Darkened Hearts (Orcus/SHARPii)

[It could be big. I don't want to ruin it :3 It's just very mean of nobles xD]

Lady Derby stepped aside as Frances came through. "What's wrong?" She asked worriedly. It didn't even occur to her that it was her daughter's corset, her harsh demanding for it to be tied tighter. She watched in horror as he basically cut her corset through, even covering her mouth with her hands, gasping.

Lila hadn't come to yet but her breathing returned. Her eyes opened slowly and she moved her head slowly. Her hair had been strewn about when she fell, revealing what she had been covering. As her vision returned and the lightheaded feeling disappeared she looked to find eyes on her and it was a bit daunting. Sure, she had been used to eyes on her and it was just a 'turn the other cheek' kind of thing but this was eyes on her because she had fainted and not just in front of her mother and father--the latter of whom rushed to her side, as did everyone else much to her mortification--but also in front of the Duke with his wife and son, as well as the men her father were talking to in his study.

Rose, who had tied her corset that tightly as to her mother's demands was standing in the corner with the other house staff, very much on edge. She didn't want it to come back to her since she tied it with her hands, even if under the orders of Lady Derby.

Sitting up slowly, her hand came to the back of her head which was throbbing but only from the impact it made on the marble tile. Her body felt a lot less restrained, she actually able to breathe which was coming a little bit hard at the moment, she able to feel her heart pounding through her chest. Looking at France, she swallowed hard. "Um..." She wasn't sure what to stay in this spectacle, though simply thankful that her petticoat wasn't just a skirt but also an under slip that covered her upper torso as well, loosely though--not as constraining as the corset. Before she could say anything more, her mother went to her side and pulled her hair aside. Not even asking if she was okay, she forced her daughter's head to tilt and gaped at the scar. "What is that?!" She screeched, the sound coming unhappily to Lila's ears. "Mother..." She grumbled, pushing her hands off of her head to gain some control back in it.

Her hand instantly came to cover the wound as she applied her hair over the shoulder to hide it. "Nothing." Lady Derby pushed her hair back to once again reveal it, not letting Lila interfere. "Lord Derby, look!" She pointed, Lord Derby coming around to inspect it. He blinked a few times and his eyes discreetly landed on Frances, but not calling him out. "I'm sure it's just a bug bite. You know this season. They're attracted to beautiful girls." He was always softer on Lila than Lady Derby was. This earned a faint smile from her but his eyes were still on Frances, as if the comment was made to him. He was suspicious. Incredibly suspicious.

Frances knew Lord Derby was looking down on him. It was suddenly getting very uncomfortable in here. "More than just the one bug it seems." He pointed at both wounds. "It may be a good idea to change her bedding, Lord Derby. And wearing a corset is perhaps the worst thing for the time being." He picked Lila up and wondered if he ought to carry her somewhere. "She needs to rest for now, but if her bed is infested she'll be bit again. Where should I take her."

Watching this man who had added to his collection a new vintage wine bottle, his thoughts about him were full of suspicions now. He no doubted his title, or in his opinion, lack-there-of--as he felt Sir was nothing more than a fancy merchant with a royal knighting, but nothing to a Lord or a Duke--and he narrowed his eyes, watching him pick up his darling girl. "Very well." He simply spoke, playing along. "Take her to the room next to yours. It's the next and available one as hers is thoroughly searched and cleaned, deep cleaned."

Lady Derby let her daughter go as Frances picked her up, stepping back and siding with her husband, though not saying anything, for once. Lila moved her arms around his neck lightly and she looked at him before looking down.

Lord Derby watched them. He wasn't comfortable with this but if things went well that night, there would be an end to this mysterious man/hunter. "Up the stairs. Rose will come to tend to Delilah when she's settled."

Frances calmly carried Lila up the steps to the room her father had indicated. He didn't want to jostle her any more than necessary. Once they were out of Lord and Lady Derby's rang of hearing he spoke to her. "It would seem your father thinks very little of me. Almost as much as your mother seems to think of your attitude. How ever have you managed to live with them for so long?"

After he carried her out of the earshot of her parents and up to the room, she looked at him and smiled, blushing a little bit, though mostly because she was half in her dress, half in her knickers, to be exact. "I'm going crazy aren't I? I finally fainted, I want to snap at my mother but my father's always been kind to me, not like how my mother is." She said softly. "I'm sorry they're being so unkind to you. They are true nobles who look down upon people like you."

