Nouvelles Choses
Oct. 19th, 2016 01:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
katleeptTitle: Nouvelles Choses
Author: Kat Lee
Fandom: Beauty and the Beast with several other Disney characters cameoing
Character/Pairing: Beast/Belle, Ensemble
Rating: G/K
Challenge/Prompt:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
a_war_of_roses: Status Quo Ante Bellum: Back to the Future (If you join, tell them Kat Lee of Team White Roses sent you!)
Warning(s): Real!Disney AU
Word Count: 2,522
Date Written: 16 October 2016
Summary:
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to Disney, not the author, and are used without permission.
He's glad she can't see his tail as he hands her the little box. It's bushy with his nervousness but still refuses to keep wagging with anticipation of when she actually sees his present. He still wars inwardly over rather or not he should have bought it. It's not exactly something for which she asked, but she didn't know it existed nor did he until a few days ago.
He remembers seeing the little, black box topped with tiny mouse ears in the display window on Main Street. He had been scouring the kingdom for new books but had not found any to bring to her when he spied it sitting in the window with a note attached that said it held thousands of books in its small frame. He had rushed inside without hesitation and demanded to know what kind of magic the box held.
The clerk had explained, with surprising patience, that it was not magic at all but that disturbing paradox that conquered this time, technology. They have been in this time for years, but they are still growing accustomed to technology. He still marvels secretly every time he flips a little switch and sees a flameless candle light. He had tried another magical box called a computer once, but although it allowed him to speak to beings literally across the world, he had soon learned that its keys (which were not at all like a piano's keys) did not respond well to his claws.
Each of his subjects had tried their hand at the box, Chip spending the most time on it, until they had all tired of it. Now it simply sat in a corner in a far room in the castle, collecting dust. But the clerk had promised him that this box was not like the first. It was smaller and easier to find things. Grandparents might need a little help learning the box, she had explained, but once they understood how it worked, they would use it every day with enthusiasm. He wouldn't tell Belle what the girl had said about books becoming a thing of the past (explaining why it was so hard to find new volumes in this realm), but he would reassure her that he had already bought a few hours of the girl's time to teach her how to use the machine.
His wife's eyes are glowing with her happiness as she tears into her birthday present. She tosses the colorful wrapping paper to the floor, opens the lid, and stares. Beast begins to itch as she continues to stare. He flexes his claws, determined not to surrender to his nerves, but when minutes stretch by and Belle only continues staring at the box called a . . . Did the girl say it was a Kindle or a candle? He suddenly can't remember.
Nevertheless as she continues staring wide-eyed at her present, Beast's nerves continue to grow until at last he can stand it no longer. "Well?" he prompts eagerly. "Do you like it? Happy Birthday."
He can tell by the expressions passing over her beautiful face that she's still not at all certain what to make of the device, but she lifts it gently from the box and drops the box to the side. Staring at the slim, black box she now holds in her hands, Belle turns it over a couple of times. There's writing on its back but nothing that makes sense to her. Finally looking up at her husband, she asks timidly, "What is it?"
Beast gives in and scratches the itch that's now traveled behind his ear. Perhaps he should switch to his human form, but he'd come running straight from his show to give his beloved her present. There are a great many wonderful things about this time and kingdom to which the giant, talking mouse has brought them, not the least of which is that he and his subjects can now choose rather they want to be their normal selves or appear as they were while cursed. He prefers his human form, but there are certainly bonuses to his beastial appearance. For instance, no one had bothered him when he'd come from the theater in a rush to see Belle. He'd simply jumped over the heads of some kids wanting autographs and been gone.
"It . . . I think she said it is a Kindle."
"What's a Kindle?" Belle frowns. "Is it like a candle? Is this one of those magical lights?"
Still turning the thing over in her hands, Belle finally finds a small button. She presses it and almost drops the tiny box as it buzzes lightly in her hands. Its screen comes to life, and Belle watches through wide, brown eyes as it begins to fill with text and images.
"She said it was like a library inside of it."
