Beauty X Beast ~ Thirteen!

“Tell me when I’m wrong. You're not just a recruiter, you're an assassin-” 

“What could possibly make you believe that I’d do anything to damage your trust after you've given me so much and saved me from having to marry a man I have no interest in marrying?” The sheer disbelief in Danielle's tone, perhaps even more than the words themselves, caused the Beast to pause then even retreat a step. 

He’d been prowling forward, the normal blue light of its eyes slowly filling with an intense red as he studied her. “You could say I have a bad history with Enchantresses. I don't think… no, I guarantee my heart couldn’t take another betrayal. I won't be toyed with or destroyed. Not without fighting as though the abyss itself were pulling me in.” 

The tone and tenor of the words were slightly different than usual, though they still echoed with the rumbling and screeching of machinery. Even so, it was enough for Danielle to make a profound realization, and her gaze intensified as she stepped closer to the Beast.

“Am I speaking to the Artificer right now?” She stepped forward, excitement overcoming her good judgment. “How are you able to speak through your creation from a distance? Is that why its eyes are red right now? It’s an indication that you are actively controlling the Beast?”

The machine reared back, assuming its full and imposing eight-foot stature, but the implied threat was gone. Now there was only shock and… perhaps a hint of fear? Even in the absence of verbal confirmation, the movement alone sufficed for Danielle to understand that she’d stumbled upon the truth. The crimson eyes of the construct glowed with an intensified brilliance, as though magical energy was being channeled into the deadly entity. 

Before the hidden Artificer could make some grim proclamation, Danielle spoke once more. “I wasn't tampering, nor was I attempting to betray you in any way. I can swear to it if needed. All I wanted to do was apply my experience, newfound knowledge, and the insights I’ve gleaned to the mechanisms of my… that is, to your guard. Speaking of Doc, I don't think he’s broken or anything like that. He just got a little… overenthusiastic while testing his new range of motion.” 

“Is that so?” The Artificer, currently housed in his own creation, performed a half-turn to shine a red light on the deep score now permanently etched in the wood of the door. The exaggerated action was executed with a deliberateness that spoke of disbelief… but then the mechanical entity hesitated. 

After contemplating the damage, as well as inspecting the diminutive guard patiently remaining still while being held in his hand, he extended his hand toward Doc and authoritatively dropped him on the table. The automaton promptly complied with the unspoken request. Positioning itself flat upon the wooden surface, Doc opened itself to expose its magically mechanical innards. 

Over what felt like the longest five minutes of her life, Danielle waited as the Artificer simply scrutinized the alterations she had made. One of its arms reached out, extending twice as far as she’d thought possible, only to close around the loose-leaf pages torn from the notebook. What followed was the Artificer paging through the diagram she had created for replacing the parts, comparing her design to the end result. 

Finally, he asked her a question. “Was it necessary to add these designs to the chips?”

The light emanating from its eyes narrowed, casting a focused beam which illuminated dozens of areas where Danielle had gently filed the metal using a wire brush. Her initial artistry had been usurped by her class skills, culminating in a harmonious and elaborate geometric pattern only fully revealed when the innards were completely on display. A heartbeat after the question, Danielle realized it wasn’t rhetorical: the Artificer was expecting an answer. 

“They’re not strictly necessary for Doc's functionality,” Danielle replied, doing her best to keep her tone respectful and measured, now that the Artificer was assessing her work, “but they'll help in all sorts of other ways. Let's call them… auxiliary benefits? The least of which is a pleasing feeling of satisfaction when you look upon it.”

The machine released a disgruntled snort, but Danielle hadn't finished speaking. “Beyond that, unless you possess an encyclopedic, perfect memory and somehow have every part of every machine you've ever made memorized, being able to look at the pattern and immediately seeing where it’s out of balance will allow for easy replacement of worn or faulty parts. Another benefit is that dust and rust are both more readily visible when there’s a standardized pattern, which means that, moving forward, every step—from cleaning to fixing—will be faster to complete.”