"I've dealt with their like before. At least there is one here who seems to enjoy my company." He smiled down at her and entered the room with her in his arms. A wicked thought entered his mind and he couldn't help but ask. "Delilah, sweet Delilah, would you loose that high opinion of me if I kissed your lips?" He was whispering to her as he didn't want the others in the house to hear him.

Looking at him, she shrugged "You're pretty sane compared to them and title never mattered to me. Besides, all the ones I've met with titles and high status make me want to jump the balcony." She shook her head, sighing gently. Looking at him though, her eyes widened and her cheeks turned the most distinct red color possible and she swallowed hard. "No." It was the truth to and there was no way of explanation but she couldn't bring herself to say yes. Because she would want him to do that. A startling realization that just struck her.

Frances gently laid her on the bed and pressed his lips to hers. He caressed her arm as he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. But he wasn't content with just his touch. He soon found himself sucking her bottom lip and slipping his tongue into her mouth. His hand behaved itself for the most part as it only brushed the flesh of her arm and didn't move to better places.

It stunned her when he did actually kiss her. She didn't think it'd follow up as such, or well not so immediately. Laying back, her eyes closed and she found herself returning the kiss, unable to help herself. It was so unladylike but at this moment, it did not matter. Her mouth opened to welcome his tongue, her tongue dancing with his tastefully and her hands moved around the sides of his head. Oh, talk about a kiss, a kiss that had her reeling in the best way possible. Who was this man that totally bewitched her?

With a heavy heart, Frances parted their kiss. "I must return now or your family will be suspicious." He stroked her hair before standing up. "I will return before the dawn, sweet Delilah." He walked away and rejoined Lord Derby and his friends down stares. "I'm sure the women are more than capable of tending to her. We have man's work to do. We must move now, the Ripper may be seeking his next quarry as we speak."

Lila's eyes opened slowly as his lips parted from her own, a soft breath escaping from her. Looking at him, she nodded, her cheeks incredibly flushed. Laying back on the bed, a smile came to her face as her fingers came to her lips, they buzzing from the sweet contact from just seconds ago.

Lord Derby watched as Frances returned, nodding to him. "Very well, Son." He said softly as he and the three other gentlemen with him headed to the door, to leave. Lady Derby bid her husband well and a safe return and he gave her a chaste and quick kiss of affection on her lips before departing.

Lady Derby summoned for Rose to tend to her daughter, not even taking a moment to berate her for tying the corset too tightly. She had no right to but even she wouldn't admit that to herself. It was simple enough to just not say a word about it. Rose went upstairs to the room Lila was in and she walked in after a knock, bringing her nightgown and robe. "My lady." She bowed to her and Lila nodded to her. "I don't blame you Rose, I blame her." She said, referring to her mother, to which Rose smiled politely. "Thank you my lady. I am very sorry." Lila shook her head and just got out of bed as the woman helped her undress and dress for bed.

Frances had a feeling that Lord Derby wasn't being entirely honest. He got the impression that these men were planning something. He decided to simply let them continue to think they had the upper hand in this situation. For now they were assets he could use in his hunt. Both men seemed to have a realistic perspective of the world, arrogance aside. Lord Derby was his host after all.

Frances had picked out a few places he figured had a high likelihood of being the scene of the Ripper's next murder. These were places had similarities (whores primarily) to to other murder sites but there had been no (known) Ripper murders. There were three that were separated by only a few blocks each. "There's a good chance our prey will be looking for a victim in one of these three places. We need to patrol between them carefully."

Lord Derby and his accomplices knew of the plan in motion and they were all confident about it. He was more determined now after he saw the way he was with his daughter, even more that his little girl seemed to be quite taken back with this lower class scum. Despite his efforts which were definitely noble, far noble than that of the highest nobles, all four men, especially the Lord himself, saw no use for Frances aside from conquering this mystery. After that, well what use or need was he?

The followed and scouted with Frances, scoping out the places and then nodded to him. "We'll stay posted at each. We are by your side Frances." He assured but even that was said with a grain of salt, not much actual backing supporting it.

Frances was quite aware now that these fine gentlemen were conniving something. He could see it in the way they looked at one another. It was obviously trouble, but he needed them to feel like he needed them. Frances was relieved when the man parted ways with him. He vanished into shadow. Just him his bow and the night, and somewhere withing the cobble stone wasteland, the Ripper."

Frances was one with every gust of wind in the Whitchaple night as he moved unseen between the three places he'd felt were most likely to host murders. He smelled the air for the wickedly sweet smell of freshly spilled blood. He peered from shadow at each man and woman walking those places. He listened for the pang of a blade being drawn.

