Time here is worth more than the money of mortal men. Any minute you think and breathe means a minute longer human. The beast scourge spreads as a burn through the wine like blood of Yharnam, staining the old land red against the moon. The paleblood sky sets forever over this eternal hunt, keeping all the world on its heels. Humans are scarce in the town of beasts; friends even more so. Hunters now join each other not out of the ways of old companionship or unity, but to stay alive. Everyone knows it, even if that old man Gherman won't admit it. The healing church died off a long time ago, leaving the world to fend for itself. How could someone like you, a quiet student of Byrgenworth, end up in a nightmare like this?
Nico dragged himself from his dullen slumber as his body pulled into the hunter's dream. The headstones and lilies sat still in the wind next to the doll, same as always. She seemed to grow more weary with each trip Nico made to the dream. She spent more time at Lady Maria's grave, and less at Gherman's side. Still, she was always there to welcome the good hunters back to life, eager to give them rest from the tiresome nightmare. If not for the occasional hunter passing through, the place would seem frozen in time. Eileen was coming around less and less now, giving way to her old age. The graves of Gascoigne and Henryk aged finely next to the others, the old stone tablets wedged neatly into the hill. So many hunters had died or fallen ill to beasthood, it was rare to have a regular face in the dream. Nico was beginning to think himself the only visitor, till a familiar puff of white smoke sprang up in the distance. Nico frowned after a moment, his eyes squinting behind his mask to see the newcomer. He had seen this man before, occasionally rummaging about through the workshop. The nightmare knew him as Perseus, the Black Axe hunter. It seemed he was famous for his blunt handed cure for beasthood. The axe at his side was nearly as tall as he, if only for a moment. The man retracted the long blade back into his hand, before placing it firmly at his back. The black of his hair shifted like crow feathers as he readjusted his mask and began to make his way to the doll. Nico could see from afar that he had been in the nightmare for ages; his boots stained black with caked blood, the leather at his thigh torn to pieces from blood vials. He wanted to shrug off the man's existence here in the dream, to count him off as another grave on the hill. Yet even as he turned to set off into Yharnam, he found himself frozen. A human face was rare these days, let alone an admittedly dashing one. Nico stepped away from the awakening grave and made his way back to the plain doll. He had hopes the man would still be there.
"Evening!" Nico saluted with a sarcastic laugh as he shuffled up to the two in conversation. The doll turned to greet him, bowing with a slowness of sweet favor.
"Hello, dearest hunter," The doll spoke calmly. "What brings you here from the waking world?" The doll spoke with as much care and comfort this time as she had the first she ever before. At the very least, she was reliable that way. Perseus, on the other hand, gave a rigid nod as his eyes hardened beneath his hair. Nico didn't take it personally-this sort of cold professionalism was to be expected of all hunters; especially seasoned ones. Still, Nico pressed more resolutely, stopping to think on what he should say. It seemed that so much time alone in the dream made it hard to play well with others.
"I...believe I've heard of you from around Yharnam," Nico finally said after an exasperated moment. "You're the Black Axe hunter, are you not?" With this, his eyes lulled slow and carelessly across the hilt of the man's weapon, stopping occasionally to marvel in quiet at the etches and spurs in the old wood. His eyes finally rested soft on the gleaming edge of the blade, made darker with the stain of blood. Nico had grown rather fond of that sight, and the animalistic scent that wafted with it. After a moment, he realized he had been staring entirely too long.
"I am, and who might you be?" Perseus said with a bit of a laugh after some time. Up close, it became immediately obvious to Nico that this man was in every way larger than he. His arms clung tight and sharp against the leather of his jacket, the long cloak chasing down his frame in the closest way possible. He was taller, too, than the young hunter, carrying himself high above both Nico and the doll. He seemed somehow more confident than Nico, though he couldn't have been more than a year or two older.
"Ah, good hunter?" he called to Nico after some time. Nico broke once again from the haze before slowly responding.
"Ah, I'm Nico!" He responded nervously. "I'm the Bone Ash hunter, if I haven't already said so." He paused, searching for something else to say. "You...may have seen me around the workshop before. I'm here every so often," he finally managed. Perseus smiled behind his mask, cinching the leather into a gaunt crescent.
"I have to say, you seem rather mild tempered for a hunter, Nico," he said after some thought. It hurt to hear this, although the man didn't seem to mean it as an insult.
"Oh!" Nico said with a tinge of surprise in his voice. "I-I was a student at Byrgenworth before a hunter, so most of my life has been spent in my studies I suppose." His hand raised automatically to the back of his head, readjusting his hunter's mask self-consciously.
"Sorry, I meant no offense," Perseus said with another laugh. "Perhaps I just meant you look rather well-put together for a hunter." The pale of Nico's face turned bloody red as he blushed.
"I-thank you," he finally said a bit questioningly. He wasn't used to getting compliments, even if they were strange ones like this.
"You certainly look….well equipped," he said rather quickly in response. When Perseus laughed, he realized the full intent of what he had just said.
"No! I just mean-you look-I like your blade!" Nico said quickly, trying to cover himself. Perseus laughed again, his eyes softening a bit this time.
"Dear hunter," Perseus said with a smirk, looking Nico up and down. "What do you say we join in the hunt together? A little sweat and blood might do you some good. I have a feeling you'd look good that way."
Nico blushed and opened his mouth to protest. Before he spoke, Perseus grabbed him by the wrist and the two bound into the nightmare together.
The two hunters returned into the dream in a cloud of murky smoke, huffing and raving from a week's worth of death in the nightmare. They were covered from foot to weapon from dark black blood, the stench wafting through and around their masks. If a hunter's first cooperation is considered a bonding experience, the two by now had become entwined for life. Still panting, Perseus pulled the black mask from his face and began undoing the buckles of his cloak.
