Hello!

You walked outside where the offerings were piled up in a cart for you to carry up the mountain. It's a half a day's journey to get to the top of the mountain, so you start your journey as the sun is just peaking over the horizon.

The journey up was a pleasant one. The air was clean and the path up to the mountain was smooth and clear to follow.

You couldn't help feel nervous as you reach the top of the mountain. What was the god like? Would he talk to you? What would you say to him? What if he didn't like the offerings? Would he be mad at you?

You get to the entrance of the home of the god.

It was bigger than you imagined...much bigger...

Your nerves only grow as you walk inside. You look around in awe. Everything was fit for a god. Paintings and furniture towered over you. You walk up to a pair of giant double-doors.

You knock three times, like you were instructed to do.

"Enter."

The doors open by themselves, shocking you. You straighten your back and keep your gaze lowered.

Not before taking a peek at the god in front of you.

He was larger than you thought. At least five times your height. Dark hair and eyes that seem to glow like the sun itself. He looked like a sculpture...

A very unamused sculpture. The god looked absolutely bored.

But in order to keep your head on your shoulders, you keep your thoughts to yourself. You take a deep breath and start walking towards him, just like you were told to do.

You feel his gaze on you as you approach him. Your stomach twists and jumps, but you keep your outward facade neutral.

"Here you are, my Lord," you say, your voice surprisingly unwavering, "The village prepared the best we could to please you."

The god sighed as he watched you approach. He was getting tired of seeing humans trembling beneath him. "What is your name, little one?"

You tell him your name, head bowed in reverence.

"Look up. I hate groveling."

You look up, surprised to see the god looking at you with such intensity that it makes your knees tremble. You couldn't help but stare back at him. It was hard not to look at him.

"You are new." he said, crossing his arms.

"Yes, my Lord. It is an honor to-"

"Please none of that. I've dealt with enough ass kissing to last me eons..."

You blink up in surprise. "O-oh...um...sorry...I-I'm just a bit nervous... I've never met a god before."

He smirks, "Is that so? Well, little one? What do you think? Do I meet your expectations?"

You nod once, still not imagining that this is happening. You are talking with a God. "Y-yes my Lord- I mean I didn't have any expecations--I didn't mean that! I uh.."

Booming laughter fills your ears. You are surprised when the god leans down to take a better look at you. "You are surely different."

Your eyes widen, "Th-thank you..."

The Beast's eyes drifted to the small woman and frowns.

She was still curled up by the fireplace, her white dress stained red with both his and her blood. Her hair was a mess and her arm had a sizable bruise on it. She was completely spent and was sleeping peacefully on the floor.

The Beast slowly gets up from his chair, growling in pain.

"M-Master, wait! You need to rest."

"Quiet Cogsworth," he snaps, causing the clock to promptly shut up. He slowly walks toward the sleeping woman, studying her. He kneels to the ground, doing his best to suppress his pained growl.

How could something so small and fragile, do something so grand?

He was huge compared to her. She basically bandaged a house-sized monster by herself.

He reached out to her but stopped before he actually touched her.

Why...why was he hesitating?

Was he...was he scared? Of what? What about this small woman was making him hesitate? He easily picked her up before.

What changed?

Was it the fact that she did something for him?

She willingly tended to his wounds. He never forced her or yelled at her.

He stayed like that for a bit. Claws extended towards her, but not touching her, contemplating what he should do.

It was Belle that moved first. She rolled to her other side, whimpering as her body screamed at her to stop moving.

He flinched, pulling his claws back and holding his breath.

Belle stilled once again, still in a deep sleep.

The Beast slowly moved towards her once again, reaching out and gently brushing her hair out of her face.

He scooped up the sleeping woman, cupping his hands around her and slowly lifting her up off the hard ground. He held his breath as he stood up and brought her to his face.

She was beautiful.

Never before had he seen such a graceful, peaceful beauty.

It was as if he was actually seeing her for the first time.

He was stunned by the human in his hands.

The Beast slowly started walking, subconsciously cupping the woman to his chest.

He didn't expect her to lean into him, nor did he expect him to enjoy the feeling.

