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Arikado was a lonely man. He grew soft laying next to the Renard heiress and when her blood was staining his fingers, he grew calluses around his heart. Sure there were many women, and some men, that offered him company, all they ever did was make that cold spot icy.
He wore a necklace under his clothes. Her initials are engraved on a small golden locket, with a silver chain. Maria bought it for him the night she died, the box still in her hands as she choked on her last breath, her bright eyes drilling and her body slumping against his frame. He kept it on even in the nude, hiding it during the wars and would mumble to it in his sleep.
When he came across Soma Cruz he felt sick, his father, after everything he did, got a chance at a normal life, acting as if his choice didn't condemn a family bloodline for millennia, he didn't suffer the punishment he deserved. He had a companion, a fiancee and he had to have her die in his arms because demons wanted revenge on the restraining of Dracula. The necklace he wears, as light as it may physically be, drags him down, burning into him like a cattle brand. He had to remember every scream of the children slaughter, the cries of the parents and the words of vengeance from loved ones. Deep offense marinated in his system.
He swallowed his anger and helped the child. It felt a bit weird but the worst was when Soma found out what he was in the past life. He cried, his face turning red, his body crumbling. Arikado felt horrible for all this anger. He still didn't trust him completely, but he saw that he wasn't the monster Arikado made him out to be.
Arikado watched Soma succeed in life with Mina, his mother brought back, with mixed emotions. His father was happy, but how long would it last, and why couldn't he have a little bit of happiness.
Julius watched his lifetime friend from the counter of his eye, despite that human disguise, his skin was growing pale in the light of the sun, he looked like the vampires of old lore.
Yolo noticed when she saw him asleep on his desk.
Soma noticed when Arikado let a small bitter noise escape his throat when Soma talked of marriage with Mina.
Arikado liked to look at the twilight right when the stars were first coming back to light up the night. He would remember when Maria would stargaze long into the night. The necklace sparkled in the night, almost glowing.
It really started when Arikado got word from his superiors that a witch had entered town. Arikado sighed, thinking that it was just a minor thing, lots of people had magic, he had to check everything, but it was neglectable. So many people that had magic had so little that it almost didn't matter.
Arikado could find the witch easily enough. Her bright blond hair was tied in a green bow. Her green hoodie was open, showing off a wolf t-shirt. Her eyes were bright blue. She had an easy smile about her and she practically bouncing around the room, always visibly on her toes never standing with her feet flat.
Arikado froze. He could feel the magic radiating from her. It felt comforting like it was pulling him in. The succubi from the castle had a pull as well, but this felt different, welcoming not submissive. He stopped a foot behind her, ready to say something, but he froze mouth open.
So many thoughts ran through his head but he just couldn't say anything. She walked away, her hair brushing his hand as she left.
Arikado followed her around for a couple weeks, trying to see who she was. A subconscious feeling was hoping that she was Maria, but fate was cruel to him. He had to be sure this was not just a ruse from an evil sorcerer or the time he's been alive plus the lack of sleep was getting to it.
The third week, he slipped up. He chuckled at a sarcastic comment that she had made under her breath, just loud enough for her to hear him.
She looked up and found him trying not to stare at her.
She sighed and left, paying for her meal at the entrance, fading from view.
Arikado felt awful. He looked like a creep he was well aware. He got to see her face though. She looked identical to his lost love. He had to clear his head, so he went home and looked at a sketch that he drew on a night that was particularly hard to get through.
It was the temper that has her away. Arikado found himself being yelled out by the girl. She was a foot shorter than him and half his weight, yet she still stared him down, but halfway through she switched languages to a form of Romani that was spoken in the 1700's. If Arikado was going to say anything, he wouldn't say anything about that because she was scary. She had the temper of a coral snake, able to get dangerous quickly. Soma was not very far away and even he balked in terror of the beauty. Granted she was yelling at him for stalking her, which he deserved, but he was almost giddy inside.
She had a spot in the library, a soft spot in the back away from everyone where she read and had the eventual nap. No one but she went back there and Arikado knew it.
He knocked on a nearby bookshelf so that he wouldn't startle her. She looked right at him as he sighed and went to explain himself, his necklace feeling a little bit lighter.
Her eyes were almost disecting him, a parallel to their first encounter. He blinked back the memories as his words started to flow.
He let his voice die as his explination ended, having covered everything, even a few things not pertaining to the topic at hand. When he finished, the witchjust smiled at him.
"Alucard, you should have just called me." She grinned.