Lore dumping, here we come!

A Hunter's Guide for Running a Hotel

X

The Princess and a Doll

Charlie, who was distracted by reading the tombstone, jumped upon hearing the voice. Whipping around, she saw someone she didn't expect. The Princess of Hell recognized this woman, who was about an inch or two shorter than her, was not a human or sinner. She was a Doll, just like all of her father's creations.

"Oh, uh…" She spoke nervously to her while letting out a frightened wave. "Hi!" She took a few seconds to register what the Doll had said. It freaked her out. "Wait, you know who I am!?"

"I do. The Good Hunter has told me so much about you. Miss Charlie Morningstar," The Doll responded. Charlie noticed her accent was Slavic with a melodic uptilt.

Now, it was the perfect time to get some questions answered. "Who are you? Where am I? What is this place?"

Despite her panic, the Doll calmly responded. "I am a Doll and you found yourself in the Hunter's Dream. This Dreamscape where Hunters can seek refuge." Charlie's eyes widened as she remembered this was the exact same place she learned from the Hunter's notebook. Including this Doll.

Naturally, the Princess blinked a few times. "A refuge for Hunters?" She was reminded of her hotel. Unlike it, this Dream was... Calmer. Less violent. Still, there were more questions she wanted to ask. "What were the Hunters? What was the plague that created the Beasts? What are Great Ones? How many were there? How many times did he die?"

The Doll didn't blame Charlie for asking that many questions. "Good Princess. If you are tense, then how about having a cup of tea? It could help with your stress"

The Princess of Hell thought on it and immediately accepted her offer. "That would be lovely. There's so many questions I want to ask. You are his best friend, so I trust you."

The Doll chuckled upon hearing this. "Well, we shouldn't be here. Come. The Workshop isn't far from here."

-Scene Change-

Inside of the reconstructed Workshop, a table had been set as Charlie sat on a chair placed by the Doll. She scanned the room and saw many things. A table to modify weapons, an altar, a set of bookstands. What made it relaxing was the sound of fire crackling near the fireplace.

The Doll placed a teacup right in front of her. She poured the kettle to fill the teacup before placing it to the side. She walked to the opposite site and sat. "Your tea is ready, your majesty."

Charlie held the warm cup in her hands and stared at the liquid. It seemed to be Green Tea by the looks of the color. She put the teacup close to her lips and blew a few times before taking a sip. As she did, she suddenly felt calm. "This…tea is good!"

"I'm glad you like it, good Princess," The Doll commented plainly. Now, it was the right time to resume their discussion. "Now, what are the questions you have asked me before?"

She had so many. Who was the Hunter? Where was Yharnam? What were the Great Ones? How did the Hunter get to Hell? How many times did he–

Charlie took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. "Let's start small." She looked at the Doll. "Who are you?"

The Doll smiled kindly. "I was created by my master, Gehrman, in the likeness of one of his closest students. From what I heard, he was greatly pained by her choice to leave the Hunters."

Charlie, trying not to think about the implications of an old man with a doll of a young woman, moved on to the next question. "Where is this place?"

The Doll looked around the surprisingly clean cemetery while responding. "This is the Hunter's Dream. Originally, Gehrman was the host for many years, but it has been the Good Hunter's for quite some time now. It is from here that he can recuperate after a long day."

Charlie was surprised to hear that the Hunter was capable of resting. She didn't think he'd ever taken a day off. Wait, neither had she. And she had essentially passed out in her room, meaning that if Vaggie went looking for her- "Oh no!"

The Doll heard her speak. "What is it?"

"If I'm here, then Vaggie would have found me on the floor by now." The Princess said, suddenly worried.

"The manager?" The Doll inquired.

"Yes! She doesn't like it when anything harms me. She'll overreact and want to personally deal with the Hunter." She started to panic "How can I–"

Ghastly, gurgling groans were heard in front of her. She looked down at the table and was mildly startled to see a cluster of disfigured creatures spawn from a pool of blue liquid, holding out a pen and a paper. "Who are they?"

"Ah, the Little Ones," The Doll said with a joyous smile. She reached her hand over to them, and a few wrapped their tiny, wet, misshapen hands around her fingers. "Inhabitants of the Dream. They are the Good Hunter's personal Messengers who often delivers him goods and supplies during his trip in Hell. But aren't they sweet?"

