Title: Coming Around Again
Author: bnomiko
Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): Trevor x Alucard, Trevor x Sypha x Alucard, Richter x Alucard, Maria x Alucard, 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. 9: Owls vs. Cats vs. Bat

* * *

Trevor thought hearing Maria happily chirping "Adrian" over and over would be annoying, yet it turned out to be undeniably cute. He couldn't blame her; she'd waited all her life for the wall named Alucard to crumble, and then it finally happened.

Richter wasn't enthused as Maria was, but if Alucard wished to be called Adrian he had no reason to object. He stumbled over the name a few times - just as Trevor once had - but it didn't take long for him to make the switch as well.

Immediately on the heels of that announcement the dhampir added he'd also settled on a trial sleeping schedule. He figured the best thing to do was to give it a few weeks, then they could decide together whether it was working out or not, or what could be changed to make things better for everyone. So Trevor and Sypha got Sunday through Tuesday, Richter Wednesdays, which left Thursday and Friday for Maria. Saturdays were originally slated for Richter as well, but the younger hunter insisted he didn't need a second night on the schedule so it ought to be left as Adrian's choice - and that meant an immediate decision had to be made. So Adrian turned to Maria and said he'd like to join her for the night, as long as she understood they'd only be sleeping. He still felt drained enough that he wasn't interested in other activities, and if he were to be honest with himself, he was still trying to figure out how this very unconventional set of relationships would work. As much as he loved Maria, it felt wrong to not renew his vows with Sypha first, given that he and Trevor had done that already and the three of them were a package deal.

The next morning, Adrian was the last to wake again. Maria stayed by his side regardless, watching over him as he slept, lightly stroking his arm simply because she could do so. She gave him a good morning kiss on the cheek as his eyes fluttered open; he rewarded her with a relaxed, sleepy smile and a one armed hug, earning a quiet giggle.

They stayed an extra minute in bed, snuggling together and simply enjoying one another's presence without need to exchange words. Adrian felt so warm, so content. If Trevor was his heartbeat and Sypha the breath in his lungs, surely Maria was the sunlight illuminating the way forward and Richter the bedrock beneath his path. But as nice as it was to simply lounge about, there were things that needed to be done and it was late enough already, so reluctantly Adrian patted her back and then pushed himself up, then offered her a hand up as well. She returned the favor by waiting for him outside of the hallway bathroom.

Trevor looked up from his breakfast of leftovers as Adrian and Maria joined them in the dining area. He had to admit, they made a striking couple, graceful and golden like a pair of deer emerging from the shade of the forest. But before he could even think about getting worked up about that observation, Richter said, "Good morning. Sleep well?"

"I did, thank you," Adrian answered, barely stifling a yawn.

"As did I," Maria echoed.

Sypha gestured at the containers on the kitchen counter. "We figured we'd just have leftovers. Or just coffee for you, Adrian?" Sypha asked.

Adrian nodded his thanks and sat down, seemingly disinterested in breakfast, so Trevor decisively said, "You should eat, even if just a bit," and shoved his half finished plate in front of his husband.

"Why are you always so pushy?" Maria asked, eyes narrowed at Trevor even as she began picking out what she wanted for her breakfast.

"I would assume you're already aware of this, but his guy is shit at taking care of himself," Trevor responded as Sypha placed a mug of coffee next to the plate, along with the sugar bowl.

The blond sighed, eyeing the offerings. It was way too much and too soon: several cooling, rubbery gyoza sat askew atop a half mountain of fried noodles, oil seeping out the bottom. He grabbed his coffee and sipped at that instead.

With a roll of the eyes, Trevor picked up the chopsticks and speared a dumpling, holding it near Adrian's lips. "Either eat on your own or I swear I'll hand feed you the entire thing."

"I hate you," Adrian muttered without any heat, but he bit into it anyway, then snatched the chopsticks out of the older hunter's grasp before he made good on his threat. He managed a mouthful of noodles and another gyoza before shoving the plate back at Trevor, daring him to protest.

Trevor's eyes crinkled as he turned a wide grin on him. "See, was that so hard?"

Maria glanced between the two men, then over at Sypha for good measure. She couldn't believe the way Trevor spoke to Adrian sometimes, but the dhampir seemed completely unbothered by it. Sypha too, as if this was the way they normally interacted.

