A/N: And the second part in this weird little challenge I've somehow gotten myself into, a little piece featuring the Inkborne AU! Made by the-vampire-inside-me on Tumblr, this one's also kinda wormed its way into my heart, what with the eldtrich horror coupled with found family tropes. It's a good ride. Honestly, wasn't sure what I could contribute, but then I thought of this, technically two, ideas, and ended up mashing them together for the sake of a short story. Hope you all enjoy!
Bendy and the Ink Machine is of course the property of themeatly, and Bloodborne is the property of FromSoftware.
Only In the Dark:
The perpetual night was cold, the temperature sticking to the surfaces of Yharnam like the cloying ink that ran through the veins of its inhabitants. Unfortunately, due to the monsters' attraction to heat a fire wasn't wise, though Tom and Allison had managed to scrounge up some blankets from the derelict buildings to use. The werewolf had been left alone, with his charge and the hunter that they had found having moved away to exchange words in private. He could see them in the next room, over a small dividing wall, but could not make out more than a few words. Not that he wanted to. The hunter, Henry, had the weight of what seemed like ten men on his shoulders, and the last thing Tom wanted was to take part in a stranger's problems. Besides, if it was important Allison would fill him in later.
A small shifting in a bundle of blankets to his right briefly caught the werewolf's eye, Tom's gaze zipping to the motion with the alacrity befitting a great beast of prey. However, it was only the small devil that had been accompanying Henry, the sight reminding the werewolf that he was not as alone as he might've liked.
Ah well, at least the little creature was asleep. It kept things quiet enough for his tastes.
To his mild dismay though, the small frame tossed again under the blanket, Tom noticing with a faint flicker of bemusement how the inky-black part of the devil's head started to drip, standing out against the somewhat dirtied white with clarity. The small face had started to crumple too, expression twisting with a cornered anxiety that he'd only seen flashes of while the little creature had been awake. Before it had been hidden with guarded cockiness, now it stood almost naked on the childlike face.
And, while he did have some idea of what was happening, Tom hardly had enough experience with children to know how exactly to proceed. The best thing he could think of was to try to wake the little beast up, but doing so might draw the pair back in and break up their conversation. Honestly he'd rather they just get that done, it would save time rather than having to go back and forth. Perhaps if he covered the devil up more he would stop moving about so much…?
Reaching over with his right arm, Tom picked up another blanket to cover the little creature. Unfortunately, the werewolf misjudged his effort, accidentally dropping the heavy wool atop the devil's upper body. That completely jolted the little beast from sleep, a surprised snort rattling the pile of cloth as Bendy flailed his way free. Dark eyes groggily landing on the tall, furry figure, the devil's brain fired with the first thing that came to mind.
"…Bor's?"
"Tom, boy." The werewolf growled out, Bendy jolting and withdrawing into the safety of the blankets. Black eyes glimmered against the shadows of the makeshift little shelter as the devil's mind raced through the memories he had of the past few hours, of him and Henry fighting to get through the city, Henry constantly faltering due to the dark infection spreading through his veins, his fights against the monsters of the city growing more and more desperate before…
…Oh, right, then they'd found these two.
Not that that really put Bendy anymore at ease, what with the old ache of losing Boris now interposing over this increasingly bleak adventure. His caretaker may have been a very different sort, softer and more jovial compared to this quiet and brooding mass of fur and muscle, but Boris had been the only other werewolf he'd seen. Not to mention that apart from perhaps a slight difference in size Boris and Tom looked similar enough, both with dark black fur and glowing eyes, that made the two blur a little in the still-groggy devil's mind.
"Go back to sleep. Might as well while it's quiet." Tom grunted out, turning to a nearby pack and rooting through it with his good hand. Still feeling physically as well as emotionally wrung out, Bendy opted to just listen to the much bigger and stronger creature, throwing a quick glance to the heavy-looking prosthetic affixed to the werewolf's left arm as he huddled down into the blankets. However, he couldn't quite relax, especially when the realization that he hadn't heard anything from Henry made him sit upright again, peering around with increasing anxiety as he tried to find some trace of the hunter in the dilapidated room.
His looking about caused him to make eye contact with Tom, who had glanced back at the sounds of stirring. The werewolf's gaze was unreadable, causing Bendy to tense even more with his tail flicking under the blankets. Though if the devil thought that the disobeying of what seemed like clear orders would end in some punishment, he was thankfully surprised when Tom decided to humor him instead.
"In there. He will be back when he and Allison are done." Oh, well, that explained it, as well as where the lady had gone, the looking-like-Alice-but-not-quite one. Bendy did find himself more able to settle back into the blanket nest, though even after laying his head down he couldn't drift off to sleep. It was strange how, despite the exhaustion still itching at his eyes and weighing down his limbs, the little devil still couldn't quite calm down. He hadn't taken much notice of time in more than just the immediate sense before Henry, now it seemed like it was hurtling along far faster than he was comfortable with.