Charlie didn't respond to that. To her, these Messengers reminded her of her great aunt's ugly cats…wait. "Hold on…" She looked down at them. "Messengers? You can send anything from here to Hell?"

They clapped in response while letting out a chorus of happy groans. Without a second to think, she grabbed the objects presented and immediately started writing. After a minute of furious but dignified writing (Dad wouldn't be too happy if her first message from a different realm had poor handwriting), she folded the paper and handed it to them.

"Here, give this to Vaggie." The Messengers grabbed the paper and disappeared into the blue liquid they sprouted from, which receded upon their departure. Once that was over, she looked back at the Doll to resume their conversation.

MOMENTS LATER…

Vaggie had held on to her girlfriend's hand for about ten minutes now. Her twitching had subsided, but all the same she wasn't waking up.

All of a sudden, something poked her feet, making her look down. There, she saw a folded piece of paper that appeared out of nowhere.

"The Hell?" She uttered under her breath as she picked it up and unfolded it. There she could not believe what she saw.

Vaggie,

I know this looks strange.

But I need you to listen.

Whatever you are going to do,

DON'T make a rash choice of finding the Hunter.

I know I sound vague,

But I need you to listen to me once I wake up.

Charlie

The Manager couldn't believe what she read. So she didn't. The Hunter was going to pay no matter what.

-BACK TO THE HUNTER'S DREAM-

The Doll smiled serenely, not at all phased by the brief moment of panic Charlie had. It was then she decided what to ask. "How do you know the Hunter?"

The Doll looked off to the side, as if in remembrance. "He is a close associate of Gehrman. As such, I take care of him whenever he visits the Dream. He has been doing it even after freeing Gehrman from his binds."

So, she had known him for a while. Charlie decided to move on to another question. "Why did the Hunter go to Yharnam?"

The Doll smiled sadly at that question "He was seeking medication in the great city of Yharnam to treat his illness. He found it, but it came under the condition that he would become a Hunter under the contract and was given blood ministration treatment."

As she mentioned it, Charlie continued. "Blood Ministration? What is that?"

"It is a process of curing disease and ailments in Yharnam through blood transfusion and bloodletting. The Healing Church had attracted many. Even outsiders like the Good Hunter." She solemnly responded.

That name made the Princess question it. "What is the Healing Church?"

"A group that aimed to help Yharnam through bloodletting. They were founded by a Byrgernwerth Scholar, Lawrence, who, unfortunately met his end." The Doll informed her. "That wasn't their only speciality. They also had Hunters to deal with the Beasts plaguing Yharnam."

Charlie was surprised to hear this. "The Church had Hunters too?"

The Doll nodded. "Yes. And they were led by Ludwig, who was the First Hunter of the Church."

The Princess of Hell shivered at that name. She clearly remembered his appearance. "Ludwig? Wasn't that…that… thing that the Hunter fought under the cathedral?"

"Yes," The Doll replied, seeing the horrors in the other girl's eyes. "He was the best Church Hunter and led others to hunt Beasts. It is said, however, that clerics turn into the vilest Beasts."

There it was again. It was at this time the Princess decided to ask a big question. "I keep hearing that word, but what is a Beast?"

"They are people that have been badly affected by Yharnam's blood. It eventually became a plague that ravaged throughout the city." The Doll spoke, her tone getting a bit serious. "It warped them, both in mind and flesh, until they were no longer man but slavering, starving Beasts."

Charlie gulped at the description. She was almost afraid to ask. But she had to anyway. "What kind of disease is that?! That sounds closer to demon magic!"

This time, the Doll's tone became serious. "Yes. The Beast plague was at the hands of the Great Ones. A curse to remind them about the consequences of using stolen blood."

Again, that gets the Princess interested. "I keep hearing that term, what is a Great One?"

Charlie wasn't ready for what the Doll was about to say. "They are unique gods that exist outside our realm. Some watched over Yharnam and did as they saw fit to it. They would alter space and reality to their own will."

That was enough to let her blow a raspberry. "Why did they want Yharnam so badly? What was so important about it?"

"The Great Ones have a… complicated past with the city of Yharnam. Their personal grudge for the new residents, mainly the Healing Church, mismanagement of their blood, clashes with their love of the Pthumerian people, their old cults, and... well, I suppose sheer apathy with the whole situation. They are very long lived after all. Any grudges and favors would simply be forgotten. So, instead of burying it further or helping the people, they simply watched the city crumble to ruin."

