Twice Cursed [Goblin] [M]

[Juno]

Her lack of true thankfulness unsettled him, but he tried very hard to not let it get to him too much. He had to keep reminding himself that he was dealing with a child essentially despite his limited experience with them.

Conrey let her talk but said nothing to her at first, letting her chase him back to his room without complaint. He fussed with his things, rearranging items on his side table while casting an irritated look at her over his shoulder. "You're alive aren't you? Not a scratch on you. I've done my job so far. The moment you're eating well and stop hating yourself I'm sure you'll be accepted home again," he shrugged.

[GoblinFae]

Yasmine snorted and turned away to leave. "Yes because that's ever going to happen. Monsters like us don't fit into civilized society or haven't you noticed that yet? You're the hired help and I'm the sickly and unseen child that my parents will probably pass off as dead in a few years. Don't see why you care so much anyway," she continued to mutter as she moved to her own dusty room. "Longer I'm here the longer he probably gets paid. Isn't that delightful. At least someone can enjoy my misery."

[Juno]

Conrey raised a brow at her implication about them being monsters. He pitied her a bit for her narrow mindedness. "Apparently you still bear a childish imagination," he snorted, looking away from her. "When I am not working I live in society as any human would. I care to see you well because that means I have done my job and I am free to do other work. Perhaps some with a bit less...nannying involved. I don't care much about the pay, but I don't expect you to be able to understand why when all you've ever known is money." He shrugged, as if that should be enough of a description for her and he expected her to accept it.

"Not sure what gave you the impression I enjoy misery, either," he added, his lips twisting into a half-frown, half-snarl as he tried to decide how to feel about it.

[GoblinFae]

She flinched violently at the sound of his snarling voice but it did not deter her. "Then why are you doing this? If not for money or a brand of sadism then why do you care?" She turned to look at him with an expression full of pain but also curiosity. "Someone else could have been found and yet you chose to accept. If not for money then for what? Your reputation? I don't understand why you think this is so important and worthwhile. Isn't it obvious yet how impossible it is for me? I wasn't supposed to live," Yasmine spat, her face contorting with anger and disgust. "If you don't enjoy my misery then why do you prolong it?"

[Juno]

Her bombardment of questions was tiring. Did she ever rest? Or was this just the way of the privileged youth? "Don't get me wrong," Conrey sighed, watching her warily. "This is my job. I do my job for money. That doesn't mean I wish to see you miserable the whole time we are here. You are still a person, despite what you see in yourself." He rubbed at his head in frustration, unsure why he had to justify everything to her.

"You are young and you are obviously very afraid. What happened to you wasn't your fault, but you are still alive now... I'm sure you don't even see a life for yourself outside of this place again, but I'm sorry if it seems odd that I wish for that to change."

[GoblinFae]

Yasmine listened, truly listened not to his words but to the meaning and emotions behind them. He was wrong. She was not afraid, she was terrified. Nothing was as it had meant to be. She was not having the perfect life of a dainty young lady she was told she would always have. She did not understand the whys of what happened to her or why she survived or why her fate was so cursed as to be seemingly abandoned and cast aside by her own family. But, she did know she was hurting not only herself but also the man who was trying to help her.

Her expression melted from anger and disgust into sadness and shame. Yasmine shook with heartbreak and fear instead of fury and Conrey would have but a moment of silence and stillness before suddenly a choking croak strangled its way out of her throat and she was moving towards him. Her arms came to wrap about his middle as her face buried itself into his torso.

"I'm so afraid," she cried against him over and over. "I'm sorry. It won't change. I'm sorry you have to be here, have to live this, have to live with me. I'm sorry I'm sorry." Yasmine sobbed and sobbed, clinging desperately to him as a child clings to a parent when in the presence of the bogeyman. There was no care for propriety or ladylike behavior in that moment. There was no one to see nor care but them. "I'm so sorry."

[Juno]

Conrey stared at her wearily prior to her breakdown. His eyes widened with surprise for her sudden closeness and concern for the sounds she was making now, much different compared to her shrieks of rage and immature fears before.

