Yharnam.
Truth be told it wasn't too uncommon for screaming to be heard in the streets late at night; what with the beasts and the demented crawling about. Tonight was no different; the screaming filtering out the back alleys and across the rooftops. It made a perfect background static for the woman wandering the streets, using the screams of the gutted and the flayed to hide the noise she was making tonight. She kept walking; down streets and down pathways, ducking out of sight and hiding as if death itself was lurking about.
In Yharnam, that might damn well of been possible.
All the while the bell tied to her wrist keep ringing going off. Keeps releasing a chime to alert a select few to its presence and the call being made.
Where were they though? Of course; they were busy tonight, after all the great church bells had been rung yet again, and the purge was in effect. Men and women had locked their doors and the streets were growing caked in blood and fat. She had not been lucky enough to make it home tonight, and because of that they had locked her out, and less the sun rose they would not let her back inside.
If she died well… she'd be out of luck.
They both would.
Stopping to catch her breath she looks down, her attention focused on the bundle carrying her baby boy and tries to calm him. He's young, barely a week and he was afraid. Afraid of things he did not understand. "It's ok… it's ok. The church will let us in. We'll be safe there." She tries to either convince herself of the newborn in her hands. The Church was a safe place, they allowed sanctuary even when the bell was rung, so long as blood wasn't spilled in the church.
Still till she reached the church she'd have to move, let her steps carry her throughout the winding labyrinthine streets till she reached the church grounds.
So she does She keeps moving, keeps hiding, as she makes her way.
When she reaches a dead end though she curses to herself, finding the path blocked by bricks and coffins. They were always around even when she didn't need a quick turn she aims to retrace her steps, stopping only when she sees the fire coming from the corner and hears the dogs barking. Trapped she steps back, bumping into one of the many coffins that plague the city and without much hesitation she dumps her child in one, hiding them from sight and let the stench of the dead cover them. She closes the lip, leaves it just open enough to let air flow in so they won't suffocate. When she turns she draws a knife, a small little thing barely reaching up to her elbow. She'd never used it in a fight, but she knew how to use it. After all sometimes a man needed a reminder of what was at stake he threatened a Woman of Pleasure. Looking ahead she saw the men and their mutts wandering past, turning only when the dog caught whiff of her and growled. What she heard leave their lips sounded was less of a man more of a beast.
Some laughed.
Some growled.
They all came for her.
He watched everything unfold. Watched a woman make a valiant yet pathetic attempt at fighting a small army of men and muts. He watched one scream, holding what remained of their lower selves, the parts of them that would never again feel the pleasures of a woman. He watched the rest come at her, watched them steal her knife and beat her half to death. He watched monsters be made of men.
He frowned absolutely venomously as the screaming, moaning and begging reached his ears. And when the last men roared in bestial pleasure he clenched his hands on the roof tile, his grip sending a crack through both it and several more with inhuman ease. When it was over he took a breath, watched them leave, continuing down the streets as they let the woman behind. Her mind gone long before her naked body was broken and cut to pieces. He just sighed and jumped down, landing on his feet with as much stress as leaf kissing to the ground. He reached for her bell, long discarded and rung it a few times, the phantom melody one again ringing out into the city before tossing it up. With a quick catch he made his way to the coffins as he pushed it open. Finding a little scarlet haired baby crying out.
With a finger he poked the young ones cheeks and made a noise. "Nice night isn't it?" He said more to himself as he rested a hand over the baby's head."Hang tight, this will just take a second." He closed his eyes for a moment writing a phantom symbol on the baby's forehead as it started to cry louded. He paid it little mind though, instead focusing as the baby continued to scream and cry out.
As they screamed they changed. Their bundle grew tight and lost its grip. Their hair grew out, their limbs lengthened and doubled - tripled in size, their voice changed.
In the span of mere minutes, a newborn had aged until they were replaced by a good looking man with long scarlet hair. He panted for breath, he opened unfocused ember eyes, and looked ready to cry for a moment.
