Elias could only sigh, finding himself back in the Hunter's Dream. Once more, he was barely standing. Once more, he was tired. Tired of dealing with the various creatures, monsters and men that lurked through Yharnam, tired of fighting only to fight. The blood called out to him, it wanted him to go out again and hunt. It was tedious to say the least, going around and killing everything in sight. He didn't want to. But nothing ever gave him a chance to stand down.

The Doll was standing there to greet him, giving the slightest of bows. Serene as ever, she held the barest of a smile on her face, seeing Elias wiping down the blood from his saw cleaver, using a rag that he had happened upon. A weapon was only as good as it was treated, and he wanted to treat his weapon properly to keep himself alive.

"Welcome home, good hunter. What is it that you desire?" The Plain Doll asked him. Elias could only sigh once more, shaking his head as he continued to wipe off his saw cleaver. She asked that every single time he showed up, unless she was tending to one of the graves around here. The sentiment was nice the first few times, but right now he couldn't care less. Some sort of rest would be good right now.

"I do not require anything at the moment, Doll. Just some peace and quiet. Thank you." He said, giving her a short nod before tossing the used rag aside. It was dirty from all the blood and such, but it had done its job well enough. He walked away from the Doll, off across a path away from the house. Idly, his eyes wandered towards the locked gate, guarding the great tree. He always had wondered just what else was back there, but then he looked in the opposite direction and found something that threw him off.

It was a break in the fence that surrounded the area. Normally this wouldn't be much of an issue, because it was just another part of the dream. But that break led off into a new area. A path was formed, and it was leading out into… somewhere else. Lush grass, something that reminded him of the cemetery. But it felt more…alive in a sense. He took a hesitant step forward, testing the ground beneath his feet.

It didn't shatter. It didn't crumble. And for a moment, Elias just let his foot rest on the ground, grinning as he realized that it wasn't a death trap waiting for him to falter. It wasn't Yharnam. So, he decided to take a small leap of faith. He stepped forward once more, then began to walk down the newly formed path. It was calming, in a sense, and it felt far more like home than anything else. In fact, he even decided to take off his hat and mask, letting the fresh wind hit his face for the first time in so long.

He took a deep breath, slowly walking forward to investigate the area further. The saw cleaver was there, hanging at his side, and Elias was honestly surprised that nothing had happened. It wasn't much of a long walk, and there, in the center of this newly formed island, stood a table and two chairs. The table was simple in design. Nice, sturdy. The chairs though. They looked divine.

Soft fabric, fresh cushions. His body ached at the mere sight of them.

Glancing back, and seeing no real change to his surroundings, Elias turned back, curiosity etched on his features. Idly scratching his face for a moment, he contemplated on what to do. His hand idly ran across one of the chair arms, nodding in response. He looked back and forth for another moment before shrugging and taking a seat at one of the chairs.

The sigh of relief that left his lips was involuntary. The groaning of his bones, the winding stress melting away was a mere byproduct. His body practically melted into the chair. Tossing his cap and mask onto the table, Elias could, for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, just shut his eyes and rest for a moment. It was at this moment that Elias did something that he hadn't done in… so long.

He dropped his weapons, letting them fall onto the ground.

It was honestly nice. Just sitting down, relaxing. No beast to slay, no nightmare to discover. No need for more blood, no worries to check around the corner, waiting for some monster to come at him. For the first time in a long time, Elias was at peace with himself. He should have known it would have been too good to be true.

Of course, that peace was shattered by the sudden appearance of someone else, sitting directly across from him. He hadn't noticed them, not until he finally opened his eyes, that damned sixth sense he had slowly developed since coming to this accursed city calling to him. Elias did his best to not react, but it was rather obvious, since his hand was at his pistol. It never raised, seeing as how the person in front of him was human. Not tainted, not like the others he had seen. Just like some of the survivors, resting at the church.

She, for it was a woman sitting before him, had her head bowed for a moment, appearing to slowly wake up from some form of slumber. A feathered hat, that of a Hunter clearly, adorned her head and hid what features Elias tried to see. She began to stir, and upon opening her eyes, Elias did his best to hide his shock even as he reeled back.

The Doll. She looked just like the Doll did. Except… she was alive. And the arms. The arms were different. A small detail, but one, nonetheless. That might not have been much to work on, but Elias could see that she was a living, breathing human. A rarity here, more so based on her appearance.

She was dressed like a Hunter. But not like any that he had met before. Not in ragged, worn clothing that the denizens of this accursed place were known for using. No. Her attire was far more regal, adorned with what looked like the finest of silks.

Chestnut eyes met blue, and Elias was sure of it. For all the faux life that the Doll had, this was a real, living human. And she was shocked. Not driven mad by the beast blood, but instead reacting to someone in front of her.

Elias let go of his own tools, holding his hands up in clear surrender. Anyone else, he would have cut them down in an instant. It was just how his training had turned him into. But he, for the life of him, could not do it to her. Not to… Not-Doll would not be appropriate, he was sure. But he had to make sure that she knew that he meant no harm.

"At ease! At ease, my lady. I mean you no harm. Not tainted by the beast blood, as you can clearly see. Still…me." Elias trailed off, his gaze matching the woman's own. She stood tall, pointing a blade right at his neck. This was not the first time that he had faced death, not in the slightest.

But it was the first time he was concerned with the Doll. She was not even a stone's throw away from a woman who looked like her. Who was clearly a hunter. For a moment neither of them spoke, merely looking from one to the other. The silence became unbearable, Then the woman spoke.

