Louise walked through the caverns, climbed the ladders, and came across a slime person that was once a brainsucker. "Hey there!" she called, hoping this slime folk had enough wits about it. Telling the gender of slimes were difficult when they were in their puddle form.

"Eep, it's the Exploding Huntress!" The slime formed into a man and tried desperately to stumble, crawl, and then fall onto his face. His body turned into a puddle again, and he attempted to ooze into a crack.

"Hey, hold on! I don't recall coming here and curing you!" Louise ran up to the slime man, and attempted to grab at his slick blue flesh. Touching him was gross.

"Back off, I'll eat your brains!" The slime gurgled, inching away. He must have had his humanity recently returned to him to be so slow and clumsy.

Louise wasn't buying his tough guy act. She pointed her wand at him, pretty sure he was seeing her somehow. "Stop moving before I spread you across this courtyard."

Mr. Slime stopped and proceeded to tremble, his puddle wobbling in fear. A stench of sweat and urine assaulted Louise's nose and she covered it with a clawed hand. "Founder, I just want to talk. Why are people so scared of me, I'm not even a proper Hunter!"

"You just threatened to spread me across the courtyard. Don't hurt me! Mehheheheh." He formed into a young boy next and started crying, little crystals falling from his eyes.

Louise bowed her head, realizing that she did threaten him. It was a terrible habit. When she was a noble it worked, because commoners were meant to do as nobles say. But she wasn't one anymore, and she wasn't even in her country where she had the right to boss people around. "I'm sorry, please stop crying."

"Muhheheheh!" The slime boy continued to cry, rubbing at his eyes. "Don't hurt me, I just wanted to take a walk."

"Oi!" Another man's voice echoed over the courtyard. "You girl, are you harassing my friend there!"

Louise looked up to spot a beast-blooded man, he had doggy ears and a tail, standing atop a rooftop, right above a ladder. More people walked up beside the new stranger, other beast-blooded citizens of Yharnam with their wits returned and their blood cleansed. Everyone had cloth covering their eyes, and bandages tightly wrapped from differing injuries.

She waved at them, attempting to be friendly. "I was just trying to talk. I'm sorry if I'm a bit, uhm-"

"You're that lady who's been exploding us!" A teenage girl said, without any beastly traits. She looked like an older version of Melody, with blonde hair.

"Yeah, that's me. I've been fixing you guys." Louise said, realizing how lame she must sound.

"Fixing us! The good doctor fixes us, you explode us." A boy yelled.

The first man to speak raised a Molotov-cocktail, the piece of cloth sticking out of the bottle pre-lit. "Go away Lady Explosion, leave us be! The night is long, it's too long, and you're making a real mess of Yharnam."

"Please, I just want to talk!" Louise said, stepping away from the still crying slime.

"You go about hurting us!" The man threw the cocktail. Louise grabbed the startled slime, and yanked him out of the way, jumping from the explosive fire.

"Hey, you about hurt your friend here!" Louise let go of the slime, shaking off the bits of him that slung to her furred hands.

"Shit, I got too angry and forgot about him. See what you've done to us you stupid Hunter, I'm losing my temper just looking at you!"

"What's this ruckus?" A hunter dressed in grey walked up to the edge of the roof and joined the small group that had gathered.

Louise pointed at him in surprise. "Hey, you're that guy who kept killing me with a Gatling-gun!"

"Oh, you. The noisy little girl, stirring up trouble." The Hunter shook his head. "Killing people left and right at first, then you go about turning them to humans again. We don't understand you. What are you trying to gain by your actions?"

Louise notice the slime oozing to the ladder and crawling up its rungs. She let him go. "I'm not from around here. I didn't know what was happening at first, and then I found a way to try and help people. Having your wits about you is better than being a flesh hungry beast, right?"

"That it is, but you're not the only one who's fixing people. The good doctor doesn't need to blow them up first. Her process isn't so painful." The Hunter said. He raised his Stake-driver, inspecting the contraption as if to see if it was in good enough condition to battle with.

"A doctor is doing the same thing? Let me meet her, I want to help."

"Help? You're methods cause as much trouble as it helps." He looked up into the sky, at the blood red moon hanging above. "Night's getting stranger, and I'm feeling a bad sense of déjà vu."

"How does me fixing people cause trouble!" Louise yelled up at the Hunter.