Not having been in a position where so much consoling was necessary in so long, the werewolf truly was at a loss for how to handle the situation. Should he hug her? Would that be inappropriate? Her apologies seemed sincere enough, but her sobbing was troubling to him. Being so close, she smelled faintly of her blood still but it wasn't bothersome to him. "Yasmine," he spoke softly, eyes shifting all around in discomfort before finally lowering his arms to wrap her in a loose hug. He rubbed his palm at her shoulders a bit before moving a hand up to cautiously stroke her hair in what he hoped would be a soothing manner for her.

"There's nothing to be sorry for about your circumstances. I don't blame you and it really isn't as bad and terrible as you seem to think," he tried to assure her. "I understand that it's scary... but you will need to move past this eventually, you don't need to live in fear for the rest of your life.

"Try to relax?" he begged her gently.

[GoblinFae]

For all his uncertain feelings, his touch hit the mark. It did not stop the tears but they slowed under the gentle ministrations of his hand through her hair. She still clung fiercely but the sounds of her sobs quieted until only a few stray tears remained. "You should though," Yasmine murmured back. "Neither of us know how to be a vampire. Mother and Father tried everything to fix it and it wouldn't fix. So they gave me up because there's no hope. I'm stuck here with only you who I've just barely met even. What if something happens to you? Or me? What happens when it decides you're tasty? What am I supposed to do then?"

[Juno]

"You know, it's okay to not know everything," he teased her gently, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of the situations she seemed to be imagining. Even though she seemed to be calming down he continued trying to soothe her, hopeful that she would relax if he kept petting up the hugging and petting. "I'll do my best to make sure nothing happens to you. That is what I'm here for, after all. What do you mean by 'it,' though?" he wondered skeptically, already thinking he knew what she was referring to. "You don't mean...when you get hungry, do you? Or did you mean the one that attacked you?"

[GoblinFae]

She nodded her head slightly against him. "The monster inside that says such horrible things. It wants to hurt you. To hurt everyone I care about. What happens then Mister Conrey? What happens when I lose and attack you? I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to hurt anyone." Yasmine shuddered as his words suddenly made her focus on a new fear. "You don't think he'll come back for me do you? The one that did this?"

[Juno]

"I don't think you'll lose, Yasmine. I think you'll learn to control your feelings. It's just an urge, an instinct like any other that can be trained. You just have to work for it and give it time," he tried to assure her, continuing to pet her hair even as he frowned for what she was implying. "I don't think he will. Those sorts of....monsters don't care to know what happens to other people once they're done with them. I know you're better than him already. Just because you care and don't want to hurt people.

"That's noble of you, Yasmine, but pain is inevitable. It's part of life, especially for you I think. Learn to live with what you must do to survive and I think you'll have an easier time." Conrey thought about it for a little while as he stood there trying to comfort her with gentle touch. "If you must... 'attack' me, I think I would live through it just fine. I'm not as fragile as you might think me to be."

[GoblinFae]

"How can I learn when the very sight and smell of it makes my stomach turn? I'm not worried about you being fragile; you're too big and strong for that. I'm worried about you hating me like all the rest. I can't stop myself. I can't control it and I can't eat what it wants. How many times will it take me attacking you before you leave me though? Once? Twice? I won't be able to stop Mister Conrey. It only gets worse the more I fight the impulse."

Yasmine shuddered at her own memories despite his soothing touches. Those at least were the only thing keeping her as calm as she was. She wanted to just curl up into a ball in his arms. He felt safe to her and for as much as she hated her situation, she was finding comfort being near him. Conrey may have been a werewolf and a stranger, two things she was meant to shy away form, but he was also her only contact in a now very small and lonely world.

"You really think he won't come to finish the job though? I mean, this house doesn't seem all that safe for keeping out a vampire even with a werewolf to defend it."