What was happening?

"Cogworth," he called softly.

"Yes, Master?"

"Have Mrs. Potts prepare the East Wing."

"The East Wing, sir?"

He nodded gruffly, "For the human."

Cogsworth looked up at his master in surprise, "O-oh, o-of course Master! Right away!" The old clock quickly hobbled away, barking orders at the castle, which seemed happy to follow its Master's orders.

The Beast took his time walking to the East Wing, his gaze never really leaving the small woman in his hands.

He was walking slowly in order to give the castle time to prepare...yes...that's why he was walking slowly.

You scurried through the walls, watching everything with fascination. Then you saw something that really caught your eye.

A walking, talking candelabra, hopping around and chatting with an annoyed talking clock.

"Cogsworth!" the candelabra said, smacking him on the back, "We need to do something for ze master! Let's brighten his day!"

The clock, Cogsworth pinched what seemed to be the bridge of his nose, "He said to NOT be disturbed, don't you remember? Or has all that wax finally reached your ears?"

The flames seemed to die down, showing the candelabra's disappointment, "You are no fun. There is nothing to do in zis blasted castle!"

"Then find something to do, you insufferable fire hazard!" Cogsworth said, hopping away, "Something safe, Lumiere!"

You watched from the safety of the wall as Lumiere paced back and forth, muttering curses at the enchanted clock. As you watched him, your fatigue of traveling so far finally caught up with you. You were relatively safe as you sank to the floor, exhausted.

You woke up with a start, disorientated and completely in the dark.

The dark scared you.

Anything could be hiding in the shadows, ready to pounce at any moment.

You stood up, blindly searching for any source of light. You bump into walls and trip over holes in the carpets. Frustrated tears well up in your eyes as you get up, brushing yourself off.

And then... you see it.

A warm, welcoming light in the distance.

You craved the comfort light gives you.

But the light started to go away, causing you to scurry after it. "W-wait!"

The light stopped and you continue to run toward it, only to realize that you were running toward a feisty candelabra that towered over you.

Lumiere turned around to see a small being running towards him, "Allo there, little one!"

Your feet plastered themselves to the ground as you immediately regret your actions.

Lumiere hops toward you, shaking you to your core. He bends down to get a better look at you, "You're new here, no?"

You take a step back, completely overwhelmed by what's happening. You trip and fall to the ground with a started cry.

He takes another hop toward you, inspecting you with curious eyes

You could feel the heat from his flames against your face as you tremble below him, "P-please don't hurt me!"

"Hurt you?" he says, frowning, "Oh no no no! Zat is completely out of ze question! I would never hurt a guest here!"

"Guest?" you repeat, still scared but now slightly confused.

"Oui! You are our guest! Come! Let us get you more comfortable!" he extends his arm? Candle? Toward you, fire extinguished to help you stand up.

You cautiously grab it and stand up, knees still trembling, "Wh-where are you taking me?"

"To ze kitchen! Every guest needs to be well fed, no? Come!" he starts to hop away, much too fast for your little legs.

You start running after him, "W-wait! Please!"

You were alone in the darkness once again in the middle of a dark enchanted castle where everything is alive.

This is quite a lot for you to handle.

You fell to the floor, your head buried in your hands as you cry, "P-please come back. I'm scared."

Your ears buzzed as you sob into your hands. The world around you faded to nothing. You missed the light.

There was a comforting warmth around you. The warmth was followed by a light.

"Allo? Little friend?" a familiar voice said.

You look up to see Lumiere on his...stomach?... at eye level with you. His eyes laced with worry as he looks at you.

"What is wrong, hm?" he asks softly.

"You left me," you hiccupped, wiping your eyes.

"Apologies, little friend. I got too excited." he stand upright with a grunt, extending his arm, "Climb on mon ami, I will not leave you again."

You slowly stand up and cautiously climb onto his arm. You sit with your feet dangling and held onto him.

"Ready?"

"Y-yes."

"Alright zen! Here we go!" he says before hopping to the kitchen.

The ride was as bumpy as you thought it would be, and it's definitely not your first choice of travel, but it was better than being left behind again.