While everyone finished up breakfast, Adrian fished out his phone and scrolled through his newest messages. Julius and Yoko had both texted him to let him know they'd be joining Ives in dealing with an urgent case in Hokkaido and would be gone for at least two days. Which meant Soma was without a shadow, and that every remaining hunter in Japan was now sitting in his dining room. "What would you all think of meeting Soma today?" he asked, his finger hovering over the messaging app.

Trevor suddenly reached over and smacked him on the shoulder. "When were you planning to tell me that he's your father, you asshole?!"

Maria sighed loudly, making a face at his language and tone, but Trevor wasn't going to be deterred just because she disapproved of everything he said and did. He was annoyed that he was the last to know about Soma when he'd already spent several hours with the young man without any clue what was going on. Vlad / Soma had probably been laughing it up on the inside the whole while!

"Apologies... I wasn't intending to hide it. But when it became clear you hadn't figured it out, I thought... maybe if you got to know him first, you'd react more favorably once we told you," Adrian explained.

"Do I look like I'm 'reacting favorably'?" Trevor huffed.

"You were fine with him before you knew. And that's who he is now... just a young man like any other. He's not my father."

"Except he is, in a way."

Adrian rubbed at his forehead. It really was too early for this. "I assure you, he is not. And if he ever did become Dracula, we wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation as the world would've fallen into darkness and chaos."

"What a pleasant thought," Richter commented, frowning. Adrian flapped his arms in frustration while Maria bumped up against Richter's chair, reminding him that that wasn't the scenario they were facing.

"Will Soma be okay with all of us, all at once?" Sypha asked. "Or would that be too overwhelming for him?"

Adrian thought of how hard Soma had fought to remain his own person outside of Dracula's shadow. Finding out about the real reason behind his nightmares and accepting who he was and what he had the potential to become had to be far more overwhelming than meeting a few figures from the past, and Soma had handled it with about as grace as a then nineteen-year-old could've possibly done... "I don't think there'll be a problem. He's used to dealing with Julius and Yoko already and he was more tickled than anything to meet Trevor."

As there was no further protest, the dhampir went ahead and texted Soma to see what he was doing for the day. He couldn't promise excitement since they planned to go furniture shopping, but he figured they could at least have lunch together.

Soma replied immediately; his subsequent responses were just as rapid fire: Can I bring Mina? Can we have curry? You paying? There was a shop Mina wanted to go to that ok?

Of course. Sure. Yes. Yes.

A minute went by. Adrian thought the barrage was done and was about to ask Soma what time he wanted to meet up, when the next batch of messages appeared, a bit slower than before. They know about me, right? Trevor knows?

Yes x2. Julius had probably told Soma about what was going on at some point. It wasn't like he tried being subtle anymore when following him around.

Is that ok? I mean they probably hate me.

They won't, once they get to know you. I won't let anything happen to you, Soma.

Another pause. I know. Then, I'm glad you're not alone anymore.

Adrian didn't know what to say to that. Thankfully Soma saved him from awkwardly trying to figure out how to redirect the conversation by asking if they could meet around one at his favorite curry shop near the university, and that was perfectly acceptable to Adrian. And Trevor inadvertently helped take his mind off Soma's comment entirely when he went and grabbed the hairbrush and began brushing out his hair in long, careful strokes.

Adrian leaned back slightly, a low purr rumbling to life in his chest. He'd always enjoyed having his hair handled by his lovers. Even better was hearing Maria say, "Oh, let me braid it when you're done," and feeling her comb and slide her fingers rhythmically through his locks, versus her and Trevor bickering noisily over whose privilege it was to touch his hair.

He must've gotten too relaxed because he blanked out for a few moments, only to snap out of the lull when Maria draped the finished braid over his shoulder and said, "There, how does that look?"

Richter chuckled. "What a pretty sight."

Caught off guard, Adrian flushed slightly, blinking; the younger hunter wasn't one for doling out compliments like that, not to him, not even in jest. Adrian reached up and ran his fingers over the plait, then moved up over the back of his head. A Dutch braid, then. She'd done it many times before, so as expected, it was even and neat. There was a gold velvet scrunchie about two-thirds of the way down; the rest was left loose. "It's nice - thank you." It was a shame he'd have to undo it before going out, as it would interfere with his glamour.