"What are you doing?" Nico asked hurriedly, still high on bloodlust.
"We can't steep like some bloody tea in this muck forever, Nico. We'll go mad," Perseus said rather seriously. Already, Nico could see the other man's pupils growing large, starved for more sights of the kill.
"Oh...oh," Nico said, trying to calm himself. "Is this how you always tear yourself from the hunt?" Nico spoke slowly now, watching Perseus undress. Fresher blood dripped from the man's hair, and down his back.
"Would-would you like me to help you?" Nico said after a moment. "Clean up, I mean." Nico's eyes met Perseus' in a moment of surprise and blood fueled adrenaline, and the two clashed together. The two hunters had only met some time ago in the dream, yet now they seemed locked together in the love of the hunt. Perseus lifted Nico's tasset and cloak from his torso as he placed a kiss deep on his stomach; Nico's nimble fingers fretted nervously over the buckles on the other's waist. It was frantic and nearly frightening, yet both hunters continued eagerly undressing the other. Whether it be from the hunt, or something else entirely, the two men needed one another in this moment.
Just as Perseus finished drawing the belts and tassels from Nico's garb, he pushed the smaller man beneath him, pressing him deep into the grass of the dream.
"Hell, Perseus, hurry. I'm begging you," Nico said, craving the tall hunter's touch. Even with time frozen in the dream, the air felt rushed with lust. It seemed the blood from the hunt had seeped deep into their brains, careening them into a frenzy of want.
"You're all mine here, Nico," Perseus said as he pinned the black haired man to the ground. "I'll be the beast to take you in this nightmare," he said, baring his teeth. His breath felt white hot as his bite collided with Nico's neck, his tongue swirling in slow laps over the new wound. Blood vessels burst beneath the skin in waves, sending shocks of new pain through Nico's center. As his teeth ground their way into the pale skin, Perseus' heavy hand made its way to the younger hunter's waist, gripping his ass tightly.
"I have to be inside you, now," Perseus demanded quietly against Nico's ear, ebbing a shiver over the hair on his neck.
"Fuck's sake, Perseus, do it then," Nico moaned in response, clearly eager to take the other hunter. He shivered beneath him against the ground as his legs locked tight in preparation, to frenzied to relax. Whatever had come over the two had by now taken full control, and it was far too late to stop.
Perseus' cock throbbed inhumanely hard in his hand, pulsing each time the man gave it a pump. Kneeling over Nico, he seemed impossibly large, like one false move would simply kill him or rupture his stomach. Perhaps it was an effect of the beasthood that ravished his blood. With a few more pumps, he pressed the head of his cock square against the young hunter's entrance, shivering as he felt the younger man tighten and wince. The contact was only a taste of something more fulfilling, something both the hunters needed immediately.
"Nico," Perseus growled as he thrust hard into the black haired hunter, gripping the crooks of his knees more tightly. Nico was nearly unable to move, now speared in place by the larger man. If not for sheer force force of will, the poor little hunter would probably be dead. Perseus growled again, this time as a harsh, low roar. Every inch of his cock ached with bow-taught tension, waiting to snap inside the dark-eyed hunter beneath him. Nico's insides were hot and alive, wet with a swathe of sweat and saliva from the two. Perseus found that each time he thrust into the hunter, his insides would tighten and bend, accommodating more of his girth. The small hunter let out a pitiful whimper at the sensation as Perseus' cock pushed deeper to his core. The bundle of nerves inside him felt electrified and sore, tightening harder each time. He doubted he could take much more if not for the syrupy white precum slicking his walls.
"I need to be deeper inside you, Nico," Perseus groaned against the Nico's throat. "I have to have more of you," he said with a huff of shaky breath. Perseus' thrusts grew faster and ever more frantic, revelling in the sounds he drew from his prey each time he pressed to his base. Nico's hands clung tight to the darkened skin of his back, his nails drawing fresh red blood from the scrapes. Nico's hips felt small and sharp at the larger hunter's own, grinding their way into his flesh at each thrust. Perseus moved a blood caked hand to Nico's throat, venting ravenous growls as he watched the little hunter cry out in pleasure. His other hand moved fast to the smaller hunter's cock, feeling it pulse lightly as he began pumping in time to their movements. Nico began huffing, and shut his eyes tightly. His nails dug tighter into the new etches on Perseus' back, causing the mad hunter to quicken his pace.
"Fuck, Perseus, more!" Nico demanded as he clung tight to the stronger hunter. "Make me yours, please!" he continued to beg. "I need every last drop of you inside me, god," he gasped. As he spoke, his legs shook and buckled hard around Perseus' waist. His insides tightened and pulsed erratically, drawing precum from his cock. With a final moan, Nico's back arched hard to fall deeper into the man's grasp, his hips bucking hard forward. His insides wrapped tighter around Perseus' cock as ropes of cum strung their way fast to Nico's chest, laying in hot streaks down his torso. Perseus' thrusts grew faster too, his cock pushing harder and deeper into the small hunter's frame.
"Nico," he growled as his teeth sank again into the man's neck, drawing hot blood onto his tongue. His cock pulsed hard inside the man's core as his hips bucked on their own, overfilling Nico with hot, thick cum. Nico had nearly been pushed beyond his limits. His mouth opened to scream, but only gave way to a small, cracked moan. His back arched hard in waves, sending him up into Perseus' grasp. Without a word, Perseus released his grip, falling hard onto the smaller man. The two were breathing in rough heaves, unable to worry about collapsed over onto the ground beside Nico, their arms still intertwined. Nico lay still in his quiet, covered from head to toe in a mix of red and white. At least for now, the hunt felt finally over.