Beauty X Beast ~ Twenty-One!

- Danielle -

“Coming, coming!” Danielle sprinted along the vast hallway of LeKrout’s manor, a bundle of blueprints and sketches in her arms. Today was the beginning of a daunting yet exhilarating task the Artificer had graciously offered to allow her to participate in: retrofitting the estate’s automatons.

She’d been hoping for an opportunity like this since the first time she had convinced Doc to open up to her in a literal way and couldn't believe she had allowed herself to sleep in. 

“Don't start without me!” The Enchantress burst into the dining room, her vision sweeping across the room where dozens upon dozens of machines were lined up, patiently waiting their turn to be interviewed by her and the Beast. BST model three stood next to the table, looming in his usual imposing manner… and clearly exuding an aggrieved impatience at her tardiness. 

“Thank you for joining us. I had not realized how many things you must have going on. You must be quite busy if they distract you enough to keep you from being on time… whatever those tasks may be.”

“Here's a question for you, Beast,” Danielle shot in reply as she slid into her chair, an unflustered grin on her face. “Were you designed to be so passive aggressive, or did you upgrade yourself over time?”

“I was designed to be aggressive aggressive,” the deep voice chuffed at her, releasing a cloud of steamy air that blew her bangs to the side. “To answer your question, it seems I decided on this path after I found one too many problems I couldn't simply squash on behalf of my master.”

Danielle sent a brilliant smile at his towering metallic frame, wondering if his crystalline eyes were showing a spark of something new—respect, gratitude, or—perhaps—even trust? After a moment of contemplation, she shook her head. “Sorry, I got lost in thought there for a moment. I saw such a charming smile reflecting off your eyes that I forgot where I was and thought you were gearing up to be nice.”

“There's a word for people who stare at their own reflection too much.” 

“Philosophers?” The cloud of steam escaping the Beast this time started sounding like a tea kettle that had been on the stove too long, so Danielle decided it was time to move on. 

Carefully stopping her gentle teasing of the oversized butler, she turned her attention to the lined-up machines, shifting her demeanor to one of earnest enthusiasm. As she began asking them questions, Danielle tried to show them that she wasn't just reading off a list: she was genuinely interested in what each of them had to say. 

As the morning wore on, she and the Beast started putting together an explanation for what had been changing the creatures. The vast majority of the automatons, which were designed specifically for utility, or with a singular task such as scanning an area to watch for intruders, simply had no growth from the original design they’d been given. 

Conversely, those with at least semi-human forms and were given complex tasks where they needed to make more than simple decisions had grown in one way or another. 

Most startling was how extensive the changes were for those that had constantly been in close contact with Danielle or the Beast. Those entities all had extreme alterations to their original design, and with some careful questioning, were able to articulate their own hopes and desires for the future. Though she might not perfectly understand their reasoning, with every unique preference, Danielle's eyes would light up, and she would gently coax them along. “A third arm so you can dust at the same time as sweeping? Very doable!” 

There were times when she absolutely couldn't grasp why an automaton would desire a particular upgrade, but she never let her confusion show. She would simply take every opportunity to reassure them that their input was valuable, making sure to involve them in all decisions while treating their responses with utmost respect. 

Several times, she had to intercede and stop the Beast from telling off one of the machines. Eventually, she had to step away with him and have a quiet conversation. 

“What's the matter with you? That one was simple; he just wanted to be seven and a half inches taller!” The Enchantress hissed the words, trying to keep the waiting machines from hearing her.

“It's excessive!” the Beast firmly replied, trying to turn back to glare at the offending machine, only to be stopped by Danielle. “An extra seven and a half inches means at least another ten pounds of metal. More than that, if we take into account the counterbalances. That machine is designed to tend to livestock. Horses, chickens, cows?”

“Okay? And?” 