The events of the past few hours certainly hammered the thought in. Even from the safety of the blanket nest, the devil could see the scene again on the backs of his eyelids.
-the ink was coming, Bendy could see it even through the globby, liquid curtains that hung in front of his face. While the devil knew that he could certainly get out of the way, he had less confidence in how well Henry was able to run. Especially given that the man was bent over with exhaustion following 'Alice's last charge. The 'angel' had fallen to the ground, pulling sickeningly away from Henry's axe as she dropped. Though her death seemed to have triggered a last ditch, desperate trap set to clear the whole arena.
Reacting on adrenaline, Bendy grabbed the hunter's smaller frame, hauling Henry over his shoulder and tossing him up onto the safety of a ledge. The devil barely had time to pull himself up before the flood swept his feet out from under him, taking him under as he spun end over end in darkness. Though his hearing was muffled, Bendy could make out in the watery roar-.
"Where am I?"
"What's happening? Where are-?"
"HELP, HELP ME!"
"They're all dead, they're all dead…"
"I'm not dead, I'm not-someone, please-!"
"They've overrun the streets, they're coming-!"
"I can hear them, they're coming for me…"
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"
"LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT OF HERE!"
-They hummed and rambled in his ears, the devil's flailing turning more desperate as he felt hands seize his arms and legs, grabbing at his face, prying at his eyelids and lips. The realization exploded in his mind, that the ink had the people of Yharnam, and they were either trying to use him to get out or drag him down with them.
Blessedly, somehow, Bendy managed to break the surface of the inky slurry, throwing himself into a frantic lunge for the shore he could only just see. The sensation did not dissipate, the devil feeling hands yanking at him even as he swam. It only drove him further into a panic, that he was in danger from an enemy that had him completely at its mercy. Managing to make it to the edge the devil latched onto the promise of safety, even catching sight of Henry running to help.
Before he could pull himself up Bendy felt the grip the ink had on his legs and body grow stronger, like iron rings keeping him partially submerged. What was happening, was it going to pull him back in, would he become one of them?!
"HENRY!" The devil hollered, fear spreading like wildfire as he scrabbled at the stone. He could feel the strangling hold turn into a yank. He could faintly hear the hunter screech to a halt in front of him, the man's hands grabbing his own and doing their best to pull.
It was heartening, but Bendy could feel the manner in which he was being drawn, could feel every half-inch he slipped, and could only remember the murky darkness and the buzzing voices, and the coldness with which the realization had set in, that he might become ONE OF THEM-.
"BENDY!"
The shout startled the devil out of his panic, dark eyes meeting Henry's as the hunter regathered verbal momentum before continuing.
"CHANGE BACK! BENDY, CHANGE BACK, I CAN'T PULL YOU UP-!"
A brief crisis bloomed, the devil loath to lose the safety that his taller, stronger form provided but eventually trusting Henry won out. And, as he shrunk, Bendy slipped free and was yanked up into the hunter's arms. With the lack of resistance, Henry toppled to land on his backside with Bendy clutched to him, the hunter shaking with the coughs his yelling had stirred up. The now-little devil clung to Henry's coat and tried to focus on the real, living warmth and life the man offered, though not nearly enough to banish the memory of cold rushing liquid and the feeling of grabbing hands pulling him further down-.
The tension dissolved into juddering shakes before the devil realized, his breathing starting with the first signs of terrified sobs. Even as a part of Bendy reasoned that there was no need for this, it was over, they were fine, he could keep carrying on, there was still the nerveless part of him that thought of the dark floods and whispers and couldn't help but think that could have been me.
"'S'alright Bendy." Henry gasped, a hand rubbing over the small shoulder blades as he tried to rise above his coughing fit. "I've got you, it's all…"
The hunter trailing off was accompanied by the hum of bubbling, frothing liquid growing in volume until it almost sounded like a waterfall or geyser. Bendy caught sight of a spot about the size of a small shack in the center of the now rushing ink-pool, which was fountaining the slurry up from the depths. Worryingly it wasn't stopping, the column rising higher and higher until it was about twenty feet into the air, almost like a giant. The similarity was only clinched when the plume began to grow more defined, large, long arms separating from the main column along with a pair of legs. The body too was enormous, the colossal figure as big around as Henry was tall, and at first the constantly shifting surface looked as though the ink was still running off it in rivers.
Looked, at least until the erratic-ness of it registered, and a closer look revealed that it was instead a shifting mass of limbs and indistinct faces melting in and out of visibility on the surface. The sight caused ice to lace through Bendy's insides, his hands clenching hard enough to shake on Henry's jacket. His mind raced, thoughts spinning through consisting of it's mad I got out, it's coming for me IT'S COMING FOR ME-.
Despite the odds, Henry still levied his axe, wrapping an arm protectively around Bendy's smaller frame as he tensed. Even though it felt futile the strength the hunter somehow managed to summon up made Bendy react in kind, teeth baring as he managed to throw a defiant snarl at the titanic figure of ink. Taking one slurping step after another, the dark mountain of a shape came closer and closer, raising a dripping hand to bring down once it got within range.
