"Crazy" Beauty and the "Hunter" Beast

[sugaronthecream]

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a cruel Prince lived in a shining castle surrounded by rich hunting lands.
Although he had everything his heart desired, the Prince was paranoid, selfish, and cruel.

But then, one winter's night, an old beggar-woman came to the castle, and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold.

None know for sure what happened that night. Some say the Prince turned her away for her appearance, and others claim he attempted to harm her... the beggar-woman melted away her disguise to reveal a beautiful Enchantress.

As punishment for his loveless heart and vicious cruelty, the Enchantress transformed him into a hideous Beast, and placed a powerful spell on the castle, and all who lived there.

Ashamed of his monstrous form, the Beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his 30th year. If he could learn to love another, and earn their love in return, by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.

As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a Beast?

Comments

[youknowwhothisis]

"A strange little man with stranger ideas. Losing sweet Lily surely cracked his mind."

"I don't know what his late wife, gods rest her soul, ever saw in him."

"His daughter seems to be falling right in step with him. Don't they know there's no point in a young lady reading when she has better things to focus on??"

"What a strange, strange man. Not a week goes by before something explodes in that cellar. He'll cause the whole damned village to collapse one of these days."

Lucifer was not a very popular man. His adult daughter, so bright, funny and with the voice of an angel, always saw the bright side of things, but he just knew that he was likely dragging her down. The eligible bachelors and bachelorettes quietly side-eyed her when she thought she didn't notice- to take her hand meant being related to the village crackpot.

But Lucifer put on a smile, and finished loading the last of his newest contraption into the cart, alongside small toys and gadgets he knew he could sell for extra coin. He hugged his daughter, fussed over her, but bid her farewell. He would be gone for just a fortnight, peddling his wares and hopefully selling his newest idea to an investor. If he could sell the concept, his name would be restored. Just once, something Lucifer Morningstar made wouldn't be the pipe dream of some crazed idiot who kept blowing up his cellar and talking of dreams. I mean, flying machines, for one... why did he seek to defy the gods by letting humans take to the sky like birds?

"Let me bring you something back! Anything you like."

"Aw, Dad... but I don't want anything! Just come back home safe. That's what I want. Good luck, okay?"

One last hug, and Lucifer mounted trusty Gershwin, the big draft horse who dutifully pulled the cart each year, or helped in their modest fields. With the click of his tongue and a nudge, off they went. He waved farewell as he went on his way, until he was completely out of sight of the cottage, his small family, and the only home he'd known.


---


He'd taken this route for years. But this year, after a time, the twists just weren't twisting. The turns felt foreign. Something was... strange. Something was wrong. Even Gershwin's ears were swiveling, steps nervous.

"Yeah... sorry, buddy. I don't know where the road went, either." Sure, he was talking to his horse, but who else was there to speak with? And he loved his big buddy. When he spied a path that looked less like certain doom, Lucifer dismounted and seized the reins.

Gershwin planted his hooves and gave a short, unsure keen.

"Hey. Hey... it's alright. I'm right here with you. C'mon... have I ever steered you wrong?" He offered a smile and took it one step at a time. Slowly, the dutiful horse fell in step, relying solely on his handler for that security.

At least his horse was his friend.

They traveled for a time along the foggy road, Lucifer soothing poor Gershwin after every odd sound until they stepped at a massive gate.

"Huh. Someone lives out here...?" Yet he sighed. "Thank the gods. Maybe the master of the place lives here and can give us some directions."

He pushed open the gate and eased the horse and cart inside, passing through an unusually breathtaking, well-kept rose garden. It was... not the season for roses, was it? Yet these seemed to be thriving.

If the garden wasn't enough of an eye-grabber, the castle, oh... this beautiful castle. Lucifer gaped up at it, but he furrowed a brow. An entire castle was here, but... for how long? How had he never heard of this place. But he shook his head, and bid Gershwin to stay in the courtyard.

He hopped up the steps, light on his feet, and was about to bang on the door when he noticed it was a little loose, and it was dark within.

...

Maybe he was crazy. But he was also desperate. He used his shoulder to push open the heavy door and slip inside. It's fine- he just needed to ask something real fast, and he would be out of this person's hair.

If. ...If people still lived here, anyway.

