The Dark I Know Well

F

Fluffy

Guest
Original poster
1825853008_b647f31235.jpg

In the town of Dratan lived a wealthy family who flaunted their wealth, for the sake of flaunting. They could spare a lot more to the poor, yet didn't, and took pleasure in donating the lowest valued coin to every individual who asked. The mother and father had a single son named Damian, who grew to be just as selfish as them. In time, every person in Dratan hated this family. Had they not owned such a great amount of the land, they would have saw to it that they were banished.

There was one woman who gave them what they deserved, though.

An elderly woman walked through the town during a winter's eve in search of shelter. The bright, warm lit home is what caught her attention. She walked through the thick blanket of snow, shivering violently because of how frozen she felt. A weak hand knocked at their wooden door, which was answered by a seventeen year old boy. The meek, old woman asked if she would stay, and explained that she had nothing to give in return. She did offer to clean their home spotless if they allowed her to sleep there just for the night and have a warm meal.

Damian laughed at her as if she was telling a joke, then closed the door at the command of his parents, who were also hysterical with laughter. It turned out that this old woman was a witch. With what little strength she had left, she used her magic to slay both of his parents. Since Damian was still young, she decided to spare his life, and instead cast a terrible curse upon him. The curse could only be broken when he could learn to be more generous, and get loved for it.

The handsome human transformed into a six foot tall monster covered with black fur. Horns sprouted from his head, his spine extended into a tail, and a pair of devilish wings erupted from beneath his shoulders. All he had left for clothing was his tattered pants as bulky muscles tore through everything else. Damian's hands morphed into terrifying, blood thirsty claws, while a pair of malicious fangs grew from the top of his mouth. What he had for ears represented what a dog might have, which coordinated with the whiskery snout on his face. His eyes displayed an evil shade of red, his pupils hardly even visible.

With a miserable howl, Damian ran through his hometown, crying for help from the people. The women and children rushed into their homes, while the brave men gathered their weapons to force out the beast. The thrashing of steel blades scarred his back as he ran away, genuinely afraid of the townsfolk. Damian finally stopped running when he came across an abandoned castle. He's called this place his home for five years now.

Anyone who dared enter the castle was either scared out, or killed by the bitter monster. Nobody cared to help him, nobody cared to love him. He sits in his creaky castle, hoping everyday for a miracle...
 

Orphan in the storm
That's a role I've played before.
I've learned not to tremble when I hear the thunder role.
I don't curse what I can't change.
I just play the hand I'm dealt...
I won't say I've never felt the pain
But I am not a stranger to the rain



Rain.jpg





It was chilly and the rain hounded the poor girl as she ran through the streets, slipping on puddles more than once. There wasn’t an inch of her that was dry and her lips trembled from the wind that blasted her face on. Her blonde and natural loose curls disappeared as her hair stuck to her face and neck, dripping with rain. It was just her luck that out of all the nights to leave town and escape from the sham of an orphanage she had been residing in, it had to be the one where it poured and thunder stormed relentlessly. She’d long past all the houses and shops and was running along side a path that lead through a forest. Most people didn’t like to use this path since often times it was dangerous, especially at night and in the rain, but seventeen year old Alina knew it was the quickest way to reach the next town.

As she trudged along the path, the storm was only getting worse and the rain was pounding harder. Lightening flashed and in front of her a huge castle lit up before her eyes. She’d heard of the castle before and heard of the rumor of ghosts and monster inhibiting it. All stories to scare little children so they’d stay out of the forest and safe in town. She desperately wanted to go inside to warm up, but she worried that she’d get caught if she did. The town wasn’t cruel, they’d look for a run away. The question remained, would they look for her in the forest? She hoped not, because as the rain further pounded down on her she knew she couldn’t keep going. She needed to rest and wait for the storm to dissolve. She’d have to rely on her hopes that the town would just assume she took the safer and longer way.

Sloshing through the mud, Alina rushed towards the house. She didn’t bother knocking on the excessively large door before entering. There was no one in there so she didn’t seem the point of wasting her time by standing out in the freezing rain waiting for a response she knew wasn’t going to come. Pushing the heavy door open she stepped inside shivering. Despite how heavy the door had been for her, the stormy wind swept through and slammed it shut making the whole house echo.

