Fandom The Night Unfurls [Bloodborne]

[StoneWolf18]

Briar Cowen

As Ada was finally hauled in and forced down next to her, Briar had to force herself to remain kneeling and not immediately check if she were alright.

Her and the Queen began to speak, it was reinforcing the fact that they had a rather strong disdain for the church, but also clear that their appearance together wasn’t something all that expected.

Responding to Ada’s glands with her own one, although with much more concern. If she had been told that the hunter that scared her in the clinic was going to have had such a change of heart, she would’ve laughed. Yet now however she knew the woman was putting up more than a front, somehow anyway.

“It seems you have failed.” Annalise responded almost smugly. “As you are no longer in the walking world.”

 

[Coin]

Ada Larkin​

"Forgive my ignorance, but do you mean to say I am dead?" Ada tilted her head. "If that is true, where am I truly?"

"That, I cannot say for certain," the queen explained, then pointing a slender finger to Briar. "This one who calls herself Briar may be dead, but that matters not. She is a Vileblood. When she awakens from this dream, she shall rejoin the living. It is the nature of the Corruption." Her finger then pointed at Ada, "You, however, are no Vileblood. You are an intruder in our dream and should be put to the block for trespassing."

"But, I thought you said I was already dead," Ada shot back.

"I believe I said you were no longer in the waking world," Annalise hissed, returning her hands to her lap. " Somehow, it seems your wretched body has become attached to Briar's. Did you imbibe in her blood?"

Ada glanced at Briar, the back to the queen, "Yes, I believe so. Her blood saved my life. If you kill me here, will you give your word not to harm Briar?"

'You, lady of the church, are not in the position to bargain whilst at your knees. Briar is one of our blood, and no harm will come to her unless she admits to conspiring with the heretical Healing Church," Annalise's gaze turned towards Briar, as she posed the possibility.

 

[StoneWolf18]

Briar Cowen

The possibility that she wasn’t dead and that Ada might still be was enough to make Briar’s head spin. Because she was now one of these vilebloods, she couldn’t die?

She was jarringly pulled from her thoughts when the hunter beside her began to be threatened. Apparently, Ada had only joined her here because she had consumed her blood, the two now attached to one another. That would certainly explain the oddly specific perception of her she had felt earlier.

“I haven’t worked with the church.” Briar would finally state. “I don’t even think I was a vileblood up until tonight. But… there has to be some reason for you to keep Ada alive.”

Annalise scoffed. “What reason would there be for me to keep a hunter aligned with the church alive?”

“She saved my life twice tonight.” She pressed. “Maybe she could be of some worth to you?”

The Queen was silent for a worrying amount of time, but she would eventually say “I will… consider this. Take them to one of the empty rooms.” With her order in place, the knights would drag Ada to her feet but simply gesture for Briar to move, escorting them out of the throne room.

Soon they were shoved into what looked to be a rather large and cleanly bedroom, the door closed with the knights standing guard outside. With a bit of a guilty expression, Briar would begin to apologize. “I’m sorry for simply offering you up…”

 

[Coin]

Ada Larkin​

Ada breathed a fresh sigh of relief when they were finally squirreled away into a bedroom devoid of prying eyes and rattling sabers. Without a sense of much grace,
Ada tore away some of the fabric of her cloak to make for a makeshift handkerchief. She was finally able to wipe away the blood from her face and stop her nose from bleeding all over the place. Utterly exhausted, Ada sat on the ground of the bedroom, putting her back to the foot of bed and conserving what little energy she had left.

"You could have saved my life, Briar," Ada shook her head, her voice congested as she was pinching her bleeding nose shut. "Thank you for looking out for me. It'd be a terrible way to go being executed by a bunch of strangers in a dream. The way they made it sound, do you think it'd kill me in the waking world, if this is a dream after all?"

Ada's head hurt just thinking about it. Nothing about the Hunt was normal, but this night in particular, absolutely nothing made a lick of sense. It was easier just swinging her cane around and killing a few beasts until eventual dawn came. Would there be no dawn to this night?