"...Hello...?" He called. He shut the door behind him, not wanting to be rude.

"I... don't know castle etiquette, but... if anyone's home, I could use a little help."

[sugaronthecream]

The castle was uncomfortably cool inside, and dark. The halls were massively tall, but the floors looked swept and clean, and there were candlabras around and about, unlit...

Lucifer's voice echoed off of the massive stone walls, making the space feel even more lonesome and uncomfortably large.

A raspy voice spoke when the stranger wandered in deeper, seemingly from the bar.

"You'll turn around and get out of here if you know what's good for you," the raspy voice warned.

[youknowwhothisis]

He jumped at the voice, gaze scattering as he fought to figure out who was talking to him. Everything about this place shrieked 'you should not be here'. It was vast, and it was... lonely.

Who could live in such a big building like this anyway? He'd go nuts from the emptiness.

"I'm sorry, but I'm lost. I don't even know where I'd go. The route, it... I don't know, it- it changed... if I could just get a bearing on where I am, then I can be on my way. I swear it."

[sugaronthecream]

The voice grumbled, and from behind the bar, the liquor hutch moved.

It twisted and stomped out, a face uncurling from the decorative knots in the wood - all to glower and scowl at the intruder.

"There's a path in and a path out, just don't get caught on a deer trail."

[youknowwhothisis]

uuuUUUUHHHH that's a talking hutch. That's a TALKING HUTCH-

Lucifer leaped back, hands up defensively. Whatever advice he gave was definitely in one ear and out the other.

"Wh-what the Hell are you!?"

[sugaronthecream]

Yeah, yeah, get it out of your system. Husk kept clomping out from behind the bar, and more furniture slowly started shifting about.

Including, of course, a little feather duster scurrying to Lucifer's feet and fluttering up his legs. "A guess?? A new man?? Is he a baaaad boy??"

"Don't crawl on him, Niff."

[youknowwhothisis]

The crawling made him flinch and he looked down, hollering as a feather duster or something was climbing him. NOT HAVING A GOOD TIME, GUYS!!

"AAAHH!! AAAHH!! Am I losing it!? Did I fall asleep!? This is a dream, I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming-"

[sugaronthecream]

"Come on, panic towards the front door before--"

"Before what, my good man?"

The new voice reverberated off the walls like it was spoken in a concert hall. The feather duster seemed to scurry off of Lucifer, and the hutch just grumbled - all while lights suddenly illuminated the whole hall and revealed a dazzling and lovely hall... save for portraits slashed to ribbons by what looked like impossibly large claws.

"We have a guest, and you're shooing him out? For shame, Husker! Serve the man a drink," the voice chattered fondly, from whatever corner he was still hidden in.

[youknowwhothisis]

He was left frazzled, short of breath and clutching his chest over his rapidly-beating heart as the duster scrambled off of him.

Now some new nightmare had decided to rear its head, voices coming from all around.

"Haunted... haunted castle dream... not real... not a real place..." Did he fall asleep on Gershwin, or nap in the cart? He was dreaming, surely. His eyes closed and he focused on breathing.

He'll wake up soon and find out where he was. He'll be back on the trail to the Fair... or wake up in his own bed...

[sugaronthecream]

"Why look so glum, pal?" That mysterious voice chuckled, cackled even, before it disappeared. Suddenly, a pair of clawed hands grasped Lucifer's shoulders, keeping him from turning.

"Life's far too short to have such a gruesome expression. Smile, friend! You're never fully dressed without one."

In another corner of the room, a group of various instruments started up, playing a charming tune and bringing a little more life to the space. Not that it did much about the massive clawed hands resting on Lucifer's tiny shoulders.

[youknowwhothisis]

Was it possible to leap out of your skin more than once? Because this all felt real. Too real. Why was he here again? Where was...

Charlie... Gershwin... the... the Fair, it-

With how small he was, he slowly tipped his head back, enough to see who it was that had him by the shoulders.

His blood froze.

[sugaronthecream]

It was a massive creature behind him, dressed elegantly in shocking red tailored to MONSTROUS proportions. The tall creature was smirking inhumanly, sharp bear trap teeth contrasting red hart hair and antlers.

With a chuckle, a pair of claws pinched at Lucifer's cheeks before forcing a smile on his face.

