A/N: Started playing Bloodborne; as a disclaimer, I'll say that I've just started, so I don't know much about the plot or lore yet–I've tried to make it as accurate as I can without spoiling myself, but if something doesn't match up right, let me know. Not sure where this series of stories is going yet–but, I like the idea, and for now it might just be a series of drabbles that are loosely connected.

"So…that old guy in the wheelchair—what's his name—"

"—Capa—"

"Right, Capa…has he always been there? And if so, is he…real?" Bright maroons stared questioningly at the stoic man, who was busy cleaning his rifle while they had a moment to spare.

"Tch; don't be askin' questions yeh don't want answers to, squirt." Another couple uses, and then they'd have to return to that dream-space anyway—his firearm was about at its limit, and he was sure that this new huntress they'd picked up—Ogura, was it?—could stand to fortify her weapons, especially considering she seemed to prefer shooting with her Blunderbuss instead of actually going in for the kill.

A twitch, and suddenly the young girl's expression turned into a pout. If he hadn't witnessed her ferocity on the field first-hand, the veteran would've had a hard time believing she really was a qualified hunter—even compared to their other companion, Hunter. Despite his name, the tall, lanky man could only support at best, but there was no denying that a surgeon was a valuable companion in this field of work.

"…I was just wondering…no need to be so snippy…" Rolling her eyes, the girl handed him another rag, as if trying to apologize for her earlier behavior. "…Whoa, that's a Stake Driver, isn't it?" Suddenly she seemed to have changed again, marveling over the complex designs until Adam wondered if it had been such a good idea to allow her to join them. "They're powerful, but hard to use, and unlike other Trick Weapons, it doesn't really transform. Fashioned by the workshop heretics, the Powder Kegs, and favored by Djura himself, although you'd have to watch out after you swing since it leaves you wide open."

Behind them, Hunter let out a low whistle, clearly impressed with the girl's knowledge. "Tha's one sharp mind ye've got thar, lassie."

"Ah, i-it's not…just, I, find weapons to be fascinating, so…I guess you can say I spend most of my time learning about them…" She shrugged sheepishly, unused to being praised. Most girls never considered becoming hunters, and even less so, given her relatively well-off status. But sometimes, making the most out of life meant deviating from the path that seemed the easiest… 'Oh! And Ludwig's Rifle! Employed by mostly church hunters, sacrificing reload speed for immense range!" A Stake Driver, now Ludwig's Rifle…she could hardly contain her excitement at the beautiful weaponry this surly hunter possessed. "Ah, are you affiliated with the Church then…?"

"Don't you ever stop jabberin'?" Locking the weapons back in place, he finally turned towards the girl with a glare. "I agreed t' let yeh come with us since you seem to be a capable hunter, but 'f this is how it's gonna be the whole time, I might change my mind…"

"Ah, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"Oy, Adam, ease up there, mate. She's just a child, go easy on 'er, yeh?" Not wanting to make the mood any more tense than it already was, Hunter reluctantly stalked over, though truth be told, even he was often intimidated by this man. "C'mon, let's get outta here 'fore more 'o them decide to show up…"

"Child or not, if you're coming with us, I expect yeh to follow my rules and not talk my ear off about useless things. Got it, Ogura?"

She nodded sullenly, all earlier enthusiasm having been drained out by his stern lecture. "Y-Yes, sir…" Quietly she gathered her own weapons and followed them along the lonely path, sticking close to Hunter but keeping a fair distance from their leader. Perhaps feeling sorry for the newbie, the professional allowed her tag along next to him.

"Dinnae ye take it too hard, lass. He's always like that, from what I've gathered. He might might not be th' smoothest talker, but he's got a good heart…well, 'f ye can get past th' layers o' scowls and glares." The girl couldn't help but giggle, and Hunter felt a little relieved that young as she was, she was also far more resilient than most her age. "Aye, tha's th' spirit. Trust me, ye've got skill, kid. 'Specially fer one as young as yurself."

"Th-thanks, Hunter…" She blushed shyly. Perhaps it hadn't been a mistake after all, summoning up the courage to ask to join their band after she'd just finished clearing a swath in central Yharnam and nearly fired upon the two in haste, only to realize they too, were hunters just like her. "Uh, if you don't mind me asking, h-how…how come you're a hunter, too? I-I mean, I thought you were…helping in the clinic?"

They paused for a second as Adam was consulting which route to take, the path splitting at a rather sinister-looking crossroads and she shivered with every unknown noise and rustle. "Ah; well, I was helpin' old Iosefka out…until that damning imposter experimented on the poor soul and turned her into a beast. If Muirhead here hadn't passed by when he did…" He shuddered at the horrible memory, of screams and blood and the next thing he knew all the patients were dead, while he was scrambling to fight off a massive wolf-beast with just a tiny scalpel. "Dinnae have much of a choice afterwards, even though the clinic's been restored by this Nightingale woman, guess ye can say I dinnae have much o' an interest in stayin' there any longer."

She blinked in shock, as much horror as she'd quickly encountered as soon as she was declared an official hunter, at least she'd never been betrayed by someone she trusted. "Oh…I'm sorry, Hunter…I didn't, I…"

"No need t' be, Miss Ogura. We've all got our own stories an' reasoning, yeh?" They continued along the lonely roads, and though there was still enough sunlight to light their way, it was fast dropping, and Sio wished that they would either find a safe shelter to make camp, or else return to the Hunter's Dream. Even if it was some place they couldn't explain, at least they were safe there…or at least, she hoped so.

