Trevor sighed, plucking at the silken strands again. While he'd loved the pale gold that made him think of the first light of dawn, he didn't dislike the gilded moonbeams that now pooled in his lap - it just made Adrian look even more ethereal.

He was about to ask what happened to the hairbrush and comb he'd chosen for his lover so long ago, but they probably hadn't survived the years; time was unkind to both man and man's creations.

With another heavy sigh, the hunter tried to pick a topic that was less... well, melancholy. He peeked over Adrian's shoulder. "So this is what you do for work? Sit inside all day with the phone and the computer?"

"More or less. I generally work behind the scenes, whereas someone like Julius works in the field more often than not."

Trevor hummed. "And you don't get bored?"

Adrian smirked. "I do, but a lot of jobs in this era are similar. I can't say I do it 'for a living' as I don't need the money - though I am decently compensated - but my position keeps me involved with anything having to do with the castle, my father, and so on, so I consider it a good use of my time."

"I see..."

Adrian turned to look at his husband. "I am sorry. I wish I could take you out somewhere right now, but I've delayed long enough and need to get some things done, both for work and for our living arrangements. I'd like to get you set up as quickly as possible with identification and residency, and get you added to the lease and my bank accounts; unfortunately it's the weekend so I'm limited with what I can do right now. And I'm trying to get clearance to bring you in to the Agency next week so you can shadow Julius, but that might not happen right away as I may need permission from multiple channels. That's on top of actual work; speaking of which... you recognize this, correct?" He swung around slightly to show Trevor the still frame on his monitor.

Trevor scowled at the image of a stylized "h" carved onto a charred surface. "... The harvest. Is that shit still happening in this era?"

"Three of these were discovered in the interior of a plane that crashed this week and the Agency is actively investigating if it was the cause, or something else." Adrian sighed. "It doesn't bode well if supernatural forces are involved here. You've seen how crowded the city is. Eighty-seven lives were lost in this case; hundreds more could be at risk if even a single one of these were to be activated on a large building."

Trevor still didn't know what a plane was, but from the description, he guessed it was some sort of mass transport, like the subway train they'd taken. "Shit."

"Indeed. So you can see why this needs my attention," Adrian said grimly. After Julius' comment during dinner, he'd paid more attention to the headlines for the past week, but only now that he'd gotten into his messages and emails did he realize that the big news story was also his big new headache.

"It's... not your fault. The grimoires falling into chaos... that needed to be handled as well. And who else could have done that?"

"Yes, I know. And it's not like we had any indication that there was an individual or group moving to open the Infinite Corridor once again. But that is of no reassurance to those who lost loved ones in the crash." He sighed again. "I sincerely hope the two things aren't related. As it is, I'll also need to submit a report about Elgos' grimoires, as that is something I'll need to keep an eye on as well. I took out as many monsters as I could on the way in but I don't doubt some left the area or went into hiding."

Unfortunately Trevor doubted he could help much on either issue, not unless monsters were bold enough to start spilling over into populated areas. And even then, he had no weapons... "I don't know if I can be of help, but if I can get some armaments, I can at least be prepared for whatever happens."

"Hmm. I'll need to talk to the director about that too, then. The Agency maintains a supply of specialty weapons, but they don't hand them out easily. I'm sure you've noticed, no one's walking around armed in this era - it would likely get you arrested."

"You no longer have your sword?"

"I do. You might've even spotted it, but not recognized it." Adrian picked up his phone and flipped it over, then slid a nondescript paper card out of a pocket in the back. He casually tossed it in the air and it quickly began unfolding itself into an elongated shape, turning into the familiar heirloom weapon that hovered at the ready by its master's side. "Richter's youngest, Lottie, figured out a way to transform it and taught me the fundamentals. It took a few generations of sorcerers working on it, but now I've gotten it down to this."

Trevor whistled. "Damn, it's like your sword has a glamour of its own."

"It's not the same. It's a combination of temporary transformation of metal to wood and compaction, versus suggestion plus visual illusion and a little physical manipulation," Adrian explained.

Trevor rolled his eyes. "Jesus, shit, I didn't ask for a lecture. I was just saying, it's a nice trick."

Adrian chuckled. "Regardless, my employers are aware I have it. But like this," and with a slight gesture of his hand, the sword crumpled and folded back down into a card once again, "there's no security issues."

The hunter flopped back against the sofa cushions as his husband returned to typing on his laptop. Again, there was that feeling of uselessness... Adrian was working, and he was lounging around. Adrian was armed with knowledge, authority and weapons, and Trevor had nothing, unless he felt like stealing knives from the kitchen. Trevor didn't want to be a kept spouse, even if Adrian was happy to take care of him; he wanted to contribute. But how?

