mes études

[beheld_beauty]

Belle studies magic.

It's tricky. Getting into and out of her rose-sphere is routine after a few days, but she still hasn't uncovered an explanation of how channeling works, though she's been informed that there are three options for how to do it (by herself, through a willing helper, or through an unwilling helper). Unlike the fourfold options for reaching the Dreamworld, this does not tell her how to begin fumbling towards a practical understanding, even though she can rule out the last one just on the basis of its description.

Beast can only do so a tiny bit of reading per day, and her pile of books that she can read shrinks much faster than his. She combs the library for multilingual dictionaries, so she can pick her way through the titles of the foreign-language books and at least prioritize them before handing them over.

Finally something in an obscure language that even Beast can barely read - Belle has to look up a lot of words - explains the channeling in a way she can understand.

Comments

[deslandes]

"Then do," he says cheerfully.

[beheld_beauty]

"It's gonna be worse than the last spell I cast," she warns, but when he doesn't produce a last-minute objection, she relaxes into her mindscape, and composes the now-familiar spell, and sends it through the front door of his castle-mind.

[deslandes]

The Beast wriggles happily in his chair, and when Belle opens her eyes into the real world again—

He's still there, tall and fluffy and catlike. Nothing about her perception of the real world has changed.

But... behind him, or beside him, somehow existing in exactly the same place while being simultaneously and mutually visible, there is the image of a man with a familiar face, smiling a familiar smile. He is somewhat older than seventeen, but still not yet into his prime, let alone past it. The two images move together, the Beast in physical reality and the man in the reality of true essence.

Neither image is wearing any clothing. And unlike his Beast-form, his man-form needs it.

[beheld_beauty]

Belle shuts her eyes again. "You should probably start wearing clothes. I didn't think of that."

[deslandes]

...He laughs.

"Where am I going to get them?"

[beheld_beauty]

"Does the castle not offer you clothes? It might if you ask. It does me."

[deslandes]

"Are there clothes that would fit this body?" he says. "And it would be so uncomfortable..."

He observes Belle with her eyes closed.

"I'll go ask," he decides.

[beheld_beauty]

"Thanks," Belle says, wrinkling her nose.

[deslandes]

Off he goes, presumably to find and supplicate a wardrobe.



When he returns, he's wearing clothes.

Well.

One of him is.

And both of him look terribly uncomfortable.

[beheld_beauty]

She opens one eye, then closes it again. "Never mind," she says. "It doesn't carry over to the human trueshape, it would seem."

[deslandes]

There is a sound of tearing cloth.

"Never doing that again, then," he says.

And: "...Sorry."

[beheld_beauty]

"I'm just feeling very silly right now for not having thought of it. Of course there's no particular reason your true shape should include or be affected by clothes."

[deslandes]

"Does it make a difference?" he asks. "To... you?"

[beheld_beauty]

"I'm not accustomed to being around naked people."

[deslandes]

"You've been around a naked man for a month now," he points out. "Just a very fluffy one."

[beheld_beauty]

"Yes, I know. The fluff makes a difference. Your human form does not have it."

[deslandes]

"Sorry," he says again.

[beheld_beauty]

"It's hardly your fault." She holds a book up so it blinkers her on that side, and resumes reading.

[deslandes]

"...If you're not going to look at me anyway, are you going to keep the spell?"

[beheld_beauty]

"Well, I could look at you if you stood partly behind something," she points out.

[deslandes]

He drags his chair around to the other side of the table.

[beheld_beauty]

Belle opens her eyes again. "There we go," she says.

[deslandes]

He grins.

[beheld_beauty]

"You really do have a nice smile," she says, and she returns to studying.

[deslandes]

...Well, now he's grinning even more.