Cogs and Claws (re-write) Ch. 4 up

This section is for writing that is completely your own, including the world it is set in

Moderator: Tea House Moderators

User avatar
Phoenixwildfire
MagiStream Donor
Member of The Dark Brotherhood
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 18594
Joined: May 20th, 2009, 11:53:08 pm
Gender: Female
Location: The pot hole of the USA
Contact:

Cogs and Claws (re-write) Ch. 4 up

Post by Phoenixwildfire »

I'm re-writing this for two reasons: 1. I didn't like how the characters were the first time around- they'll be fairly different now. 2. I wanted to base it on a world of my own creation that's steampunk/fantasy instead of umbria. I've found that it gives me more freedom in writing, and in this story I'm going to need it XD

Character Info:

The Beast/Richard Philarn
Spoiler
Image

Beauty/Rosa Taraznoff
Spoiler
(No picture as of yet)

Ch. 1-


“What a fine day for a trip, right?” The older man looked over to his daughter as they drove down the well-trodden road, the steam-driven motor chugging and leaving a trail of vapor behind them.

“Yes, nice and sunny- and hardly any clouds.” The woman in the seat next to him smiled, looking up at the clear sky and shielding her eyes from the sun. “Is the invention secured enough, do you think?” She looked behind her at the latch holding the trailer that held a tarp-covered machine being pulled by their motor car. She peered down at the latch skeptically, not trusting the weak looking connection.

“You worry too much, Rosa.” The man rolled his eyes. “I double checked- unless we go over some really rough terrain, we should be fine. It’ll get to the soldiers in once piece.”

Rosa nodded, turning back around and settling back into place. They were on their way to the fort to hand the new invention over to the soldiers- it was something valuable enough for the war that her father was taking his invention there personally. She didn’t fully understand her father’s babbling when he started trying to explain it to her. Something about electricity and air, somehow burning or stunning people, depending on the setting of the machine. She wished someday that she would know as much about mechanics as her father- but it was generally frowned upon that women should be inventors and covered up to their elbows in oil and grease. She couldn’t get into the university that had trained him, but she could learn on her own- it would just take her quite a bit longer.

She looked up at the forest ahead of them, feeling a bit uneasy about the darkness underneath the thick canopy of the trees- it seemed as if the fresh spring day disappeared within the confines of the forest- it was always night within there.

Her father didn’t hesitate in driving forward, the road leading into the forest and winding through the trees. He drove slower among the branches, looking up as the trees seemed to loom in either side of them and Rosa scooted closer to her father within the seats of the motor car.

“How deep is this forest?” She said uneasily, not wanting to admit the terrible feeling of dread that filled her at the sight of the dark forest on either side of them- it seemed as if the sun was absorbed by the trees so that no light penetrated their branches. Everything smelled of must and moss, filling her nose until she sneezed and moved her bright red hair from her face.

The sound seemed to wake something up near them, the bushes rustling beside her along the road and making her jump in surprise, moving closer to her father. The man just laughed, looking at her in amusement.

“Jumpy, eh lass?” He chuckled, continuing to look forward to drive carefully down the narrow road. “We’re in a motor car- nothing is going to get in here unless we stop.”

Rosa nodded and looked around uneasily, not entirely convinced by her father’s reassuring words. She looked over to see yellow eyes peering at her from the darkness of the trees, a glint of fangs flashing as they passed along the road. She gripped her father’s suit sleeve, pointing toward the eyes and looking at him in panic.

“Just stay calm.” He said, but his voice was hushed as if he didn’t dare make too much noise. She nodded and looked over to the eyes, seeing them disappear among the trees. She let out a small breath of relief but froze when she saw several more pairs of eyes appear, joining the first as they peered at the motor car passing by.

“What are they?” Rosa whispered to her father, who shook his head in a sign that he didn’t know. She didn’t blame him for not wanting to talk- they seemed to be… following them.

He drove the car a bit faster through the forest, a large stone making them bump uncomfortable and lurch in the car, the sound of metal against metal behind them sounding and a chain breaking loose. The car suddenly sped faster before her father stopped it and looked behind him to see the trailer behind them a short distance away, the latch broken from the jostling.

He stared at the trailer in hesitation before looking to the eyes staring at them. He looked to Rosa, whose eyes widened as she realized what he was thinking.