"A magical library?" Belle intones, wonderingly. "How can this thing hold books?" She flips it over again. "Where would it put them? It's so small! There's nowhere for it to hold pages, let alone volumes -- " She frowns, turns it once more, and begins to read the screen while still glancing expectantly up at him for answers.
"She said that the books are inside of it. There's supposed to be thousands and thousands of titles inside of it, but they're not contained on pages and within covers. She said they come from pulses of that thing Mickey told us is electricity."
Belle frowns, lines appearing on her pretty, smooth forehead. Beast immediately scratches again. "They use electricity for far too many things in this world," she complains.
"This is our world," he reminds her gently, "only centuries ahead of the time when we were born."
"Yeah," she agrees, still frowning. "The time to which we're accustomed." She misses it sometimes, like today. No one who liked reading would dare diminish a book to such a tiny, plastic object in their time. Books were nicely crafted things with pages whose scent sometimes hinted of another place entirely, the place to which reading their tale would take the reader without ever leaving their home. They weren't hard, plastic things. Their creators took their time and effort into creating the perfect volume for the book.
Still making a face, Belle presses a few of the images on the tiny thing's screen. Pages of text appear, but as she selects a story and tries to read it, the pages scroll by too fast for her eyes to follow. She snatches her finger up, but she's already halfway through the book.
"I'm sorry," Beast murmurs, his massive head lowering humbly. His tail curls between his furry feet. "I should not have bought it, but she said this was the future of reading. I -- I thought by having thousands of new volumes at your disposal -- "
"That I would be pleased," Belle concludes for him, understandingly. She nods her head. "Normally I would, darling, but this thing is not a book." She shudders visibly as she hands him the object, completely repulsed by it. "If this is truly the future of reading, I shudder for this world."
"She says it is," he repeats apologetically. "I'm sorry, my dearest. I will return it to her posthaste and -- "
He stops as Lumiere slides into view out in the hallway beyond their open door. He cocks his head slightly, bushy eyebrows raising to ask why one of his most loyal subjects is interrupting them. Lumiere mouths something that he can not follow, but he understands his rapid hand gestures and brightens immediately. His tail uncurls from his legs. His head lifts, and he smiles at his wife.
He drops the Kindle unceremoniously back into the open box and takes his wife's hand in his mighty but gentle paw. "In the mean time," he speaks encouragingly, "let us explore your other birthday present."
"My other birthday present?" Belle repeats in surprise. She glances back at the box where the Kindle is now thankfully hidden from her view. As her husband tugs her from the room, she's careful not to make another face but fervently hopes that his next surprise is far better and perhaps something she will actually like.
Beast almost runs through his castle, slowing his pace only because he remembers that Belle's human legs can not hope to match his animalistic power. He follows Lumiere to a room in the castle that has stood dormant since they moved to this time. His subject stops before the double doors, turns back to him, winks quickly so that their Princess will not see, and bows low. "Your Majesties," he says, once more giving grand, flourishing gestures with his hands, "it is my pleasure to present you with our favorite Princess' newest library."
The doors are thrown open, and Belle gasps as she sees a vast room filled with not only towering bookcases of books but many people she has come to know in this time. A colorful carpet and a young boy zip over their heads. Colorful shreds of paper that she can only hope have no writing on them are thrown from the ceiling. A monkey dashes across the tops of the bookcases while, at another Princess' beckoning, birds begin to sing a lovely song.
One of her dearest friends, the Princess called Jasmine, approaches, flanked on one side by her husband and the other by her tiger companion. She takes Belle's hands in hers. "Happy Birthday, Belle! I'm sorry we were almost late! We only just learned of the date today!"
They hug, and she answers as she steps back, "It's fine, Jasmine. Thank you so much for coming. Thank you, all." She marvels once more at the rows and rows of books and the people and animals of all kinds crowding her new library. "I suspect you had a hand in putting all of this together?"
"We can't take all the credit." She takes a large book with ancient lettering on its leather covers from her husband, Aladdin, and hands it to Belle. "This is for you. I hope you like it. It's always been one of my favorites."