“We haven't had any animals here in over five years.” The Beast snorted in annoyance. “It should be re-tasked, repurposed, or-”

“Don't you dare say decommissioned,” Danielle smoothly interrupted. “You know the Comte’s feelings on that. Listen, being seven and a half inches taller would allow it to take better care of taller livestock or collect eggs from stacked up nests. Beyond that, all we're doing today is taking note of what they want. This may be a low priority, but eventually we will make it happen. Right? Because the system is rewarding the Artificer for allowing his creations to live a life they want to live. Remember that?” 

“He's already earned his reward for that; he doesn't need to keep doing it.” As Danielle let out a long suffering sigh, BST model three grudgingly continued on, “But I see your point. There is no harm in taking note of its desires.” 

As each creature was given a chance to show their growth, Danielle made sure to offer each of them a word of encouragement, attempting to match their excitement with her own before dismissing them. She praised their efforts, celebrated their small victories, and cheered on their continued progress. 

When the last of them had gotten back to their usual duties, she slumped in her chair and closed her eyes for a minute. After collecting herself, she turned to the Beast, only for him to speak first. 

“I think the first thing we need to do is decide on a priority upgrade rotation. Why don't we-” 

“What happened there, Beast?” Danielle interrupted as she leaned back into her chair with a soft groan, stretching her tired lower back muscles. “Kind of left me to fend for myself there. Look, I don't mind doing the interviews, I enjoyed it. Even so, we had a whole plan, and you dropped all your responsibilities on me.”

“I… apologize,” the Beast replied with a deep solemnity in his voice. 

Danielle immediately sat up straight. “Oh no, you're falling apart, aren't you? Are you being decommissioned as we speak?”

“There is no call for your jibes.” The stiff reply allowed Danielle to heave a sigh, and she swiped a hand over her forehead to show off her immense relief. Surprisingly, the Beast continued, though he spoke in a halting tone. “It seems I truly was holding them back. I am afraid that, without you arriving unexpectedly and without invitation, I would have never realized there were minds trapped within the lesser models. Because of my obstinance, Comte LeKrout very nearly lost out on his opportunity to achieve breakthrough.”

That was when Danielle realized she had the distinctly strange responsibility of comforting a multi-thousand-pound metal monster because it was sad. Bizarrely enough, she was delighted at the opportunity. “I'm doing what I can, just as you were doing everything you could. Listen, Beast. If you can look back and realize how poorly you were doing before, it just shows how much you’ve grown since then. You can’t hold that against yourself.”

“Cease spouting your cliches at me.” Although the machine was back to acting like a butt, the fact that he was unable to hold her gaze spoke volumes for the fact that he was feeling something at this moment. 

Danielle decided to take that for the win it was and move on before she pressed her luck. “You didn't know. Now that you do, you’re taking responsibility by giving them the chance they need to move forward. You heard what they said, just as I did. None of them blame you… they revere you nearly as much as the Artificer himself.”

“Since you conducted the majority of the interviews, I will do the next part. There will be a priority list for you to peruse by dinner,” the Beast stated as his pulley system activated and began slowly lifting him into the air. “I believe the best option to start with would be Doc. Plan on that, and we'll go from there.” 

“Don't forget to put the kitchen on the upgrade list!” Danielle called, causing the Beast’s upward momentum to halt for a fraction of a moment. “It can't speak, but I bet it would love to be shaped like an octopus.” 

“Of all the ridiculous things I've been told today…!”

The grumbling Beast was carried away, leaving Danielle to laugh for a short while before returning her attention to the stack of blueprints she’d brought in with her. As Doc was the first of the automatons she’d ever studied, the Enchantress already had a deep understanding of what its current system looked like and how it functioned. All that was left before deciding on an upgrade path was asking his opinion on what his evolution should look like. “Duke, could you call Doc in for me?”

“As per usual, madame Danielle, I'm right here.” The razor-thin creature stated with a sigh which sounded like a gust of wind over a taut harp string. “I am to get an upgrade? I have a thought in mind for the final form… but it might be too much.”

“It's your life, Doc.” Danielle shrugged and dipped her quill in ink, preparing herself to start jotting down notes as the machine spoke. “It might have been an oversight, but I haven't interviewed you yet, because I already knew you’ve changed. Tell me, what sort of life do you want? How can I help you attain it?”

