ma bête

[beheld_beauty]

Beast seems to be sleeping in a bit this morning. Perhaps he has had a good dream. Belle can study on her own, anyway.

Comments

[beheld_beauty]

"Maybe. I've been focused so intently on disenchantments I hardly know what else I might be able to do one day."

[deslandes]

"We have time to figure it out. I won't go sleeping around the country until we're sure it won't come back to bite you."

[beheld_beauty]

"All right. Thank you."

[deslandes]

He just grins.

[beheld_beauty]

"What do you usually dream about, if it's not that?" Belle asks idly, after a few moments more of page-turning and note-taking.

[deslandes]

"...I don't know," he says. "Other things. After all the time I've been here... there's a sense of this place in everything, you see. And there was nothing like this castle in that dream at all."

[beheld_beauty]

"I dream about places I've never been all the time," murmurs Belle. "It must have gotten very tiresome not to be able to escape the castle even sleeping."

[deslandes]

"I hardly remember what it was like to dream of anything else."

[beheld_beauty]

"Well," says Belle, "now you have. I wonder if it will happen again."

[deslandes]

"I'd like that."

[beheld_beauty]

Belle reads on for many hours. And finally she says, "I need some air. Want to come with me for a walk and see how far the forest will let us get?"

[deslandes]

He perks up. "Yes!"

[beheld_beauty]

Up she gets, out they go.

Belle sets a sedate pace. Any attempt at a brisk walk, let alone a jog or a run, will see her faceplanting in the deep litter on the ground of the forest, but she can keep her feet if she's careful and goes slowly.

[deslandes]

"It's never let me get even this far before," he says. "That was why I broke the gate."

[beheld_beauty]

"It'll turn us around inside of a few minutes, maybe sooner, but I can usually get that far," Belle says.

[deslandes]

"I love you," says the Beast.

[beheld_beauty]

Belle laughs. "This is an odd time to mention it, why just then?"

[deslandes]

"It's not odd at all, why is it odd?"

[beheld_beauty]

"It's not - topical. Is it?"

[deslandes]

"The castle lets you out. The castle let me out, with you."

[beheld_beauty]

"...And?"

[deslandes]

"...And I love you."

[beheld_beauty]

"I don't see how the things are related," laughs Belle.

[deslandes]

"Well, I don't know how to explain," snorts the Beast.

[beheld_beauty]

"All right then."

Stroll-stroll-stroll, there's the castle again, turn, stroll-stroll-there is a strange glow in that direction, a strange crackling sound -