"You're hurting them, that's how. Most the folks who come here are either injured by your method, or don't make it pass the still hungry beasts."

"They don't listen to me! I have a safe place for them to go to."

"Of course they don't listen, after having their bodies thrown again the ground painfully so, anyone would run away from you." The man knelt at the ladder and reached a hand to the slime that had been slowly climbing up its rungs. A slimy tentacle reached up and wrapped around the offered hand, and the Hunter pulled the slime up with the rest of them. The slime reformed into a teenage boy, hiding behind the first man that appeared at the top of the ladder.

"Well, I want to meet this doctor and learn her less painful methods!" Louise put her hands onto her hips and waved her tail irritably. These people were really ungrateful. And now she knew why. There was a doctor who could do the same as Louise, and her methods were better. Well excuse Louise for trying her best!

"Your name, what is it?" The gray clad Hunter asked.

"Louise the Dreamer!" She didn't bother sharing her last name, she needed to be in practice of not saying that.

"Well Miss Dreamer, I'm Djura. A retired hunter of the Powder Kegs."

"Glad to have your acquaintance, now the doctor? It would be best if the people with the sanity intact, or returned, worked together." Louise liked the idea of having a small army of peasants to help her traverse the hidden village. That place was dangerous.

"Go get me a crate, Viola." Djura said to the teenage girl next to him. "We'll have the beastly hunter leave her weapons in it. Including that boomstick you wave about."

Louise gritted her teeth. It wasn't like they could steal her items. Once she died, they disolved into dust with her and returned on her person when she stepped back into the Hunter's Dream, or awoke. It was a choice she could make now, stay dreaming or let the pain awake her. She actually hadn't returned to the Hunter's Dream just yet, nervous about meeting anyone that could be interacting with real world people. She knew it was foolish, but she wasn't ready to know what happened after she left just yet.

Viola left and returned some time later with a crate and ropes. They lowered the crate down to her, and she disarmed herself. It wasn't like they could take her claws or if Founder forbid, her other form. She'd rather let them kill her instead of returning to that form though.

Climbing the ladder, Djura nodded at her, and led her across several more rooftops into the back entrance of a clinic. There a few hundred of people milling about, and several shied away from Louise once they recognized her. It seemed like all the Yharnamites had bandages over their eyes. She didn't understand the point. It was like everyone preferred darkness. Was it the beast-blood that affected their sense of sight?

"Why does everyone cover their eyes?" Louise asked Djura as he lead her up a grand stairwell.

"Its the light. Even those who lack beastly traits have sensitive sight. We can get around by smell alone. You reek of the moon. Which, if you haven't noticed yet, is a bit terrifying at the moment." Djura said, and opened the door into a surgery room.

A woman with blond hair dressed in the white garb of the Healing Church was sitting in a chair. That must be the good doctor. It wasn't what caught Louise's eyes.

On a table with tubes in her arms was an elf.

Louise jumped back in alarm.

Djura whirred his stakedriver, powering up the mechanism and took an aggressive stance. "Don't try anything, Dreamer."

Louise looked between him and the elf in the room. The elf slowly sat up. She was wore a casual red dress. On second glance, the elf wasn't Seeker, but it was still very startling to see one of the scourge of her world here. "Is she a guest too?!" Louise pointed at the blond elf.

"Miss Westwood ain't going to hurt you, if you're scared of her. She's the nicest person here." Djura said, his blunder-bust aimed at Louise. "You wanted to meet the doctor, the miss is her assistant."

Louise flexed her claws, nervously looking between the elf and the doctor.

The elf rubbed at her eyes, and blinked owlishly back at Louise.

"You're from my world." The elf said, pulling her legs around and sitting atop the table's edge. "What's someone else doing here?"

"Your world? Excuse me, it's my world. You're the plague that shouldn't be on my world." Louise snapped, clenching her fists, digging her claws into her palms. "What are you doing here!"

"I'm stuck here, when I summoned a familiar I was sent here. Iosefka listened to me, and let me into her clinic. I've been helping ever sense. I even saved Iosefka once when her reflection attacked her." The elf said, picking up a loose cloth hat and covering her ears.

The doctore gave a heavy sigh. "Djura, please remove this young lady from my establishment, if she's going to be so rude." Doctor Iosefka said, rubbing her brow as if she were coming down with a headache.