The Princess of Hell was caught off guard by this statement. "That's… insane. What about the one that caused the plague?"

Here, the Doll had a pinched expression. A troubled answer. "The one known as Kos washed ashore to a fishing hamlet, where the people, for a time, worshiped her dying form. In return, Kos' pained breath granted them talent in the Arcane, along with the love of the motherly god. When the Hunters came, they took many things with them, including the lives of Kos and her children, the arcane gifts they were granted, and the secrets of her blood."

Charlie was flummoxed by this answer. She didn't think it was possible for those of Eldritch nature to die. But it seems the Hunter subverted her expectations once again. Still, she had more questions. "So the plague was caused by Kos dying?"

"In a way. Her blood, as the Scholars of Byrgenwerth found, carried great power within it. Anyone that carried even the tiniest drop would become healed of the many afflictions that plagued the lands. For a time, Yharnam was the capital city of blood ministration, and many became drunk off its power."

"But the Great Ones became angered by their frivolous use of what they had stolen. So they cursed the blood, and all who carried it. It became the Beast plague, affecting all who dared partake in the blood. The Holy Church was cursed the most, due to their unspeakable crimes with the blood, and their many attempts to become Gods themselves." She added.

"From that point, all clerics became cursed with the most horrific Beastly appearances. While there were many in Yharnam that did not partake heavily of the blood, they were not safe either. Their changes, while slower, still affected their minds and bodies. To say that there were few truly horrific monsters in Yharnam would be a lie," The Doll solemnly finished. "The Good Hunter told me how he died many different ways during his time there."

Charlie felt as though it was the right time to pop that question. "You say he died, but then he came back? How does that work?"

Seeing the confused look in her eyes, the Doll eventually gave her answer. "Some Hunters, like the Good Hunter himself, have been chosen to be resurrected by Flora, a surprisingly merciful Great One. They would die in some horrific way, and wake here, as if they had a nightmare."

Again, the Princess gulped at the thought of the Hunter dying over and over. Ripped apart by claws, punctured with many teeth, decapitated, eaten alive, cut and stabbed and bruised and burned countless times. That led to one final question. "So much pain… How did he do it?"

"Persistence," The other woman responded plainly. "No matter how many times he died, he continued to trek through the night until it reached dawn. Over time, his mental fortitude and his tolerance for pain hardened, and his skills with the many weapons he acquired became second nature."

Feeling the rush of questions depleted, she'd felt that Charlie wanted to know about her Good Hunter personally. "You seem to have thought about the Good Hunter. Tell me, please, what do you think of him?"

"The Hunter," The Princess suddenly spoke while staring at her teacup. "He…He isn't the kind that socializes with the other guests, and I initially thought he was a lost sinner. There are times where his temper got the best of him, like him attacking Sir Pentious yesterday. I know he didn't do it for his own entertainment. Rather, he seemed rattled, as if he remembered a painful event." Her voice turned sad. "After reading his journal, I finally understand the pain and sadness he carries." She looked at the Doll with remorse in her eyes. "I should not ask this from you. But what do you see within him? Who is the Hunter?"

The Doll sighed fondly. "He is unrelenting in his actions and ruthless to his enemies. He is paranoid by everything he sees. He has spent more time alive fighting for his life than he has with civilized people. He has a tendency to react harshly to perceived betrayal. Even to the point of brutality." Charlie knew most of this, but still couldn't believe she was hearing all of this coming from her mouth.

"Yet, from what I know of his heart, he is a kind, humble, and gentle soul who has been tortured and broken by his long night in Yharnam. He wishes to change his ways, yet his crippling paranoia and the potential that the bloodlust returns always haunt him. Even to the point that he will distance himself from people he trusts if he thinks he could endanger them," the Doll finished.

The Princess of Hell took the Doll's response piece by piece. He seemed as though that deep down he is a good person. Yet, he is haunted by his past. "I see…" She empathetically muttered.

"The Hunter told me about this Hotel you set up. Where it potentially offers redemption, and how you offered him a job." The Doll inquired.

"What are you trying to say?" Charlie asked.

"I am saying that the Good Hunter is grateful that he is offered to be in such a place." The Doll spoke with gratitude.