Unsurprisingly there was no light, except for the dim moonshine coming through the window. As her sky blue eyes became more adjusted to the light be began looking for something to light the room up. What she really could use was a fire, but first thing was first, she needed to find dry wood and something to light it with - not to mention an actual fireplace. This meant it was time to explore the beautifully haunting castle, something Alina wasn’t going to complain about.​
 
The sun never seemed to shin over Damian's castle. He stood in the darkness of his favoured bed chamber, staring hatefully at the overcast sky. The rain was suitable to his mood; that's why he was so angry about it. It was as if even the weather mocked him for his misfortune. Five, long years in the castle, with not a single ray of happiness. Damian was certain that he would grow old and die here, unless that witch's curse came with immortality in order to make him more miserable.

Bored with the current activity of the outside world, he turned his scarred back to the window so he could walk out. The room was very dusty; why clean a place that he hated? The depressed monster walked out of the chamber upon his four limbs, deciding to stroll around the castle until a better idea came to mind. He rarely left this place... People were so cruel to him. Even the animals avoided him! Therefore, he had no desire to expose himself to the public.

There were, however, some animals he shared this castle with. Bats liked to shelter here until the dark of the night, and many rodents hid in his unused rooms. Honestly, Damian didn't mind. These animals were shunned like he was, and even though he never socialized with him, he didn't feel completely alone.

With heavy steps, he walked down a twisted flight of stairs that would take him all the way to the bottom floor. Both of his ears perked up to the sound of doors opening, then closing with a loud slam. Unless the roaring wings managed to do that, someone must have entered his castle for shelter from the rain. While making a selfish growl, he hastened his speed on the stairs so he could swiftly make his way to some shadows. Damian intended to investigate, while pondering on the fate of this trespasser.
 
Alina could here the scampering of rats and other unknown creatures. She didn’t particularly enjoy the thought of sharing the castle with wild, and probably disease, filled rodents - but what else could she do? Pushing past a couple doors, Alina saw just enough to be able to make out what the room was. She passed by a couple bedrooms and a den before making her way up a winding staircase. She wished there was more lightening because from what she could see, she was certain that all the status and decorations would be beautiful if well lit.

When she finally made it to the stop of the stairs something surprised her, and no not just the bats that seemed to come from no where. After her brief scream from the bats whizzing past her face, she realized there was another noise besides the flapping of wings. Coming from a nearby room she heard what she thought to be the crackling of a fireplace. Moving towards the door she opened it to feel the warmth emanating from the growing fire. “Hello?” She called stepping into the room further, shocked to see such a well kept burning flames in the enormous fireplace.

“Hello?” She called out again, not wanting to be surprised by an unexpected visitor. She was surprised there was even anyone here as she was certain it was abandoned. She wondered if someone had the same idea as her and was temporarily using the place as shelter from the storm. Studying the room she couldn’t see anyone in there with her. Still as confused as ever, she stepped out back into the hall to see if she could at least see a figure walking towards the room. When she saw nothing Clara assumed they must be off doing something else, maybe looking for something.

This of course didn’t mean she couldn’t use the fire already built. She figured once whoever made it came back she would introduce herself, but for now her freezing wet body would plant itself in front of the fire until she was no longer cold.
 
'A... Girl?'

Female trespassers weren't too common around here. Most of the time, women were kept in the safety of the towns. This one must have wandered off during a grocery trip, or got too adventurous. She looked terribly cold because of the storm, too. It made sense that she would seek out that roaring fireplace he had going.

No less, this was his home. Not even the prettiest woman on Earth could change that fact! From the darkness of his castle, he watched her walk into the dusty, cobweb covered room to get warm. It was nigh impossible for Damian to be quiet as he walked, but he was extremely fast to make up for it. He rushed from the corner he fit himself into, to the nearest corner of the den she was in. Her hellos echoed in the empty castle, likely startling the creatures who used this for shelter.

Glowing, red eyes watched her carefully. She likely heard him run in here, so he was quick about leaving that corner to behind a massive chair on the other side of the room. Damian wanted to watch her some more, his curiosity much stronger than his anger right now. 'What if she's... The one?'

