paixaorpg | The Way to a Man's Heart [Completed]

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The Way to a Man's Heart [Completed]

Character(s): Belle, Beast, Lumière!
Content: Belle invites Beast to a picnic.
Setting: Starting in Iriela Apartments and ending up in Jogo da Crianca
Time: Noon-ish, Week 21
Warnings: None.

Belle finished tucking in the blue and white checked cloth over the food in the basket, checking off a list in her head. Since Beast was French as she was, she'd decided to prepare something wholly French for the outing -- pan bagnat, a sort of seafood sandwich; crudites with lemon oil; gougeres, a light, delicate cheese pastry; and the pride of her picnic basket, the item that she'd stayed up late to create, meringue calissons. With a satisfied nod, she reached up to tuck an errant strand of chestnut hair behind her ear, ignoring the surge of nervousness that lurked just below the surface.

Yes, she mused as she gathered up a bottle of wine to round out the meal, she was surprising Beast with this and he was clearly not a fan of surprises. It was very possible he'd turn her away the door, growling and snarling like an animal. But Belle had missed him more each day she couldn't find him and a good meal was the best way to deepen any bond.

She exited her apartment and quickly headed towards Beast's, thankful she didn't have to carry the big basket too far. When Belle drew up to his door, she hesitated for the barest moment...then, ducking her head and inhaling a steady, deep breath, she knocked.

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Belle's smile widened as she watched him reach into the basket, hesitate and then withdraw. The fact that he was actually trying to be genteel and polite was endearing on its own -- the fact that he was mostly succeeding was downright amazing. "It's okay, dig right in," she said lightly, flashing her sparkling eyes at him before looking back down into the basket. "I think I'll start with one of the gougeres," she added, plucking one out. "They're Papa's favorites." At this, a small shadow seemed to pass over Belle for the briefest moment, her gaze distant as she looked down at the golden pastry in her hand. She was quickly back to herself, however, breaking off a piece and popping it into her mouth with a pleased murmur.

Edited 2010-06-13 18:11 (UTC)

Lumiere gave a silent sigh of relief when Beast withdrew his paw from the basket. Yes, that was good. Very good! Patients were in fact key and, until now, something he was surprised to find his master actually had. He nodded at the prince in approval, all the while wearing knowing smile. So far Beast was off to a good start. Hopefully he would be able to maintain this behaviour for the rest of the picnic and, most importantly of all, control his temper. Thankfully nothing had happened yet to trigger it but Lumiere knew better than to assume it would not become a problem. All it took was for Belle to pull something the master disliked out of the basket. He really could be a picky eater.

At the thought, the candelabra’s eyes immediately turned to the basket. With her back to him he could not see what Belle had pulled out, however after quickly hopping over to the side he was met with a rather pleasant sight. Ah, gougère! It had been too dark in the basket for Lumiere to recognize any of the food Belle had packed but from the smell? He had known there were fresh gougères packed away in there somewhere. Many of the enchanting aromas from inside had made Lumiere wish he could still eat.

He watched quietly to see what Beast pulled out of the basket next in anticipation, all the while keeping a careful eye on Belle in case she turned around and caught sight of him.

Beast smiled with surprise and nodded enthusiastically at Lumiere's reaction, forgetting for a moment that Belle was right next to him.

His face lit up when Belle said he could take something, and he pulled a similar pastry to Belle's out of the basket. He leaned in toward her a little, so that he could watch her closely and see how she was eating hers. As he put his gougère up to his mouth, he stopped, watching Belle's face fall, just for a second. He looked down at his, and just held it. When he looked back up at Belle, he almost reached a paw toward her arm, to comfort her, but she was smiling again. Had he imagined it?

Belle lifted her gaze just in time to see Beast nearly reach for her. She froze, eyes wide and vulnerable as they gazed into his. The blue of his eyes was so intense and expressive, she always felt like she might be sucked in someday. They also clearly showed her what he was feeling. He was worried about her, confused and uncertain. She smiled again, incredibly grateful for his empathy. "It's okay," she said softly, reaching behind her to pull out one of the seafood sandwiches. "Go ahead and try it! And when you're done with that, try this."

She placed it in his other hand. It had seemed so big when she prepared it but now it was dwarfed by his huge paw. She began to doubt she'd packed enough food at this point...

Looking away for a moment, Beast took a bite of the pastry. Until he took that bite, he seemed like he was feeling rejected. But once he tasted the food, his face brightened again. He was just about to stuff the rest of it in his mouth all at once, but he remembered his manners and stopped right before he did.