He refused though, perhaps because he had grown horse or there was already none left for him to shed.
"W-what happened."
"Hey Rosa." The man, Rosa just tried focusing on him, his breathing once horse was growing more steady as he saw his counterpart smile and remove their hand. "Remember me You should it's only been nine months."
"C… Contractor?" His smile evolved into a grin.
"You do remember me, good. So what do you think of the body?" Rosa said nothing, just raising his naked arms and looking them over. He felt them, his face, his feet. He even looked at the hunk of meat that was his 'third leg' and pulled it curiously. "No no, don't do that." The contractor just grabs his hands takes them away from his third leg and holds them. "Least not out here, you can play with that al you want later."
"Your hands…"
"Warm aren't they?" He grinned. "You'll get used to it. That said; how does it feel? Finally having a body?"
"It feels… it feels?" Rosa twisted his head as he looked to see the beaten and cut up body of what had once been a crimson haired woman. "Who that?" The contractor said nothing just turning as he looked at the body himself.
"You know that is, she was carrying you for nine months after all." Rosa's eyes widened, clarity immediately crossing his face as he scrambled out coffin and stumbling to his feet.
"Mom? Mom!" He repeated the words, once twice, three more times as he shook her, stopping only when he started grabbing her parts and started trying to put her back together.
"Don't bother… she won't be coming back." The Collector shivered. "It's better this way, when you try bringing them back things tend to...go wrong."
"What happened to her!? Why is she like this?"
"She's like this because she's out tonight." Rosa turned to him. "The purge is tonight, any caught out late fall prey to its bloodbath." Rosa bit back tears as the Contractor walked up to him.
"Who did this?" The collector heard the venom in his voice as he turned off into the distance. He tapped his counterparts skull as Rosa grabbed his head, images drilling into his mind as he saw everything his Contractor did. When they ended Rosa stood, turned and swung wildly at his counterpart. "You watched!" The Contractor just dodged his sloppy swings as he stepped back. "You bastard you watched! You watched them violate her, you watched them cut her apart!"
"I did." Realizing his swings weren't going to do anything Rosa grabbed his counterpart and held him.
"Why!?"
"There was nothing I could do."
"Liar!" Rosa spat. "You can do anything, grant any wish! You gave me life! You could have saved her." The Collector just sighed as he looked at the venomous young man and then his dead mother.
"No I couldn't." He pulled his collar free from the others hands and walked over to the dead mother. "I formed a contract with you, not her. She's outside my power of help." Rosa just glared at him for a moment before dropping to his knees and raised his hands to his face.
"Damn it… damn it! I just… I wanted her a part of this! I wanted to know what it was like…"The Contractor watched his counterpart cry for a moment as he looked away. "I'll kill them… I swear I'll kill those that did this."
"If you want that's fine, I won't stop you." The Contractor looked at his counterpart. "I gave you a chance at life, how you spend it is up to you." The Contractor reached over pulled Rosa's hands from his face as he showed him the necklace that was around his neck. An egg shaped pearl resting at the center of it. "Just remember, you die, or this breaks, the contract is voided, Also despite how you look right now, you're still only a few days old. You wouldn't want to slip up an die already, would you?"
"… No." Rosa picked himself up as he got a smile."But why do I look this way? I was.. Wasn't I a… baby moments ago."
"Oh that, I had to speed up your age a bit, not much just 20 years give or take?"
"Why?"
"Better chance of survival this way." The Collector shrugged as he tossed Rosa the bell. "You'll need that, it belonged to your mother." Use it to call a Hunter to your location if you need help."
"Hunters?"
"It's a story, one for another meeting I'm afraid. As it stands I have somewhere to be." He chuckled. "And you need pants." Looking down Rosa saw his third leg was handing out for all to see. Uncertain of what was wrong with that sight he watched the Contractor just laugh before putting his hands behind his back and smiled. "Anyway I'll see you later, oh and enjoy the night." His smile turned cryptic. "After all if you aren't careful, It will be your last."