The lost one

Edward nodded, and took another bite of his bun, trying to force it down.
"Steamed pork buns. They're actually quite delicious" Edward said with a small smile. He hung his head when he realised that Ora had realised where he had gone to. "I assume you know where I was then, Ora? I'm sorry you have to see me like this" Edward said with a sad sigh. He was ashamed of his habits, that he had to rely on drugs to function properly. Lord knows his mother would turn in her grave if she saw him like this.

Believe it or not, I've probably seen worst living on the streets of Whitechapel." She said as she came to sit down in a chair beside the couch. "Your method of coping with whatever you're coping with is a little different than mine but I'm not here to judge you." She told him with a small smile. How could she judge the man who was allowing her to stay in his house for nothing other than cleaning up here and there?

Edward handed Ora a warm steamed pork bun with a warm smile. He was thankful that she understood, that hadn't judged him for his habits. Perhaps there was more to this young woman than just a street rat.
"Ora, I have a few questions for you, and I do hope that none of them offend you. How long were you living on the streets, and can you fight" Edward asked curiously. He hoped that she wouldn't be offended by his questions, but he wanted to get to know her a bit better since she was living with him. "And how did you lose sight in your eye?"

Ora accepted the steamed bun with a grateful smile. She hadn't eaten since she woke this morning and the bun smelt so good. She looked up as he began talking and tilted her head slightly at his questions. "I lost my home when I was seventeen. I'm nineteen now." She told him as she took a bite of the bun. Stopping to chew and swallow before answering his second question. "I know how to fight, I've had too many times before and my father taught me some when he was still alive." She said with a smile. She paused however when he asked about her eye. "I was kicked in the side of the head when I was about eleven. My father took me to work with him one day and I wandered off from him." She explained before taking another bite of the pork bun.

Edward listened to her quietly, taking in every single word. So she had lost her family too, as well as her home? Perhaps they had more things in common.
"I am so sorry for your losses, Ora. I know what it's like to lose your family" Edward said sadly before taking another bit of his steamed bun. He looked at Ora, studying her for a moment. "When we're done here, I'm taking you to get some new clothes." He wanted to have her look presentable when they had to go out. She was an assistant to a Steinhauer, after all, and she was going to meet some important people. "Do you have any questions for me, Ora?"

Ora frowned when he told had told her he had last his family as well. It was sad but she had learned to live with it. Not that she didn't miss her family but she had learned to push it into the back if her mind and deal with it. She listened to what else he had to say before giving him a nod. "I don't think I have any questions at the moment aside from will the clothes be like what I'm wearing now." She said looking down at the cloth trousers a slightly too big cloth shirt and pair of shoes. "Or will the cloaths be more feminine?" She asked blushing some. She hadn't worn a dress in such a long time she wasn't sure how it would feel to wear one now.

Edward thought about it for a moment, what clothes would suit Ora best. He figured that she felt more comfortable in pants, and she would be able to fight a bit better.
"I'll take you to my tailor, and he'll measure you for a few suits. If you would like dresses, I would be more than happy to take you to a dressmaker to purchase a few. You should have at least one dress" Edward said with a small smile. "It's not my place to tell you how to dress. A woman should be free to do as she wants." He didn't seem like most other men, he had a forward way of thinking, and seemed to respect everyone equally. In Edward's eyes, a prince and a pauper were equals. What mattered to him was a person's moral character.

His response was a bit surprising. Most men didn't want to see women dressed in anything but dresses. "I would prefer pants, thank you." She said with a smile. "But if you think I might need a dress then I would gladly accept one." She told him with a smile as she finished her pork bun. "Thank you for the food by the way. Thank you also for coming to help me yesterday. I might not be here now if it hadn't been for you." She added after a moment of silence.

"I know, that's why I came for you," Edward said quietly, "There's far too much death and destruction in the world already, and I couldn't stand by and let an innocent woman suffer." Edward stood up, staggering a bit, and grabbed a book from one of the shelves. He sat down closer to Ora, and flipped to a page with a sketch of a young man and woman, very much in love. "My ancestor, Günther Steinhauer, rescued a woman held in the bilge of a ship back in 1717. They were married in 1718." Edward flipped through the book showing his ancestors through the centuries. "My family has been dedicated to protecting and defending the innocent for almost a thousand years. It's just me now" Edward said sadly.

Ora felt a little odd sitting so close to the man but she said nothing as he showed her the book. The man and women did seem happy and the way they stared at each other made her heartache. "They seemed happy. You have an impressive family and they seemed like good people." She said as she thought about her own mother and father. "I don't know anything about my ancestors but my father worked in a factory and my mother... She worked the streets." Ora said with a sad sigh. "What was the woman's name? Do you know?" She asked looking up from to book at him. She hadn't realized how close he actually was to her. She felt nervous being that close so she moved a few inches away.