"I-it's wonderful, Belle!" he exclaimed. Of course, the pastry itself was quite small, compared to how much he would normally eat...and the basket probably didn't have enough food for him to be full, but that was all right. It was worth it just to taste Belle's cooking. He finished the pastry in a couple more bites, then tried the sandwich. Beast was surprised, it was just as good!

Belle's face brightened as well, quite pleased that Beast liked the food so much. Dimples flashing in her cheeks, she stifled a giggle at the rapt expression on his face. He was making a bit of a mess, but that was alright. Picnics weren't exactly neat affairs anyway.

She took out a sandwich for herself and took a bite. She chewed, her thoughts turning once more to Beast. She had so many questions about him just brimming below the surface. Who was he? What was he? Did he have family that worried about him? Despite the animalistic feature he had, his eyes were undeniably human. Finally, she couldn't hold back anymore.

"Beast?" she asked hesitantly. "We're friends, right?"

Another sandwich was held in mid-air. Beast stopped in surprise, and was left speechless. What...what was he supposed to tell her? She was...she was more than just a friend to him now. She was more than...more than anything to him, except for the rose!

He was silent for some time, trying to think of how he could say it. He couldn't...he couldn't tell her that much. Not yet. What if she didn't feel the same way? That...would be more than he could bear. He started to answer, but trailed off.

"Belle, I..." He stopped again, still having trouble. What was making this so hard? "I...like you."

Belle smiled softly and scooted across the blanket toward him, closing the distance a little more. "I'm glad. That makes me very happy." She reached out to place her hand on his forearm, tilting her head up to peer searchingly into her eyes. "I like you too. I'd like to know more about you. Would you share that with me?"

The closing of distance made Beast seize up. He looked pleadingly at Lumiere, just for an instant. When Belle spoke, he found himself unable to meet her eyes, instead he could only look at the blanket. He tensed and pulled back when he felt her touch.

"You...wouldn't want to hear it," he answered stiffly.

A flash of hurt feelings briefly crossed Belle's face as he pulled back, but she persisted...though she certainly kept her hands to herself. "That's not true," she said after an awkward moment's silence. "I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to hear it, Beast." Despite her soft tone, there was an element of reproach in her voice. "What do you think will happen if I learn more about you?"

Now this had been an interesting turn of events. Had his eyes deceived him or had the Master actually tried to comfort the girl for a moment? He turned his gaze to the girl to see her reaction but found himself met with only her back. In frustration, the candelabra hopped closer, if only to catch a brief glimpse of her face. However, he could not bring himself close enough to the girl without his cover blown in the process. Not if he intended to assist the prince during their outing. A frown found itself across his face when Lumiere realized he would be forced to miss what looked to him as though it were a special moment between the two. Little to his knowledge did the candlestick realize that this had just become the start.

Whatever had occurred between them then was nothing compared to that which followed. And though Lumiere could not see Belle's face, to see the Master's was all that was necessary. He suspected the girl had feelings for the Master but nothing like this! Here she was, prepared to cast aside all her fears and fall hopelessly in love with the Master and all he could do was shut her out. And at the worst possible time! She was looking to him for that last little reassurance before she let go, allowed herself to fall, and he could not so much as hold her hand.

No, no, no! This was a disaster! A catastrophe! Lumiere could not bear to watch. He was pulling away, getting defensive for all the wrong reasons. She truly meant well! Her questions none the threat Beast saw them as. All the prince could ever focus on was the negative. What he failed to see is what it was not all bad. There were plenty of good things he had to share with the girl. The only problem was how to make the Master see that without being too vocal. He tapped the two candles he had grown to refer to as hands together nervously. He would have to think of something quickly, otherwise the girl would give up and the Master would lose her – possibly forever.

“Tell her the truth.” he mumbled. That he was afraid to lose her. That he cared for her… That he loved her. If he could not speak that, well… “Tell her a favourite food, a favourite book. Tell her something. Anything!”

He would speak out for the Beast himself if he had to.

Favorite...food? Beast almost growled in frustration. Of course that was what she meant! He looked back at Belle nervously, almost embarrassed, and knowing if his fur wasn't in the way he'd be blushing.

The look on her face made him turn away again, rubbing at his neck, but it didn't last for very long. He'd told her already about the castle, but he'd said nothing of how it got that way. That was what he was so afraid to tell her. But...that wasn't what she was asking him for.