"Hah! There we go, much better. Now, where did you come from, little fellow? How did you find the castle? Come to gawk at or slay the terrible beast?"

[youknowwhothisis]

His cheeks were pinched and it seemed to bring him back to reality. The fight or flight filled Lucifer's heart as he sunk low and darted a few steps away, whirling to face the beast.

"I don't- I don't know...!" He slowly circled, moving toward the door but never letting his eyes leave the creature. Getting lost again was looking more and more like the better alternative than lingering here to be food or... or something.

"I got lost, the routes were... different... somehow. I found this place and thought to get directions but I clearly... ah... miscalculated..."

Setting the Stage

[sugaronthecream]

Dinner was served, the furniture was scurrying about and making things more presentable for their guest, and most important of all - a warning was given.

Do not go to the west wing of the castle. "You don't need a reason. Just obey."

That wing didn't appear on its surface to be particularly special - portraits lined on the walls, armor and hunting trophies, antler chandeliers all the same leading into the east wing. The feather-duster from earlier zipped from fluttering ahead down the east wing to clinging onto their esteemed guest - at least until he was finally set up in a private room, which had a large bed with fresh blankets and a crackling fire going to make sure the room didn't get too chilled in the night.

Come morning, the castle's gloomy darkness is at least alleviated by the sun coming through the windows - save for the west wing, again, where the curtains were left not drawn. No one should be down there, after all.

The rest of the castle was thankfully tidied up, presentable, and breakfast offered - Alastor didn't join for breakfast, but that's quite alright. He's enjoying tea outside, his massive cervine beastly form somehow relaxed and reclined in a chair far too small with one leg crossed over the other as he sipped and read from a book. The grounds in the back of the castle where he was relaxing were sprawling, a large meadow-like field filled with wildflowers and plants with overgrown hedges staving off the forest proper, even if only by a hair at this point.

[youknowwhothisis]

The warning was spoken in such a way, with no room for discussion, that Lucifer had to quirk a brow. But he nodded, and kept that in mind. He was just a guest, after all.

So after an unusually restful sleep, despite being somewhere so unfamiliar, the inventor was set to begin his first tests come the morning. He enjoyed breakfast, even if it was alone, but was relieved when it turned out the big guy was just enjoying himself outside.

He couldn't blame the guy. If he had a place like this, he'd be out in his gardens all the time. The castle still had a way of feeling... lonely.

He brought out what he'd worked on so far, taken apart for easy transport, but now he had to clasp and cinch things together, hammer and bolt. He never liked using parts made of metal here and there as it would just add weight, and every ounce, he felt, counted. At least now, anyway.

But with a sigh, he noticed something was missing. With a click of his tongue, he made his first steps to walk around the castle grounds and ask the Prince, but... maybe the guy preferred his solitude.

That's fine. He'll just look for what he needed himself!

Lucifer moved at a clip once he stepped back into the castle proper. He checked the kitchens, the parlors, any drawer he could open for something he could use as a substitute, but... nothing. Damn it.

It was in his absent-mindedness that he'd stepped out of the well-lit parts of the castle and into those all but drowning in shadow. He'll just be quick, and then get on to maybe working without what he'd needed. But surely there was something he could use just to tie this part and that part together, remain strong for at least one test before he saw to seriously fixing it.

A chill ran up his back. Just for a second. I'll be fast. I'll be brief. He moved at a jog, pushing down the nerves.

[sugaronthecream]

Since he'd been looking around, the more sapient staff had volunteered to check deeper in the castle cellars and the locked away places for what Lucifer needed, though there already seemed to be some uncertainty that they'd find what he needed. Or really, much understanding of what he was describing in the first place.

That's how, naturally, Lucifer found himself unattended in the West wing. The further down the halls one went, the more damage was visible: scratch marks raked deep into the stone, curtains with gashes and cuts from clawed hands yanking too hard, armor that was placed back up showing clear dents and deep holes gouged with wicked claws. Each and every portrait on the wall had faces all torn out, especially those of a young prince - all of the faces save for one of the queens, the one holding her little one on her knee, eyes tired but visibly full of sharp wit.

Rooms in this wing were sparse - a bathing room with a tub clogged with coarse fur, a room empty of everything but a piano, and so on, all of which lacked what Lucifer was looking for.

