Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. Nothing.

Iosefka was safe behind a cheap door and the smoke of incense, peering out of her curtained window on the door to see a figure. The person shakes slightly and knocks softly.

"You… are a Hunter, aren't you?" she answered, slowly approaching the doorway.

"I-I… suppose so?" The person replied timidly. He was a man, and from the shadowy silhouette on the curtain, he was thin, and so very much afraid. He must be new to the Hunt, then.

"Then do you understand why I mustn't open this door? I am so terribly sorry," she apologized. Iosefka felt deep pity for this newcomer, most likely a foreigner to Yharnam. She heard a soft sigh behind the door and wracked her head for anything that she might do to help him.

"I… I don't have much to offer, but here, have this." The doctor opened the door just a bit and slid out a vial. It was her own blood, as she once provided the healing blood from herself before opening her clinic. The man caught it quickly and has most likely inspected the faded label on its side. "My name is Iosefka. I really appreciate all you do for us, really, I do. It's just… I mustn't have my patients ill from the plague as well. You do understand, right?"

There was a small moment of silence before the silhouette nodded. "I… I think I understand. Thank you very much." It didn't sound like he understood, but he was grateful, something that she could tell, at the very least.

She smiled a smile that the stranger will never see. "I pray for a good, fruitful hunt for you," she assured.

"Thank you, Miss Iosefka." Fading footsteps were the only evidence to his departure. The doctor sighed and walked away from the door. It was hardly evening, and already the Hunters were busy at work. And what was she doing? Sitting by dying, mad patients, awaiting the end.

"Miss Iosefka? Are you still well?"

She recognized that voice. It was stronger now, not quite as timid. Touched by the concern of the stranger, she answered back just as kindly. "I am fine. I'm very glad to know that you are still well and alive. Here, take this if you need any more." She slid another vial out to him, which he swept back up quickly from the ground. "Has my small gift helped you in any way?"

"Yes, yes it has," he replied almost immediately. "Thank you very much, but…I don't mean to look at a gift horse's mouth; I have a question," he said, a soft ruffle of clothing telling her that he had pocketed the precious blood.

"Ask ahead."

"Why are you so kind to me? Everyone else here… forgive me, almost everyone here is extremely xenophobic, and yet you and another kind man…" he trailed off, his voice constrained in bewilderment and increasing shyness.

She could only smile a smile that he could never see in return. "You are a fellow human being, am I right? And you are new here too. It's only natural for me to care for you as best as I can so you may survive the night," the doctor reassured him.

Silence hung as the silhouette on the door stood stock-still, then a hand went up and gently pressed itself, palm-down, on the door. "I…" His voice was now choked-up, trying to continued until Iosefka decided to intervene and hush him softly.

"Sh, it's alright. You don't need to say a word. Pray tell, what may your name be?" she asked.

"It's Chase, Miss Iosefka. Chase..." he hesitated, as if he couldn't quite say his surname. He quickly dropped and, awkwardly continuing. "Ah, also, I have a short favor to ask of you: there is a man living in central Yharnam, and he has a very grave disease right now. May you be able to help him the next morning?"

"Of course," she answered. "That is, if I'm not too busy. I'll never know; these Hunts are becoming worse and worse every night. Be careful as well, Chase, when you venture out. I pray for a successful hunt for you."

The hand was now off the door, and the shadow dipped down just a bit. Did he just… bow? "Stay safe as well, Miss Iosefka."

She watched as his dark outline slowly faded away.

She found herself almost expecting his visits now. He was an uncharacteristically kind man, and in nature along with sound. She could almost see the smile he must surely bear every time he visited her.

"Miss Iosefka?"

And speak of the devil, he doth come.

"Yes? Chase, is it?" she replied back, almost excitedly. Nary a few hours had passed, and already they spoke like old friends, to her pleasant surprise.

"Yes. If it's not a bother, would you happen to have any more blood to spare?" He passed her a few coins to further along her incentive to help him, not like she needed any help for that anyways.

Laughing, she pushed the coins back under the door along with another vial of her blood. "No need to pay. Please, accept this as a gift from me. In all honesty, your presence alone is payment enough," she said, looking around to see if their conversation was too loud. From the appearance of the slumbering patients, they both were entirely fine. "You sound much better right now," she remarked.

"Pardon me?" Oops, he does have a reason to be confused now, doesn't he?

"Well, you sound much stronger, more confident. I pray for a successful hunt for such a brave Hunter you are."

Even if it was only a chuckle, she felt a torrent of happiness rush through her first experience of hearing the stranger-not-stranger laugh.

This time, the good doctor was alerted towards the door by two men talking, one of them which she immediately recognized as Chase. Did he bring a friend this time?

"- her. A really nice lady, right?" That wasn't him.

"Indeed. In such a grim city, I'm eternally grateful for her presence. And yours." That was him.

"Good evening, Chase. Who is it with you?" Iosefka asked, fingering another bottle. She wasn't worried to run out: there were plenty of surplus back from her Blood Saint days.

"Ah. He's a new friend-"

"The name's Jabez!" The other announced, his voice much louder and more joyous than his companion's. The sudden introduction was a bit jarring for her.

She heard a hiss behind the door and some laughing that was not Chase's (a shame).

"I apologize for his weirdness-"

"You're the weird one, Arty."

Arty?

"How many times will I have to tell you to stop calling me that? Who get's a nickname from their profession alone?"

"Well, actually…"

The two began bickering behind the door, just harmless banter between two friends, and the good doctor bit down her jealousy and rolled the vial beneath the door.

Silence followed.

"Thank you, Iosefka. I will never forget your kindness," Chase thanked.

"You are always welcome. Your friend's presence is enjoyable as well." Not. "Would you fancy a moment to come and visit me upon dawn? I would like to put a face to the kind man I met this evening."

A soft "oooooh" followed, and someone tumbled down the stairs. Maybe Jabez. Hopefully Jabez.

"Apologies. Although there's never a dull moment with him, he is a bit of a handful," Chase said, chuckling a bit. It sounded like a choir's aria to her, and the good sort of choir, not the Choir.

"It is fine. I pray for a good Hunt for you, Chase."

"And I hope for a restful night for you."

Her sight may or may not have lingered on his fading shadow upon the door too much.

She looked up while organizing her shelves, hearing footsteps resonate throughout the clinic.

That was odd. No one here wore boots, last she remembered.

"Hello. What is your name?"

She turned around in fright, staring at the face of another woman that looked eerily similar to her, from her pale skin to her combed-back blond hair. "I-I am Iosefka, keeper of this establishment. How did you even get in here?!" With shaking hands, she brought out a paltry knife, laughable pathetic as with a swing from her cane-whip, it clattered to the side.

"Don't trouble yourself with such a worry."

Nothing.

burning. burning cold. blue.

sounds, clump-clump-clump, closer.

garbled mess. mortal speech.

hands out, attack.

miss. try again.

strike. head, pain.

bliss.

A/N:

I just exploded my significant other's phone with fangirling over Bloodborne. Is that alright? (Of course it's alright, at least it's not that weeb game whose acronym is just the chemical symbol for iron that I still really love even though it's been forever since I've last played it pfffffffffffft)

Reviews are always appreciated!