Intro

Based on the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast and young man is disguised as a woman and given to a mysterious man who demands a young bride as the price for stolen roses.

RPers: Kyoki_Hinote and xemsax

Characters

Beauty
Below. :)

Beast

Name: Vardinon
Age: Unknown
Appearance: Tall and snake-like. Though the basic structure of his body is human, his skin is has the texture of snake's skin, and bears markings like that of a python. He is hairless, but his eyes are human.
Other: Having been cursed during his youth he has become completely reclusive. Using his family's old money to maintain his lifestyle he spends most of his time tending his rose garden which is one of the last in the world. When he discoverers a man stealing his precious roses, he demands that the man give him something equal in return: one of the man's daughters.

Pic: To Come

Name: Samuel Gradier, but he's known to Vardinon as Samantha.
Age: 16
Appearance: Long blonde hair, green eyes. About 5'6" with a lengthy, thin frame and a girly face.
Other: Sam is forced to pretend he is a girl when his father steals a monster's roses and the monster demands one of his daughters. He volunteered to go in their stead, wanting to protect them. Fortunetly, his girly looks didn't make it too hard a role to play.

Pic: To come

Under the bright ungrudging light of the full moon a beast moved with gliding steps through a garden full of rich colours and scents like a warped and terrible guardian. The rare and beautiful blooms glistened with night dew, and for a moment the beast was filled with loving adoration. One day these tiny, delicate things would change him.

The beast's pale hands worked deftly, stealing away a bouquet of crimson blooms. One day these blooms would bring warmth back into his skin, and rend from him his deep unyielding shame. There was a little laboratory within the heart of his home that he used to study roses, to experiment, and to seek out the cure that would surely turn him human once more.

These roses tonight, however, were not meant for that. These blooms were destined to reflect their beauty in the arms of his new bride. Though he might suffer the hideous nature of his appearance, he would not suffer alone. Carefully the prepared the roses; carefully and with anticipation, for his bride would arrive in a few short hours heralded to him by the light of the dawn.

Samuel spun around in front of the mirror a few more times, a contemplative frown on his face. He had to remind himself that he was doing this to protect his sisters a few more times before he could accept the fact that he was in a dress.

Not just any dress, either. He was in a wedding gown. Two foam balls served for fake breasts and the top wasn't low-cut enough for anyone to see them. Samuel's mid-back length hair was pulled up in an ornate style, and he really did look like a girl. He sighed, eyeing the make-up his sisters had applied and then taught him to do.

"Sam... It's time to go." His eldest sister, Sarah, knocked on his door, speaking softly.

"I... I'm ready..." Samuel sighed, having a little difficulty walking in the high heels his sisters had forced him in to.

"If we leave now, we should be at the monster's place by dawn..." His father said, ushering him to the car. Sam nodded, getting in the passenger's seat and waving good-bye to his sisters, trying his best to hold back tears. He wanted to look strong and brave, and besides, he didn't want his mascara to run.

A few hours later, they arrived at the monster's house and he stared up at the large mansion, anxiety whirling in his stomach. He gave his father one last hug good-bye and made his way up the stone path.

It seemed so... rustic here. Sure, he didn't exactly live in the city, but suburbia was nothing like this. Things like demanding brides only happened in fairy tales, right? He couldn't help but wonder what could be so horrible about this "beast" that would make his father cave in like he did.

He finally reached the door and lifted a hesitant hand to the knocker, looking behind him to see his father's car already gone.

(^^;;; I haven’t forgotten, sorry, IRL issues.)

For every three feat of the walkway leading to the house proper there was a camera. The beast, Vardinon, watched from the safety of his privet office the lady's approach. She was lovely, and almost he went to her in person. But he was painfully aware of his own ghastly appearance and so he allowed his one humble servant to answer he knock.

The servant was a man of unique appearance in his own right, though not at all ghastly. He was an older man with a tuft of white hair atop his head, drooping jowls and mournful eyes.

"Good Morning, my Lady." He spoke he spoke in a voice that was clearer then it out to have been, and motioned for his master's guest to enter.

((That's fine, I was just wondering. I've been having issues of my own, I understand completely. ^^ ))

Sam openly stared as an old man greeted him at the door.

'My Lady? So old fashioned...' He couldn't help but think, but he nodded uncomfortably and stepped inside as the old man moved to let him in.

By the man's outfit, he wasn't the master of the house, just a servant. Sam wondered when he'd get to meet this strange "beast", though there was also a part of him that hoped they would not meet.

"Um... Hey. I'm Samantha Gradier... You... probably already knew that, huh?" He said uncomfortably, trying to make his voice sound more feminine.