Before it could, something bright shot from the other end of the flood, zipping through the thing's chest. The projectile's path sent it into the ledge, the long, narrow shape vibrating slightly with the force of the sudden stop. Given that it was no longer a fast-traveling blur, both Henry and Bendy were able to see it for what it was; a shining, silvery arrow.
The arrow that had crippled the inky monstrosity. The hulking figure stumbled before finally collapsing in a splash, Henry only just managing to scoot backwards to avoid the worst of the splatter. At first Bendy thought that they were going to run, as while the attacker seemed to have been focused on the monster who knows what he or she would do now that it was gone, but Henry only got to his feet, gaze pointed at something across the ink pool. Turning to look himself, Bendy caught sight of two figures standing on the opposite ledge, one slender, humanoid, the other….
…Boris? His first thought was dashed with the memory of where they'd found the werewolf, strung up and silent in some derelict town square in Yharnam. It quite simply couldn't be Boris. But, it did look a lot like him-.
Blinking in recollection, the devil let himself settle back in the present, his dark eyes briefly fixing on Tom's back. Either the werewolf knew that he wasn't asleep still and was ignoring him, or he'd long since stopped caring. In any case, it left Bendy almost at a loss for what to do, how to dispel this feeling of time pulling him along in the same manner as the dark floods of ink.
Shuddering at the reminder, Bendy opted to think of something else, something easier, simpler, nicer. Focusing on the dark-colored werewolf's back, the devil was abruptly reminded of the times that he and Boris had spent together. Almost eager, he threw himself into the reverie, of waking up to hear Boris humming or singing a song from somewhere or other, the scent of something good cooking away for them to eat. Joey was a distant concern, and even when the man reared his perfection-seeking head Boris had a way of making the blunt words less all-consuming.
Perhaps if he didn't think on it too hard, he could pretend he was there, that the hulking, furry figure of Tom was in fact Boris. That somehow Henry was there too, that he was fine, just in the other room and would be back shortly-.
"-You might as well get some rest now, we will be leaving soon." A female voice murmured from somewhere near the door, causing Bendy to peer in that direction hopefully without being too obvious.
Once he'd caught a glimpse of Henry, the devil ducked back down, trying to pretend that he had been sleeping all along. The hunter looked fine, despite the ink building in his system. Bendy picked out the noise of Henry coming around to sit on his other side. Keeping still as could be, the little devil hoped that he'd actually be able to drop off. Eventually, anyway.
Bendy nearly jumped as he felt the blankets shifting around him, before realizing that someone was tucking them in more securely over his frame. It could only be Henry, though instead of relaxing the devil felt himself tense up a little, thoughts of being a 'good son' and not giving the ailing hunter any more trouble swirling dizzily in his mind.
Though when the man rested his hand on Bendy's head, fingers kneading over the inky skin with a calm, gentle touch, the little devil couldn't help but scoot carefully backwards until he was just touching the hunter's side. Even as a part of him scoffed at it, he couldn't completely dispel a desire to be near some living warmth, something that wasn't just some residual heat from the blankets. It would certainly be a far cry from the cold, dark floods…
A sudden chuckle from Henry made Bendy stiffen under the blankets, the devil's head revolving in an effort to see what the hunter was laughing about. However, as he looked Bendy quickly discovered that Henry's attention hadn't turned from him in the least.
"Knew you weren't asleep, you little punk." The hunter managed, before a cough took hold. Still, Bendy opted to just throw on a cocky smile, snarking right back as though nothing was wrong.
"Shaddap, ol' man. 'm just movin' around in my sleep. An' talkin'."
"'Course you are." Henry replied, a quiet smile drifting over his face though it didn't quite disguise the exhaustion etched into the hunter's features. Somehow, Bendy had the impression that the desire to pretend everything was perfectly fine was more mutual than he'd initially thought. "Get some rest, Ben. We'll be heading out soon."
"Alrigh', try not t'snore too much, Henry."
"Only if you don't kick me in your sleep again."
"Hey, I only did that once." The devil groused, though the familiar banter was doing a wonderful job of easing the earlier tension. Bendy's eyes took longer and longer blinks as he settled into the warm blankets. "I hardly bruised ya."
"Still was an interesting way to wake up." Henry wryly responded, though even in his weakened condition the hunter could pick out the signs that Bendy was steadily leaving the land of the wakeful. "How you flipped yourself upside down is a mystery for the ages though…"
All the devil was able to manage in reply was an irritated growl, his black eyes only open a slit by that point and slid closed without any further fanfare. Reaching over, Henry reaffixed the blankets, briefly resting a hand on the crown of Bendy's head before pulling away into his own huddle. A flicker of motion from the werewolf caught the hunter's eye. Tom hadn't turned towards the pair, though a long ear flicked tellingly about as he returned to the task at hand.