"I did not order this," Beast mutters behind Belle.
Catching her husband's words, Belle turns from thanking Jasmine and Aladdin to look at him in surprise.
"Well, I did," he admits sheepishly, "but I did not order all of these . . . " He flexes a paw at the room in general. " . . . people to come." And he hadn't thought they'd be able to find so many new books, which was one of the reasons why he had made the mistake of buying the Kindle.
"These people are our friends, sweetheart," Belle says gently, reaching out and taking her paw in her hand again. She squeezes him softly and strokes his fur comfortingly. Beast or Prince, her husband has never liked crowds.
"We are indeed," a squeaky voice calls to them over the roar of other birthday wishes traveling through the crowd. Belle turns, sees Princess Ariel and Queen Cinderella approaching, each carrying another book, and turns again, not because she wishes to ignore her friends but because she knows they are not the one who just spoke to them.
Mickey Mouse himself is walking up to them. "You should have come to me," he squeaks. "I told you we would happily supply any of your needs."
"I did not think you could do so without magic or technology," Beast murmurs, his bushy tail swishing.
"We did do it with magic," Cinderella says, reaching them and handing Belle another new and delightfully hefty volume. "The magic of friendship."
Carefully balancing her next two reads in one arm and holding them protectively close to her chest, Belle again squeezes her husband's hands as she faces their friends. "Thank you," she speaks as her husband rubs an ear that's already aching from Mickey's squeaks with his free hand.
But then he, too, looks at them and smiles while being careful to keep his lips sealed should they see his fangs and run away in fear. He nods. "Thank you." They do see his fangs when he speaks but not a one of them turns away in fright.
"I told you," Mickey adds. "We're like one giant family here. Any time you need something, just tell us. That's part of the reason why I'm here."
"Everybody pitched in," Ariel tells them eagerly. Belle lets go of her husband's hand to collect a third book. She glances at the bright, blue covering and the elaborately curled, gold letters that read, Tales From Under the Sea. "Everybody came, although there wasn't enough room for every one to stay, and every one of us brought you one of our favorite books."
"Or, at least," Cinderella gently corrects, knowing that not every one in her kingdom reads, "a book they believed you would enjoy."
"Oh, I will!" Belle exclaims in delight. She beams at their friends and especially at the rows and rows of books. "I'll enjoy reading all of these!"
Beast looks at his beautiful wife's joyfully glowing face and grins wide. Still, nobody runs from him although there are a couple of deer and smaller animals who keep their distance. "Thank you," he says again, looking pointedly at Mickey.
"Thank you," the mouse squeaks and lowers his voice as Beast grimaces with pain. "Thank you, both, for coming and for being here. You will like it here one day."
Gazing once more at Belle, Beast whispers to his fellow royal, "I believe I already do."
Mickey grins, starts to say something else, but then stops himself, remembering how his naturally squeaky voice hurts his friend's big ears. "Belle, darling," Beast says softly from right behind his glowing wife, "I'm going to go slip into something more comfortable, but I'll be right back."
Belle once more looks around the room. "I'll be here," she tells him, "reading and enjoying the companionship of our new friends."
And friends they are, Beast has to agree, also looking around the room before he makes his departure. Mighty friends. Powerful friends. Strange friends. But friends nonetheless.
Away from the others, he changes into his Princely form, thankful he no longer has to take care of his clothes when turning and that they transform with him. He returns to the new library to find his wife reading and every one listening raptly. The animals, children, and magic carpet who have gathered nearest her do not shy away as he sits down behind her and wraps a loving arm around her slender waist. She keeps reading, every ear held riveted. Adam glances at the carpet and wonders how he hears her as he has no ears, but he, too, is listening raptly, hunched up in eagerness on his tassels.
Adam presses a kiss to his wife's hair. She smiles at him but doesn't stop reading or glowing. He watches her beauty captivate their whole kingdom and listens gladly to one story after another, thinking perhaps they can belong here in this magical Disney kingdom after all.