"Rude?! She's an elf, she's evil!" Louise snapped, beginning to hyperventilate, her blood steaming with anger. "I've been attacked by an elf phantom, how do I know she's not in league with the elf that hurt me!"

The doctor chuckled. "Every outsider from Yharnam must know each other right?"

The elf shook her head. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I'm actually half human, I don't know any other elves aside from my mother." The elf covered her mouth with her dainty hands.

Her cute voice, her sweet mannerisms, it must all be an act to pool the Yharnamites. "She's lying, elves on my world are terrible monsters that want to wipe out humanity. They even use..." Louise was going to say something about nature magic, but caught herself. She had used that magic to turn herself back into a beast-blooded human. Illococoo could use that magic, and she was a nice dragon. Louise had asked Illococoo for friendship even, though she was rejected.

It still hurt knowing that Tabitha must have taken Illococoo away, telling the familiar not to talk to Louise. She assumed Tabitha told Illococoo something like that.

Louise grabbed her animal ears, frustrated at the contradiction she herself had become. "Fine, I'll leave. It's not like I need your help if she's here." She pointed at the elf and then turned around, and stormed off.

"Wait!" The elf said, and Louise heard hard shoes clacking on the tile floor. "You're like me, right? You've been stuck here too."

Louise shook her head without turning around to look at the stupid girl's face. "I was stuck, then I was attacked, and found a way to heal myself. But, it cost me." She thought of the Doll. Talking to an elf was foolish, they would just give her lies. She already had one elf that wanted to kill her. Seeing another made her stomach twist.

If Louise had her weapons on her at the moment, she might see if the elf might be telling the truth and kill her. Then, if the elf was like Louise, she could return to the Hunter's Dream.

"Have you died yet?" Louise asked.

"N-no, I haven't."

"That's how you get out. If you're really like me. But, you're not. You're a liar." Louise smirked as she walked down the stairwell.

Djura followed behind, likely making sure Louise didn't try anything damning within the safe haven that was Iosefka's clinic.

"You're the one who's curing people with explosions!" The elf walked up to Louise's side. "The doctor uses my blood to cure people. I can do the explosion cure too. You and I are the same!"

Louise paused, and Djura put a hand on her shoulder as a silent warning. "Kill yourself, or fall to a beast. That's how its done, then we'll see." She looked to Djura. "Sorry to intrude, I'll make sure to never come back."

Djura frowned at her, his aged face wrinkling with discontent. "You're rather spiteful, considering your attitude earlier. Miss Westwood has been nothing but helpful."

"Please, don't leave. If you really know how to escape this place and return, I need to know. I don't know what's happening in the real world. It feels like ages sense I've been here, the night just doesn't end." The elf ran in front of Louise and fell to her knees.

Louise sniffed and turned her nose up in disgust. Then she smelled the moon upon the elf and that angered her even further. Did that damn moon god even care who he dragged here? Oh right, it wasn't supposedly his fault that all this mess started. Not, at, all. He sure had his part in all this though, with the moon turning red. Or perhaps, the moon was always red and Rom kept that hidden.

"Please, my name is Tiffinia Westwood, I live in Albion. When I summoned my familiar, it was to help protect the village I stayed near. You have to listen to me, I was raised by humans, I'm half human, my ears and heritage doesn't make me who I am."

Louise noticed where Tiffania's gaze rest, just slightly above her head.

"You've been changed like them. Won't your people ridicule you like they have me for my ears? You must have to hide beastly traits. People won't understand, right? I know how you must feel about me, but you and I are alike in this regard. Our magic must be alike too!"

She wanted to hurt this elf. She wanted to give into the rage and frustration that screamed for her to end the elf right now. Tiffania was her name right? Louise wanted to test if the elf truly was honest. A part of her though, a small part, doubted her own impulsive wants. That little piece of humanity, of empathy, actually listened to the elf's words.

"I'm leaving. Its good that you saved that doctor and helped. But I won't be around your ilk." Louise stepped past Tiffania. She focused reached into one of her pouches and retrieved a Bold Hunter's Mark.

"Please, at least tell me what's happened to Albion!"