((I'm assuming Sam has a bag, or suit case. ^^;;; Also in my posts Sam will be call 'she' or 'her' because my characters do not know otherwise.))

As the servant ushered Samantha in he spoke. "My name is Kristof; I am of the only three servants in this house. My Lady is to be given Isabel who will tend to your needs, and is waiting upstairs. This way, please."

Kristof took Samantha's luggage and carried them with ease as he led her to her new quarters. An entire wing was dedicated to the new lady of the house. The building itself was old, and it's layout no longer common.

Waiting in the parlour which was the first room of the lady's wing was Isabel. She was a short, mousy woman of undeterminable age, who’s wide eyes and high brow afforded her a permanently astonished expression.

"Oh! My Lady is here!" She squeaked, and hurried over to take the luggage from Kristof. She too had no trouble lifting the bags.

"Very well," Said Kristof as he folded his emptied hands behind him. "I shall return in one and a half hour to collect My Lady for the ceremony." With a short bow he left.

((Yes, he has two suitcases. Sorry, forgot to mention it. I understand.))

Sam could sense some problems already. A woman? Well, hopefully they weren't so old fashioned that she was gonna help him change or anything.

Everything in this place looked old and expensive. Like he was in a museum, not someone's house. It even smelled old and expensive.

At least the two people he'd met already seemed nice enough, even though they were kind of creepy. It was so weird being called 'My Lady'!

"Um... You can call me Sam, if you want..." He muttered softly. Hopefully this woman's intuition wouldn't tell her something was up with the new bride. Sam didn't think he could handle being discovered so quickly.

((Yes, he has two suitcases. Sorry, forgot to mention it. I understand.))

Sam could sense some problems already. A woman? Well, hopefully they weren't so old fashioned that she was gonna help him change or anything.

Everything in this place looked old and expensive. Like he was in a museum, not someone's house. It even smelled old and expensive.

At least the two people he'd met already seemed nice enough, even though they were kind of creepy. It was so weird being called 'My Lady'!

"Um... You can call me Sam, if you want..." He muttered softly. Hopefully this woman's intuition wouldn't tell her something was up with the new bride. Sam didn't think he could handle being discovered so quickly.

((I had an idea that the servants could actually be creations of Vardinon's; the finaly products of a failed experiment to restore his body. He would have created new bodies and then attempted to transfer the consciousness’ of animals into them. So Kristof would have been a basset hound, Isabel would have been a rat, and the third servant who is the cook would have been a cat. But because he wasn't able to successfully complete the experiment on a human he gave up and kept the three as servants. What do you think?))



Isabel faltered slightly, she wasn't accustomed to being so informal, Master Vardinon had never allowed it. "Oh, my. I...I don't think I can My Lady." She squeaked, and quickly retreated with Samantha’s luggage to the next room. "Would you like to bathe? I'll draw a bath!" Her voice flitted from the room she had fled to.



Elsewhere the master of the house was preparing himself. Though his servants called the impending hour 'the ceremony' out of respect, it would be nothing more then the signing of a contract. To swear love to one and other in the presence of a priest would be a mockery and that even a sworn nihilist like himself would have been ashamed of. There would be no music or celebration, and there would certainly be no wedding night. Vardinon was an unusual man and sometimes cruel, but not without some modicum of shame. Perhaps the lady would truly be his wife once he was whole, but for now all he wanted was her company.

"The veil." It was all he needed to say. Kristof his loyal servant had already laid the veil on a table near-by.

The material was one of his own invention that he used on the rare occasion he had to leave his home. The wearer could see through it, but to anyone glancing at him it would appear as if he wore ordinary cloth wrapped around his face.

The veil itself was made so that the lady would not be able to see him as they signed the marriage contract, but so he could see her. Of course it was made of a more delicate material so the lady would see the shapes and outlines of everything around her, but not the details. She would not see the details of his disfigurement until she was legally his.

((Sounds good. ^^))

Sam followed after the woman with a resigned sigh, still looking around the place with widened green eyes.

A bath... That was going to be bad... He barely managed to get into this dress with his three sisters helping! How on earth was he going to get out of it and back in without Isabel realizing he wasn't a girl?

"Um... Um, Isabel, it's okay, I took a shower at home!" Sam called out, unable to run after the woman in those damned heels.

"Oh, alright, that makes sense." For a moment Isabel stood in the bedroom where she had retreated to nervously. She normally lived on a very predictable schedule. She helped Kristof clean the house and that was all. When the master had informed her she would now be the personal servant of his bride she was terrified. She still was.

"Perhaps then I will put away your things, My Lady."

Scurrying about Isabel unpacked Samantha's things. She made sure that everything was in its proper place, and occasionally she cooed over a particularly pretty item.