Since the fire lit up a majority of the room, he avoided getting any closer to her. Even Damian despised his feared image; it would be unwise to sit out in the open. He didn't want her to run away or try to escape, out of paranoia that he may accidentally kill her in his attempt to stop her.
 
The fire in front of her provided warmth like Clara could never imagine on such a chilly night like this. Within seconds she was no longer shivering and her bottom lip had stopped trembling. She was sure that if she stayed her for another twenty minutes she’d be dry once again - something she was looking forward to being. She kneeled just feet away from the blazing fire, letting it put her into a sleepy-eyed trance. Something scampered behind her, instantly reminding her that she wasn’t alone in the castle. Someone had been here before her getting this fire going, and by how high the fire was blazing now Clara knew that whoever had started it had been here for a while.

“Hello?” she called out into the room, standing up to get a better look. When there was no answer and no one in the room for that matter, Alina started to become uneasy. The noises had moved opposite of the door so she knew someone had entered. The tapping on the floor was to heavy to be a rat or just some wind. “Hello?” She repeated this time with a more demanding tone. “I know someone is in here.” Scanning the room again she could just feel someone’s eyes on her. Nervously, she spoke up again hoping for this person to reveal themselves so that she could introduce herself, not to mention it would make her much more comfortable just to know where they were. This disappearing act had already grown old and Alina was ready to meet them.

“I’m sorry if I barged in on your spot, I didn’t mean too. I got caught in the storm and just found the fire.” She was hoping an apology would draw them out and make herself seem less threatening. Though she didn’t she how someone could have mistaken her for being tough. She was a curvy little thing with absolutely no muscle. The simplistic knee length dress she wore only furthered her belief that she looked anything but intimidating. Fiddling with the circular charm on her necklace she took a step away from the fire. “I’m Alina.” She stated still trying to draw them out. “What’s your name?”
 
This woman was absolutely not a threat. Damian had no doubt that with little effort, she could be snapped in half. Sabotaging the body of a woman wasn't something he liked to do, though. They were magnificent, gentle creatures, even if the lot of them in his hometown shunned him. No matter how cold his heart had gotten, there was a warm spot there that saved females from getting slaughtered. They were always chased out of his castle with a warning. That usually did the trick...

A couple more times, she greeted him, hoping to draw him out of hiding. She seemed bold for asking so often; she even told him her name. That courage interested him, however his territorial instincts kept telling him to send her away. Alina was not invited here, so why shouldn't he frighten her away?

Like she asked, the creature slowly began to reveal himself. He walked closer towards the fire, dragging his tail across the floor while his heavy feet and hands thudded heavily. Those blood red eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, his gaze refusing to shift away from her for even a second. Damian appeared beside her, lowering his snout so he could inhale her scent. A soft growl drummed in his throat as he pulled his face away from her, staring down threateningly.

"Why are you here?" asked his deep, monstrous voice. "And... I wouldn't run away, if I were you."
 
[FONT=&quot]With a racing heart, Alina heard the heavy footsteps of someone in the shadows. They sounded to heavy to be a person’s footsteps, but what else could the noise be? And was those fire red eyes that she could have sworn she just saw starring back at her? Impossible. And what was that dragging on the floor?....A tail? Alina couldn’t believe it and was certain that the ill-lite room was causing her pretty eyes to play horrible tricks on her. But as the man…..or beast….neared her she was becoming more and more aware that this was no dream. Her scared emotions were plastered in her tense posture and in her facial expression.
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[FONT=&quot]She was at a total loss for words and was trying very hard not to faint from shock How did this evening turn out so wrong she wondered. She was supposed to make it out of town. It wasn’t supposed to rain and she certainly wasn’t supposed to run into…whatever this was. He told her not to run and yet her ears comprehended no words. She took instinctual steps back afraid to be to close to the beast who easily towered over her. He may have told her not to run, but her ears and brain comprehended no words and in a state of panic she turned to bolt from the room.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to outrun the beast, but she certainly knew she wasn’t going to just stand around and let herself be killed. So she ran as fast as her small legs would take her and tried her best to make it back out the front door. Rain or not, she knew it would be better to face the storm then the monster back in the room.
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Damian knew it was his fault for her escaping. Then again, even if he demanded she not run away, she still would have. His appearance was certainly something to fear; the very definition of intimidating if it was tangible. Still, he couldn't allow her to just get away! There had to be a reason for her showing up.