"Plague, the whole country has said to have been taken by an epidemic. Read it in the newspaper yesterday. The boarders are closed, no one gets in, no gets out." Louise felt her ears press down into her hair. She wasn't the only one in the world dealing with insanity. She pitied Albion's woes. "I'm serious about you dying if you're telling the truth. Djura should know what I mean. The Hunter's Dream will restore you if you're connected. Then I'll talk with you." Louise pressed the mark to her forehead, using the disposable magic focus to step between realms.

"Thank you." Tiffania sobbed in reply.

A true, heart wrenching crack in the elf's voice.

Louise woke up crying. She pressed a clawless hand to her eyes. Lies, the elf was lying to her and those people. Just lies. All those people, huddled in a clinic with bandages on their eyes. That was the doctor's cure, transfusion with elf blood.

Or was it supposedly the special magic Louise held. A special element that an elf might be a wielder of as well? If that was true, if the elf spoke honestly, then Louise had turned her back on probably the one person she could speak with on the abyssal hole inside her.

Louise served another customer, attempting to hold her temper, her tongue, her steaming beast blood. "Oi, you're a little small to be working here." The man jeered, poking Louise's chest. "What's this, nothing! I came here for the service of women, not skinny brats."

She slammed his food onto the table. "Here's your meal, sir! Enjoy your breakfast." With a sudden about-face, she made sure her tail smacked his head.

"Oof! Your accessory hit me."

Louise smacked him in the face with her tail a second time. She turned again, pressing a finger to her lips, attempting to be cute. "Oh, I'm so sorry! A noble friend of mine gifted me this tail and ears. Because I'm adorable, meow." And she was cute, damnit! So what, she lacked in certain areas. It wasn't her fault she was born with flatness.

"Oooh, so you're kinky then!" The man leaned forward again, wiggling his eyebrows.

Louise flustered, and without thinking, she grabbed the nearest drink and dumped it on his head. Her insight suggested that might have been going to far. She ignored the little voice of her that begged for caution, and marched off to serve her next table.

Jessica was at the bar, leaning out, damnable breasts looking like they wanted to spill from her dress.

This place had mastered the art of flaunting women in front of men, teasing them, without the promise of going any further. Louise had noted that many of the girls let men touch their butts. Some even pressed their chests up to the men when they sat down to talk. At first, her new job was embarrassing. That wore off by the second day. She could adept to a new setting. The tavern girls weren't nearly as perverse at the beast-blooded snake people, or Naga.

"I'm not getting any tips this morning." Louise grumbled, sitting at the bar and resting her head atop it. "I'm trying really hard." A sniffle dared to tickle her nose and she rubbed at it angrily.

She was failing at being a peasant of all things. Killing beasts, returning humanity to beasts, successfully casting magic. She made a Great One her familiar for Founder's sake! She could do all these things. But serve men? That was somehow impossible for her.

"Don't worry, I think you're attracting a different sort of customer now. Word of mouth has it in town, that there's a girl that likes to dress like a kitty-cat and has the temper of one too." Jessica winked at her. "You'll be raking in tips before you know it. Maybe even win the upcoming competition."

"People are talking about my, uhm, cat accessories?" Louise lowered her ears, attempting to hide them in her long hair. They were too damn big. And her tail was impossible to hide with the skimpy maid uniform that she was required to wear.

"You could have accepted being my help in the kitchens." Jessica just had to push that topic.

Louise shook her head. "I can get tips. I can flaunt my femininity too!" Louise was attempting to learn how to flirt and seduce men. It was empowering and she couldn't let plain women beat her.

"Oh no." Jessica moaned, a sound of dismay.

Louise felt the very air and mood of the tavern crash into oblivion. She smelled a sudden influx of human fear, the closest coming off Jessica. She turned around to see what had ruined the atmasphere.

Several guards in noblemen uniform marched into the tavern's main dining hall. A fat fellow stepped in behind the guards, dressed in fine attire. Without a word spoken, the tavern emptied in a rush. Customers stood, hastily paid their tabs, and walked out. The serving girls squeaked with fright, running away to the kitchen.

"Oi! Scarron, you weird man-woman, your taxes are due."

Scarron, Jessica's father, sauntered out of the kitchen and stood at the nobleman's table. He dropped his womanly accent and crossed his large muscular arms. "I paid my taxes already." His voice was crisp and clear.

Louise had never heard the man speak normally. It was like he took off a mask, and his anger cleansed his normally jovial pitch.