Lumiere burst into the kitchen, hopping up on the table. "Come, everyone! Let us make our guest feel welcome here!"

You slide off him and watch as the kitchen comes to life. You most watched the strange candelabra dance around the kitchen, happy to be serving someone again.

Though the dark and dreary castle was not your first pick of living space, you had a feeling that you would fit right in with the oddness.

As long as your new friend was willing to give his little friend a little light.

It was the worst day when you discovered that there are more creatures like him. And they were even more curious than the original.

The biggest one terrifies you.

He carried a long stick that sounded like thunder.

It killed things with ease.

You decided to call the big one Thunder-Stick. The smaller male was Shiny Eyes and the female one was The Female.

They all were too curious for your taste.

But they had food...

You like food.

You spent days stalking their odd-shaped caves, learning their patterns and habits.

You didn't want to get trapped in their sack of food.

Nor did you want to hear Thunder-Stick's footsteps get louder.

Your stomach turned as the world around you move.

He picked up the sack.

You couldn't help the squeak come out of your mouth.

"What do we have here?" a voice boomed around you, "Another varmit?"

Your world got turned upside down as something grabbed your leg and pulled you out of the sack.

You scratched at the hand that grabbed you, survival instincts kicking in.

A warm hand wrapped around you, trapping your arms to your side.

The color drained from your face as you were eye to eye with Thunder-Stick.

He looked...delighted to see you.

You went from being in his hand to being in a hard, invisible hut.

He put you in a glass jar.

You hit the smooth clear walls around you, scared and confused.

He looked at you with greedy eyes, "Looks like we don't even need the gorillas. I've found a little gold mine right here!"

You didn't know what those noises meant, but you doubt it was good.

Maybe if you tried to repeat the noises, he'd leave you alone.

"Right here! Right here!" you shouted, hoping you didn't just seal your death sentence.

Thunder-Stick froze, looking at you with wide eyes. "Did you just speak?"

"Did you just speak?" you mimicked. You had no idea if this was working, but you weren't dead yet, so this may work out in your favor.

He looked at you with an evil grin. "Speak."

"Speak."

You really just wanted to get out of this weird cave thing.

He put you on a tall flat log, smiling wide. "Wait right here, little gold mine."

"Gold mine?" you say, tilting your head in confusion.

He was walking away, leaving you all alone.

You pounded against the glass yelling the sounds he said. "Speak! Mine! You! Gold! Gold! Right here!"

Frustrated tears formed in your eyes as you sink to the floor.

You only wanted some food... not to be trapped and make weird noises to giant creatures with loud sticks.

You don't know how long you were alone in a clear prison, but Thunder-Stick stormed into the odd cave and grabbed you.

He put you in a large wooden chest and shut it, leaving you in darkness.

You banged against the glass, screaming to get out.

A loud bang silenced you.

There was now a hole in the wooden chest.

He almost shot you...

You tremble in fear as you curl into yourself. You didn't dare make another sound.

Even your sobs were silent.

The world around you went quiet, too quiet.

You hear rustling after a while. Some odd sounds and clicks echoed through your ears.

It was the Female. She was communicating with someone.

Maybe she would help you!

"Gold?" you said nervously, "Speak! You! Right here!"

You squinted as light flooded your vision. You cover your eyes and curl up, immediately regretting your decision.

The world around you moved and you refused to uncover your eyes.

"What on Earth?" the Female said.

You then hear a noise that made your stomach drop. Why? Out of all the creatures in this damn jungle was he there.

Why was the hairless gorilla there?

You peek from between your fingers and your stomach turns. Both the hairless gorilla and the Female were staring at you.

"Oh, you poor thing! What on Earth was Clayton thinking, putting such a fragile creature in a jar?"

She takes the lid off the jar and gently takes you out.

Only for the hairless gorilla to snatch you from her hand with a tight grip.

You scream and flail in his grasp. You fruitlessly punch on his fingers, not enjoying this at all.

The Female makes some more noises in a calm soft tone, but the hairless gorilla ignored her and ran out of the cloth caves with you still in his hand.

You still try to escape him, not wanting to be in this situation at all.

