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]

"It's not just you," he says.

[beheld_beauty]

"Here's hoping that's the only trick up its sleeve." She slides out of his lap. "Maybe it'll give me a longer dress now. And then I can just keep it on until I'm satisfied that's the last time the castle pulls this." She runs up to her room to check.

[deslandes]

There is indeed a selection of warmer dresses available.

[beheld_beauty]

Excellent. She changes out of her three summery ones and comes back downstairs in a nice burgundy number, ankle- and wrist-length. And she sets about reading. "I'm sorry if any of how I reacted to that was - rude, or callous, or something," she says.

[deslandes]

"...What do you mean?"

[beheld_beauty]

"I resented having to snuggle you," she points out. "I wasn't being subtle about it. Some people would take that personally, even though it had everything to do with the having to, not particularly the you."

[deslandes]

"I resented having to snuggle you too," he says. "Even though I liked it. Actually, especially because I liked it."

[beheld_beauty]

"...Especially?"

[deslandes]

"There are few things worse than being forced to do something I would have wanted to do anyway," he says, "and one of them is when someone else is being forced to help."

[beheld_beauty]

"If I have to be forced to do things I'd just as soon they be things I'm in favor of doing. If someone powerful commanded me to - say - study magic, that's my cue to see if they'll help me accomplish that more efficiently, not resent them for it. But I hear you about the someone-else-being-forced-to-help part."

[deslandes]

"Mm," he rumbles. "Being forced to do something I don't want to do is another of the worse things."

[beheld_beauty]

"Fair enough," she says with a surprised laugh.

[deslandes]

He snorts softly.

[beheld_beauty]

Study study study study. Quiet absent singing.

[deslandes]

After a little while, he gets out of his chair and curls up on the floor at her feet.

[beheld_beauty]

"...Is that comfortable?" she asks, curious.

[deslandes]

"Yes."

[beheld_beauty]

"Huh. Okay."

Study study study study oh there's a furry thing there pet pet oh wait that's not actually just a cat but if she stops now she might have to explain how she forgot that he was a person pet pet.

[deslandes]

Purr!

[beheld_beauty]

This is one heck of a mane. Inches deep. She can put her hand in halfway up her forearm to scritch his scalp. Might as well, at this point.

[deslandes]

Ooh, he liiikes that. Purr purr purr.

[beheld_beauty]

She goes right on doing it. She only needs one hand to turn pages.

[deslandes]

And the Beast goes right on purring, curling up closer until his head rests in her lap.

[beheld_beauty]

She makes no objection.

She reads. She takes notes.

And she gets to a paragraph that makes her idly scritching hand stop where it is.

"...Er," she says. "How bad was that time limit again?"

[deslandes]

"...I don't know exactly," he says. "A few years. Probably more. Maybe less."