Than it happened. Frances was moving like nothing alive could. He dove from shadow bow raised and charged into Dutfield's Yard. There in a cramped ally a woman was laying dead and a creature was standing over her. Frances had seen its like before. A former human. A living damned. A demon man who signed a pact with Hell itself and needed to pay a price lest he be claimed by.

He wore the garb of a man, and clearly could still take human form, but his legs were now bent like dongs legs with his pant ending at the knees and talons at his feet. His shoes were on two of his foot claws like some kind of sick joke. His arms had four joints each and his middle fingers had been replaced by razors, his other fingers were so twisted they may as well have been tentacles. His chest and abdomen were now five feet of uninterrupted flesh that disappeared into his jacked. His whole body looked like he had be stretched, broken, twisted and bent into a monster, but nothing about him was so horrible as his face.

The ruins of a human face with sickening yellow eyes peeking from chaotically placed tears that seemed to have no fixed location. In the absence of a jaw there were mandibles like fingers on either side of contorting mass of flesh that could only be a mutilated and corrupted tongue. There were two smaller mandibles sticking out from where his cheek bones would be. It was onto this monstrosity that Frances took aim, and fired.

The Ripper was a hell of a lot faster than he looked. He scuttled up the and around the walls almost as fast as Frances could run on solid ground. Frances followed him as best he could, but was no match for the thing's mobility. He cursed as he lost the scent and had to stop. He found Lord Derby and reported. "I saw him in Dutfield's Yard but he manged to get away. I'm sorry to say I was too late to save his latest victim."

The four men fell back as Frances took off. Sure, they wanted to be rid of the Ripper as well but Frances hit close to a personal note and they wanted to be rid of him, catching the Ripper not. So when he went off, it hardly fazed them because they weren't as passionate about it as he was. The Ripper didn't target women of higher class and standing. He targeted the whores of the streets and in their personal opinion, this world was better off without them. The serial killer was doing them all justice. No more vermin to populate and disease the streets and corners.

When he returned, none of them had bore any arms. Lord Derby looked at him and he shook his head, feigning his misery in the loss of a pathetic morsel. "That truly is a pity." he said simply but then he looked at him, his face impassive, his intention clear. "Men." He said simply and the three men raised their arms, surrounding Frances, it all directly pointed at him. "Sorry, Son. But I believe you're the real pity."

Frances sighed heavily. It was comical to him. Here these men had set out to teach him a lesson or maybe even kill him. "Four against one? So this is what passes for nobility these days." He kept his hands down and his senses sharp waiting for the first attack. "What is this, Lord Derby? Did the wine turn to vinegar?"

Lord Derby shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "No, this is not what passes for nobility these days, you insolent little commoner!" He snapped. "To be a noble, you must be born into it or work hard for it. What have you done? Nothing. You're just a nomadic cretin or some lowly vagabond. You're nothing and your death will mean nothing, just like the deaths of those stupid whores mean nothing. The Ripper is doing us all a favor by exterminating them and their wrenched existences, just like we're doing this world a justice and exterminating you."

He sighed softly as he just waved a hand, allowing one man to fire the first shot, direct to Frances' leg. "No, the wine is beautiful and I shall treasure it. But the close proximity in which you have asserted towards my daughter, who frankly seems beguiled by you, is not endearing. Just because I let you into my home, does not give you a right to be anything to my daughter. She is better than you." He spat. "And there were no bugs in her bed. Those marks did not appear on her until you came. So what aren't you telling us Frances?" He taunted.

Frances faked the pain and dropped to the ground. He was a much better actor than them. He was even able to form tears. After what felt like enough rolling in "pain" he spoke again. "If you care so much about her than why do you let your wife torment her so? You crush her spirit every day and than blame me for bug bites?"

Lord Derby look definitely pleased as he watched this boy cower in what he thought was real pain. However his brow furrowed as the boy spoke. He raised his hand to stop the men from shooting again and he stepped to him and knelt down, sniffling as he rubbed his nose. He took his glasses off, placing the polished end in his mouth before speaking. "I do nothing to my daughter. That's Lady Derby. What my wife and I do with out daughter, our family is not of your concern. And you're not telling me about those bites. They're not bug bites. No bug would make bites like those. You know more than you're telling me."

He looked to one of the men who tossed him a spare firearm and he cocked it before pressing it against Frances' head and he sighed, tilting his head. "Tell me the truth and I won't paint the streets with your brains." He threatened. "Tell me what I want to know Frances. What happened to my daughter? We raised her well. Raised her to not want to fraternize with the likes of your lower class. Yet, when I see her with you, she lights up, looks happy, actually pleased to see you. It's embarrassing." He snapped, moving his finger over the trigger.