[Juno]

While her fears were definitely valid, Conrey was a bit insulted that she felt he would be scared away by her. "You learn through exposure, I'm afraid. Let it happen. I'm sure your...instincts may take over and let you learn to accept it. I'm not afraid of you attacking me, Yasmine. If you wish to...eat from me then I will accept it as part of my duties to care for your well being," he explained, truly having no fear of such a thing.

"And the...other vampire... Well, if he values his life he won't bother you here," he stated simply, confident in his abilities to defend and protect her as was his duty. "If he tries to come here I will handle it so don't even get yourself worried. You're safe, I promise."

[GoblinFae]

Yasmine sniffled and rubbed her cheek against his shirt. "But that doesn't mean you won't resent me, that you won't hate me for it. I couldn't live with that, with the only person I'll probably ever see in a long time hate me and what I am. I already have enough hate for myself as it is."

She sighed, trying to keep control of herself before giving him a squeeze. "Thank you Mister Conrey. I trust you for what it's worth. I'm just so afraid. It's just all so miserable and new."

[Juno]

Conrey just rolled his eyes at the notion of hating her over her needs as a vampire. She still held a childlike mindset in that regard, in his opinion. He gave her a her a gentle pat to the shoulder and quick squeeze in return for her own. "Hopefully you can learn to embrace it," he sighed, placing a soft kiss to the top of her head. "I know it's difficult to trust someone new, but believe me I have your best interests at heart. I cannot promise I will enjoy doing that, but I will not hate you or resent you for something you need to survive. All I ask is that you not abuse my willingness to help you."

[GoblinFae]

"I'm sorry, Mister Conrey. I'm really, really sorry. I'll try not to make it something you find miserable and I do promise not to abuse your trust knowingly. I have no idea what I'm capable of though." Yasmine sighed sadly before looking up at the man. "Will you still stay with me at night or is that abusing you?"

[Juno]

Dark eyes blinked stupidly for a moment, uncertain if her question was sincere or not. "Stay with you? That's alright, I suppose... As long as you don't fuss at me about hogging space again," he teased. "Would you like to go now?"

He lifted his head to look out through the open doorway to the hall, thinking she might find her "personal" bedroom more comfortable than the one he'd chosen for himself. It was certainly an odd request for his station but not one he was against in the least. All he cared about was her health, safety, and happiness while they remained in the manor and it would be against everything he stood for to deny her such a simple, innocent comfort. Her wording seemed to imply she wished it to be an everyday occurrence but he would sort out those details with her later once she was of sounder mind.

"And...just so I am not startled by it, should I expect you to, um, want to eat at any point tonight?" he asked, crouching slightly to lift her up off the floor.

[GoblinFae]

She softly squeaked as she was lifted up but her arms moved instinctively up to loosely drape about his neck. Her head violently shook from side to side in an adamant 'no' for she wanted absolutely nothing to do with feeding if she could help it. "Just sleep, please. I'm so very tired," Yasmine whispered as her head came to rest against his shoulder and her eyes slid closed. For several moments she was quiet as he carried her to her room but a question preyed upon her mind and she found herself voicing it despite her reservations. "You really won't give up on me, Mister Conrey?"

[Juno]

"Fair enough," he agreed, cradling her carefully against him as he took her to her room. He glanced down at her, surprised by the question considering all the times he had tried to reassuring her of that very thing. "I really won't, Yasmine," he promised, rubbing a gentle hand at her back before entering the room and sitting his tired body down with her. It wasn't long before he was leaning back against a pillow, uncaring of where she decided to settle for the night having done his duty. "Don't worry yourself with it. I'm sturdier and more stubborn than you might think."

[GoblinFae]

Yasmine curled into his side, uncaring of the impropriety of the moment in the face of her complete and utter emotional exhaustion. Her fingers tangled in the fabric of his tunic as her eyes quickly shuttered under the weight of being kept open. She was tired in fact that she did not even bother protesting him remaining in his human form instead of his previously promised wolf one. Just before she fell asleep in a voice that was as soft as a gentle breeze she mumbled a 'thank you' before adding, "I don't want to be alone."