"Ooh?" The nobleman leaned to one side of the chair. "I'll have to recheck my books. Send me my usual, give me something juicy to grab."

Scarron's muscles flexed, and then he took up his normal custom of acting like an over the top woman. The mask returning, or perhaps, the real him pulling himself back together. "Oof course, my dearest master. One fairy, brave fairy, come serve this gentleman's meal." Without another word, the tavern owner twirled on his feet and sauntered away, adding a swing to his hips with every exaggerated step.

Louise sighed. Even big muscular men could walk better than her.

Shaking her head, Louise stood up, ready to try to do better. She could be charming. And this man looked like he was super rich.

"No, don't go. You'll get in trouble." Jessica attempted to lean over the counter top, her hand grabbing at Louise.

She didn't heed Jessica's warning, stepping out of reach, and heading to the kitchen window. Several of the young women poked their heads up to meet Louise's eyes. One of them with curly green hair pushed a large tray of food to the edge of the window. "It was nice knowing you." The green haired woman whispered, and ducked away.

Louise shook her head. Why were the common girls so scared of a nobleman? They should gladly serve nobility, it was their place in society. In return, the nobility led plain people to in peace, and sacrificed their lives for the better of the country if need be. She picked up the plate, eager to get a good tip this time. Noblemen were rich, and he was a tax collector, so he must be paid extra to shake down criminal scum.

She put on her cutest smile and walked to the single occupied table within the store. "Here's your meal sir, we had plenty of food ready to serve." She showed her teeth, hoping her fangs weren't two noticeable today. Maybe they might come off as a cute country girl's heritage. Technically, Louise was a girl from the countryside.

"They're letting men serve now? Cross dressing with a cat outfit, like that freaky tavern owner?" The fat man lifted his plate cover and tossed it over his shoulder.

Louise stood at attention, desperately attempting to keep a cute air about her. Her tail wanted to whip about in frustration. She reached back and grabbed it, clutching it tight until it hurt. Tears welled up in her eyes at the abuse of her sensitive extension of her spine. "I'm sorry if I don't meet your standards." She could pull off the nice little woman act. It could work. She was reading lots of romantic books lately where the small ladies were charming and sweet.

"Ooh, now that I got a second look at you, you're just lacking in assets. Tried putting on different assets to compensate, eehh? Those ears look almost real." The nobleman reached up to Louise's head.

She panicked and froze, unable to decide if she should back away, smack him, or something else. He pinched her left animal ear in a perverse manner, sending a creeping chill down her spine. "Noo." Louise moaned, wincing at his touch, but kept her body still.

Least she retaliate and hurt the nobleman.

"I like that reaction! Good acting, good." He took his hand back and rubbed his chin. "There can be a certain charm about such a tiny body. Sit down girl."

Louise decided that any tip from this man wasn't worth it. Everything inside her screamed to run away and not look back, or she might murder him. "I-I have to go help in the kitchens. Th-th-th-"

"Sit, that's an order." Guards stepped forward and one roughly pushed Louise into a chair that hadn't been there moments ago. "I'm not an unreasonable man, I can accept meager offers like yourself." The nobleman started eating his meal, lacking any proper decorum.

"Meager offers?" Louise asked, scared to know the answer.

"Yuhh." He patted her head with greasy hands. "Thow'se ur pwuddy rehlestic."He swallowed his food. "What about that tail, is it some sort of magic costume? Something real deviant to be walking around with. You, new guy, grab that tail and pull it."

"As you command." A guard said, his voice distinctly accented.

Louise closed her eyes, blushing furiously at the prospect of what was about to happen to her. She was attempting her best not to get angry. She could be a commoner, she could be obedient, she could survive humility. It was to keep those she loved safe. Right?

The guard pulled her tail and Louise yelped, but held firm. She opened her eyes, holding back a squeak when the guard yanked at it several more times. This was a test of her loyalty to her country. A terrible, humiliating, test. Her face burned with shame, but she prevailed.

"Feels real, sir?" The guard said, a confused hitch in his tone. "Even originates where the spine ends."

Louise whimpered, did he have to share that last detail?

The noble-man leaned forward and grinned at Louise. "There's a reward out for someone with your description. Did you know that little miss?"

