paixaorpg | Judging a Book by the Cover [Active/Open]

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Judging a Book by the Cover [Active/Open]

Character(s): Belle, Zexion, Beast, anyone else who'd like to join
Content: Belle runs into "Ian" on her way to the library and comes across Beast for the first time.
Setting: Starting around H4 and ending at Os Dias Sao a Noite.
Time: Morning.
Warnings: None. SUBTERFUGE?

In a way, Belle's morning walk in Paixao wasn't much different than her morning walks in the little village she came from. Sure, the sky wasn't really a sky and few people she passed on the cobblestone streets barely even spared her a glance (and she had to admit that not being gossiped about everywhere she went was nice), but the quiet, complacent peacefulness was exactly the same. The people she passed knew what they were supposed to do and were perfectly content to stay in that rut forever. And as usual, Belle was astounded that they were happy to ignore the mystery and magic of the world around them.

She glanced down at the electronic journal in her hands as she walked east, light brown eyes scanning the map before she switched the screen back to the comments in her most recent entry. Surprisingly (or perhaps not so surprisingly), she'd gotten the hang of the device quickly. She had Jenny to thank for that.

I'm heading to the library now, she typed in response to one comment, from someone named Ian. I'll let you know how I like it! She smiled, closing the device and pocketing it again in her apron. So far, everyone Belle had met since coming to this new world were so friendly and helpful. It didn't seem possible that there were villainous malcontents like Timon had claimed when she first arrived, despite the evidence of some clearly destroyed buildings.

She looked up and ahead, her steps light and ponytail bouncing merrily behind her. Today would be an excellent day!

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His back still turned, Beast quickly said what he wanted to. "I'm sorry," he huffed. It was as if he was a small child someone had just scolded, instead of someone nearing his twenty-first birthday. His shoulders fell as he exhaled, as if all his pride had deflated with his chest.

She wasn't the only one to whom the tale of death and destruction struck true. His own death and the death of his world hadn't been quite as bloody as the final act of Hamlet, but it was no less sorrowful.

Right up to the point where he couldn't care anyway.

As for Beast's rather lack-luster apology, well... that he'd just let Belle take care of.

Belle raised an eyebrow, placing her bundle of books aside. It was hardly an enthusiastic apology, but she wasn't so stuck up that she'd demand any more. Smiling slightly, she replied softly, "...thank you, Beast. And I'm sorry for getting too close."

She turned to Ian, her eyes bright with a sudden idea. "Ian, do you know how to make the voice recording work on the journals?"

Beast merely growled, and clutched the rose tighter. Would Belle understand, if he told her?

...No. Of course she wouldn't. And how could he explain, anyway? It would just make her hate him even more...

"I do, actually," he answered. "It's not all that hard."

And it would certainly help with the problem of not being able to read. Besides, he highly doubted it was something Beast was going to be able to relearn in the space of a night.

"I believe there's a function that will read other people's posts to you as well, even."

Belle grinned, turning back to Beast, or more accurately, his back. "Beast, were you given a strange device when you arrived here?" She was willing to bet that he had -- everyone she talked to so far had one in some form or the other. If he did, and they could set it up so that he could use it even without knowing how to read, he'd meet a lot more people and maybe would become kinder and gentler with more friends.

Beast took the object he'd been given at the gate out of his pocket. "This?" he asked, facing the other two again. He held it out to them, uncertain of what they were intending. Was this the journal?

"That," Zexion answered with a nod. "Would you mind if I took it for a moment? I should be able to fix it so that you don't need to read to use it."

He didn't quite share Belle's optimism about the eventual outcome of such an adjustment but it couldn't hurt. Everyone deserved to know what was going on in the city, regardless of what they could and couldn't do.

Belle linked her hands behind her, glancing between Ian and Beast with a satisfied smile. "Ian can set the device up so that you can talk to other people in the city through it. It will even read out loud the words of other people so you can meet others and learn more about Paixao." She smiled wider, eyes soft and warm as they regarded Beast. "And we can stay in contact this way...if you'd like."

The very thought made Beast's heart fall. If he couldn't deal with just two people, how would he be able to deal with an entire city? "I...don't know if I can," he said quietly.

"You'll at least have the option, this way," Zexion answered. "You can decide whether or not you want to make use of it at your own leisure."

To ignore, or pay attention to at his own pace and the only thing it would take was pushing a few buttons... if Beast was alright with the idea.