Edward realised that he must've been making Ora uncomfortable, so he stood up and put the book away before taking a seat on the couch.
"I apologise if I made you feel uncomfortable, Ora, it was not my intention." Edward thought for a moment, trying to remember the young woman's name. The names of the women were never written down in an attempt to protect them, but the names were passed down orally. "Her name was Eden Foster."

Ora smiled and shook her head. "It's fine," she said as he apologized. "She looked like a good woman." Ora told him as she looked up at him. Getting up she stretched and smiled at him. Ora wished she knew her own family history but her mother had been an orphan and all her father would say about his family was that his father wasn't a good man so she really had no idea what kind of people she came from aside from her parent's who were good people.

Edward sat there for a moment, and let out a small sigh as he ran his fingers through his raven hair. He was never good at interacting with people, let alone women.
"Madam Rowan will be here in the morning, so I'll be gone by then. I'll be heading out for the day, perhaps the night too." Edward thought for a moment, trying to figure out what he would be doing. "Ora, promise me you won't leave the house tomorrow night. It... It's for your own safety."

Ora nodded when he let her know that a woman called Madam Rowan would be coming but was curious as to why he was leaving and even more curious as to why he was asking her to stay in on that specific day. "May I ask why?" She asked tilting her head curiously. "What's so different about tomorrow night than the rest of the time?"

"The Ripper isn't the only beast in London at the moment. There's another, and he's smart, neat, hardly leaves a trace" Edward explained. He opened a small chest of vials, picked one up, and quickly drank the contents, clearly treating himself for something. "I believe this killer suffers from lycanthropic delusions. To put it simply, he thinks he's a werewolf. Tomorrow night is a full moon, so I suggest you stay inside." Edward put another bottle in his pocket, and headed to his study, locking the door behind him.

Inside, Edward began scribbling notes furiously, working on strange and abstract sketches of creatures that couldn't possibly exist. He honestly seemed a bit mad at that moment.

Ora nodded letting him know she understood what he was saying and watched him go into his study and shut the door behind him. Ora tidied up a bit before she went into her own room to get some sleep. She guessed this Madam Rowan was coming to teach her how to read and write. She was so grateful to Edward for the new cloaths and the roof over her head that if he felt it would be safer for her to stay indoors the next night she would do so.

By the next morning, just as Edward had said, he was gone. There was a knock at the door, and an elderly woman was waiting patiently outside for someone to answer. She knocked again, just incase nobody had heard her the first time around.

Edward was completing a contract, following someone around, and gathering as much information. Once that was done, he made his way around London, preparing his various routes, and memorizing any changes.

Ora hurried to the door and let the women in. "Please forgive me, I was getting dressed," Ora said apologizing as she waited for the women to come inside before she closed the door behind her. Ora was dressed in one of the new suits Edward had bought for her and had her long curly black hair pulled back into a ponytail. She wished she knew why Edward had left but she figured he would tell her everything all in due time. She just had to be patient with him. For now, though she guessed this woman was here to teach her how to read and write.

"Ah, it's quite alright, dear. You opened the door eventually" the old woman said with a smile as she entered. She made her way over to the desk, and set out some papers and some books. "Now, Eddy has told me that your name is Ora. I am Victoria Rowan, and I will be teaching you the joy of reading and writing. Please, dear, take a seat so we can get started." Madame Rowan was a sweet and kind old woman, and she loved teaching.

(Should we skip the whole teaching thing?)

Ora nodded and walked over to take a seat. She took a look at the papers and books and wondered how hard this really was going to be. Taking a deep breath she looked up at the women who had come to teach her. She paid attention to every word the woman said and did as she said. After a while she realized it wasn't as hard as she thought.



Yus lol)

Madame Rowan was impressed with how quickly Ora picked up reading and writing.
"You're a fast learner, Ora" Victoria said with a smile. "Bless his soul, it took Eddy a week to learn, but he was always such an active little boy." Victoria set the books aside in a neat pile, and neatend her hair. "Please, keep practicing, dear."

I will." She said smiling. "Thank you for coming to teach me." Ora said with a smile. She was glad the older women hadn't judged her for wearing pants. Most women her age would have given her an ear full but Edward hadn't judged her either. "I look forward to my next lesson."

"As do I, deary. I'll be here next week at the same time" Victoria said with a warm smile before heading off. She had left the books there so that Ora could practice over the week, and she wasn't as strong as she used to be, so she couldn't carry the books all the way home.

Be safe out there..." Ora said as she walked the older woman out of the house but didn't leave herself. She had remembered Edwards warming about the mad man. She worried for the old women though and looked up. "Will you be alright walking home alone?" She asked looking back up at the old woman.

"I'll be fine, it won't take me long to get home" Victoria said with a warm smile before heading off down the street, turning down a street and disappearing from sight.