The final room to enter was guarded only by a door that barely stood on its hinges, and while it had been locked, the damage to the frame let the door swing open anyway. Inside was what must have been the Prince's room, hosting a massive bed, rungs of clothes, and... a single rose, glowing and suspended midair, protected only by a glass case.

[youknowwhothisis]

Never had he been able to work with others in his passion, so shouting jargon at them for what he needed was definitely not a great help. But they seemed to understand what he wanted, he thought, as they set off to go look.

The destruction caught his eye. The sheer size of the claw marks, the intensity of the dents had him wondering just what happened on the days they were made. It was clear who'd made them, but... what would make him so angry?

But the portraits, all torn, faceless save for one had him clutching both hands close to his chest, shoulders hunched. No, not anger... something else entirely.

It's fine. He'll just forget everything he saw, find what he needed and go. Better to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

He reached the final room, the last place he hadn't checked. After so many empty drawers and nothing but dust and shed hair, he stepped inside and felt his heart leap into his throat.

The Prince's room. It had to be. Alright, buddy... you HAVE to have what I'm looking for.

He cast a brief look over his shoulder before he made a brief sweep through, careful not to move anything out of place. But, damn it, why didn't he just DOUBLE CHECK everything before he left? He knew precisely where his own personal stock was in his workshop back home, but so many miles away, there was little use longing for it...

...?

A flower. A rose. What was this doing here? Among all the mess, this general area was... untouched. Pristine. But how was it doing that? What made it glow, made it... float?

Before he could think more on where he was, the inventor's curiosity was getting the better of him. He lifted the glass case, delicate in setting it aside. He swept a hand beneath it, hoping to brush against some sort of fine stand it perhaps sat in, but it moved through air. Hands propped on the table, he leaned to look it over. It was protected by the glass, so it had some sort of importance, some sort of value. Was this something Alastor made...?

[sugaronthecream]

The rose remained still, petals only slightly fluttering in the faint breeze of Lucifer's movements. There was a dusty writing underneath, half faded, even after being under the protection of the glass. But before the paper could be taken and unfolded, a massive clawed hand reached around Lucifer and quickly - but extremely carefully - plucked the glass case from where Lucifer had placed it and returned it over the rose.

The Beast himself started growling, towering over Lucifer and drowning him in shadow. Those eyes... they were darker, but somehow glowed fiercer, those teeth were sharper, and blood from an angrily bitten lip was dripping freely from Alastor's maw, making him look absolutely animalistic.

"Lucifer."

Alastor's voice was growling with venom, with rage, and every part of his already distorted body looked even longer, sharper, broader--

[youknowwhothisis]

He needed to give the prince props, then! But what was the purpose of this crea-

The hairs rose on the back of his neck. His chest swiftly tightened. A hand reached into his peripheral and covered the precious bloom. He felt his breath snatched from him, battling in his throat for supremacy over a pounding heart that threatened to lodge there.

The shadow devoured any light that flowed in from the doorway out to the balcony. This creature seemed to grow, and the smaller man drew back, understanding completely how every rabbit must have felt when facing death itself.

"...I'm sorry." His voice sounded hollow in his ears, distant. Every nerve in him screamed to flee.

"I'm so sorry. I... I-I was... I was looking for- for something, and I couldn't find it anywhere, and this place is so big that I got- got lost, and..."

Shut up. He needed to learn to shut up.

He was going to die today. Wasn't he?

[sugaronthecream]

"GOT LOST? YOU LITTLE WRETCH."

With a single stomp, Alastor had managed to slide between the rose and Lucifer, otherwise looming threateningly over the cowering man and inching those razor-sharp teeth closer with every furious, spat word.

"YOU THINK I'M A FOOL? DO YOU THINK I AM SOMEONE YOU CAN JUST DISRESPECT? GET OUT."

[youknowwhothisis]

Okay. Okay, he didn't get lost. He didn't intend any harm and didn't want to bother the prince for something so... so small and stupid.

Damn it all. Curse him. Why was he such a fool?

"I'm sorry! I'm- I didn't mean any harm...!"