"I...don't read much..." he admitted after a long, tense pause. "So I don't know many stories..." He searched, hard, for something else to say. What did that have to do with what she'd just asked him? A thought suddenly occurred to him, though. "Are there any stories that you like, Belle?"

In truth, Belle had intended to learn more about why Beast looked the way he did and what had happened in his mysterious past. And when he growled, she feared she'd pushed too hard. Steeling herself for the angry words that would surely follow, she was caught off guard when the tense silent was broken by his hesitant but gentle words. She blinked, confused at first as to where he was going with this new chain of thought, but she realized he was simply trying to reveal more of himself. Though not what she had been aiming for, exactly, she wasn't one to deny herself this chance to learn anything new about her enigmatic companion.

She smiled, relaxing once more and tucking her feet under her skirts as she got more comfortable. "Oh, I love so many stories! I'm not even sure where I could begin! Of course, tales of adventure are my favorite. Stories about dashing sword fights between a handsome hero and the dark villain, magical creatures and ancient castles!"

Lumiere held his breath. The silence between Belle and the master was almost too much to bear. It spoke far louder than words and, in the beast’s court, rather ill of him as well. It suggested he had something to hide, some secret which he intended to keep from Belle. Secrets were never a good thing to keep from a woman, especially when one did as lousy a job hiding them as Beast. If a woman was determined enough, she could find out almost anything. Lumiere had discovered that the hard way. The key was to prevent her from suspecting anything in the first place because once a woman started prying there was no telling what she would discover. Many would say the foundation of a relationship was trust, which was certainly true in many aspects. To build a relationship around lie was by no means wise. However, the beast’s situation proved a difficult one.

What he felt for the girl was unquestionably real and, in Lumiere’s opinion, what mattered most. But there were other questions to be raised. Was he a prince or a monster? Both deemed fitting. When asked whether he was under a spell? There was both loves spell and that of the Enchantress. Had it not already, the girls curiosity would surely wander. And though Lumiere would have preferred to tell her their dark past, it was unlikely the master shared a similar outlook. There would be more questions ahead of them and whether the beast could answer them or not would prove a question of its own.

A great sigh of relief escaped the candelabra when the prince finally spoke. It had not been the response he had been hoping for but it was far better than nothing. For the most part, it appeared to satisfy the girl and that was the most important. He drew in closer to listen to her response. Ah, adventure! Given from what he had learned about the girl so far, Lumiere was not surprised. He looked back to the beast and nodded. This was good. There was plenty for the master to build on from that… Assuming, of course, the master could think of something. There were all sorts of interesting things about the castle, so long as Cogsworth was not the one listing them. He gestured that Beast continue.

"Could you...tell me one of them?" Beast was careful and quiet, since asking nicely was something he had done only on very rare occasions. "I always used to like it when the servants would read stories to me, even though I could never read very well..."

He looked away from Belle, embarrassed to mention that in front of her when she was so enthusiastic about books. He might have even told her about it before, but it had been a long time. What he forgot was that he hadn't mentioned the castle or his servants often either.

Belle raised her eyebrows slightly. "Oh...! Right now? Let me think..." She lowered her head, tapping her chin with her finger as she mentally went through her favorite fairy tales and stories. If she had any opinion on Beast's difficulty with reading, it didn't register on her face. What sort of story would he like? Something thrilling? Romantic? Suddenly, she knew just what story to tell. She longed to make him laugh, to see his vivid blue eyes dance with amusement.

"I know! It's one of my favorites." She moved a bit closer to him, excitement radiating off her. "Once upon a time, the king of Ardenne had only one daughter which he doted on. She was very beautiful but sickly, which was a source of despair for the king. His most trusted doctor told him that the three finest May peaches would cure her, but she would need to marry within a week or she would fall ill again. Suitors from across the kingdom came with their best peaches, but none could save the princess.

"Now, in the kingdom of Ardenne there was a woman who had three sons and a beautiful peach orchard. The oldest set out with the best peach from the orchard to save and marry the princess, but on the way, he met an old woman. When she asked him what he held in his hand, he claimed it was rabbit dung, for he didn't want to give her his peach. 'So it is,' the old woman replied, and when the oldest son arrived at the castle, he discovered his peach was, indeed, rabbit dung!

"The middle son was next to take the journey with his peach to the castle. When he came across the old woman as well, he claimed he carried horse dung. 'So it is,' the old woman replied, and just like the eldest son, he found his peach had changed once he arrived at the castle. In his hands was horse dung!