The room echoed with his heavy footsteps as he pursued her, easily running past her since he took advantage of all four limbs, giving him a speed boost. His thundering paws made prints on the floor, evidence that no sweeping or mopping had been done in a very, very long time. After skidding to a stop, he showed up at the door she intended to exit through. This would turn up in his favour since this was Damian's territory, which he was plenty familiar with.

"Stop!" he barked, lowering his head so she wouldn't have to stare directly at his face. Having forgotten how to truly be kind and gentle, all he could think of was to shield his hideous image the best ways he could. The way she looked at him in front of the fireplace said it all. She was afraid, probably even disgusted.
 
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Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false" 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line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> [FONT=&quot]Running wasn’t easy all wet and it didn’t help that he obviously had an advantage. She saw the front door and was only a few feet away when the beast behind her jumped in front. No…No.. She thought frantically trying to stop in her tracks. Her attempt to stop on a dime caused her wet shoes to slip and slide across the ground and right into the furry monster in front of her. The collision caused her to fall backwards and flat onto her back. The shock from the fall caused her to momentarily lay there stunned, but once she realized how close she was to the beast in front of her she scrambled backwards. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
When she looked up, she was surprised to find that the beast wasn’t looking at her directly. In fact, if she was to describe the scene it was almost like he was shielding his face – on purpose. But Alina felt as though that was impossible. He’d thoroughly scared her so far, so why would he now try and be less terrifying? It just didn’t add up to Alina.
[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Please.” She said with a shakey voice. “I’m sorry. I swear, I didn’t know anybody lived here and I’d only planned to stay until the storm blew over.” She spoke quickly trying to spit out everything as fast as she could. The sooner he understood that she hadn’t meant to bother him, the sooner she hoped to be out of there. “Please.” She pleaded on more time. “I promise I won’t come back if you just let me go now.”[/FONT]
 
The girl's whimpering voice was irritating, however he found himself sympathizing her a little bit. Even though the years alone turned him bitter, that small soft spot for women still thrived. It was terribly cold outside, making the rains and winds all the more painful to endure. That teensy, gentle part of him wanted to let her stay until the storm passed.

"You don't know who I am," he stated, assuming she wasn't familiar with the story of a young man being turned to a beast because of his cold selfishness. If she had, maybe she assumed him a myth. The beast then made a snarl, his eyes locking onto her face so he could have a good look at her. His castle was dark, making it difficult to make out her features. If only she stayed by the fireplace...

A paw then stepped forward, his massive form inching closer to her. "I've waited years for someone. Someone like you," he started, changing to a pouncing position in case she got any bright ideas. Anymore steps away from him and he'd spring into the air to pin her down. "...to break my curse.

So, I can't let you go. Not until you help me. I'm not giving you a choice, girl."
 
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line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> [FONT=&quot]He needed her! That was definitely a good thing to hear as it meant two things: [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]1)He wouldn’t kill her. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2) [/FONT][FONT=&quot]She now had some kind of leverage or something to bargain with.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Alina was without a doubt still shaking with fear and her voice continued to tremble, but she could feel herself finding some courage once again. Even as he drew closer she didn’t back away, though every instinct in her body told her to do so. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]She had in fact heard stories of an evil monster living in an abandoned house. But there were so many variations of the story that Alina never felt like they could be true. There were tales of a house being haunted by a ghost, sometimes by more than one. There tales included a four headed monster with rows and rows and rows of sharp teeth. Another was that if you looked at this monster you’d instantly disintegrate and only ash and dust was left to be found of you. Even aware of these stories Alina had no second guesses upon entering the house, though now she wished she’d have been more weary. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The interesting point in all of this was that now that Alina dwelled on all the tall tales, the monster before her – didn’t seem quite so scary. It goes without saying that he still upset her and made her nervous, but she couldn’t help but realize how many people might have stormed this abandoned home had they known that the stories had been grossly over exaggerated. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“What – What makes you think I’ll help you if you keep me here?” She asked boldly not sure where this abundant amount of courage was coming from. “If you need my help, you certainly can’t kill me for saying no.”[/FONT]
 
The bold statement made him snort with amusement, however at the same time, he was in awe. This young woman was obviously afraid of him, yet still held her ground whilst speaking at him with challenging words. That was admirable. At the same time, it was infuriating.