"Who are you? Another of Gehrman's students? Where am I?" She quietly asked. Well, demanded might have been the better word, considering both the steel in her hands and eyes. The accent she had was unlike anything that Elias had heard in Yharnam, much less the world at large. But…how much could he remember about the rest of the world? Ever since he had taken the blood, his memories had gotten hazy. His memories of what could have been, and what should have been blurred. How long had it been? A question that was, for sure, of another time. But if there was one thing he could know of, he had never heard of an accent like hers.

"My name doesn't matter for now. I suppose…" He paused for a moment, trying to think of the right thing to say. What could he say? Had the old man actually taught him much? Eventually he found himself speaking once more, even if it felt like something of a lie. "Yes. I am another student that Gehrman found. I've been learning from him as best as I could manage. As for where you are? Er…" Elias could only shrug.

"You do not know?" The question came with the blade at his neck getting pushed further in. Elias did his best to not wince, ignoring how close she was to slicing his throat.

"It's called the Hunter's Dream. That's all I know. I thought only I could be here. But it seems you're a special case." Elias quietly told her, still trying to get Not-Doll to calm down. And hopefully he could learn her name before she decided enough was enough. Thankfully for whatever grace there was in this life, she seemed to relax. The woman let out a mirthless chuckle, lowering her blade and looking around.

"What did you say? "The Hunter's Dream'? Goodness, I've been dreaming this entire time? I did not think I could get a proper night's sleep for some time. Much less dream anymore." The woman muttered, shaking her head and deftly sheathing her weapon. There was a bitterness to her voice, one that he could very well relate to. But for the time being, Elias chose to not comment on it. "Well, seeing as how this is a dream, I have no reason to worry about you. I might as well tell you my name. You may call me Maria. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, dream man."

He hadn't been expecting her to actually bring out a hand to shake. Elias could only try and think back to the last time someone extended a hand towards him. One that hadn't been clenching a weapon to impale him with, or a fist to strike. Realizing that he would only look like a fool the more he kept staring at her, the Hunter reached forward, taking the offered hand in a firm, genuine grasp.

"Elias. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Maria." He said, offering a short bow, at least as best he could manage to bow while sitting down. "Again, I do apologize for startling you." He continued. A very unladylike snort caught him off guard as Maria waved off his greetings, shaking her head once more.

"Please, no need to be so formal, dream man. I barely consider myself a lady, especially in my current line of work." Maria told him, leaning back in her own chair. She let out a low groan of approval, taking off her hat and setting it in front of her. "Goodness, this is a lovely chair. I suppose that's one of the good things about dreaming. Things just get so much simpler. Wouldn't you agree?" She asked, looking at Elias with something akin to curiosity.

Elias wasn't sure just what to tell her. Maria seemed like a nice enough woman, and he didn't want to ruin that calm that had formed. So, in his eyes, there was only one thing that he could do. Play along with it. Nothing else to it.

"I wouldn't know. I don't usually have good luck with dreams myself. Is it the same with you?" Elias asked her, leaning back in his own seat. Maria was correct at least. The chairs had no reason to be as comfortable as they were. But it was oh so relaxing. Maria let out another snort.

"You could say that. Though I'm sure you'd know that. Even when I'm having a pleasant dream, the Hunt can't be escaped. I asked you earlier if you were a student of Gehrman's. I didn't think he would take up more students, but the Hunt still goes on, doesn't it?"

"Heh. That's certainly not a wrong thing to guess, I must admit. Honestly… yes. The Hunt still goes on. It's not something I tend to normally think about or consider. I've just started this myself. Everything's so new. Different."

"That's one of the worst parts about this work, I would happily say." Maria shot back, giving a rueful grin as Elias let out a tired chuckle. "Even when you barely start, things seem almost impossible. I should know. I've been at this for…" She trailed off for a moment, shaking her head. Maria said nothing, merely taking off her hat for a moment. Elias couldn't blame her.

When one was finally alone with their own thoughts, it was a gift that one took for granted.

"I can't remember myself, if it helps matters. All I know is that… well as someone once told me. 'A Hunter must Hunt.' Wise words to live by, I'd say." Elias noted, giving her a small grin.

"Oh, please dream man. I'm not that far gone. It's only been a few years. But it seems like…"

"Decades?"

"Hah! No. A lifetime. But it's good work that I'm doing. And what you're doing. Don't worry, whatever you're looking for… you'll find it." Maria told him. Elias was silent, contemplating just what she had told him. At least Maria was giving him the same courtesy that he had given her. It was appreciated, in a time where Elias couldn't truly know who to consider friend or foe. But he was so sure that he didn't say anything about a search. He had to know.

"...Who says I'm looking for something?" Elias asked, looking at Maria curiously. The pale woman let out a huff, almost amused as she placed her own tricorn hat down on. He couldn't help but see it. It held a small, puffed up feather on the left side. Fancy, regal even. He could appreciate it.

"No one becomes a hunter just because they can dream man." Maria told him, shrugging in response. "We all have our demons to run away from. Each of us is looking for something. I know a man who does it because, at the end of the day, he's a fighter. One wants to become a scholar, learn all there is to know about the beasts. But you…" She leaned forward, pointing at Elias playfully. "I'm not sure what you want. So you're a mystery. I like that."

"What I want?" Elias said, trailing off as he stared past Maria. Into the void of the Hunter's Dream. What did he want? "What I want… is someone to talk to. For the moment. Would you care to humor me there?"

Maria could only smile, leaning back into her seat.

"I'd be happy to speak with you more. It's always nice to meet a new Hunter.

AN: This is something different I'm trying. I'm a massive fan of Bloodborne, and the Souls series as a whole, and this is me wanting to try my hand at something simple but effective. I do hope that you enjoy this!

As seen here, that's the first meeting. Nothing major happened, but I wanted to at least get some groundwork sorted out. I am curious what thoughts were on this fic! Yay? Nay? I try and check through every comment, and I appreciate any feedback! Until next time, please enjoy this chapter!