"I remember Ann used to love tying ribbons in your hair," Sypha sighed, a soft smile of reminiscence on her face.

"Both my daughters liked trying their hand at updos, with flowers and jeweled pins 'borrowed' from their mother's vanity or their aunts'," Richter added. He shook his head. "How nostalgic! I appreciate that you were so tolerant of it."

"It made them happy, and was of no hardship to me," Adrian assured him with a smile of his own. He'd been doomed from the moment he'd met Richter's children, given that his nearly colorless hair and skin had been de rigueur at the time in the courts of Europe, though now he couldn't help but wonder just how many Belmont daughters - and even a few sons - had begged to style his hair over the centuries? "Even Yoko and her siblings played around with it as kids." He left unsaid his pondering if that was what had led Yoko's younger half-brother Shinji into becoming a hairstylist.

"Heh - maybe I should learn to do fancy plaits too," Trevor mused. He slid a look at Maria.

"I can show you a few different ones," the blonde offered with only very slight hesitation. She seemed surprised that he'd be interested.

Sypha grinned at both of them. She'd been worried that Trevor would get all huffy and territorial over the fact that Adrian had chosen to sleep in Maria's room last night, but the two were being pleasant towards one another now, even after the slightly rough start to the morning.

They split up to prepare for the day. For the time being Richter was storing his clothes in the secondary bedroom, so he went with Maria; Adrian followed Sypha and Trevor back to the main bedroom, as all his things were still in there.

The Speaker turned to Adrian as he picked through the closet. "By the way, since I had a bit of time last night and this morning I took a look at Saint Germain's book, both the translations that were available and the original cipher. I don't know if I completely agree with all the translation work so I don't think you'll find random people accidentally performing high level alchemy via the available text. At most, it has a recipe for a purported life extension tea... and that looks fairly innocuous. But more relevant to your interests, there's nothing about the Infinite Corridor. Maybe he didn't want anyone finding his notes on the subject, or maybe this was one journal amongst many."

Adrian nodded. "Thank you, Sypha. I've had one of my agents looking into it as well. This is the only surviving book of his that we know of, though there is a duplicate of it so that would lend credence to your theory that more could exist. But I feel a little more relieved having you confirm that there's nothing about the Corridor in there, especially since you're more knowledgeable about magic." He smiled, a little more at ease with how the day was panning out.

He turned back to the selections in the wardrobe. "Hmm, I haven't worn this in a while..." the blond commented, pulling out a tawny gold blouse with blackwork embroidery decorating the frilled collar and cuffs, very much reminiscent of noblemen's shirts from the Elizabethan era.

"I like that," said Trevor. It was definitely in the dhampir's wheelhouse and better yet, it wasn't blatantly sexy like the semi-sheer shirt from the day before. "People in this era really do have a lot of options, don't they?" he asked, thinking of the turtleneck sweater his husband had handed him from his closet. Nothing about that really said "Adrian" but he'd had it in his wardrobe anyhow.

"I don't find many things I like, actually," Adrian explained as he shucked his pajama shirt and began getting dressed. "That's why I keep my work attire simple - I don't have to think about it. I don't even have to like it, though I do get everything custom made to best fit me. A dark suit and white dress shirt is very much a uniform."

"That's a shame. Clearly we all need to pitch in so you can spend more time lounging around the house in nice clothes, like a painting," Trevor drawled.

Sypha shook her head as Adrian snickered. He could say the same for Trevor - for everyone in the house, really. But his spouse would get mad if he reminded him he'd rather do the supporting, than be supported. "There won't be anything to lounge on if we don't pick out some new furniture," he reminded the brunet.

Trevor rolled his eyes but he dutifully pulled out the aforementioned turtleneck and began getting dressed as well.

* * *

Soma and Mina were already at the curry shop, at the larger table in the far back corner, when the quintet arrived after some preliminary furniture shopping. The white-haired man stood up, stuffing his hands in his pockets before thinking better of it as he flashed an uneasy smile at the group; it had been one thing to meet Trevor, casually, knowing the hunter didn't recognize him. It was another to have Arikado strolling in with four of the most well known hunters and magicians in history, all of whom had reason to distrust the sliver of darkness in him that craved blood and destruction.

"Nice to meet you all, I'm Soma Cruz," he said, bowing his head jerkily. He gestured at the young redhead across from him. "And this is Mina Hakuba."