"Briar, the Church can't take me back," she shook her head, looking down at her own tattered and bloodied church garb. "If we both wake up from this, I'll still be a beast.
What if the right thing to do is to let the Vilebloods kill me so I can't be a threat to you anymore? My life is practically over anyway. Even if I could find control in myself as a beast, where would I go? The Church has an iron grip on Yharnam -- and it's not one beasts can just escape from. That's why we have the Hunts."

 

[StoneWolf18]

Briar Cowen

Briar would've slowly moved to sit beside Ada, remaining silent as she spoke. She had already thought Ada had died, but with that seemingly not the case, she wanted to hopefully avoid it at all costs. She was indebted to the hunter by this point and was almost determined to make it up to her somehow.

"Whether it kills you in the waking world isn't something we should have to find out." Briar began, facing Ada a bit but keeping her back to the large bed. "You've saved my life twice tonight, and I would like to repay that favor still."

She would've waited a moment, considering her next words before continuing. "There could still possibly be a way to reverse the transformation, right? If I was made a vileblood I'm you could become human again." Briar sounded as optimistic as she could simply because she didn't want to see the woman giving up so soon. This night was growing more strange by the second, and if it kept up like this who knows where it would lead. Even though it sounded foolish, Briar did want to find out.

 

[Coin]

Ada Larkin​

"Think about what you're saying, Briar," Ada leaned her head back to rest and keep the blood flow away from her nose. "You turned into a vileblood, but do you think there's a way to turn back from that? If you ask me, the odds are about as slim as getting my beast body back to my regular old human self."

Ada sighed. She'd be lying if she said that Briar's optimism wasn't infectious. For hunters like herself, optimism didn't have room to exist in the Yharnam streets. They had to make do with every situation that was dropped into their lap, no matter how traumatic or daunting. If they didn't triumph, the only other alternative was death. That was that was the attitude the Briar had too -- if she and Ada simply gave up, they would be groveling at the feet of death. At least even after everything and even being eaten by Ada, Briar was still able to keep her chin up above all else.

"Suppose there is a way," Ada spoke again, after gathering her thoughts. "How do I convince the Ice Queen to let me off the hook for being guilty by association? She doesn't seem like the type to bargain with the enemy."

 

[StoneWolf18]

Briar Cowen

At first, Briar thought she wasn’t getting through to him. But once she resumed speaking, she began to try and think. The Queen did hate the church... but possibly that could work in her favor.

“Explain that you are unable to return to them.” She responded. “And maybe she’ll find you useful like I said.” This was quite the long shot, it being much more likely that the queen would rather execute her. But they could at least try, right?

Leaning her own her own head back, Briar was finding herself fighting off a torrent of exhaustion. “This night...” she began, a small laugh escaping her lips. “Who would’ve ever thought we would be sitting in a dream after you had eaten me...”

 

[Coin]

Ada Larkin​

Ada's ears perked up as she heard Briar give an out of place laugh. She looked over to her, a small huff of air escaping her nostrils as well. It was as close as she could get to a laugh in her sorry state, but the curling smile on her lips said the rest. Ada, even for the briefest of moments, was at ease.

"Absolute madwoman talk is coming out of your mouth, Briar," Ada scoots closer to her, offering at least a little bit of warmth in that cold castle room. "Makes you take some other crazy things you've heard in your days for granted, huh? Headless rider, flying pigs, bloodthirsty rabbits?"

Ada let her head droop into her arms as she tried to rest and think before piping up again, "After the night. Say you survive, what are you gonna do?"

 

[StoneWolf18]

Briar Cowen

“Trying to believe this is truly happening makes me believe we’ve gone mad.” Briar chuckled. If the night was going to get even stranger, she wasn’t sure if it was going to surprise her anymore. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a man eating rabbit was owned by the headless rider.”

Resting her head on Ada’s shoulder, she partially leaned the woman though knew she most likely still hurt. But before she could speak, the hunter asked her what she was going to do if they made it till dawn. “I... I don’t know.” She’d sigh. “I want to say I’ll continue as if this had never happened but I’m sure that will be difficult. Perhaps I’ll go and confront Iosefka, asking her why she thought this was a good idea.”