It was true, he needed her. A woman in general! Only a lady was allowed to handle what he wished to find so he could return to normal. As a man--a man with a curse, no less--he couldn't do it himself. That would make the journey useless; fruitless; depressing. Now, Damian found someone who could fulfill that need! Well... Technically, she found him.

"You doubt that I can kill you?" he asked, his throat rumbling with heartless laughter. "You're on my property. Everything in here is mine. Therefore, you are mine. If I can't have you, well, no one else can."

Damian was selfish and greedy. The castle he lived in wasn't even his to begin with, but since it was abandoned, it instantly became his home. The rules he laid out? Unfair, of course. There was no arguing with a sharp toothed monster with wings, though. Especially one with a short temper.

The beast stopped walking, his snout just inches away from her. His nose took in her scent, dedicating it to memory in case he wanted to track her. "You've been in the forest," he noted, recognizing the scent of pine trees. "Are you lost? Lost like all my victims before you?"
 
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mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> Her sudden spout of bravery had only made Alina more outspoken than she ought to have been. But at this point it was obvious that if he really had plans to kill her he’d have done so by now. And even on the off chance he was just biding his time, pleading was clearly getting her no where. She figured she might as well switch up her game and make her own demands. Besides, she truly did believe it was her help he was after, and it was obvious to her that he didn’t get very many chances like this.



“Stop trying to scare me.” She told him, even daring to reach out and turn his face away from her. He was certainly invading any and all of her personal space and she didn’t appreciate it. Not to mention, it wasn’t helping that she was still afraid of him – no matter how courageous she was being. “It won’t get me to help you. And yes, you may be able to kill me, but you won’t. Not until you get what you need from me anyway. It’s clear you don’t have many visitors, so it looks like I’m becoming your only opportunity.”



Standing back up onto her wobbly legs, she took a single step back. “And, well, your rude and intimidating words aren’t helping your case any.” Was she really talking down to him? Just what kind of trouble was she getting herself into? She could only hope she was right about him wanting her help more than he wanted her dead. If not, then she really was good as dead.
 
The touch to his face wasn't strong enough to turn it away from her. Damian's position was kept firmly and a mere woman didn't have the strength to force him out of it. He made an inward eyebrow furrow as she talked down to him, acting as unafraid as possible. The courage was impressive, but he could smell her fear. It was a surprising transition, though... Most people begged for their lives instead of insulted him!

"You're so annoying," he told her quite bluntly. Being called 'rude' almost made him laugh. He was a beast; he was incapable of manners. Being poorly taught how to be kind, generous and well mannered, he didn't know how to be anything but rude. Even if he did, who would expect a ferocious monster to act as such?

Damian decided to turn his back to her, walking over to the door she was rushing to earlier. Right in front of it, he laid down with his arms beneath his head like a dog would do during nap time. His bulk blocked the way and if she tried to escape going over him, he could snatch her up. Working around those wings and horns couldn't be comfortable, though.

"Good luck finding a way out of my castle and surviving. This forest is merciless, as are the creatures that share my domain. Many of them are starving, too," he warned her, his eyes flicking from her to a broken down book shelf not far from where he laid. It looked like he was going to let her attempt to leave, but not the easy way.

"Since you're so brave and strong, you certainly don't need my protection, do you?" A smile crossed over his muzzle.
 
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She wasn’t sure if she believed him or not about the “hungry creatures” in the woods, but at the moment she was leaning towards not. The real problem was enormous storm that was taking place outside the castle walls. It was after all the reason she had to stop here in the first place. The frightened girl wasn’t sure she could keep walking through stuff heavy rain and not get hurt. Since it was dark she had already had trouble seeing things around her, but now with the heavy and merciless rain to add to it – she knew it would be impossible to take ten steps and not trip over something.