"Nice to meet everyone," Mina echoed with a small wave, though she was more upbeat. With Arikado there, she trusted that nothing bad would happen.

They did quick introductions, then as people began pretending to study the menu, Soma exhaled, leaned over, and said in a low voice, "Sorry, Trevor, it would've been easier if I'd realized you spoke English. It wasn't intended, I swear! While I do have... memories, I've been cautioned against looking too deeply into ones which aren't my own."

Trevor just grunted. "Didn't think to mention it myself." He glanced at the taller man who'd wedged himself between Soma and most the rest of the table. "Neither did Adrian."

"I... had a lot on my mind at the time," Adrian reminded him. "Language wasn't one of them."

Trevor reached up and squeezed his shoulder. He wasn't mad, and he didn't want his husband to think that he was. "Yeah. It's okay. I get it." He turned his attention back to the pictures on the menu, a little less concerned about Soma / Vlad on the other side. The young man was practically hiding behind Adrian; maybe he was more scared of them than the Belmonts were of him.

Mina took in the slight tension chilling the air around them, then clapped her hands together lightly. "Well it looks like everyone's adjusting well so far. You all look very modern and stylish," she complimented, using English where she could but figuring Arikado would translate the rest for her if needed, as her English wasn't as good as Soma's. It was too funny that of all of them, Arikado was the only one who looked like he'd been yanked out of some British period romance or something. His family looked no more out of place than the average Western tourist. Maria had her hair in a high ponytail and wore a belted bright yellow cardigan over a green and gold plaid mini skirt and tall brown boots; the apple green handbag she carried was definitely a designer item. Sypha was casually chic in a loose, sleeveless tunic in blue ombré under a long sweater coat with a shawl collar and black palazzo pants. Richter was dressed simply in a rugby shirt banded in black and royal blue, jeans and a navy duffel coat which now hung over the back of his chair, with the only embellishment being the silver chain for his pocket watch.

Sypha, sitting next to Trevor, responded in fluent Japanese, though she was mindful of her volume as she explained, "Trevor's the only one who will have to work to make the adjustment. Richter, Maria and I seem to have shared in much of Adrian's knowledge of language, technology, modern day customs, and so forth."

Mina's eyes got huge. "Really? Amazing! So you can slot into life here without a problem?"

"Once the paperwork gets handled, more or less," confirmed Arikado. He was pulling a lot of favors, but he'd never really taken advantage of it before even though he had the clout to do so, so he didn't feel that bad about doing so now.

"Are you all joining the Agency then?" Mina asked in a near whisper.

Richter, Maria and Sypha all exchanged glances. They hadn't really talked about it. Trevor had been spending time there, but so far the invitation hadn't been extended to the three of them.

"I don't know," Richter said. Now that he thought about it, that was the assumption right? That he'd take up his family's duty once more. But he had walked away from life as a Belmont once before; he wasn't sure if he wanted to go back to it. "I'm honestly not sure if I can take up arms again."

There was clearly a story there, but it was also obvious, now was not the time to ask. Mina simply nodded and looked to the ladies a bit shyly, unsure if they had similar hesitation.

Maria shrugged. "I'm not sure what I want to do either. I want to help Adrian however I can... Richter too! But as for myself..." She shrugged again. It had never been a consideration before; just as with Richter, no one had ever asked them what they wanted to do. They simply took the route that was expected of them.

"I wouldn't mind joining, if my skills are needed. Though, there's quite a lot of other things I'd like to see and do and try..." Sypha said after a bit of thought. "This world is so vast and yet everything is more accessible than ever." She pulled out her phone, clad in a blue gradient case that complimented her top. "Why, the sheer amount of knowledge I can find with this alone is more than I can possibly fathom!"

"Maybe you can try enrolling in college, if there's a particular field you want to study?" Mina suggested. "Although you'd need to apply..."

"Oh, yes, you and Soma are both students," Sypha observed. She picked her brain for more information and came up blank. "What is your area of study?"

"Shinto studies at Kokugakuin University. I intend to inherit Hakuba shrine from my grandfather." The shrine maiden gestured at Soma across from her. "Soma's is astronomy."

"I've always liked looking at the stars," said Soma with a grin.

