Darkened Hearts (Orcus/SHARPii)

"I'm beginning to think the Ripper hunts in Whitechaple because the people here are physically weaker than in other parts of London. There's so much starvation and poverty that..." He stopped. The Ripper is more of a scavenger than a hunter."

He listened to her second statement intently. "Of course there's something about me. Everything I'm wearing is intended to make me a more effective hunter. I collected all these weapons ad garments from around the world depending on how useful they are. And if you mean something nebulous, like that I'm not normal knight, that's true to."

Lila shuddered at the image she had painted in her mind from his explanation, imagining the poor morsels of the poverty-stricken streets taken to their doom because they they didn't have a better chance? The thought honestly saddened her, especially as she was up there, on that patio balcony, safe from the terrors the night could offer. Little did she know...

"And how do you mean by that? See I knew you were something else but here I was also thinking that maybe you something special, a certain dark knight, if you would." She said gently. "Or a white knight?" Her lips quirked into a light smirk.

"Well I'm not the prim and proper type who was born with a title. I was knighted by a king in a land far from Europe." He also rested against the guard rail. He was looking at her with a grin. "Your hair is far more beautiful when it's down."

This was news to her since she thought it was a ruse when he was introduced as Sir earlier at the gathering. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" She asked with a small grin, tilting her head to the side a bit. She stood upright rather immediately when he complimented. She blushed and looked away from him, out into the city and ran her hand through her hair subconsciously. "Thank you."

"I was hunting on these islands just under Asia. There was an island that was under siege by... things. I hunted them down and killed them. The king insisted on rewarding me and being knighted was the least cumbersome gift I could think of." He chuckled. "I actually had to teach him how to knight someone. And he used his club instead on a sword. Still a king's a king and a knight's a knight. And that's how my name became three letters longer."

Her eyebrows raised in astonishment but all she ended up doing was just smiling, nodding her head slowly. She laughed, finding it funny that he had to teach the King how to knight but nonetheless was impressed. "I'm impressed." She said softly and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm very impressed."

Frances looked out at the sky. "Morning will soon come. I'll need to sleep all day so I can hunt the Ripper by night." He took Delilah's hand and kissed it. "Till I see you again, my lady."

Lila frowned at him as well as raising a brow, finding it odd he slept all day but was awake at night. Interesting sleeping pattern. She smiled bashfully, his kiss leaving tingles on her skin and she nodded. "Likewise, good sir." She said gently. "I hope you find everything to your liking in your room. And I hope there's plenty of food to your liking."

"My accommodations are more than adequate, my lady. Thank you." H hoped onto the guard rail and started climbing up the wall to his room. He had hoped sh would have been sleeping, but he could wait till the next night. He was far from the critical point.

Lila watched him, astounded. What was he? Part animal and part man? Shaking her head, she sighed softly as she went back into her room, shutting the balcony doors and locking them before undoing her robe and setting it over her chair. She got into bed and lay on her side, closing her eyes and surprisingly, she was out within a few minutes.

Frances had taken full advantage of the room that was provided to him. He set up a map of Whitechaple with the locations of the 3 murders on it. He marked the most likely escape routs and he locations of possible suspects and potential victims. There was something else. A hidden list of creatures who had been known to do things like this. There had to be a reason for this sort of killing.

((Remember, Jack the Ripper is the first known serial killer. At this time people don't know how serial killers are.))

[oh I know that. That comment was directed to the way he climbed up the wall to his room xD]

It was a weird night. The sleep was so comforting but it wasn't dreamless. Normally she didn't have much dreams. Her dreaming was reserved for the day time, when she was actually awake and often zoning out. However, being asleep right now was a lot better than being awake, especially with what she was dreaming of.

((Actually I was referring to him not knowing why the Ripper kills.))

Frances had everything set up and was ready for the dawn, but he still had time. He wandered if Lady Delilah was sleeping now. He slowly made his way back down the wall. To his delight she was in bed sleeping. Frances felt all the same old emotions as he approached. The guilt of taking from another. The pride in being undetected. The thirst. He very gently open the vein of her neck and drank of her. Such sweetness! She drank just enough, making sure to leave her enough to not feel like anything was wrong and left her to her dreams. The sun was rising.