The End
Author: Kat Lee
Fandom: Beauty and the Beast with several other Disney characters cameoing
Character/Pairing: Beast/Belle, Ensemble
Rating: G/K
Challenge/Prompt:
a_war_of_roses: Status Quo Ante Bellum: Back to the Future (If you join, tell them Kat Lee of Team White Roses sent you!)Warning(s): Real!Disney AU
Word Count: 2,522
Date Written: 16 October 2016
Summary:
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to Disney, not the author, and are used without permission.
He's glad she can't see his tail as he hands her the little box. It's bushy with his nervousness but still refuses to keep wagging with anticipation of when she actually sees his present. He still wars inwardly over rather or not he should have bought it. It's not exactly something for which she asked, but she didn't know it existed nor did he until a few days ago.
He remembers seeing the little, black box topped with tiny mouse ears in the display window on Main Street. He had been scouring the kingdom for new books but had not found any to bring to her when he spied it sitting in the window with a note attached that said it held thousands of books in its small frame. He had rushed inside without hesitation and demanded to know what kind of magic the box held.
The clerk had explained, with surprising patience, that it was not magic at all but that disturbing paradox that conquered this time, technology. They have been in this time for years, but they are still growing accustomed to technology. He still marvels secretly every time he flips a little switch and sees a flameless candle light. He had tried another magical box called a computer once, but although it allowed him to speak to beings literally across the world, he had soon learned that its keys (which were not at all like a piano's keys) did not respond well to his claws.
Each of his subjects had tried their hand at the box, Chip spending the most time on it, until they had all tired of it. Now it simply sat in a corner in a far room in the castle, collecting dust. But the clerk had promised him that this box was not like the first. It was smaller and easier to find things. Grandparents might need a little help learning the box, she had explained, but once they understood how it worked, they would use it every day with enthusiasm. He wouldn't tell Belle what the girl had said about books becoming a thing of the past (explaining why it was so hard to find new volumes in this realm), but he would reassure her that he had already bought a few hours of the girl's time to teach her how to use the machine.
His wife's eyes are glowing with her happiness as she tears into her birthday present. She tosses the colorful wrapping paper to the floor, opens the lid, and stares. Beast begins to itch as she continues to stare. He flexes his claws, determined not to surrender to his nerves, but when minutes stretch by and Belle only continues staring at the box called a . . . Did the girl say it was a Kindle or a candle? He suddenly can't remember.
Nevertheless as she continues staring wide-eyed at her present, Beast's nerves continue to grow until at last he can stand it no longer. "Well?" he prompts eagerly. "Do you like it? Happy Birthday."
He can tell by the expressions passing over her beautiful face that she's still not at all certain what to make of the device, but she lifts it gently from the box and drops the box to the side. Staring at the slim, black box she now holds in her hands, Belle turns it over a couple of times. There's writing on its back but nothing that makes sense to her. Finally looking up at her husband, she asks timidly, "What is it?"
Beast gives in and scratches the itch that's now traveled behind his ear. Perhaps he should switch to his human form, but he'd come running straight from his show to give his beloved her present. There are a great many wonderful things about this time and kingdom to which the giant, talking mouse has brought them, not the least of which is that he and his subjects can now choose rather they want to be their normal selves or appear as they were while cursed. He prefers his human form, but there are certainly bonuses to his beastial appearance. For instance, no one had bothered him when he'd come from the theater in a rush to see Belle. He'd simply jumped over the heads of some kids wanting autographs and been gone.
"It . . . I think she said it is a Kindle."
"What's a Kindle?" Belle frowns. "Is it like a candle? Is this one of those magical lights?"
Still turning the thing over in her hands, Belle finally finds a small button. She presses it and almost drops the tiny box as it buzzes lightly in her hands. Its screen comes to life, and Belle watches through wide, brown eyes as it begins to fill with text and images.
"She said it was like a library inside of it."