Briar had been about to ask the same but it died on her tongue, knowing it wouldn’t lighten the current situation.

 

[Coin]

Ada Larkin​

Briar's little quip brought honest laughter to Ada. It was more than an amused scoff or and modest chuckle, Ada's quiet laughter filled the room as the mental picture came to mind. She didn't nearly mind at all as Briar rest her head on her shoulder, eventually letting her own head falling to rest on top of Briar's. It was the tiniest forms of comfort she could offer, but in their shared fragility, it meant the world and more.

"No, no," Ada shook her head slightly, causing some of Briar's hair to fall down onto her face. Ada picked up her head quickly and brushed the hair out of Briar's face before elaborating. "I meant beyond all of that, silly. What does everyday-Briar look like? What is her occupation? What are her hobbies? What are her dreams? You know, the pleasant things."

It might have been strange to ask, but Ada had a few goals in mind. She wanted to shift the conversation away from the dark and grim, even if to lift the mood by a fraction of its current state. That, and Ada wanted to expand her vision of Briar. She wanted to know all those things, so she had a better idea of exactly who she was fighting tooth and nail for.

 

[StoneWolf18]

Briar Cowen

Pleasant things, yes. Things that had slipped her mind, being replaced with the sheer terror of this night. "My life is undoubtedly less interesting than yours." Briar responded while closing her eyes as if trying to recall what her everyday life was like. "I worked for a friend of my father's ironically a small blood minister that operated beneath the eyes of the church. It wasn't anything special. Book-keeping, organizing inventory, speaking with his customers on occasion..." Trailing off she would frown, opening her eyes and shifting closer to Ada. "He... might've been the one to get us into this mess to begin with."

 

[Coin]

Ada Larkin​

As Ada was about to answer Briar, making some quip about church and their blood security, a wave of overwhelming nauseousness made her head spin. Even though she was seated, resting against the foot of the bed, Ada felt as if she was going to topple over. Suddenly she jerked away and planted a steadying hand on the ground to stop herself from falling. She wanted terribly to vomit, but she managed to hold it in for Briar's sake.

She moaned as she held onto her head, trying to stop the spinning sensation. Eventually, the whirlwind in her head started to slow and she was able to formulate words again. She was covered in a layer of cold sweat and she had gone utterly pale seemingly out of nowhere.

"D-damn," Ada groaned as she curled into herself. "I don't... I don't remember getting hurt that badly. I don't know what's happening... They didn't give you any blood vials, did they?"

 

[StoneWolf18]

Briar Cowen

Briar would sit up immediately, her frown being replaced with concern as she saw how fast Ada’s state was declining. “Blood vials? No...” she said, standing and searching the room. “But we have something better...”

There was a decorative set of small goblets and a jug atop a dresser, the woman taking one of the cups before using the edge of the platter they were placed on to make a sizeable incision upon her wrist. Keeping the metal wedged so the flesh wouldn’t begin to heal, Briar let the glass fill.

Once it was full of a decent amount, she would return to Ada’s side although a bit light headed and dazed due to the lack of blood she had lost. “Here.” She’d say, holding the blood-filled goblet out for her.

 

[Coin]

Ada Larkin​

Ada had to use every effort she could muster just to stay awake and stop herself from falling over even though she was still sitting at the foot of the bed. Darkness crept its way into her vision, feeling like she was losing blood somewhere. It felt like she was losing her connection to everything.

It felt like an eternity later that Briar returned with a goblet full of blood. It didn't take Ada long to realize that it was likely filled with Briar's own blood instead of the healing blood but it mattered not anymore.
The memory of what happened the last time she took some of her blood had long been forgotten in the haziness of her current state.

With Briar's help, Ada managed to swallow a healthy gulp of the blood. Thankfully, the blood no longer made Ada react violently or seize when she came in contact with it. Instead, it invigorated her, washing away the dizziness and haze that clouded her mind almost instantly -- even too quickly. Ada panted as she set the goblet down, choking because she had drank too quickly.

 

[StoneWolf18]

Briar Cowen

Kneeling beside Ada as to avoid spilling what remained in the goblet, she would be releaved as she saw her calming down. Color returned to her face and she managed to focus even if her breathing was still rather ragged.

