yes, there is beauty

[jovahs_heiress]

Angela stops at Milliways on her way home, Micaiah in tow. She cannot force the door to Beast's world, not with any coin she carries, but she leaves a note at Bar for him, asking that he go to the tower out back and identify himself to Jane. There's nothing else they can do for him. Belle, of course, will get a key if she goes to the bar.

Comments

[beheld_beauty]

Her rosevines bite.

She grits her teeth.

"Who are you?" she says with a hiss that sounds like it's being funneled directly into his ear.

[pythbox]

"I'm trying to tell you!" he says. "You're spikier than most Bells. I'm another one of him," he says with a gesture to Beast. "I found him in his dreams and came here because he looks really fucked up."

All the while, he's echoing the whole conversation to Jane and Aegis.

[autokinetic]

Bird, show Jane where you are so she can put me there, Aegis suggests.

[beheld_beauty]

"He's been badly hurt. How can you be another of him - found him in his dreams? - what are you talking about?"

[pythbox]

He floods place-data at Jane and says, "It's complicated."

[beheld_beauty]

"I would like it explained."

[autokinetic]

Aegis pops into place. "Hi," she says. "We're versions of you and him from another, very different world, and we're here to help, can you tell us what happened to him? We can almost certainly fix it."

[beheld_beauty]

"He - he was traveling alone. He does that sometimes. And when I checked in on his mindscape it was damaged - an enchanter captured him and was using him - and channeling does damage to the unwilling - and I've been healing what I can but I haven't gotten him any better than this, he can barely speak, I haven't managed to get him to eat anything." She clenches her teeth again. "I got him back. I got him back and this is all I know how to do, I can't think of a way to design a mental healing spell that I'd have to channel through him in order to maintain control of it, if I could only get him to eat something I'd fetch my student and ask if I might channel through him instead but I can't leave him like this."

[deslandes]

Beast sniffles and cuddles closer, wrapping his arms around her and nestling his head in her lap.

[autokinetic]

"...Okay. My kinda magic is good at some things, but I don't know anything about the kind of damage we're looking at, here; I'll try if we don't have a better idea, but it's always possible to word a wish wrong and minds are delicate. You think you can do it? You can fix him if you have somebody to - channel through?"

[beheld_beauty]

"I - yes, but it hurts the channel. If it didn't I could channel it through myself, but I have to focus on the spell at the same time."

[pythbox]

"Does it do anything other than hurt?" says Sue. "I mean, does the channel have to know what they're doing? Because I can do hurting."

[beheld_beauty]

"To a willing channel, no, it does nothing but hurt and they don't need to know the details." She combs her fingers through Beast's hair. "To a willing channel."

[pythbox]

"Okay," shrugs Sue. "Hit me."

[beheld_beauty]

Belle blinks, and glances between Sue and Beast, and then bites her lip, thinks, and reaches for Sue's mindscape.

[pythbox]

It's a huge cube-shaped room with more cubes floating in the middle, and it opens up to welcome her.

[beheld_beauty]

Belle has been thinking about ways to heal Beast for hours now. She takes a moment to make sure of her design, and slams Heart power through the curiously-designed mindscape to restore Beast to his original state as best she can.

[pythbox]

The bright flowing colours shine out the gates of the battleroom.

Sue leans on Aegis and populates his coin-chain with hexagons.

[deslandes]

Beast's mindscape still looks pretty well blasted, but the structure is coming back; the castle is building itself up again.

He stops crying and cuddles into Belle's lap with a sigh.

[beheld_beauty]

"Mon cœur?" Belle asks softly, and she peers around his mindscape, watching it progress into a more intact state.

[deslandes]

"You fixed it," he murmurs, smiling.

She didn't. Not fully.

[beheld_beauty]

"Not all the way," she says. "There's still - here and there - I can see it. But it's better." She draws him into a tight hug.

[deslandes]

"I love you," he says, hugging back. "Ma belle."

[beheld_beauty]

"I love you, mon cœur." She swallows. "We have - visitors."

[deslandes]

"I know, my love," he says. "I brought one."