Not the Beauty you expect, nor the Beast you fear

To think this all started with that fool stealing from me. To this day, I still believe he had no reason to take that flower, besides some ridiculous test of bravery. To think, a grown man engaging in such activities, ready to turn tail and flee like a dog the moment he had his trophy. He doesn't even know the significance of what he tried to take! Not that he'd understand if I even bothered to try and explain it to him, but then he had to get all defensive, saying how it was just a flower. If he had just ran when I caught him, and I know he wanted to, then that would have been it. Though, I suppose if he had, I would never have met her.

He just wouldn't leave well enough alone, even after I tried the whole scaring shtick. I must have not been quite as bad as the rumors had prepared him for, you'd think I was some sort of horrible cross between Bigfoot and a werewolf if you listened to them, because he managed to stand his ground. Now, while I may not be a cryptozoologist's dream, i'm still rather frightening. Claws, sharp teeth, that gaunt look that would make me a dream cast for any of those old fashioned vampire movies, you name it, though I like to think I'm more of the mad scientist look myself. Crazy glint in my eye? Messy, frazzled hair? No matter, the point is that I look absolutely nothing like the rumors out there, though I never did a thing before to correct them. Given how they've kept me from being bothered for so long, why would I? Besides, at least they were being creative, something lacking in so many people I've had the misfortune of bumping into.

Anyway, as that coward of a man stood in front of me, he had the nerve to tell me he could take the plants! That just because they were on my property, didn't mean it was such a big deal picking a little plant or two. I think the saying "seeing red" very aptly applied at that moment, as I struggled not to just deck him. I told him in no uncertain terms that he was to return the plant to me, as it was vital to my research, but this only seemed to embolden him further, and he just repeated himself. I suppose maybe I should have hit him, to be honest it seemed like the only thing he would have understood, but I just got in his face instead, giving him my best snarl. Let me tell you, that never gets old.

It also got a reaction much closer to what I hoped for, and he very nearly dropped the flower right there as he tried to cower away from me. Every backwards step he took however, I matched with slow, deliberate step forward, just to up the scare factor.

"You realize that everything must balance out, in the end?" I said, going for the lowest growl I could. "If you take that, you'll have to pay." Now I thought that was rather good, it had creepy and dark in good measure, and it was vague enough that his mind would draw all sorts of nasty conclusions which would make him want to leave well enough alone, but noooooo, that's just not how things were going to go for me. He seemed to actually be emboldened by this, standing up a little taller before asking me what my price was. I mean really?! I did manage another fairly decent snarl at that, so at least I wasn't totally silent, but I couldn't help but be floored when he said that. Was I supposed to come up with some horrible thing he wouldn't think to accept to, and how did I even come up with the worth for that? I didn't want to give it away at all, and there was always the chance he'd accept whatever I came up with. Eventually though, I banked on theatrical with maybe a touch of sarcasm.

"It's worth the life of your first born to me, a price too steep for you, i'm sure." To my horror however, I saw a flicker of something dark in his eyes, and trust me, I know dark.

"Fine!" he said, puffing out his chest slightly before turning to swagger off, leaving me more than a little confused, and very upset. What in the world was I supposed to even think about that? Not only did he just take a very important part of my supply, but what, I was supposed to expect some crying baby at my door now too? Needless to say, I was not looking forward to how things seemed to be playing out.

Imagine my surprise then, when the very next day, that man showed up with not some loud child, but a woman, somewhere around my own age, if I was guessing properly. She looked... withdrawn, however. Not at all standing her real height, and instead kept slightly slouched, hovering just behind the now arrogantly posed man, her father.

"Fair's fair then! This good for nothing's been needing to find a job, and to get out of the house, so really, I should be thanking you!" To say I was pissed at that point would have been the understatement of a lifetime. I couldn't do much more than stand there, shaking as I tried to figure out just what to say, but apparently he didn't notice that at all. In fact, he started laughing. "I'll take your silence as agreement then!" He turned, smacking the woman on the shoulder, making her flinch. "Now I better not hear anything about you, understood? You've moved out, and i'm not responsible for you anymore, so if you've got trouble, don't you come to me." I wasn't sure if he was speaking loudly on purpose, or if it was just quiet enough to hear him from where I stood. The woman made no movement and the man, for I refused to call him her father now, laughed again, and simply walked away, leaving my grounds looking as if he had just won the lottery.

I had half a mind to chase after him at that point, give my reputation something to really buzz about, but something about that woman, just standing there quietly, looking at the ground, stopped me. Even if it was plain to see just what kind of abominable sort he was, even as I was completely and totally sure that he would deserve it, I wasn't entirely sure she'd approve, and that thought stopped me cold. Why did I suddenly care about this perfect stranger? I mean, I could give all sorts of excuses for it; the weather didn't look like it was going to be very pleasant to stay out in for much longer, leaving anyone on there own in the area around my home was a bad idea in general, the thieves and muggers tended to congregate where they thought the rumors would hide them, though I never  had troubles with them personally. All those excuses fell flat in my own head however as studied her, so obviously broken, and I knew I had no choice but to at least take us inside while I figured out just what I was going to do.