Another party in the Beasts' castle

[rustyhonesty]

Characters: Jean Kirstein [The Beast]
Campaign: Break
Format: [ brackets ] AND/OR prose do either
Open
Summary: There's a party at the Beasts' castle!

A message (written by a furniture) is sent out through the devices. The strike outs are Jean trying to censor things but they can be seen if you squint.

Welcome to the party on April 10th!
The place is indicated on the attached map.
It is also our Masters' birthday this week (7th)
Do with the information as you please.
Let's have a delightful time!


The places in the castle

The castle & the surrounding rose garden: there are also some wolves wandering in the nearby woods but they do not attack.

Dining room: where the main event, dinner is held. It will take some time for the food to be served since they do a dance.

Library: Not as impressive as the Index main library and most of the books are empty.

Fireplace / Living Room: A cute leg rest that acts like a dog will help you relax by standing under your feet.

Study & the Magic mirror: The magic mirror shows who you're thinking about - if they're in Index, that is.

Dance hall & the attached balcony: The furniture will try to help anyone they think are couple material or seem like need help with making A Move. They may get it wrong sometimes.

West wing & the Enchanted Rose: the restricted area. All the furniture will warn you not to go there and while Jean won't be as aggressive about intruders than before he will still be cautious and snippy.


You can imagine any furniture to be alive, except any bathroom furniture for the sake of my sanity. The main butler is a candelabra, much like the disney versions but even more obnoxious and Lumiére. All the furniture have a French accent except for the leg rest since it barks like a doggo.

Jean's wolf cubs, Connie and Sasha, are around in the library or following Jean. There is also a third one, Frost following Weiss.

Comments

[opportunitycosts]

[......Great Spirits how much awkward hell are they being thrown into.

He's holding onto her which—yeah it's as if he's dipping her in some flashy dance move, but he's not going to mind it too much. It's not exactly the most comfortable position for him though since he had to stretch out from where he had been. And he has something in her dress.

The hell is this.]

Okay, I'm going to lift you up on three. One, two—!

[BETTER BE READY BECAUSE HE'S ABOUT TO DO SOME SERIOUS LIFTING.]

[ragingscoopaholic]

[EXCUSE YOU- HEAVY LIFTING?]

Oh, just lift! Jeez, you make it sound like I weigh a ton!

[opportunitycosts]

Look, this is not as easy as it normally would be because I'm already stretched out and your dress isn't exactly made of lightweight fabric!

[Not only the weight, but it's not exactly a slim evening dance dress that would make this kind of lift in his current position the easiest thing to do. So heave ho as he puts all his weight back and uses his arm strength to pick her up, pivoting on his heel a bit so it's more of a twirl before he sets her down.

[ragingscoopaholic]

[Yeah. This is how it's been between them for a bit. Things have been off balance and it pains her, really. Already she regrets agreeing to come here, but she nods, not protesting any more in an effort to avoid potentially upsetting him.

Within seconds she's lifted and gently placed onto her feet, but before she could mutter an apology, her gaze falls onto what was stuck beneath her dress... ]

Is... that a foot rest?

[opportunitycosts]

[He's not really that annoyed, just, you know. STRESSFUL SITUATION IN THE MOMENT BECAUSE SOMETHING IS UNDER HER DRESS??? Not the time!!! But he still has a protective arm around her waist because what foul dastardly thing would dare go under a young lady's...

...Dress?

He just kind of stares.]

...You sure you didn't somehow just step overandwhatTHEHELLdiditjustmove?!

[As he is speaking, the foot rest suddenly jumps towards them, making him jump a bit but still pushing Leia a little behind him because??? Furniture?? Aren't?? Supposed???? To move?!?!?!?

And now it's definitely doing some kind of weird...wiggling dance.]

That's it, this place is cursed, we're leaving!

[ragingscoopaholic]

Wait! [grabs onto his arm.] I think it wants something.

[Yes, it occurs to her that it's a piece of furniture. But, seriously, she's seen water trolls, actual trolls, Alvin commanding a legion of frogs, and Julius turning inanimate objects into other things, so what if a piece of furniture is moving?

Okay, it's still weird. But is it any weirder than the time water tentacles wrecked their kitchen?

Maybe a little.

Anyway... it finishes doing its little wiggle dance, jumping up and down, panting, and then it barks.

... Wait. What?]

Um... d-did it just bark?

[opportunitycosts]

[He is still skeptical about all this. What if it's someone who was cursed and is trying to warn them?? Look at that wiggle dance! But then again, they are in a fellow Aspect's house and unless this guy is some creeper—which he hasn't heard or seen anything to suggest it—then everything should be fine... Unless someone else did this??

Before his imagine goes too wild, he hears it bark and. ... ...Not sure if that's helpful or not.]

Uh... I think so?

[Well. Cursed or not, at least it's not hostile? Slowly he removes his arm around Leia and takes a step forward.]

Uuuuuh. Sit, boy?