“You should rest.” Briar would finally speak up, gesturing towards the bed. “You can sleep on the bed as you’ve clearly earned it more than I have.” She clearly was fatigued herself, the loss of blood not helping, but seeing as Ada kept getting terribly beat up, it only made since to let her have thus luxury.

 

[Coin]

Ada Larkin​

"God," Ada sputtered as she recovered from doubling over on the ground at last. "Beg pardon for being vulgar, but your blood doesn't taste like any other blood I've had. It's good. I feel like a new woman."

Ada filled the room with her laughter, still trying to make light of an otherwise grim scenario. The blood ran its course through her body, and she shivered as it evaporated every cut and bruise, even reconnecting the strange tether she seemed to feel with Briar. Though she was healed, Ada could feel the strain of exhaustion her body was in. The offer of the bed was a much-needed respite.

"I'm only going to lie down for a second, just need to shut my eyes for a moment." Ada assured Briar as she climbed onto the bed. She didn't even lay down all the way, resting her back on the headboard and crossing her arms in front of her. "Don't let any of those Cainhurst freaks see me like this." Was the last thing Ada said before she drifted off to a deeper sleep than she planned to.

 

[StoneWolf18]

Briar Cowen

Good? How could blood of all things taste good? Assuming it was due to being a vileblood, she didn’t bother questioning it but rather nodded as Ada stood, moving to lean back onto the headboard. It was amusing how she didn’t want anyone else seeing her in such a state... perhaps she had been the only one ever being graced with the sight of the hunter in pain and wounded.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she would’ve sat down before the bed as they had before, reaching down and taking the goblet up, examining what remained. To her it appeared no different than any other type of blood, was she ignorant or was there no detectable difference? Setting it down with a sigh, Briar was going to lean on the footboard and try to fall asleep there, but soon as Ada’s breathing had evened out and it was more than clear that she was asleep… the bed was surely big enough that she wouldn’t be disturbed.

Carefully she would stand, moving towards the other side of the large bed and lay down, resting much more comfortably than Ada did. Soon the fatuige she felt would’ve overwhelmed her forcing her into almost an equally as deep sleep.

 

[Coin]

Ada Larkin​

Ada slept much like a corpse. She did not move from her position even the slightest, the only indication that she was indeed still alive was the steady rise and fall of her breathing. She dreamed of hazy better times. Times that she only imagined, but felt as fond as memories. Ada was a florist in this other life, living day after day tending to the simple things. There was no Hunt, no Church, no beasts, no bloodshed at all.

Dreams were fleeting and only enveloped one in false warmth.

She had no idea how long she was asleep for but, it was longer than a little while. When Ada finally woke, she felt something clinging to the left side of her body. Finally peeling her eyes open, she was rather shocked to see that Briar had also climbed up onto the bed and fallen asleep -- holding on to Ada. She bit her lower lip as she reached down to push some of Briar's hair out of her face and off her own arm.

"Hey, Briar?" Ada whispered, trying not to wake her up too suddenly. "Briar, can you hear me? I need my arm -- maybe more than you need it."

 

[StoneWolf18]

Briar Cowen

Briar's own dreams were strange. Half of it was a demented nightmare formed from the events that had transpired ever since leaving the clinic. Beasts and blood, oh so much of it, enough to feel as if she were drowning. But the other half was something much different. Flowers, a warmth and overwhelming feeling of security.

The confusing ordeal eventually came to a close, she was woken by a soft call of her name. Blinking her eyes open Briar would see that she was clinging to Ada’s arm. A bright blush would rise on her cheeks as she let go, shifting a bit away from the hunter and not meeting her gaze. “I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t slept on the bed…”

 

[Coin]

Ada Larkin​

"You're okay. Not often someone wakes up next to me like this." Ada chuckled at her own joke, bringing her knees to her chest and hugging them tightly. "Plus, I was only going to close my eyes for a second,
then let you have the bed. I didn't mean to sleep."

Ada looked around at their bleak surroundings. Nothing had changed, but there was no telling if any knights or even the queen herself peeked into their room. In fact, Ada was rather surprised that no one had woken them up and summoned them for the next round of interrogation.