[oh. hehe, I get that now]

During her dream, she felt a certain feeling on her body. During her sleep, it caused her to let out a soft groan. Lila was a heavy sleeper so the possibility that what had happened was outside of the dream, did not occur to her. If anything, it made her dream all the more enjoyable. After, her arms moved above her head and she turned her head to the right, the fresh wound glistening from its fresh impact. It did wonders. Then again as she slept, she had no idea what it was, rather thinking it was an experience as vivid inside of her dreams.

Frances parted his teeth from her neck and smelled her hair. To him she was the best smell on the continent. He caressed he arm before leaving. He wanted to go a little further, but doing so with a sleeping girl would be most ungentlemanly. Still he kissed her sleeping cheek before departing.

A few hours went by after this encounter. Lila awoke from her slumber for a personal need. After she'd finished, she washed her hands, the lights on and her eyes on her tired self in the mirror. It was then she noticed a bit of red on her skin and also just how sore her neck was. Wincing a bit, she tilted her head, stretching the dry bit of blood and the dry wound altogether and she swallowed hard. What was that? Her finger touched it slowly and it stung, causing her to grimace in pain, a small whimper coming from her. Her breathing increased in her own shock, her heart pounding clear. She rearranged her hair to keep it covered as she shut the light off and walked out of the washroom, going back to her room. As she lay on the bed, she didn't go back to sleep. She was far too alarmed and startled.

Lord Derby had decided to start the morning off with a bang. It turned out that Frances wasn't the only do-gooder looking to hunt down and kill the Ripper. Fortunately their meeting was in the study where there were no windows facing the sun. There were a dozen young nobles huddled around a map comparing notes and considering suspects. It was a total pissing match between busybodies who were quite sure they new what they were talking about.

There were a few useful tid bits. One of them brought copies of the official Scotland Yard reports for each killing. Another brought the unedited accounts of the journalist who wrote about them complete with the pictures they took. His only problem was the source of the material. Nobody at the table seemed to think it was possible for a white man to do things such as this, unless they were Irish of course.

Lady Derby sent a maid to her daughter's room to wake her. It was not necessary because just before she was about to knock, Lila, who had just put her robe on, opened the door. She had fixed her hair over her shoulder, to purposely cover the wound on her neck and she just looked at the maid, her name being Rose. "Morning." She spoke kindly but it was clear she didn't sleep much and the smile she wore did not reach her eyes.

Walking downstairs, she played with the end of her hair a little bit, passing by her father's study though not even paying attention. She went into the dining room and sat down, her mother sitting a few chairs away. "Delilah?" She asked.
Lila looked up at her attentively and she smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes either. "Yes, Mother?" Of course, Lady Derby wasn't that much in contact with her maternal instinct as she couldn't tell the difference. "Oh, I thought--" She shook her head and broke off a piece of her bread roll. "Did you sleep well?" She asked.

Lila simply nodded and she raised the now filled glass of water to her lips and sipped it. "What would you like to eat?"
Lila sighed softly. "Eggs and a some fruit." Her mother nodded, relaying this to their cook who brought the dish out in record time, placing it before her. Lila took a bread roll and she sliced it open, placing one cooked egg into it and closed it, like a sandwich and ate. This is what she always did and in that exact order. It's how she ate one of her eggs, while she would eat the other just by itself.

After Lady Derby left the kitchen, leaving Lila behind, placing a book by her, she picked it up and opened it, crossing a leg over the other as she read over it. It was mundane of course but it was better than being alone with her food and her thoughts.

Even dead man can feel like he needs to breath. The air being pushed in the study was far too hot for him and he needed to duck out. The young men within were still bickering on about this and that. Frances didn't know what their individual problems were with each other. Frances simply put his affinity for stealth to damned fine use getting away from these noble twits. He soon found himself just outside of the dining room where Delilah was eating. He noticed that her hair was draped over where he'd bit her. He had to wonder if that was because of his bite or his complement of how nice her hair was. He also noticed that she was deprived of sleep.