“Don’t- it’s not worth it.” She whispered in terror. He was going to go back and get the trailer- and expose himself to those terrible eyes. The yellow eyes made her shiver with fear as they stared at her, as if waiting… waiting for them to get out of the car.

“I have to- it’s too important.” He said quietly, opening the door of the car and stepping down. He took a pistol from his side, holding it in his hand as he walked back to the trailer and bent down to examine the broken latch. The chain had just come loose- he could grab the trailer and drag it toward the car and reconnect it…

He heard a growl behind him and looked up to see several large wolves walking into what little light streamed through the trees, baring their teeth to him as the fur along their backs bristled with anger. Rosa let out a small keening cry of terror as they circled him, making him hold his gun up defensively, but knew he was terribly outnumbered.

He glanced over to her, giving her a harsh look that she knew meant that she shouldn’t move from her spot. She wanted to help him- to try and defend her father if she could, but he didn’t want her to. She was his only child- and she knew how much he cherished her. So she stayed in place, though she hated every second of it.
She watched as the wolves continued to circle her father, growling menacingly as they watched him, waiting for an opening to attack. They found it soon enough, the wolf behind him leaping up onto his back and biting into his shoulder with strong jaws, a sickly crunch filling the air as bones snapped between the wolf’s fangs. Her father cried out in pain and struggled to get the wolf off him, but his arm was captured by another wolf so that he was brought to the ground. Before the third wolf could attack he brought up his gun to his shoulder, letting lose a blast and causing the wolves to panic into chaos, one of them slumping against him. He fell to the ground, the wolf landing on top of him as he groaned in pain, the dead animal weighing him down as he fought for breath.

Rosa let loose her breath she had held during the fight, ignoring her father’s request and jumping over the side of the door in her ankle-length skirt, running over to him and pushing the wolf off him. She bit her lip uneasily at the deep bite wounds of his arm and shoulders, knowing a wound this bad could easily make him sick and he could die…

The thought of that made a small moan of fear come from her as she cradled him to her, smearing blood along the front of her dress. She looked around as if searching for help, but knew there was nothing here. She would have to bring him somewhere else.

She took off her traveling cape and laid it on the ground beside him, flipping him over from where he had falling face- first on the forest floor. He landed on the cape and she tugged it so that she dragged him along the forest floor, thinking for a moment and running over to grab his gun- just in case- before returning to her duty. She dragged him toward the motor car, looking up at the platform and knew that she couldn’t hoist him up into the car… she couldn’t lift him. Her father was much heavier than she was, and she was already having a hard time dragging him, none the less trying to lift him up into something. Instead she continued to drag him along the trail, hoping that there would be something… anything that could help him.

She looked up at a large gate beside the road, the iron bars creaking in the wind on weak hinges. She nearly sobbed with relief at the sight, dragging her father toward the gates and looking up at the castle on the other side. That was the only way she could describe the large stone mansion that the gate enclosed- a castle. Whoever lived there was either very eccentric or very wealthy- perhaps both.

She didn’t care, though- her father was wounded and needed to rest in some place safe- some place warmer than the chilling night air around them. She finally managed to get to the large oak doors, lifting the large knocker and slamming it against the thick doors so that they rang out with a deep hallow sound inside the castle.

For a moment no one answered- but just before she had decided to try and shove the doors open, one creaked open slowly, as If someone were pulling it for her. She dragged her father inside the large entryway, looking around at the eerie dark décor, dust covering nearly every object in sight. She set her father down and fell to her knees beside him, her arms and legs aching from dragging him for so long. He moaned beside her and opened his eyes to look up to her, smiling wryly.

“I really overdid it this time, peaches.” He said, using his childhood nickname for her. She set her palm against his cheek comfortingly, smiling to him.

“You’ll be fine, pa. Someone has to live here- maybe they can help you.” She said, looking at him for a moment before standing up and looking around the old castle. “Hello?” She said loudly, looking for a sign of anyone around her. “Is anyone here?”

She heard a whispering to her right, turning to see nothing but shadows against the walls. She walked deeper into the entryway, a shadow moving against the wall and making her jump in surprise before it flitted up the stairway.

She watched it move with wide eyes, trying to convince herself that she was just exhausted and that shadows couldn’t move on their own. She was just seeing things, her tired mind making things up.

“Who’s there?” A gruff voice answered her, causing her to shock and run over to where the voice had come from- but the hall was darkened with shadows.