The youngest son, who was short and not as handsome as his brothers, was regarded as simple by everyone who knew him. However, he convinced his mother to let him take a peach to the princess. And like his brothers, he also came across an old woman on his journey. She asked him what he carried and he replied, 'I'm carrying a peach to cure the princess!' The old woman smiled and nodded her head, giving him a silver whistle for his honesty. 'So it is.'

When the youngest son arrived at the castle, the average peach he carried had been transformed into a golden, glittering fruit. When the princess ate the flesh, she was instantly revived! Unfortunately, it would not be so simple for the youngest son no one had expected to succeed..."

Belle paused, blinking out of her reverie and focusing on Beast once more. "O-oh, but...if I'm boring you, I can stop now," she said quickly, a light flush spreading across her face. "The townsfolk from home can never stand it when I get going like this..."

He grinned and chuckled quietly to himself. Ah, yes. Lumiere could recall those many nights back in the castle where the young prince had insisted he read to him the Tales of King Arthur. It had always been a favourite of his. Why, the candelabra was certain he could recite the book word for word from memory if he tried. He, as well as the other servants, had always tried to introduce new books to him but the Master was reluctant and judged every book by its cover alone. It was true; the prince had never shown a particular interest in books but the stories themselves? He ate them up like Cogsworth ate Christmas pudding. The challenge was introducing the prince to them without immediate rejection. Belle, however, had managed to do a wonderful job of this.

Lumiere got as comfortable as a candlestick could and listened intently to the girl as she retold the story. He had never heard this particular tale before but considered it a pleasant change from the usual. There were even hints of romance in this story, something Lumiere immediately took interest in. He closed his eyes and pictured the fair princess in need. The loss of such a beauty struck him deeply and if he could, he too would have brought the princess a peach as well. He could not imagine why the first two eldest brothers had not just been honest with the elderly woman but considered it their own loss. The youngest had rightfully been rewarded for his honesty, though he could not help but wonder what the whistle the woman had awarded him with was for. Surely he would find out further in the story. That was if Belle actually finished the story. Just when Lumiere had become absorbed in the story he found it abruptly cut short. A look of alarm appeared on his face.

“Non, non! It is not boring at all.” Lumiere replied in place of the beast. He hopped closer to Belle and looked up at her eagerly. “Please, mademoiselle, you must continue the story. I wish to know what happens to the boy.” It was not until that point did the servant realize he had wrongly spoken out. Not only that, but completely revealed himself. He quickly covered his mouth to prevent further outburst, his gaze slowly turning up to the beast.

Belle gasped in surprise at the sudden liveliness of the candelabra she had just inspected a little while ago. Eyes wide, her hand hovering over her mouth, she was quiet for a fraction of a second before bursting out, "I knew it! I knew you were the talking candlestick I spoke to on the network! But you were so still, I thought perhaps I'd been mistaken, and...oh, but this is just amazing!" She reached down and picked Lumiere up to her eye level. "Monsieur, why have you been hiding all this time?" She turned to look at Beast, eyebrows raised. "Do you know each other?"

The candelabra moved, and spoke, and Beast's ears flattened. He moved to quickly cover Lumiere's mouth, but Belle was too quick to reach for him.

"Lumiere...!" What was Beast supposed to do now?! He hadn't told Belle anything about what had happened with all the servants, she didn't have any idea! He couldn't tell her what had happened with the Enchantress all that time ago, what would she think?

"Belle, I...I meant to..." His voice trailed off, he couldn't find the words. There were no words, nothing could express the turmoil that was suddenly whirling around in Beast's thoughts. "Lumiere...is one of my servants. I was here alone...until he came."

Well now he’d done it. If Belle hadn’t figured out the enchantment before she certainly had now. He smiled sheepishly, quite aware of the trouble he had caused by his little outburst. However, he could not help but feel amused by Belle’s excitement. And he could not blame her. After all, it was not every day one met a talking candlestick. Lumiere repressed his urge to laugh and instead opened his mouth to answer the girl’s questions. But before he had the chance he found himself in her hold and met face to face with her once again. The sudden change only fazed him momentarily, for the prince picked him up rather often as well, but it had more than enough time for Belle’s attention to travel elsewhere. Shifting slightly in her grasp, he followed her gaze to the beast, equally as curious to hear his response to her question as she was.