Adrian must have sensed his discomfort. After a few minutes, he said, "Let me get a little more done, then we can figure out what to do about lunch. And I'll show you around the city a bit more. If you can at least navigate around the nearby areas and on the phone, I'd have no objection to you going out and exploring. It would let you get out of the house at the very least."

Trevor grunted. Again, Adrian was having to take time to address his needs, instead of seeing to his own. But what could he say? "I'll manage on my own, you don't need to come with?" Of course he couldn't, and they both knew it.

"I'm only making things hard for you, aren't I?" Trevor sighed.

"Not at all. It's a big adjustment for you, and I get that." Adrian turned a little to better face his husband, a reassuring smile at the ready. "It won't be like this forever, Trevor. Give it a little time. You've always been quick to adapt to new situations... this is just a bigger leap than usual."

"... I wish Sypha was here," Trevor admitted in a near whisper. At least then he'd have someone to struggle alongside with.

"As do I." Adrian hesitated, then added, "Don't get your hopes up, but I've already talked to Lucy about it. She's looking into the possibility."

"Oh..."

The blond pried one hand off his laptop to rub at Trevor's arm for a moment. "We'll figure something out."

Conversation more or less dried up after that. Adrian resumed working, and Trevor wandered off to get dressed and poke around the apartment a bit more. Technology was everywhere in the dwelling - even something as basic as sweeping was taken care of by a round machine that came alive at mid-morning to clean the already immaculate floors. But at the same time there were little touches here and there were more like the Adrian he knew: the round, palm sized silver clock with the Belmont crest on the case and R. Belmont engraved on the inside, cradled in a velvet lined box. The oval mirror in the entryway with its lavish gold leaf frame, carved to resemble olive boughs tied with ribbon, with a pair of white enameled doves coming together at the bottom. The Tepes family portrait that hung in the living room alongside the similar, slightly larger painting of their combined Belnades-Belmont-Tepes family that Lisa had been kind enough to commission.

But the space was only so large, and Trevor could only push so many buttons on so many devices in the kitchen as he guessed as to their functions, could only investigate so many bottles of mystery liquids in the bathroom. So he took a hint from what he'd seen on the streets and fetched his phone, fiddling around with it as he tried to learn as much about its functionality as possible, as it seemed to be an essential part of modern life since every person he saw had one.

By the time lunchtime rolled around, Trevor had figured out enough that he could randomly browse videos on his phone, marveling at this new view into the wider world. Adrian was pretty pleased with himself as well, having gotten clearance directly from Director Satō to allow Trevor to accompany him to the Agency on Monday. He texted Julius to let him know, then straightened up, stretching slightly, before asking Trevor, "So what would you like for lunch?"

* * *

The whole concept of having weekends off was new to Trevor, but then again, so very much was new to him so it was hardly the most difficult thing to accept. The rest of the day and even the next was similar; Arikado took Trevor around in the afternoon, mostly concentrating on close by locations as he did his best to point out landmarks to help with navigation. They ate at a ramen shop and a gyudon place, ones that had easy-to-use menus so Trevor could order just by touching photos on a screen, picked up more groceries and other supplies, then had dinner at home. The food was once again somehat unfamiliar - even something as simple as the pork cutlets Adrian breaded and fried tasted unlike the ones the hunter had had before - but with how he'd grown up Trevor wasn't picky about what he ate, and was always grateful for a hot, fresh meal of any sort. The remainder of the evenings were spent filling out forms and doing the few basic chores that still required human input, like loading the washer.

Then Monday came around and Trevor awoke with a start to the sound of Adrian's phone repeatedly chiming. The blond batted at the phone until it stopped making noise, then picked himself off Trevor's chest with a huge yawn.

"We need to leave in about thirty minutes," Adrian said, rubbing at his face as Trevor blinked up at him, then over at the pocket watch as he found it easier to tell time that way. "I'm going to get the coffee started."

The dhampir still got breakfast on the table, but it was different than how they'd leisurely done things on Saturday and Sunday. A few slices of soft white bread and an apple and coffee were what was served; conversation was minimal. Adrian donned a charcoal suit and tie, double checked that he had everything he needed in his work bag and that Trevor had his packed and ready as well, and then they were out the door.

The sidewalks and streets were bustling with activity, most of it headed towards the subway entrance. But nothing compared to the crush of humanity in the train car itself; the noise and the press of bodies on all sides was insane, beyond anything Trevor had witnessed thus far. Arikado maneuvered him over to the start of one row of seats and used his body to block him in, shielding him from those behind them. Trevor made note of his positioning, so he could return the favor in the future.