"A-Ah, excuse me, Adam—"

He whirled around so suddenly that she nearly fell backwards, instead colliding against Hunter with a squeak. "First off, I haven't said you can address me by my first name, Ogura. Now what is it?" The scowl that lined his features was so hard-set that at first she could barely make her voice work, but somehow, his eyes…

'Whoa…I've never seen such green eyes before…kind of like, an emerald…'

He tapped his foot impatiently as the girl struggled to regain her courage. "A-ah, I-I-I'm sorry! Sorry, Muirhead…I-I just, thought…w-well, since it seems that we're still, quite a ways from the next t-town, m-m-m-maybe, we should…" Behind her, she could hear Hunter heaving a sigh as if to say, 'here we go again'.

"…Yeh? Spit it out, squirt."

"…M-Maybe we sh-should, go back to the…Hunter's…Dream?" She squeaked out, voice getting fainter and fainter as the pale-haired man seemed to draw closer and closer, until she could nearly feel his breath fanning her face. Up close, she suddenly realized that he wasn't as old as she'd thought, perhaps only a few years ahead of her, although his behavior and constant glowers made it hard for her to imagine him as a young man.

A low chuckle, which for some reason sent shivers both good and bad up and down her spine. "Oh…? Well now, don't tell me yer already scared…"

"I-I, i-it's not, that…! B-But, I mean, i-it would be safer than just staying out here—"

"—and pray tell, how, would we get there?" He waved his arms against the vast darkness that was fast approaching. "Unless you so happen t' be carryin' a lamp with you…"

"U-Uh, actually, I think there was one a few clicks back where we came…" Both men stared at her now, either in sheer disbelief or astonishment that she'd managed to notice, when neither of the did. "W-Well, I-I'm, p-pretty sure…it was, just…a bit North of here…"

The three of them just stood there, one shaking in both embarrassment and fear while one was mildly amused and the third was torn between giving her some small praise or saying something to not make him lose face entirely.

"….Well then, lead the way, squirt…" As they approached the inconspicuous wrought-iron lamp and lit it, he could feel Hunter giving him a nudge. "What."

"Oh, nothin' really…but ye gotta admit, that girl's got some keen instincts." Even as the other man gave him a slight punch in the shoulder, Hunter still couldn't help but grin.

"What're you laughing at…"

"Oy now, I ain't laughin' at anything! But this girl, this Sio Ogura…ye gotta admit, she's somethin' else, ain't she?"

Sio Ogura. What kind of name was that…certainly, it wasn't anything he'd ever heard of before—that and judging from her strange garment it was clear that she was an outsider, a foreigner. But it couldn't be too far, if she had come all the way here to become a hunter, and knew of the lore of Yharnam and its perverse history. Not like him, born and raised in this constant atmosphere of fear, of grim defeat…

"We need t' get yeh some better clothes, squirt," he muttered as the dream-like haze started to surround them.

"H-Huh?! Clothes? B-But, what's wrong with the ones I have now…?"

He gave a sneer. "In case yeh hadn't noticed, the townsfolk here don't take too kindly t' strange things as it is. Yeh ever wondered why they've been ignoring yeh this whole time?" He and Hunter were fairly well-known around these parts as it was, and perhaps it was only due to their influence that the girl had been given anything at all. "Th' very least, yeh can look like you were made to be here."

"O-Oh…I, guess that makes sense…" She seemed rather downcast, and in the back of his mind Adam mentally berated himself for knocking her down so many times in one day.

As they returned to the relative tranquility of the Hunter's Dream, the messengers raised a clamor again as their guests returned and Florence the Doll greeted them with a smile—he gave her a small nod in return, making a note to visit her after this—but first, a visit to the Bath Messenger.

Selling? Or buying? The waters boiled and bubbled while the skeleton clapped its hands.

"Buyin'. But it ain't for me, it's for her," he jerked his head towards the girl, who was busy playing hand games with the Doll. "Just the regular set."

A nod and a cackle, as his Blood Echoes disappeared and a full set of the Yharnam Hunter's attire appeared, tailored to the exact fit of the young huntress who was now approaching the steps. "Here, 's for you…" The clothing was thrust into her hands, and if she had been paying attention to his face she might've caught a glimpse of just the faintest touches of pink that colored his pale-hued skin.

"Oh…! I, you didn't have to…" For she was just about to use her own Blood Echoes to buy some better gear for herself, but then suddenly this cold, acerbic hunter…

He was giving it to her…as a gift…

'Maybe it's like what Hunter said…that, deep down he does have a good heart…just, he might not show it very well…' Smiling, she turned towards the workshop to change. Perhaps there was more to him than just the silvery hair and emerald eyes, the man who could wield a Stake Driver with ease…

"…Thank you, Muirhead." As he turned towards the other Messengers, she grabbed his arm, surprising both of them with her boldness. "Um, no, really, thank you…p-please, you can, call me Sio, you know…"

"…Whatever you say, squirt."

And there went any and all traces of whatever tiny little peace they'd managed to forge, as the huntress sputtered in shock, before sticking her tongue out at him (which only caused him to call her a brat) before she stalked back into the building, threatening to put a hole between the eyes of anyone who dared to peep on her while she was changing. Sighing, Adam could only roll his eyes and give a nonchalant shrug to the other, who had been watching the entire exchange with great enjoyment, stroking his goatee and trying not to laugh.

"Don't you dare say another word…"

"Wasn't goin' to. But hey, I'll give ye points fer trying…"

"Shut. Up."

A laugh, and despite all the little things that irked him about her, in the end, he didn't regret his decision one bit.