As expected, Beast stumbled over his words, unsure how to respond. But what he had left out Lumiere was sure to fill in, offering the girl a warm and friendly smile. “Oui, mademoiselle, you would be right.” He admitted. “I am the very same. I apologize for not speaking sooner; I did not wish to frighten you. Although I see I have done quite the opposite.” Lumiere gave a small chuckle at this. “I have known the Master for many years now and continue to serve as maître d' of the castle. Without your assistance with what I believe is called a journal, I would have never found him. For that, I cannot begin to thank you enough. Merci beaucoup, mon chérie.”

Belle was far too curious about the magic animated a candlestick to be upset at any deception on Beast's part. She looked between them, bemused. The difference in personality between the shy and awkward Beast and the smooth-talking, charming Lumiere was striking. "Oh...well, you're welcome, Lumiere!" she finally said, smiling slightly as she set him down on the picnic blanket. "I've never seen magic like this before." She turned her head to grin at Beast, her hands clasped in her lap. "Are all your servants enchanted objects like Lumiere?"

Edited 2010-08-25 17:28 (UTC)

"...You helped Lumiere find me?" Why would she have...? But this was Belle. He didn't need to ask, he already knew how kind she was. He looked at the picnic blanket for a moment, imagining what it would be like to be around her more often, or even if she was living with him in the castle. That brought a smile to his face.

Until Belle asked him about the other servants. "...Yes." He didn't want to admit it, but it was true...and if he didn't, Lumiere would answer anyway. She was excited, though, so maybe...if he didn't say everything about it, would she still think it was so special? "Everyone in the castle, except for me...was enchanted just like Lumiere." Even with his hope for Belle's enthusiasm, Beast couldn't look her in the eye as he said it. She could see, right in front of her, what had happened to him. There was no way to hide what the monstrous form he'd been given, and it was clear who was to blame for the enchantment.

“En effet!” Lumiere confirmed with a nod. “Without her I would have never learned how to operate the device. Well, not as easily… But she is quite knowledgeable.” The Master could have easily stood to learn a thing or two from her, even though Lumiere had not the courage to admit to this at that particular moment. At least, not verbally. Thus far she had brought out a side of the Master he had not seen in, well, a very long time. And even then, it had been on very rare occasions. He looked forward to seeing what the future had in store, especially when it brought hope of the spell finally being lifted, returning them all to their rightful human form again.

“By the look in your eyes alone, mademoiselle, I believe the castle would be of great interest to you." the candelabra spoke up. "If it were possible, we would be greatly honoured to have you as our guest. I am afraid we have not had visitors in quite some time. To have a new face, especially as lovely as yours, would be most gratifying. But I digress. If there is anything I can do to be of service to you, please do not hesitate to ask.”

The idea that Lumiere had actually been a human before he was a candle hadn't even stuck Belle before Beast mentioned it. She watched him carefully as Lumiere spoke, noting the sullen guilt in his posture. She had no idea what was going through his head, but whatever it was, he was obviously not pleased by this turn of events. She finally tore her gaze away from him to look down at Lumiere, smiling absently.

"Oh...yes. I'd like that very much, Lumiere. Thank you!" He was undoubtedly charming and a smooth talker, but not in the slimy way some of the men in her village had been. She felt at ease around him, which at the moment, was something she was grateful for, as Beast's presence always left her feeling like she was walking on thin ice.

Her smile faded, worry and concern in her honey-colored eyes as she leaned down towards Lumiere. "Were you really human before?" she asked softly.

His smile fell shortly after Belle’s, a look of complete shock on his face upon hearing her question. “Human?” Lumiere repeated, his voice cracking from nervousness. Oh, how greatly he longed to be human again. The thought alone made his heart soar. To have legs, to have hair… The candelabra could have easily found himself wrapped up in the thought all day. However, he did his best to push it aside, quickly clearing his throat before he continued. “Why, I-ah… Who ever said anything about being human?” His eyes shifted briefly from Belle to the beast, hoping that the Master would at least have something to say. He did not want to lie to the girl but he did not wish to trouble her either. Lumiere searched for something to say, anything that could steer their conversation away from the subject at hand.

“And what of the youngest son?” he asked, suddenly reminded of the story she had begun. “Have you forgotten your story, mademoiselle? It would be rude of me to tell you mine when you have yet to finish yours. Please, do continue. I am eager to hear more.”

If she were to continue, hopefully by the end of the story she would long have forgotten her question.

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The Way to a Man's Heart [Completed]

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