Putting a bright smile on her face, she tried to sell her improvements even harder. “Ask yourself, what's more valuable than your time? Nothing! Finally, removing the buildup will keep Doc’s fluidity of motion intact while reducing overheating. I'm estimating a twenty-three percent increase in overall functionality!”

“Are you a conjurer? You must be, because you pulled that number out of nowhere,” the Artificer immediately countered, turning specifically to glower at her. “Do not fabricate information in a misguided attempt to present yourself as more inventive than you truly are. I've wasted months attempting to replicate an experiment, only to learn that it was published solely because the person who wrote it was in favor with the crown at that time. Let us adhere to the truth. It is far more than sufficient in this instance. Admittedly, I'm already intrigued at the fact that you were able to improve upon my design.”

Accepting her chastisement while glowing from the casual praise, Danielle remained silent for a few moments as the Artificer compared the diagram with the final product. “The Beast refused to even consider improvements as a possibility. Again, I wasn't tampering; I was just trying to understand if what I knew to be true could possibly be wrong with the introduction of magic to the system. Your automatons are incredible, and I keep learning new and surprising things about them.”

“Close up,” the Artificer commanded Doc, and the machine near-instantly pulled itself together. The red lights narrowed once more, and he examined Doc carefully as it stood up, following the smooth motions and enhanced walking speed. “This is decidedly beyond what a simple shift in configuration can achieve. I have my own theories on why that is, but I will admit that your direct intervention has increased the potential of this automaton significantly. The problem is…”

Here, he turned to face Danielle once more, perhaps to capture the entirety of her reaction as he spoke. “If this is a result of your skills adjusting Doc, it may not be something I can replicate. In that instance, it will not be something that can help me grow past the bottleneck I find myself facing.”

Thinking furiously, Danielle tried to come up with a way to prove she had something valuable to offer. But, thinking over what the Artificer had asserted, how he’d already acknowledged that her Alluring Assemblage had increased the potential of his own designs, there was only one word she could think of to describe the situation. 

“Fair.”

Saying nothing, the Artificer simply watched as she fiddled with her fingers and tried to think of something to help her cause. Finally, she looked up at him with a sheepish grin. “Please don't kick me out. I really like it here.” 

“Technically, you violated the rules. I like things to be technically correct.” Even though the words were harsh, the bright red lights dimmed as the beastly machine settled slightly. He waved at Duke, the guard dog that was vibrant and far more active today than it had been previously. 

“You were specifically instructed not to tamper with your other guards, yet I am informed that you intentionally focused your abilities on Duke and had them running on him overnight. Full of curiosity you might be, perhaps even with an intriguing amount of academic potential, but one fact remains: you have also broken my trust.”

Danielle nodded glumly, her heart sinking at the thought of losing access to the amazing fount of knowledge that was this library. She peeked over at her guards and found that she had also grown quite fond of them as well—deadly designs notwithstanding. The Artificer let the pause in conversation drag out before finally making a decision. “I will let you stay and continue to study. You shall not lack for food and safety, but I will need you to earn your keep in a new way.”

“What the…?” As soon as he’d made his decision, Danielle felt a shift in the air around her and blinked as her left arm glowed subtly. “That is… what do you want from me?”

The Artificer paused once more, but this time, it seemed as though he were struggling to make an admission. It also became immediately apparent that he hadn't noticed the increased potency of one of her skills. 

“The facts do not lie. I've seen more growth from my automatons since you’ve been in their care than I had ever expected possible. They’re not only moving and acting in a more vital way, they are growing in personality and acumen. There must be an explanation, and if I can find, isolate, and replicate it, I believe this will at least help me achieve one of my goals. To that end I would like to… study you.”

“To be fair, you've already bought me dinner first,” Danielle quipped, her smile faltering as she tried to figure out exactly what he meant with his words.