Doc stepped closer, its tiny feet chiming off the stone floor. “You may not know this, but I am one of the most dangerous of all the house guards. My mission, my goal, has always been to protect the estate, but too often, I feel like an assassin waiting to strike from the shadows. Even the people who want to be around me often overlook me, simply because I am standing at a dihedral angle to them.”

The creature trailed off, an aura of hesitation surrounding it, Danielle gently pressed, “I'm ready, Doc. Whatever you need.”

“I would like my next body to be something very difficult not to see.” Doc met her eyes with his own lifeless beads—tiny flakes of crystal which allowed him to view the world. “I see how you watch as the Beast travels through the house, practically unable to look away. I would like that. Specifically, I would like to have the body of a great spider.” 

“Um.”

Doc spoke in a rush, hoping to cut off what he assumed would be an instant denial. “I can hook into the already-existing pulley system! Then I'll be able to move around silently as needed while indoors, but also present a show of force which would be enough to dissuade evildoers from attempting wrongdoing, instead of needing to punish them.”

“You want to be… a spider?” Danielle had heard the automaton perfectly yet didn't trust her own ears. “I don't watch the Beast move around because I think it looks interesting, or exciting… it's terrifying, Doc. Such a large creature moving silently? Through the air?”

“Yes. I would like that,” the tiny automaton responded with a voice full of conviction. “Please make me into a glorious spider capable of defending the house while also convincing others not to intrude in the first place.”

Ever so reluctantly, Danielle nodded and wrote out the specifications her guard was looking for. “Spider it is.”

“I would also like to be able to launch a harpoon from my mouth.” 

“Harpoon spider. Perfect.” When Danielle looked up from her notes, she found herself face to face with the Beast, who was hovering over the table. “Abyss!”

“See? That. That looks fun,” Doc pointed out with a tinny chuckle.

As she tried to get her heartbeat under control, Danielle realized that the Beast's eyes were glowing a deep red. “Comte! You’re back!” 

“I am, and better than ever before.” The voice coming through the Beast's body sounded hearty and hale, full of joy as she’d never heard from him before. “The actual process of Breakthrough is surprisingly quick, but I needed to adjust to the newfound power of my abilities. Also… I have you to thank for all of this. For a decade, I was trapped at the same spot. Who knows how long, if ever, it would have taken for me to breach that bottleneck without you.”

Danielle shook her head. “I feel like everything here was at a tipping point already, and my presence was merely the final straw. All I did was bring your attention to what was already happening.”

“It has been happening for a long time.” The Artificer denied her attempt at diminishing the recognition he was trying to give her. “It was right under my nose, but I had far too much faith in my own abilities to smell the mess I was creating. I owe you a great debt, and I wanted you to know that I’ve made a decision.”

At that moment, Danielle's skill increased once more, heralded by its usual burst of light. She knew what that meant: he had done something against his own best interests. The Enchantress couldn't take her eyes off the red-filled crystal eyes, and when she could finally speak, her voice came out as a whisper. “Don’t… please don't tell me you've done something that can't be undone. It's not worth it. I'm not worth it. Don't send yourself back to war because I did you a small favor.”

“If all goes well, there's nothing to fear.” The mechanical face twisted into a terrifying smile, which she supposed was supposed to be somehow reassuring. “Also… a spider, Doc? I love it.” 

“Yes~s!” The guard hissed as it pumped its arm in excitement. 

As the red eyes faded to blue, and the Beast was reeled up to the ceiling once more, Danielle numbly looked down at her arm to see what terrible thing she would need to do to someone else to advance once more.

Skill increase! Unified Radiance [Level 7 (Proficient) → Level 8 (Extensive)]!

Requirement to advance to level 9: Create a Masterpiece.

Seeing that there were no options or paths to choose from, and the statement itself was ambiguous enough that it could be applied to a song and a dance as easily as a superweapon, Danielle let out a long, slow breath. 

“I truly hope I didn't just end up ruining your life, Comte.”