"This is crazy!" Trevor grumbled, his face centimeters from Arikado's. Though maybe that wasn't a bad thing. He could kiss him accidentally / on purpose and blame the crowd for it.

"Monday morning commutes are the worst. Now you know why I opt to drive sometimes." Arikado chuckled. "You can hang on to me if it makes it easier."

The hunter wasn't going to turn down the invitation. He slid his arms around Arikado's waist, clasping his hands under the diagonally slung messenger bag the taller man carried; his chin landed on his lover's shoulder. He glanced around, seeing a sea of neutral suits and uniforms that undulated like waves on water as people came and went. Most people minded their own business, awaiting their stops, eyes locked on phones or papers, but at least one older woman looked in his direction and frowned. Trevor couldn't help it; he smirked at her, earning a disapproving scowl. Suck it, lady, I can hold my husband if I want to.

They had to transfer to another line, just as busy as the first, and then Arikado walked Trevor across a busy intersection, through a storefront laden alley and down a couple smaller roads, to a more open area with a few near identical seven story office buildings. They didn't look like much compared to some of the newer skyscrapers, not from the outside or the inside, but then Arikado slid a keycard over a panel in the elevator, which lit up a small, hidden cluster of buttons in a different spot.

"The majority of our facilities are underground for security and secrecy. Most humans no longer realize vampires and demons and such actually exist - and we do our best to keep it that way," Arikado explained as the elevator descended the distance of three floors, opening into a surprisingly spacious lobby area. After passing through security, they took another elevator down one more level, went down a wide hallway and past a couple of doors, then entered a space with two sets of partitioned work cubbies in the center and a few smaller rooms off to the side.

"Good morning, sir," the woman closest to the entrance said pleasantly, bowing her head as they approached the first desk.

"Good morning. This is the department secretary, Ms. Nagamine," Arikado told Trevor, before introducing him in turn. "And in the spot next to her, my secretary, Ms. Yasuda."

After greeting the two women they passed by an area behind the pair that held an assortment of office machinery and cabinets for supplies.

The dhampir stopped to do more introductions at the next cluster of cubicles, where his immediate subordinates worked. There was Mr. Ueda, a bookish man that only glanced up from his computer out of obligation and Martin Baldwin, a burly fellow from Australia who stuck his hand out in greeting rather than bow or nod. Ms. Yang was an older woman of mixed Chinese descent with severely cropped hair and a sharp gaze; Mr. Matsunaga was younger with an almost overly curious demeanor, to the point that he half followed them to Arikado's office door.

"Rounding out the department are two consultants: Dr. Abe, a Japanese folklore specialist and a Shinto priest, Masahiro Hakuba, Mina's grandfather, though it's been years since they've needed to come to the office, so it's unlikely you'll see them here," Arikado explained as he unlocked the last door in the line, and motioned Trevor inside. "And here we are: my office. Have a seat wherever you'd like. As I mentioned you'll be spending most of the day with Julius, but I want to let the director know you're here, in case he has time to meet you."

Dropping his duffel bag by the door, Trevor nodded and took the opportunity to look around while the dhampir got set up. Like Adrian's apartment, the office was fairly minimal in furnishings and décor: a large desk sat in the center of the room facing a pair of lightweight chairs, with two monitors eating up much of the desk's surface space. There was a broad leafed plant in a stand in front of the one-way window near the door and some nondescript framed images of landscapes on the wall, none of which appeared to be anything Adrian would've chosen for himself.

The one thing that didn't match the rest was a long chaise longue that spanned the majority of the back wall, with a carved wooden frame featuring vines and fruit and various game, and golden green velvet upholstery. It was big enough to serve as a bed - and judging by the blanket neatly rolled at one end, it likely had before.

"You sleep in here?" Trevor asked as he dropped onto the chaise, liking it better simply because it looked like something Adrian would want to own.

"Sometimes. All-nighters aren't common, but it does happen. And the sofas in the break room are too short to be comfortable at my height." Arikado sat down next to Trevor, then tipped over slightly to rest his cheek against his lover's shoulder. "Richter's grandfather, Juste, was something of a furniture collector. He noticed I liked this piece and willed it to me when he passed."

"Ah. I wondered why it looked so different from everything else in the room."

"The office was already furnished when I took it; I saw no need to change out what was here. Same with the apartment, for the most part."

Trevor nodded, idly pondering aloud that Juste must also be the source of the mirror in the apartment's entryway as again, it seemed incongruous with most of the other furnishings.