"Now that's definitely Vlad talking," Trevor muttered, even as Adrian was trying to help him place his order on the phone. The dhampir ended up elbowing him in mild irritation, as he'd banned any talk of Dracula beforehand. Of course Trevor would be the one to ignore it...

Soma shrugged, taking no offense at the remark. The comment had been all snark, no bite, and he was more comfortable with Trevor anyhow since they'd already met a couple times before. "Realistically though, that won't lead to a job. So I'm also taking courses in hospitality - I figure that way I can help Mina at the shrine in the future, if we... well, you know," he stammered, looking away from his girlfriend's wide eyed stare.

"You want to work at a shrine? Wouldn't you, I dunno, burst into flames from just being there?" Trevor asked, amazed. Adrian jabbed him again, and he grunted.

"No? I've been there plenty of times, but..." Soma shrugged again. "I guess I've never thought about it? What would happen if..."

Adrian hissed under his breath, cutting both of them off. "Stop that. And I've told you Trevor, Soma is Soma. He's as human as you are."

"Ah, yeah. I see..." Trevor said, letting the matter drop. He supposed if Vlad ever did start manifesting, then maybe being on sacred ground would help suppress him, or at least make him regret making the attempt.

"Oh, by the way, remember to leave a little room for dessert, everyone!" Mina exclaimed, noticing that orders were being placed. "You told Arikado, right, Soma?"

"Uh, I just said you wanted to go to a shop. I wasn't sure where..." Soma began.

"We're going to a cat café!" Mina announced.

"You eat cats?!" Trevor blurted out, aghast.

Sypha slapped his arm sharply, earning a yelp of surprise. "Trevor, that's rude!"

Mina's mouth had dropped open, but she giggled once she got over her surprise. "No, no! It's like a snack shop but with cats that you can pet and play with. Yoko and I were going to go. She showed me this fun mobile game so now I play it too sometimes, and they have such cute mascots, so we're trying to collect as many of the mini can badges as we can." She pulled the strap of her decidedly non-designer purse forward, showing off a cluster of pins. "But it's only for this month, and you need to buy a drink and a dessert to get one, so if anyone would like dessert, I would appreciate help on that." She bowed her head politely.

It sounded odd, but Trevor was all for it. "So you just need us to eat and play with cats? I can do that. I like cats."

"Sounds fine to me as well, if everyone else is good with that?" said Richter.

"Wait, is this the one with the owl café across the street?" Soma asked, still trying to get on the same page as his girlfriend.

"Owl... OWL CAFÉ!?" Maria gasped. She turned huge, impossibly round eyes on Adrian.

"Uh oh..." Richter mumbled, stifling a laugh, seeing the dhampir pinned under her gaze.

Mina thought about it a moment. "Hmm. I think the promotion works there too, because it's the same owner. Would you rather do owls instead of cats?"

"I like cats," Trevor repeated.

"We certainly did end up with a number of them," Sypha commented, sighing.

"But it might be fun watching Maria do her thing..." Richter said.

And now everyone turned to stare at Adrian, as he was apparently the tiebreaker. He groaned, wishing he could disappear under the seat. On one hand, yes he was curious to see if Maria's abilities were still intact; had he properly "wished" her magic into being the same way he and the Vampire Killer had apparently recorded and replicated Trevor's skills as well? On the other, the gruff brunet being swarmed by cats every time he went to the stable to milk the goats had always been a good laugh and a sweet memory.

Trevor's gaze flicked over the others' faces. Richter with his eyebrow raised in anticipation, Maria with her sparkling eyes, hands clasped together, Sypha side-eyeing him with her signature "you'll crack like an egg" smirk... it was obvious which way Adrian would go. He was weak against the pleading of a young lady; Trevor had seen Ann and Mary successfully beg their papa for all sorts of things.

"It's fine, maybe we can go see the cats some other time," Trevor easily capitulated.

"Oh. Okay," said Maria, almost surprised that it hadn't become an issue.

Trevor knew he did the right thing when Sypha smiled and said she'd be happy to go with him to the cat café later on in the week, if he wanted, and Adrian's hand slipped onto his thigh and squeezed. "Thank you," said the blond with obvious relief.

As far as Trevor was concerned, he'd won that exchange. Both his partners were in a good mood and Adrian even left his hand on his leg, rubbing it slightly, until food arrived. Maria could have all the owls she wanted; he'd take Adrian any day over a cat.