"But the Hotel is trying to redeem Sinners to go to Heaven." Charlie clarified. "Why would the Hunter think that it would help him?"

"The Good Hunter seeks redemption nonetheless." The Doll plainly answered. "His guilt, his pains, his losses. He yearns for his past chains to be unshackled. After all, doesn't your hotel embody the concept?"

"I…" The Princess was lost for words. This Doll was right. She had an ambitious goal of redeeming Sinners. But redemption from past traumas, especially the ones the Hunter has? That is going to be difficult. But she would try her best- no, she would make him smile again. Along with the rest of the Hotel, she would get them all into Heaven.

"Um, Miss Doll, how do I exit from the Dream?"

The Doll looked over her shoulder, making the Princess look at something she hadn't noticed before. A strange purple lamp at the top of the stairs. "You may use that to return to the waking world."

"Thank you dearly," Charlie bowed in gratitude despite the confusion she had suffered. Before she left, she had one more question. "Will I be able to return here? I mean, this is the Hunter's place after all."

"That depends on the Good Hunter," The Doll assured her. "Now, you should go. Your friends will worry that you won't wake."

"Thank you. I will think about what you have said." She said before approaching the strange lamp. For some odd reason, she felt as though she had to put her hand in front of it, and a bright purple light shined from the lamp, making her close her eyes. Then, she turned to mist.

-?-

Angel and Husk tried to talk down Vaggie, who had her spear in her hands, from leaving the hotel to find the Hunter. "Look, Vigana. I know you're all hooked up at the Hunter–"

Vaggie didn't let him finish. "OUT OF MY WAY! The Hunter is responsible for this and I will find him and tear the answers out of him if I have to!"

Husk didn't see it that way. "With what? Your strength?! That spear?! You know what he has, that monster of a blade and his guns! You've seen what he can do with them, there is no way you're going to subdue him with that!"

"I have to try, he will pay for this." She spoke through gritted teeth, which would have popped from the strain if they were anything less than steel.

As this was happening, both Alastor and Niffty couldn't help but chuckle at the scene before them. "Seems there is a ruckus now, hm?" The Radio Demon commented.

The clean-freak maid laughed at this. "More like a family drama, Alastor! HAHAHAHAHA!" She laughed insanely.

Suddenly, all heard a groan coming from Charlie. All heads turned to face the couch, where they saw her slowly and groggily sitting up on the couch with blurry eyes. With a few blinks, she woke up fully, and saw everyone in the lobby. "Uh, guys?"

"CHARLIE!" She turned to Vaggie, who dropped her spear to the ground, and hurled herself towards her girlfriend. As she landed, she tightly hugged her while trembling with worry and barely containing her tears. "Charlie! Thank God you're awake! I was worried that you wouldn't wake up, I found you on the floor and the Hunter had left but you were the last one who saw him and-"

The Princess smiled back at her lover's panicked stammering before she proceeded to hug her back, cutting off her worried voice. This lasted for a bit until the other girl let go and had a serious look. "Charlie. What did the Hunter do to you that caused you to be passed out?"

Her question caused Charlie to look away despite the seriousness of her girlfriend's voice. Her eyes were filled with regret as she was about to inform what occurred. "No, the Hunter technically didn't cause me to pass out. Reading his journal made me pass out, turns out he writes in Eldritch but after I read it…" She let out a breath "I always knew the Hunter was carrying some deep emotional pain and trauma."

She looked back at Vaggie. "But now I've come to realize just how much worse it actually is."

Everyone caught wind of this. Husk raised an eyebrow. "What was in that journal that spooked you so bad?"

Angel couldn't agree more with the Bartender. "Yeah. We knew he went through some shit, but you're telling us now that Mister Hunter was through the shit to end all shit, what didja see?"

Charlie wouldn't dare tell them the contents of the journal, not after she barely survived reading it. "There are some things that should be kept secret. But all I can say is it's something beyond our comprehension."

The Radio Demon hummed in interest. This certainly caught his attention. "Something beyond our comprehension you say." 'My specialty,' he thought to himself.

Again, Vaggie didn't believe a word to what she said. "Well, whatever the Hell that means, the Hunter still needs to pay for–"

"I won't let you."

Her girlfriend was surprised to hear this response. "Charlie?"