He may not blow his brains over the streets but he'd kill him nonetheless.

"You may not have been the one who crushed her in that dress until she almost died, but you sure as hell did nothing to protect her. She's just property to you." He grinned and pressed his fore head to the barrel of Derby's gun. "So now you're worried that someone else is using her. You're worried that I made her bleed. You're wondering where I made her bleed from, aren't you."

Lord Derby narrowed his eyes at him in a heavy glare, taking the gun and he hit him across the face with it, before placing it back on his head. "Stop taunting me, boy, if you know what's good for you." He hissed. "Answer my questions. What did you do to my daughter!"

[blargh sorry it's so short! This is just embarrassing for me >.<]

((It's fine. You don have to post a book each time. I'm sorry my post are so short =p))

There was no way in hell Frances was going to tell this ass that he was a vampire. He fake winced at the pain and than grinned up at Derby again. "Not as much as she wanted me to, a lot less than I wanted to, and nearly as much as I will do given the chance." He laughed at that while still acting like he was in pain. "You think I'm afraid of death? There are a lot of things worse than death. Like being a slave to your own parents. Something to be bartered for status. That's what you make her feel. You and your wife practically drove her into by embrace."

[Oh no no yours are fine. I like this role play a lot to write a lot xD I hope that's okay]

Lord Derby stood now, his hand around the gun tightening, having taken it back from his forehead. He scoffed and shook his head. "We did nothing but love her and treat her well, gave her a life she deserves. You're taking her from it. If she suffers more, it'll be on you, boy." He glared, looking to one of the other men and nodded. They shot another blow to his other leg. Derby pointed his gun at him, not at his head but at his chest. "I'm doing a justice for my daughter and for my family. You will not be missed." And with that said, he pulled the trigger.

((It's fine. Post however you like to post. This is my RP but it's your RP to ))

Frances actually felt that one. He wretched for a moment before making himself limp and "playing dead." He laid there and waited patiently for Lord Derby and his friends to leave.

((I think I got you beat on the short post thing =p))

[okies, thank you :3 sometimes I just can't help it.
I think you have, but it says enough xD]

They checked the body to make sure he was really dead. Once satisfied, they tucked their weapons in the pockets of their large coats before they left. The three gentlemen left and went their respective ways while Lord Derby went home. He had news. Saddening news. And he prepared himself for the act.

As he came home, Lady Derby who was still awake, rushed to him and hugged him. "Oh thank the Lord!" She cried out, overly dramatic as always but possibly understandable given it was a crazy serial killer and all. When she noticed he returned sans Frances, she raised a brow. "What happened?"

Lord Derby hugged her, returning it of course but he hung his head low and sighed sadly. "The Ripper got away." He said quietly, running his hand over his head, adjusting his glasses on the way.

Lila stirred from her sleep, an unsettling feeling nestling in her. She withdrew herself from bed and she pulled her robe over herself, tying it as she made her way out of her room and towards the stair case, hearing that her father was home apparently, catching the last part of what he said at the moment, about the Ripper.

"Oh." Lady Derby frowned. "And Frances?" She asked. "What of the other gentlemen?" She asked.
"They're all fine. Except for Frances." He sighed heavily. "He died a brave death, risking himself for us all."
The moment Lila heard that, her eyes went wide and her jaw nearly dropped. She felt the heat to her eyes, as they began to water and she gasped, covering her mouth. Her gasp was loud enough to be heard by her mother and father who turned to her. Lord Derby feigned sadness for her. "Delilah, dearest." he said softly, going to her but she retreated back up the steps. "I'm sorry. I thought I heard something bad. Everything's fine." She nodded, as if assuring herself, but nothing was fine.

"I'll go back to bed now." She was trying to stay chipper and not let her emotions truly show but her parents knew better but neither of them wanted to comfort her on this Frances issue. Lord Derby was happy but he hid it and her mother was happy as well but she hid it. Both of them could have seen so easily the way Lila had taken to that man, just as that man had taken to her. It had to be stopped. Sure, Lady Derby didn't know what her husband did, actually believing the Ripper story, but she was relieved, nonetheless.

Lila walked back up the stairs and to the room she was staying in. She passed by his room however, her hand moving over the door almost, until she took it back. She went back to the room she was staying in as they cleaned out hers and she sat at the foot of the bed, wiping her eyes, sniffling. She hardly knew this guy, but it did not sit well with her that he came into her life the way he did, only for him to just die.