“My father is very hurt- please help him. I’m afraid he-“ Her voice hitched as emotion finally started hitting her at the thought. “He might not make it, please help.”

An uneasy noise came from the man, and he moved forward into the light, revealing a bulky silhouette. “I am cursed- you would not want me to help you if you knew what I was.”

Rosa squinted her eyes to try and see him better, but shook her head. “I wouldn’t care if you were a dancing bear- I just want someone to help my father.”

The man let out a gruff laugh. “Not far off.” He said, moving into the light and revealing a massive body, several feet taller than her, covered in black shaggy fur similar to the wolves’ she had seen earlier. He looked at her with bright yellow eyes, his ears flipped back against his head uneasily.

“There- now you see me for what I am. If you wish to leave, the doors are behind you.” He said, motioning to the large oak doors behind her.

Rosa couldn’t help but stare for a bit, the man looking like a strange mixture of beast and human, his legs shaped more like an animal, but standing on two legs and sporting a broad muscled torso.

“Like I said.” She repeated, looking up to him, but couldn’t help but shaking uneasily at the sight of him. “I don’t care what you are- just help my father.”

The beast looked over to her father, his ears perking at the sight of him. He looked to her thoughtfully for a moment before nodding once and moving past her, walking into the entryway and to her father, kneeling next to him.

“I am going to heal you- stay still, please.” The beast said, looking down at the wounds with a low hiss of pity.

Rosa’s father tensed, his eyes widening in horror at his words. “Sorcerer.” He hissed as if it were a curse, glaring up at him.

“Yes, I’m a sorcerer. I’m also willing to heal you so you’ll live, if you’ll allow me.” The beast said, his tone a bit harsh.

Her father nodded and looked away, obviously not liking it, but giving him permission.

The beast set his large hands on his shoulder, the palm nearly covering the area entirely as he let a blue glow surround his hand, flowing into his shoulder so that the skin patched itself and closed. He moved to his arm and did something similar before moving back with a sigh of exhaustion. “There- you’re healed.” He said, sounding tired.

“Thank you.” The older man looked up to the beast uneasily. “What are you?”

“I was a man- like you.” The beast growled. “But my stupidity cost me dearly. I am forced into this form.”

Rosa’s father nodded in pity and looked over to her. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Rosa said, her voice wavering with relief as her father sat up and moved his shoulder again, as if trying to keep it from being stiff.

The beast stood up, his full height rather intimidating as he moved back from them as Rosa ran over to her father and fell to her knees again, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I was so scared- I thought I had lost you.” She whispered in fear, hugging him tightly.

“It’s harder than that to get rid of me, peaches.” He smiled and patted her back. “Where’s the invention?”

“I left it in the forest.” She said, moving back to see his reaction. His eyes filled with hesitation as he looked at her, and nodded grimly. They both knew he’d have to get it- and risk the wolves again.

“I can keep the wolves from you.” The beast said, making them both jump in surprise that he had spoken. “Either you can allow me to cast a ward on you, or you can take an amulet with you and toss it when you get out of the forest.”

Rosa’s father nodded and he sighed, setting his forehead against Rosa’s shoulder. “I have to go get it. I’ll take the amulet- but on one condition.”

The beast’s ears perked curiously and he nodded, listening.

“You have to keep Rosa here.” Her father said, pointing to her. “Those wolves won’t get a bite of her, but I’m assuming you used a lot of your magic to heal me. Do you have enough for two amulets or wards?”

The beast shook his head slowly, glancing to Rosa uneasily. “I am not used to… company.” He said uneasily in his gruff voice.

“No- I want to come with you!” Rosa protested to her father, looking at him in shock.

“I’m going to war, Rosa. War is no place for a woman- especially a woman like you. I know you feel like you need to be with me- but you need to stay here at least until he has enough magic to be able to send you back home. After that you can just stay at home until I get back.”

Rosa shook her head gently, not wanting to have him leave without her. Not in this place… it was frightening to look at.

“You know I’m right, Rosa.” Her father said gently.

Rosa looked up at him, her green eyes wide until she clenched them in pain and nodded, looking down at the ground. “Yes… you are. Just please, be careful. Don’t get yourself hurt again.”

“I won’t.” Her father stood and wrapped her in a tight embrace. “You’re a tough cookie, my Rosa. You’ll be able to survive this war. If anyone can, you can. Just be good, and try to find some way to occupy yourself.”