"I-I, no, I didn't know that." She hadn't known, she'd been rather focused on sleeping and traveling. Rom's lakebed was a tranquil place and she was easily lost within its open expanse. If she didn't have pressing concerns, it would have been a wonderful place to visit every night.

"What's your name?" The man rubbed his fatty chin.

"L-Louise." For the first time, Louise regretted not making up a new name.

"The reward is for someone with cat like features. It's awfully vague. Doesn't say what you did, but it comes right out of the palace coffers." The man said, a dangerous glint in his eye. "I'll keep your secret, in trade for a night to see how real them ears and tail are."

A cold chill ran down Louise's spine, the fur on her tail fluffing out as the chill ran to its tip. "You don't really mean that."

"I do!" He leaned in close, his breath assaulting her nose. "You're a commoner right? Its well known nobles like myself enjoy new mistresses. You'll be taken care of. Hidden away like you want. Isn't that right?"

Louise looked over her shoulder, both to get the man's face out of her vision and to see Jessica at the bar with an expression of deep concern. No, sadness, sorrow.

Was this really happening? Did noblemen like this man, just go and grab whatever girl he might find interest with? He was a pervert, a clear outright pervert, and no one else in the room was attempting to say anything. Louise realized that no one could. He had the authority here, it wasn't their place to stand up against what was clearly wrong.

Louise looked to the guard who had been yanking at her tail, and despite the rough treatment he looked ashamed and embarrassed to be apart of this. Did Princess Henrietta realize how openly corrupt some of the nobility were? Questions, more damning questions. Louise's world continued to shift and crack, and this had nothing to do with the nightmare or strange gods.

She looked back into the eyes of the man who was asking for her. Wasn't this what she wanted? No, she wanted to learn how to flirt with men, tease them and make them do as she said without beating them into submission. It sounded like a fun skill to have.

This was wrong. So very wrong.

"No." Louise stood from her chair. "I refuse. I'd rather be arrested." She'd let herself be arrested, tell the Princess what happened, and then run away again. Simple and easy plan.

"Hohoho!" The nobleman slapped the table. "You don't have a choice here."

Louise flustered. "Why not!? I could slap you, make sure I get arrested. I'd be released, and you wouldn't get a reward."

The man gave her a wild, teeth baring grin. "I like the feisty ones. What do you think might happen to this shop if you don't do as I say?"

Blackmail? Serious blackmail? Louise sat herself back into the chair, her heart thumping in her head. She could kill this man right now. She could kill the guards. Turn into her Nightmare Form, cause a bit of a mess, and stir up a story about an unfortunate tragedy that befell the man. Still, such an event would ruin the shop. The girls here were happy, they enjoyed their perverted lifestyle. Louise didn't want to take their happiness away. Jessica was a kind person who likely saved Louise form being attacked on the streets when she was sleep walking.

That was also an issue she couldn't let herself think on at the moment.

Glancing over her shoulder again, Jessica or her father had disapeared. She could smell their scents, hiding behind walls. There was the scent of tears, and if she strained her ears, she heard sniffling noises.

She decided to take a different approach. A solution, a revelation that could be shared. She reached into her pocket, and touched a stone. Whispering the words in her mind, a difficult task but not impossible, she activated the Dream Stones. Something new, a magic item she intended to use to record some of the more redicule customer's comments, so she could re-listen to them and practice not losing her temper.

"Have you taken other girls from Scarron's tavern?" Louise asked, her voice a healthy conversation level, calm but serious. "Blackmailed them, obviously taking them against their wishes to keep their dignity?

"Mmm, maybe. Its fun finding out who's a virgin and not." The man said, no, gloated.

"You've damned yourself." Louise declared, then smiled at his over confident smirk. "Take me away, I'd like to see what other dirty secrets you have. I accept your challenge, and I'll win. I'll show everyone for what you really are."

"Ooh!" The nobleman sneered. "You're the kind of girl that dreams she can out smart a nobleman. Just remember, I'll keep you hidden. I'll make sure the palace never finds you."

Louise yawned, hiding it behind a hand. "I'll go get my stuff. Hey you, Mr. Molester Pants." She channeled her inner childish behavior in that insult. The guard stiffened at the description. "Come with me and help." She yawned again, feeling sleepy.

Real world problems were serious. Compared to fighting a city full of monsters, how difficult could taking care of one corrupt man be?