He runs away from the cloth caves, the Female chasing after him. He runs deeper into the jungle and starts to climb a tall sturdy tree. He flops down on a thick branch.

To your surprise, he put you down.

He bent down to your eye level, looking at you with those big curious blue eyes. He pushes you with his finger, causing you to stumble and fall back with a pained cry.

You stagger back until your back hits the trunk of the tree. You were confused, hungry, and scared.

The hairless gorilla places a pile of nuts and seeds in front of you before climbing back down the tree.

You weren't going to let good food go to waste, and you were certainly not going back to that awful cloth cave hell.

He purposely sat next to the human section and ordered his drink, occasionally stealing glances her way.

She paid him no mind as she ordered another drink. She pulled out her wallet to pay.

"Allow me," he offered, taking his card out.

She turned to him with a small smile, "Thanks."

"Xavier," he introduced himself.

"Delilah," she said with a small nod of the head.

"Pretty name for a pretty face," he complimented.

She smiled politely, "Same for you. It's a strong name. A strong name for a strong man."

He smirked at this little woman. "I could be your stong man if you wanted."

Delilah raised an eyebrow, seeming confused, "If I need anything lifted, I'll let you know."

"How will you get to me? I don't have your number."

She pulled her phone out and walked to him, not really putting any thought behind her actions. "I'll put it in, if you'd like."

His smile widened, loving her forwardness, and pulled out his phone.

The phone was almost as tall as the woman.

She gave him her number, thinking nothing of it. "So what brings you here tonight?" she asked

He rested his head on his hand, looking down at the small beauty. "Looking for a lovely time, hopefully with a lovely woman," he purrs.

She nods in acknowledgment and scans the bar, looking for a pretty woman. "How about that one?" she said, pointing out a lovely giantess on the other side of the bar.

This caught him off guard.

Did she...did she just reject him?! But she just gave him her number...

He took a second to go back to his flirtatious self. "She pretty, but I meant someone different. Someone who I can hold close and make mine."

She hummed in thought, not really seeing any potential suitors. "Well I hope you find her."

She brushed him off again?! Was she really not that interested? Did she give her number out of pity?

He coughed awkwardly, "I prefer my partner to be much shorter than me."

She nods in understanding and turns toward the human section of the bar, basically turning her back to him. She scans the humans, frowning as she couldn't find anyone that she think would fit the bill.

"Hmmm I-I don't know..." she says scratching the back of her head. She grabs her purse, sliding her phone into it.

He leans down, getting closer to her eye level.

He finally figured her out...she was denser than a wet brick.

"I am interested in you. I'd like to take you home or on a date," he says straightforwardly.

"Me?" she looks down at herself, confused at this giant's taste in people. "You sure? You want to go on a date with me? Why?"

He shrugs, smiling down at the blushing woman, "Why not? You've piqued my interest."

"You have very confusing tastes," she murmurs.

"What do you say?" he says extending his hand, "May I take you on a date?"

An object was thrown in Belle's direction, making glass shatter around her. She yelped in terror and scrambled up the bookcase.

"Leave me alone!" she cried.

A deafening roar echoed through the room, making Belle cover her ears and scream. She put all her effort into getting to the open window.

With a final burst of energy, she leaped out the window, not thinking about what was to come after.

Belle's stomach dropped as she fell. She closed her eyes.

Dying seemed like a better option than being a pet.

Wrapping her arms around her, Belle braced for impact. Tears fell from her eyes as she accepted her fate.

Instead of hitting the hard ground, Belle found herself in a large pile of hay.

The room was right above the stables.

Belle rolled off the pile of hay and onto the muddy ground. She took a while to catch her breath, panting on her hands and knees.

"I-I'm alive..." she wheezed. Her heart couldn't take the excitement.

But she needed to keep moving. Who knows how long it would take for the Beast to find Belle again?

With a final deep breath, Belle shakily stood up and looked around. The muddy ground slowly became flowing grass. She could see trees on the horizon.

Freedom was in those trees.

Belle wasted no time in running towards the tree line. She needed to get out of there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Beast hurled shards of glass against the wall in fury.

