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The warm light of dawn fell upon the hunter’s back as he slowly strode down the cobblestone streets of Central Yharnam. It seemed almost unnatural how under the golden light of dawn how different the city looked. The golden light almost burned the nightmarish hunt that had preceded from his mind.
The streets were silent, any of the surviving Yharnamites that had survived the night evidently not awake yet, And he was rather happy with the tranquil peace and silence that filled the streets. It was refreshing, Being able to walk down the street in peace without worrying too much that a beast would lunge towards him. He paused and shifted the whirligig saw that was slung over his back, making sure it was still in place should he need it, Though he was sure he wouldn’t.
He found himself standing in front of a familiar window, One he had spent plenty of time during the previous night in the comforting glow of the lantern light talking with a man who had made the night much more pleasant. He smiled softly to himself and raised a gloved hand to knock on the window, One he’d done multiple times previously that night.
A raspy cough was his answer, deep and harsh, and there was the sound of someone moving in a chair that had normally sat in the window.
“Ah? Good hunter? Is that you?”
The familiar voice of Gilbert broke through the silence, and the thin curtains that were in front of the window shifted, Revealing the gaunt face of the man the Hunter adored so much. Shaggy brown hair fell in front of grey eyes that upon falling upon the hunter, Lit up brightly as a smile stained his lips. He shifted forward, thin hands reaching forward to open the window and reach out for the hunter that stood beyond it.
There had been a promise they’d made, Under the silver moon that foretold misfortune for the city of Yharnam, A promise that under the light of dawn they would find each other, No matter what happened.
Gloved hands took the thin ones in his own, clutching them tightly like something might take the man away from him. There were faint memories, hazy and dreamlike, Of a broken window and a beast in place of his beloved and the heartbreak of knowing who he’d lost, But he shook those thoughts away and smiled, bright and full of warmth. Those weird dream-like memories weren’t what had happened, and he raised the pale hands and pressed a quick kiss to the knuckles.
“I did promise I would return at dawn.”
His voice was raspy from lack of use and from inhaling smoke and ash over the hunt, And a bright scarlet flush stained Gilbert’s face at his actions and words, and he looked away briefly.
“Oh… I know you said you would… But my dear hunter, Would you like to come in?”
His voice was soft and practically a whisper and the hunter paused for a second, considering his options, But then smiled and nodded, glancing towards the door of the building. Gilbert smiled brightly and gestured for the hunter to go to the door, while he moved the curtains back in front of the window, The hunter heard the quiet creaking of the wheelchair as it moved, and he slowly walked towards the front door. It swung open after the quiet sound of the lock unlocking, and the hunter was met with the dark hallway of the house, framed by the door was Gilbert, Sitting in his wheelchair with the familiar cardigan pulled tightly around his shoulders. He gave the hunter a bright smile and then gestured for the hunter to come in.
He entered the darkened hallway, heard the door close and lock behind him, And examined the small room he found himself in. It was a small room, With a simple bed in the corner, a table and a small kitchenette in another corner. On one of the walls were several bookshelves, covered in many many books. He heard a small cough and turned his attention towards the man, Who obviously could tell what had caught his attention.
“Ah...My book collection, I used to be a professor before I-”
A pause as he coughed roughly, before continuing.
“-Before I came to Yharnam, I brought them with me.”
He finished his sentence and the hunter nodded, before turning away and slowly began to take his coat and hat off, Placing them on the coat rack that was by the front door, and swept the red hair out of his face, and back into a ponytail that he normally tried to keep it in. He winced slightly at the feeling of his hair against his hands, Suddenly craving a warm bath or at least a bucket to clean off his hair.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts, and slowly walked over and sat at the small table, feeling rather out of place, as Gilbert fussed with something in the kitchen. Upon actually sitting down in the small dining room chair, He felt the sudden, Bone deep exhaustion, The sudden realization that since he’d woken up the previous evening with no memories, He hadn’t truly taken the time to rest and sit. He allowed his head to rest on the table, hands folded under his head like a pillow.
He jumped slightly upon hearing the sound of a teacup being set down gently by his head, the quiet clattering of porcelain reminding him of some beast from before, and he looked up frantically towards Gilbert, who looked towards him wide-eyed at the sudden movement.
“Hunter? Are you alright?”
“Yes… yes I’m fine, You startled me a little. Thank you for the tea.”
He licked his lips slightly, and lifted the teacup between his two hands, hoping to hide the slight tremor from the adrenalin rush he’d experienced. Gilbert raised an eyebrow But didn’t ask any more questions as the hunter pressed the cup to his lips, and took a long sip of the hot tea.
“If...If it's not too rude of me, What is your name? You never mentioned it to me?”
That question caused him to pause, Head tilted to the side as he tried to force his shattered memories to remember even the tiniest detail about himself. Having woken up in the clinic, With only the vaguest memories of his previous life before he became a hunter, He realized no one in Yharnam had ever truly asked him his name, Normally calling him “The hunter” Or “Good hunter”
“Oliver. My name was Oliver.”
“Was?”
“I….Don’t remember much else besides that, I woke up in the clinic a few minutes from here last night with no other memories.”
He’d set down his tea while he had been talking, and he felt a cool hand wrap around his, Gilbert looking at him with sad grey eyes.
“You… Remember nothing? That is rather unusual? I’m assuming this also means you have nowhere else to go?”
He nodded and looked towards the window that he knew led towards the street outside. He’d never truly thought about what he was going to do after the night of the hunt had ended, Having spent his time thinking more on how he was going to survive the night then what he would do afterwards, As dawn had felt like a long distant dream for how long the night had gone on. He felt Gilbert’s thumb brush against his hand in a soothing pattern, and there was a faint smile on his lips.
“ Well… Until you know where you are going… Do you want to stay with me? If you’re okay with it?”
He rambled for a brief second or two longer, and then the hunter smiled and nodded.
“I...Yes… Yes I would like that Gilbert.”