"A magical library?" Belle intones, wonderingly. "How can this thing hold books?" She flips it over again. "Where would it put them? It's so small! There's nowhere for it to hold pages, let alone volumes -- " She frowns, turns it once more, and begins to read the screen while still glancing expectantly up at him for answers.
"She said that the books are inside of it. There's supposed to be thousands and thousands of titles inside of it, but they're not contained on pages and within covers. She said they come from pulses of that thing Mickey told us is electricity."
Belle frowns, lines appearing on her pretty, smooth forehead. Beast immediately scratches again. "They use electricity for far too many things in this world," she complains.
"This is our world," he reminds her gently, "only centuries ahead of the time when we were born."
"Yeah," she agrees, still frowning. "The time to which we're accustomed." She misses it sometimes, like today. No one who liked reading would dare diminish a book to such a tiny, plastic object in their time. Books were nicely crafted things with pages whose scent sometimes hinted of another place entirely, the place to which reading their tale would take the reader without ever leaving their home. They weren't hard, plastic things. Their creators took their time and effort into creating the perfect volume for the book.
Still making a face, Belle presses a few of the images on the tiny thing's screen. Pages of text appear, but as she selects a story and tries to read it, the pages scroll by too fast for her eyes to follow. She snatches her finger up, but she's already halfway through the book.
"I'm sorry," Beast murmurs, his massive head lowering humbly. His tail curls between his furry feet. "I should not have bought it, but she said this was the future of reading. I -- I thought by having thousands of new volumes at your disposal -- "
"That I would be pleased," Belle concludes for him, understandingly. She nods her head. "Normally I would, darling, but this thing is not a book." She shudders visibly as she hands him the object, completely repulsed by it. "If this is truly the future of reading, I shudder for this world."
"She says it is," he repeats apologetically. "I'm sorry, my dearest. I will return it to her posthaste and -- "
He stops as Lumiere slides into view out in the hallway beyond their open door. He cocks his head slightly, bushy eyebrows raising to ask why one of his most loyal subjects is interrupting them. Lumiere mouths something that he can not follow, but he understands his rapid hand gestures and brightens immediately. His tail uncurls from his legs. His head lifts, and he smiles at his wife.
He drops the Kindle unceremoniously back into the open box and takes his wife's hand in his mighty but gentle paw. "In the mean time," he speaks encouragingly, "let us explore your other birthday present."
"My other birthday present?" Belle repeats in surprise. She glances back at the box where the Kindle is now thankfully hidden from her view. As her husband tugs her from the room, she's careful not to make another face but fervently hopes that his next surprise is far better and perhaps something she will actually like.
Beast almost runs through his castle, slowing his pace only because he remembers that Belle's human legs can not hope to match his animalistic power. He follows Lumiere to a room in the castle that has stood dormant since they moved to this time. His subject stops before the double doors, turns back to him, winks quickly so that their Princess will not see, and bows low. "Your Majesties," he says, once more giving grand, flourishing gestures with his hands, "it is my pleasure to present you with our favorite Princess' newest library."
The doors are thrown open, and Belle gasps as she sees a vast room filled with not only towering bookcases of books but many people she has come to know in this time. A colorful carpet and a young boy zip over their heads. Colorful shreds of paper that she can only hope have no writing on them are thrown from the ceiling. A monkey dashes across the tops of the bookcases while, at another Princess' beckoning, birds begin to sing a lovely song.
One of her dearest friends, the Princess called Jasmine, approaches, flanked on one side by her husband and the other by her tiger companion. She takes Belle's hands in hers. "Happy Birthday, Belle! I'm sorry we were almost late! We only just learned of the date today!"
They hug, and she answers as she steps back, "It's fine, Jasmine. Thank you so much for coming. Thank you, all." She marvels once more at the rows and rows of books and the people and animals of all kinds crowding her new library. "I suspect you had a hand in putting all of this together?"
"We can't take all the credit." She takes a large book with ancient lettering on its leather covers from her husband, Aladdin, and hands it to Belle. "This is for you. I hope you like it. It's always been one of my favorites."