Rosa looked over her shoulder at the beast who was watching them, his yellow eyes sad as he examined the exchange between father and daughter. She looked back to her father and nodded. “I’ll do my best.” She whispered.

“You always do.” Her father smiled and leaned down to kiss her cheek gently. “Perhaps this… man, can show you a room?” He looked up to the beast with an uneasy expression, trying to judge him.

“Of course.” The beast nodded and looked over to the stair. “There is one at the end of the hall at the top of the stairs. When you are ready I’ll show you to it.”

Her father seemed satisfied with the answer and nodded, letting his grip go of his daughter before moving to the door. “Now, about that amulet…” he said, looking to the beast expectantly.

The beast nodded and moved forward, taking a stone out of his pocket. He let his blue magic surround it before handing the stone to Rosa’s father. “That will ward you against any predators in your path.”

“Thank you.” He said, looking up at the beast. “Take care of my daughter. You healed me, so I’ll trust you with her for a short time. I’ll be back, and if she’s not here I’ll assume she’s back at home. If she’s not at home either… you’ll have some answering to do.”

The beast nodded, looking rather uneasy for a large wolf-man. It was almost like he was intimidated by the much smaller human. “I’ll take care of her.” He repeated his promise with a determined nod.

Rosa’s father nodded in return and looked back over to his daughter. “I’ll see you later, Rosa.” He said, before exiting the door and closing it behind him.

Rosa watched him go, her shoulders sagging when she saw him leave. Suddenly her exhaustion had caught up with her- and she bit her lip to fight back the tears of frustration and anger she felt at the situation she found herself in. Trapped in a strange castle with a beast-man that she didn’t know past the fact he had agreed to help her father. At least he seemed nice.

“I’ll show you to your room now.” He said, looking down to her. She nodded and followed him up the stairs, led to a large door that opened into an ornate room, obviously decorated for a female that had once lived here- it had since gathered dust like any other part of the castle.

“I’m sorry for the state of the room. The servants will likely take care of it soon.” He wrinkled his nose at the dust within the room.

Rosa nodded and walked into the room, sitting on the bed and nearly sneezing when a small plume of dust rose from her disturbing the sheets. It would be a bad night to sleep in this bed- it was obviously not washed for quite a long time. “I’ll be fine.” She whispered, not really wanting to say anything else to him. She didn’t even know him, yet she had agreed to live with him until… Gods knew how long. Why had she agreed to this?

“We’ll talk about this in the morning. For now, rest. You look as if you’re about to fall over.” The beast said, a twinge of concern in his voice.

Rosa glance dup to him and nodded, looking back at the ground as the door closed. She winced as it shut, and looked around the room, too tired to care about what it looked like. She untied her soft leather boots and kicked them off, sighing as her feet were freed and she readied herself for bed. She pushed back the covers and climbed inside, the inner covers quite comfortable compared to the dusty quilt that lay on top.
She fell asleep quickly, exhaustion taking over her mind so that she seemed to forget everything that had happened… for now.
Last edited by Phoenixwildfire on May 1st, 2012, 1:33:10 pm, edited 11 times in total.
Image
User avatar
SeaCrest
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 8595
Joined: June 12th, 2009, 9:34:16 pm
Gender: Female

Re: Cogs and Claws (re-write) Ch. 1 up

Post by SeaCrest »

Comment.

Nao you must post more. Intersting take on the Beauty and the Beast theme! <3
User avatar
BBkat
MagiStream Donor
Member of Society of the Trident Member of Artificer's Association Member of Preservationists Association An icon depicting the element Void
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 36481
Joined: November 1st, 2009, 1:38:37 pm
Gender: Literally just six cats of varying gender identities sharing a suit of human skin
Location: the world of Animal Crossing
Contact:

Re: Cogs and Claws (re-write) Ch. 1 up

Post by BBkat »

-Obligatory comment for more story here-

Are you going to actually, you know, finish or keep updating this one? The last couple stories of yours that I started reading you never finished xD Yes, keep writing this, looks good and interesting. I'm not that good at writing steampunk, but it's fun to read. And Beauty and the Beast if one of my favourite fairy tails, so this will be awesome. <3
User avatar
BluMajica
MagiStream Donor
Member of Society of the Trident
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 7353
Joined: June 3rd, 2009, 10:16:51 pm
Gender: Female

Re: Cogs and Claws (re-write) Ch. 1 up

Post by BluMajica »