* * *

The best reservation Mina could get for the café was two hours later, which gave everyone a break from food consumption as well as time to browse another furniture store, one that specialized in rentals. At Richter's behest Adrian agreed to talk to Julius' cousin Natalya about possibly shipping over some heirloom furniture from the Belmont manor, but the rest would need to be sourced locally. As Adrian didn't know what Natalya would be willing to spare and with only had two weeks before move in, renting necessities like a dining table and seating seemed like a good idea.

The extra time out and about in the city helped dispel any lingering concerns the group had in regards to Soma. As the young man looked and sounded and acted so unlike the king of vampires, it wasn't as hard as everyone thought it would be to treat him like a normal person. Not that they were so lax as to ignore the reality hidden beneath the surface - if nothing else Soma's latent magic set off the part of their subconscious which made them twitchy and gave them goosebumps - but Arikado's skillful straddling of the line between guardian, friend and family imbued them all with a calm they otherwise wouldn't have felt.

Sypha helped too, to a lesser degree. Like Trevor, her view of Vlad was slightly muted by the fact that she'd gotten to know the man buried beneath the bloodlust and the rage, even if he'd been unable to hold onto that once Lisa passed and the castle had been returned to him. Plus she was curious about Shintoism and education in the modern world and had plenty of questions and no reason to not ask; once both of the students began answering back, everyone else began piping in as well.

They finally made it to the café, with Maria vibrating in excitement to see what an owl café was all about, though it only took a few seconds for her good mood to get doused once they arrived.

"Why are they all tied up?" the blonde asked unhappily in Romanian as she studied the birds in the entry area as Mina went to check in for their time slot and to put in dessert orders. They'd agreed to get an assortment of pastries so everyone could try everything.

"Probably because we're in the middle of a city, and there's not much space in here, so they can't fly around," Richter observed, looking about. The shop wasn't all that large to begin with, but the addition of merchandise and counters and workers cluttered up the space even more.

Maria frowned, then crouched down to study the small owls on a stand that peered back at her. They looked to be fed and cared for, but a little lethargic, given that it was the afternoon instead of nighttime. They had name placards over their heads, along with price tags. "They're selling them?" she asked in a small voice.

"It would appear so."

"This... isn't what I thought it would be." She'd had visions of an open, outdoor coffee stand with trees and birds flying about and calling from overhead, not this somewhat cluttered room selling owl merchandise and owls as merchandise, bound to their perches. She stood back up and immediately turned to Adrian. "Is there anything we can do?"

The dhampir gave a very slight shake of his head. "This is a legal business, so..."

"Like what, buy them all and release them somewhere?" Trevor mumbled under his breath, as if Maria wasn't close enough to hear. Sypha poked him in the ribs, hissing his name, but he kept going. "What? She wanted to come, so here we are."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize... I should've kept my mouth shut. About the owl café I mean. I wasn't trying to upset you," Soma said contritely. "'Cause with the cats, they're just wandering around like they own the place..."

Maria scowled at Trevor and shot Soma a disapproving look, just for good measure, then looked around the room again. There was a large Eurasian eagle owl in the far corner, eyeing her with piercing amber-orange eyes. The huntress held its gaze, then nodded. Even if she could only save one from living its life in this room, it was better than nothing. She looked back at Adrian and pointed at the bird. "Adrian, will you buy her for me?"

Soma's mouth dropped open at the request, then snapped shut again. She wanted a 1.2 million yen pet that would require a ton of upkeep, just like that? He knew Arikado had the means, but that seemed like quite a demand, even coming from a girlfriend.

Adrian followed the direction Maria was pointing at - the owl's name was Usagi, not exactly a noble name for a predator - then turned back to his girlfriend, blinking. Was something like an owl even allowed in their building? A cat or a small dog, perhaps, but a raptor? And such a big one? And how would taking one from a shop and putting it in another confined space help? "I'm... not sure if it would be permitted. The apartment isn't very big, and we're in the process of moving as well."

She considered that for a moment, then said, "Our cottage wasn't very roomy either, and yet we had two owls and a half dozen doves in residence without a problem. The new apartment will be larger still, so can you ask the apartment manager for me?" Maria met the bird's unblinking gaze once again, then added, "She's already been here for a while, so she can wait a little longer until we're moved in and settled."