This time, the Princess placed her hands over Vaggie's and gripped them firmly. "I won't let you to go after the Hunter. He's been through so much and I don't want any of us triggering his trauma. I know this is all confusing. But please, DON'T go after the Hunter. You don't have to read the journal!" After what she'd been through, she didn't want Vaggie to suffer the same fate.

"I…" Vaggie tried to protest but knew Charlie had a point. She let out a stressful sigh. "I see your point. I promise that I won't go after the Hunter, but I am going to talk to him about his actions." Guilt bloomed across her face. "Still, it is hard to believe that he didn't cause you to pass out, especially after disappearing like that."

Charlie frowned at hearing this. She knew that her girlfriend was being overprotective. But at least now she won't be violent towards him. "I know." She glanced at the door and wondered where the Hunter would go to calm down for a week. 'I should probably talk to him in private once he gets back.'

-Scene Change-

SOMEWHERE IN PENTAGRAM CITY…

MOMENTS AFTER CHARLIE WENT UNCONSCIOUS…

The Hunter walked for who knows how long. He needed this after the fiasco he pulled last night. Those eyes on the snake… it was too similar to the Winter Lanterns for comfort. To feel something poking around in his head, even after the Nightmare was gone for good, was enough to trigger some bad memories.

He had been tempted, for a moment or two, to simply rip off the snake's hood entirely. That thought had been buried under the knowledge that Charlie would be disappointed in him if he did. And just that. It's because of her that he even gets this chance to redeem himself, he wouldn't throw it away on impulse.

As he passed by an alleyway, he heard a noise. His days in Yharnam caused him to tense up in preparation to jump away. He expected many things to happen. A mugger lunged at him. A prostitute also lunged at him. Hell, a prostitute mugger lunging at him. It was not the strangest happening he'd suffered in Yharnam, but he'd be ready for it nonetheless. The Messengers sprouting from their cloudy pool of water was not one he expected but was more welcome than the alternatives (He still remembers that prostitute mugger).

The Messengers carried his journal, which he had asked them to retrieve once Charlie had finished reading it. He knew what this meant. "So, Miss Morningstar finally read it?" The Hunter grabbed the notebook and pocketed it. He breathed through his nose as he knew that she was unconscious from reading it. He knew this would happen of course. As the daughter of Lucifer, she had a higher natural resistance to Eldritch influence than most other denizens of Hell.

He had only noticed in re-reading his journal that his writing had slowly shifted from English to Eldritch over the course of the Night. His best guess would be the amount of Insight he had amassed during his stay in Yharnam. It had accumulated to the point where his own speech had been an abomination of English words and sounds combined with unholy screeches and transcendent groans during his first few months as an Old One. As a human, reading his journal would require a will stronger than the toughest castle walls just to survive.

But Charlie was different. She could read it without dying. She could be trusted to not become mad with power upon seeing the secrets he guarded within. She was able to understand him, understand his pain, even if the book had a mind of its own. "I would like to talk with her once I have managed to calm down."

As the Messengers retreated back to the Dreamscape, the Hunter resumed his walk. Right as he was about to head towards a potential place to rest for the night, he sensed that yet again someone wished him bodily harm. This time from a distance. Looking up, he could see from a distance that someone was indeed aiming at him. Unfortunately, it was a familiar sight. "Not these guys again." He instantly drew his Hunter's Pistol and fired a single shot.

It looks like we are about to get some action.

Crimson Soldat: I really should stop publishing chapters at an alarming rate. There is going to be something that I may miss. Whether it is lore or paragraphs

HalfWitHillbilly: True, how about once a week on Friday? Gives us more time to flesh out the chapters, while also making our upload schedule realistic.

CS: Yeah. And the Hunter may have created some enemies (?). Don't worry, characters from Helluva Boss will be appearing soon.

HH: I wonder what those 2 sentences together imply. Also we might do a series of one-shots that are in a more comedic light. Problem is, I want to show that the Hunter is still human enough to fuck around without making it too ooc. A difficult balance when he's a prime example of Trauma and Coping mechanisms.

Since there weren't many last time, I want all of you to give constructive criticism and feedback to help improve this story. Or, any suggestions.

Sorry if there were any Out Of Character Moments or any lore I fucked up, but I want to satisfy those who wants to read it.

With that said, I will see ya all in the next chapter, motherfuckers!