It felt like such an invasion of privacy, someone invading his things like that. There were very personal items in there, things like family photos, pictures of Sam and his friends, things that could not be replaced. He'd brought his lucky bottle cap, hidden away in a small bag. Most of his things were rather masculine, really, and the only girl things he had were given to him by his sisters.

This had been a terrible idea from the beginning... He was definitely going to be figured out! He never thought about what he would do then... He doubted the monster liked boys, since he asked for a daughter.

When everything had it's own place Isabel tucked the suit cases under the large bed and the stood up with hands clasped in front of her awaiting her new Lady's needs.

"Would My Lady like some water to drink before the ceremony?" She spoke after a few agonizing seconds. Her little voice squeaked ever so slightly around the word 'ceremony'.

A knock sounded at the parlour door then, and Isabel gasped unhappily. "I expect that is Loba. He was supposed to bring a gift from the Master. My Lady Loba is terribly cruel! Shall I answer it?"



Meanwhile the judge who was to observe the signing of the marriage contract had arrived and was being escorted by Kristof to the main entertaining room that had been decorated for the occasion. The room itself had not been used in many years.

"Um... If you want..." Sam answered uncomfortably, still getting used to this whole 'My Lady' thing. It was so weird.

The woman reminded Sam of a mouse, especially with all the squeaking she did. The blonde looked around the room, looking to see where all of his personal stuff was while he waited to meet this Loba person.

The young maid scurried off to answer the door, and it was indeed Loba who was waiting on the other side. He was tall and dark, his eyes always half lidded.

"Oh? It's little mousy, are you driving the mistress crazy with your squeaking?" Loba drawled with a deep voice.

"I do not squeak!" Isabel held out her hands for the roses that Loba had brought, but the man sauntered past her to deliver them himself.

"And you must be the new mistress then." He spoke to Samantha "Kristof said your name was Samantha; here, from Vardinon."

Loba, though accepting his role a servant and cook, had never seen any reason why he should call anyone master. He held out the two dozen rare red roses that the master of the house had picked from his own garden a few hours ago. Loba had cut the thorns from their long stems and put them in water until it was time for Samantha to hold them.

"He wants you to hold them while the two of you are tying the knot. Careful with them these are hard to grow now a days."

Okay, so it wasn't just him who thought the lady squeaked. At least he knew he wasn't going crazy, thinking that someone reminded him of a mouse.

This Loba was quite handsome, really. He was also very tall. Sam had never liked tall people, he'd been rather small as a child. Maybe it was just ingrained into him.

"Yeah, I'm Samantha... You can call me Sam, though." The soon-to-be-bride looked down at the roses in his arms, contemplating silently. These were the roses that got him into this in the first place.

Loba sighed impatiently when Samantha did not take the roses. Nearby Isabel was beside herself with the man's attitude, but said nothing. Loba set the roses down on the carved oak coffee table that was the center piece of the room. The flowers were bound together by a white ribbon carefully curled.

His task done Loba strode to the door without even a bow, "See you up stairs then, Sam. Good luck."

Isabel nearly slammed the door behind him, but thought better of it as it might disturb her mistress. "Ooh, he is awful isn't he? No respect at all." Turning her attention away from the door she looked at Samantha with an unusually intense gaze. "You are overwhelmed. It's plain to see..."

She walked over to where Samantha was standing and took one of her mistress’s hands in her own. Isabel's hands were tiny, almost childlike, just like the rest of her.

"Do not fear My Lady. Deep down the Master is an honourable man. He will not hurt you, he is too shy. Inside this house is not the same as everywhere else in the world. You will understand soon."

Sam decided that Loba really wasn't that bad. All the formalities were really bugging him, and his name was much better than 'My Lady'.

"Um... no really, it's fine. I like being called Sam..." The teen said dazedly. Isabel was right about him being overwhelmed, but she wasn't really helping matters any. "I mean... You really don't have to be so formal..."

(I am so sorry for not being online for so long! There have been a lot of things happening lately, that I haven't really been thinking clearly. I never meant to drop the game though. :O )

Isabel tried to stammer out a reply, but was interrupted by another knock at the door. This one was the slow, blunt rapping that could only belong to the mournful eyed Kristof. He entered without waiting for anyone to answer, sure that the Lady would be nearly ready given the time. He held in his sure grip the delicate looking veil, and handed it to Isabel.

"The time is nearly at hand My Lady. The master wished you to wear this during the entire proceeding. Fear not, it will not take long, and then you may properly rest."

Isabel fiddled with the veil for a moment, and then approached Samantha. "Here, let’s do put this on." She meant to place it on Samantha's head for her.