“Ugh.” Even with the beastly exterior, the Artificer gave Danielle a distinct impression he had just rolled his eyes. “It must come as no surprise to you that you are one of the most graceful individuals who can exist. You have an intrinsic ability to flow from one position to another, your body being enhanced by the system itself. What I mean to do is study your movements, capturing the motions you make and applying those qualities to future iterations of my automatons.”

“You want to capture my… motion?” Danielle frowned slightly, uncertain what exactly that would entail. “How?”

The enormous machine leaned forward, its eyes suddenly blazing with renewed light. “It's a straightforward process! First, you would wear a specialized set of clothing which would transfer signals back to a central core I designed. The runescript would write out each individual position you took—the tightening of muscles and tendons—as individual images which could then be redrawn and distributed… *ahem.* My apologies, I don’t mean to scare you. It’s just that this is-”

“Something you're deeply passionate about,” Danielle finished for him, instantly warming up to the idea. “That, at least, is something I can perfectly understand. When should I…?” 

“I'll leave instructions with the Beast.” The Artificer's voice betrayed a hint of relief. “For now… just… try not to break my machines? Replaceable they may be, but I don’t like having to decommission them. Even if they aren’t living, they are the closest thing to family-”

The red light winked out, leaving the crystal eyes of the Beast dark and empty. Moments later, they reignited with a light blue, and the normal personality of the Beast re-engaged. “I see you've formed a reluctant truce with the Comte. Peachy. While I am not exactly pleased that he is rewarding your intrusion into his private matters, I suppose it is his choice to make.”

“The last few minutes have been quite enlightening.” Danielle took a deep breath, nodding as she spoke.

Leaning forward, the Beast fixed each of its eyes on her face, and the Enchantress found herself unable to speak the next word she had been planning. “I will leave you with a tidbit of information. Take this as you will. He is not often able to attend in person. If you attempt to take advantage of his presence, just know that his overlay of my system will not last. If I find this has been the case, as soon as I have regained control, I will follow my instructions.”

Stepping back, the Beast coldly finished, “I will meet you in the dining room after you have broken your fast in the morning.”

With his promise delivered, the machine was lifted into the air by his pulley system and gently floated out of the library. Danielle watched him go, unsure how she felt about how the day had gone.

At first.

Then, as she turned back to the library, she watched as a Doc cartwheeled across the stone floor, letting out bright chimes of glee. He ended his performance by striking the ground at a sharp angle, sending himself spiraling straight up. While off the ground, he continued his spin, his blade-like body cutting the air with a threatening *ssss* before stopping the spins perfectly—just before he hit the ground. Bouncing twice, the automaton gently came to a rest.

“Figured it out. I just needed a little practice,” Doc cheerfully stated as he walked around with far greater ease. “What other improvements do you think you could make, Danielle? It's been eight years since the Artificer came up with my design, and he moved on as soon as I moved correctly.”

Sneezy stepped forward, waving his oversized limbs at the razor guard in an attempt to ward him off. “Hold up! You've already had a big upgrade; it's my turn next.”

*Rrr!* Duke growled softly, indicating his desire to be included. 

As they were bickering amongst themselves, the Enchantress took a moment to swipe her left arm and learn what the system had changed. 

Skill increase! Unified Radiance [Level 4 (Basic) → Level 5 (Moderate)]!

Requirement to advance to level 6: Persuade a skeptic to wholeheartedly embrace a concept they initially dismissed without using any factual evidence OR transform a heavily damaged item into a focal piece of a room without explicitly calling attention to it.

“I guess convincing the Artificer to let me stay counted as making a sale of something the other person had no need of? Kind of rude… but I'll take it.” Between the automaton's enthusiasm, and the surprise increase of her skill, Danielle broke into a beaming smile.

“What's on your mind, Enchantress?” Sneezy called out, having originally turned to get her to side with him in his argument. Danielle looked back at him, feeling as though a heavy knot of tension had just unraveled. 

“I just realized… this day has gone absolutely wonderfully.”