He inched closer and Lucifer shrank back, even smaller than he could possibly be. But he couldn't deny that this was disrespectful. He had one rule, and he'd broken it. If the prince could just calm down, stop being so fucking terrifying he could explain himself without sounding like a gibbering idiot.

But two words- Get out- were all his nerves needed before he turned and moved as fast as his legs could carry him.

No more. He couldn't be here anymore! He needed to get home, call the whole thing a wash, never speak of any of this again. Charlie didn't have anyone else...!

It was in a blind panic that he grabbed his coat and hat. It was in a blind panic that he all but stumbled out the doors, down the steps, raced to find Gershwin. Who knew how close behind the furious prince would be at his heels if he slowed down or felt foolish enough and dared to look back?

[sugaronthecream]

The instinct to flee was perfectly rational - there were massive sounds of crashing and shattering wooden furniture, a hefty chest thrown at the wall after Lucifer was out of the room, a cacophony of elk bugling and SCREAMING rage.

But Lucifer does get out. He does get to his horse, and out into the woods. And almost as if the land itself burned with its master's rage, thick, dark clouds roiled overhead and started to rumble, threatening a thunderstorm and darkening the trees and the paths within...

[youknowwhothisis]

The crashing, the animal sounds, the heavy WHUMP of something that very likely could have killed him was more than enough incentive to be as far away from this awful place as possible.

He mounted Gershwin and urged him to the gates, leaving his project behind. He could always make another one, but there would never be another Gershwin, and there couldn't just be another Lucifer.

The way the heavens above seemed to growl, turn to something like filthy mist, scent the air with unspent energy told him that he'd chosen the best time to flee. Hopefully, under the cover of the trees, he didn't have to risk any harm from some unfortunate luck involving any lightning.

But something was very wrong, very quickly: The paths, they... wait, they were being strange again. He knew there was something funny about this place, but he wondered if this was perhaps the prince beginning a hunt. But rather than sporting prey for sustenance, he'd decided he would rescind his 'Get out' and would make a game out of catching and killing him.

His heart was in his throat again. "Gershwin, buddy, this is a matter of life and death. I'll give you anything you want if we get out of here in anything close to one piece...!"

Because the alternative was to become food. But the trees almost seemed to shift before their eyes. His horse shrieked in surprise and needed to skid to a stop and change course, just as confused as his rider.

With the air was ominous as it was, there was no way of working out where north, south, east nor west was. What if he was running in circles? Lucifer desperately listened between Gershwin's panting breaths and thundering hoofbeats for anything that would alert him to the furious prince.

He wasn't entirely off-base, however: His alternative was to become food... just not by the prince.

For many paws were soon on the move, beginning something of a pincer formation that led to so many successful hunts of countless prey.

[sugaronthecream]

The wolves know the twisting trees, the way the land shifts with its master's mood - they have also known for years how to hunt only when that Beast doesn't hunt, and right now? He's nowhere to be seen or smelled, left behind in the castle still fuming and tearing apart the lifeless stone and wood. Instead before them is a magnificent feast, a mighty horse and its panicked rider.

They just have to pull off the hunt.

The wolves make their move, surrounding the horse and rider quickly, circling in tight and making a show of a threat. The skies crashing loudly with lightning and thunder only heighten the stakes.

[youknowwhothisis]

He saw the flash of movement and took the reins, the panic rolling off of his horse. He'd never dealt with such creatures before- every road he'd ever taken was pretty smooth save for the occasional fox or a coyote he had to shoo away- but never animals that knew these cursed woods.

Gershwin stopped sharply, churning up soil and muck. They tried turning left, but there were more eyes. Right, more eyes. Any direction Lucifer looked seemed to have a wolf just yards away.

"You're bigger and stronger, buddy... we can run 'em down!" That's all it'd take. If he could just get him to run, those hooves can handle whoever was in the way. But this poor horse, scared out of his wits, could only turn in place, blowing and snorting.

"Gersh...? Gersh, I'm right here. I'm right here. Easy, buddy- they're just... just really big dog-!" But the horse reared, overcome, and Lucifer flew off into a heap. With a cough and a gasp, the air was snatched from his lungs, and at first he writhed on the ground. He pawed around him before he rolled on to his stomach, shook his head, and reached for a fallen tree branch.

Fine... fine, he can just shoo these jerks away!