"Yes. He gave it to Maria, and she to me. If Juste hadn't been a hunter, maybe he would've sold furniture for a living, if he could've borne to part with any of it," Arikado observed with a chuckle. There was a lull, then he added, "I think Julius' idea is a solid one, but don't feel obligated to accept a position here if one is offered, Trevor. You've never gotten to choose what you want to do. I'll support you if you want to try your hand at something different - or just to take some time for yourself."

"Yeah, I know. But this is what I do. You can yank me five hundred years into the future, but you can't take the Belmont out of me," the brunet answered with a grin.

"Stubborn," Arikado complained fondly, leaning harder into Trevor, who merely laughed in return.

There was a rapid tap at the door. Arikado saw no reason to move when it would only be Julius, so he stayed put and loudly called out, "Come in."

"Well, chalk this up to something I'd never thought I'd see," the old hunter said as he slid into the office, closing the door behind him. "Aren't we cozy?" He did his best to keep his tone light, knowing that sometimes others struggled with his brand of teasing. But really, he was happy to see this. Alucard had long had a reputation for being distant and cold, to the point that most everyone in the family had wondered why he'd bothered staying entangled with the Belmonts for so many years. Now it was clear - he'd done it for love, even with his lovers dead and gone for centuries... until now.

Arikado merely hummed, then reluctantly straightened up. He was content simply sitting with Trevor, but he likely had a long day ahead of him and wanted to avoid overtime if at all possible.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of him," Julius promised as he turned his attention to Trevor. "Ready to go?"

* * *

The layout of the facilities made little sense to Trevor. Being underground didn't bother him in the least - after all the Hold had been designed that way - but the fact that Julius' department was a completely separate area simply made no sense.

"Because the Agency doesn't exist on paper, it carved out space where it could, and keeps its various functions separated to further minimize any spread of information. Arikado is under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is housed in the building above us. Whereas I technically work for the Ministry of Defense, as does Yoko." Julius gave a small shrug. "I honestly can't tell you what all the other departments do; I doubt anyone but the director knows."

Unlike Arikado, there was no sleek, minimalist office at the end of the walk. Julius ushered Trevor into a common room about half the size of Arikado's department's main area, with a few mismatched desks that broke up the space and piles of supplies stacked against one wall, then quickly pointed out a break room, bathroom, and a door that led down another hallway. At the end of that hall was a pair of metal doors: one led to an armory, the other to a training area.

"I assume you brought workout clothes?" Julius asked as they stopped in the changing area leading to the latter.

Trevor hefted the duffel and nodded.

"Go ahead and get changed. You can secure your things in a locker if you want - though really it's not necessary around here. It's just the three of us today."

"Three?" Trevor wondered. Was Yoko joining them?

The answer came as soon as they stepped into the training room proper. There was a man already inside, hanging paper targets. Trevor initially wondered if this was young Curtis, Julius' apprentice through the Morris line, but as they drew closer he realized that that was unlikely unless someone in their family had procreated with a vampire. Like Alucard, the stranger was almost too pale and too beautiful to be human, with cool black hair swept into a long, low ponytail, but it was the gold eyes that truly gave his heritage away. Even Arikado's full glamour only darkened the color of his eyes, like a layer of tarnish on gold.

"Another half-vampire?" Trevor breathed, earning him an assessing look as Julius went to introduce them.

"This is Ives Oldrey, Yoko's partner. Yes he's a dhampir but he's also a hunter, and your main sparring partner for today. It'll be easier for me to assess you as a third-party, and you won't have to worry about holding back."

"Don't worry, I don't hold back," said Trevor with a snort. He switched to Japanese for his one perfected phrase. "Nice to meet you, I am Trevor Belmont."

"Likewise." The dhampir extended a hand and they exchanged handshakes, but he said nothing else, instead glancing at Julius with a cocked eyebrow.

"Trevor, other than Romanian do you speak anything else?" Julius asked.

"A little English, a little Spanish. Maybe French, sort of... well, less on the French."

"English then. And I'll fill in as needed. Ives is on loan from the British division," Julius explained.

"After thirty years is it still a loan?" Ives questioned, his head tilting slightly for a moment. Golden eyes trained on the younger looking brunet. "You are the legendary hunter?"

It took Trevor a moment to switch gears. But he was able to answer, "I don't care for it, but that's what I've been called," in English with some confidence.

Ives nodded and graced him with a sliver of a smile. Trevor wondered if all dhampirs were like that, stunningly pretty but a bit wary and distant. Considering what they probably went through growing up, he couldn't blame them. But he'd gotten through Adrian's walls... maybe he could break through this one too.