Frances stepped away from the dining room still unnoticed. He needed to get some sleep if he was going to hunt the Ripper. Frances stormed back into the room and jumped up onto the table causing the others to look at him and wonder what he was doing. "The time has come to sleep. The Ripper hunts at night and if we're to catch him we need our rest. Meet me at the front steps just before dusk."

There were a few who seemed to want to object, but they simply held their tongues and departed. Frances found Lord Darby after the meeting to inform him of the situation. "We have a lot of information to narrow down our search. We'll meet out front tonight to begin the hunt. I'll need to sleep until than."

Lila finished her breakfast, shutting the book and sighed softly as she sat back in her chair. The maid took her dishes and utensils and she picked up her glass of water and sipped it. She could hear from the dining room which wasn't far from the study, the commotion within. She heard a familiar voice make such an announcement and it only made her smile. A yawn escaped from her as she covered her mouth and after standing, taking the book, she was about to leave when her mother came to her. "Get ready. Rose will help you. You have dress fittings today." She said softly.

Raising a brow, she looked at her mother puzzled. "What for?"
Lady Derby smiled proudly. "Duke Cornwall and his family are coming tonight for a special and private dinner. I want you to meet his son, Erland Meade."
Lila had to suppress a grimace and she couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.
"What?"
She simply shook her head and just walked away from her mother, who annoyingly tailed behind. "Delilah, talk to me." She ordered, grabbing the girl's arm and turned her around. Lila just huffed. "Can't I just have one day to not be thrown around like a piece of meat?" She snapped.

Lady Derby stepped back, astonished but then glared. "Are you married?"
"What? No."
"Exactly. You can rest when you're married. Your father and I can't take care of you forever Lila. You're nineteen, nearing twenty and still unmarried."
The words branded as an insult to her and she looked mortified. "Now get dressed and stop this incessant whining, understand?" She snapped. Lila swallowed hard and just nodded curtly, walking away from her mother as she went back to her room, proceeding to get bathed and dressed.

Lord Derby wasn't too far away from his wife and daughter, catching bits of their conversation as well as catching Lila's mortified expression. His attention was taken back to the meeting however and to Frances. "Very well." He said simply. "Are your accommodations to your liking? Is there anything you need?"

Frances could here every ward the ladies said and had to admit he felt sad for Delilah. He wondered if there were some way he could help her, but could only think of one. A difficult subject to broach. He turned his attention to Lord Darby. "My accommodations are more than enough. I only hope that I may succeed in this hunt so that I have not imposed on you to an unsatisfying end." With a bow he turned away from Lord Darby and retired to his room to rest.

Lord Derby nodded to him. "Very well. Enjoy your rest, Frances." He said kindly, watching the man retire. After he was gone, he went back into his study where a few gentlemen remained, he shutting the doors. These men were the men he trusted the most, his closest friends. "What do you think?" He asked them. They nodded, feeling like their suspicions were answered. "I say we have him help us with the Ripper, but in the end, we give him what he deserves."

Lila had just finished bathing and she was now being fastened into her corset after having slipped her gossamer petticoat on. She winced, gasping for air as Rose tied her corset too tightly this time, tighter than the night before. "It's too tight." She breathed. "My lady, Lady Derby demanded so. She said--" She stopped immediately, flushing red.

Lila looked back at her angrily. "She said what Rose? Spit it out." She demanded, using her status to get the truth out of her, to find out what her harpy of a mother said. Rose looked down bashfully and she cleared her throat. "She said you were looking rather filled out because your corset wasn't tight enough. Forgive me my lady." She said having finished tying it, as tightly as her mother demanded, her head lowered. Lila looked at her and she shook her head. "You're dismissed, Rose." She said, her voice breaking. "I can put on a dress."

Rose just nodded and she left immediately. Lila swallowed hard, trying to keep her breathing normal. It was difficult when she wanted to break down out of frustration and wanted to rip this corset off of her. Composing herself, as well as fanning herself, not letting herself feel, she pulled on the dress that she was intended to wear. It was dark red with a lovely gold trimming and embroidery, as well as design. She kept her hair like she had it, over one shoulder and keeping her neck covered, having rubbed some salve onto the peculiar wound. Leaving her room after putting her shoes on, she walked out of her room and carefully went down the stairs. The dress fitting was taking place in their home.