BBkat wrote:-Obligatory comment for more story here-

Are you going to actually, you know, finish or keep updating this one? The last couple stories of yours that I started reading you never finished xD Yes, keep writing this, looks good and interesting. I'm not that good at writing steampunk, but it's fun to read. And Beauty and the Beast if one of my favourite fairy tails, so this will be awesome. <3
second this... Id love to read a completed story!
Beetle by Cassowary

“You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.” ― Harlan Ellison

I was Mordeth - I am now not. I'm gone again - find me on VOU if it's urgent under Mordeth
User avatar
SeaCrest
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 8595
Joined: June 12th, 2009, 9:34:16 pm
Gender: Female

Re: Cogs and Claws (re-write) Ch. 1 up

Post by SeaCrest »

Mordeth wrote:
BBkat wrote:-Obligatory comment for more story here-

Are you going to actually, you know, finish or keep updating this one? The last couple stories of yours that I started reading you never finished xD Yes, keep writing this, looks good and interesting. I'm not that good at writing steampunk, but it's fun to read. And Beauty and the Beast if one of my favourite fairy tails, so this will be awesome. <3
second this... Id love to read a completed story!
*thirds*
User avatar
Phoenixwildfire
MagiStream Donor
Member of The Dark Brotherhood
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 18594
Joined: May 20th, 2009, 11:53:08 pm
Gender: Female
Location: The pot hole of the USA
Contact:

Re: Cogs and Claws (re-write) Ch. 1 up

Post by Phoenixwildfire »

((Mph, true. The one I would probably finish first is Forbidden, just because it's closest. That one only has about 5 more chapters to go until I call it 'done'.))

Ch. 2


Rosa woke up to a soft glow coming from the large window of the room she was sleeping in, the curtains pulling aside. She looked around at the strange room and sat up quickly when she didn’t recognize It as her room at home. Her mind raced for a minute before she remembered last night’s ordeal and relaxed again.

She looked around the room once more, this time surprised for an entirely different reason. Somehow during the course of the night, someone had dusted, swept and cleaned the room while she had slept. She hadn’t seen any servants in the castle earlier, and surely the Beast would have made too much noise for her to sleep through. Then who had cleaned it?

She glanced at the end of the bed to see a simple pale green dress laid out for her, pressed and cleaned as well. A paper sat on top of it so that she crawled forward on the bed to grab it and read it.

‘Your clothes are being washed and mended. Please enjoy this dress while you wait. Your clothes should be back to you by morning.’

“Who…” She whispered, looking at the obviously feminine scrawling writing. She glanced up at a movement across the room and saw a shadow hovering in the air, its form shifting in an ethereal blob of black mist. It somehow reminded her of a human sized ink blot- but the thought vanished as the shadow started moving toward her and she began to panic. Was it dangerous?

It seemed to take a humanoid form, its shifting arm pointing to itself before pointing to the note in her hands. Rose thought of what it was trying to communicate before her eyes widened in shock. “You wrote this?”

The humanoid form nodded before it turned to its unrecognizable form again, drifting across the room to pick up a parchment and quill on the writing desk, dipping it in ink before writing. Rosa watched with fascination as the shadow wrote and picked up the paper, drifting over to Rosa and handing it to her.

‘My name is Penelope. I will be your maid while you stay. Like our master, we were cursed along with him. I cannot speak, but I can write. Simply let me know what you need, and I’ll do my best to get it for you.’

Rosa looked up to the shadow in surprise. It was a woman! So the shadow she had seen when she first arrived must have been another servant. “How many servants are in the castle?” Rosa asked curiously.

The shadow went back over to the table, writing an answer at the top of the page before holding it up for her. ‘56’

Rosa’s eyes widened in surprise. 56 people wandering around, and she hadn’t even known! “And you all can touch things and clean like this in that form?” She motioned to the room around her.

‘Touching uses energy- too much cleaning makes us tired easily and we often can’t finish before we fade. Over the years it has built up and is very frustrating.’

Rosa nodded in understanding. Seeing things to do, but unable to do them? That would be maddening! “How long has the curse been here?”

‘3 years.’ Penelope write in reply.

3 years of being a monster, with servants who can’t speak to you… she felt back for the Beast- what a lonely life. “Is there a way to break the curse?”

‘If we tell you, it will become permanent. I’m sorry.’