[ragingscoopaholic]

[The foot rest sits, panting, and looking expectedly at Alvin for praise. Well, as best as it can look at him... without having eyes...

Foot rest or not, it's acting like a dog so naturally Leia is a little taken by it.]

Aww, it's actually kinda cute! Go ahead, Alvin. Give it a pat on the head! Tell him he's a good boy.

[It sounds sweet when she says it, but it's also like she's sort of threatening him to praise the poor thing.]

[opportunitycosts]

[...Yeah he can't tell if that's supposed to be threatening or not—

But...as weird as this is, Alvin also can't help but somehow find this foodrest oddly...adorable? It reminds him of one of those really shaggy dogs.

Still weird, though.]

At least we can tell where its head is.

[That it matters on an animal since people pet their butts all the time—but still he'll reach out and...slowly pat its head while giving it some praise.]

That's a good...boy? Or is it a girl?

[ragingscoopaholic]

[The opposite end of the foot rest shakes, like where it's tail would be, and then it partially sits up to try and lick? Sniff? Alvin's hand.]

Look, you've made a new friend!

[But, yeah, still weird. Why is this foot rest acting like a dog... or is it the other way around? Is it a dog that's turned into a foot rest?]

Hmm... I wonder if that's what happened to the servants?

[opportunitycosts]

That they all turned into furniture?

[...

..............................]

Right, so I'm never sitting down in a chair.

[He then glances at her.]

Don't suppose you've come across any stories about something like this, have you?

[ragingscoopaholic]

[That's... probably a good idea.]

Well, a lot of these fairy tales deal with curses and stuff, and I read there was some curse surrounding the Beast, but I didn't get too far into it. Though it would explain the lack of staff we've seen.

[Then her imagination runs... a little wild, as she recalls bits of other stories.]

What if it's one of those curses where you're transformed if you stay past a certain time? Like maybe he threw this party because he secretly intends to furnish the entire castle with his guests!

[opportunitycosts]

If this were the actual Beast I'd consider, but this guy is one of us, remember?

...Unless he really is some kind of psycho, but I don't think so many of the others would show up if that were the case.

[ragingscoopaholic]

Haha, don't worry, Jean's a good guy. But some Essences do have a habit of sorta... taking over the people they are attached to. Like in Kazuma's case.

[But while that IS possible, she doesn't actually suspect that's what is happening here.]

[opportunitycosts]

Ahhh. Right. Kazuma.

[Don't think he forgot, however he's just giving her only the smallest of looks before mulling it over a bit.]

Still, doesn't really seem to fit. If he needed more guests, why not invite all the locals as well? Would get more mileage with more people.

...Unless these are already locals and instead of purposefully trying to curse people it's just a side effect from the Essence!

[Wow they're really going all over the place with this, huh.]

[ragingscoopaholic]

[And she's going to ignore his mentioning of Kazuma, because she still hasn't quite forgiven him, or forgotten, what he said to her. And she's just... trying her best to do both of those things. Eventually.

So without missing a beat, she actually considers what Alvin says. Maybe they should start questioning more furniture?]

You might be right...

Should we try to set the furniture free?

[opportunitycosts]

How would we even do that? If they're cursed, wouldn't they be bound to the castle? And if not, would they be able to survive out there? This is pretty deep in the woods, and I remember hearing a few wolves around...

[ragingscoopaholic]

But if they leave the castle they might change back to their human forms, so they won't be completely helpless. And you've got an entire frog army at your disposal, you could ask them for help.

[What frogs could do against wolves, well, who knows. But they somehow managed to help them take care of a tentacle water monster in their house, so, clearly, there's more to frogs than she initially thought.]

[opportunitycosts]

I think if it was that easy they would have left by now...

[He says this, but.





Not gonna lie, a part of him wants to know what would happen.]

[ragingscoopaholic]

Wanna test it out? We could try and bring this little guy out with us and see what happens.

[Meanwhile, said foot rest is just staring (?) up at them and wagging it's... nonexistent tail. Completely oblivious.]

[opportunitycosts]

...Guess it can't hurt. If it doesn't work we'll just bring it back and just make sure nothing gets to it.

[This is such a weird...thing.]

Should we carry it or try to find a leash? [Would that even work???]

[ragingscoopaholic]

Do you see a place where we could even attach a leash? Let's just carry it before someone finds us.

[Weird doesn't begin to describe this situation, but she's going with it.]

[opportunitycosts]

And you see how big this thing is? Gonna be a miracle it doesn't just wriggle out of my arms...

[He'll just sigh and try to pick it up, though.]

[ragingscoopaholic]

That's why I'll grab the other end.

[Teamwork, Alvin. And so she goes to the opposite side and hunches down, waiting for his signal. The dog... foot rest thing seems mildly confused, not sure which person it should be facing.]

[opportunitycosts]

You sure you'll manage in that dress?

[Normally he wouldn't question, but. That is one floofy dress, man. Still, it's more of a joke than a serious question so he won't stop her, either, positioning himself at the...front??? And ready to grab it.]