Belle nearly wanted to reach out and rest her hand on the Beast's massive shoulder to comfort him, but at the last second before her hand moved, remembered how feral he got when she got too close. So she merely tilted her head and looked up at him. "Ian's right...it's always good to have the option. And you'll never know if you can or can't if you don't try. Please, Beast?"

Edited 2009-05-29 14:41 (UTC)

Nothing had ever made Beast so nervous as the idea of talking with so many people...or that so many people would be able to talk to him. But Belle...she was so nice! Almost kinder than Mrs. Potts, even. "All right," he said, finally acquiescing. "But I won't use it very much!"

"We aren't asking you to," Zexion answered. Or he wasn't, at least. Belle might have other ideas, but that wasn't his concern. She could take care of her own desires, or so he was going to assume from what he'd seen so far.

Instead, he turned his attention to Beast's journal. True to what he'd said it was only a matter of moments, before he handed it back to its proper owner. "There."

Belle clasped her hands together in front of her and grinned at Beast's grudging acquiescence. Compared to his behavior before, she considered this a huge step forward. "You don't have to use it anymore than you feel comfortable," she added to Ian's reply. She watched the journal exchange between them and paused for a moment.

"...ah. How do you use the voice thing again?" she asked sheepishly.

Beast slowly took the device back. It was an interesting thing, such a monstrous creature acting so shy. He straightened up so he could pay attention, suddenly reminded of all his servants always did for him...and reminded that they weren't here with him.

"It's voice-activated now," Zexion answered. "Just tell it what it to do. It'll even read people's posts to you, if you want it to."

Which wasn't precisely what Belle had asked, but her own journal was different from what he'd set up Beast's to be. He could show her how to voice post on her own journal later, if she wanted him to.

Belle leaned slightly towards Beast and the journal in his massive paws and said, "Really? I find more amazing little secrets about this device everyday, it seems." She glanced up at Beast, eyebrows raised. "Why don't you give it a try?"

Beast's face screwed up a little as Belle got closer, eyes going a little wide. "I...I-I don't want to right now." He stumbled over the words nervously, and his upright stance had now relaxed.

If a blush could be seen through all that fur, his face would be bright red. He whispered to Belle, hoping that Ian wouldn't hear, "Aren't you...scared of me?"

Zexion didn't manage to pick up all of what Beast whispered, but from what little he did manage to pick up he thought he could decipher the general gist of the question. He wasn't about to make any matter of comment on it though. It wasn't his place to.

Instead he settled for answering Belle's question. "It's quite a piece of work."

Edited 2009-06-01 19:59 (UTC)

Belle blinked and smiled softly. "Not when you're like this..." she replied quietly. When the Beast wasn't raging, it almost seemed there was a normal man somewhere under all the fur and fangs and claws. Again, she was struck by the pure blue of his eyes as she gazed into them...

The spell was broken by Ian's answer. She cleared her throat and backed up a few steps, absently tugging her ponytail over her shoulder, cheeks slightly pink. "W-well, there you have it. Ah...do you have a place to stay, Beast?"

"A place...to stay?" Beast's voice was stronger after the short pause, a little more confident again. He had barely even thought of that, and it showed on his face. "No, I...don't. Why?"

Looking into Belle's eyes made him feel more...safe. That was it. They were kind, and caring, and... No. He averted his gaze, while something unseen tugged at his heart. A pitiful growl rumbled through his chest, hardly audible.

Why? Because she was offering, of course. It wasn't a hard thing to understand, or wasn't in his mind. He couldn't - and wouldn't - speak for Beast. He was no mind reader, and had very little desire to be one. He'd influence the mind in other ways. More subtle ways.

And for now, there was nothing for him to say, as he simply watched the pair. Yes, things might work out, if they continued on that way.

"Well, because...I think there's a room open at the building I stay at," Belle replied, watching Beast's reaction curiously. "It's a very cheap place. Small and quiet. It's not very pretty or impressive, but I'd be close by if you needed anything." She glanced at Ian, wondering vaguely how he felt about the whole thing. He was a mysterious man of few words, after all.

"O-oh..." Beast looked nervous for a moment, but then a little skeptical. "You would be okay with...me staying near you?"

Inside, he was giddy at the thought. She...she wanted him nearby! ...Even if she was being condescending about it.

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Judging a Book by the Cover [Active/Open]

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