"You think we can leave if we wanted to?" She whispered, still hugging herself tightly. "Or you think they're just gonna keep us in here 'til we starve to death?"

 

[StoneWolf18]

Briar Cowen

“No you needed it.” Brair responded while returning to look towards Ada, finally having forced her embarrassment off her face almost entirely. “We both did...” Sleep was just one thing they needed, however. And since Ada had mentioned starving, she finally became aware that she hadn’t eaten since they had been in the small shack in Yharnam it hadn’t been much.

“Is that even possible in a dream?” She’d think outloud, but based on how Ada had been wounded by the knights and the hunger she felt, Briar assumed it was surely a possibility.

Sliding off the bed, she would slowly move towards the door, but upon trying the handle, she sighed at the realization that it was locked. “We can’t get out unless you’re interested in forcing the door open...”

 

[Coin]

Ada Larkin​

"Oh I just woke up, don't get me started on this dream shit," Ada cradled her head in her hands. She hadn't even started to piece together the whole turning into a beast thing,
and now they had a whole dream to unravel.

Ada stretched out her aching muscles and crawled out of the bed to check the door for herself. The damned thing was locked from the outside. Cainhurst and their stupid room designs. Ada rattled the handle, and was satisfied knowing that if she tried to bash it, she would surely break her hand. The door was also several inches thick, something she couldn't possibly smash through unless she was a fifteen foot beast.

"No good," Ada mumbled, backing away from the door. "Unless you can get me to turn into a beast again, we're stuck in this room." Ada sighed and leaned back against the bed.
"What do you think's taking 'em so long? They wouldn't let a pretty Vileblood like you wait in here for so long with an evil hunter like me. They were just about to give you a massage while they locked me in a box. Think the queen had a change of heart?"

 

[StoneWolf18]

Briar Cowen

Being reminded that Ada wasn’t human in the waking world anymore only worsened her mood. “I turned you into a beast?” She’d give her a mixed glance, having already felt guilty for potentially causing her death, but having the blame placed on her for the hunter’s transformation brought it to the forefront of her mind once more.

The door behind her opened suddenly, a servant standing in the doorway with a serving platter in his hands. “Madam.” He greeted her with bow of his head. “For you and your... guest.” He said this with disdain, but was clearly too intimidated by her to make any sort of eye contact.

Thanking him Briar would take the tray, the door closing and locking once more while she set it on the bed. On the tray there was an assortment of different foods. Breads, cheeses, small amounts of a meat she couldn’t identify. There was a pitcher along with two glasses, which at first Briar assumes it to be wine... but upon closer inspection she was proved wrong.

“At least they don’t want us starving...” She commented with a half hearted chuckle, although not moving to touch anything on the tray.

 

[Coin]

Ada Larkin​

Ada made a nasty face at the servant as he left, inciting a scowl in return as he made his hurried retreat. Thankfully Cainhurst's servants weren't nearly as courageous as their knights. She could only imagine what manner of boogeymen stories of Church monsters the knights tormented the poor bastards with.

"Hmmm, don't touch anything yet..." Ada hummed, approaching the food. She plucked up some of the bread and cheese and brought them to her nostrils, sniffing for poison. She even nicked her finger with one of the table knives and mixed the blood with the food, in case of snake venom that coagulated the blood. Satisfied at last that their hosts were not trying to murder them with food, Ada took a bite out of the bread without giving Briar so much as a warning.

"Well, I think I can safely say that they also don't intend on killing us yet," Ada winked, pushing the tray to Briar. "C'mon and eat something. Your rumbling gut woke me from my sleep earlier."

 

[StoneWolf18]

Briar Cowen

Even though she was a bit worried as Ada inspected the food, she was more than happy to begin eating as she assumed it to be safe, although unable to hold back a laugh as Ada joked.

As the ate, Briar having seated herself on the bed beside the tray, she would’ve paused momentarily, a few questions forming in her mind. “What was it like...” she would eventually ask softly. “Being a beast.” She figured Ada wouldn’t want to answer or give some sarcastic remark, but she couldn’t hold back her curiosity.