Lila stepped onto the podium so the seamstress could measure her.
"Doesn't she look lovely?" her mother beamed to the seamstress who was nodding gently but enthusiastically. "She finally got her corset on properly. She looks so thin." And her mother was one to talk, for the most part.
As the fitting went on and the tea, in which she was supposed to be a diligent young lady, she zoned them all out.

The dinner began, Lila wearing a new dress, one that had a lot of fine and expensive cloths with glorious colors like red, gold, and off white for an innocence, she sitting at the table. She was feeling light headed, hardly eating anything, hardly talking. She needed air. After dinner, Lord Derby disappeared off, meeting the same close friends from the morning in his study while Erland Meade requested one on one time with Lila. They walked onto the balcony. The air was divine and she had a fan in her hand, trying to circulate the still air. Her hand was on her stomach and she was trying to keep her breathing under control. She was hot, too hot and finding it hard to stay, well normal to say the least.

((oh my, I wonder what they feel Frances deserves and why.))

With night falling Frances was up and getting ready to hunt. He was wearing normal clothes this time as he would be with others and was in no mood to explain his gear. He simply had his bow and a quiver of arrows. There was a dinner party going on down stairs and he was very careful not to intrude on it as he found Lord Darby. "Are the others here yet? We need to make a plan of action for the night."

[I'm still working on that but I can tell you for a fact they don't know he's a vampire. So it's nothing like that. If it was, I would have consulted you immediately. I hope you don't mind this twist :/ I thought it'd be interesting.]

Lord Derby looked up from his table, the map that they were looking at earlier that day, when Frances walked in. "Ah, Frances my boy." He nodded and he moved to him. "It's just going to be us four tonight." He told him. "The others unfortunately, well they are not as brave as we are, Son."

Erland was taking in Lila's behavior but he was just like the others, unable to see that she was having a hard time breathing because of her corset. "You look beautiful, radiant really. But then again, like in your portrait, I can see you're always the ravishing young lady." He said softly.

He was being weird, in her opinion. He was making it about her? No way. "Thank you." She breathed, fanning her fan, carefully of course so not to remove her hair from her neck.

"But you know..." He trailed off, running his hand through his hair with that certain ambiance she knew far too well. Yeah, he was just like everyone else.
Her breathing increased and she tilted her head, blinking her eyes and putting her hand to her mouth. She looked like she was going to be sick, but truth be told, she was just weaving in and out. "Lila, are you alright?" He asked.
She shook her head and she barged inside, trying to find her mother. "Mother?" She called, holding her fan at her side, her other hand on her stomach. "Mother!"

Lady Derby came walking out and she looked at her. "What?"
"Mother, I--" She began but before she could, her eyes slowly closed and her body soon made contact with the marble floor. She wasn't breathing and Lady Derby actually screamed, rushing to her daughter. "Lila. Lila!" She shook her, trying to wake her. She'd no idea what was wrong.

((I don't mind at all. I like twist. I look forward to finding out what it's about.))

Frances heard Delilah's breathing flutter and was worried about her. He was able to hear her suitor complement her and her reaction. He was growing more concerned for her now. He had to stop himself from throwing Lord Darby out of his way as he went around him and rushed to Delilah. He lifted her up and noticed the problem immediately.

Frances hated seeing this. He saw it everywhere he went. Rings that stretched a woman's neck until she needed them to live. Breaking the feet of baby girls and wrapping them tightly so they stay small. Even cutting the genitals of a new born and sewing her shut. His maker even had runs on her eyes that were meant to make her people beautiful.

Frances held his thoughts to himself as he reached to the table and grabbed a steak knife. He made quick work of the corset's bindings and it fell apart. Granted he could have simply untied the damned thing, but this way it couldn't be used to hurt her again. He rubbed on her back to try and wake her. He could already feel that she was breathing again.