Rosa blinked in surprise and nodded. “That’s fine.” She said, but wished she could know. She wanted to help these people get out of this terrible existence.

‘Is there anything else you need? I fear I am beginning to tire. Jacob will be here to answer more questions soon. He is the strongest of us- and the house butler.’ Penelope’s form had wavered, as if fading and the other side of the room was now visible through her faintly.

“No, I’m fine. Am I allowed to explore the castle a bit?”

‘Yes- but the tower is locked- please do not try to enter.’

Rosa bit her lip but nodded, her curiosity nagging at her. She should listen to Penelope, but she always tried to find out what was in locked rooms. She had become fairly good at picking locks because of it. Her father had given up using locks altogether at their home. With Rosa around, there wasn’t much point to it.

‘I will take my leave now. It was quite nice to talk to you. What is your name?’

“Oh! I’m sorry- how rude of me. My name is Rosa Taraznoff.” Rosa smiled, but kept the paper instead of handing it back to Penelope. “You said you were tired- go rest, I’ll be fine. I’m no greenhouse flower, and I’ll explore a bit and ask how long it will be until your master gets his magic back and I can go home.”

Penelope nodded in her humanoid form, and her form turned into a blur before she drifted out of the room, leaving Rosa alone.

She leaned back against the pillows behind her and thought what she’d just discovered. The servants couldn’t speak, but they could write until they got tired. They couldn’t clean enough to maintain the castle, and they found it infuriating. Perhaps there was some solution to make their lives easier… something she could make.

Another shadow entered the room, this one larger than Penelope- and he held a small chalkboard, chalk and a rag to clean it with.
What a brilliant idea! Not to mention it saved parchment, which surely was in high demand here.

‘My name is Jacob.’ The shadow wrote and held up the chalkboard for her to see. ‘My master told me of your troubles- I am sorry for that.’ He let her read before erasing it again. ‘If there is anything you need, let me know and please try to feel at home here.’

Rosa nodded in acknowledgement. Perhaps if Jacob knew his master so well, he would know how long she had to stay. “How long do you think it will take your master to regain enough magic to give me safe passage through the woods?”

‘Two weeks. Repulsion spells are quite difficult to make, especially for large predators like wolves.’

Rosa’s shoulders sagged in disappointment. So much for seeing the science exhibits at the faire this weekend.

‘I am sorry for the trouble- but magic cannot be rushed. Perhaps there are some things you can tinker with while you are here? There is a large grandfather clock on the second floor in need of repair.’

Rosa brightened at that, sitting up eagerly. “Oh? Let me get ready and I’ll go see to it.” She waited long enough for Jacob to leave the room before throwing the covers off and putting on the dress laid out for her. It was made out of soft cotton and felt amazingly comfortable. She moved her legs around and found she could also move with relative ease, given that it was a long skirt. At least it wasn’t one of those tightly corseted hoop skirts that were all the fashion back in town. Oh, how she hated feeling confined in them.
She walked out of the door to see the shadow of Jacob waiting for her, holding up his chalkboard for her to read. ‘Please follow me.’ Before drifting forward down the dusty hall.

She followed him slowly, examining the statues and pedestals with different vases and objects that lined the halls. She wondered if they were just for decoration, or if they were… functional. After all- this was the home of a sorcerer, anything could be possible.

Her father seemed to have a grudge against sorcerers- something about an old battle and past events from when he was younger. She had never met a sorcerer before- they were rarely allowed in her city, and even when they were it was with a watchful guard.

She was shaken out of her thoughts by a particularly gruesome statue of a monster, which made her let out a small noise of surprise at it and she tried to calm her racing heart. After last night she was tense and wary- and in a disturbing looking place like this, the emotion of paranoia just got stronger. The hallways had large windows, lining the wall, but the forest outside seemed to absorb all light that should be shining through them. It left the hallways murky looking, the dust dulling color all the more until everything looked to be a hue of gray.

Jacob led her up a staircase covered in old red carpet, turning and leading her down the hall. She saw the clock at the far end, massive and standing old and worn against the stone wall behind it. It held a reminder of the grand clock it must have been years ago, but now it was in such disrepair the arm no longer swung, and its hands stopped at quarter after noon.

She approached it slowly, running a hand along the intricate wooden carvings that ran along the sides of the clock, a glass casing revealing the seized mechanics inside. She unlatched and opened the glass, pulling the winding chain in experiment, only to have a link break so the chain fell loose in her hand.