Adrian sighed. It wasn't surprising that there weren't many prospective buyers for giant owls in the middle of a major metropolis. He didn't bother pointing out that while their cottage had been small - smaller than even the current apartment - they'd also lived right up against the forest, and Maria's birds spent much of their time foraging and flying as they pleased. Here, they were lucky to even have a small park between the two towers that made up their apartment complex, and that was nowhere near enough space for even a single raptor to hunt in.

However he wasn't going to turn her down without at least asking about it; Maria without birds was like Trevor without a whip or Sypha without spells. Although her ability to summon forth sacred beasts was unprecedented, it was equally important for her to have an outlet for the magic in her bloodline that allowed her to communicate with birds. If owls were a no go, maybe he could gently suggest getting a few doves instead.

Once they sat down Maria remained somewhat subdued, though she voiced no further complaint. She sipped her tea and ate a few bites of a frosted cookie and an almond croissant and spoke when addressed, though beyond that the only time she showed interest in anything was when an employee came to drop off a male northern white-faced owl named Magoo for their table to interact with. No one was surprised when the owl hopped off its perch to approach Maria as she hummed softly at him; Magoo stayed with her throughout the duration of the visit.

The summoner did finally perk up towards the end, when Adrian leaned over and said, "If we can't have a large owl, I will see about coming back and buying you that one at least, or a similar bird," indicating the pale gray raptor preening contentedly by Maria's arm. She stared at him a moment, then nodded, grateful for the consideration.

Once the hour was up, Soma and Mina said goodbye as they left the café, as they had a different train to catch. They reminded the group that they were free to contact them if they had any questions or needed any help with navigating through life in Tokyo since Arikado was going to be back at work the next day, then gave a last wave before walking off hand in hand.

* * *

"Well that went better than I expected," Soma said as they meandered along the busy sidewalk. He'd been nervous about meeting hunters that had clashed with Dracula in the past, but other than Trevor very lightly joking about it, no one said a thing about it, nor did they act like he was some sort of monster. In fact Sypha had been downright friendly. Richter and Maria less so, but neither had been outwardly rude. And Arikado had done just as he promised, positioning himself as a shield in case something happened... or more realistically, to give Soma the security of such.

"Yes, I think so," Mina agreed with a slight smile. She'd known about Soma's apprehension - even if he hadn't said anything, his nervous tics and his babbling would have clued her in - but other than reassuring him that she had his back and that Arikado would as well, there hadn't been much she could do until they actually met the hunters. "What did you think of them? Arikado's family, I mean? They all seemed nice enough, considering... well, who they are. And Arikado seemed much more upbeat as well, in his own restrained way."

Soma snorted. "Saying he's 'restrained' is putting it nicely. He's always been a bit cold, even to you, even though he's known you most of your life! But ever since Trevor showed up, he's kinda softened up around the edges, just a bit. Like he still talks like he wants to keep some distance, but uh... how do I explain it? His eyes, mostly... they're more expressive than before. Even his voice. And he was straight up snuggling with Trevor when we met at the izakaya. Like, if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it - Genya Arikado, involved in a public display of affection!"

"Don't go teasing him about it!" Mina warned with a twist of her lips.

"I won't. I even told him I was happy for him, because he wasn't alone anymore. I meant it," Soma said earnestly. Arikado had been a loner for as long as he'd known him. What was it like to live for so many years, so many lifetimes... seeing everyone age and everything change around you, but continue on alone and untouched by time? Dracula had probably felt the same, but the upswell of turmoil and melancholy told Soma that that was a dangerous thread to touch on, so he left it alone.

"Me too. I'm glad he got to reunite with people he cares for. Although I admit, I can't imagine what it must be like to go from living by yourself, to suddenly needing a bigger apartment because you have multiple lovers and not enough bedrooms." She suddenly stopped, feeling her face heating up, then shook her head. She did not want to think about how all that was supposed to work! "And then add an owl on top of that!" she blurted out instead.

The white-haired man grinned. The owl was the most surprising part of it for him. Otherwise, he wasn't as thrown off by this new version of Arikado as he'd thought he would be. He should have been... after all, this was the same man who'd admitted before that socializing felt like an obligation more often than not, who only politely murmured his thanks and nothing more when ladies tried to approach him with compliments. But maybe a bit of Dracula's memories were coming into play, because just as with Trevor's introduction, Sypha hadn't felt unfamiliar to him. Neither had the notion of a multiple partner relationship, or Arikado's bisexuality. It was just a fact, like accepting that the sun rose and set each day.