* * *

They put Trevor through his paces for about two hours. Once they were done, Julius had to admit, he was impressed - there was no doubt that this was a battle hardened Belmont hunter, "conjured" or not. Apparently Alucard's boast about his infallible memory wasn't an exaggeration.

They'd started with stationary targets, then moving ones, with a whip and throwing darts. Trevor himself admitted that the sword was his weakest skill so other than some rudimentary testing on a dummy, they didn't do much else on that front. Julius offered up an assortment of other weapons instead, but unfortunately there was no cross haladie or similar to play with; the old hunter made a note to see about procuring one. Fisticuffs was tested against Ives. They finished with rounds of live combat with the whip, which both Ives and Julius participated in.

They would have moved to magic next but Trevor used no magic at all, which seemed unbelievable given the family's long history of imbuing elemental and holy magic into their martial techniques. Trevor easily waved that off, explaining that Sypha had begun teaching the children magic at three or four years of age, which is why they'd gotten good at it. Julius meanwhile wondered if it wasn't just Sypha herself that was the blessing behind the magic, since Trevor also indicated that his parents used next to no magic as well.

Even without the extra tests, this was the best Trevor had felt in a very long time. Sure he was sweaty and tired and a bit banged up, but the burn in his muscles felt right; his feet felt light, his body, responsive. The last few times he'd sparred with Adrian it had been obvious that the blond had been holding himself back by a lot, fearful that he'd injure his ailing, aged-before-his-time spouse. But Ives and Julius didn't have that constraint - if they had beaten him up easily, then it meant he wasn't combat ready.

After they'd tidied up the training room and put away the practice weapons, showered and changed, they went back to the common room to talk.

"All in all you've impressed me, Trevor," Julius said as he sat down at his desk to double-check that he had all the recordings from that morning's sessions organized for further assessment later. "Speed, strength, surefootedness... I expected those. But there's an unconventionality to your techniques." The old hunter looked around the space, and shook his head briefly. "Makes me wish we had a proper kill house, one that mimicked inside and outside environments, because I can see how you assess everything around you, looking for any advantage possible - and who can predict the unexpected?"

"It's probably because I had to finish my training myself. Adapt or die, that sort of thing." Trevor shrugged. It was old news at this point.

"I suppose the rest of our line should be grateful - not only because we wouldn't be here without you, but your techniques and flexible approach were passed down, memorized and modified as needed, allowing us to adapt when other hunter clans could not," Julius said solemnly. Like the fact that Belmonts were trained to be ambidextrous... it was a long-standing family tradition, but Trevor had done it for so long he no longer remembered which was his dominant hand. Just as technology changed so did tactics, but the important thing was Trevor had given them a strong foundation to build off of.

Trevor merely grunted. He couldn't say he'd been thinking that far ahead back then. Day to day, sometimes hour to hour... that's how he'd gotten by, before meeting Sypha and then Adrian shortly thereafter.

Julius let the subject drop, seeing that his predecessor wasn't interested in talking about it. He glanced at his phone, then frowned slightly. "Alucard said he'll be off site for a few hours, so I guess you'll have to settle for having lunch with us, Trevor," he announced, then repeated the gist of it in English for Ives.

"Are you buying?" Ives asked, eyebrow raised.

Alucard had paid for everyone at the izakaya, so maybe he was feeling generous in turn... "Sure, why not," Julius said, grinning.

"I want yakiniku," Ives immediately responded, genuine interest lighting up his eyes.

Julius held his hands out. "Hey now, Trevor's our guest. Anything you want, Trevor?"

"I have no idea what yakiniku is, but..."

"Meat. Grilled meat," the dhampir growled. Apparently the workout had made him hungry.

Trevor couldn't help but laugh. He really was fine with anything, but if agreeing would win him some bonus points with his potential new associates, so be it. "Meat it is."

* * *

Author's Notes:

Other game references and notes:

- Juste's furniture / decorating obsession is a Harmony of Dissonance (HoD) reference, where the player has the option to gather "Collectibles," much of which is rather garish or oddball furnishings.

- Ives (localized as Elvis, but I wanted to avoid the obvious blue suede related jokes) is the protagonist from Castlevania: Moonlight Rhapsody (MR). Not a part of the main game universe and it looks like the game is dead in the water but I wanted to include another dhampir in the story, so regardless of the game's status I pulled him in. And as he did not have a surname assigned and was raised by demon hunters...

- The Oldreys are a family line in Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (LoD) (also not part of the main game universe), with son Henry growing up to become a holy knight that helped to rescue kidnapped children. Maybe it's a stretch to include a knight in a demon hunter's guild, but I see no reason not to? Helps that the timeline lines up fairly neatly with MR.

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

March 18, 2025