“I have a lot of work to do.” She muttered before turning to Jacob. “I’m going to need a wrench, pliers, clamps and as much oil as you can find. If you have other tools please bring them up as well.” She said while pushing up the sleeves of her dress up to the elbows. “Let’s get this old man back in shape.”
Image
User avatar
BBkat
MagiStream Donor
Member of Society of the Trident Member of Artificer's Association Member of Preservationists Association An icon depicting the element Void
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 36481
Joined: November 1st, 2009, 1:38:37 pm
Gender: Literally just six cats of varying gender identities sharing a suit of human skin
Location: the world of Animal Crossing
Contact:

Re: Cogs and Claws (re-write) Ch. 1 up

Post by BBkat »

:well:
Awesome. And interesting take on the cursed servants, shadow beings.
User avatar
SeaCrest
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 8595
Joined: June 12th, 2009, 9:34:16 pm
Gender: Female

Re: Cogs and Claws (re-write) Ch. 2 up

Post by SeaCrest »

Oho! Reminds me of another Beauty and the Beast retelling I read - the servants are like little wind-things that Beauty doesn't understand at first XD

We need a nomming smiley :yarly: For now, this will do: :lick:
User avatar
Phoenixwildfire
MagiStream Donor
Member of The Dark Brotherhood
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 18594
Joined: May 20th, 2009, 11:53:08 pm
Gender: Female
Location: The pot hole of the USA
Contact:

Re: Cogs and Claws (re-write) Ch. 2 up

Post by Phoenixwildfire »

Ch. 3


Rosa was so wrapped up in the complex mechanics of the clock that she didn’t notice anyone approaching until the Beast stood behind her, watching her with interest as she worked to loosen a slipped bolt on a gear.

“What are you doing?” He finally asked, wincing as she knocked her head on the wooden frame in surprise. She cautiously moved out of the clock, holding her head with a small groan of pain. She glanced to his paws before her eyes moved up his wolf-like legs and ended on his face- which was more animal than human as well. Really the only ‘human’ thing about him was that he walked on two legs and had 5 fingers on each hand. But even those ended in sharp claws.

“I figured while I’m stuck here I might as well do something useful. Jacob told me it would take two weeks to get your magic back- is that right?” She sat back, relaxing and rubbing her cheek, smearing oil on her face. She seemed to know she was covered in it, but didn’t care. Obviously she was used to being covered in oil and grease.

“That is a conservative estimate, I’m afraid. It may take three or four weeks. Magic is something that cannot be controlled easily. It will come when it wants to.” He shrugged.

Rosa tilted her head curiously. “You speak as if it’s intelligent.”

“Not intelligent as much as… chaotic. It has patterns and there are ways to control it, but in the end it just can’t be easily predicted.”

“Well I’m missing the faire anyway, a few more weeks won’t hurt.” She sighed. She knew some people back home would start to worry though- particularly Connor.

“I am sorry, it is the best I can do at the moment. I would offer to escort you, but from the condition your father was in there are likely too many wolves for even me to fight in this form.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She waved a hand dismissively. “I’m just grateful you healed him. Thank you for that.”

“It is no problem.” The Beast nodded before looking at the gears, bolts and screws on the floor around her. “So… what are you doing?”

“Rosa smiled at his repeated question. “I’m repairing your clock. Jacob told me it was broken.”

“It has not worked for several years now.” He nodded in agreement, looking up to it thoughtfully.

“I was just going to see if the chines still work. Do you want to stay and hear them?”

He nodded, watching as she worked her way back into the clock, twisting herself so that she could reach higher. The loud gong that chimed rang through the halls, and he heard a sound of excitement from within the clock before Rosa came back out.

“What an amazing sound! I can’t wait until this is working again, now.” She said happily.

He couldn’t help but smile, her excitement infectious. “You really like mechanics, don’t you?”

Rosa nodded, sitting back on the ground while making sure she didn’t crush any gears. “I grew up with my father building machines in his shop. He taught me the basics, but I wish I could learn more.”

The Beast tilted his head thoughtfully. “I thought they had universities for that sort of thing.”

“Well…” Rosa frowned. “They do, but they don’t usually accept women. I tried applying last year, but I didn’t get in.”

“Well that’s just silly.” The Beast growled. “Just because you’re female doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do what you want.”

