#batb headcanons

Not entirely my theory but the servants don’t age as they’re objects, but since the Beast is a Beast he does? But that also opens new things to think about but—

Yess!!! I will admit I don't have thoughts about most of them (because they're so one-note it actually hurts (this is a Chandeliera callout)), I cannot resist my library boys.

Webster was the only child of a servant couple working for a wealthy Englishman. He's been phenomenally gifted since a young age, learning to read and write quite early, and the gentleman took a great interest in him. He was offered an unusually advanced education and the opportunity to travel Europe for others to see his talents, treated more like a carnival attraction than a prodigy. Once he was a young adult with more agency, Webster quickly retired from public attention to become the head librarian at the castle (a position that was quite easy to get with his reputation). He doesn't resent his parents for the choice they made—they could never have provided him with the same opportunities—but that doesn't change how hard it still is for him to socialize or have a healthy work-life balance or understand his own feelings half the time. He's happy though, settled at the castle. This job allows him to indulge his own interests: studying linguistics, chess, and falling head over heels for his coworkers. More simply, Webster is autistic, a hyperpolyglot, omnisexual, and in a polyamorous relationship with LePlume and Crane. He's the oldest of the three and the voice of reason (or at least he tries to be), but he can be a bit dense when the former is trying to flirt with him.

LePlume is a professional calligrapher, working at the castle about as long as Webster has been even though he's a bit younger. He helps Crane with replicating their books and other important records, sometimes even writing letters or decrees on Adam's behalf simply because he has much nicer, more professional-looking handwriting. Outside of work though, LePlume is an absolute rascal and not afraid to show it. He's a serial flirt, despite his bad history with partners cheating on him, and he can be a bit... jealous because of it. Outside of his own love life, though LePlume loves to meddle in other people's drama. He gives godawful advice, usually when no one has asked for it too. No one knows how much of it he actually believes, versus how much he's purposefully suggesting terrible ideas for his own amusement when it inevitably turns to chaos. He's always been prone to nose bleeds, but after the curse, his blood always looks black.

A backstory waffle. OKAY, let’s establish a few dates. Let’s assume BATB takes place in the year 1750. Let’s also assume Lumiere, or Lucien, was 38 years old when he was cursed, and remained 38 for a decade following up to the events of the film. This means that his birth year is 1712. His mother, who started having children very early, had three sets of twins totaling six children in total. His fraternal twin sister was also born in 1712, the two middle children were born in 1732 (18 years old in 1750) and the two youngest were born in 1734. This lands Lumiere being 22 years old when his youngest sister is born. Now that that’s out of the way…✨TRAUMA✨ The fact that Lumiere’s transformed into a candlestick is symbolic. When thinking about personalities as elements, you would associate someone with a fiery personality as quite charismatic, energetic, expressive, and excel at commanding others to action. “They may love talking and socializing. They don't like to be alone and they seek out the admiration and attention of others.” So this is pretty much a good overview of Lumiere’s personality. The negative qualities associated with an excess of fire in the personality include mood swings, restlessness, and manipulative behavior.

Furthermore, candles and candlelight carry HEAPS of symbolism. Candles radiate messages of romance, passion, security, warmth, hope, spirituality, mystery. “Candles indeed are a burning example that the whole is more than sum of its parts – be they just a little wax and wick as they are. No matter how thick the darkness, the light of one candle conquers it. No matter how solitary one flame is, it is never alone or lonely for its light knows no boundaries and touches eternity.” It’s also worth noting that the candle is often associated with sacrifice, since a candle’s flame grows brighter to light the path, burning itself in turn. I think I just want fire to be more present in Lum’s life because I’m gay. So he’s from a noble family, but aren’t all that wealthy. They’re nobles in title only, but he had a rather comfortable childhood with his mother and sister. 

she’s the light of her parents life, and i mean that both in the light-as-a-feather and light-as-in-oh-shit-she’s-just-burst-into-fucking-flames-oh-sweet-jesus senses

she likes watching her papa’s dinnertime performances, hearing him sigh with complete satisfaction, as a canon filled with glitter goes off over the table and the princess screams “lumiere can we never have our grilled cheese sandwiches served NORMALLY”

she asks if she can hold the platters to make!! the spOTLIGHTS!!!!!!!!

lumiere knew being a father would be thrilling but he never expected this

the spotlights are so wobbly that night it’s essentially a  r a v e but who gives a shit

Plumette carries her around the palace, and phoenix LOVES watching her beautiful maman dust the chandeliers by floating up to them. her eyes fill with the reflection of crystal and glass, and Plumette swears her daughter shimmers like a ray of sunshine

one day phoenix, on a walk through the woods with her papa, sees a scary set of eyes flickering in the shadow of a raspberry bush. She’s about to say something but then she realizes the sandwiches in their picnic basket have magically quadrupled so?????

Adam: wow i've finally discovered the truth... you just married me for my body.

Rewatching the ‘17 BATB and just realized - isn’t it a little weird that Belle asks for a rose from the market each year instead of like...another book? Girl’s only got like 6 to choose from as it is. (I see the sentimental value in the flower, but let’s be real.) So instead of taking a rose from the prince’s garden we’ll say Maurice, in one way or another, winds up in the castle library scrambling to pick her out a book before heading home. Poor man hasn’t a clue where anything is, or which to choose for that matter.

Enter Beast. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” he roars.

Maurice of course pales, now in the Beast’s clutches, several volumes slipping from his arms. “I-I…I was lost in the woods!” he stammers.

“More like lost in the periodicals,” the master huffs, dropping the man to the floor and turning to face the unshelved piles of books behind him. “What a mess.”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“Ridiculous,” the Beast grumbles, scooping up an armful of texts and carefully placing them back where they belong. For unlike in our original scenario, the prince is so distraught at the state of his library he can barely acknowledge the intruder’s presence until all is set right.

“I didn’t…I didn’t realize anyone still read them…” Maurice tries to explain, wringing his hands together and wondering how very awful it will feel to be eaten alive. “My daughter…she loves to read. But we barely have a dozen volumes, and I promised her another from the market, but…” He trails off, squeezing his eyes shut and awaiting his fate.

“Hmm,” the Beast says indifferently, sliding another history into its proper slot. Peasants.

“To read is the most wonderful gift, my love.”

The master takes pause, a distant memory flooding his thoughts. A memory of a mother with golden hair reading to him by candlelight. He sighs.

“What sorts of books does she like, then?” he asks in defeat, setting the rest aside and plodding towards the eastern balcony.

“O-oh, well…” Maurice straightens himself somewhat, for it seems the monster had abandoned any ideas of eating him for the moment. He follows with trepidation, watching in some perplexity as the great Beast turns to examine a nearby title. Maurice wrinkles his brow in thought. “What was that last one Belle spoke of? Somewhere in Italy. A Romeo and…and a Julia, perhaps?”

The Beast freezes, then looks back at him sharply. “Oh, no. No. We cannot have that.”

Soon enough, Maurice is sent off with a dozen new volumes and strict chastisement to pay greater heed to the utter rubbish with which he’s allowed his daughter to fill her head.

Of course when Belle gets word of a library in the woods she will not rest until she’s seen it with her own eyes. “I must return his books, Papa,” she says, though both know she has no intention of returning them without retrieving more.

Thus, Belle and Maurice return. Perhaps one visit becomes many, or perhaps just one very extended stay. Either way, Belle and our prince meet, fight over Shakespeare…fall in love, break the spell. Boom.