"At least you got your badges," Soma finally said. The group had been happy to hand over the blind-bagged pins from the promotion; Mina had gotten both the ones available for the two-week cycle, as well as duplicates for Yoko. One of the mascots was an owl and she'd pulled an extra one of that, so she gave it to Maria, helping her pin it to her sweater. It was just a little token, but it had gotten a genuine, small smile from the blonde at a time when she was feeling down.

His phone suddenly pinged; he had a message. As it was from Arikado Soma stopped to take a quick look.

As Julius and Yoko are away for an unknown duration, is it ok if Trevor and the others check in on you when they have time?

Soma chuckled. Arikado was literally asking if it was okay to have his guard dogs trail after him. Didn't they have packing to do for their move or something? But he knew the dhampir worried about him and Mina as the whole Dracula business meant he was a magnet for trouble; it wasn't because they were inept at taking care of themselves.

Sure. Want our schedules for this week? he sent back.

Please.

Soma shared the conversation with Mina, wanting to confirm with her that she was fine with all that too. Of course she was. When we get home. That ok?

Yes.

Having his family back didn't make Arikado any chattier. But that was fine... that was familiar. He hadn't become someone different, even if his relationship status had changed.

Soma replied with a thumbs up, just to make sure he got in the last word so that Arikado didn't jump to the conclusion that he must've been kidnapped out of the blue before he could respond. He sighed and tucked the phone back in his pocket.

"It might not be so bad. It's hard getting to know everyone when it's a big group; it'll be nice to get a chance to talk to them one on one," Mina mused.

"Easy for you to say. Sypha was easy to talk to; she's levelheaded. And Maria doesn't feel any older than us, if that makes sense?" It was a safe assumption that the ladies would be sent to check on Mina, and he'd get the guys. Soma waited for his girlfriend's nod, then continued. "Trevor makes me think of a cat watching a mouse, and I'm the mouse. And Richter... I haven't gotten a good read on him yet. He seems laid back, but like, I know what he's capable of. And yet I can't even tell if he's Arikado's friend or something more, you know?"

Mina blinked. She had kind of assumed they were just friends without even thinking about it. She'd noticed Richter's wedding band, but it was completely different from the matching ones that Arikado, Trevor and Sypha sported. Did that make the apartment situation even messier? Oh dear... She delicately cleared her throat. "Well... think of it this way - you're friends with Julius, right? How much harder could it be to befriend Trevor or Richter?"

"I'm friends with Julius now. Neither of those two have any reason to trust me yet."

"So give them time and a reason to trust you. At the very least, I know Arikado wouldn't assign them to you if he thought they'd be unkind to you."

Soma made an affirmative sound. If he'd had any doubts at all, the way Arikado shielded him at the curry restaurant answered the question of whether he'd look out for Soma's well being when the hunters in question were his own family.

"Maybe I can offer to help with packing, if they need it." He shrugged. It was more a token gesture than anything as Arikado didn't have that much stuff, which was almost surprising given his age. Maybe he just didn't care about material things, or maybe he had it all stored elsewhere, like back in Romania?

"It wouldn't hurt, even if they don't take you up on it. And I should ask Arikado if he'll let me bless the new apartment too. I know he doesn't subscribe to Shinto beliefs but if I can provide even a tiny bit of extra protection to his household, then I'd be happy to do so."

Soma smiled. Mina was too modest; her spiritual power was nothing to sneeze at, even compared to her grandfather. "That's a great idea! I bet he'll say they don't need it, but we've seen some crazy things. That's not even including the fact that Trevor and the others are here... I mean, it's a good thing for Arikado, but talk about unexpected! And the fact that he's worried that something might happen to us... well, I could throw that back at him too. "

"It never hurts to be prepared," the shrine maiden said sagely.

* * *

Forgot I drew this up a couple of years ago... SotN chibis!

* * *

Author's Notes:

Other game references and notes:

- Maria used both owls and doves to attack with, depending on the game. I'm emphasizing owls here given that my main reference is SotN, plus owl cafes are an actual thing in Japan.

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

September 17, 2025