She stared at the beast before her not sure what to say. She didn’t want to stay here either. It was clear that the beast was not friendly and was surely going to kill her, but at some point right? She’d already established he couldn’t kill her now since he needed her “help” as he had said. But how long would her help be required? “What do you want from me?” She asked deciding she need more information before she could make a sound decision, this was a life or death situation after all. “I mean what would I have to do to help you – of course assuming that you lose your bad attitude.” She quickly finished, making sure he realized that she hadn’t agreed to anything. She wanted no misunderstandings with this beast.
 
"I'm a human," he started to explain. That might have been difficult to believe, but he really was once a person. "Used to be, anyway. A witch put a curse on me. I want to change back.

Only a woman can do this. A woman of purity. We'd journey to an ancient artifact you can use to break my curse."

Damian still didn't know what she meant by 'attitude'. He was what he was. Did she expect him to change, just for her satisfaction? That was preposterous. Likely doable, though. All he'd have to do is not talk, right? He was more than willing to have no conversations with her during the adventure. Talking to her, so far, was most unpleasant anyway.

"You say, 'lose my bad attitude', girl. What does that mean?" Getting some clarification wouldn't hurt. As a person--beast--with no manners, he might as well learn. He needed her help...
 
This beast or man, or whatever he was calling himself at the moment, confused her. He needed her help and yet he continued to threaten her as though she was disposable, but by this point she was already aware that she wasn’t. Besides this fact, he also confused her with his silly fairytale. A witch? A curse? This all seemed like something she would have read out of a storybook as a child, but then again just minutes ago she didn’t believe in talking beasts either. She wondered if this could actually be all true.

“Bad attitude, as in, stop pretending like you’ll go through with any of your threats. And…well…being scary and angry in general. It’s not becoming of you and really is a turn off, especially if you are asking someone to help you. Attitudes like yours tend to make people say no.” Her panicked breathing and begun to settle now that there was more real conversation rather than running and yelling. She was gaining more confidence by the second and was prepared to make sure this beast didn’t walk all over her. “Why are you cursed to begin with? What did you do that was so bad?” She inquired, wondering if perhaps whatever misdeed he’d done in the past was something as terrible as murder.
 
The way she explained negative attitudes made sense now. Though, it did make him smirk. As close to a smirk as a beast could make. "I am a monster, my dear. I can't avoid being scary," he reminded her. The mere sight of Damian was terrifying, so to him, she was asking an awful lot. Controlling his temper was also a challenge... That was not up for discussion, though. Should she prove her uselessness now, or in the future, he'd shamelessly dispose of her. That would definitely prove her theories wrong.

Then, she asked about why he was cursed. At that, he turned his head, laying it back down over his paws. The memories haunted him regularly, but talking about them... Not something he was keen on.

"I don't wish to talk about it," he replied, in a more somber tone of voice. There had to be a book about him somewhere. Everyone had their own version of the story, so some might have been inaccurate. Only he knew the truth. But if she wanted to know so badly, he felt she could just research the topic.

"I will say that the curse has served its purpose, though. Which is to make people banish me and hate me. My image is ugly and so is my personality. That is why you won't help me. That is why... no one... ever will."
 
Alina didn’t think it was very fair that he expected her to help him with no explanation. It was quite unrealistic for him to expect her to help based upon nothing but trust. The problem with that was, he hadn’t given her a single reason to take his word on anything. “Well, ‘I don’t wish’…” she began in a mocking tone, “to be here. But look where I am. We all have to do things we don’t want too. I certainly won’t be going out of my way to help you if you won’t even tell me what you did wrong.”

She couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow to the fact that he sounded incredibly whiny with his whole “woe is me” speech. He was seriously beginning to lose some scary points. “Let’s clarify one thing. Yes, I won’t admit that your…appearance…is a little more than startling. But it is your personality that is the real culprit and keeping me from wanting to help you.” It was true. She knew she judged him based on his appearance at first, and perhaps that was her fault. But the personality, like he had pointed out, fit with his image – and therefore, in the end, she wasn’t wrong for running. “But I seriously doubt that the curse has caused your seriously lacking personality.” She explained with a sigh. She was feeling much more relaxed now that she knew he wasn’t going to hurt her, though she was still freaked out by the fact he wouldn’t let her go.

“But I digress. Are you going to tell me what you did? Or am I leaving?” She asked with a bold firmness in her tone.