Sherlock Holmes and the Whore (o/o) (mature themes lads, steer clear if lots of gore isn’t your speed.)

Sherlock didn’t know if he was really helping or not. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with a pale, thin hand. John said he wasn’t eating enough and was smoking too much, maybe the girl could sense it and knew his sins even more closely than he did. Most people didn’t seem to understand the pressure there was, being a man like he who came out of nowhere from the unders of society. He would give anything to never go back. “Look. What do you want to do? With this case, I mean. I know the obvious answer, you want the criminal caught. But how do you plan to get there with me? I’m not magic, not a miracle worker. I can’t just… poof! Solve the case just as teatime arrives. Whatever you’ve heard about me is probably all wrong. So tell me: what do you want from me?” he didn’t ask this angrily. Anger wasn’t an emotion Holmes typically felt. But it was a bit frustrating, how this girl thought she could trample all over him just because he needed time. Maybe he was cracking, really.

He looked at Diana quizzically. She was being so hostile, without any chance for a reprieve from the verbal assault. And why? Obviously she was traumatized, but that still wasn’t an excuse to act the fool. “I’m not going to kill anyone for you unless it comes to it. And even then… I don’t want to kill anyone, even a murderer. That would make me just as bad.” he said. “And for the record, I have a lead. Do you have any fine clothing? I have a friend if not.” he said, gears in his head turning rapidly.

Sherlock nods. “That’s no problem. How do you feel attending a ball with me?” he asked, knowing the event was tomorrow and that he wouldn’t have much time to prepare.

“A ball. Like, a dance.” he said simply, as if she didn’t understand him the first time. “I need someone there who knows the corruption of the upper class. I need… well, an insider.”

Sherlock laughed at that. “You think I want people to lust after me? You’d be sorely mistaken if so. No, it’s merely a way to further this case.” he said. “A few representative doctors and scientists will be there from a very well known Society, the Brotherhood of Minds. It’s something of both an exhibition and a fundraiser for them, and an opportunity for the rich to gawk at the marvels of the modern world from up close and personal.”

“However, I have a few theories as to who our killer could be. He seems to be working with more than one person, you couldn’t take that many lives and not get caught if you were working alone. And it appears that they’re either very well versed in human biology, or otherwise they’re very skilled in ripping people apart. Not exactly a common skill among anyone but our lovely studious populous.”

Sherlock addressed her comments in reverse. “You’ll need to mingle in the crowd a bit, show interest in people. You can’t be your usual snappy self, and you can’t let on you’re a prostitute. You’ll be my plus one, the eponymous Lady Chrysalis. My friend is a fashion designer, she’ll give you the clothes and you’ll be the model.”

“And Diana? You’re a person. You’re just a useful person at the moment. But I don’t want to put you in danger. You’re too valuable just on the basis of being an innocent human life. So don’t assume things about my motives, and don’t assume I don’t care. As for your role as a prostitute- you need to be careful. I have met many horrible men in my time and if you let anything on about who you really are, we’ll both be ruined and you’ll probably be hurt very badly. I don’t want that to happen.” he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Please, just work with me here. I need your help just as much as you need mine.”

Sherlock suddenly felt a sense that this girl must truly have nothing to live for. Really, just a hunch, but he didn’t know what would happen if he solved this case. Would she still have a reason to keep going? He wasn’t sure.

He drew his hand back when she shifted, letting it fall to his side. “Hey, no. You have to keep going. There’s always a reason to.” he said, thinking back to the times before he’d been with Watson. The doctor had found him starving in the streets near a decade ago, and had heard him out. Heard his story, and understood. He might as well extend the same courtesy to Diana.

“Let me be your reason. I can’t promise I’m a good one, but trust me, dying would be much worse.” he’d seen corpses before, the stench of death and despair, and he’d known that whatever heaven or hell was out there, if any at all… dying was no good.

“Diana… I’m sure you won’t believe me, but I’ve been where you are now, in some ways I still am.” working late nights in bars or brothels, it was all the same. The only difference between him then and now was that he was working with, perhaps for, the King’s dogs. Never again would he be out on the streets if he could help it.

“But enough sentimentality as I’m sure you tire of it. I need to get you dressed and fitted immediately.” he said, snapping out of the past and pulling himself and then Diana from the ground. “Well, if you agree to come along, that is. I certainly won’t force you.”