How dare she disobey him?! He was the master of the castle! No one dared disobey him.

He stormed to his study and grabbed the magic mirror. "Show me the girl," he snarled.

Like before, the mirror swirled a glowing green before showing the little woman.

He saw her roll off of the haystack and onto the ground. The Beast gripped the mirror harder as he saw her running towards the trees.

What infuriated him more was the fact that the castle let her run away.

What was so special about her that the curse didn't affect her?!

His blood boiled at the injustice.

All he did was watch her as she ran into the woods. Her white dress contrasted the dark greens and browns of the earth around her.

The sun was slowly getting closer to the horizon.

She cradled her injured arm as she passed by the first of many trees. Her chest heaved as she leaned against the tree in exhaustion.

The Beast watched in amusement. He knew she was far from home, and it was only a matter of time before she came back to the castle.

To his surprise, she continued forward.

The Sun was setting quickly, slowly leaving the small woman in the darkness.

"This will be fun to watch."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Belle did her best to keep herself strong. The forest grew scarier as it got darker. The welcoming trees turned sinister in Belle's eyes.

Her blood ran cold as she heard a howl in the distance.

Wolves were a common danger in the woods, but giant wolves were an even bigger threat. They were more aggressive and territorial than regular wolves.

Belle knew if she stumbled upon their territory, her last moments would come sooner than she'd like.

She did her best to stay along the base of the trees, only running from one tree to another.

The moon blessed her with its glowing light.

A deep growl made her freeze in her place.

It was right behind her.

Belle turned around, shaking terribly.

Two pairs of glowing yellow eyes stared at the small woman. Two wolves slowly stalked towards her. Their fangs shone in the moonlight, making Belle press herself against the tree.

Belle looked for a way out of this situation. The fear sank into her bones as she found none.

She shrieked in terror as one of the wolves pounced. She ducked down and ran as fast as she could.

The wolf slammed into the tree with a yelp and a snarl.

Belle refused to look behind her as she ran as fast as she could. Her chest heaved and her arm was in a lot of pain.

She didn't want to die, not like this...

Belle yelped in fear as a wolf jumped in front of her. The second wolf was behind her, completely surrounding her.

Her hands trembled in fear as she stared death in the face.

A roar echoed through the air.

Both Belle and the wolves looked towards the source of the noise.

Running towards them at full speed was the Beast. His claw and fangs were out as he snarled at the wolves.

The wolves snarled back, forgetting about the human they were hunting.

Belle took this opportunity to run to the closet tree.

The Beast lunged towards the wolves. He sank his fangs into one of the wolf's shoulders.

It was a gruesome fight. Two wolves against one giant beast. Both sides were tearing into each other, trying to get the upper hand.

The Beast was ferocious as he threw the wolves off of him. With a final roar, he won the battle. The wolves whimpered as they ran away with their tails between their legs.

The Beast looked around for the small woman. He was tired and bleeding from the fight. He found her pressed up and shivering against a tree.

Belle's eyes widened as he trudged up to her. "N-no," she whimpered as she pressed herself harder against the tree, "S-stay back."

The Beast fell to the ground, clearly in pain. "Trust me, little one," he heaved, "If I wanted you dead, I would've let the wolves eat you." With that, the Beast closed his eyes. His breathing was labored as he fell asleep on the ground.

Belle waited a few moments before peeling herself from the tree. She cautiously stepped towards the Beast. She bit her lip as she noticed the wounds on his arms and shoulder.

The Beast...saved her?

Why?

He was cruel to her. He didn't care if he hurt her.

Then why did he save her?!

A groan of pain took Belle out of her thoughts. She needed to help him.

But how?! It's not like she could pick him up and take him back.

She looked around for something, anything to help her. Without giving much thought, she ripped a good portion of her skirt and put it on his shoulder wound since it was the deepest.

Red stained her dress as she tried to keep pressure on some of the wounds.

"H-help," she called into the woods, "Please help me."

The trees around her seemed to come alive at her plea. An odd warmth wrapped around both her and the Beast.

"Please," she said again, "He needs to get back to his castle. I-I can't do it on my own."