Rosa smiled softly. “I wish more people thought like that. I’m fine, though. I’m learning plenty on my own through experimenting. The more complex books are at the university though, and only students can go to the library there.”

He nodded, but still frowned. “Well, I have some books here from my father. I doubt there’s many engineer books, but you’re free to look.”

Rosa grinned eagerly and nodded. “I’d like that very much, thank you.”

The Beast nodded, his yellow eyes brightening happily. He looked down at the gears strewn around her on the floor thoughtfully. “I wouldn’t know the first thing to do with all those. It’s quite impressive that you do.”

Rosa shrugged with a slight blush. “You learn as you go. Certain gears only fit with certain others, like a big puzzle. I don’t know how you do magic, so I find that quite impressive.”

The Beast shifted on his large paws, as if uneasy about the compliment. “It is nothing special- I am just a simple sorcerer.”

“Modest, too.” She teased with a smile.

He shifted again, his wolf-like years flipped back against his head. Rosa watched his yellow eyes look anywhere round the room but toward her. When they did glance to her he looked away again quickly She didn’t know what she had said to make him feel so uneasy, but she didn’t want him to look so nervous.
“So… Penelope told me you couldn’t say how the curse is broken, but can you tell me how it happened?” She asked, not really knowing anything else to say to break the sudden awkward silence between them.

The Beast looked at her in surprise and nodded slowly. “I suppose I could without any consequences. The war that is going on between our people… the other sorcerers came to me a few years ago and asked me to help in the fight. Up until then I had refused- and when I told them I would never use my magic for that purpose, they cast this spell on me.” He said with a long sigh. “Unfortunately the only way to break the curse will never happen. Therefore, I’m stuck like this probably until I die.”

Rosa frowned in concern. “They put a curse on you just because you didn’t want to fight in the war?”

“War causes people to do terrible things, Rosa.” He said sadly. “Even to those of their own kind who they should be allies with. Because I didn’t share their view, I became their enemy. I probably still am.”

Rosa nodded and let out a deep sigh. “No one has asked me to fight in the war either, but… I don’t think I’d want to either.” She said, looking away in thought for a moment before looking back to him. “You don’t seem like you’re so bad. I don’t see why it’s so bad that you can use magic and I can’t. You can’t build machines and I can, so it’s a trade-off.”

He nodded and smiled slightly. “I fear your view is a rare one, Rosa.” He looked at the working clock that hung on the wall down the hall, before letting out a low growl. “So- would you like to join me for lunch? I fear it won’t be very complex, but it’s usually quite acceptable.” He said, hesitating for a moment before offering her a hand to help her up from the ground.

Rosa smiled and nodded, taking his hand and trying not to be too interested in the strange feel of it. It seemed as if he was very sensitive about his appearance. The black pads that covered his palm and undersides of his fingers were rough, while the short fur that covered the top of his hand was soft. It was an interesting contrast.

“I’m not used to fancy meals, no. My father is an inventor- it means that we make do with what we have between the times that he sells the patent to something he makes.” She patted her dress to get the wrinkles of it and frowned at the oil that covered it. “I fear I may have ruined this dress.” She said sadly.

“There are plenty more.” The Beast shrugged. “Penelope- the servant you have taken as your hand maiden, is quite fond of sewing. She likely made that dress with you in mind from our stores of fabric downstairs. Before the curse she insisted on having a full stock of fabric for her hobbies and she is the type of woman you do not argue with.” He grinned at the memory and released Rosa’s hand once she was standing. “Follow me- I usually make my own meals these days to save the servants from using too much of their energy.”

Rosa followed him, trying to hide a smile behind her hand as he watched his tail swish back and forth in a small happy wag. Between his ears and his tail he was very expressive- she doubted he could hide any of his emotions, but she rather liked that.
Image
User avatar
BBkat
MagiStream Donor
Member of Society of the Trident Member of Artificer's Association Member of Preservationists Association An icon depicting the element Void
CreaturesTrade
Posts: 36481
Joined: November 1st, 2009, 1:38:37 pm
Gender: Literally just six cats of varying gender identities sharing a suit of human skin
Location: the world of Animal Crossing
Contact:

Re: Cogs and Claws (re-write) Ch. 3 up

Post by BBkat »

Aww, that was cute.
Poor beast, idiot sorcerers. I wonder if we'll see them/they'll play a part later or not :>
Post Reply

Return to “The Parlor”