"I did not order this," Beast mutters behind Belle.
Catching her husband's words, Belle turns from thanking Jasmine and Aladdin to look at him in surprise.
"Well, I did," he admits sheepishly, "but I did not order all of these . . . " He flexes a paw at the room in general. " . . . people to come." And he hadn't thought they'd be able to find so many new books, which was one of the reasons why he had made the mistake of buying the Kindle.
"These people are our friends, sweetheart," Belle says gently, reaching out and taking her paw in her hand again. She squeezes him softly and strokes his fur comfortingly. Beast or Prince, her husband has never liked crowds.
"We are indeed," a squeaky voice calls to them over the roar of other birthday wishes traveling through the crowd. Belle turns, sees Princess Ariel and Queen Cinderella approaching, each carrying another book, and turns again, not because she wishes to ignore her friends but because she knows they are not the one who just spoke to them.
Mickey Mouse himself is walking up to them. "You should have come to me," he squeaks. "I told you we would happily supply any of your needs."
"I did not think you could do so without magic or technology," Beast murmurs, his bushy tail swishing.
"We did do it with magic," Cinderella says, reaching them and handing Belle another new and delightfully hefty volume. "The magic of friendship."
Carefully balancing her next two reads in one arm and holding them protectively close to her chest, Belle again squeezes her husband's hands as she faces their friends. "Thank you," she speaks as her husband rubs an ear that's already aching from Mickey's squeaks with his free hand.
But then he, too, looks at them and smiles while being careful to keep his lips sealed should they see his fangs and run away in fear. He nods. "Thank you." They do see his fangs when he speaks but not a one of them turns away in fright.
"I told you," Mickey adds. "We're like one giant family here. Any time you need something, just tell us. That's part of the reason why I'm here."
"Everybody pitched in," Ariel tells them eagerly. Belle lets go of her husband's hand to collect a third book. She glances at the bright, blue covering and the elaborately curled, gold letters that read, Tales From Under the Sea. "Everybody came, although there wasn't enough room for every one to stay, and every one of us brought you one of our favorite books."
"Or, at least," Cinderella gently corrects, knowing that not every one in her kingdom reads, "a book they believed you would enjoy."
"Oh, I will!" Belle exclaims in delight. She beams at their friends and especially at the rows and rows of books. "I'll enjoy reading all of these!"
Beast looks at his beautiful wife's joyfully glowing face and grins wide. Still, nobody runs from him although there are a couple of deer and smaller animals who keep their distance. "Thank you," he says again, looking pointedly at Mickey.
"Thank you," the mouse squeaks and lowers his voice as Beast grimaces with pain. "Thank you, both, for coming and for being here. You will like it here one day."
Gazing once more at Belle, Beast whispers to his fellow royal, "I believe I already do."
Mickey grins, starts to say something else, but then stops himself, remembering how his naturally squeaky voice hurts his friend's big ears. "Belle, darling," Beast says softly from right behind his glowing wife, "I'm going to go slip into something more comfortable, but I'll be right back."
Belle once more looks around the room. "I'll be here," she tells him, "reading and enjoying the companionship of our new friends."
And friends they are, Beast has to agree, also looking around the room before he makes his departure. Mighty friends. Powerful friends. Strange friends. But friends nonetheless.
Away from the others, he changes into his Princely form, thankful he no longer has to take care of his clothes when turning and that they transform with him. He returns to the new library to find his wife reading and every one listening raptly. The animals, children, and magic carpet who have gathered nearest her do not shy away as he sits down behind her and wraps a loving arm around her slender waist. She keeps reading, every ear held riveted. Adam glances at the carpet and wonders how he hears her as he has no ears, but he, too, is listening raptly, hunched up in eagerness on his tassels.
Adam presses a kiss to his wife's hair. She smiles at him but doesn't stop reading or glowing. He watches her beauty captivate their whole kingdom and listens gladly to one story after another, thinking perhaps they can belong here in this magical Disney kingdom after all.
The End
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2016-10-22 05:45 am (UTC)