A strong wind rushed around both of them. It became so strong that Belle was swept off her feet. The wind slowly lifted the Beast off the ground as well.

The wind began to carry both Belle and the Beast through the forest. It took them to the doors of the castle, which opened by themselves, and dropped them by the great fireplace in the main hall.

The fireplace lit itself and the castle seemed to come to life.

"Please," Belle said to the castle, "He needs clean water and bandages."

It didn't take long for the requested items to appear before her.

Taking a deep breath, Belle began to clean and bandage the unconscious Beast before her.

It was a long and hard process, but thankfully the Beast slept through it all. The castle also helped in moving him around and providing supplies when Belle asked for them.

By the time she was finished, Belle was filthy and exhausted. She looked at her handiwork and nodded. "Now we're even."

“You will learn to like it,” the Beast said as he patted her head, causing Belle to whimper.

“I just want to go home,” Belle whispered to herself.

The Beast’s ears flicked, his sensitive hearing picking up what she said. “I would recommend you get those thoughts out of your head,” he warned, “There is no escape from this place, not unless you do not value your life.”

The stubborn side of Belle wanted to prove him wrong. Wanted to march right out those giant castle doors and walk home to her Papa.

There wasn’t much stopping her. Only a giant animalistic monster who needs to stop touching her and an entire living castle. 

Fantastic...

She wouldn’t let this deter her. She needed to escape.

Tonight. 

For now, she’ll play along, do what the Beast wants. Then she’ll bolt the first chance she gets.

She wiped her eyes and looked up at the Beast, who still continued to pet her hair. “Y-you’re right,” she said softly, “I’m sorry.”

The Beast smiled down at his little human. The quicker she learned to accept this life, the better for the both of them. He was going to make her the light of this hellhole. 

He wrapped his hand around her small frame, enjoying the powerful feeling he got when she wriggled in his hand. “Do not struggle, I would hate for you to fall.” His grip tightened slightly, “Wouldn’t want you to break something.”

Belle froze in his hand, not wanting to be squeezed any more. The dull ache in her arm still remained and the pressure was not helping. 

The Beast stood up and walked out of his study and into the long and winding hallways. 

“Wh-where are we going?” Belle asked nervously.

“The kitchens,” the Beasy replied, “A little morsel like you needs to eat; as do I.”

At the sound of food, Belle’s stomach clenched and growled painfully. She looked down and bit her lip. 

The Beast only smirked as he strode into the kitchen. He sat at the large table and distributed the small women on the table. “Food. Now.”

The room seem to come alive. The ovens turned on and they seemed eager to follow his command.

Belle watched in awe as the ovend made food from nothing. 

“Ah! Master!” a familiar voice said, “I was just looking for you!”

Belle turned around to see the giant candlestick hop towards them. She took a fearful step back as the candlestick bent down to her level. “Bonjour, little one,” he greeted, “How are you fairing in zis place?”

“I-I’m okay,” Belle replied shyly.

“What do you want, Lumière?” the Beast growled.

Lumière put his focus back to the Beast. “I wanted to apologize for last night, Master,” he said as he bowed. “I just wanted our guest to feel welcome here.”

“You are forgiven,” the Beast said with a wave of his hand, “But the next time you disobey an order, I will have you locked in a cupboard for a month, understand?”

“Yes, Master,” Lumière as he bowed again, “Thank you.”

“Now go, and tell Mrs. Potts to come here at once.”

“Right away, Master!” Lumière said as he bounced away. 

Belle watched Lumière go out the door, not noticing the giant plate of food being set rightbehind her. 

“Little one,” the Beast called, “Come and eat.”

Belle took a step backward and tripped over the plate’s rim. She fell backward into the food with a startled cry.

The Beast chuckled and pinched Belle’s sides. Her dress was soiled and stained and bits of food were in her hair and stuck to her skin. 

“Well this certainly was not part of the menu,” he said with a smirk. He lifted her above his head, “But I’m not complaining.”

Belle paled and struggled in his grasp. “Wh-what are you doing?” she said nervously.

“Enjoying my meal.”